How to keep your people engaged

Improving staff engagement is crucial for enhancing productivity, safety and project success, so here are some key strategies to create a more switched-on workforce

The state of employee engagement in the UK remains low, with only around a third of workers reported as being highly engaged and productivity lagging at nearly 20% behind other G7 countries.

Increased economic uncertainty means improving engagement and associated productivity gains is vital to support the wellbeing of our people, industry and economy.

However, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), productivity in the construction sector has changed little in the last 50 years, despite the advances in working practices and technology. A recent ONS report on productivity in UK construction highlighted that:

Direct costs of avoidable errors are estimated to be around 5% of project value, equating to approximately £5 billion per year
When including unmeasured and indirect costs, estimates of the total cost of poor quality and errors rises to 10-25% of project costs, potentially exceeding £20 billion annually
While output per hour worked across the whole UK economy rose by 28.8% between 1997 and 2020, it fell by 7.3% in construction over the same period.

Such poor productivity has significant economic cost at both the micro andmacro level and is particularly frustrating when we all know that employee engagement in construction goes beyond the typical 9-to-5 work schedule.

Engaged workers are emotionally invested in the success of their projects, the wellbeing of their team members and the overall safety of the site.

This emotional involvement leads to a more productive and cohesive work environment, contributing significantly to project success.

“By focusing on strong leadership, effective communication, safety awareness and employee development, you CAN create a more engaged, productive and satisfied workforce”

So what are some of the key factors that can influence employee engagement? Well, for starters:

Leadership styles: Strong leadership is fundamental to improving engagement. The best managers aren’t just supervisors, they inspire and lead by example, take an active interest in employee development and make them feel valued.
Effective communication: This is equally crucial, so it’s essential to go beyond regular team meetings and toolbox talks and ensure that important messages consistently reach all employees to make them feel they belong.
Safety and risk perception: Engaged construction employees demonstrate heightened alertness and keen risk perception on job sites, which acts as a shield against potential hazards. By fostering a culture of engagement and vigilance, companies can significantly enhance safety.
Proactive participation: When employees are engaged, they take ownership of their responsibilities in maintaining a secure environment. This proactive involvement includes reporting near-misses and suggesting safety improvements – a critical factor in accident prevention.

As well as understanding the factors that can influence engagement, it’s equally important to implement successful strategies to overcome challenges such as:

Resistance to change – resistance is common, but can be helped by comprehensive training programmes and transparent communication about the benefits of a safety-focused, engaged culture.
An undynamic environment – our industry is constantly evolving, so it’s vital to seek feedback from frontline workers to adapt safety strategies and policies to ever-changing needs.
Resource allocation – strategic investment in engagement and safety programmes can improve productivity and morale and reduce employee turnover, which is a massive issue for us all.
No measurement of success – to gauge the effectiveness of engagement initiatives, implement regular surveys or feedback mechanisms. Monitor key performance indicators such as employee turnover rates, safety incident reports and productivity metrics. Additionally, track the participation rates in training programmes and company events as indicators of engagement levels.

As you can see, improving staff engagement in our industry is a multi-faceted endeavour that requires commitment from all levels of an organisation.

As the sector continues to face challenges such as skills shortages and technological advancements, fostering a culture of engagement will be crucial if you want to thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape.

By focusing on strong leadership, effective communication, safetyawareness and the development of employees, you CAN create a more engaged, productive and satisfied workforce.

The benefits of such a team extend beyond individual job satisfaction and can contribute to safer work environments, higher quality outputs and more successful project delivery.

So start engaging with staff happiness and begin building a foundation for long-term success – one engaged employee at a time.

STEPS TO IMPROVE ENGAGEMENT

Leadership commitment – support and engage with workplace initiatives like training and mentoring schemes and make yourself visible to the workforce.
Regular feedback meetings – implement catch-ups between managers and team members on a monthly or quarterly basis to keep employees engaged.
Effective communication channels – utilise things like mobile news feeds, SMS alerts and push notifications to give employees equal access to corporate messages.
Clear objectives and key results – implement clear, cascading goals from the company level down to individual objectives.
Work-life balance – encourage and organise activities for employees outside work, e.g. social events, golf, bowling, cycling days.
Recognition and rewards – celebrate and reward great pieces of work to show appreciation for employees’ efforts.
Training and development opportunities – provide ample opportunities and clear paths for skill development and career progression.
Empower employees – encourage distributed leadership models, especially in SMEs, and learn to delegate core business planning responsibilities.

Paul McDevitt is Managing Director of McDevitt & Co, an experienced business consultancy that helps to inspire people, improve productivity and increase profits in the construction industry. Find out more and contact him at www.mcdevitt.co