A few years ago, most administrators in the industry would have dismissed the notion of home-based construction jobs. But the pandemic changed everything. Today, construction firms are scrambling to adopt home-based structures that allow their employees to perform their duties without reporting to physical premises.
Without this transformation, many organizations would have collapsed under the weight of coronavirus restrictions. This trend is encouraging for skilled workers with physical limitations that prevent them from escaping the boundaries of their houses and apartments.
Home-based job opportunities are rising at a rapid rate. But what kind of home-based job can you expect to find in the construction industry?
Read on for more information, and check out Bridgit for the complete guide to construction job titles and descriptions.
Home-Based Job Opportunities Canada
If you want to secure home-based construction job opportunities but you don’t know where to focus your efforts, these are just a few of the roles you can fill in a construction company:
Document Control Coordinator
This position attracts records managers. Candidates must create and maintain electronic and paper documentation, evaluate its accuracy, make amendments, collaborate with the relevant leaders to distribute changes, and control access to personnel information.
You can perform all these tasks and more from the comfort of your home. But it takes a detail-oriented individual with impeccable organizational skills and the ability to multitask to thrive in this position.
Administrative Assistant
The responsibilities of an administrative assistant include answering phone calls, reading emails, relaying messages, scheduling appointments, confirming appointments, and proofreading documents. Construction firms usually attract candidates that can perform repetitive tasks efficiently.
Administrative assistants are a common sight in a corporate office. But because of advancements in information technologies, these individuals can perform all their duties and more from a home computer.
Application Developer
Large construction firms use sophisticated software management tools to streamline their activities. They rely heavily on programmers. These individuals are hired not only for their technical knowledge but their ability to solve complicated problems.
They have to analyze the workings of a company before creating a suite of applications to fit its needs. Some of them work alone. Others operate within a team setting.
Either way, a lot of application developers work from home. Like administrative assistants, all they need is a computer and a reliable internet connection.
Architect
Architects design buildings. Their services are essential to the work a construction company does. They collaborate with engineers and surveyors to make the client’s dream a reality. But architecture is a technology-based field that makes significant use of proprietary design and development software.
Some construction firms have assigned offices to their architects. They expect these individuals to remain on the premises at all times. But architects can work just as efficiently from home.
Consultant
Large construction businesses rarely engage individual consultants. Their projects are so enormous that it takes the resources of a consultation firm of equal size to juggle all the pieces. But smaller firms are not as picky, and they wouldn’t hesitate to hire experienced professionals that can plan and design projects over the phone.
How To Manage Remote Employees?
Managing remote workers is easier said than done. Many administrators can barely manage conventional office workers. How can your construction company utilize remote workers without negatively affecting their productivity?
Tracking
First of all, make sure your home-based employees report to their virtual desks on time. You can use cloud technology to track their activities. These applications are more efficient than timesheets and punch cards because they require little or no maintenance.
You can assign employees specific tasks and then observe their progress in real-time regardless of their location. With the right tracking software, you can finally identify and eliminate time theft.
Data
Collect data. It isn’t enough to demand reports detailing the activities of your home-based employees. It would help if you had a central repository of information that could keep team members apprised of changes and developments in the project.
You should also introduce platforms that create clear paths of communication between the relevant departments. Make sure everyone has access to the information they need at a moment’s notice.
Communication
When was the last time you spoke to your remote workers? Reports do not count. You have to check on them every single day. It isn’t enough to track their progress. Investigate their personal lives.
A chaotic environment at home can lower productivity. Build a rapport with home-based workers. Find out what irks them and what you can do to improve their situation.
Some remote workers thrive in office settings. You should consider inviting them back to the office, especially if the evidence shows that their performance has deteriorated because of the new arrangement.
Training
People think they understand remote working. They assume that home-based construction jobs are straightforward. But that is not true. You should institute a training program that prepares your new and old workers for what they will encounter.
Show them the tools they need. The technology that drives communication platforms has advanced drastically in the last two years to accommodate the restrictions of the pandemic.
For many conventional workers, this technology is alien. For that reason, you must teach them.
Rewards
Reward hard work. Identify workers that have contributed positively to the efficiency of your company and its projects and recognize their efforts. Some workers cannot withstand the isolation that comes with home-based work. They tend to crumble. A genuine show of appreciation will bolster their mental fortitude.
The number of people looking for ‘work at home’ jobs in Canada grows every single day. Construction firms are starting to respond in kind by embracing remote working arrangements.
Don’t be afraid to dip your toes into these waters. The sky is the limit. Try applying for a position as a marketing strategist, construction manager, web designer, or any of a thousand home-based construction jobs that have gained prominence due to the pandemic.
Many construction firms are determined to remain operational despite coronavirus restrictions. Some have gone so far as to hire remote workers from other nations because the local labor force has failed to adapt to the demand for remote workers.
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