One of the industry’s essential concerns today is a labor shortage and site unproductivity when managing construction. Organizations today, more than ever, rely on the energy, passion, and involvement of their staff to survive and succeed in the twenty-first century. Projects are prone to delays without an engaged employee workforce, budgets quickly become overburdened, and productivity goes downhill. Whatever business you may be in, it is vital to make sure that your teammates are on the same page when completing your project.
A variety of issues might hinder employee engagement — organizational turmoil, management distrust, job market uncertainty, and a lack of cohesion among individuals and teams are among them. Most companies or managers think that giving more compensation and better benefits can boost a worker’s satisfaction and overall contentment, which might be true, at least for some. Oftentimes, it does not genuinely promote engagement and the extra effort that comes with it.
There are several ways a company or the top management can improve engagement, even though something simple such as paying more attention to their employees. The great information is that doing so does not involve spending large sums of money. Instead, project managers must act deliberately and thoughtfully. However, most engagement tactics have similar goals, such as making people feel appreciated and emotionally linked to their work. On that note, this article will discuss what employee engagement is and how it effectively boosts labor productivity and project success.
What is Employee Engagement?
Employee engagement is a workplace strategy that encourages employees to stay dedicated to their company’s goals and perform at their best. It is a general term that describes how involved individuals are in their jobs and how much effort they put into completing tasks. When it comes to project management for construction, it means that each crew understands that each small task assigned to them makes up a bigger picture. The team works for the same goal and is passionate about delivering their absolute best to deliver high-quality jobs on schedule. Employees who are engaged are more driven and productive than those who are not.
Engaged employees are the backbone of a construction business, especially in an industry with a significant skills gap between unskilled and skilled labor. The construction industry is also prone to a high employee turnover rate, which can be a hassle, especially when keeping the workflow smooth and seamless. Prioritizing employee engagement can give companies the skilled, passionate workforce they need to keep their processes efficient and effective.
What are the Three Types of Employees?
Most leaders and project managers agree that their team members are their most valuable assets in today’s world. However, this is only true when most of the workforce is fully committed to their jobs. In this section, we’ve outlined three different sorts of employees that can be found in any company:
1. Engaged Workforce
These workers are devoted to the company and often have a strong emotional attachment. They are in positions where they can utilize their ability and are passionate about delivering superior quality in everything they do. They are enthusiastic, put forth a lot of effort, and take on responsibilities that are sometimes out of their job description.
2. Disengaged Workforce
These people can be challenging to spot as they are often happy and satisfied in their current jobs. However, they only care about accomplishing the bare minimum and are unconcerned about the organization’s mission, vision, values, or objectives. They try performing their tasks for the day and keep to themselves. With the right attitude, they may be turned into engaged employees who can thrive.
3. Actively Disengaged Workforce
These people are almost always negative, create a toxic environment, take up all their manager’s time, and are usually outspoken about their dissatisfaction. Worse, they are frequently subject matter experts well-known for their distinct skillset. Employees like this can swiftly spread toxicity throughout a company and add to the daily stress and struggle of the work environment.
Why is Employee Engagement Crucial in the Construction Industry?
Understanding the dynamics of a company and its surroundings is critical for high productivity in any industry. The progress, milestones, and target often depend on your crew’s productivity to successfully manage construction projects. Employee engagement is essential since companies rely on professional individuals such as architects, engineers, and specialist machine operators daily. Low levels of involvement in the construction industry can result in delays and errors that are potentially costly. On the other hand, hiring and training recruits can cause interruptions in other critical activities. Current employees dissatisfied with their jobs have decreased productivity and absenteeism and may affect those satisfied workforces.
Employee turnover is another significant issue that comes with dissatisfied employees. Projects can lose money if they don’t have the right people on board since operations are constantly hampered. Low employee engagement might have less evident implications, such as an immoral work atmosphere or a lack of collaboration and support. Still, turnover remains the most significant source of employee dissatisfaction. This is true in terms of money, as replacing personnel is costly and because workers leave behind crucial information about the company’s operations, making it more exposed to competitors.
How Can Increased Employee Engagement Boost Productivity?
Most firms place a greater emphasis on scheduling management — meeting deadlines and completing tasks than on the amount of employee involvement. They often overlook how crucial it is for employees to feel enthusiastic about their work. This section has listed how employee engagement can significantly boost your onsite productivity.
High Job Satisfaction
One of the numerous strategies to improve employee satisfaction is to increase employee engagement. Employees engaged are more satisfied with their jobs than those who are not, leading to more positive workplace culture and organizational success. Satisfied employees are more likely to continuously put in extra effort to improve their performance.
Improved Collaboration
Employee engagement fills the gap between how the company treats its employees and how employees treat other stakeholders. For the project’s and company’s success, active personnel strives for open communication and close collaboration.
Proactive Work Attitude
Employees become disengaged and lose interest due to repetitive and laborious duties. The way your employees approach their job goals changes when you focus on employee engagement and assign a task to help them grow and further hone their skill set. Employees are more likely to take a creative and proactive approach to achieve their objectives.
Better Employee Retention
It is a well-known reality that the more an organization focuses on its employees’ satisfaction and well-being, the more loyal its people are. Gone are the days when employees would try to stick it out in the company despite its dissatisfaction. The most outstanding performers frequently have ten-year or longer tenures, are thoroughly interested in their work and have job objectives well aligned with their natural abilities. When your firm prioritizes employee engagement and pleasure, it not only attracts top talent but also makes it easier to keep your current staff.
How To Improve Employee Engagement in Construction?
1. Supply the Right Tools at Your Employee’s Disposal
One of the most important factors of employee engagement is equipping employees with all of the right tools they need to flourish in their jobs, but it is also one of the most overlooked. A straightforward and efficient process, construction scheduling software, or safety gear and accessories are some tools that a construction crew may need to finish their tasks. Guaranteeing that all workers have the proper tools allows them to be more productive and proactive.
2. Give Each Individual Attention
Determining which method will work best for a specific employee is another challenge when it comes to increasing employee engagement. No two team members are the same, so one successful approach does not guarantee work for others. Give each individual preferential attention to determine their strengths and weaknesses and figure out how to work them to their advantage. This can help a company hire well-suited employees for specific tasks, improving engagement. Additionally, you can better understand what best works for your team in communication and collaboration.
3. Scheduling Training and Development
Promoting a work culture that encourages continuous learning and improvement accomplishes more than helping employees acquire the skill set needed to complete their jobs. It also indicates that the company recognizes and believes in its employees’ abilities. Fortunately, a significant training expenditure isn’t required to construct a worthwhile development program. Another critical component of involvement is coaching. Managers and leaders play a substantial factor in the training and development of an employee by instilling a proactive work culture. In the present times, today’s workforce is represented by frequent job-hopping, so some firm leaders believe that providing considerable training opportunities no longer makes sense. But investing in employees can increase employee loyalty and engagement while attracting fresh talent.
4. Actively Listen to Employees
Listening intently to what their people have to say and then acting on it is one of the hallmarks of a good leader. A comprehensive approach to listening not only assists a company in identifying and promptly resolving problems, but it also makes individuals feel valued and that their ideas and opinions matter. It also provides managers with helpful information and insight about what is going on inside the team.
5. Get Social and Foster Connections
Workers who are emotionally immersed in their occupations are said to be engaged. Fostering closer connections with coworkers is a simple technique to help people care more about their workplace. Healthy personal relationships are critical in a business where teams are becoming increasingly vital. Taking this strategy can help individuals feel valued and appreciated for what they provide to the organization, as long as they are approached appropriately.
