Improving Upon the Basics of Labour Hire

Construction is a labour intensive industry, revolving around a wide range of essential skills, from basic labouring to project management. Choosing the right kind of labour for the job is important for abiding to various legal requirements and building regulations.

Choosing the right labour will not only make your construction more secure, however it can also help you maintain worker safety and save your business money.  With a myriad of options to consider in regards to labour hire, here are some important factors to consider when it comes to approaching labour for your next construction project.

Type of labour required

Perhaps the easiest place to start when considering labour hire is to focus on the kinds of skills required to complete your next construction project. This can be further simplified by breaking down your construction project into the various tasks that need to be completed.

Focusing on these tasks not only makes it easier to visualise the construction project and type of labour required, however it can also help us quantify how long each of these tasks should take in the overall scheme of the project. Time is money and by understanding how long each task should take, we can begin to consider the kinds of people required, particularly for the duration of the task.

Some construction trades to consider:

• Carpet layer
• Electrician
• Fencer
• Glazier
• Heavy equipment operator
• Laborer
• Landscaper
• Mason
• House painter
• Plasterer
• Plumber

Order of tasks being undertaken

Understanding the order of the tasks being undertaken is also important for making sure your labour hire decisions are not wasteful. For example, is there any point hiring a painter if the walls of the building have not yet been built?

Ideally we should group tasks together so that Instead of hiring someone on multiple occasions, we can hire someone to complete everything at once. Not only does this encouraging efficiency, however it also prevents on-site conflict between the different tasks being undertaken. For example, carpet laying can be difficult while there are painters working within the same space.

This places emphasis on the importance of visualizing the timeline of our project, as a way of truly coming to terms with the challenges we are facing.

Paying for labour

Another often overlooked aspect of building is calculating the most efficient method of payment for labour. For example, should you pay per each unit laid (in the case of a brick layer) or is it more optimal to pay by the hour?

Each profession and task will lean towards more cost-effective payment options that save time and money. Instead of thinking about labour hire in terms of cost-effectiveness however, it can help to think about which payment option will be most motivating and encouraging for your workers, as that will ultimately result in completing the best job done in the shortest amount of time.

Generally speaking, tasks which are easily quantified and simple to complete should be paid per unit, while more complex tasks should be paid per hour. Contracts can also be important for skills that are in high demand and where projects may take months to complete.

Considering labour availability

As well as finding the relevant people for the job, it is also important to consider the availability of labour for your project. During traditional holiday seasons or public holidays, it can be more difficult to find people and more importantly, you may end up paying more during these periods. Considering the location of a project is also important, as that will also dictate the rates at which you will be paying.

By paying attention to all these aspects, we can make better use of labour and improve upon current business practices.

Source: https://www.projectlink.com.au/blog/improving-upon-the-basics-of-labour-hire/