{"id":2105,"date":"2017-07-10T11:17:16","date_gmt":"2017-07-10T15:17:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/?p=2105"},"modified":"2026-02-16T05:27:04","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T10:27:04","slug":"6-ways-retain-construction-employees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/6-ways-retain-construction-employees\/","title":{"rendered":"6 ways to engage and retain your construction employees"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPeople & Leadership<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t6 ways to engage and retain your construction employees\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Workers in the construction industry are on the move.  According to the latest numbers<\/a> from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 177,000 construction industry workers quit their current jobs in April 2017. That\u2019s more than twice the number (roughly 68,000) of construction employees who gave separation notices in April of 2009<\/a>\u2014two months prior to the official end of the Great Recession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employee retention<\/a> issues shouldn\u2019t come as a surprise to anyone in construction. The skilled labor shortage is heating up competition for talent. Consequently, many construction companies are taking a renewed look at how to keep good workers on their payroll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The importance of employee engagement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Worker retention is a tough nut to crack. But most experts agree on one thing\u2014employee engagement is a key factor to keeping good talent on board.<\/a> Why? Consider these facts: In a Gallup survey, organizations whose employees reported high engagement had 25% to 65%<\/a> less attrition than their peers. They also experienced higher levels of productivity and customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Current practices<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Construction industry consultant FMI believes the construction industry could be missing the mark on employee engagement. FMI points to their 2015 Talent Development survey<\/a> in which construction employers listed competitive pay, enjoyable work environment, and training opportunities as the top three things used to retain key talent. In contrast, an earlier FMI study showed that millennials\u2014an important talent source\u2014agreed on competitive pay, but listed work-life balance, and personal development as most important to them. There lies the disconnect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back to basics<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Increasing employee engagement isn\u2019t about company picnics, team building exercises, or a foosball table in the lunch room.  It actually comes down to more practical basics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Put people in the right positions<\/strong>. Look at your current team. Do you understand each person\u2019s skill set and where they excel? Are they in the best position to add value to your company and for them to succeed?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Provide a career path<\/strong>. Most employees\u2014not just millennials\u2014want opportunities for career advancement. According to FMI construction industry research, however, only 19 percent<\/a> of respondents define career paths for their employees. Now\u2019s the time to revisit your current job structure and identify achievable career paths.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Offer \u201cbig picture\u201d training<\/strong>. Tie your training to a person\u2019s career goals for the biggest impact on employee engagement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Encourage employee contribution<\/strong>. Foster a company culture that promotes and values employee input.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Coach for success<\/strong>. Ditch the annual performance review<\/a> and replace it with regular check-ins with employees. Use these one-on-one sessions to provide timely job performance feedback<\/a>, valuable coaching, and advice on how to achieve career objectives.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Compensate competitively<\/strong>. It\u2019s simple supply and demand. Considering today\u2019s shrinking pool of qualified workers, competitive pay is the baseline for employee engagement and retention.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Gaining an edge<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    According to Gallup, anywhere from 30.2% to 34.5%<\/a> of employees were engaged in their work during the second quarter of this year. While employee engagement numbers have been inching up slowly over the past three years, there is still a long way to go. Companies who can boost employee engagement will gain a valuable advantage by attracting and retaining the best talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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