Able Safety Consulting - 3 Ways To Bring in New Employees This New Year

Attracting and retaining employees can be challenging. Not only are employees looking to be paid their worth, but they want to enjoy the benefits of top-notch company culture. In order to stand out, you have to be competitive with the other companies in your industry. There are some options you have to show potential employees you value them with incentives other than just pay. Jobseekers are looking for employers that’ll provide them with the most a company can give them. This includes benefits, safety standards, and mental health support. See below how you can be the ideal employer.

Provide Them With Benefits

Employees often have to worry about their future and wellbeing on their own, so offering support where possible, will help. Providing benefits such as personalized healthcare tools and portals, as well as customizable retirement options can make a potential employee feel at ease with their life, lessening their burdens at work. Many Americans are worried about a potential recession, so being able to provide support to them can help potential employees worry less about their own personal financial future and health.

You can also provide them with financial guidance during these uncertain times within the economy. Financial literacy classes can help potential employees gain the confidence to handle their money right and focus less on how each paycheck will carry them to the next. Work to help them understand their options should they need to relocate for this job—which can also make it easier to draw in people from other areas. Depending on the cost of living in your location, they may be interested in nearby apartment recommendations or neighborhood suggestions if they’re looking to buy a home. An FHA loan might be a recommended option for an individual relocating for work as it has shorter waiting periods and a less strict debt-to-income ratio, so it’ll be a faster approval process at a starting pay rate.

Make Them Feel Safe

Ensuring safety at work is a requirement on a construction site, but not something a company may express as one of their values. You want to show potential employees their safety and wellbeing is a priority, not that they’re just a means to hit a project deadline. Make a sheet of your training plan and requirements for potential employees, so you can clearly show them what’s expected. Depending on where they’ll be working, they’ll need either an OSHA 10 or an OSHA 30 with SST certifications for NYC projects. While not everyone needs NYC certifications, it doesn't hurt to offer OSHA 30 and SST courses, so they can learn important safety information and be provided more opportunity to work in other areas.

You’ll also want to support a culture of safety within your workplace. There are sometimes opportunities to cut corners to finish a job quickly, but allowing that may create an unsafe culture on job sites. Remind them that the safer they remain on the job, the quicker they can hit deadlines. Try to avoid spreading myths about site safety and stay up-to-date on safety standards and certifications. They won’t lose out on a job because people aren’t allowed to work in an area with specific safety requirements if they keep up with the latest rules and regulations. Showing them that their lives are more important than getting something done quickly can make an employee feel like a valued member of the team.

Support Their Mental Health

While mental health is still a bit of a taboo subject in the construction industry, it’s a heavily talked about topic for the incoming generation of workers. Feeling lost and alone at work with no outlet can hurt the employee's well-being. It can also cause issues within the company; as poor behavior and coping habits can cause unnecessary stress and anger, which may also be a safety concern. Show potential employees you value them and their mental health, including how you’d care for both.

Some ways you can show support for an employee’s mental health is by providing them with outlet options. EAP programs often offer free sessions with a licensed therapist who can either refer them for more help, or just give them someone to vent to a little. This way, everything they say will be private, and they can feel more comfortable talking about how they’re feeling. You can also do little things every so often to boost morale. Providing lunches or setting up fun after work activities can help them feel more familiar with the crew they work with and valued as people, not just employees. While not everyone has to be best friends, understanding one another and what they go through can create a more cohesive work environment.

People don’t want to be just a number at a company, they want to feel valued and appreciated. With financial worry at a high and mental health being more openly discussed, you as an employer can offer your employees benefits that’ll also draw in excellent workers to your company. Show them what you have to offer over the other employers, and you’ll be able to hire anyone you see fit.