12 Ways To Improve Construction Employee Productivity
The Productivity Challenge
Research shows that construction industry productivity has remained flat for several years. This can have a massive negative impact on project management efforts and bottom-line profitability.
Many construction project managers say the productivity problem is now a cycle in which limited output has become the norm. Not long ago, workers took pride in being able to do the job faster and better than their managers thought was possible. To break this cycle, managers need effective tracking methods to identify which workers and tasks are causing the lag.
Employ Project Management Technology
There are many applications project managers can use to find effective solutions to flat-lining productivity. Project management technology tools keep the entire team focused by defining which worker must do which job. They help manage expectations, make everyone aware of key deadlines, and create open lines of communication related to the project.
Regularly Check In With The Workers
You may find regularly checking in feels like micro-managing. In reality, daily check-ins let employees know you care about the quality of their work and want to help enhance their productivity. Ask workers:
- What they have accomplished each day
- If they are on track to attain their goals in the allotted time frame
- What obstacles are preventing them from making faster progress
- What you can do to help them eliminate the obstacles
Focus On Results, Not Just Hours
When workers think project managers are only focused on the number of hours they work each day, they may find ways to waste time until it's time to clock out. If you make it clear you want specific tasks completed and workers can leave early if they successfully finish, productivity will skyrocket. Mobile biometric time tracking solutions can help eliminate "buddy punching," and GPS tracking verifies where and when work happens.
Set Clear Expectations
Set clear, specific, measurable, realistic, and attainable goals for each employee and team, and communicate them clearly. The clarity of purpose enables workers to be more productive. Their focus becomes completing their task and helping the organization attain its overall goals in the least time possible.
Track Performance in Real-Time
Monitoring how well and how quickly an individual performs their duties is much more important than the hours they put in. Fast, high-quality performance is productivity's very definition. Employing effective employee productivity tracking in real-time allows you to capture accomplishments and provide immediate support to workers falling behind.
Be Transparent With All Communications
Be upfront, honest, and clear when communicating with your employees. When everyone is clear about their roles, the organization's goals, and how the two work together, it is much easier to maximize output. Having a clear understanding of their role makes workers more focused, confident, and self-assured.
Reward Quality and Quantity
A truly productive employee not only does a high volume of work, they do it well. Employ a system that recognizes and rewards both the quality and the quantity of the work an employee produces. Providing feedback on ways to improve both metrics can take the productivity level on the job to new heights.
Use Positive Reinforcement
Project managers who take the time to praise and reward workers who do good work find that more of their staff improves. Employees love when their managers publicly acknowledge excellent work. Managers who treat their workers with respect and offer help rather than blame when errors occur usually cultivate happier, more productive teams.
Monitor Short-Term & Long-Term Goals
Tracking specific key performance indicators and sharing the information privately with workers periodically helps them appreciate their growth. Seeing the small accomplishments they had along the way keeps employees motivated and engaged in their personal and professional development.
Provide Personal Development Goals
Giving employees goals related to their professional development shows you care about them as people. That makes them more valuable to the company and increases their earning power. When workers see you want the best for them, it naturally enhances their desire to put more energy and skill into their assigned tasks.
Privately Point Out Room for Improvement
Meet with each worker privately to praise them for their skills and show them areas where they need to spend extra time. The golden rule of management applies here: Praise them in public and offer them help to improve in private. Workers appreciate this respect and respond with increased effort.
Provide Regular, Honest Feedback
Let workers know you are using a productivity tracking system to monitor their work, and use it to give them actionable feedback. Communicating openly about the goals of the tracking system will enhance their level of trust, boost their morale, and make the productivity of your team soar.