Construction Informer

Assuming you have a motivated employee who wants to move to a new level within the company, and you have a qualified coach, there are a few steps to take that will help to make the adventure successful.

1. Outline the desired outcomes: If your company has job descriptions this will be a fairly easy task. You will compare the job description of the employee’s current position to the new one and list the new, or upgraded, behaviors. If you don’t have job descriptions then one approach would be to have a broad statement like; Employee will be able to manage the day to day operations of a construction site so the project comes in on budget, (or say within a percentage), and on time while following company established rules and job requirements. In this case the person’s degree of success will probably be gauged against others who perform these same jobs.
2. Assign a project as the training ground: Ideally the person will start their training on a new project so they don’t inherit issues left behind by someone else.
3. Schedule the coach time: Initially the coach should be working at least half days with the trainee, and more if possible. The coach will perform all the normal tasks associated with the project as the trainee shadows him while also accomplishing some of the tasks him or herself. This is the “watch and learn” approach and for most people it works well as long as there is enough time allotted for the two to work together and the coach has a highly successful style and understanding of the work.
4. Gradually release tasks to the trainee: As the coach witnesses the trainee catching on, more and more of the tasks are released for the trainee to do on his or her own. As this begins to happen the coach’s time with the trainee begins to diminish, slowly at first.
5. Evaluate and adjust: In this stage the coach will carefully review the trainee’s performance, suggest changes, reinforce positives and offer suggestions for improvements. It’s also perfectly okay during this time to entertain ideas the trainee has come up with for ways to be more efficient, or streamline work, or to even accomplish things in his or her own style. A good coach will be able to assess these initiatives and help the trainee to understand why some may work and others may not, without putting the damper on the trainee’s budding attempts to innovate.
6. Acknowledge the end of training: Here is where it might be a good idea to have a ceremony or social event where the person is recognized for their achievement while at the same time is shown a clear ending point of being in training status. From here on out, normal employee controls are picked up and followed.

This is a simplified look at this process that makes a lot of assumptions. The main point is that coaching doesn’t have to be a highly difficult and time consuming event, and if entered into with people who have the best interests of each other and company at heart it can go a long way toward helping to fill the ranks from within.

Every time a new generation begins to wedge itself into the status quo of the older generation the pundits issue reports, surveys and op-ed pieces (and I guess blogs now) about how the new generation is so different than the one it is succeeding. But first the new generation has to be given a name.

And so we have Generation Y. Depending upon what you choose to read this generation, (born between 1977 and 2002), is:

• going to break absolutely everything that has been built up by the entrenched and venerable earlier generations; or
• finally define a healthy mix of personal and business life; or
• deteriorate into homelessness and despair as they simultaneously carry the weight of the previously negligent generations while stubbornly holding onto their total un-acceptance of how the world really works.

If you want to know more about this generation in a short article you can read it all here.

I have talked to construction project mangers who have some of this generation on staff. I’ve supervised a few myself. Are they really that different? Here are some of the things being reported that they want.

• Flexible work schedules
• Recognition for jobs well done
• Creative challenges
• Fair and direct managers
• Ongoing learning

Hmmmm, sounds like most people would want those things. The ones who say those are the things they want are the ones to hire since they are the confident producers who will deliver if they are given the encouragement and tools. Other things being reported that Generation Y wants include:

• Promotion within a year
• More vacation and personal time
• More pay

The ones who claim this list are the ones you should ask to check back with you in a few years. By then, if they have been earning their way in the world and have amassed enough experience and skills so their contribution to your business will be significant, they should be ready for those perks.

They said the Boomers were going to change everything. Well they didn’t. They said Gen X was going to break everything. Well they didn’t, or at least not yet. Mainstream Gen Y probably wants what everyone else does, except just a little more. The one I’m getting concerned about though is Generation Z.

The people who have their ears to the ground when it comes to construction employment are those who spend their days matching candidates to employers. Recently John Kreiss, president and CEO of MorganSullivan, Inc. offered some exclusive perspectives on the U.S. construction job market to Construction Informer readers .

What is the overall trend in construction job openings?

The overall trend in job openings is flat to slightly increasing. The residential fallout in the U.S. has had an effect on overall construction because it’s harder to get financing in this market. Still, some areas are pretty busy.

What construction jobs appear to be in greatest demand?

Healthcare, life sciences, and hospitality construction managers, estimators, and project executives are all hard to find.

What construction jobs seem to be in low demand?

Residential construction has fallen off the planet. We get a lot of impressive resumes, but they’re hard to place. Wood frame construction is not the same as steel and commercial building construction companies are often reluctant to hire people requiring learning curves.

Are you finding enough qualified candidates to fill jobs?

No we aren’t. Good people in this industry are very hard to find. Management talent is the hardest to find and we’re always looking for project executives, construction project managers, and estimators.

What is one thing people can do to make themselves more attractive to construction employers?

Communication skills are essential. We can find technical people, but management talent with exceptional communication skills is a different story. I would strongly recommend taking courses in interpersonal relations, communications, and emotional intelligence.

What is one thing employers can do to make themselves more attractive to potential employees?

Treat your existing employees like they are your customers. Recruiting is marketing and how you treat your employees goes a long way. Word will get out on the street regarding how you communicate and treat your staff. It’s a lot easier to attract people when you have a good reputation.

What is the number one complaint you hear from job seekers about the construction job market?

Employers who don’t get back to job seekers after the interview risk hurting their reputation. It does not create a good impression.

What is the number one complaint you hear from employers about filling their job requirements?

Finding and hiring qualified people fast enough is a major challenge and frustration. There are a lot of opportunities in construction, but not enough people to do the work.

MorganSullivan is a strategic ally to its clients by way of its dedication solely to the real estate and construction industries. Its expertise is in identifying and recruiting top-notch technical and business development personnel to fill critical positions for its clients. If you’d like to hear more on these topics, please contact John Kreiss at 508-571-9893.

In a previous post here I highlighted a SuccessFactors’ report on what they called “The Looming Talent Management Crisis in Corporate America,” and outlined some things for managers to focus on in order to maximize the talent they have.

One of those ideas was about keeping employees by providing ways for them to move up in your company. But what if they don’t want to?

I remember on more than one occasion asking an employee if they wanted to begin moving up only to be surprised to hear they were perfectly happy where they were. Usually if I pressed them they would say they didn’t want the headaches or they just liked what they were doing. No problems with that.

But a couple of times I thought I saw doubt in their eyes about what they were telling me. Sometimes getting to real feelings in the construction industry is challenging. I suspect there are those who want to move up, but things seem too difficult or maybe even scary to them so they just say no. So here they are…my top reasons why people who would like to move up in construction don’t accept the offer.

• Fear of failure;
• Fear of making decisions; and
• Fear of responsibility.

The telling thing about all of these is of course they are all about fear. And it’s tough to get construction people to even acknowledge the existence of fear, let alone talk about it. But ultimately that’s what needs to be done in order to help people get beyond it.

There are many approaches to helping people face fear. For example if the person is afraid of failure then giving them incrementally riskier assignments can help them build up confidence. It’s important though to also talk with them about it and to help them understand they are actually doing things they were afraid to do before. At the same time you have to give people the right to fail and again you have to talk about it and keep it framed as a learning experience. Greater minds than mine have consistently pointed out the value of failure.

If you’ve got a reluctant rising star it might only take a little nudge to get their light to shine.

Here’s the kind of thing that makes the construction industry look petty and unprofessional. Drywall installers in Jacksonville, FL haven’t been paid for three weeks because of a conflict between a contractor and a subcontractor. At least that’s the way it looks. The news report doesn’t specify whether either entity is the prime contractor or not, so it may be that it’s a conflict between a sub and a sub-sub. Regardless, people not getting paid while those who are supposed to be managing the project bicker with each other is one of those things that makes construction look like a second rate occupation. No wonder it’s difficult to attract people.

What does this say about the management? If one contractor says they were paid and the other says they weren’t doesn’t that send up a red flag to the owners? You have to wonder what other kinds of “money problems” are going on at the site. Tensions like these between major players doesn’t speak well for the project as a whole. The workers should be paid and at the same time a project-wide review should be taking place to find out what’s going wrong on this site.