People are the most important asset to a company. Hiring and getting the right employees on board is an essential first step to creating a strong workforce. Retaining that workforce requires a variety of strategies, including onboarding and training, opportunities for increased work challenges, purposeful engagement and appropriate compensation. Here are some tips on how to hire and retain the best employees for your construction company:
Hiring:
- Creating a detailed job post with a clear description of the types of qualities and skills you are looking for in an employee is key at the beginning of your quest to find the best workers. By being specific and detailing the types of construction jobs your company takes on, you will automatically attract construction workers who understand what you’re looking for and repel potential applicants who are not particularly skilled in your company’s expertise.
- Let regular clients, material suppliers, current employees, etc. know that you are always looking for great recommendations for potential employees. A referral from a trusted and respected associate is a good indication that they have a great deal of trust for the person they are referring.
- Be proactive in the community. Recruit potential employees from industry events, college hiring fairs, etc.
- If you want to attract the top talent in your area, you have to have a competitive advantage that you can offer them. Whether that’s top pay, the most comprehensive benefits package or that you take on the most interesting and rewarding projects, you have to give employees a reason to want to work for you.
Retention:
- Have an efficient onboarding and training program. It is important to have proper management training. Poor or no management training can affect how employees view their bosses, positions and roles in the company, which can negatively affect retention rates.
- Being valued at work rates the same as, or higher than, compensation in many surveys. You can increase the probability of keeping employees engaged and invested in both their own professional growth and the company’s by communicating with employees regularly on their performance and providing a clear path for advancement and more responsibility.
- Employees do what they are compensated for. Compensation needs to be in line with the position and the expectations for that position. The balance between a rewarding salary and industry-competitive compensation is on the mind of most new hires and current employees.
- Communicate your business’s mission. Feeling connected to the organization’s goals is one way to keep employees mentally and emotionally tied to your company.
