FROM THE EDITOR
FROM THE EDITOR ATTRACTING AND RETAINING EMPLOYEES CAN COME DOWN TO COMPANY CULTURE AND VALUES
H
eavy Equipment Guide has been working to bring more attention to the people who represent our industry on the ground in recent issues. I’ve spoken with a number of dealers and contractors who have interesting stories to tell, and through this effort I’ve been learning a lot about the people who make up the heavy construction sector in Canada. Heavy equipment has been a big part of my life through the years. I grew up around machines, my relatives run and work on them, and today I write about them. But there’s also a theme that was often present, and that I often see when talking to the successful contractors and business owners who I profile for this magazine: it’s the people and how they’re treated that makes the difference between success and failure. A few issues back, we learned about Ken White Construction, a family business that is growing thanks to the newest generation’s online efforts. Last issue I spoke with Matt Stringer from Headwater Equipment, whose father established the dealership and whose family has helped it expand. This issue we profile Burnaby Blacktop, whose owner Adrian Alblas treats his employees as members of the family – greeting them by name, keeping track of their families, helping them through challenges. In each case these businesses have been successful for years and is able to attract key talent thanks to how they manage their employees – as individual people who matter, as opposed to the clinical “just a number” approach that may be seen elsewhere. Construction has a very high turnover rate – more than 20 percent, according to some reports. Employees often move around looking for the ideal fit, and in the current labour market that means they can be choosy with the jobs on offer. Construction workers are also showing a greater interest in the corporate culture when considering potential employers. According to many human resources studies and reports, they are increasingly looking for management with strong values that are shared with their team, good communication, opportunities to improve and advance themselves, and are becoming more focused on technology as part of corporate philosophy. Those demands may be a challenge for contractors to implement, but the benefits are immediately evident. According
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heavyequipmentguide.ca | JULY/AUGUST 2022
When construction employees find a company that fits their values and needs, they are highly loyal as long as their employer is loyal to them. In a tight labour market, retaining employees is just as important as attracting them. to research, when construction employees find a company that fits their values and needs, they are highly loyal as long as their employer is loyal to them. In a tight labour market, retaining employees is just as important as attracting them. A positive, welcoming corporate culture bolstered by opportunity, interesting work opportunities, and that feeling of family that we’ve seen in many of our profiles all combine to be a real benefit for attracting and retaining employees. It is well worth every contractor’s time to review their own corporate culture and see if there are any potential challenges in the way of hiring and keeping new talent.
Lee Toop Editor ltoop@baumpub.com heavyequipmentguide.ca
