Tuesday 25 May 2021

Everything You Need To Know About Staffing In Construction Management

Having the right staff (Section Managers, Supervisors, Engineers, Contract Administrators, and so on) on your construction project can be critical to its success.

The dangers of understaffing your project. I've been guilty of understaffing my construction projects on occasion. The risk is as follows:

  1. If a member of staff becomes ill or resigns, there is no one else who can fill the void.
  2. Tasks are rushed due to a lack of time on the part of the staff, resulting in mistakes and items being overlooked.
  3. Employees are under pressure and work long hours, which may cause them to resign.

Having too many employees leads to:

  1. Increased costs that were not budgeted for
  2. Employees become dissatisfied due to boredom and a sense of being underutilized.

Of course, having construction workers who lack the necessary skills or experience can be a major issue.


Factors influencing the number and type of workers needed for a construction project

The number of workers needed on a construction project, as well as their positions, are determined by a variety of factors, including:


  1. The number of construction work areas – each work area may necessitate its Supervisor

  2. Construction worker numbers – There is frequently an optimum number of workers that a supervisor can oversee.

  3. Workers' available skills – if the workers are inexperienced or poorly skilled, they usually require more supervision to ensure they perform their tasks correctly and safely.

  4. Construction project complexity – more complex projects may necessitate more Engineers and Supervisors, whereas a project that is simple or has a lot of repartition may be easier to manage.

  5. The relative locations of the construction work areas and their distance apart – traveling between different work areas can waste Supervisors' time or leave workers standing around waiting for instructions when the Supervisor is on another part of the project.

  6. Client requirements – some clients specify the supervisor-to-worker ratio, while others may specify that they require dedicated individuals to specific tasks, even if the contractor does not normally have a dedicated person.

  7. Contract reporting requirements – some clients and project managers may require elaborate and detailed regular reports, which can take time to prepare.

  8. Available staff skills and experience – more experienced staff may be able to supervise a larger work area with more workers.

  9. Schedule (program/program) – high-intensity fast-track construction projects may necessitate more supervision.

  10. Client and design team quality – Construction projects where the client needs assistance, or where information is late or of poor quality, often necessitate more input from the contractor, and projects with multiple claims and variations may necessitate additional contracts. administration personnel


The number of employees is also determined by the various skills and disciplines required. In the civil industry, for example, supervisors may only be skilled in earthworks, whereas others are skilled in concrete works, electrically oriented, or better suited to building trades. There is often a reduction in the number of staff required if you can hire a Supervisor who is skilled in a variety of disciplines.


Prepare a project organizational chart to aid in calculating staff requirements. This diagram depicts the various levels and types of management, the reporting structures, and the various roles and responsibilities. Furthermore, the chart could indicate whether the staff is required full-time or shared between projects, as well as whether they are Head Office or site-based positions.

Keep in mind that if the project requires night or weekend work, additional personnel will be needed to supervise and manage these shifts.


The construction industry has a public perception problem. The popular image of construction is of laborers in filthy overalls digging holes with spades. Any successful recruitment campaign must consider two factors: what you need in terms of candidates and what you can do to make construction look good.


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