For small to medium trades-based businesses in New Zealand, retaining staff can be difficult, especially in the current climate when the construction industry is experiencing a downturn and the promise of higher pay in Australia is tempting away many of our skilled workers.

Competing with Australian wages and salaries simply isn’t an option for most New Zealand businesses so what else can be done to retain our staff?

There are many things that owners and managers can do to make a company attractive to employees and make them want to stay. Many of them can be done with simply the investment of your time.

Recognition

Everyone likes to be recognised for a job well done. Consider implementing things like ‘employee of the month’ awards or recognising and celebrating milestones like years of service or completed projects.

Creating a safety-first culture

Knowing that their safety and wellbeing is important to you can mean a lot to an employee. By leading by example, you can shine the light on workplace safety and wellbeing, ensuring that people feel comfortable and confident speaking up about health and safety matters and everyone prioritises health and safety in the workplace.

Career progression

For many employees, career progression is important. Look within to see who you can grow and develop to take over senior or leadership roles within your organisation. Career opportunities are often sited as one of the key reasons for people leaving an organisation, and by

Upskilling

Upskilling can be difficult during slower times as it can cost money many businesses simply don’t have, however, for those than can invest in upskilling it will mean that they are able to retain a skilled workforce so that when things pick up (and they always do), you and your team are ready to hit the ground running.

Upskilling doesn’t have to be paid courses however, it could be assigning a junior member a senior mentor who can train and upskill them, having longer toolbox talks where senior team members or guest speakers can go into more detail about a particular skill or subject, allowing team members time to attend free webinars, or setting a team member a task that will challenge them. Most of our learning happens through experience, so providing your team learning experiences you can help continue to grow and upskill them.

Work-life balance and flexibility

While not possible with every company or role, things like flexible start (and finish) times can help employees to manage their personal and family commitments and have a positive impact on their overall wellbeing. There are many studies that point to the fact that when people are happier, they are more productive. By helping your teams with their work-life balance and providing flexibility where possible you contribute to a happier and more productive workforce.

Positive Workplace culture

One of the most important things about an organisation is the culture. A positive culture is linked to increased productivity, increased revenue, more innovation and better service for your customers. In contrast, a negative workplace culture, where things like workplace bullying are common, employees are afraid to speak up, and poor behaviour is tolerated or rewarded leads to high employee turnover, low morale, decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, burnout, poor customer satisfaction and potentially legal issues.

Transparency

Be transparent with your staff, let them know about upcoming projects and be honest with employees about any seasonal slow down so that they can plan financially and not be taken by surprise. This open and honest communication contributes to a positive workplace culture and builds trust with your employees.

For apprentices and younger/newer workers

To help motivate and retain younger or newer workers, have a clear structure by which they can achieve pay rises and move up or work on different projects within the company. Create a positive culture for these workers where they feel valued by the organisation and can grow and thrive.