Strategies for reducing employee turnover in the construction industry

Employee turnover in the construction industry is a challenge for construction professionals. Some construction industry leaders who lack the strategies to successfully lead construction professionals experience high employee turnover and irreversible damage to career trajectories. Grounded in the conservation of resources theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies to reduce employee turnover in the construction industry. The participants were four senior executives from the Rochester and Buffalo, New York areas who successfully implemented strategies to reduce employee turnover. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and public documentation from participants’ business websites and analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: organizational culture and performance; consistent leadership communication, feedback, and collaboration; employee compensation and qualifications; and leadership authenticity. A key recommendation is for construction industry leaders to build teams and foster teamwork with and among employees. Implications for positive social change are to increase job satisfaction, promote safe and positive work environments, and improve employee work–life balance and retention, thus contributing to social harmony in families and communities with a more stable construction workforce that contributes to local economies.