National Highways has surveyed over 200 companies to understand why people leave the industry, as part of ongoing research into the skills crisis.
The national road operator found that across 209 companies, 62.3% of people leaving their jobs last year left the industry altogether, meaning the money invested in their recruitment and training was lost to the sector.
The main reasons for leaving were:
- work-life balance
- early retirement
- more flexibility
- better pay
- promotion and development opportunities
- location
- obstacles to career advancement and a feeling of unfair processes.
Speaking at the Road Safety Markings Association conference, Belinda Blake, equality diversity and inclusion manager at National Highways, said: ‘For those under 35, the reason for leaving was often that they wanted a better work-life balance. The long hours culture that prevails in our sector was a real turn-off. For others over 35, they tended to look for better pay and promotion and development opportunities.
‘At least 62% who are leaving their jobs left our industry altogether and this is even higher for people under the age of 35. We have spent a lot of money recruiting and training that 62% and they are leaving and they are not using that knowledge in their next role.
'That is something we felt we really needed to look at in detail. National Highways is looking at what initiatives are needed to change that and in 18 months’ time we should have the conclusion to this research to share with the industry.’
Ms Blake stressed the importance of talking and listening to employees to find out issues ahead of time: ‘Some suppliers have started having stay interviews – discussing what they can do to keep them because of the investment in recruitment and training.’
She added that ‘often we [the client] put obstacles in the way or unfair practices or create a requirement that means that you feel that your shifts have to be x amount long and things have to be delivered in a certain way to meet our targets’.
‘I think we need to be creative about how we might split shifts or job share. But it should come from industry in a way because you know what the experiences are for your operatives and works. I am pretty sure they will have some good ideas about what needs to be changed and then you can feed back to us.'
Discussing the wider issue of diversity equity and inclusion, and a prevailing mood that has shifted particularly since the start of the second presidency of Donald Trump, Ms Blake said: 'It has made people like me think about the words we use.
'I think words like diversity and inclusion are an obstacle because people don't understand that it applies to everyone and maybe we need to think more along the lines of fairness, inclusion and respect. We want to work in a sector that is fair and includes and respects people.'
