How to Handle the Labor Shortage with a Construction Business

Many industries in the United States and around the world have been affected by labor shortages, and construction is no different. There are many reasons for the shortage of skilled construction workers, but for the most part, it’s Covid-19 that has led to so many having left the field. When construction projects were delayed or canceled in the spring of 2020, construction companies had to lay off thousands of workers, many of whom have not come back. 

It is currently very hard for a construction business to find talent and retain it. When there is a labor shortage, it also means that workers have more leverage and choices than ever before. Everyone, even outside of construction, is looking for great candidates. If you own a construction company, you need to do whatever you can to find talent and keep it under your roof. Here is how you can handle the labor shortage with a construction business. 

Make Your Business Attractive to Candidates

If you want your business to survive a labor shortage, then you need to find ways to attract more candidates. It might be tough, but the number one way is to offer more money than your competition. You might not think you have the budget for this, but at some point it might be a necessity. If the shortage continues further into the future, the cost of hiring will only go up as the pool of potential candidates goes down.

Along with upping the pay scale, you can also provide extra benefits. Medical and dental are a given, however, you can also give perks like gym memberships or meal cards. Anything extra that you can provide that’s above and beyond your competition will go a long way. Employees need to know that they will be compensated fairly and that their needs are met. You might feel the pain right off the bat, but when you find that you are better able to manage deadlines and staffing for multiple projects, you will be glad to have a good team on your side. 

Invest in Safety

Having a workplace that isn’t safe can lead to a lot of accidents, which can be very expensive for your business. Investing in safety measures like protective gear, and having regular safety meetings will greatly reduce the chance of any accidents occurring on job sites. You should also install fall arrest systems in areas where there are elevated heights to ensure that workers don’t get injured in a potential fall. Professional fall arrest systems found here can also help you stay compliant with safety regulations. A safe workplace will be attractive to workers, and it will give them the peace of mind to work without fear of injury.

In addition, you can also invest in safety training for your employees. Many construction companies offer on-site courses and seminars so that workers can learn the basics of safety while on the job; this will save you from having to pay an outside source for the training.

Change Your Culture

It is a well-known fact that workers don’t leave jobs, they leave bosses. Bad bosses can create a toxic atmosphere that makes it difficult to enjoy going to work every day. If you want to retain your staff, make sure that you do your best to be a good boss to work for. Listen to complaints and concerns, and be considerate of feelings and emotions when you need to provide coaching or corrections. Communication and respect will create a better vibe at your work. 

Along with good bosses, a big factor in having a positive company culture is how appreciated, and included employees feel. Make them a part of your company’s success. Get feedback and act on concerns they might have. Seek out opinions on the next project. You don’t have to do what your staff tells you to do, but you might find that they know a lot about the industry as well, and they can provide you with great ideas. 

Be Responsible

If you want to attract and retain employees, then you need to present yourself and your business as responsible towards them and society in general. Make sure that you have strong safety protocols so that your employees always feel encouraged to come forward with concerns, and spend their time on job sites looking out for themselves and their co-workers. If you haven’t already, get fast and simple contractor insurance online so that you and they are protected financially if something bad were to happen. 

There is also an aspect of responsibility that refers to the general public. Your contractor should be a good corporate citizen. Make donations to worthy causes and give your employees a chance to give as well. Perform your work while being careful about the environment and the safety of the community as a whole. If your company shows respect to everyone, you will find more workers gravitate towards you. 

Be More Efficient

If you are struggling to keep up with labor demands, then it is time that you work more efficiently with the ones that you have. On construction sites, there can be a lot of downtimes and waiting around for the next phase of a project to start. Using construction management software can help with this. It can integrate with drone technology to monitor job sites for unsafe conditions, meaning you won’t have to send a staff member in to do it. Your workflows and communication processes can be streamlined, and your employees will be accustomed to using technology to function on the job. Not only will this make your operation more efficient, but it will make you seem more organized and professional, which will help with retention and recruitment. 

Find New Sources of Talent

The construction industry hasn’t traditionally been very creative when it comes to finding new talent to work. For example, only 10% of the construction workforce is women. Many of those are in administrative roles. Why not recruit women to work at job sites and do the jobs that men have traditionally done? Put on a full-court press to attract as many interested women as possible. Even if you are concerned about strength, with today’s tools anyone can do the job, and quite frankly, women have been able to do the job since the first stone block was put in place thousands of years ago. Along with this, your company culture has to be respectful and tolerant so that women feel welcomed and included when they come to work every day. 

Construction is an industry that is constantly moving. There are always new projects, new techniques, and new investments that keep the industry going. However, a labor shortage is a huge problem, and can quite literally sink a business that is not prepared. If you run a construction company, then you cannot afford to get left behind because you don’t have the manpower to take on projects. Try out these ideas so that you can staff up and start building.