In the trades, we’ve got a real catch-22: we need more people coming into the industry, but we’re losing too many of the good ones we’ve already got. Most folks think we have a hiring problem. Truth is, we have a retention problem.
Turnover has gotten so common that a lot of people just accept it as “how it is.” But the truth is, it doesn’t have to be that way. When employees feel supported and see a future with your company, they stay. The data backs this up again and again.
You won’t fix turnover overnight. Building a crew that sticks around takes time and trust. But start making even small changes, and you’ll feel the ripple effect fast. So what does that look like in practice?
🎥 Watch the full interview with Brittany
Key Takeaways
Turnover hurts, especially when you’re in the middle of a big job. It costs a lot more than just money. Yes, replacing someone can run you up to twice their salary. But it also drains time, morale, and forward momentum. It’s like throwing a wrench into your whole operation.
When someone quits every month, your crew starts to assume that’s just the way things are. And in this industry, that has become normal. But it doesn’t have to be. You can build a company people want to stay with. The key? Understand what makes people want to stick around.
Your best people aren’t just chasing a paycheck. They want purpose. They want to grow. And if they don’t see a future with you, they’ll leave for one they do. A lot of companies avoid training their top talent out of fear they’ll leave, but in my experience, the opposite is true. When employees feel like they’re part of something bigger, like they can help shape what the company becomes, they stay.
Leadership isn’t something you’re born with. Like running a backhoe or welding a pipe, it’s a skill that can be learned.
The best place to start? Weekly conversations. If you’re leading people, talk to them. Ask what’s getting in their way. Ask if they’ve got what they need to do the job well. These simple, intentional check-ins are where leadership actually happens.
And don’t underestimate the value of engagement surveys. A tool like Gallup’s Q12 only takes 20 minutes, and it gives you real data on how your team is doing. Use it twice a year, and you’ll get early warnings before little problems become big ones. You’ll also get a map of where your leadership needs to grow.
If you take nothing else from this, remember this: build leaders before you need them. It’s the cheapest insurance policy against burnout, rework, and turnover. And it shows your people that they matter, which is the biggest reason they’ll stay.
Frontline supervisors have more influence on your culture than your mission statement ever will. They set the tone. They either grow leaders underneath them or run them off. And yet, most field leaders never get formal leadership training. They’re handed a title and expected to figure it out.
That’s a mistake. In companies where supervisors aren’t trained to lead, turnover can hit 40% - almost double the national average. The skills they need - communicating clearly, coaching performance, giving feedback - don’t come from just doing the work. They come from being taught how to lead people.
Promoting someone into a leadership role doesn’t automatically give them leadership skills. You have to teach them, and thankfully, there are more flexible ways to do that now.
Gone are the days of dragging everyone into the office for a half-day seminar. These days, asynchronous and remote options make it easy to fit leadership training into real job sites and real schedules. You might mix short Zoom sessions with self-paced tools and quick-hit exercises they can apply on the job. One tool I’m excited about? AI coaching simulations. They let new supervisors practice tough conversations without the awkwardness of live roleplay.
Once your supervisors have those foundational skills, something shifts. They stop avoiding hard conversations. They start checking in more regularly. And those weekly 1-on-1s (even just 15 minutes) become powerful tools for building trust and driving performance.
Here’s my go-to tip: start conversations with questions, not commands. Try, “What’s been frustrating you?” or “Do you have everything you need?” instead of “Here’s what I need from you.” These little shifts help tradespeople feel heard. That’s where strong cultures start.
There’s a quote I love: “Either you’re doing the fieldwork, or you’re supporting the fieldwork.” If you’re not out there swinging a hammer, your job is to back the ones who are.
Don’t wait until someone’s about to quit to ask how they’re doing. Don’t wait until morale tanks to check your leadership. Start now. Build the kind of company people want to stay with because they feel valued, seen, and supported.
👉 If you're in the stage where you need to hire more employees, check out our interview with Shawna Armstrong on building a hiring system.
👉 Want to build your culture and cut turnover? Get in touch with Brittany.