3 strategies for retaining employees with construction software

Pop quiz!

What makes a great construction employee? Is it …

• A) Someone you can trust
• B) Crew members skilled in the type of projects you complete
• C) A person clients know, love and would want to work with again
• D) All of the above

The answer is easy and obvious. Brownie points to everyone who answered D. It’s true, these are all characteristics of great employees – but it goes deeper than that. This list spells out some of the big benefits long-term employees have on your business.

However, no matter how beautiful of homes a team builds, we know construction recruiting and retaining talent is where many contractors struggle. Consider this. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is an estimated 21.4% industry-wide turnover rate in construction. That’s one of the steepest turnover rates across all sectors.

Don’t wave the white flag just yet. There is a solution that lets you invest in your talent as well as your business and clients all at once. Construction management software is good for your projects – and your people.

Here are three strategies for retaining employees with software for homebuilders, contractors and remodelers.

Increase team collaboration

Good team collaboration really boils down to good team communication. We’re talking about the type of communication that fosters inclusivity, transparency and engagement. Open communication is a win-win. It keeps business owners in the know and helps others feel more connected and involved in the success of a project.

So, where does construction project management software factor into all this? Homebuilder apps like Buildertrend foster an environment of cohesive collaboration with tools like Messages, Daily Logs and comments. These features make it easy to centralize information in one system. Then, when it’s ready to share, all it takes is the click of a button.

Put the sticky notes away and stop repeating yourself every time you see a different employee. Cloud-based construction software streamlines communication across the board. Share progress updates, expectations, best practices and answer questions. For your team, staying in the know becomes as simple as looking at their phones. Communication silos are eliminated, and no details get lost in the shuffle with communication software.

It’s time to leave the game of telephone back in grade school.

Build a stronger employee-manager connection

Those communication tools do more than keep projects moving and employees engaged. They also help to build relationships between contractors and their office staff or crew members.

A good employee-manager connection centers around setting clear expectations, offering adequate coaching and feedback and appropriately providing employee recognition. Digital communication tools can aid in all of that.

First, let’s focus on setting clear expectations. That’s where Buildertrend’s To-Do’s feature comes into play. This tool can be used as a punch list that assigns tasks to different employees and clearly lays out what needs to get done and when. To further take confusion out of the equation, contractors can also utilize the Scheduling tool. Create entire project timelines that are easily shared with the entire team and link To-Do’s to certain dates and tasks. It doesn’t get much clearer.

Buildertrend acts as an avenue for providing coaching and feedback, too. Operating like traditional email, our Messages tool can be used to communicate with employees what can be improved and spell out goals. Messages has a leg up on email though because it’s easily traceable and in the same spot as all your other project information.

Finally, Buildertrend can also help provide employee recognition through Daily Logs. This feature is the one place where anybody from your team can record detailed progress of a given job. Instead of just creating a bulleted list of updates, give shoutouts to employees when they go above and beyond with communication software. Don’t just say what got done. Recognize the who behind the work, too.

Show top talent there’s a future for them

Great leaders don’t just think about the now. They’re planning for the future – and that’s where your top talent comes in. Harness the power of high potential employees to shape and lead your business to the next level of greatness.

Showing the best of the best you have a plan for them goes beyond pay increases and promotions. (Although that tried-and-true method never hurts.) You should offer development opportunities, too. This keeps them challenged and develops skills that can then be invested into your business.

Construction job software provides that opportunity. Instead of only you managing the tech in your toolbelt, share that responsibility with someone else. This is perfect for attracting millennial talent. Buildertrend even offers free in-depth certification courses based on role. Your already-good employee becomes great when they have accounting, marketing or personal management skills added to their business acumen.

Get the software you – and your team – will love

Keeping top talent is as easy as implementing the top tech. See why you need Buildertrend, the No. 1 construction project management software, and schedule a demo now.

This digital team member is one you’ll want sticking around for years and years.

About The Author

Sean Robinson Sean Robinson is a senior content marketing specialist at Buildertrend