Hire, Train, Retain: Proven Construction Hiring & Retention Strategies

Aug 19, 2025

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Struggling 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:

Why most “business problems” are really people problems—and how to solve them at the root.
The fatal flaw in relying on gut instinct to hire construction talent.
How to define success in a role so you can hire with precision instead of vague job descriptions.
A structured hiring process that filters out bad fits—even if they try to fake it with AI.
Onboarding strategies that transform B-players into rock stars and boost 90-day retention to 95%.
The three non-negotiable objectives every onboarding program must hit.
How to build a culture that inspires discretionary effort—the extra 40–60% of capability most employees never give.
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:

Get clear on what matters most.
Drive focused action and accountability.
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

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