The construction industry has undergone significant changes over time. Prior to the 2008 downturn, the industry provided an environment where teams could successfully complete projects and take pride in their accomplishments. However, the economic recession forced companies to become more resourceful, cost-conscious and streamlined in their operations to minimize exposure and weather the low demand.
While some have retained this more efficient mindset even as the market has recovered, the current industry climate has become unnecessarily cutthroat. The need to constantly adapt and optimize processes has led to an environment that lacks the collaborative and celebratory atmosphere of the past. Striking a balance between important business practices and creating a sense of team achievement remains an ongoing challenge for the construction sector.
The construction industry has faced a significant labor shortage in recent years. In 2020, the sector lost millions of skilled craft professionals – some to retirement, others who changed careers and many who pursued new opportunities. While it’s encouraging to see workers branching out, this mass departure has left the industry with a critical void in qualified talent.
Today, construction business owners universally agree that finding skilled workers is a major challenge. They need people who are passionate about their craft, committed to quality and willing to put in a full day’s effort. Unfortunately, this level of ambition and drive is not always the norm on job sites. Ambition is a natural quality, not something that can be taught. It’s the internal fire that propels workers to further their skills, better themselves and strive toward their individual goals.
The construction industry has experienced a significant slowdown, which can be attributed to various factors. Many workers feel overworked, underappreciated or lack the ambition of previous generations, which is a problem that plagues not just construction, but numerous other industries as well. This has had a direct impact, driving up overhead and the final cost of projects. Because of this, quality has suffered, often necessitating the deployment of additional personnel or multiple site visits to meet the standard expectations for all projects.
In many workplaces, the bare minimum of performance, such as working a standard 40-hour week, arriving on time and working the full shift, is now seen as going “above and beyond." This is because the expected standard of work has fallen significantly in some areas. Employees missing workdays, arriving late, leaving early or taking excessive breaks have become all too common. This lack of pride and accountability not only reflects a decline in work ethic, but it also drives up overall costs for the organization. What was once a full, eight-hour workday has been reduced to just six-and-a-half hours of actual productive time.
Fortunately, not all employees fall short. A dedicated core still strives for excellence, focusing on quality and taking pride in its craft. These are the employees who go above and beyond, showcasing their skills even when unobserved, driven by their own desire to do good work. The industry desperately needs more of these skilled and passionate workers. Without them, rising project costs will continue to plague the field, as increased manpower is required to accomplish tasks that once required far fewer hands.
As a business owner, you must be open to identifying ways to operate effectively with a reduced staff. While addressing this challenge may not be easy, it is necessary to run your business efficiently and maintain the quality and service your company is known for. Key strategies include seeking out additional resources and support, leveraging technology to minimize labor requirements and building a strong management team, all of which can help combat the severe labor shortages many businesses are facing. Ultimately, business owners need to explore various advancements to stay competitive and sustain production levels despite a reduced workforce.
At our company, we strive to stay ahead of industry advancements in both technology and products. The construction field has historically lagged behind in technology adoption, but over the past decade, we have seen a significant increase in the volume of available technologies to support our trades. This has been a game-changer, helping to fill the gaps where companies are understaffed and in dire need of additional resources to maintain their previous levels of production.
However, simply having the technology at your fingertips is not enough. Companies must also be adaptive and insightful enough to effectively implement these new tools with a workforce that is often resistant to change and prefers the “old-fashioned way" of doing things. This presents its own set of challenges but can be overcome through comprehensive training, ongoing support and a willingness from employees to embrace new ways of working.
In our 51 years of business, one story that stands out is the friendly competition among our drywall hangers, metal stud framers and acoustical ceiling installers. They would challenge each other to see who could install the most drywall, frame the most partitions or put up the most ceiling grids in a single day. This healthy rivalry not only ensured that the projects were completed efficiently, but it also motivated the employees to perform at their best. They were compensated for their exceptional work, which they knew would be recognized and rewarded by the company. This collaborative spirit is a key reason for our longstanding success. To this day, we still have employees who have been with us since the 1980s, as they feel a deep sense of belonging and loyalty to our company.