Creating cultures that keep teams together

By Jesse Sanchez. 

How leadership culture is helping roofing contractors retain talent in a tough labor market. 

The roofing industry has long struggled with labor shortages, but one leadership coach believes the answer isn’t just in recruitment, it’s in culture. On this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Melissa Chapman, co-founder of The GLO Group, shared why creating a workplace that values team development, transparency and personal growth may be the most powerful tool contractors have in attracting and retaining talent. Melissa shared, “If they understand that there’s an opportunity for growth, if they feel like they’re being cared for and their family’s being cared for, they’re not going to leave you over 50 cents an hour.”  

Rather than treating company culture as an afterthought, Melissa’s LDR Accelerator program treats it as the foundation of long-term business health. In a climate where younger generations want more than just a paycheck, Melissa’s approach highlights clarity, consistency and connection between leadership and the field. “Younger folks want to know what’s important to you as an organization. Where are you putting your money? How do you care about your community? How do you show that?” she said. “If you don’t have that culture dialed in, you’re not going to recruit the talent that you want and you’re not going to retain the talent that you have.” 

Melissa argues that a strong company culture isn’t just a recruitment asset, it’s a retention engine. In one example, a contractor struggling with internal resentment and disengagement among team leaders saw morale and margins improve simply by opening the floor to input and promoting more inclusive decision-making. “When you have a team-led company, what you find is there’s more collaboration and ownership,” Melissa said. “These folks were coming to the table with cost-cutting ideas. Their margins increased and their customer retention improved.” 

It’s a compelling case for contractors who feel stuck in the churn of hiring and turnover. The LDR Accelerator’s coaching sessions, peer cohorts and leadership playbooks are designed to support busy teams with just 12 to 15 hours of structured development each month. For Melissa, the end goal is simple: build companies where people want to stay. “People want to feel like they’re part of something,” she said. “And when you create a culture that allows people to feel like they have a voice… magic happens.” 

Read the transcript or Listen to the podcast to learn more about how culture-building strategies are helping contractors weather the labor storm and why leadership may be the smartest retention tool in the truck!