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10 Tips to Improve Employee Morale in Construction

RhumbixAugust 31, 2022 • 5 min read

Construction is hard work, and it can be challenging to keep a positive and motivated crew when the days are long, the weather doesn’t cooperate, and there are setbacks on the job site.

A happy worker is a much more productive worker than one that is unsatisfied with their employer.

Watch the video to check out these 10 tips for how to improve employee morale in construction. You can motivate your crew with this blueprint for success.

1. The Right Team Needs the Right Tools

Your foreman and team will take more pride in their work if they can complete it without hours of frustration. It’s essential to provide them with the right tools to do the job.

Don’t scrimp on their tools, equipment, or materials if you want a quality project that your crew can be proud of.

More extensive investment into the right tools can save you money, time, and frustration in the long run.

Investing in construction technology and software programs to improve your project management abilities can be great for business. It helps your company build a stronger, more reputable brand, not to mention how it improves employee morale.

2. Keep Them Safe and Content

You’re the example when it comes to company safety on the job site. If it’s a priority for you, it will be for your team as well.

If you’re lax on safety procedures, they’ll start to cut corners too. This isn’t good for anyone.

Let’s face it, no one wants to get hurt on the job, and if they see it happening to their coworkers, it’s concerning. Your team wants a safe work environment.

3. Express Your Appreciation

It’s often said, “A person who feels appreciated will always do more than expected.”

This is just as true on a construction project as anywhere else. Showing your team that you appreciate their hard work and acknowledging when they’ve gone above and beyond expectations can be one of the most excellent motivating tools you have.

You don’t have to stop production and have a parade, but finding a way to recognize their individual and team accomplishments can be a great way to improve employee morale.

4. Listen and Respond

Many managers, supervisors, and bosses say they have an open-door policy but never really allow their team to voice concerns, share ideas, or ask questions.

If you want to know how to improve employee morale, the most helpful tip may be listening and responding.

Making listening skills training a priority for all workers can improve their ability to understand the spoken word between 25-40%.

5. Continuing Education

Continuing education is an effective way to improve employee morale by giving them goals to accomplish and the chance to learn and grow in their job.

For each team member to reach their potential, they need to continue learning and expanding their skills.

Whether you offer them reimbursement on tuition for in-class courses or prefer a MOOC educational program like Coursera.org, it’s possible to give employees learning opportunities to gain knowledge and advance their careers.

6. Opportunity for Advancement

As employees gain new knowledge, it can boost their morale if you give them opportunities to practice their newly acquired skills.

When your team feels like they’re in a career rather than stuck in a dead-end job, they’re more invested in every project.

7. Employee Assistance Programs and Initiatives

Construction work can be long hours or even days or weeks at a time away from family, and this can be hard on all the other areas of an employee’s life and affect their job performance as they try to cope with the stress.

Offering a benefits package, employee assistance programs, and wellness initiatives can help them cope with any stress and allow them to concentrate and give their best to their job.

8. Productivity Technology

The more streamlined your production is, the easier it is for your team to do their job and keep their morale up.

Productivity software that allows you to digitalize and standardize your operations can speed up and optimize your projects while keeping everyone in the loop for all the pertinent information to complete the job successfully.

You can track materials, manpower and find solutions to project issues in real-time without the job site grinding to a halt.

The right technology to streamline operations can improve morale for 100% of the foremen due to better timekeeping and job task entries.

The right system can cut tasks like timekeeping from hours of frustration to 30 seconds to record each worker’s time.

Four out of five construction management teams report using technology to help projects run more smoothly. Apps like Rhumbix, JobFlex, and GasBuddy can turn production around to be faster, more efficient, safer, and more economical.

9. Communication

One of the best ways to improve employee morale is to have an effective communication platform to enable everyone to feel like a valuable part of the team.

Communication plays a vital role in the success of any construction project and is necessary for any project to run smoothly and be completed successfully.

Not only will good communication help improve employee morale, but it will keep everyone safer as well.

10. Employee Incentives and Bonus Program

Setting up an incentive and bonus program can be a great way how to improve employee morale.

Whether a program rewards individuals for being proactive about safety or acknowledges perfect attendance, a small bonus or incentive can make the leaders and most dedicated employees stand out while motivating others to follow their example.

An occasional afternoon off, a gift certificate for dinner, or a cash reward won’t affect your budget but can drastically improve your project success and promote your brand.

Small acts of kindness and appreciation aren’t just good business sense in an office environment. It’s a great way to boost employee morale at a construction work site as well.

Knowing How to Improve Employee Morale is Half the Battle

When you want a job done right, one of the most important things you can do is find ways to improve employee morale and make every member of your team feel like they’re a valuable an appreciated asset.

To build a stronger team and have a more productive team check out our productivity tools today.

 

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