Construction Company Management

Top Management Articles

The New Era of Immigration Enforcement

Will you be ready if the government puts your employee work authorization records under the microscope? In 2009, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that it was targeting its workplace enforcement efforts on construction companies and other businesses that rely heavily on foreign workers. ICE also shifted its focus from prevention to sanctions by abandoning the threat of mass deportation in favor of penalizing companies that employ undocumented workers. To complicate the problem, immigration battles raging in Arizona and other states, along with high unemployment rates, have led various groups to begin “outing” companies they believe are employing illegal foreign workers instead of unemployed Americans.

Screening Out the Walking Lawsuit

One of my law partners is fond of explaining that lawsuits do not simply "happen," but rather, they walk in on two legs and apply for work. The founding partner of our law Firm, Ike Fisher, took this analysis one step further and concluded that employers could nearly eliminate their employment lawsuits, frivolous workers' compensation claims, government investigations and union drives if they would avoid hiring three types of employees: the "marginal employee," the "perpetual complainer" and the "unofficial supervisor." Clearly, employers should zealously seek to screen out such individuals using the most sophisticated and legally defensible tools. Of course, therein lies the rub-"lawfully" using tools in an era when many employers feel that they will run afoul of the law if they ask a candidate for much more than their name and current address.

Motivating Strategies to Gain Better Performing Construction Employees

Use four simple steps to get the most out of your employees; learn about them and use that knowledge to motivate them to do their best work. I used to get tired of trying to get my employees to do what I wanted them to do. They always had what appeared to be legitimate excuses why they didn’t get the job done on time, why they didn’t follow directions or why it wasn’t their fault when something went wrong out on the jobsite. I used to think I couldn’t find any good help anymore or that maybe people don’t care about doing a good job anymore. It seemed nobody would take charge, be responsible or accountable. I thought I was the only one who could do the job right. Perhaps, you feel the same some days.

Develop and Maintain an Effective Workforce

In order for the construction industry to adapt to an ever-changing business environment and meet current market demands, the industry must evolve on a number of levels. One long-standing industry objective has been to build and maintain a highly skilled, efficient workforce. Such a workforce pays for itself by ensuring that work is done right, on time and on budget. Additionally, developing and maintaining skilled workers can reduce insurance premiums and litigation.

How to Develop a World Championship Construction Team

Evaluating Estimators—What you can learn from the movie “Moneyball”

Better Next Year No. 5: Improve Communication between Office and Field

Can You Hear Me Now? Like the cell phone user in the well-known (and over-played) TV commercial, wouldn’t it be nice if your contracting firm could stay so well-connected? Okay, maybe the hovering helicopters are a bit extreme. But surely everyone in construction understands the value that comes from two-way communication between the back office and the field. Or do we?

Trade Workers: Show Me the Money, But Don't Stop There!

There’s good news for employers who find themselves torn between the affordable worker and the practiced employee. As it turns out, many construction-industry job seekers are coming to understand the effects of rising healthcare costs. The result: They are placing more emphasis on qualitative benefits, such as enjoyment of their work, than on the more traditional, financial benefits.

Motivate Employees to Behave Like Construction Company Owners, Part 1

Creating a culture of employees who think and act like owners can lead to amazing results, both financially and culturally. I am on a mission to eradicate entitlement. People with this mentality believe they deserve things because of who they are rather than what they do. It is my opinion that this mentality has been cultivated over several decades by lowering standards in schools (it is more important to feel smart than be smart) and eliminating the competitive element in games and sports (it is more important to feel like a winner than be one). The result is a workforce of some individuals who feel entitled to a work environment and compensation that is not equivalent to the work they perform. So, how do you, as a business owner, deal with this?

Meeting the Challenge of Entry Level Recruitment

Anyone in the construction industry that is directly involved with recruitment or hiring knows just how difficult it can be to get the right amount of help, or even to find the right candidates from the pool of potentials.

How Successful Contractors Motivate Employees

In soft construction markets, it may be difficult to conduct business as usual. The stresses of not knowing when work will resume, uncertainty about finances and headcount, plus the everyday challenges of operations can have a depressing effect on morale if some key metrics are not in place. Key employees may wonder if it's time to look elsewhere. At a time when fringe benefits may be scaled back, contractors need to consider prudent ways to retain and motivate their employees.