Take the Positive Approach
Strategies for keeping your skilled crews

In a market where keeping crews of skilled workers can be a challenge, the National Housing Quality (NHQ) Program, which was developed to provide builders and trade contractors with business solutions and systematic approaches to quality control, is recommending a few basic methods to meet the challenge.

Members of the National Association of Home Builders ranked labor availability sixth in the latest survey on critical issues faced by the industry. Companies that focuse on quality and strive to establish consistency in the home building process are finding that retaining loyalty among work crews has become almost an art form, according to Quality Matters, the program’s e-newsletter.

Some common labor-related issues that companies have to contend with include:

• Crews abandoning ship because they are criticized for errors.
• Preferential treatment of a “good” employee being met with dissatisfaction from others.
• Choosing between accepting sub-par craftsmanship or no workers at all.
• Competitors drawing crews away by offering higher wages.

Among Quality Matters’ recommendations for solving the labor retention problem:

1. Respect the work force and give them reasons to put down roots. Make the company a great place to work.

2. Always pay workers on time and with transactions early enough in the day to make bank deposits.

3. Provide ongoing training to keep workers informed of proper techniques and management expectations.

4. Support employee development by inviting a tool supplier to the jobsite for a repair and adjustment seminar, to demonstrate proper operation methods, or to demonstrate new tools and applications.

5. Never discipline or embarrass an employee in front of his co-workers, rather pull him aside to discuss the issue at hand.

6. Always praise employees in front of their co-workers if they go above and beyond the call of duty or exemplify what the team should be.

7. Be open to hiring back a crew member who took a job elsewhere but did not find the satisfaction he was seeking.

“Builders must provide the proper incentives to secure the best efforts of their trade partners, and continue to meet customer demand,” according to Quality Matters. “Regardless of the state of the labor market, home buyers will always demand quality workmanship in their home. It’s a tough job, but well-run companies across the country are applying these approaches and others, and continuing to satisfy their customers.

“Keeping good workers on board takes more than just money,” according to the publication. “Respect, opportunities for growth and a sense of community within the company are a good start.”

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