HR policies are the backbone of every business. They lay the foundation for best employment practices, inclusive workplace cultures and strong employee work ethic. This is especially important on a construction site, as crews tend to be extremely diverse in age, ethnicity and gender.
Whether your project consists of one building or one hundred, developing and implementing HR policies will streamline both personnel and project management. Job site managers and contractors don’t have to start from scratch, but they do need to be able to lay the groundwork necessary to develop and implement new HR policies that are effective and long lasting.
4 Tips for Implementing a New HR Policy
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Establish a framework
Take an honest look at your company’s size and needs. Use this analysis to draft a framework of the specific HR policies you need to build a more profitable and productive workforce. For example, your job site managers want to implement a new, more thorough performance assessment process. To build a framework, you need to decide the basic elements that must be evaluated, how those elements apply to employees at all levels and what the follow-up objectives should be. This is especially important if you use employee reviews to determine bonuses, raises and other incentives.
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Create clear objectives
What is the goal of this new policy? What need does it address? You must have an end game before you craft a new procedure. As you develop your new HR policy, you will need to understand how the outcomes of this policy will impact your permanent skilled tradesmen, as well as your temporary day laborers. For instance, let’s say you’re working on a new policy for attendance and scheduling. Keep in mind that certain tasks must occur before others – you can’t paint before the drywall is finished.
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Develop steps for deployment
Sometimes an HR policy can be fully enacted right away. Other times, it might be best to deploy the new policy in stages. This can be especially helpful in minimizing any negative impact on current employees. On the other hand, this could be confusing for new employees just coming on board. String managers will take the time to develop a deployment plan so that there are no unexpected roadblocks that pop up along the way.
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Keep communication open
Be sure to keep your workers informed about the policy change every step of the way. This is perhaps the most important element in successful implementation. You have to have all of your employees on board, from the permanent full-time skilled laborers, to the contract specialized workers who come toward the end of a job. Sending out regular bulletins, asking for periodic feedback and insight and setting up info sessions along the way can ensure that your employees adjust properly to upcoming changes.
If you’re looking for an HR overhaul in your construction company, contact CCS Construction Staffing. Rated highly throughout the Southeast, we have extensive experience helping construction firms develop staffing policies that promote long-term success for individual workers and the company as a whole.