Economic Boom Produces Construction Labor Shortage
As jobs abound, access to skilled trade workers diminishes. US unemployment is coming in at a ten-year low. Economic optimism is high. 2017 opportunities in construction are on the increase. Recovery from challenging times feels all the more possible. But now…
According to 2016 BLS reports, older workers deliver nearly 19% of the current skilled construction workforce. For many these experienced trade workers retirement lingers in the near future. Thus comes an alarming shortage in skilled construction labor. Finding replacement trade workers grows more and more difficult. Yet the future of your contractor company may hang in the balance. Are you ready for change?
6 Tips For Contractors Struggling To Overcome the Construction Labor Shortage
Any shortage in skilled trade workers tends always to hurt first the smaller businesses. Even as efforts to find new talent expand, contractors find themselves in a struggle to retain current quality employees. As the growing construction labor shortage suddenly hinders the capacity to take on new projects, opportunities for investment and growth fall to the wayside. A powerful business truth gushes to the surface: Without ready access to a trained and skilled construction workforce, business begins to die.
Us the following tips as a springboard for overcoming the shortage in skilled trade workers.
1) Define Operational Assets
Failure to make clear and distinctive operational use of workforce and assets sometimes causes contractors to slip into a mode of working “in construction” rather than working in “functional management of a construction company.” Poor planning and inadequate asset allocation tends to reduce company capacity to retain skilled workers. Make better use of your current team focusing decisions on people as well as investments:
- Take advantage of current construction operational software
- Focus on skilled management as well as skilled trade workers
- Mobilize communications and asset allocation
- Establish an atmosphere of company pride which in turn drives quality performance
- AND Invest in employee health and safety.
2) Identify Core Processes
Eliminate excessive and irrelevant vertical processes. This means identify your company’s core focus, stick to it, and outsource subsections as necessary. Taking control of internal skill requirements helps narrow the field of necessary on-hand expertise, skill and training.
3) Activate In-House Training Resources
Contrary to some popular thoughts in this matter, in-house construction labor training can address critical construction labor shortage problems without leaping into massive expenses.
Secondly, do not forget the need to keep current employees up-to-par on new and necessary skills. Sometimes new training inspires veteran workers to remain on the job beyond an expected retirement date.
4) Way-In With Built-in Work-Based Employee Incentives
Without a doubt, work-based incentives move the heart and mind of employees toward longevity within a given company.
5) Take Hold Of Social Media
Unlike older job seekers, the modern workforce operates from a digital search base, relying more on social media than any other method of job search methodology. To ignore cloud-based digital technology, social media communications or on-line job advertisements is to risk missing out on nearly all opportunity to fill skilled labor positions with young and upcoming construction-focused trade labor.
6) Invest In Construction-Focused Operations Software
To best manage a construction workforce, you need the power and efficiency of a cloud-based real-time workforce and asset allocation and planning software tool. Construction contractors use Assignar to:
- -Dispatch workers at the right time and to the right site
- -Allocate operational assets
- -Manage core and vertical operational processes
- -Organize, document and track in-house employee training
- -Handle all aspects of operational accounting, including invoicing, payroll and employ incentives.
- -AND As a real-time mobile link to internal and external functions and activities, including various phrases of social media management.
