There is an expectation in the workforce that employees should be company-focused and loyal. Unfortunately, employers aren’t always held to the same standard, and some companies aren’t employee-focused at all. If a company is seeing high rates of turnover, it might be time to stop asking why employees are disloyal—and start asking how the company is treating its employees. Because when it comes to employee loyalty, leaders reap what they sow.
Evaluate The Culture
Improving employee loyalty starts with figuring out what a company might be doing wrong. In today’s hectic and competitive construction market, it’s easy to get swept up in the amount of work that needs to be done. Everyone is rushing to meet deadlines, win projects and get the job done. But, in the process, some companies treat their employees as commodities rather than human beings.
Most employers know how important it is to attract candidates during the hiring process, but they shouldn’t let the attraction end once that candidate comes on board. Is the company wooing top talent and then dropping them into a project and forgetting about them? No one wants to feel like they’re part of an assembly line, so construction executives must ensure that they are still attracting their employees even after they come on board. Companies shouldn’t treat their employees like numbers; they should treat them like family.
Treat Employees Like Family
A company shouldn’t feel like a “big business” to its workers—a more independent, employee-centric culture is better for long-term retention. The good news is treating employees well and making them feel good isn’t going to break the budget. There are many ways to connect that are inexpensive—or even free.
Reaching out personally is one of the most important ways to connect, whether that means calling a field employee to check in or stopping by an office-based employee’s desk to let them know how valued they are. Personalized attention goes a long way toward developing employee loyalty. Leaders might include families in company parties and events, send out cards to commemorate birthdays and other big life events, and make sure they provide good family insurance coverage and vacation days. Employees whose families love their company are less likely to make a change.
Good leaders must make sure that they know their employees’ career plans: managers should be sitting down with their employees at regular intervals to touch base and figure out how the company can help them achieve their goals. This lets them know that their manager sees them as a long-term investment and is excited about their future with the company.
Don’t Forget About the Field
It’s easy for company leaders to connect with office-based workers, but it’s just as important for them to reach out to field-based employees. Too many field workers report that they haven’t spoken to executive-level managers since the hiring process was complete. So when new opportunities come along, those workers could be more likely to move along because they don’t feel connected to the company they work for.
So what’s one of the simplest ways a manager can reduce high rates of turnover in the field? Just make a phone call. Take the time to call field employees and ask how they’re doing. Ask how the company can support them, and tell them how much everyone appreciates their hard work. This simple act can go a long way, and can even help with employee retention.
Turnover is an expensive problem for construction companies, in more ways than one. The financial cost of replacing an employee can be up to 100% of that employee’s annual salary, but a construction team’s productivity and morale can also suffer during times of turnover. On top of that, a company’s reputation can take a hit if they’re constantly trying to replace employees. The easiest and cheapest thing a company can do is take stock of whether the company culture demonstrates loyalty to employees, and if not, find ways to show those employees that the company leadership cares. If the company is loyal to them, chances are, they’ll be loyal to the company.
