It's almost Memorial Day, so that means:
- The applications are sorted through
- The positions are filled
- The workers are on the job sites
- You're kicking up your boots to relax for the rest of the busy season
Right?
Yeah, we didn't think so. If there's one thing we know about our HR customers in the construction world, it's that busy season isn't just for the job site - the HR office is still rolling along and keeping pace with the employees out in the field. As you settle into the new normal of busy season, take a look at these five to-do's for your busy season.
Make Sure Training & Certifications Are Up to Date
From internal trainings conducted through your onboarding plan to required pieces like OSHA certifications, it’s likely you’ll need quick access to these records. Your managers and foremans need to know who’s qualified for what, and being able to give them that information quickly will benefit the whole organization. We recommend using a learning management system that:
- Is easy to use for employees at any tech level
- Is mobile-friendly so employees can complete training any time, anywhere
- Makes record-keeping easy by storing everything on the cloud, where it’s available all the time from any piece of tech
- Integrates with your ERP system
Know Your Plan for "Reasonable Suspicion" Incidents
Your employee handbook should have a policy in place for drug policies, including procedures for how to handle a reasonable suspicion complaint. Common reasonable suspicion incidents start with a fellow employee reporting a suspicion that someone is working under the influence. It’s up to you to move the process forward in an appropriate way:
- Document everything
- Investigate directly but discreetly
- If the suspected employee could be a safety hazard to themselves and/or others, pause their workday immediately
- If suspicion is warranted based on your observations, arrange for testing and make sure the employee can be transported safely (sometimes that means arranging a cab)
The most critical part of dealing with reasonable suspicion incidents is to have a solid plan in place. If you don't have a legal counsel on hand, consider utilizing a partner like myHRcounsel, which provides legal services only when you need them, to create a qualified response plan. In the construction industry, be sure to include a post-accident plan as well.
Read: How to Handle Marijuana in the Workplace
Keep in Touch with Your Pipeline
Remember feeling pretty busy during March and April? If you were on the hunt for new employees, you were likely at a lot of job and career fairs. Some of those contacts are probably working for you now, but if some were still in school or looking for internships, you need to nurture them as part of your future pipeline.
- Reach out to potential hires and remind them of who you are, what you do and what makes your business great
- Invite them out to a job site to see what a job with you will look like
- If you have a robust Applicant Tracking System (ATS), flag them as someone to contact every few months
- Consider starting or participating in a National Signing Day program next year; SkillsUSA held its first one on May 8, and it had unprecedented success. It not only generated a lot of press (634 media stories) - it also shined positive light on the skilled trade industry and its career opportunities.
Show Employee Appreciation
Happy employees feel appreciated and know how their role plays into the sucess of something bigger than themselves. During busy season, it's easy for workers to get bogged down with overwhelming to-do lists, timelines and client pressure, so as a business leader who's focused on the person behind the role - make it a point to show some employee appreciation. Here are some ideas:
- Cater in lunch or breakfast
- Create on ongoing MVP of the month program
- Arrange for an after-hours get together following the completion of a big project
- Take a look at these 37 ways to show employee appreciation
Check In With Employees
Finally, take time to chat with your employees. Famed motivator and entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk dropped this wisdom, and we are 100% behind it:
“You build culture by actually talking to people one by one and understanding what they care about. And what you will learn is that some people want money, some people want time with their family, some people want title, and some people want creativity. It’s your job to know every single one of those things about every single person every single day.”
Whether you’re checking in with a struggling employee, touching base with a new hire or having a discussion as part of your ongoing performance evaluation strategy, actually getting out to talk to your teams is important. It can impact not just the employee, but also the overall culture of your business.
The busy season can bring on lots of challenges on the ground and in the office. Make sure your HR processes are operating at full capacity with a free HR assessment by our experts. Whether your role in HR is in your official title or just one of the many hats you wear, opening up efficiency can make a major impact on your business.
You Might Also Like:
- OSHA Training Courses Available Through BirdDogHR
- Free Download: The Ultimate Employee Onboarding Checklist
- The Ultimate Employee Handbook Guide
