Not sure about you, but I can hardly believe we are already into June. Looking back to plan forward to what is on the horizon for the rest of 2024, there are more unknowns than givens for me, yet I have a peace greater than ever before.
Most everyone in the country and around the world is facing political unrest, and those of us in America are facing an election that will define the future of our country and the justice system it was built on. The atrocity of justice in New York should make all of us stand up for right and wrong, whether Trump fans or not. If they can do it to him, they can do it to you. The American Dream is based on “Liberty and Justice for All.”
Planning for the Future Pipeline in the Construction Industry
The development and construction industry, although a solid year for most in Florida and other parts of the country based on contracted work, still faces uncertainty filling the future pipeline. Project delays, including insurance, financing, and added costs calculated in gaining governmental approvals, are some of the circumstances I hear almost daily now.
Workforce encounters are my specialty when it comes to construction management roles. Looking back at my own business hiring challenges, they went from “I’ve got this” to “practice what you preach” and compassion for the tough decisions on settling for the disillusioned or holding out for the right match.
In my opinion, we do not have a shortage of people available for jobs. We have a failure to align and realign expectations and know options when it comes to hiring and your career.
Employees often get hired at the wrong opportunity and then go extreme and resign when it is more difficult than expected. Too many employees handicap their own career trajectory by expecting their supervisors to fulfill personal compulsions that are the employee’s responsibility to manage and lead communications to align for stability and respect.
For employers, the cost of turnover, both emotionally and financially, can be immense. Although there will always be transitions, they can be less common and less painful when taking basic steps to eliminate risk in the hiring process.
Strategies to Manage Workforce Challenges in Construction Management
Balancing Career Targets and Expectations
The construction management business is filled with great candidates and people you may see yourself working with. The question to ask is, Do you see this person being the right match for your business at this time?
You might hire somebody who has experience in a certain area of the business, such as high-rise, with the intent to expand into that market segment, yet two years into the relationship, you find out it doesn’t make sense liability-wise to do so, and the rest of your business is profitable and doing well. That individual has also excelled in your business after much mentoring and training. You knew they were taking the position based on the mutual plan to work in high-rise sooner rather than later. They end up leaving despite how much you pay them as their heart is in high-rise, and they know it most likely will not happen. This is no different than if you tell your spouse when you marry them that you want to work toward moving from inland to oceanfront, and then you let them know you will most likely never do so as it doesn’t make sense to you and you are content despite their desire. It might not play out as intended if they cannot fill the void of their desire.
Evaluating Job Titles and Responsibilities in Construction Management
Titles are just that—titles. If someone must have a certain title or new titles on a regular basis over time, then understand the “why” to eliminate risk in keeping that individual. Clear explanations of the responsibilities behind each title connected to your company organizational chart eliminate ambiguity and enable you to align their current title and responsibilities with yours prior to hire.
Questions to ask during the interview process are:
- Do you understand the responsibilities associated with the title of the position we are offering you?
- Are you in agreement with the title we would offer you if you accepted the position with our company?
- Is the job title important to you and why?
In marriage, the wife may or may not take on the surname of her husband. If both husband and wife agree with the decision and understand the reasoning behind the decision, it will most likely never pose a problem. If the husband is not in agreement, I assure you that, at some point, it will surface for at minimum a conversation. Titles matter when it comes to the feelings and expectations behind them.
Discuss the Vision for the New Hire
Oftentimes on interview, hiring managers discuss mission, vision, and corporate expectations, yet they do not discuss what expectations they have for the new hire themselves. It is oftentimes because the hiring manager has not given a plan for doing so and wants it to play out with time, saying they do not have set expectations, just learn and do the job. The risk associated is a disconnect because there is no measurement tool for what doing the job should look like and when milestones should be achieved.
A new employee could be considered as a new addition to the family. Just like some newborn babies hit certain milestones sooner than others, the doctor still has a measurement tool to get help when the milestones are not measuring up. In the workplace, setting a vision in writing as to what is expected at 30, 60, 90 days of employment, and even into six months and a year, will make a difference. Further expectations that should be discussed prior to the start date are when the next opportunity for a compensation increase will be, how and when to communicate when the new employee needs help, and if there are others in the same or similar roles they will be measured against. Asking if anything will be coming up in their personal life that might require management’s support can also help prevent miscommunication.
The next six months will also go by quickly. Your place of business is going to be like every other place of business: evolving. Communication and query are key to success. What do you need to know to feel in control of your career or hiring success?
To Asking the Question,
Suzanne Breistol
