How to Be a Great Employer
Part of our “Building Business” series appearing in Fine Homebuilding magazine.
By HELM co-founder Kate Stephenson
How to hold onto your team while building a stronger business.
In our industry, we talk a lot about how to attract new hires into the construction trades. What’s often overlooked, however, is retention—keeping the good folks you already have by creating jobs and workplaces that make them want to stay. As business owners, we can provide meaningful, well-paid, productive work, and along the way create businesses that are economic drivers in our communities.
At HELM, we work with construction and design firms across the country, and we have seen which strategies work to retain employees. As in many small businesses, it’s rare for owners of construction businesses to have a formal background in business management or human resources. But there are a few core practices that even small companies can put in place to help retain and reward those on their team.
Show Employees Their Future
Most people want to do a good job. In order to do that, they need to know what’s expected of them and how their employer defines success. This means creating clear roles and responsibilities, often using written job descriptions, an organizational chart, and transparency on how someone can advance over time. Career pathways must be communicated clearly and frequently, and not just in writing (though that’s a good place to start). This means, for example, that a carpenter’s helper is clearly informed of the five essential skills that must be mastered for a promotion to carpenter, and that a carpenter knows the skills required to advance to lead carpenter.
This is not just about making it possible for employees to achieve a specific title or climb a corporate ladder. In order to feel secure in a position, they need a sense of where things are headed and what the opportunities might be. They also should feel like their talents are being used to contribute to the company’s success.
When we start working with a new client, we have its team members fill out a survey about their experience of working at the company. We ask a number of questions: What do you like about working at this company? Do you have a clear sense of where the company is headed and of its vision for the future? Do you see a future for yourself in the company? If so, what does it look like? Do you feel that you have a clear understanding of your role within the company and what’s expected of you? Do you feel that your talents are utilized?
Continue reading at Fine Homebuilding Magazine (April/May 2026, Issue 338)