In this interview Steve Bratt, ECA CEO, shares his thoughts on the electrical sector’s greatest employment challenge: the search for β and retention of β skilled workers.
Q. What is the most significant employment challenge currently in the sector?
The employment challenge most raised by the ECA Members I speak to is the difficulty finding and retaining good quality people to work in their business.
While we havenβt brought new people into the industry in the numbers weβve needed to, there are other contributory factors. For example, weβve had good people leaving the industry as theyβve aged, while some have not just left the sector, theyβve left the country. Others have a βpost-COVID mindsetβ which can mean theyβre not always available for work in the way thatβs required by engineering contractors. For these and other reasons, weβve seen an overall reduction in the available workforce.
All this creates a challenge for businesses who must ask themselves: how do we find good people and then hold onto them?
Q. What do you think businesses can do to retain skilled people that doesnβt involve just paying them extra per hour?
One of the problems that employers face is that theyβre losing people to agencies. Usually, these workers are relatively young, and their primary focus is the hourly rate. So, when an agency says we have work on this project, the headline is usually βCome over and get more moneyβ.
But that isnβt the main attraction for everybody, and many employees are shrewd enough to think about benefits like pensions and healthcare.
As a business, once youβve got a really effective member of the workforce, you naturally look for staff retention. Key to retention is showing employees that you both value and care about them by treating them as an asset, not a commodity.
Itβs about a business demonstrating that it wants to safeguard its employeesβ wellbeing and help them to be productive and happy. With skills shortages in mind, I think thatβs where contractors should be focusing their attention. Businesses should provide infrastructure where employees can get the support to help themselves if they have any challenges.
Through offering Private Medical Insurance (PMI), for example, businesses can provide infrastructure that allows their employees to get that help quickly. Effectively, the employer is saying βWeβre here, and we want you to do a good job, so weβre going to provide the support you need to do a good job, and here it is.β
Q. And how about attracting new skilled employees?
Pay canβt be ignored and employers must be conscious of that, however if youβre demonstrating that youβre a good employer and looking after your current people, youβre more naturally going to be an attractive employer as the message goes around the industry.
So, whether itβs about retaining employees or attracting new people, employers can gain an advantage by being a caring, supportive and professional employer with the underpinning benefits to further demonstrate that.
Q. What other challenges does the sector face where employers could benefit from keeping employees engaged?
Productivity is a major challenge. Contracts are often very demanding and with the penalties they contain, thereβs little room for error. Suppose then that youβve got people off work or people on those sites not operating at full capacity. In that case, productivity is going to suffer.
Q. How can ECIS help?
ECIS, a chartered insurance intermediary owned by the ECA, can provide comprehensive employee benefits packages, including Private Medical Insurance, that safeguard employee wellbeing and demonstrate practical commitment to employees.
If you donβt have a PMI scheme or you have a PMI renewal approaching, ECIS can help you find the right option for you.
Get more details about the packages and benefits on offer from ECIS here
