Workforce administration is an extensive and exhaustive task. Still, effective management of construction site labor helps maintain the overall productivity of work. It allows contractors to coordinate people at work and their clients. Workforce management ensures that everyone has the required knowledge and information regarding their work so that the flow of operations goes uninterrupted.
The construction site workforce management is imperative because it helps get the venture on time, enhancing clients’ satisfaction. It also helps in completing the tasks within the fixed budget, which is an indication that the project has been successful. Labor on-site takes up almost half of the project cost, which makes them extremely valuable. Thus, it is essential to have efficient workforce management, which limits accidents on-site and eliminates the risks of loss of labor.
If you wish to prioritize construction site workforce management efficiently, then here are some ways to do so:
Table of Contents
1. Take Care of Their Needs
Construction work is excruciatingly tiring and physically demanding. It requires workers to stay on their feet for long hours and complete their tasks and operation regardless of the weather conditions. It can often lead to dehydration and weariness, too. Hence, workforce managers must ensure that their workers on-site are safe, satisfied, and taken care of.
As a manager, you will need to provide them with an adequate amount of food and water. Another essential thing is on-site, portable restrooms, and, if necessary, cabins too. You can build temporary washrooms, or an easy way is to search for a portable toilet around your area or from the internet. For instance, if your construction site is in Portland, Oregon. In that case, you can search online by typing porta-potties for rent in Portland, OR, to find the best possible options.
Hygiene is also essential, especially during such testing times due to COVID-19. You cannot afford to have your labor infected by the contagious virus and bring a halt to the workflow. Also, allow your workers to take necessary breaks from work, lay down in the cabin, or a walk for exercise. It will help relieve their stress and ensure quality performance at work.
Ensuring your workers’ safety is another way of taking care of their needs. Since working at a construction site has a high risk of danger, equipping them with safety gears such as protective eyeglasses, construction boots, gloves, vest, specialized gears such as a blast helmet for sandblasting equipments, and other protective equipment is a must.
2. Strategize Realistically
Having very high expectations can often lead to disappointments; thus, it is essential always to set SMART objectives. It means that your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-specific. You cannot expect your construction workers to complete a task on shorter notice than realistically possible. You need to plan each day considering work hours, half times, and public holidays and ensure that your entire crew understands and is okay with the plan.
Remember that managing small goals is much more efficient in accomplishing finality than following big and inaccessible goals. Your workers on site are already aware that they need to be quick with their work. Hence they don’t require you to tell them to hurry up continuously. You can set definite deadlines for them to meet, but you shouldn’t be bothering them with specifics now and then. And make sure that you are available to help them out with clarification and suggestions when needed.
3. Communicate Explicitly
Clear and explicit communication is an integral part of managing any project. Your labor is a valuable asset to you who takes up most of your set budget. Hence, you can unambiguously make them aware of your requirements. An efficient two-way communication system is one of the most significant motivators for employees as it allows them to understand their position at work. After communicating your goals and expectations to the crew regarding the project, keep them updated throughout the process to achieve maximum results. Feel free to send them regular emails about changes that concern them, and let them know about any production detail they might find informative.
In addition, it is a quality of a good leader to listen to their employees, too. Your workers on site should know that they can always come to you with any work-related issue, and you will have an appropriate response for them. If they come to you and ask for changes in the plan, then take some time and try to figure out a way to help them instead of dismissing them straightaway.
4. Train Effectively
Practical training of the workforce is fundamental for efficiency and productivity at the job. Inadequate training and miscommunication of functional requirements can lead to bumps in operation and slow down the process. As a manager, you should train your workers before starting a project so that it doesn’t become an interruption. It may cost your company some extra training costs, but having well-trained and skilled employees can become your competitive advantage. Training would reduce the number of accidents on-site and decrease the risk of wastages during work, improving productivity. Remember never to make the mistake of only providing training to new employees; your existing ones may also need to brush up some of their knowledge. It gives your workers space for self-growth and makes them more confident. As a leader, you need to equip your staff and team with the appropriate knowledge and skills which their job requires.
5. Assess Performance Regularly
Performance assessment is a crucial aspect of any management system. As a manager of construction site workers, you have to keep an eye out for underperforming team members to avoid problems from arising. Sometimes, your staff may feel unmotivated due to stress from working overtime; such situations require you to stay calm and find solutions that eradicate issues like these. You can use automated HRM solutions and applications to check on your employees and their attitude towards the job. To evaluate your workers’ performances, begin with setting appropriate benchmarks. Assign tasks to each team or worker, and check their progress at the end of the day or week. It will allow you to stay up to date with your teams’ improvement and help you keep knowledge about any lacking. It will also enable you to solve disputes and shortages before they create a bigger problem.
Conclusion
It is necessary to check on your workforce to make your project management successful and efficient. Construction site workers often find themselves under severe pressure, which leads to on-site disputes and underperformance issues. You, as a manager, are responsible for keeping your workforce motivated and helping them find purpose in their day-to-day task. It will help them find direction and focus on the strategic goal of completing the project within the required framework.
