Dive Brief:
- More than 80% of U.S. construction professionals would consider leaving their current role, according to a survey from Hays US. That figure mirrors those surveyed in the U.S. workforce overall.
- Of those surveyed, 65% said they would take a pay cut for their ideal job, with an equal percentage saying they would take a demotion for the same reason. Fewer than half (46%) of those surveyed said they were satisfied with their current position.
- According to Hays' data, culture was the reason most cited by employees for leaving their roles. Though salary was important to those surveyed, culture, benefits and career growth outweighed salary as a motivator for professionals staying in or leaving their current positions.
Dive Insight:
It's obvious that the term 'job satisfaction' today encompasses many more elements than those related solely to compensation.
In the construction industry, pinpointing what workers want is increasingly critical as employers compete to attract and retain a limited supply of qualified workers. And with millennials representing a growing segment of the overall workforce, construction companies are grappling with how to better align with the demographic's values.
It's been well documented that millennials tend to prioritize a rewarding career over a high-paying one. In today's construction industry, part of that is an opportunity for career and personal development, according to Kirsti Hunt, vice president of human resources at Buffalo, NY–based LPCiminelli.
Hunt told Construction Dive in January that the company launched a leadership excellence program to afford promising employees the opportunity to participate in extra training, shadowing and mentoring programs. The company also offers seminars or events related to physical, intellectual, financial and social wellness as part of its LiveWell program.
Marianne Monte, chief people officer at Shawmut Design and Construction in Boston, said work-life balance is also important to employees. To address the issue, Shawmut introduced its ShawmutFlex program that allows both field and office staff to work on a compressed schedule, share jobs and shifts or work part-time.
