Construction industry fight to Covid-19
Kellen Blassingame

Kellen Blassingame

How to Fight with Labor-Shortage in Construction Business during COVID-19 Crisis

During this challenging time, the construction industry has played a critical role in managing the crisis by building hospitals and relief, testing, and quarantine centers. While the industry has contributed significantly to the virus’s response measures, it has also significantly suffered because of it.

Labor-Shortage in the Construction Industry

The construction industry was already suffering from a labor shortage prior to the advent of COVID-19. When the pandemic began to spread rapidly across countries, it impacted the labor supply, which inadvertently led to a further shortage in the available workforce. Many construction sites have shut down, and construction projects have been delayed due to a lack of labor, supply, and budgets.

Companies have started working remotely using field project management software to manage the labor shortage in light of the pandemic. However, a lot needs to be done to keep up with the rising demand in construction projects and address this problem.

What Can be Done?

As construction businesses continue to suffer from a labor shortage, the best way to increase labor supply is to widen the recruitment radius and focus on training. Many companies have started doing this by using construction management software for small businesses to virtually train new employees. Plus, construction businesses have started looking towards attracting all kinds of workers who may not have otherwise thought of working in this industry. This includes students and women.  

Leveraging technology is another way to fight the labor shortage. Many brands are shifting to construction management software, AU programs or robotics to reduce time spent on a jobsite and save money on labor. Reliance on automation can reduce the need for labor on site.

Technology can be used to automate mundane and simple tasks that do not need human intervention. With the progression of technology, it is now possible to use software or machines to perform menial tasks with accuracy and speed.

Furthermore, at this time of dire need, it is imperative to focus on retaining employees by offering them attractive incentives and benefits. You can motivate employees through various approaches. The key is to make workers feel important and appreciated. The cost of such incentives can be minimized through smart plans and small-scale employee engagement activities built to incentivize them into performing better at their projects and take more interest. 

Moreover, construction businesses can invest in training programs and learning opportunities as they provide room for professional growth, and they are beneficial for both the company and the worker. Such programs boost loyalty and help retain skilled and productive employees.

Lastly, another way to overcome the problem of shortage is to extract optimum value from the existing workforce. This can be done by applying tracking techniques that would monitor the workers and remove any obstacles or inefficiencies that are hindering their output.

How We Can Help 

Considering the shortage of labor and the uncertainty present in the current environment, the construction businesses must focus on restructuring processes and operations and leveraging technology.Trimble is proud to provide its cutting edge field project management software that will help you keep in touch with all your workers offline and ensure your project is running smoothly and efficiently, without any hindrances. Feel free to get in touch with us here if you want to know more about our construction management software.

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