Many areas of the construction industry have changed in recent years – with the COVID-19 pandemic, new products, new equipment, and the drive to become carbon neutral to name a few. However, the fundamental way in which we employ staff to get work done as an industry has not changed at the same pace.
With the looming skills shortage already starting to affect the construction industry and with people starting to re-evaluate their work/life balance, we are starting to see highly qualified construction staff take more control of their lives and careers by setting up their own consultancy businesses or working on a flexible freelance basis.
Until the recent pandemic it was presumed that working flexibly was unsuitable for construction projects, but we now know this is incorrect. We have seen evidence that construction projects can be operated very differently, without compromising output, and perhaps even more efficiently than before with better planning, different approaches, and innovative thinking. To tackle the employment challenges facing the construction industry we need a change in attitudes, so that flexible working is embraced rather than a taboo.
Flexible Workforce Explained
A flexible workforce is much more than just increasing remote working or changes to working hours. Having ‘on-demand’ access to short-term and highly qualified professionals gives companies the ability to fill project specific roles taking full advantage of their specialist knowledge and expertise without hiring full-time employees to deliver short term or temporary tasks.
The benefits of hiring flexible talent
- Time Efficiency
Access to flexible national talent can speed up any project – giving companies the ability to find and hire skilled professionals when and where they need them.
- Cost Efficiency
Committing to full time employees can be an expensive way to scale up your construction business. Instead, construction businesses can work more cost effectively by hiring short-term professionals.
- Fill the Skills Gap
Boost your team with exceptional talent. Hiring specific freelancers to help with projects can bridge the existing skills gaps that your business needs. If your project requires a specific skill set, you can identify a professional that has extensive experience in that area.
- Increased Productivity
You are limited by what your full-time employees can deliver over a given period – limiting your ability to flex during workload peaks and troughs or to accelerate work to recover schedule. Access to high quality ‘on-demand’ freelancers can often provide a boost to your team when needed without the commitment of full time resource.
- Retains skills within the Industry
A flexible workforce can utilise skills from similar industries or retain existing skills for longer by utilising semi-retired staff with decades of knowledge and experience whilst providing them with the opportunity to earn income and top up pension funds.
One thing is for certain, the future is moving towards greater flexibility: flexible workspaces, flexible hours, flexible people. This way of working won’t be for everyone, but for those people who are willing to embrace the change, the potential rewards could be huge!
Where can Construction companies find flexible talent?
Shareplant Freelance – the UK’s only dedicated Construction freelance site, makes finding, selecting, and hiring freelancers easy. Companies can post tasks and receive proposals from verified professionals matching their desired skill set.
For more information on the Shareplant Freelance platform please visit https://freelance.shareplant.com
Contact: enquiries@shareplant.com