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Maintaining Skilled Construction Workers

Event Date

Jul 31, 1998

Type

Conference Presentation

Research Team

RT-135

Slides

Topic

Attract/Maintain Skilled Workforce

DOCUMENT DETAILS

Abstract

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Abstract

The construction industry is challenged with attracting and retaining qualified workers. Of contractors surveyed for this research, 70% are experiencing shortages of workers nationwide, with some locations reporting turnovers of 400%. Therefore, a work force has turned over four times through the life of a project. Owners and contractors can benefit by having a qualified and motivated work force assigned to their projects. Lower total installed cost can be realized by having motivated workers who can assist in reducing project schedule and improving quality. Project safety can also be improved by lower worker turnover and higher skill levels. However, owners are always looking for ways to lower cost and speed up schedules, which sometimes impact costs associated with training and wages. Craft workers feel they are treated as a commodity that can be easily replaced. They want to be recognized, rewarded, and respected for their performance, but there is a lack of vertical and lateral career development for them in an organization. The construction industry has a poor image overall. With youths, they perceive the industry as making important contributions to society by creating shelter, highways, and jobs, but the construction worker is associated with dirt, sweat, obscenities, loafing, and low prestige. For non-college bound youth, careers in the military or law enforcement are seen as respectable careers while working in the construction crafts is seen merely as a way to get a paycheck. For older workers, safety concerns arise as construction work is physically demanding so they retire early or leave the industry. The objectives of the research team’s study were to define the role that owner and contractor companies play, by identifying methods to: Attract workers to the construction industry Retain workers in the construction industry The benefits of successful retention programs Alignment between owner, contractor, and craft worker needs to be established in order to attract and maintain a skilled workforce overall. Looking for innovative ways to compensate workers will be a solution to this problem.

Filters & Tags

Knowledge Area

Human Resource Management, Project & Program Management, Project Organization & Communication

Project Phase

Construction

Project Function

Construction, Health, Safety & Environmental, Quality Management, Risk Management

Industry Group

Light Industrial, Heavy Industrial, Buildings, Infrastructure

Research Topic

Attract/Maintain Skilled Workforce

Keywords

Labor shortage, Craft worker, Workforce, Retention, Worker safety, Career development, Workforce turnover, Employee retention program, Training, Recruitment, Skilled workforce, rt135

Related Resources

Maintaining Skilled Construction Workers

Related Resources

Attracting and Maintaining a Skilled Construction Work Force

Attracting and Maintaining A Skilled Workforce

Identifying and Documenting Case Studies of Craft Workforce Success

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