Construction industry needs to embrace human resource management

A construction site

NAIROBI, KENYA: Human resource has been described as the most essential resource in an organisation since it is the human aspect that makes sure that all other resources work optimally (or not).

In the construction industry, the concept of human resource management is not as well defined as in other mainstream and formal industries.

For every industry to grow there has to be continuous improvement of efficiency in resources usage. There has to be capacity building to empower all the stakeholders to be better and to do better.

Every construction site has labour, whether mechanized systems are employed or not and also regardless of the magnitude of mechanization. This, therefore, makes it necessary to direct enough attention and resources towards human resource management and development in construction.

How many times have you commissioned a site and you only know the contractor out of an average of 20 craftsmen in your premise? How many times have you thought of the fundi who helps the mason build your wall as a resource that could be improved through training and empowerment using fringe benefits such as insurance facilitation?

As a contractor, how many times do you think of your fundi as a resource that could benefit from remunerations other than their daily wages?

Human resource management is a critical part of project management. A client who is building should be keen to know how well the resources are being utilized throughout the project. A contractor on site must be very hands-on when considering the usage of resources in any individual project because this has a direct effect to the quality of his deliverables, his profit margins and eventually his reputation as a contractor.

Imagine a contractor solution that comes in to help you conveniently manage your human resources on the job site; having the proper knowledge of the people working on your projects, including their skills and skill level will increase their capacity to function as a developer. Even as an independent Home Owner managing their own project, this knowledge brings then confidence in getting the right talent for every job. We live in an age where information is more powerful than anything does!

Leveraging on technology

The recently launched iBUILD app solution is targeted at improving the human resource management aspect in the construction industry. It is a one-stop shop where you have an elaborate and detailed list of all the fundis on your site, their skills, their reviews and recommendations from other contractors as proof of their capabilities. The iBUILD mobile app also allows you to digitize your day-to-day operations by running and managing timesheets.

For every worker you hire through the iBUILD app, a timesheet is generated that helps you manage their working hours as it keeps records of the amounts due to each of them according to the hours worked.

At the end of the day, it gives you a summary of who was on site and how long they worked and how much is due to them! iBUILD then provides the best tool of all- the ability to upload time sheets directly to the payment gateway and pay all of your workers through the iBUILD wallet. Straight from the contractor wallet into the worker wallets. And there is more! Workers can cash out of their wallets directly into their Mpesa accounts. Contractors will have a permanent record of who gets paid what amount, and who worked on which projects for how long.

Workers get ratings every time they are paid and contractors will never have to remember which workers performed well and which did not- it all becomes part of the permanent transaction history. Organized details, and historical knowledge all at your fingertips so that you minimize mistakes and continue to hire and manage the best talent for your projects. You can even save your favorites for easy access to contact and hire them for new projects- all directly through the app.

As a Home Owner or developer, you are able to see the work profiles of all the people involved in your site. This puts the control back into your hands!

Marlowa Okwogo of Marvin Interiors Inc. is a company that specializes in interior installations and external façade finishes in Nairobi and Kisumu Counties. Marlowa has been using the new technology from iBUILD  to manage his fundis on site. He sent out a posting for some positions he needed urgently filled and within 6 hours he had a number of qualified applications. He was able to review and hire, all through the app. One worker, in particular, was named Charles. He has been managing these workers along with Charles through the timesheet on the app, as well as paying them and it has increased efficiency and accuracy and using the e-wallet in the app, the contractor no longer has to deal with all of that cash.

Mr. Marlowa was especially impressed by the convenience and the ability to keep better records. He can revisit these records in his project detail on the app at any point for referencing purposes. Charles, on the other hand, appreciated the convenience of being able to get work to do right from the comfort of his home- without standing for hours on street corners. He is no longer just at home or roaming around. He has found consistent work and has started building his portfolio in the construction industry. He is now able to show tangible evidence through his profile on the app of the history of all his jobs and total hours he has worked and he has aa separate record of the payment dates and amounts he received.  This gives Charles the ability to qualify one day for a loan of his own and to help him to grow and scale his career into the future!

The Kenyan development agenda requires that, as a country, we must be ready to improve our efficiency in all sectors. We must begin to add value to what we produce and what we build.