Construction sites can sometimes be pretty demoralizing places to be, which is more than understandable. A lot of your tradesmen will be qualified in one area of the game and one area only, which can sometimes get on top of them and that feeling of “what’s the point” can creep into their mindset and thus their work. That is essentially what this all comes down to; good work.
As such, you need to make sure you keep the morale high. If you don’t, trust us, your construction business will feel the strain. That is why we have spoken to a range of people that operate in the construction industry and compiled a list of their top tips for keeping them happy and productive.
Ask For Feedback And Listen
This piece of advice can be used to good effect in every type of business simply because employees are best placed to give useful advice. These are the guys and girls that work on the frontlines, they’ll know where you can improve, where you can streamline, where you are overbuying and where unnecessary shortcuts are being made. But the real benefit in this process comes from the value you put on your employees. By asking, and listening, you will make them feel important and needed, and that can go a long way in boosting their productivity.
Supply Them With The Best Equipment
A lot of the time, tradesmen feel undervalued because of the equipment on site, and because of the processes, they have to follow. That means any upgrades you do make will have a knock-on effect. Don’t worry, these don’t have to be expensive upgrades. It could be something as simple as finding the right boots for the job and offering them as a perk, or sign writing your contractor vans, or investing in new basic equipment, from wheelbarrows to mixers. The more you invest the more they will feel like you value the work they are doing, and the more their morale will grow. It is a snowball effect that has huge value.
Being Transparent With Your Appreciation
Construction can often feel like you are hitting your head against the wall, as well as your hammer. That is why it is important to be as vocal as you can with your praise and to give your appreciation extra oomph by promoting people that perform, whether consistently or with great work. We are all different, but to praise people on their strengths, and to promote them through the ranks with increasing pay and responsibility will see your entire workforce work towards these clear goals. That is a fantastic way to ensure everyone puts in the maximum effort without having to do much yourself.
Enforce Lunch Breaks
More people are not taking lunch breaks across all sectors, and this is increasingly true within the construction game. In fact, it is down to just 1 in 5 people, and that is an average that is stretching across both white-collar and blue-collar workers. This may sound like a good thing to you and something that you don’t want to tamper with, but research has proved that productivity in the afternoon tends to fall away, as it does towards the tail end of the week too.
