'Working in strategic teams reduces turnover, increases job satisfaction and improves project results'

From housing shortages to changing regulations, sustainable construction and understaffing: construction in the Netherlands faces major challenges that call for new, environmentally and energy-friendly technologies, data-driven innovations and greater efficiency. Key issues that require not only a different way of organizing, but also a different way of thinking about staff deployment. Velox responds to this with VxTeams: flexible, well-attuned and like-minded project teams with project leaders, executives, work planners and BIM modelers.

The labor shortage is a hot topic in the construction industry and the conclusion that it is incredibly difficult to find good executive technical administrative (UTA) personnel is often drawn. Unjustified, believes Kisito Zonneveld, Director of Velox. "In fact, finding the right people today is easier than ever. As long as contractors and developers switch to a system of total workforce management and strategic workforce planning, so that recruiting on hard and soft skills becomes possible." Those who invest in flexible and like-minded project teams need significantly fewer people, he emphasizes. "Work happiness on projects increases, which will lead to less turnover and better results. As a result, at the bottom line, you have fewer failure costs. Count your profits!"

Attention to quality, character and drives

"Almost every potential worker can be found on the social media network," Zonneveld knows. "That makes it easier to find and reach people. Whether that's with advertising or through direct contact." Of course, finding people is not the same as bringing them in and committing them to you for a particular project, he emphasizes. "In fact, the latter involves two more important issues, which in turn make recruitment more difficult in times of scarcity. Because when are people available? And what are their qualities? This involves not only hard skills and expertise, but certainly also soft skills. What kind of personality does someone have? Does their character fit the team? And does someone have the right drives and motivation? Someone who prefers to build hospitals or data centers should not be allowed to build a residential tower. This kind of 'customization' is at least as important as whether someone understands his profession..."

Think ahead!

To select on all relevant competencies, especially in this tight labor market, you have to think ahead. But this is precisely where many projects go wrong, Zonneveld notes. "Too often people start forming a team too soon in advance, with people who are available at that moment. That is a shame, because the people who happen to be available at a given moment are not always the people with the best qualifications for a specific project. By that I absolutely do not mean that they are not good people, but you do create suboptimal teams from which people are more likely to drop out. In the contracting world, average failure costs of 5% due to attrition are no exception. I can confidently state that these failure costs can easily be reduced by 2 to 3% if you organize your workforce planning better at the front end. For example, by doing total workforce management and strategic workforce planning. This means that 6 or 7 months in advance you need to start thinking about: how are we going to carry out this project? Which people do we need? Which suitable people do we already have in house? And what additions are desired? How can we bring these people in at the right time? And is any (additional) training or education needed?"

Flexibilization is a blessing

To build optimal project teams, the gap between permanent and flexible must be closed, Zonneveld said. "For the new reality of working, the fixed contract as a 'sacred house' must be completely abandoned. Companies that don't go along with this are really missing the boat. The construction industry currently employs some 120,000 professionals without a fixed contract and this number will continue to grow in the coming years. The quantity and quality of flexibility is enormous. This is a boon for strategic workforce planning. By looking broadly and outside one's own organization, working more projectmatically and skill-driven matching, the best project teams are created."

VxTeams

Of course, not everyone will be able to set up an HR system within their organization that focuses on total workforce management and strategic workforce planning. "Fortunately, this is not at all necessary. In fact, Velox can support this in numerous areas. More and more companies are even knocking on our door to put together complete project teams. Velox calls these project teams VxTeams. Thanks to our long track record, we know a lot of UTA professionals. From project managers to supervisors, work planners and BIM modelers. Moreover, we always look beyond positions and hard skills. We know the market and constantly look ahead to it, so we know exactly which people will become available when. And of course, we put each VxTeam together based on the specific project: what does the project need? But also: what does the project team need, in terms of hard and soft skills? With better team results as a result. May we also surprise you with a customized project team?"