Scaling a construction workforce for large-scale projects is a complex challenge. To meet deadlines, maintain quality, and ensure safety, you need the right people, with the right experience, at the right time. And you need a sufficient quantity of talent to meet the demands of your construction schedule—without breaking your budget. The larger your enterprise becomes, and the more projects you are managing, the more complex your staffing needs will be.
Let’s explore a few practical strategies for scaling your construction teams effectively, ensuring you meet the complicated demands of a high-rise, a residential development, an industrial facility, or any other large-scale construction project.
Assessing Workforce Scaling Needs in Construction
During the project pre-construction phase, you will want to complete a strategic workforce plan, which is a fancy way of saying that you need to figure out who you need (what skills), when you need them, and how many people you need for each type of skill.
Just like you might employ the Critical Path Method to plan the phases and assess the risks of your project, you employ strategic workforce planning at each phase to assess:
- Scope: What is the size and timeline for the project phase?
- Skills needed: What are the specific types of expertise needed to successfully complete the phase?
- Timing: Which skills will be needed, and in what quantities, throughout the phase of the project?
- Risks: Which skills are in shortest supply? How might your workforce (and project) be impacted by attrition, leaves of absence, talent shortages, wage and compensation pressures, and the conflicting demands of other projects?
- Urgency: Can the deadlines be altered to accommodate efficiency? Tighter, inflexible deadlines will require more advanced planning, proactive recruiting, and a more efficient onboarding process.
The challenge is striking the right balance between skills, capacity, costs, and efficiency. Once you clearly understand your current workforce’s capacity, capabilities, and limitations, you will be prepared to develop a strategic workforce plan to efficiently scale your workforce for any project.
Key Elements of Strategic Workforce Planning in Construction
It may sound cliché, but failing to have a workforce plan is a plan to fail at your project. Forecasting labor needs, identifying gaps, and implementing strategies to fill those gaps effectively are vital to your success.
Here are the key steps to strategic workforce planning:
- Forecast skill demand. Estimate labor requirements as they relate to the proposed milestones of each project phase. Be sure to look at all job roles, including project management, construction architecture and engineering, procurement, finance, quality, safety, estimators, schedulers, construction supervisors, skilled tradesmen, and general labor.
- Evaluate workforce supply. This generally involves having HR leaders evaluate your organization’s current workforce resources and assessing whether or not they are sufficient for your forecasted needs.
- Gap analysis. Once you have evaluated your talent needs versus talent capacity, you can identify probable skill gaps.
- Staffing options. As gaps are identified, develop a list of potential solutions, including hiring, upskilling current staff, subcontracting, and employing contingent workers.
- Create a scalable structure. Anticipate potential talent gaps and pre-define allowable staffing solutions to adjust capability and capacity depending on emerging challenges and opportunities.
Recruit Skilled Construction Workers
A strategic workforce plan helps you determine your hiring needs, but in construction, hiring the right team members for any large-scale project is a major task. With frequent labor shortages in the construction industry, attracting and retaining skilled workers is vital to your success.
Here are several effective recruiting strategies:
- Partner with trade schools. Recruit skilled workers through vocational schools and apprenticeship programs.
- Use construction-specific job boards. Platforms like ConstructionJobs and iHireConstruction help you reach a targeted audience.
- Leverage referrals. Encourage your current workforce to recommend skilled workers and offer incentives.
- Improve your job advertising. Write job posts that emphasize the value of the job to the worker, use clear job titles, and offer multiple ways to apply.
- Leverage your ATS. Use applicant tracking system features to re-engage former employees.
- Use temporary staffing agencies. Agencies specializing in construction staffing can fill roles quickly for short-term needs.
Train and Upskill Your Workforce
Recruiting new teammates is only one way to meet your talent requirements. Training and upskilling your current workforce is an effective way to fill skill gaps and improve team efficiency.
Here are a few ways to upskill your workforce:
- On-the-job training: Use job mentoring, shadowing, buddy systems, and hands-on opportunities.
- Apprentice programs: Junior-level employees can learn from senior team members.
- Certifications and licensing: Encourage OSHA safety training or equipment-operation licenses.
- Cross-training: Enable employees to seamlessly move between different roles to improve flexibility and coverage.
Leverage Technology
Technology plays a crucial role in managing and scaling a construction workforce. From workforce management software and project management platforms to building information modeling, drones, 3D printing, and AI-powered analysis tools, technology can help maximize productivity and minimize labor costs.
Subcontracting and Temporary Labor
Subcontractors and temporary labor solutions can provide flexibility to scale up quickly without long-term commitments. Audit subcontractors and staffing agencies to ensure quality, safety, and compliance.
Improve Employee Retention
Retaining great employees reduces turnover costs and keeps projects on track. Focus on:
- Competitive compensation
- Strong benefits and incentives
- Professional development
- A positive company culture
- Supporting work-life balance
Build a Scalable Construction Company Culture
Your company’s values and work environment attract and retain talent. Promote teamwork, emphasize safety, and foster transparency to align employees with your mission.
Great Advice in Construction Workforce Scaling Is Only the Start
Scaling a construction workforce requires planning, strategic recruitment, workforce development, and experienced guidance. At Six Nineteen Recruiting, we can help you build a flexible, efficient team ready to tackle large-scale construction challenges. Contact us today to get started.
