As the economy has improved, contractors are having an increasingly difficult time finding the workers they need. This is true for all types of contractors in virtually all aspects of the construction industry. So, what can you do?
This year’s two Contractors of the Year – A & A Paving Contractors and Commercial Power Sweep Inc. – offer some insights that are worth considering, simply: Take care of the workers you have.
Bob Olson, co-owner of Contractor of the Year A & A Paving Contractors, says the average tenure at A & A is 16 years on the crew and 12 years in the office (with some people having been with A & A more than 25 years). “Guys were knocking on our door because they heard it’s a good place to work,” Olson says. “We have zero turnover. They like the atmosphere here and it’s not like anywhere else. Culture is important and we’re always trying to improve our culture.”
And even though A & A Paving went through a high-tech transformation that created some “difficult conversations” with employees, “...We didn’t lose anyone,” says, A & A Paving co-owner Todd Eichholz.
And Sweeper of the Year, Commercial Power Sweep Inc. (CPSI), credits some of its success to the longevity of its workforce. Ken Lindsey, owner of CPSI, says the company has always treated its employees like family.
“We have great longevity with our employees with some of them being with the company for over 25 years. Honestly, we have not had a high rate of turnover. It is important for the employees to know their worth within the company...listening to their needs and recognizing them as a valuable part of the business."
It’s unlikely that you’ll ever hear a contractor boast that his business is successful because of its high turnover rate. But talk with enough contractors and it will become clear that those with longevity of their staff feel their company runs better and more profitably and that work is easier and of higher quality. And this year’s two recognized contractors bear that out.
