Sacrificing Quality for Time: Is It Ever Appropriate?

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Construction Staffing

Construction is a constant balancing act. Deadlines are tight and often inflexible, but quality and safety are key. Sacrificing the quality of a job in favor of meeting a deadline is never recommended, but there’s no reason you can’t achieve the highest quality standards while still being on time. How can you ensure top quality construction and avoid construction delays and overages?

Set a Time Goal

Determine how long it should take for a task to be accomplished by a highly efficient worker and hold others to that standard. You may be surprised – it could be longer or shorter than you expect. Conduct inspections to ensure that no shortcuts are taken and build in a bit of a cushion for unanticipated delays.

Prepare for Work

At the end of the day or the start of the next, get everything in place that will be required for the day’s work. Construction materials should be stocked up and easy to get to. The proper tools should be available and in good repair. Reduce chances that a worker will have to stop and start during the day to track down materials or repair tools and he can get more done.

Work More Efficiently

Create a strategy that promotes a seamless workflow. Drywall shouldn’t stand idle waiting for electric to finish. Hire supervisors who can make changes on the fly to keep workers busy to prevent delays – and avoid paying tradesmen for standing around waiting to work.

Set Clear Expectations

Make sure that workers know what you want from them. People can’t meet your expectations if they don’t know what they are. Focus on what’s important. You wouldn’t carefully select the best-looking two by fours to frame out a wall. Don’t get hung up on details that have no true impact on quality, but can slow you down.

Hire better people.

Raise your standards. Top performers get substantially more done than their middle-of-the-road peers. Avoid the temptation to throw bodies at a job, no matter how tight the construction deadline. Thoroughly screen each candidate, looking for skill, work ethic and initiative.

No time to give hiring the attention it deserves? CCS Construction Staffing can help. Finding and screening people in construction and skilled trades is all we do. Contact us today. You’ll never need to sacrifice quality to get a job done on time.

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