Employee retention and attrition management for Telecom infrastructure firms: keeping climbers between waves
Climbers and fibre jointers are called by every contractor in the district. Knowing why yours leave, and when, is the first step towards keeping the ones you can least afford to lose.
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Share your requirementsWhy employee retention and attrition management matters in telecom infrastructure firms
Telecom crews leave for reasons that sound small. A rate raised by a little elsewhere, a long gap before the next order, a team lead who shouted, a delay in travel claims, or a friend who joined another firm. Because the work comes in waves, the firm often sees the gap only when the next order opens and the names it counted on are gone.
Retention here is about the stretch between waves as much as the wave itself. Who is told early what comes next, who stays in touch, who is paid fairly and on time, and who is treated as a skilled man rather than a hired pair of hands. The firm cannot hold everyone, but it can know whom it most wants to hold and make that effort deliberate.
How to set it up
1. List the people you cannot easily replace
Mark proven climbers, senior jointers and good team leads, and write who is most at risk of leaving. Keep the list with the head of operations.
2. Collect the reasons for each exit
When someone leaves, ask the team lead and the person himself why, and write it down. After a quarter, group the answers into pay, work gaps, travel, treatment and other.
3. Plan the gap between waves
Tell core people what is next and when, offer short assignments or training where there is a gap, and keep in touch with bench members. A message from the coordinator costs little.
4. Fix the small irritants first
Late claims, unclear travel rules and rude handling of crews drive more exits than people admit. Pick the worst, set an owner and report progress. The attendance and leave process can handle rest days and claims.
5. Share what you learn with project heads
Show the exit patterns by team and by lead each quarter. Praise those who keep their teams and help those who do not.
Check these first
Before changing anything, find out what is true today. These take an afternoon and use your own records.
- List your last ten leavers, with their team, their lead and where they went.
- Ask your top five climbers what they were offered in the last year.
- Check how long travel claims took to settle in the last month.
- Look at which team leads have had the most exits from their teams.
GullyHR can do this with you. Read how we approach employee retention and attrition management in general, or share your requirements and we will tell you where to start.
Questions owners ask
Often it is one of several. Pay matters, but so do gaps between waves, delayed claims and how the team lead treats people. Record reasons for a quarter before you decide what to fix.
Not everyone, and it would be dishonest to promise. You can tell people early what is likely, offer short assignments to your best, and keep contact with the others. They come back when you do.
Yes, if they are short, informal and held by someone the person trusts. A phone call by a coordinator often yields more than a form. What matters is that the answers are written and reviewed.