“Construction Labor Shortage”

With the housing and construction industry on the rebound, contractors are really starting to feel the pinch of the skilled labor shortage. During the latest recession, many workers left the unstable construction field and moved on to other careers. This has become a major issue in Minnesota and especially for Twin City remodelers like Lake Country Builders, Ltd.

The challenge now is to get new “blood” back into the construction field.

Listed below were 3 basic steps that Equipment World had in their November issue to help companies with this struggle:

Step 1: HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE! Attracting and retaining people isn’t enough. You have to hire and keep people who are a good fit for the type of company you want to have. No matter how skilled the employees, sometimes their demeanor or attitude simply derails what you’re trying to accomplish.

Step 2: BE OPEN AND HONEST! Although it’s your company, you should want your employees to be interested and invested in the well-being of the firm. They’re never going to be able to do that unless you tell them what’s going on. Instituting transparency is a direct path to gaining the loyalty and trust of your people. If they feel they know what you know, they’re more likely to consider themselves part of a team.

Step 3: BE FAIR! Treating everyone fairly and treating everyone equally isn’t the same thing. If you treat everyone exactly the same, they’ll think you don’t care about them. Have an individualized approach to your employees, and clearly explain decisions you make that affect them. They’ll respect you for it.

While these may seem like simple and easy steps, it is a culture change for many companies.