The job title “construction team member could involve diverse interpretations within the construction industry. The person employed to carry out the physical construction is a construction worker.

Those responsible for creating, planning, and designing the project, i.e., the site consultant, the architect, structural engineer, project manager, site manager, etc., also fall within the same umbrella, although in a higher rank than the usual physical workers.

All construction crew members learning to cooperate will help complete the job in the most quality fashion and on time. However, managing a herd of people while on a deadline is no easy task. It’s also not impossible.

Here’s how to manage your construction team successfully.

1. Start With a Checklist for Every Project

A construction project checklist includes activities or items that a construction site must check and ensure availability.

A checklist is an excellent tool for organizing a construction project and smoothly carrying it. It correctly tracks tasks assigned to each team member and makes sure they are being efficiently carried out.

This creates an organized, meticulous workflow that boosts productivity and breaks down complex job tasks into more straightforward and less intimidating steps.

Construction checklists can come in different forms;

• Equipment and tools checklist

• Safety checklist

• Quality checklist

2. Explore Time-Savings Apps

Keeping track of the work hours of dozens of employees in construction businesses can be tasking, especially when scheduling the work plan and organizing the payroll system, so workers get paid as when due. This often leads to a loss of money and time.

Manual time tracking doesn’t combat these challenges, especially when newly improved time-saving apps and software solutions can do these for you.

Nowadays, these apps and software do more than monitoring working hours and streamline payroll. Some apps now include GPS tracking that allows review of your worker’s geographical locations at whatever sites they are working for, what time they clock in, and how long they spend there.

Notifications can also be sent to employees to remind them of the tasks needed in a particular period.

3. Keep Your Construction Crew Engaged

Are your construction crew members passionate about the job at hand? Do they display enthusiasm to contribute to the business goal? Are they connected to their job roles?

If they are not, you might be dealing with employee engagement issues when there’s a disconnect between crew members and their job roles. In the construction business, disengaged employees can have a tremendous negative effect on the job.

The good news is that employee engagement and motivation can easily be remedied and enhanced for better performance of operations by doing these :

• When a job isn’t done the standard way, learn to criticize constructively. This way, you can address the substandard performance without talking down the staff.

• Give praises as at when due. Most employers struggle with appreciating staff after a hard day of work well done. Going out of your way to praise workers helps improve their feeling of self-esteem and makes them want to do more to earn more praises.

• Put their healthcare at the forefront. Working as a construction worker means a lot of physical and mental energy. Setting up a plan that gives them quality and efficient healthcare service goes a long way in making employees feel cared for.

4. Provide More Flexible Working Conditions

The culture of flexibility in the working conditions is a powerful tip that can be imbibed in the construction business. According to research, flexible working conditions among construction workers have reportedly led to a massive improvement in well-being. Better?

This does not affect the quality of the job done or budgets!

Which probes that flexible working CAN be executed on construction sites with no adverse effects on budgets or deadlines. Implementing flexible working conditions grants workers control over their work-life balance and well-being and decides the working patterns that suit them best.

5. Have a Clear Roadmap for the Project at Hand

To carry out the project without delays, being able to constantly think one step ahead is a life-saving skill that will come in handy as a construction team manager.

A clear project roadmap gives a clear picture of the job, the “hiccups” that might occur, e.g., weather situations and how to go around them, the duration of the project, etc.

6. There Should Be a Free Flow of Communication

Communication is essential in every industry. A project can’t be done quickly without accessible communication between every construction team member in the construction space.

A 2021 survey reported that one in every ten construction workers is injured due to miscommunication errors.

More than 60% of employees are eager to resign due to frustration with the chaotic or absent communication in their workspaces.

How can a robust communication platform be created to decrease communication issues?

• Provide communication devices such as walkie-talkies to employees to easily radio in whenever needed.

• Establishing a transparent chain of command standardizes communication as employees are made aware of who they need to speak to for one thing or the other.

• A team where some members don’t speak English can reduce productivity and friction in working relationships. However, the language barrier can be improved by offering introductory language courses and promoting bilingual structure in the team.

Summary

In any industry, employees are the most valuable assets of any company. As members of a construction firm, their joint efforts play a significant role in the success of any project.

Thus, learning how to manage and motivate them efficiently is critical.