Workforce flexibility is a superpower in the industrial sector. It equips businesses with a slew of advantages including lower labor costs, increased adaptability to market trends, and more competitive pitches. Of course, maintaining an agile team is easier said than done. Most industrial leaders find themselves with either insufficient or surplus staff, weighing on their profit margins and productivity. With a few tweaks here and there, you can boost your team’s flexibility for optimal payoff.
Provide incentives for flexibility.
One of the most straightforward and effective ways to build a more agile team is to offer incentives. Providing rewards for craftsmen who take up projects at the last minute, offer to work overtime or on the weekends, or further their training increases the flexibility of your company overall while keeping team members happy. You’ll make your craftsmen feel valued and improve your business’s adaptability at the same time.
Maintain strong relationships with craftsmen.
Craftsmen are the most important asset for industrial employers. They form the bedrock upon which your entire operation is built. That’s why maintaining strong relationships with these professionals is the first step in building an agile workforce. Even when you’re not directly hiring craftsmen, staying connected with them increases the likelihood they’ll be willing to collaborate. Regular communication, performance feedback, and development opportunities are fantastic ways to nurture positive and mutually beneficial relationships with craftsmen.
Cross-train long-term employees.
A team can only be as flexible as the individual craftsmen that comprise it. By training team members beyond the scope of their current roles, project managers build a versatile team. Craftsmen with dynamic skill sets and vast knowledge can fill new positions at a moment’s notice, empowering your business to adapt quickly to changing market conditions, project scope requirements, workforce availability, and other challenges. Think of cross-training as a long-term investment in your team that will pay dividends down the road as flexibility leads to higher productivity, increased efficiency, and greater competitive advantages.
Foster a learning culture.
Not all skill development happens in a top-down fashion. In fact, a good portion of learning on the job site happens organically. Craftsmen are always learning by trial and error, veteran craftsmen routinely show green recruits the ropes, and team collaboration often generates fresh ideas and strategies. Employers can encourage this natural skills progression and improvement by fostering a learning culture among their teams. Here are a few tips:
- Create mentorship programs between veterans and newcomers.
- Encourage two-way feedback between managers and craftsmen
- Acknowledge and reward learning achievements
- Facilitate team collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Invest in new technology.
Project managers hesitant to digitalize their job sites are inadvertently making their workforces more rigid, slower, and less productive. Implementing the right technological solutions can drastically improve your team’s flexibility by automating repetitive tasks, speeding up skill acquisition, and improving communication. Some of the most essential digital tools for optimizing workforce agility include construction management software (CMS), financial management systems, and augmented or virtual reality training tools.
Prioritize employee well-being.
In the quest for building a dynamic and flexible workforce, the importance of employee well-being can’t be overstated. A culture that prioritizes mental health, physical safety, job satisfaction, and a healthy work-life balance boosts loyalty, productivity, and engagement among employees. The greater the support and benefits provided to employees, the more willing they become to accommodate changes on short notice.
Work with a dynamic staffing expert.
The advantages of outsourcing your hiring extend far beyond cost savings and heightened efficiency. With an industrial staffing specialist in your corner, you can quickly downsize or scale up your team to match the demands of the next project. You’ll be tapping into a deep talent pool of eager candidates, increasing the likelihood of finding the perfect match. Better yet, these experts streamline the hiring and onboarding process so your new team members can get to work faster.
Looking for an experienced industrial staffer to optimize your team’s flexibility? You’re in the right place! At Madden Craftsmen, we specialize in equipping leading industrial companies with perfect-fit candidates quickly and efficiently. Take a few minutes to fill out a job order to get matched with a list of available and high-quality candidates.
