When the mortgage industry bottomed out in 2008, it took the construction industry with it. When both sectors started to rebound in 2012, the construction industry had lost millions of skilled workers to other industries.
In recent years, the construction industry has been actively recruiting new people to join to try and bring the workforce back up to a reasonable level, but it will take time and right now the industry is in a serious labor crunch. Recruiting and retaining top-quality employees is not easy in the construction industry these days, but it is something every construction company has to think about.
Construction companies have to work harder to fill skilled and unskilled worker positions.
Promote And Encourage Diversity
For decades, the construction industry has been dominated by white males. Today, most of the union work is still handled mostly by white males, while the non-union side has been becoming increasingly diverse. If the union side of the construction industry wants to be able to recruit and retain good workers, then it needs to create a more diverse environment.
The instances of successful women in union construction are few and far between, and minorities are also experiencing issues in getting union work. It is not just a matter of union officials declaring that anyone can get a union construction job, there has to be a complete change in the working environment in construction that welcomes a diverse workforce and encourages everyone to pursue a career in construction.
Market Your Company
Marketing experts know that the best way to make a company popular is to work hard to put the company brand in a positive light. Construction companies are not known for marketing to the public, but that is going to have to change if they want to attract and retain good employees.
Construction companies need to hire marketing firms that will use television, radio, and print media to educate the public about the companies’ safety records, diversity hiring policies, and opportunities for professional growth. In a short period of time, a concentrated marketing effort would encourage people of all races and backgrounds to start applying for construction work.
Retaining happy workers can save your construction company a lot of money.
Encourage Personal Growth
Construction companies are not necessarily known for encouraging employees to expand their skill sets and grow professionally. If you want to recruit and retain good employees in this day and age, then you need to set up career paths that workers can follow to give them something to strive for.
There are many people who dream of a certain type of career in construction, whether it be operating a crane or being a job site supervisor. Construction companies need to create well-defined career paths and then use those paths to encourage workers to achieve their dreams.
Construction companies need an educational and information resource partner that can help them to bring in new employees and provide those employees with the tools they need to succeed. With PDH Contractors, you can browse courses by state and help your employees to get the certifications and licenses they need to advance their careers. You can also use the blog library on PDH Contractors to read up on the latest information that will help keep your company ahead of the competition and retain those top workers.