What Leaders Can Gain From People-First Workplaces

Since 2016, I have served on the editorial advisory board for Construction Business Owner magazine. This is a leadership responsibility I enjoy. The editorial team appreciates having input from industry leaders engaged in day-to-day work with contractors, suppliers, vendors and professional partners.

Once a year, I review the next year’s proposed editorial calendar of key topics and themes. Throughout the year, I’m asked to provide introductions to leaders both inside and outside the construction industry as the editorial staff writes feature articles. I also consider special leaders to nominate for the issues showcasing both Outstanding Women in Construction and Sustainability VIPs.

I have had the privilege of being invited to regularly contribute articles as well. Construction Business Owner was an early adopter on mental health and suicide prevention in the industry by publishing an article in April 2016. This happened before I helped the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) launch the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention. Since then, my topics have been centered in the area of human capital risk management. Human capital risk management is the conservation of an organization’s human and financial resources.

Throughout the years, I’ve contributed a three-article series on supervisory safety responsibilities and various articles covering a spectrum of mental health and well-being topics. This included physical and emotional health, substance misuse, employee assistance programs, and opioid risk reduction and naloxone. A few articles highlighted preventive strategies for workplace violence, as well as bullying, harassment and discrimination.
 

Why Focus on Caring Cultures?

In every issue during 2025, the “Caring Cultures: Under Construction” column will feature companies and leaders putting people first. Why this topic? Because companies can gain a competitive, strategic advantage by building a human-centric caring culture.

There is a clear and compelling business case for investing in a “people-first” culture. These companies create a competitive advantage in recruiting, retaining and developing tomorrow’s leaders and workers. These companies proactively address mental health, whole person well-being, recovery and other human capital best practices to build people-first cultures.

Companies embracing a people-first culture share common characteristics. Of course, this list is only representative of the attributes that make these company cultures unique (Figure 1).

Human Capital Risk Management & Workforce Development

The construction industry faces enormous challenges with recruiting and retaining a workforce. Many workforce development and leadership development specialists describe the challenge as a “war on talent.” The industry remains understaffed by over 500,000 unfilled jobs. The challenge will become greater as the so-called “gray tsunami” of retirements hits the industry over the next decade.

Leading employers are focusing on attracting and retaining workers based on building a human-centric culture. These employers recognize that many of today’s workforce have different expectations for their career. Becoming and staying an employer of choice pays huge dividends for companies.

Most employers recognize the importance of people as their most important asset. However, not all employers equally focus on investing in human capital like it truly is their most important asset. A human capital risk management strategy helps companies consider the risks versus rewards of making such investments.

Companies that invest more in human capital understand this increased investment is helping to build a competitive strategic advantage. There are tangible measures and anecdotal evidence of these varying outcomes, including:

• Reduced tardiness and absenteeism, leading to increased productivity
• Improved morale
• Decreased voluntary and involuntary turnover
• Reduced unfilled positions combined with filling vacant positions faster
• Improved safety and quality metrics
• Increased employee engagement scores
   

The Wellbeing Think Tank

I enjoy collaborating with Chase Sterling. She is a leader I’ve seen make a difference helping organizations integrate holistic wellness into an accountability culture. She is the president of consulting firm HHP Cultures. Sterling, a certified wellness practitioner (CWP), is a recognized subject matter expert in well-being.

Sterling is active in Wellness Alliance, which unites the strengths of the two most recognized and influential professional associations in the wellness industry: the National Wellness Institute (NWI) and the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA).

Sterling is also the founder of the Wellbeing Think Tank (WTT). WTT is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit with free membership. The mission of the WTT is to “educate and empower employers to foster both individual and organizational well-being, creating environments where everyone can thrive.” And the vision of the WTT is: “We envision a world where every employer supports the whole-person needs of their employees, fostering healthier, more resilient organizations and communities.”

I encourage human resources, employee benefits, and safety/health leaders to check out the WTT. The organization helps keep leaders abreast of current trends and offers complimentary monthly educational sessions focused on employee well-being.

Sterling describes the essence of happy, healthy, productive (HHP) cultures as those that “prioritize well-being, inclusivity and psychological safety, creating environments where employees feel valued and empowered. These cultures promote engagement, innovation and resilience.” Sterling shared that the expected outcomes of HHP cultures include “increased productivity, enhanced well-being, reduced turnover, and improved organizational reputation by building loyalty and sustainable success by fostering spaces where individuals can thrive both personally and professionally.”

Sterling emphasizes the importance of “building a culture that creates purpose and belonging” to improve individual, crew or team, and company performance. Sterling asserts: “Research shows that belonging is a key driver of well-being and also fosters psychological safety, creating an environment that encourages risk-taking and fuels innovation and performance.” She highlights that “individuals who feel they belong at work report higher well-being, and studies link this to positive outcomes like a 75% reduction in sick days, a 50% decrease in turnover and a 56% increase in job performance.”

Commitment to whole-person well-being is a hallmark of people first cultures. Well-being is the intersection of physical safety and emotional health. Contractors and other companies serving the construction industry can benefit by expanding the level of health and well-being in their occupational safety and health programs and practices. I hope you will join me each part of “Caring Cultures: Under Construction” to learn other strategies being instituted by human centric companies to develop people-first cultures.