ATSSA Signal November/December 2017

14 American Traffic Safety Services Association HIRING RETENTION There are many ways in which ATSSA is a leader in roadway safety. These efforts range from bringing the industry together through annual events to providing invaluable research and information that saves lives. A major component of being at the forefront of roadway safety is member outreach. ATSSA not only offers its members opportunities to weigh in and vocalize issues periodically, but also is proactive with the information it gathers. “We are a member-centric association and as such, our first priority is to address the challenges our members face and to provide them with tools to turn those challenges into successes,” said ATSSA’s Vice President of Member Services, Donna Clark, who recently worked to gather and analyze member responses from a 2016 survey. Members were asked what the most challenging aspect of running a business was. The results produced an interesting trend—many ATSSA members found the greatest challenge to be finding qualified employees, and keeping those employees on staff. Armed with this information, ATSSA set out to address this newly identified issue and consequently held an Open Forum on Hiring and Retaining Qualified Workers during its Midyear Meeting, late last August. “Conducting the open forum at our Midyear Meeting was just the first step in responding to our members’ needs,” Clark said. Following an introduction that included background information and an overview of the discussion topic, the President of Time Striping, Inc., Cindy Williams, shared challenges she has faced with hiring and retaining qualified workers for her business. Identifying the issues Williams said she spoke with forum attendees about a number of issues including the inability of employees or prospective employees to pass a drug test who have clean driving records, and employees who are unwilling to fulfill the position requirements. Time Striping’s biggest challenge, however, is easily summed up in one word—travel. “We go where the roads are,” Williams said, adding there are only two striping contractors in Arkansas. “We travel the entire state every day of the week. The job requires a lot of overnight stays because our employees often can’t get back to our shop and make it back to the job site the next day.” Additional problems in the hiring processes that were addressed in the forum included: • Employees are unwilling to fully participate in training because they have their own practices relating to roadway work. • There are issues with labor union requirements. • Employers cannot meet the goals of federal contracts because they cannot find enough qualified employees to meet requirements. • Employers do not know how to communicate with younger generations (i.e. millennials). • Employers need advisement on the best practices in the areas of hiring, orientation, and training. • During busier seasons, employers experience issues with making overtime payments. • Employers encounter prospective employees or employees seeking a different work culture (i.e. a “family-oriented” work culture) as opposed to what the company has established. As she was speaking about her previous experiences, Williams said it was helpful seeing the responses of the forum attendees and knowing her message resonated with many of them. “It was heartwarming to know that I’m not in this alone,” Williams said. “I have other people that I can call and speak with to work through issues and problems. These aren’t just issues that happen in Arkansas, they are issues that happen everywhere.” Finding potential solutions Forum attendees also heard from Doug Dolinar, president of Guidemark, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based paving company that has achieved success acquiring hardworking and dependable staff members because of its hiring and retention practices. Dolinar, who has nearly 40 years of experience with building businesses, said accumulating a qualified work force begins with respect. “Employees have lives. They’re spending their time working at your company. You have to be respectful of that and you have to demonstrate and set the example of respect. If you don’t, employees will take their lead from you,” Dolinar said. Treating people well can spur a better work environment and culture, but Dolinar said employing the right people and maintaining a hardworking and dedicated staff is a long-term building process. ATSSA explores the challenges of hiring and retaining qualified employees Members voice greatest challenges; ATSSA responds with business sessions at Annual Convention & Traffic Expo