Key Challenges of Retaining the Workforce in Construction Firms

This essay delves into the critical challenges of workforce retention within the construction industry. It explores the importance of attracting and retaining talented employees in a competitive market, emphasizing that factors beyond financial compensation are crucial. The paper highlights the role of strategic human resource management, including effective hiring practices, employee discipline, and collaborative competence. Organizational culture, leadership skills, employee motivation, and opportunities for learning and development are identified as key elements in retaining a skilled workforce. The essay underscores the significance of creating a positive work environment, fostering employee control over their work, and providing rewards and incentives to maintain employee satisfaction and commitment. It concludes by stressing the necessity for construction firms to adapt and develop strategies to meet the evolving needs of their workforce, thereby ensuring long-term success.

Running head: KEY CHALLE NGES OF RETAINING THE WORKFORCE
Key Challenges of Retaining the Workforce
Name
Institution

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Introduction
What gain does it have in retaining an employee in the construction industry? Does it add
any sentimental value or benefit to the organization? And how can we manage to attract the most
talented employees and retain them in the presence of competitive construction firms in the
market? These are some of the questions that an employer should ask himself if he/she expects to
be successful (Reifels & Pirkis, 2012). Attracting talented staff and being able to retain them are
two distinct entities that require closer attention and keenness of the employer. Gone are the days
when money or a handsome pay slip was what attracted employees to work for a in the
construction firm or organizations (McGowan, 2016). In this contemporary world of today with
ever changing technologies and preferences, employs look at several things before they accept
job at any of this sector. Several factors interplay in order to draw their attention towards the
firm. This paper will focus on an evaluation of employment and retention of the workforce in the
construction industry.
Being in charge of a construction firm or organization, it becomes your desire to draw
great attention and attract workers to you, an aspect that improves the ability of the management
to retain the workforce. This is due to the fact that having them retained in their work will
transform to increased productivity and outstanding/conspicuous services to clients leading to
their satisfaction. This calls for strategic human resource management involving critical
measures undertaken when hiring workers, discipline of workers management of payment and
salaries. Furthermore, it involves how you involve your stocks of competence in a collaborative
manner to enhance the performance of the organization, boost retention and improve the quality
of work experience thus calling for HR planning.

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HR planning is the ability of a firm’s management to identify current and future human resource
needs for the firm which leads to firm performance and achievement of it goals and objectives. It
is the primary determinant of weather the firm will be able to retain its stocks of competence or
not. Proper planning of human resource will help act as a link between the management of stocks
of competence and the overall blueprint for the organization. The strategy helps the organization
to achieve the most out of its valuable and scars assets in the competitive construction industry.
A number of techniques can be applied in this industry in order to attract and retain these
highly qualified staff (Orr & Topa 2016, P. 90). First, the culture of the organization plays a
major role in attracting prospect employees who are highly talented and even retain them.
Culture goes a long way in building the reputation of the firm which is actually the big picture of
the organization. What is it that you do to ensure you have a favorable and conducive
environment for your employees to enjoy working? What kind of rapport have you created in in
the firm that will make the employees to co-exist mutually and even get along with their fellow
employees. Providing a stress-free environment that gives room for compassion, trust having
foremen who are understanding and supportive will make individuals to be automatically
attracted towards your firm and even help retain them.
A culture that allows the workers to enjoy automation and solve their individual
challenges creatively with their clients is the most effective for a construction industry
(Buzzanell, Remke, Meisenbach, Liu, Bowers, & Conn, 2017). Having a culture of corporation.
Business culture involves working together as a team, being transparent. Despite the fact that
many employees want a handsome pay, they also desire having things that money cannot buy

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such as joy while working. An environment that ploughs happiness and a sense of security in
their daily endeavors
The absence of leadership skills in the construction firm can be a major setback for any
given company that intends to attract and retain its staff (Knox, 2015). The inability to be in
control of the workforce in the firm paints a bad picture to talented job seekers who may have the
potential of increasing the rate of production in the firm. However small or big the construction
firm is, it should try to take the initiative of training its leaders with the best skills that will
enable them to attract more workforce. It becomes very difficult for construction firms such as
Royal BAM company which was ranked fifth in 2015 as the best construction firm. To retain its
workers if there is a general stereotype that has been developed either by the workers concerning
their leaders who may have fall short in their leadership skills (Oliffe, Rice, Kelly, Ogrodniczuk,
Broom, Robertson, & Black, 2018). This intern calls for the firm to change its technique such as
putting more emphasis on a person rather than the whole leadership mechanism. This will help
change the stereotype thought held by workers and work towards remaining at the top of the
game.
The attraction that Royal BAM construction firm gives out to the prospecting employees
is highly facilitated by the kind of leadership the firm has. Who would wish to work for a firm
whose leadership styles are questionable? (Rose, 2012). Talented employees are attracted only to
outstanding leadership within the firm. Employees will feel contented if those in charge provide
a conducive environment to work. A firm that has leaders who motivate and encourage the
workers will attract most talented employees and even help to retain them thus translating to
more profit by the firm.

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The presence of effective leadership in the firm will go a long way to make the
employees enjoy working with this construction firm as they will see work as fun and even build
a sense of security (Nichols, 2016). This involves giving honest report and feedback to the
workers about their progress in the workplace and taking an extra mile to encourage them to do
the right thing. The effort and the motivation shown by leaders or employer to their stocks of
competence will determine the kind of picture that will be painted in front of them. The
perception held by the staff towards the employer is the force behind expansion and growth of
the firm. This implies that an employer should try all the possible ways to show that he is in
control by exhibiting high leadership skills such as being a good communicator who can compete
well in the market arena.
Creating a negative free working environment should be the responsibility of every leader
in the of the construction firm (Karatsiori, 2015). No one is willing to work for a boss who does
not care about the well being of his/her employees. An employer is responsible for the turnover
of his staff at work. The supervision given when the staff is working will also determine whether
you will retain your workers or not. It might be challenging to retain them but offering a
supportive environment where workers are allowed to be in control of their work helps retain
them. If you do select your staff properly, there is no need of following them everywhere but
rather they should be allowed to exploit their abilities (Varadarajan, 2014). Stay at the office
with your door open for advice in case the workers need help anywhere. Research shows that
employees can be much productive if they are left to be in control of their work with little
supervision. this makes the workers feel important and thus work at the best of their ability to
ensure success in firm.

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It is not an easy job to attract and retain workers especially when operating a small size
construction business enterprises or firm (Varadarajan, 2016). Individuals may desire to be
appreciated and be given rewards or incentives for them to keep on working for the firm. This
may be challenging especially for developing construction businesses that may not be in the
position to offer growth opportunity such as progress in rank to their talented workers or attract
more talented skilled manpower. This may act as a barrier to attracting the capital competence.
Motivation reward and compensation
The most challenging part in the sector is to retain the stocks of competence that one has.
Competing firms in the construction business arena are always busy working around the clock to
attract those talented staff that you have. Failure to keep your staff happy results to them being
snatched by other more competitive organizations. Coming up with reward and incentive
strategies in the organization can help retain your workers. Either the use of intrinsic or extrinsic
motivation to hold the staff in place. The workers need to be motivated for instance
acknowledging their efforts in the organization which will not only encourage them but also
make them feel appreciated. Staff members who feel their contribution is being recognized will
be contented and even be more eager to keep working for the firm.
The Company
The conspicuous fabrication of the construction business culture and the individual
personalities is what makes a up a company. What does the company have to offer to its
workers? In terms of career growth as an individual. The organizations that foster a conducive
business environment always thrive despite competition (Karatsiori, 2015). The presence of
training opportunities such as post graduate training, practices, internship offering healthcare

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service, education to children and insurance play key role in attracting expertise in the company.
Does the company offer opportunities of investing in its employees in terms of further education,
giving slots of promotion to the workers? It is the desire of every worker to reach his optimum
capabilities and thus will look for an organization that is willing to create room for them to
exploit their capabilities through further learning to increase their skills.
Several factors within the company can be merged together by the employer in order to
retain his smart employees (Varadarajan, 2014). Cultivating the spirit of competition in the
workplace should be adopted by offering rewards and incentives to the workers according to
their performance. A little effort that is put in by the worker can a play big role in saving the
business from falling. Acknowledging the little things done and even taking part of your time to
congratulate the workers for the efforts they are showing at the workplace encourages their
performance. Whether you are leading a small organization or large enterprises, your employees
will feel appreciated and put in more efforts and even never think of leaving the organization and
going to a much bigger firm.
Learning development and career management
Ability to offer diverse or variety of things such as new challenges to the workers will
play major role in retaining your workers. Boredom is the biggest threat to all businesses
(Karatsiori, 2015). Talented employees or workers always don’t care about simple compensation
packages like free gift but pay much attention to their career. Is there any provision for your
employees to expand professionally? How will you enable them attain their optimum potential in
terms of career development? They tend to concentrate on business opportunity that will help
them grow their career and passion of job. They are attracted to firms that will offer opportunity

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for them to face diverse challenges that are tough but manageable. As a construction employer,
you need to think outside the box and come up with proper strategies that will help you retain
your staff.
As a leader of the company, creating further learning opportunities is vital for the success of the
firm. Post graduate education such as poultry management among others essential for the
employees. You need to open doors for the workers to be trained further in their areas of
competence. This increases productivity f the firm as they will view the firm as a source of
opportunity and not just them utilize their abilities. Ensure that the workers are also taught on
how to utilize their full skills.
To attract and retain employees is a major challenge in today’s construction business
world. The staff you are working with needs to feel contented and satisfied with the services you
are offering them apart from reasonable salary (Bender, Contacos-Sawyer, & Thomas, 2013). An
employee who gets a lot of salary but works under bad conditions such as lack of protective
clothes when operating cement machines and other construction materials will not be motivated
to keep on working with the company but would prefer a smaller pay but his/her health is given
priority. Is your firm in a position to provide an equilibrium between standard of life and in state
of working? In line with this, the organization together with the employer need to consider
several factors that can help the outdo other organizations and be able to attract and retain their
staff.
Failure to perceive the reason why many stocks of competence are attracted to your
company is also a major setback that a firm may face which might end up causing the firm to
lose its talented employees (Varadarajan, 2014). As an employer, being well informed about the

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needs of your staff is a crucial stage that may save you from losing them to other firms. Creating
positive emotional attachment with your workers so that you may be in the light of what is
motivating them to work in your firm is essential. This may involve providing care improving
the living standards of the workers such as providing them with means transport if you are in a
position to do so. in the case of a large firm, workers may expect to be given insurance cover and
even health and childcare services (Oliffe, Rice, Kelly, Ogrodniczuk, Broom, Robertson, &
Black, 2018). This will make the prospective job seekers to prioritize working in your company
as it provides a lifelong benefit to them. Though you may not be in a position to cater for all the
needs of your employees, you should consider satisfying their major Wants Such as career
development through offering training programs that will increase their competence in work,
creating opportunities for diverse challenges in the workplace so as to reduce boredom which is
the major poison of enhanced productivity.
Employee relations challenges
The relations of the stocks of competence in the work place is highly determined by the culture
of the organization. is your culture based on ethics? For performance to be seen in the firm, the
company needs to create a culture where employees appreciate the essence of team work. The
value of respect, transparency and responsibility among workers.
Strategic management for employee’s relation is vital for retention of workers and performance
of the organization. the firm needs to try and create conducive environment that eliminates the
negative challenges and try to create good rapport amongst the workers.
Building on the business culture such as creating free social interaction programs where
the whole firm staff engage in games and other recreational programs will help you as an

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employer to know more about their needs and interests thus be able to device ways of motivating
them and hence retention in the company. It is vital for employees to understand each other to
help build on their personality.
Another major setback or challenge that is faced by construction firms in attracting and
retaining their staff is the lack of balance. Too much concentration on retaining the skilled
manpower and attracting the younger talents can cause adverse effects to the firm. Despite the
fact that it is important to give privileges to your skilled staff, it is equally important not to
assume petty stuffs such as utilizing the workers talents and ability to the maximum so that they
may not feel wasted and sort to go for other firms in the market. Addressing the issue of stock of
competence such as developing internal sectors of the firm starting from the less important to the
most important of all should occur with the aim of providing an extra expansion program.
It is also challenging to attract and retain workers in the firm if there isn’t effective
communication either upstream or downstream (Bender, Contacos-Sawyer, & Thomas 2013, p.
169). It is necessary to develop good communication amongst the staff and their employer. This
can be achieved by coming up with regular discussion where workers can contribute openly their
views that involves enacting an open-door policy to your workers.
solutions
to retain the stacks of competence, it calls for one to be a good communicator and leader who is
capable of creating an enabling environment to his workers. the use of teamwork and open-door
policies where workers are allowed to be in charge of themselves with little or no supervisions
encourages them to remain and work for the organization.

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issuing of career development opportunities such as further training and utilization of the full
capabilities of the worker motivates them to work for the firm with the aim of increasing profits
to the firm. The culture upheld in the firm is the major factor that influences customer retention
and attraction. with this in mind, the firm should ensure that it upholds the best culture such as
worker involvement in decision making and transparency.
Conclusion
Attracting and retaining workers in the firm is not an easy thing that a firm can just do in
a single day. It is a fur much complicated issue that need a firm to come up with strategies that
will help it deal with this issue. Some of the mechanisms that a firm can use so as to attract
talented employees and retain them include offering opportunities for career development ,
building and creating favorable business culture and offering good leadership.

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