By Jessica Meno, Raken
The labor shortage in construction has made turnover an even bigger challenge. For companies, now’s the perfect time to look inward—and make sure your workers are happy to stay.
Here are six ways to improve employee retention at your construction business.
1. Pay everyone accurately, and on time
Payroll delays and errors can be extremely costly in construction. In fact, it’s one of the biggest reasons why companies lose talented employees every year.
Think of your field crews. Their primary focus is completing projects on time—they shouldn’t be worried about whether or not they’re being paid. That’s why it’s critical to stay on top of job costing for every site.
2. Keep communication open
The best leader is one who you can trust. What’s the best way to build trust? Talking openly, honestly, and clearly about everything. (Even the bad stuff.)
When workers don’t have to think twice about office communications, they can put all their energy into the projects at hand. With an open-door policy, they’ll feel empowered to speak up about any concerns they have, too. Everyone will have the information they need to keep projects on track.
3. Involve them in decisions
If a decision affects the company, it’ll most likely affect the field as well. Different teams have different workflows, so it’s important to get crews involved in the decision-making process. That way, you can find a solution that works for everyone.
By including the field early on, crews and supervisors will feel like their opinions are valued. They’ll give you better insight on how to improve things on the jobsite—and even be more open to change (like new tech or workflows).
4. Support their professional growth
In an industry like construction, there’s a pretty clear team hierarchy. But moving up to the next role (or discovering a new one) isn’t always as straightforward. For employees, not knowing what’s next can leave them wanting more.
How can you help? Start a proper conversation with team members. Learn what gets them most excited about work. Offer training sessions to help them advance in their careers. The bottom line: Invest in your workers’ personal goals, not just the company’s vision. They’ll feel more supported, more confident, and more eager to get things done.
5. Celebrate (and share) their success
Employee recognition is severely underrated. Even if a worker knows they did a job well done, it always feels good when someone else acknowledges it.
A simple shout-out or “Thank you” can go a long way. Not only does it show employees that their talents are appreciated—it also lets them hype up other team members. As a result, you create a more close-knit team that’s motivated to build great projects.
6. Invest in technology to save them time
No one wants to spend extra time at work. In construction especially, there are already too many long shifts and too much travel away from home.
Using construction software can help your teams work more efficiently. For example, Raken lets you collect and store field data in the cloud. With less paperwork to worry about, your crews can focus on building—and the office can focus on managing. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Streamline your workflows with Raken
With Raken’s construction software, you can collect field data in real time—and improve projects along the way. From daily reports and checklists to production tracking, you’ll have more streamlined documentation in one place.
About the Author
Jessica Meno is a writer for Raken, the cloud-based software that was built to connect the field to the office. Raken helps boost productivity and safety by streamlining workflow processes such as daily reporting, time cards, production tracking, and safety management. Schedule a demo today to see how Raken can work for your business.
