ATSSA continues to seek solutions for member company issues

Association addresses concerns with hiring and retaining qualified workers

There are a number of ways ATSSA works to advance roadway safety. The association works to provide high-quality training to roadway workers and advocates for transportation and infrastructure legislation and funding.

Additionally, ATSSA has a staff dedicated to supporting ATSSA member companies, which manufacture and install safety devices that keep roadway users safe. By listening to members, ATSSA is able to identify and address key industry issues, such as the long-term challenge of hiring and retaining qualified workers.

“ATSSA prioritizes all concerns faced by employers and has been dedicated to finding solutions and providing guidance to address them,” said ATSSA Vice President of Member Services Donna Clark. “Our efforts have resulted in a number of actions aimed at helping our members recruit qualified employees. We have a committed internal task force that is charged with exploring options related specifically to this issue. While much has been accomplished, the task force continues to implement plans to assist in this matter.”

In 2007, ATSSA published “Finding, Hiring, and Retaining the Best Workers” to serve as a resource and provide guidance on this issue for member companies. In 2016, ATSSA revisited the issue after a member survey showed hiring, retention, and a lack of qualified employees continue to be an issue faced by member companies.

The association held an Open Forum on Hiring and Retaining Qualified Workers during its 2017 Midyear Meeting. Forum attendees discussed recruitment challenges and methods, retention issues, and vocalized ways ATSSA might help in these areas. The group provided specific problems they have encountered in their hiring processes.

Following the forum, an internal team made up of ATSSA staff members continued to examine the comments gathered from the forum and explore possible supportive measures. The team decided to hold a focus group, open to subcontractors only, during ATSSA’s 48th Convention & Traffic Expo to address various topics and questions stemming from the open forum held at Midyear Year.

Additionally, the team developed numerous business sessions that were also held at the 2018 Annual Convention & Traffic Expo. These sessions included “How Employees are Looking at You While You’re Looking for Them,” “Labor & Employment Law Update: What You Need to Know,” “Business and Operations Roundtable,” “The Crossroad of Worker Safety and 3rd Party Liability,” and “Crisis Media Communications.” New business sessions based on information gathered from ATSSA members will be developed for ATSSA’s 49th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo in Tampa, Florida from Feb. 8-12, 2019.

The internal team continues to meet and is working on providing more resources for employers to support their businesses. ATSSA will continue to reach out to its members with new opportunities as they are developed. For more information about these efforts, email ATSSA Vice President of Member Services Donna Clark at donna.clark@atssa.com.