Synergy is important to the success of any organization, but this cooperation and connectivity are uniquely critical in the construction industry. The heightened sensitivity of the work, the heavy-duty equipment used, and the potential safety risks, all demand a well-organized and well-connected team. Here, we’ll take a look at some actionable tips for building camaraderie in the construction industry.
Hire the right people.
In other industries, you might be able to get by having a few low-performance team members on board – but not in the construction field. From the most senior shot-caller to the newest intern, each craftsman must have the right qualifications, skills, and characteristics to ensure the entire team is cohesive.
Unfortunately, one of the biggest struggles facing job site managers and business owners is hiring the right talent. Working with a highly experienced staffing agency like Madden Craftsmen, it’s easier to find the quality team members you need to more easily create and maintain a sense of camaraderie and collaboration.
Create a standardized onboarding process.
Once you’ve found the right talent, you still need to successfully onboard them to become an effective and contributing team member. This process is imperative in establishing and maintaining a cohesive organization, structure, and culture among your entire staff. With a purposeful and consistent process, you can increase employee retention, performance, and engagement. Here are the four components of an effective onboarding process:
- Compliance – Familiarize recruits with the rules and regulations of the job
- Clarification – Educate new hires on the roles and duties of each team member
- Culture – Initiate them on the values, personality, and overall culture of your team
- Connection – Establish new relationships with your existing staff and managers
Establish clear roles and responsibilities.
It might sound counterintuitive, but having clearly defined roles is one of the most important ingredients in a well-connected and tight-knit team. When employees are aware of their responsibilities and those of others, everything can operate much smoother and more easily.
There aren’t constant hiccups, misunderstandings, and altercations resulting from a lack of clarification of duties. Clear roles make it possible for everyone to remain on the same page. Operations are optimized, stress is reduced, and projects are completed quicker. All of this contributes to a more organized, more successful, and well-connected team.
Organize team-building activities.
Everyone’s familiar with team-building activities. Unfortunately, both employers and employees often view these events as hokey, forced, and even a little awkward. When executed correctly, though, team-building activities are an excellent way to create a sense of connectivity and camaraderie amongst your staff. The whole point is to get your team more comfortable and familiar with each other.
Despite what you might’ve heard in that HR meeting, team-building activities don’t have to be super formal. Any setting where your craftsmen will have a chance to let loose and bond will work perfectly. Whether that’s hitting up the best Seattle fishing spots or grilling out over the weekend, it’s a valuable investment in your team.
Communicate with your team regularly.
Trust is an important part of camaraderie that many people don’t think about. Although it’s ideal to have team members that genuinely like each other, that’s not always going to be the case. At the end of the day, dependability is going to have a bigger impact on the cohesiveness of your team. Can each employee trust that the rest of the team has their best interests in mind? A great way to maintain an accurate and up-to-date gauge of this general trust is to communicate regularly with your team.
You can speak with the team together and individually when necessary. Make sure your craftsmen know you’re free to talk whenever they need to discuss something too. Having this open communication makes everyone feel heard and ensures any issues that might disrupt your team’s organization and connection are addressed.
Struggling to find the right talent for your projects? Madden Craftsmen can help! With decades of experience connecting local construction businesses with qualified and skilled craftsmen, we have the resources to help make your team complete. Feel free to reach out to learn more about our services. Let’s build something together.
