Guide to Recruiting, Developing, and Retaining Transportation Infrastructure Construction Inspectors (2023) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 39-48
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From page 39... ...
39 Retention and Career Development Career development of transportation construction inspectors encompasses STA retention and development opportunities. Retention is the process of maintaining an adequate and high-performing workforce to meet the commitments of the STA.
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From page 40... ...
40 Guide to Recruiting, Developing, and Retaining Transportation Infrastructure Construction Inspectors From Chapter 4: Training and Certification Return To Chapter 3: Core Competencies and KSA Assessment Retention Factor/Incentive STA Action Aligned expectations Clearly communicate expectations of daily responsibilities Annual reviews Document inspector performance so that inspectors know how to gain a promotion Bonuses Offer bonuses, for example, annually, after projects, or for outstanding safetyrecords Career paths Provide clear career paths for inspection position advancement Cross-training Train inspectors in a variety of specialties (structures, materials, drainage, etc.) to keep them working and knowledgeable about all areas of construction inspection Education support Provide education or tuition assistance and flexible working hours for inspectors who want to pursue college degrees Mentoring program Pair a new hire with an experienced inspector who can train the new hire, help them learn their responsibilities, provide support, and answer questions Paid time off Offer paid vacation, leave, and sick time Pay/salary raises Increase pay or salary based on performance and promotions Professional development Provide inspectors with career development opportunities to encourage learning and increase their KSAs Promotions Advance well-performing inspectors to a position with more complex assignments, responsibilities, and pay Recognition of work Formally acknowledge an inspector's high performance Reimbursement for certification exams Cover the cost of certification exams Relocation assistance Offer assistance to employees asked to relocate Rotational programs Offer employees rotations through projects, departments within the STA, and roles using a set time period for each rotation to expose employees to various STA business operations and inspection practices Scholarships Develop scholarship programs for students from local colleges and universities that include requirements to work for the STA for a specific amount of time after graduation Compassion Show inspectors that they matter to the STA as an individual, not just as part of the workforce Work-life balance Allow inspectors to work various shifts that better match their lifestyles Figure 5.1.
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From page 41... ...
Retention and Career Development 41 STAs have higher turnover with entry-level construction inspection positions, typically because of low wages and a lack of clear career paths for advancement. Once entry-level inspectors are trained and obtain certifications, they tend to leave for better-paying positions elsewhere.
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42 Guide to Recruiting, Developing, and Retaining Transportation Infrastructure Construction Inspectors Examples of informal continuing education are • Informal peer-to-peer exchanges on new methods, technologies, and other tools, • New job duties or project assignments that expand an individual inspector's skills, • Cross-training in various areas of transportation construction, • Self-paced learning opportunities, and • Trade publications. Examples of formal continuing education are • Continuing education requirements for certification, such as training for required inspection certifications (e.g., grade-and-drain, materials)
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Retention and Career Development 43 STAs document and disseminate this information through documents and manuals. To do this well, STAs need a champion who understands the importance of knowledge management.
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44 Guide to Recruiting, Developing, and Retaining Transportation Infrastructure Construction Inspectors 5.5 Internships Internships are an essential component of employee recruitment, retention, and training, and play an important role in education. Internships are short-term employment geared toward students currently enrolled in a transportation- or construction-related field (e.g., engineering, construction management, construction technology)
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From page 45... ...
Retention and Career Development 45 inspectors, resident engineers, and project managers, to determine goals and establish a mentoring time frame. A structured meeting schedule helps foster learning by setting aside a time and a place devoted solely to mentoring.
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46 Guide to Recruiting, Developing, and Retaining Transportation Infrastructure Construction Inspectors 5.7 Career Paths and Advancement STAs need to consider establishing and maintaining technical career paths that reward and support the development of construction inspectors with proficiency in various KSAs. When a construction inspector leaves employment, STAs suffer negative impacts such as lost investments in training, loss of experience, loss of critical skill sets, and costs corresponding to replacing employees.
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From page 47... ...
Retention and Career Development 47 • Provide opportunities for inspectors to work in other divisions of the STA to gain exposure and knowledge of business operations. • Provide a path for individuals to become SMEs.
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From page 48... ...
48 Guide to Recruiting, Developing, and Retaining Transportation Infrastructure Construction Inspectors 5.9 Summary of Retention and Career Development Strategies STAs need approaches for keeping qualified and effective construction inspectors as longterm employees, which provides benefits and consistency to transportation construction projects. The following strategies may need to be adapted to the STA based on its operations.
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