ABOUT US WORK FOR US BLOG CONTACT US LOGIN BLOG The Top 3 Ways Construction Companies Want to Be Supported during COVID-19 Jun 02, 2020 Legislation & Regulation, Hiring Tips The last few weeks have been a huge learning curve for us all - when will construction sites open again? How can we all stay safe in a construction working environment during the COVID-19 pandemic? We've been asking our clients these questions and in this blog, we'll look at what support you need and want from your recruiter. Rob Ford, Head of Thorn Baker Construction Over the last 10 weeks, I've learnt more (in some cases) about my colleagues, candidates and clients than I have in the last 16 years - I'm sure this is the case for a lot of you as well. The team and I at Thorn Baker Construction have also developed our industry knowledge about everything from PPE to risk assessments, well-being to resilience. Some key stats from what we've been doing over the last 10 weeks include; Organised and delivered over 300 hours of training to our staff on a variety of subjects: mental resilience, recruitment compliance, team building and the best ways to manage teams remotely to name a few. We will continue adding to our training program on a weekly basis. We've furloughed over 600 of our temporary candidates: this has ensured that those without money or work have not gone without. Now working with over 50 candidates, brand new to Thorn Baker, who were seeking advice and direction on the furlough system due to not receiving help or direction from their previous employers. Working closely with over 100 of our regular clients to take on board all of their individual risk assessments, the changes being put in place and messages that needed to be cascaded down to the workforce. Our Managers have attended weekly meetings/webinars with the REC, HMRC and APSCO to ensure our knowledge base is up to date, and we're confident with the latest changes as they happen. We have purchased a stock of FFP2 masks and latex gloves: developed a system to get them to our clients and candidates anywhere in the country in less than 24 hours if required. Adjusted all of our procedures and vetting questions when taking on job requirements for our clients and candidates alike to match the government guidance as well as what our customers need to know. My mission as we headed into lockdown was that I wished for us to come back stronger, smarter and easier to work with when we came out, we still have work to be done we are getting there. Our values could not have been more relevant in the last 10 testing weeks; Solution-focused: You can see from the above that our focus is to make our clients and candidates lives easier where we possibly can. Positive-minded: When the world is reasonably full of negative news right now and this value has been preached from the rooftops, we’ve tried to keep the smiles on our faces at all times. People-driven: We're holding daily meetings since this started and grown closer to our colleagues, candidates and clients. Hopefully, our strengthened bonds are a sign of what is to come. A lot of our learning over the last 10 weeks has come from having quality conversations with those in the construction industry. We feel that good quality communication and collaboration in the coming months will be the key to make the coming challenges easier and more efficient for all involved. Over the last two weeks we have asked our clients two questions in order for us to continue to improve our services; What can recruiters do to improve service post-COVID-19? The top 3 responses given by our clients were: But what were the other responses? We actually received quite a few ideas from this question but the top 3 we're definitely clear. The other responses we received were: What is the one thing recruiters can do to improve efficiency for you? The most recent report from Glenigans has said that: across England and Wales, only around 16% of sites are still suspended, and with Northern Ireland starting to reopen sites and Scotland gearing up gearing for a planned easing of the lockdown from 15 June, activity is picking up pace across the UK. Also, a spike in the number of planning decisions on large projects suggests that the industry has a potentially growing pipeline of planned projects as the lockdown is eased further over the weeks ahead. You can view the full report on their YouTube channel right here. From our survey results and the positives coming from governing bodies alike it feels like we're slowly creeping into a sense of normality (well the new normal!). And the overall message I'd like to give to our clients and candidates is that simply when you are ready we're here to support you. Whether you need staff on-site, advice and support on supplying PPE or if you're a candidate who's not sure how furlough could work for you - contact us. The service we provide is built upon our core values: Solution-focused, Positive-minded and People-driven. That's what we do and who we are. If you need support don't hesitate to contact us right here. The last few weeks have been a huge learning curve for us all - when will construction sites open again? How can we all stay safe in a construction working environment during the COVID-19 pandemic? We've been asking our clients these questions and in this blog, we'll look at what support you need and want from your recruiter. Rob Ford, Head of Thorn Baker Construction Over the last 10 weeks, I've learnt more (in some cases) about my colleagues, candidates and clients than I have in the last 16 years - I'm sure this is the case for a lot of you as well. The team and I at Thorn Baker Construction have also developed our industry knowledge about everything from PPE to risk assessments, well-being to resilience. Some key stats from what we've been doing over the last 10 weeks include; Organised and delivered over 300 hours of training to our staff on a variety of subjects: mental resilience, recruitment compliance, team building and the best ways to manage teams remotely to name a few. We will continue adding to our training program on a weekly basis. We've furloughed over 600 of our temporary candidates: this has ensured that those without money or work have not gone without. Now working with over 50 candidates, brand new to Thorn Baker, who were seeking advice and direction on the furlough system due to not receiving help or direction from their previous employers. Working closely with over 100 of our regular clients to take on board all of their individual risk assessments, the changes being put in place and messages that needed to be cascaded down to the workforce. Our Managers have attended weekly meetings/webinars with the REC, HMRC and APSCO to ensure our knowledge base is up to date, and we're confident with the latest changes as they happen. We have purchased a stock of FFP2 masks and latex gloves: developed a system to get them to our clients and candidates anywhere in the country in less than 24 hours if required. Adjusted all of our procedures and vetting questions when taking on job requirements for our clients and candidates alike to match the government guidance as well as what our customers need to know. My mission as we headed into lockdown was that I wished for us to come back stronger, smarter and easier to work with when we came out, we still have work to be done we are getting there. Our values could not have been more relevant in the last 10 testing weeks; Solution-focused: You can see from the above that our focus is to make our clients and candidates lives easier where we possibly can. Positive-minded: When the world is reasonably full of negative news right now and this value has been preached from the rooftops, we’ve tried to keep the smiles on our faces at all times. People-driven: We're holding daily meetings since this started and grown closer to our colleagues, candidates and clients. Hopefully, our strengthened bonds are a sign of what is to come. A lot of our learning over the last 10 weeks has come from having quality conversations with those in the construction industry. We feel that good quality communication and collaboration in the coming months will be the key to make the coming challenges easier and more efficient for all involved. Over the last two weeks we have asked our clients two questions in order for us to continue to improve our services; What can recruiters do to improve service post-COVID-19? The top 3 responses given by our clients were: But what were the other responses? We actually received quite a few ideas from this question but the top 3 we're definitely clear. The other responses we received were: What is the one thing recruiters can do to improve efficiency for you? The most recent report from Glenigans has said that: across England and Wales, only around 16% of sites are still suspended, and with Northern Ireland starting to reopen sites and Scotland gearing up gearing for a planned easing of the lockdown from 15 June, activity is picking up pace across the UK. Also, a spike in the number of planning decisions on large projects suggests that the industry has a potentially growing pipeline of planned projects as the lockdown is eased further over the weeks ahead. You can view the full report on their YouTube channel right here. From our survey results and the positives coming from governing bodies alike it feels like we're slowly creeping into a sense of normality (well the new normal!). And the overall message I'd like to give to our clients and candidates is that simply when you are ready we're here to support you. Whether you need staff on-site, advice and support on supplying PPE or if you're a candidate who's not sure how furlough could work for you - contact us. The service we provide is built upon our core values: Solution-focused, Positive-minded and People-driven. That's what we do and who we are. If you need support don't hesitate to contact us right here. 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