Talent acquisition & retention in construction: Shifting to a culture of mentorship

10 BENEFITS EMPLOYERS GAIN FROM MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS

As aging construction managers and tradesmen retire, the construction industry wrestles with a widening knowledge gap between industry veterans and early-career workers entering the profession. Transitioning expertise to inexperienced workers is often hindered by the feeling of “I can build this faster myself than if I teach you how to do it.” While companies and property owners do request experienced professionals on their projects to ensure a timely and on-budget finish, prioritizing mentorship within your company is more important now than ever.

Creating a culture where employees want to work allows your construction company to better acquire and retain talent. This involves embracing mentorship to foster knowledge sharing and quickly building the skillsets of newer employees with the added benefit of potentially decrease workers’ comp claims caused by errors of inexperience.

Here are 10 benefits employers gain from mentorship programs

1. A learning culture is created where knowledge is continually shared in a collaborative nature.
2. Mentoring helps employees reach their full potential; thus, promoting their personal and professional development in a supportive way.
3. Mentorship enhances leadership and coaching skills in current and future managers.
4. Mentorship engages and motivates your top-talent employees.
5. Employers of mentored employees gain from greater productivity in the workplace.
6. Employees turn to mentors for advice; thus, making fewer mistakes and cutting losses to employers.
7. Employees in mentoring relationships tend to have greater job satisfaction and feel a high level of engagement in their roles.
8. Greater job satisfaction leads to a more positive work environment.
9. A positive work environment creates less employee turnover and workers feel a greater sense of loyalty to their company.
10. Mentors are leaders. Leaders don’t produce followers, they create additional leaders.

Engage your broker on these three actions to create an environment where employees want to work

1. Define the current culture and how you can improve employee retention.
   
2. Visualize the steps that you need to take to retain talent.
   
3. Implement using onboarding, education, technology, and generational mentorship programs.

For more ways to attract and retain talent or how to establish a culture of mentorship in your construction company reach out to a Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA) advisor