Latest News | 30th November 2016

5 Tips to attract and retain employees in the housebuilding sector

With a well-reported shortage of construction skills, housebuilders are struggling to find and retain staff. Lloyds Bank’s Housebuilding report states that 26% of respondents highlighted a lack of skilled construction workers as one of the main issues facing their business.

We are bringing you 5 tips that should not only help to retain staff, but also attract new employees.

Diversity
A workplace that is diverse increases innovation, encouraging current employees to stay and making companies attractive for prospective employees. People would like to work for a company where they relate to staff currently employed. However, there is still a long way to go in the construction industry – currently women make up just 11% of the workforce and just 1% of workers on- site. Ways to promote diversity within your company include having a policy in place that requires contractors to demonstrate commitment, as well as profiling diversity of the workforce to find opportunities for improvement.

Pay
This might be an obvious one, but with construction skill shortages, pay has never been so important. Offer competitive salaries to retain and attract new staff. Annual pay reviews and other benefits such as pension schemes, overtime pay and bonuses will help you to retain staff.

Provide training / personal development opportunities
32% of respondents in Lloyds Bank Housebuilding report say apprenticeships will be the main focus on their investment, however we believe that is beneficial to provide training for all levels of staff within your company, starting with senior management. In the construction industry there is a lot of micro-management: offering your most senior employees the opportunity to complete management courses will improve this and also allows skills to be cascaded down through to the entire workforce. It also a good suggestion to understand what other employees are doing within the company; cross-training is vital in order to maintain a successful workplace. The Construction Industry Council hosts a range of events throughout the year, which this year included speed mentoring and women’s networking events. Find out more here.

Work-life balance
Employees are more than just workers for your company: they are probably also busy family members with obligations. Create a culture where people feel that if there is an issue outside of work they can speak to their manager and that the workplace is flexible and willing to help if needed. This could be a challenge, especially with the industry heavily dominated by males who are often reluctant to seek advice. Providing the right support will help.

Personal growth
Most people are looking to evolve and grow in their career; having a clear strategy that develops and grow staff will help you maintain and attract new staff.

Have you got any tips that work well for your company? Let us know!

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