Hire, Train, Retain: Proven Construction Hiring & Retention Strategies
Release Date: 08/19/2025
Mental Health in Construction: The Safety Issue Nobody Wants to Talk About (But Everyone Lives With)
Construction Genius
Dan Lester returns to Construction Genius for Episode 2 — and the numbers are getting louder. Clayco’s latest Combating Stigma findings show 64% of construction workers report anxiety or depression in the last 12 months, up from 54% the year prior. Eric and Dan go upstream: schedules, client expectations, leadership culture, and why “awareness” isn’t the same as support. You’ll hear practical ways leaders can spot struggle, have better conversations, and build a jobsite culture that drives performance without grinding people into the dirt. We’ll also link to Dan’s first...
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Stop Bidding Everything: The 10 Roadblocks Killing Your Construction Sales
Construction Genius
Construction sales feel like a grind because the root problem isn’t sales — it’s the business infrastructure underneath. In this episode, we unpack the 10 structural roadblocks that make selling construction work under $100M so difficult. These issues include unclear vision, missing strategy, weak financial visibility, poor org structure, broken incentive systems, no management rhythm, and outdated hiring and development practices. Fix these, and sales becomes dramatically easier. Ignore them, and every bid feels like a battle. If you're tired of grinding, guessing, and hoping for better...
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Buyer-Ready in 12 Months: How to Make Your Construction Company Sellable
Construction Genius
Most contractors wait too long to prepare their business for a sale—and lose millions because of it. In this episode, I talk with Cameron Bishop, Managing Director at Raincatcher, about what it really takes to make your construction company buyer-ready in the next 12 months. Cam brings 40+ years of executive and M&A experience and has completed more than 70 transactions worth over $500M. He breaks down the biggest deal killers, the accounting mistakes that stall closings, how to remove owner dependency, and why customer concentration over 20% scares buyers away. 🎧 Listen now, and...
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What Secular Leadership Models Reveal About Jesus (and Your Business)
Construction Genius
Most leadership discussions avoid the most uncomfortable question: 👉 What actually makes a leader good? In this episode, I sit down with Father Daniel Brandenburg, author of Leader Like No Other: What Secular Leadership Models Reveal About Jesus, a book that flips the usual leadership conversation on its head. After completing a doctorate in leadership, Daniel realized something startling: Jesus, arguably the most influential leader in history, is almost completely absent from modern leadership theory. So he took ten major secular leadership paradigms and compared them directly with...
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How to Use Your WIP to Protect Cash and Grow Profitability
Construction Genius
In Part 2 of our WIP Mastery Series, CPA Kathe Barrington returns to show contractors how to use the WIP as a strategic decision-making tool. We dig into the three numbers every owner must check first, how underbilling reveals deeper project or client issues, and how the WIP exposes PM discipline long before problems hit the P&L. Kathe also walks through backlog planning, bid strategy, indirect cost allocation, and how to spot margin fade before it becomes expensive. If you want the financial clarity to run your company proactively—not reactively—this episode is essential. Learn more...
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Build Trust, Win Work: How the Doer–Seller Model Helps Construction Firms Thrive
Construction Genius
Construction BD expert Ken Harms joins me to break down the rise of the Doer–Seller model — a relationship-driven approach where project managers and superintendents help win work by serving clients, asking better questions, and building long-term trust. We unpack how owners’ expectations have shifted, why the rainmaker era is over, how to train introverted technical pros to engage confidently, and why firms that ignore this model will be trapped in low-bid work. If you want more negotiated work, more repeat clients, and teams who know how to build trust on and off the job, this episode...
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WIP Reports Made Simple: The Key to Stopping Hidden Job Losses
Construction Genius
Most contractors think they understand their WIP reports—but few actually use them to stop hidden job losses. CPA Kathe Barrington joins Eric Anderton to explain how to simplify your WIP, prevent fake profits, and keep your cash and bonding capacity intact. You’ll discover: • Why bad budgets destroy profits • How percent-complete accounting really works • How PMs and accountants can finally get on the same page Connect with Kathe Barrington 🌐 Website: 💼 LinkedIn: 📘 Facebook: 👉 More from Construction Genius 📘 Get the book Construction Genius: 🧠 Learn...
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From Superhero to System Builder: The Key to Leading a Scalable Company
Construction Genius
Hero culture caps growth. Eric and process-improvement pro show you how to trade capes for systems using a no-BS What–Why–How framework. Define the what (outcome), clarify the why (priority), then let your people own the how. We unpack faster bad-news communication, direct vs. root vs. latent causes, the Golden Hour for standardizing wins, and the Four M’s (Man, Machine, Material, Method). If you want a business that runs when you step away—and gets the most out of your people—this episode is your blueprint. Grab George’s book or visit . 90-Day High-Performance...
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Turn Your Website Into a Growth Engine
Construction Genius
Most construction companies treat their website like a digital brochure. Big mistake. Rob Murray from Intrigue Media joins Eric to explain why even $50M buyers do Google contractors—and how a smart, strategic website builds trust and drives real opportunities. You’ll learn how to position your company vertically or horizontally, speak to multiple buyer types, and use short, authentic testimonials that convert. Rob also shares a simple spreadsheet exercise that exposes your most profitable niche—and how to use client interviews to rewrite your homepage in their words. Turn your website...
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2026 Starts Now: The Construction Outlook Every CEO Needs to Hear
Construction Genius
In this episode, Eric Anderton breaks down findings from FMI’s Q4 2025 Construction Outlook and the CIRT Q3 2025 Sentiment Index, revealing how 130 construction CEOs are preparing for a selective, profit-focused market. Learn why the flight to quality is reshaping bidding strategy, how firms are earning more by doing less, and what it takes to ride the 2026 infrastructure and tax-credit wave. 📚 Resources 90-Day High-Performance Dashboard You can't afford to let your people drift. To drive real performance, you must coach with clarity and purpose. Use...
info_outlineStruggling to find—and keep—the right people in your construction business? You’re not alone. In today’s episode of Construction Genius, Eric sits down with Mike, creator of the XP3 Talent System, to unpack a proven, end-to-end process for hiring, onboarding, and retaining top talent in one of the most competitive industries on the planet.
You’ll discover:
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Why most “business problems” are really people problems—and how to solve them at the root.
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The fatal flaw in relying on gut instinct to hire construction talent.
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How to define success in a role so you can hire with precision instead of vague job descriptions.
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A structured hiring process that filters out bad fits—even if they try to fake it with AI.
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Onboarding strategies that transform B-players into rock stars and boost 90-day retention to 95%.
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The three non-negotiable objectives every onboarding program must hit.
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How to build a culture that inspires discretionary effort—the extra 40–60% of capability most employees never give.
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A real-world case study: cutting turnover from 80% to 23% in six months while breaking $100M in revenue.
Whether you’re a construction company owner, project executive, or HR leader, this episode will show you how to create a talent pipeline that keeps your crews staffed with the right people for the long haul—without constant hiring headaches.
HIGHLIGHTS
[02:09] Challenges in hiring and retaining talent.
[03:35] Loyalty and avoidance of having difficult conversations.
[05:49] The importance of objective job descriptions.
[10:06] Requirements of a successful onboarding process.
[12:55] A clear mission, inspiring vision, and shared core values.
[15:10] Measuring and understanding the true cost of turnover.
[21:22] The mistake of hiring one-sided.
RESOURCES
Connect with Mike Matalone
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/mike-matalone-6029b87/
Website - xp3talent.com/
Hire • Train • Retain 2nd Edition: The art―and science―of building high-performing teams that drive organizational success by Michael Matalone
amazon.com/Hire-Train-Retain-science_of-high-performing/dp/B0F8Z4KQ84/
90-Day High-Performance Dashboard
You can't afford to let your people drift.
To drive real performance, you must coach with clarity and purpose.
Use the 90-Day High-Performance Dashboard to:
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Get clear on what matters most.
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Drive focused action and accountability.
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Strengthen trust and deepen relationships.
Success doesn't happen by accident.
It happens when leaders coach with precision and consistency.
Download the 90-Day High-Performance Dashboard here: https://www.constructiongenius.com/high-performance-in-a-new-role
Coach your team toward real results — one conversation at a time.
Resources to Help You Win in Construction
📖 Construction Genius Book – No B.S., practical, hands-on leadership, strategy, sales, and marketing advice for construction companies. Click this link to buy the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Construction-Genius-Effective-Hands-Leadership/dp/B0BHTRDY1T/
🎯 The Shift: Move from Project Builder to People Leader – Master the leadership skills you need to succeed in construction. Click this link to learn more and enroll: https://theshift.constructiongenius.com
☎️ Book a 10-Minute Call with Eric Anderton – If you want to discuss how I can help you coach your leaders, let’s connect. Book a 10-minute conversation here: https://10minutes.youcanbook.me
🎧 Subscribe & Share
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