As a home renovation contractor, you’re hiring and training employees to keep them for as long as possible. However, the current labour shortage seen in several provinces across the country isn't making things easier. For example, in Quebec, it's been estimated that 65% of all construction industry trades are affected by this shortage. Incidentally, a lot of workers are getting offered positions to work elsewhere.

There's no choice but to adapt, otherwise, you risk finding yourself without workers to carry out your projects. The best advice that we could share with you would be to promote employee commitment to ensure they don't start seeking work with the competition. That means competitive salaries, continuous training and group activities, and these are but a few factors that could greatly help you retain the best of your labour force.

Home Renovation Company: 6 Ways to Retain the Best of Your Labour Force

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1- Offer fair salaries

If you’ve been a contractor for a while, you already know that underpaying your employees is one of the main contributing factors to continuous turnover. This is why it's so important to provide good wages to all of your workers. Don't make the mistake of paying everyone the same amount, as the skills and efforts provided by each are different. The most skilled workers must have a good reason to keep working for you and the ones that are still starting need a source of motivation to persevere.

Find out what the current salaries are like by seeking out job offers in every trade you employ. It would be quite unfortunate to realize that you're losing your best workers when the competition is offering competitive wages. If you aren’t able to increase salaries, consider offering other advantages (paid holidays, flexible schedules, collective insurance). Well-being and quality of life are both integral aspects of the benefits that help differentiate construction and renovation companies.

Check out 5 Growth Strategies for Your Home Renovation Company

2- Aim for continuous training

In the renovation industry, continuous training is a great way to keep workers. Therefore, it's important to offer developmental opportunities by allowing them to take part in training programs. This is an excellent way to encourage motivation and commitment.

Several organizations across the country offer training programs designed to increase your employee's skills. These training programs are designed to teach labourers different work-related aspects such as new material characteristics or how to apply new techniques.

Also, as an employer, your goal is to inform and sensitize your workers about the importance of increasing their skillset and level throughout their careers. The goal is to increase their capacities as the years go by. If your company has competent workers, you'll be able to increase the number of services that you offer, as well as the customer satisfaction level.

Here are the different organizations currently offering training programs in every province covered by RenoQuotes:

• Quebec: Association de la construction du Québec (ACQ)

• Ontario: The Ontario home builder's association

• Nova Scotia: Canadian Home Builder's Association of Nova Scotia

• Alberta: Alberta Construction Association

• Manitoba: Winnipeg Construction Association

• British Columbia: British Columbia Construction Association

3- Ensure year-round work for employees

In the home renovation industry, the best way to retain your workers is to give them work, year-round. Several projects can't be completed in the winter, and most homeowners only want to renovate during the summer, which makes things more complicated when trying to fill up a winter schedule.

If you're looking for a good solution to find work for your employees year-round, you should look into signing up with a customer referral platform.

At RenoQuotes.com, we receive a substantial amount of projects daily from clients looking for contractors. By signing up to use our platform, you'll be able to set your parameters and, in return, we'll send you projects that suit your needs. This will help you maximize your chances of signing on for contracts at any given moment year-round. 

4- Encourage job rotation

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Job rotation consists of allowing workers to temporarily perform one or more tasks that they're not necessarily accustomed to performing. This will help lessen monotony, and help reinforce mutual respect between workers. This method of doing can namely reveal a new calling for some workers and encourage them to learn new skills.

In addition to helping you keep your employees, job rotation is a great way to foster teamwork in those who aren't that used to working with others. However, make sure that the rotation is implemented in a structured way to avoid any worksite interference or delays.

5- Offer professional development to keep employees

An employee that enjoys working for your company will certainly want to climb up the professional ladder, as no one wants to stay exactly where they were when they first started throughout their entire career. As a renovation contractor, your employees should be encouraged in these efforts and you should advise them accordingly when it comes to growth opportunities from the get-go. This is an excellent motivational factor and a great way to keep employees.

6- Organize team activities

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Were you one of those who thought a cocktail hour was solely for office workers? Well, 'tis not the case. Activities, celebrations and various outings greatly contribute to reinforcing employee bonding by scheduling select gatherings that don’t revolve around work. Do your employees like hockey or basketball? Invite them to attend a match once a year as a way of expressing your gratitude.

Family/company nights such as Christmas parties are just as important. It's also a good time to chat and get to know your employees in a festive and friendly setting.