One of the biggest threats to a growing construction business isn’t rising material costs or labor shortages... it’s losing great people.

While most builders know how to pour a foundation or frame a house, very few have taken the time to build internal systems that support, retain, and grow their team. Without that structure, even the best hires won’t stick around.

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“It’s not the money,” says Suman Cherry, founder of Cherry Talent Group, “it’s the chaos.”
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She’s spent the last 25 years helping companies hire. And in construction, she sees the same pattern over and over: “When you don’t have structure, you have chaos. And chaos is what drives good people out.”

Why Great People Leave

The churn usually starts quietly. A trusted superintendent gets frustrated. A top office manager begins to disengage. Eventually, the owner gets blindsided by a resignation... often from someone doing the work of two or three people.

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The root cause? They didn’t have what they needed to succeed.

• No defined role or job description
• No onboarding or SOPs
• No clear expectations or communication
• No feedback or accountability

“Employees don’t do well if they don’t know what’s expected of them,” Suman explains. And when one A-player walks, others often follow.

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“A-players want to work with A-players,” says host Reece Barnes. “When one leaves, others start asking questions.”

What Most Builders Get Wrong About Hiring

Too many owners assume they need to “just hire someone.” But hiring without clarity only makes things worse. Suman’s team starts by helping builders define exactly what they need and what problem the new hire should solve.

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Her process focuses on:

• Identifying the real pain: growth bottlenecks, capacity gaps, or role confusion
• Writing clear, concise job descriptions that attract the right candidates
• Vetting not just for skill, but for emotional intelligence, responsiveness, and value alignment
• Helping businesses prepare for the hire, not just fill a seat

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“You don’t need more workers. You need more capacity,” she says. That means hiring people who can elevate the business, not just fill gaps.

Where to Start: Building Structure Before You Scale

Feeling overwhelmed? The fix is rarely “more people.” It’s better structure. And it starts with getting things off your own plate.

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Suman’s recommended hiring path for most builders:

1. Office Manager – Offload admin work and free up leadership capacity
2. Estimator – Reduce costly mistakes and ensure accurate bids
3. Superintendent – Maintain quality and visibility in the field
4. Project Manager – Own timelines, coordination, and client communication

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Many owners want to jump straight to hiring superintendents or PMs, but without internal support or financial clarity, that just adds to the noise. “There is no reason any business owner should be doing admin work,” Suman says.

Leadership is a Skill, Not Just a Job Title

Even experienced builders can struggle with leadership. It’s not about being the loudest or most hands-on. It’s about creating an environment where people know the plan, feel safe to speak up, and understand what success looks like.

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When Suman experienced internal culture issues in her own company, she realized the problem wasn’t one person. It was a lack of leadership clarity.

• Expectations weren’t clear
• Feedback wasn’t given
• Processes weren’t in place
• Accountability was missing

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“I wasn’t leading from a place of truth,” she admits. “I avoided hard conversations, and the result was a divided team and messy operations.” It was a turning point. Today, she runs her firm with weekly leadership meetings, structured check-ins, and a culture rooted in values and transparency.

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“Truth is our standard,” she says. “We’re not just recruiters. We’re matchmakers. And matchmakers have to be honest.”

The Takeaway: Build the Business, Not Just the Team

Losing great talent is one of the most expensive problems a builder can face. But it’s also one of the most preventable.

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Here’s where to focus:

• Clarify roles before hiring, don’t hire and hope
• Define your values and talk about them often
• Offload admin work so you can lead, not just react
• Invest in structure before volume
• Create safety and accountability so your best people stay
• Track the right data to see where the real gaps are

It’s not about perfection. It’s about momentum.

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“You don’t need to do everything yourself,” Suman says. “But you do need to take ownership for building the kind of company people want to be part of.”

Final Thoughts

Every builder wants to grow. But not every builder is ready. If you’re constantly in hiring mode, losing your best people, or struggling to keep the wheels on, it’s time to shift focus from firefighting to foundation-building.

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Start with the people. Build the process. Protect the culture.

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You don’t need more hands... you need a real system.

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