Original Article

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Hwangbo Bae, Denise R Simmons and Cassandra McCall

July 23, 2022

https://doi.org/10.25219/epoj.2022.00104

 Turnover rates in construction are high and must be slowed to meet the needs of an expanding and  evolving industry. Therefore, it is critical to understand what makes construction professionals continue  their employment in a company and persist in the field. This exploratory study examined the work values that  influenced construction professionals’ decisions to seek employment at a company (i.e., values influencing  recruitment) with the work values they perceived as lacking within the company (i.e., values influencing  retention). Qualitative analysis of open-ended survey responses from 314 construction professionals  identified three salient work values for improving recruitment: (1) development, (2) autonomy, and (3)  belonging; and three values for retention: (4) advancement, (5) inclusivity, and (6) flexibility. Two actions that  companies can exercise to support these values were also identified: (1) communicating and demonstrating  a commitment to building people as they build work such as promoting modus operandi, trust and practice,  and personification, and (2) building an employee-centered structure for communication, empowerment,  and acknowledgment that is not stifling to employees. These findings point to a larger implication for  construction companies’ recruitment and retention efforts to build employees as active agents in navigating  their career paths at a company. 

Keywords:    Employee Values, Employee Agency, Recruitment/Retention, Construction, Human Resource Management