How to Retain People in Construction –Tips & Thoughts for Owners & Leaders


I am not an expert– I want to get that out of the way at the beginning. I think you should read this and implement it, though, because these are things that I have observed in my time consulting and recruiting in the construction space. I have spent hundreds of hours in interviews with construction companies, seen dozens of processes, talked with hundreds of candidates, and spent countless hours talking with presidents and CEOs of different companies about their struggles and successes. These are simply some reflections of that I believe have value to bring to others.  

Build Teams that Stick

In the construction space, your team is your company from its best moments and accomplishments to its worst. You need great people. Note– I didn't call the people “talent”. For a philosophical foundation laying, shifting a mindset from “talent” to “people” and a whole lot of good follows. These are people, and they want to be valued and cared for and appreciated in your company. If you do this, you will build a team that wants to be there and that builds a company that can't be stopped.
You can’t scale quality work without project managers who think ahead, supers who own the field, coordinators who keep the team informed, and EAs who keep you moving.

Yet, high turnover is rampant. Why? Because owners often focus on output, not alignment. Focus often falls to making more money instead of providing more value. The attention goes to the clients more than the team members. A healthy home base is a strong offence. And top people walk when they feel unseen or stagnant, when they feel a lack of that alignment… 

Simply put: Prioritize your team, not your ego. When you count others as more significant than yourself—seeking to serve rather than be served—you create an environment people want to stay in. Look to the needs of your people, and the company will take care of itself.

What That Looks Like:

  • Lead with humility, not hierarchy

  • Remove roadblocks so your team can do their best work

  • Celebrate wins publicly; address issues privately

  • Make clarity and care your leadership baseline

When people feel seen, supported, and respected—they stick around.

Core Drivers of Retention in Construction:

1. Clarity of Role and Expectations

  • Are your team members clear on how success is measured?

  • Do they know what’s in their lane and what’s not?

“The number one driver of top performer turnover is a disconnect between what the person was hired to do and what they are actually doing.”

— Geoff Smart & Randy Street, WHO

2. Meaningful Feedback

  • Construction pros want direct feedback, not fluff. Are you reviewing performance regularly? (I have heard this from MANY people as something they wish they had…) 

  • Do they know how to level up or move up?

3. A Vision They Can Buy Into

  • Share the firm’s direction—what you’re building, who you’re becoming.

  • Connect each person’s role to the larger mission and then don't change it… Let it be a foundation to the structure you build–unchanged, supportive, and key to everything else you do.  

4. Trust & Autonomy

  • High performers hate micromanagement, seriously, I have talked to hundreds of construction professionals this is a common theme. Let them run, but check in. But let them run! 

5. Stability & Process

  • Are your systems chaotic or streamlined? People burn out in disorder, and they burn out in repetition. Don't make people do processes that are duplicates. Cut the fat and rely on the people to do a good job - then they will want to do a good job.  

  • Do your internal tools (Procore, Buildertrend, Gantt charts) help or hinder?

Retention Insight: Construction folks don’t just want a job—they want to be proud of what they build and who they build it with.

Thoughtful Leadership Looks Like:

  • Having quarterly check-ins—even informal ones.

  • Noticing when people go the extra mile and acknowledging it.

  • Providing training or mentorship that’s practical, not corporate.

You don’t have to do a whole lot of things to retain people. You just need to lead with consistency, clarity, and care. “The most important decisions that businesspeople make are not what decisions, but who decisions.”
— Jim Collins, Good to Great

If you are doing this now or want to begin/continue building a great team. I would love to talk with you about partnering and helping connect you with more great people in the industry who are aligned with your company's goals. 

Let me know,

Gabriel Johnson
Executive Construction Recruiter | Artisan Recruiting
(763) 244-2722
Gabriel@artisan-recruiting.com