You spent weeks finding the right journeyman electrician. He’s reliable, licensed, shows up early, and the crew respects him. Then a competitor offers him $4 more an hour and he’s gone by Friday.
This isn’t bad luck — it’s a retention problem. And it’s fixable. Here’s what separates contractors who lose their best people from those who keep them for years.
Why Tradespeople Leave (It’s Rarely Just the Money)
Rate matters — but it’s rarely the only reason someone leaves. In Bravo’s candidate interviews, the most common departure triggers are:
- Feeling unrecognized — good work goes unacknowledged; mistakes get called out loudly
- Poor communication from supervisors — not knowing what’s coming next, surprise schedule changes, no heads-up on layoffs
- No path forward — no sense of advancement, no investment in certifications or skills
- Inconsistent work — gaps between projects that force them to find other income
Notice that three of four have nothing to do with pay. Retention is a management problem as much as a compensation problem.
The Retention Moves That Actually Work
Pay at or above market — and say so. Don’t make your people wonder if they’re being paid fairly. Tell them: “We pay in the top quartile for licensed electricians in this market.” If you do, say it. It preempts the competitor’s pitch.
Check in at 30, 60, and 90 days. Most voluntary departures happen in the first 90 days. A five-minute check-in at each milestone — “How’s the project going? Anything you need?” — catches problems before they become resignations.
Invest in their credentials. Paying for an OSHA 30, a specialized certification, or a licensing exam costs a few hundred dollars. The loyalty it buys is worth far more. And it signals: we see a future with you.
Create predictability. Tradespeople plan their finances around work calendars. When you can, give 2–4 weeks of project visibility. “We’ve got work through the end of Q4” is a retention statement as much as it is a scheduling one.
The 90-Day Mark Is Your Biggest Risk Window
Data across Bravo’s placements shows that the highest turnover risk is between days 45 and 90. This is when the new-job honeymoon fades and the candidate is most receptive to outside offers.
What to do at day 60:
- Have a brief 1:1 conversation — not a formal review, just a check-in
- Ask what’s going well and what’s frustrating
- Reiterate what the pipeline of work looks like
- If a raise or role change is on the table, now is the time
This is part of why Bravo offers a 90-day replacement guarantee — we back our placements because we know this window matters. But the goal is never to need the guarantee: it’s to set up conditions where your new hire wants to stay.
What to Do If You’re Already Losing People
If turnover has become a pattern — not just one departure, but a recurring cycle — the fix isn’t faster hiring. It’s diagnosing why people leave.
- Exit conversations — even a brief text exchange after someone leaves can surface patterns
- Benchmark your rates — Bravo can tell you where you stand against what similar employers are paying in your market
- Review your supervisors — people leave managers more often than companies
Bravo places certified tradespeople and backs every placement with a 90-day guarantee. If retention is costing you more than it should, let’s talk — the conversation is free.