We have been doing a lot of Xcelerating for the construction industry this year. General Contractors (GC), trade partners, commercial, residential, roofing, and remodeling teams have all leveraged our Xtra Mile Performance team to create new potential.
The ‘Get Work’ process in the GC world is tough. Long-term relationships create opportunities for deals. Then an intense and competitive series of proposals and presentations frequently ends in a loss from a frustratingly random award process. A real emotional roller coaster for any team.
The ‘Build Work’ is supposed to be the rewarding phase for the true ‘builders’. A fractured workforce, COVID disrupted supply chain, and heavy demand in our markets have created operational chaos in 2021. Teams are overwhelmed.
What can owners and leaders do to overcome these challenges?
First, it is an employee’s market (and not just in the construction industry). If your company doesn’t appeal to the human side of why people work through clear PURPOSE, strong VALUES, and inspiring LEADERSHIP, you will lose the battle for top talent. At the simplest level, the basics of ‘Get Work, Build Work’ doesn’t inspire a team to engage at the highest level.
Second, invest in your current and emerging leaders. Your frontline employees, the foundation of your operation, experience your business through their leader. Have managers been trained to inspire and care for the humans on their team, or just to manage a process? As much as pay, benefits, and working conditions go into a decision to join your company, the decision to stay has everything to do with the day-to-day experience the leaders on your team are creating for the workforce.
Take a real account of what losing your best employees would cost, then invest in keeping them accordingly.
You are probably closer than you imagine…let us know how we can help.