The pandemic has forced the world’s industries to reorganize their workplaces and find new ways to utilize valuable employees. In the construction business, project managers who spent most of their days traveling to different sites to interact with crews are now positioned in their home offices trying to perform the same tasks remotely. Although it may take time for your employees to adapt to remote communication, you can successfully manage your company and keep your workers safe by using the following methods.
Organize Your Home Office
For your at-home business to run smoothly, you need an environment that is clutter-free and organized. If you’re unable to use an office for your home base, you can find another area of the house that has minimal distractions. Your couch or kitchen table should be reserved for your off time when you can relax. Setting aside a workspace that will keep your mind on your job is essential for every remote worker. Reminders of family concerns or obligations can distract you if you work in a familiar area like the living room or kitchen. Some managers have utilized space in attics, garages or empty rooms that served as a child’s bedroom until they left for college. Find an area that you can call your own, and your online work will remain productive.
Utilize Cloud Technology
When you manage several crews in different locations, it can be challenging to communicate with them when you can’t make personal visits. Frequent correspondence with your crews and crew leaders is crucial in the construction industry, and by using cloud-based software, you can communicate with your teams and offer solutions to the multiple problems that occur on a job site. In order to keep track of employee time cards, track work progress, and calculate payroll, you need a construction app that uses GPS tracking and does not require a Wi-Fi signal. Your employees can clock in with their smartphones and send messages when jobs are complete. All the data that you need to manage your business can be instantly retrieved and updated for all your team leaders to view when you use a cloud-based system.
Use Video Chats
You can conduct some of your business by phone, but a significant amount of your day is spent communicating with your supervisors and employees. Video chats that allow several members to hold conferences and meetings are indispensable when you can’t visit the job site. Sometimes, a manager may need to show you something troubling at the work area, or they may have a question about the work plans or blueprints. Video streaming allows you to tackle these problems easier, and it keeps you from making an emergency trip to the site. Check in with your team frequently and offer to resolve employee disputes by video chats. Some workers may seem apprehensive about remote management, but they’ll soon learn that it’s the best alternative to personal visits during the current crisis.
Launch Drones Over Sites
Before the pandemic, drone surveying was becoming more accepted among meteorologists, ecologists, farmers and construction managers. A bird’s eye view of a site is a helpful resource to have when you can’t physically examine your crew’s progress. With their rise in popularity, drones have become less expensive. You can spend under a thousand dollars on a high-quality drone that provides high definition videos and other perks like automatically returning to a home base. If you feel like drone flying may distract you in your home office, you can assign the duty to another on-site manager. Your manager can pilot the drone and instantly stream the video to your home office.
Reward Your Workers
Your work crews are part of one of the most hazardous professions in the world, and now, they have other fears to struggle with. Remember to reward exceptional workers and let them know how much they matter in your organization. Money is tight for everyone, but an end of the month bonus or additional vacation time can keep your valuable people around longer. You may be running your business remotely for some time. However, with the support of other managers in your field and useful digital tools, you can weather the storm.
