Respect All the Skills! This worker is both the foreman on the job and a lute artist. At the moment, he’s checking the trucking app on his smartphone to see how production’s going. Photo courtesy of John Ball of Top Quality Paving & Training, Manchester, New Hampshire
WHERE TO FIND WORKERS TODAY, HOW TO RETAIN THEM FOR TOMORROW
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BY SANDY LENDER
Asphalt producers and contractors don’t need a litany of stats from the U.S. Department of Labor to remind them of what they see day in and day out: more workers are needed in the industry to help build and maintain the roads and bridges that connect our communities and move our commerce. Rather than bemoan the problem, let’s look at some ways to solve it.
Seeking Competitive Wage Guidance? “We have found that Peer Exchange (in similar markets but outside our operating areas) has been a great way to survey pay scales.”—Jay Winford “We often review other job postings on job posting websites that list a range of wages for our peers.”—Sean Rizer
CASH IS ONLY ONE BENEFIT
The answer is not necessarily throwing more money at incoming workers, although it is one piece of the puzzle we’ll discuss below. Depending on the pool from which you pull new employees, you could receive government incentives for training and monies for wage reimbursement. For example, hiring veterans who already understand a structured, team environment and often have transferable skills in equipment repair, is a win-win with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) incentives available to employers. (Use organizations such as GI Jobs, Helmets to Hardhats, Hire Heroes USA and others to get connected with skilled and trainable labor.)
34 | JANUARY 2022
While a competitive wage remains one of the hot topics out here, it’s only one part of the hiring package. An industry source in the Midwest who asked to remain anonymous, shared the experience of interviewing a candidate who ultimately chose to work for a shipping logistics company at the base pay of $15 per hour in mid2021. The industry veteran explained that the 17-year-old would receive, in addition to $15 per hour, a tuition reimbursement. “The requirement would be that he had to stay for at least one year on the job, then he got tuition reimbursement from $5,000-$8,000.”
