Everyone is talking about finding the skilled craft workers needed to do the work that is out there right now, and almost every industry article mentions that the demand is high, and the supply is shrinking. The AGC has said that almost 80% of construction companies are looking for additional help.
There are two parts of the conversation that we hear. The first is “getting 'em,” and that applies to the supply side of the equation, creating a labor pool that is large enough to satisfy the demand for those workers.
The second part of the conversation is “keeping 'em,” and that discussion is emerging as a priority for company owners as workers are being poached and where they see additional opportunities on the other side of the fence where the grass looks greener and the wages and benefits are higher.
Jarrad Whissell, President of Canadian–based Whissell Contracting Ltd., recently wrote an article in the publication For Construction Pros.com that focuses on ways to retain your workforce after you hire them. His approach illustrates a set of 11 techniques that he has discovered to retain his workforce in today’s competitive environment.
We thought that his advice was sound and that you might want to look the article over for ways that you might use to retain your craft workforce.
