The Construction Labor Shortage: Overcoming Adversity with Workforce Management
Date Posted: November 18, 2021
Posted In: Ideas, Workforce,
From For Construction Pros: Industries across the nation are facing an unprecedented labor shortage — the construction industry is no exception. Skilled laborers with years of experience are retiring with a lack of qualified workers lined up behind them. This is a familiar issue in construction, but has recently intensified.
As one generation tries to pass the reins to the next, it’s become increasingly difficult to hang on to up-and-coming talent or identify the next set of leaders ready to take over. This not only impacts construction, but also families, businesses, doctors, teachers and more. How? The construction industry molds the communities we live in, shapes the city skylines we work in and builds the hospitals and schools we rely on. Without a healthy pipeline of construction workers, progress stops. The labor shortage creates a lasting impact that will be felt not only today, but for generations to come.
Our suggestion on battling the labor shortage? Retain the employees you currently have first. And one way to do that is by managing field workers properly. Let’s take a deeper dive into a few of our customers’ stories to understand how they’re implementing better workforce management practices to retain employees, and ultimately, combat the labor shortage.
Guarantee Electric Improves Employee Morale and Creates A Culture of Familiarity
Guarantee Electrical Company was founded in St. Louis, Mo., in 1902 to help electrify the 1904 World’s Fair. Fast forward 120 years and Guarantee works on jobs across the United States with a focus on protecting their legacy and caring for their people.
To help retain skilled laborers and create a culture experienced workers would be attracted to, they brought in a human resources professional to develop a strong workforce and nurture people to develop individually and as a collective unit. Guarantee wanted to be more thoughtful about their workforce and have their newfound HR group to do more than payroll, benefits and provide typical HR support. They wanted to break down barriers and bridge the gap to create a cohesive team and connected environment.
With a focus on workforce management, Guarantee has fostered a culture of familiarity and created a collaborative crew that proactively communicates from the office to the field and everywhere in between. Their employees feel taken care of, the leadership team understands their people and they’re able to identify future leaders that will move the company forward for the next 100 years.