Construction companies are usually looking to grow and expand their business. With every new job contract comes the need for skilled workers. Expanding your business network and company comes with the ongoing task of hiring new employees. Finding and keeping a good employee is worth the time and effort, however, many owners and managers struggle with the skills of training and retaining a strong talent.

Anyone who has ever worked in construction knows that good workers are hard to find. With the high demand for housing and commercial construction projects, there are more job openings than there are qualified candidates to fill them. So, what is a construction company to do? If your company is struggling to find and keep good workers, check out RFW’s top four hiring and worker retention strategies.

• Be competitive with employee pay and benefits.

If you want to attract quality employees, you need to offer competitive wages and benefits. In order to find out what the going rate is for construction workers in your area, do your research. Talk to other employers or look at job postings online. You may also want to offer additional incentives like signing bonuses or referral bonuses to sweeten the pot for quality new employees.

• Train your employees well.

Once you’ve hired some good workers, it’s important to keep them around by training them well. Provide them with the resources and knowledge they need to do top notch work. This will not only help them do their jobs better but will also make them less likely to leave for another company. Investing in your employees is investing in your company’s future.

• Promote from within whenever possible.

When it comes time to fill a new position or promote someone, look first to your existing employees. Promoting from within shows your employees that there are opportunities for advancement at your company, which will make them more likely to stick around. Plus, promoting someone who is already familiar with your company and its culture will make for a smoother transition than bringing in someone from the outside.

• Communicate often and openly.

Finally, one of the best ways to keep your employees happy (and therefore less likely to leave) is simply by communicating with them often and openly. Let them know what is going on with the company and give them a chance to provide feedback. Ask them how they are doing and if there is anything that management can do to help them be successful in their role.

Employee turnover can be a real problem in the construction industry but by following these strategies, you can hire and keep the best employees for your company. Remember that while times are challenging, the construction industry is still booming. But that doesn’t mean it is easy to find good workers. If you are having trouble hiring or retaining employees, remember to use our four tried and tested strategies: be competitive with your pay and benefits, train your employees well, promote from within whenever possible, and communicate often and openly.