It sometimes seems like everywhere you look we’re hearing about the skills crisis in the construction industry and construction workers are able to command increasingly more money when they change roles.


If you've spent time in bringing on young employees you want to keep them, they are the lifeblood of the business but every day operations often get in the way and you might find yourself blind-sided when one of them announce they're departing.


The latest survey by PwC Global Survey indicates that construction firms intend to invest in more staff in the coming year but it’s getting harder to find the right trades people with the required skillsets. 72% of those construction firms surveyed indicated they've widened their search criteria by considering applicants from different industries and hiring from other countries.


It’s especially the case in construction that it’s expensive to recruit and retain employees in the current climate.


It’s tremendously important to retain the talent you've invested in, and there are a number of ways you can continue to invest in your team to create a culture of loyalty within the business. However, a time will come, and the wisest amongst us knows not how soon, when even the most loyal employee will consider his or her position and by understanding your employees employment habits you’ll better be able to predict and prevent shocks to your business.


There’s now software available to businesses in the construction industry which enable you to run predictive analytics on your employee data to give you an overview of when your talent is most likely to leave the business, meaning you can make positive interventions.


The value of this kind of software goes further than preventing your employee talent drain, it will also provide you with an indication of which employees are most likely to be the strongest performers and which employees are likely to be poorer performers.


When discussing our philosophy and culture, OBAS CEO Norman Tenray said: “We have a responsibility to our people and by nurturing their talents and skills; we substantiate ourselves as an attractive proposition. By being a company that cares and invests in those that are central to its success, we encourage professionals of the highest calibre to join us, and our willingness to support their progress helps us to retain them too.”