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Can HR do more to improve the retention of young construction workers?

As the older generation of construction workers reach retirement age and leave, taking their decades of experience with them, the industry is stacking up problems for the future if it can’t attract and more importantly keep younger workers. The next generation need to go on to have long and fulfilling careers in the sector, however, there does seem to be an issue with retention, particularly of younger, skilled workers. What more should HR leaders in construction companies be doing to address this ticking timebomb?

HR Featured

Posted 16/10/2019

The key to success is to do more to provide attractive opportunities, job satisfaction and progression – nothing new there for HR managers in any sector of course. So, what specifically can construction HR managers do?

Communicate more

One of the most powerful things the building industry can do is show that employees are genuinely valued – so tell them. Everyone likes to feel important and know that their contribution is appreciated and that they are part of something bigger, so company communication is vital.

HR is in a unique position because it has an ongoing relationship with every single employee in the business from the moment that they are recruited. That means it’s perfectly placed to open up and maintain a positive dialogue with staff about the company, its goals and aspirations, the part individual employees can (and do) play, and what is in store for the future. This is much easier for HR to do with a cutting-edge software solution that facilitates company-wide interaction regularly. HR can also start this process early by using proactive onboarding software which demonstrates company commitment to the new employee as an individual and makes it easy to find out what is expected from day one.

Training is key

You probably have a training programme in place – in fact, it would be hard to find a modern-day business in any sector without some training on offer! But how formal is your programme? And how closely aligned is it to individual career goals and aspirations within the construction sector?

A robust and well-planned training programme that stretches ahead over the long term is an excellent motivator for a young person looking to develop their skills and progress their career. But it’s impossible to manage that level of proactive and personalised training for every single individual without it taking an age, right? Wrong. The answer is a decent HR software package with a training and development module built-in. This level of support will allow you to spend time designing personalised training programmes with all of your employees, not just your most valued and high-potential ones, without getting buried in endless paperwork. And a tailored programme will go a long way towards building loyalty to your business too.

Utilise the experience of your people before they retire

Your more senior workers have masses of useful skills and knowledge that could be useful for the next generation coming through, so why not formalise an approach to sharing best practice via a mentoring programme? 

Mentoring can be an extremely effective way to transfer skills from one generation to the next and foster a shared sense of ‘we’re all in this together’ amongst employees. But matching personalities is as important as matching skills, so this will require careful planning from HR. Again, software can be an extremely useful tool when doing this.

For more ideas for HR to consider on this, as well as other core areas such as compliance and adding value, download our free guide: HR in Construction: New ways to address your core challenges