The holidays are fast approaching, which means keeping your construction crews happy, safe, and productive as the days get shorter and celebrations with family and friends are on their minds. It can be hard to strike a balance between maintaining project momentum and giving your crews a much-needed break, so we’ve provided the following tips to help you manage the holidays and start the new year on a high note:
- Underpromise & Overdeliver.
Clients can be stressed during the holidays, and may set high expectations that can’t be met when crews are taking extended time off to spend with their families. Plan ahead for the additional time needed, and be honest with clients about reduced productivity from November to January, while assuring them the project will continue to move. By working this extra time into your schedule, you’ll be able to focus on quality work instead of unsafely rushing, and you’ll still meet deadlines. Plus, if you finish early, you’re sure to be your client’s favorite holiday gift giver!
- Limit the Overtime.
Clients might push extra hard during the holidays, but don’t let that turn into running your crews into the ground. Extra long hours, all nighters, and extreme stress on the jobsite can lead to mistakes, injuries, and/or burnout, especially when workers are expected home for holiday celebrations. If you do need your crew to work extra during this season, consider offering holiday bonuses and/or flexible hours to boost morale and keep workers productive. In today’s labor shortage, you can’t afford not to.
- Communicate your holiday schedule.
Communication is always key, but it’s especially important when communicating expectations around holiday work. Plan what days you’re giving your crew off. Is it just Thanksgiving or also the Friday after? Is Christmas Eve a half day, a full day, or completely off? If you want to give your crews a break, but also want to keep that productivity on high, some companies find it helpful to hire a dedicated holiday team, often filled with out-of-state workers who are already planning on spending the holidays away from home. While these workers often expect higher pay to make up for spending the season away from their families, they are also expecting to work the hours that your current crews want off, and can be key to finishing projects by their expected deadline. See what Steadfast has available by contacting us here.
- Don’t schedule new or complicated projects.
With national staffing and supply shortages everywhere, you should expect holiday projects to take even longer than usual. To avoid disappointing clients, focus on completing current projects first. If you’re able to take on something new, limit it to projects your crew is already familiar with. Managing projects on the frontside can keep both clients and operators happy during the holiday season.
Managing projects during the holidays requires some extra thought, but with these tips and proper planning, it’s sure to be your best season yet. And don’t forget that Steadfast Entities is here to help. Whether it’s finding staff for the holidays, equipment rentals to finish that project on time, or getting the key products to keep your site running at maximum efficiency, we’re here to help.
Contact us today to see how we can help keep your holidays (and your worksite) bright!