How much does it cost to develop a top foreman or supervisor? I am not asking what you spend, I am asking you what it costs.
First, let’s look at a time for development. Three years? Five years? Ten years? Right there, how much do you have invested in them just on wages and fringe benefits?
What else goes into the price tag?
Consider:
· Direct training costs
· Cost of OTJ Training impact on quality, client satisfaction, schedule, worker performance
· Cost of attrition = those you spent money on that did not stay with you now aggregated into those that are left
· Loss in profit based on the duration of their learning curve
These are very real costs. Just like their pick-up and gas card. This is a very strong argument for providing an ongoing training effort and budget for their development. A faster learning curve saves money. A faster learning curve retains talent. Skill upgrades for your senior leaders addresses status quo thinking or resistance to change.
Imagine if you spent 25% of what you spend on safety training and compliance on foreman or supervisory training. What kind of bottom line impact might that have on your organization and your crews?
Remember, it’s people before projects. That’s what makes the difference.