The roofing labor gap starts with retention

By The Coffee Shops®.

Strong leadership and long-term employee development can address workforce challenges at their source.

The roofing industry’s labor challenge is bigger than finding enough applicants. In a recent episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Megan Ellsworth spoke with Kristin Case, managing partner of Hi-Peak Staffing, about why retention, leadership and developing the next generation need to be part of the recruiting conversation.

Hi-Peak Staffing specializes in commercial roofing recruitment, placing candidates in positions ranging from labor-focused roles to the C-suite. From Kristin’s perspective, the workforce challenge cannot be attributed to one issue.

“I do think that leadership has a big part in [the workforce challenge] because retention is a problem in the industry,” she said. Keeping existing employees content and loyal is just as important as attracting new team members. As Kristin points out, “You can't recruit your way out of a retention issue.”

Another challenge is creating a pipeline of people who can carry roofing knowledge forward. Kristin anticipates retirements among experienced professionals, making investment in younger workers increasingly important. Rather than waiting for leadership positions to become vacant, she encourages companies to think years ahead and develop employees from field, labor and foreman-level positions. “You can train roofing, right? Everyone's learned somewhere along the way,” Kristin said. But without experienced leaders helping the next generation learn, she sees the potential for a knowledge gap.

That long-term view also means looking beyond traditional roofing candidates. Bringing new people into the industry and giving them opportunities to learn can strengthen the talent pipeline while preparing future leaders.

For contractors, the takeaway is straightforward: Recruiting is not simply about filling today's opening. It is also about creating an environment where people can learn, develop and stay.

Listen to the full podcast or Watch the recording to learn more about roofing workforce recruitment.