🥇 Construction's best places to work…

Construction Dive published an article with tips from folks from some of the industry’s best places to work, per Fortune’s 2023 list of the Best Workplaces in Construction (split into lists of large companies & small and medium companies) including guidance from leaders at Shawmut, Southland, Suffolk, and more. 

Lee Hiscoe, CEO of Shawmut, emphasizes the pride and reward that come from seeing the physical results of labor in construction and has some tips for other small to mid-sized firms seeking growth. Shawmut won 2nd place in the small and medium category, with 95% of their employees reporting it as a great place to work. 

Other firms that made Fortune’s list include PCL, Hilti, Moss Construction Management, and Toll Brothers, all in the large companies category. Leaders including Hiscoe say there are certain tactics they follow that make their companies more attractive to talent:

• Shawmut is 100% employee-owned,

• 90% of Denver-based PCL’s employees own company stock

• Deron Brown, PCL President and COO of U.S. operations, emphasizes the importance of investing in culture and listening to employees,

• Suffolk’s Chief Growth Officer Suzanne Roeder advises to “sweat the small stuff” aka focus on the little moments in your peoples' lives, both in and out of work

• Carefully choose who to hire, promote, and figure out who may not fit your culture in the long-term

🔨 Here's the Thing

The construction industry, like many others, has been experiencing a never-ending labor shortage, rendering employee satisfaction more vital than ever if GCs hope to retain top talent. A report from Forrester highlights the growing expression of employee power in the workplace, as we can see with recent strikes, walkouts, and unions. In 2023 alone, over 450,000 U.S. workers participated in 312 different strike actions, signaling a clear shift in employee power that’s revealing valuable insights into misalignments, safety hazards, and other issues from the employees' POV. Workers are expecting more from their employers, and the construction industry isn’t exempt; in fact, with how short we are on labor, firms may as well offer foosball tables and lunchtime massages to go along with their offer letters. 

💬 Contractor Quote

“I bring my son over to the window. I’m like, ‘Hey, check it out. Here’s what they’re doing today.’ And he’s like, ‘Dad, enough.' There is such a rewarding part about construction when you physically put work in place, and then when you finally finish what you started and you walk by it, you go, ‘I’m really proud of that.’” —Les Hiscoe, CEO of Shawmut

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Until next time,

The SLAB

PS: Fall is in full swing which means Starbucks and Dunkin' just dropped their holiday menus.

Come next SLAB, we'll be 10lbs heavier from all the gallons of artificial gingerbread and pumpkin syrups. Nothing a good New Years Resolution can't fix.