Companies Continue to Face Employee Challenges: an Interview with Pete Schenkel

C.L. Schust, a locally-based commercial roofing contractor, is like many companies in that it faces challenges stemming from the labor shortage, the Great Resignation, the pandemic, inflation, and other factors. What makes C.L. Schust different, however, is how it is responding. To better understand the company’s approach, I recently spoke with company Vice President Pete Schenkel, who shared how C.L. Schust is addressing the hurdles employers need to overcome in today’s environment. Here’s a recap of that conversation.

AB: What are some of the primary challenges C.L. Schust is dealing with??

PS: In terms of employment, the labor shortage is the most pressing. Much like the other contractors in the area, we are working hard to identify and hire employees. However, the employee shortage is real. This has impacted us as much as shortages of building materials--which would be enough on its own.?

AB: Why is the labor shortage such a big problem. How is it affecting other employers in your industry?

PS: Candidly, we have struggled to locate and hire quality skilled labor. And from talking with other contractors in the Northeast Indiana Building Contractors Association, our local trade advocacy organization, we are not alone.?

AB: Once you hire new talent, of course, you want to keep them on board. What have you seen in the industry when it comes to retaining talent?

PS: Retention of new hires has also been a challenge. We have found that many employees are willing to jump from company to company for a small pay increase. And we are hearing the same from other contractors in the area. Fortunately for us, we have a great core group of employees who have been with us for a long time.

AB: Have you taken additional steps to address these challenges?

PS: Absolutely. We have been very intentional about employee satisfaction and wellness during the pandemic. For example, we have implemented pay increases to account for inflation and to ensure retention. We know that our employees are our biggest asset and we make it a point that they know how vital they are to our operation.

AB: Other than pay raises, have you implemented any other strategies to improve employee engagement?

PS: We have increased PTO and holidays both for our office staff and our field employees. Given how busy the construction industry has been for the last few years, we want to make sure that our employees are able to take time off to rest and recharge.

AB: Any advice that you would give to companies facing similar challenges?

PS: While it may sound cheesy, we do think of our employees as family which can be seen in the number of long-term employees we have. Our advice is to focus on employee satisfaction, which could mean pay increases, additional benefits, or just regular check-ins. These are unique times, so employers may have to do things they’ve never done before to ensure that they can continue to meet their customers’ expectations.