Let's say that you have two people working for you, one is your apprentice, and the other is your office administrator; developing employee skills for them and yourself creates a situation where your construction company benefits from a more knowledgeable and capable staff while your whole team gains additional skills or qualifications. This can allow employees to further their careers and possibly increase their earning potential in the long term. 

Training and skills development can assist underperforming employees and be used to encourage talented employees, allowing them to grow within the business. This helps both individual employees and your business achieve their full potential.

Some business owners worry that training and development can cause an employee to seek additional responsibility elsewhere. But it's also worth bearing in mind that driven and successful employees will lose interest in their job and leave if it doesn't allow them to develop their skills.

To develop skills as a construction professional, starting with a solid foundation of knowledge and experience in the industry is essential. Here are some steps you can take:

Consider setting aside money for staff training and development in your annual budget as you'd budget for other necessary business expenses. You could claim the training costs as a business expense or negotiate more expensive training as part of a salary package with employees.

2. Draw up a training policy

A training policy doesn't need to be too in-depth, but it should set out any special requirements so your employees know what training you'll consider and what requirements they'll have to meet to benefit from company-sponsored training.

You could require that:

• • Training needs to be job-related for the company to pay for it.
  • Employees pay 50% of the course fee if training is helpful to the company but not necessary for their job.
  • Employees reimburse costs (if completely necessary) if they don't complete or pass the course.

3. Discuss career goals and opportunities.

Discuss short- and long-term career goals during performance reviews or employee conversations. You can decide how to match their goals with any short and long-term opportunities available in your business.

Training in areas that do not further your employee's short- or long-term career goals will not be embraced as enthusiastically, so it makes sense to plan future development to balance business needs and employee goals.

4. Identify employee strengths and weaknesses

One of the best ways to get agreement on the appropriate training is to collaboratively identify the strengths and weaknesses of each employee for any current and future roles they might play.

Start by identifying the skills they'd need for the job. Then ask them to identify the skills they have and list their strengths. Then ask your employee to identify the weaknesses in their skill set. Phrase this carefully and be clear that you're not looking to criticize but to find areas where additional training would help them perform current or future roles better.

5. Agree on training objectives

Use the information you've obtained from exploring career goals and opportunities and examining strengths and weaknesses to identify suitable training options for each employee and collaboratively agree on training objectives.

Write down the objectives, then plan how these will be achieved and the timeframes you expect them to be achieved.

6. Stay current

Ideally, as a construction business owner, you must stay current with industry trends and advancements by attending conferences, workshops, and other professional development opportunities.

Remember, developing your skills as a construction contractor is an ongoing process that requires dedication, hard work, and a commitment to continual learning and improvement. You can build a successful career in this exciting and challenging field with patience and persistence.

7. Monitor progress and request feedback

Monitor progress by reviewing the agreed objectives at least once a year to evaluate progress. This allows you to revise the training objectives and plans where necessary.

Consider scheduling regular meetings to ask staff for feedback. These can be as informal or formal as you like, ranging from a quick conversation to asking staff to complete a questionnaire or conducting a formal presentation on what they have learned.

You'll want the following:

• A quick summary of what was learned (the take-home benefits).
• Feedback on whether the training met the employee's expectations.
• Feedback on whether the training met your business's objectives.

Give your employee adequate notice that you'll be asking for feedback. This helps you to evaluate courses or training service providers to use or avoid in the future.

Cultivating construction company productivity through staff training and development is crucial to ensuring success and growth in the industry. By investing in employee training, companies can improve their workforce's skills, knowledge, and efficiency, leading to higher quality work, faster project completion times, and increased profitability. 

Training can take many forms, from on-the-job mentoring to classroom instruction, but the key is to provide employees with the tools and resources they need to excel in their roles. This can include technical training in specific construction techniques, safety and compliance training, or leadership and management training to help employees develop critical soft skills. Moreover, training programs should be tailored to the company's and its employees' unique needs. By identifying areas where employees need improvement, companies can design training programs that address those needs, resulting in a more effective and efficient workforce. 

Final thoughts

Investing in staff training is an intelligent strategy for construction companies looking to improve productivity and profitability. Companies can build a skilled, motivated, and productive workforce that can confidently take on even the most complex construction projects by providing employees with the resources they need to succeed.

You can't outwork your competition forever, but you can outlearn them. We offer free construction bookkeeping and accounting consultation; fill out the form on the right, and I'll get back to you shortly. We understand your frustrations, so if you or your in-house bookkeeper is lost and tired of your paperwork system, we also offer Construction Accounting and Bookkeeping Classes.

About The Author:
Sharie DeHart, QPA, co-founded Business Consulting And Accounting in Lynnwood, Washington. She is the leading expert in managing outsourced construction bookkeeping and accounting services companies and cash management accounting for small construction companies across the USA. She encourages Contractors and Construction Company Owners to stay current on their tax obligations and offers insights on managing the remaining cash flow to operate and grow their construction company sales and profits so they can put more money in the bank. Call 1-800-361-1770 or sharie@fasteasyaccounting.com


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