The Benefits of Cross-Training Your Construction Team

Construction teams undergo different training, based on their primary roles and aptitudes, as well as safety regulations.

Some are more important than others, but there’s one type of training you need to introduce if you haven’t already.

Cross-training.

It’s a strategic move that expands your construction team’s skill set, making it more adaptable and versatile.

Having workers acquire skills complementary to their trades yields several benefits and substantial ROI, so if that sounds interesting, keep on reading!

Enhances Versatility within Your Crew

Cross-training enables workers to pick up new skills outside their primary roles.

It’s a type of multi-skilling that ensures your workforce can take on a wider range of tasks and adapt to different project needs.

But unlike reskilling or upskilling, which involve transitioning to a new role and/or handling more complex tasks, cross-training means picking up a new trade and switching between tasks as needed.

Think of it as having plumbers who can install or repair electrical systems, or carpenters skilled at masonry work.

Cross-training ensures high proficiency in at least two different skills, thereby unlocking a new level of adaptability and productivity which is essential for construction today.

On the other hand, crew versatility does not just mean their ability to handle different tasks. There’s also a benefit of team members having versatility in their daily tasks.

That type of versatility drives employee engagement and retention.

Let’s examine these more closely.

The complex and ever-changing conditions on the job site require a skilled workforce that’s quick to adapt to handling different tasks.

Effective task delegation can be challenging, but thanks to cross-training, construction managers get a bigger pool of workers to choose from when they need to delegate a task.

More importantly, they can be confident in their choice, knowing that the worker can handle the job with expert efficiency, and wasn’t simply the only one free to do it at the time.

A recent Deloitte research shows that companies that nurture such learning environments have double the productivity gains.

However, the same research also indicates that prioritizing learning leads to higher employee retention.

Cross-training reflects both benefits because it boosts operational efficiency while opening up new opportunities for skill development and career growth.

Enabling workers to develop new skills and branch out beyond their primary job gives a powerful boost to employee morale and engagement, as well as loyalty to the company.

Simply put, equipping your workers with new skills and knowledge ensures they’re able to meet different project demands, and are more motivated to do so.

Keep in mind: employees who feel you’re investing in their growth and development are more secure in their value to the organization and are more likely to stay.

Ultimately, a motivated, versatile workforce contributes to better project outcomes and efficiency, paving the way to long-term success.

Helps Minimize Disruptions to Project Timelines

Minimizing disruptions is essential for keeping your projects on track, and this is something that cross-training can help you with.

Some disruptions are a result of unexpected project changes, but a huge chunk of them happen due to labor absences. And we’re not talking about your team going on holiday.

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that full-time construction workers recorded 24.2 million hours of injury or illness-related absences just in 2022.

Although absences are certainly not the only cause of disruption, these figures help explain a sharp increase in construction project delays between 2016 and 2022.

They also underline just how risky it is to rely on a few specialized workers.

Meanwhile, cross-training enables you to build a crew of workers who can successfully tackle a variety of tasks and step in whenever it’s necessary.

Imagine a scenario where the absence of an electrician who needs to do basic wiring creates a bottleneck and pushes back the entire project for weeks.

This is particularly likely to happen on smaller projects, and it’s completely avoidable for companies that take the time to identify critical skills and roles and invest in cross-training.

That way, if you’re missing a worker with a particular skill set, and the project requires immediate attention in that specific area, you won’t have to worry that things will grind to a halt.

Of course, leveraging technology can further reduce the negative effects of absent crew members.

Let’s say you have a dedicated equipment manager, assigning tools to field workers. What happens if that person is absent? Do you allow your operations to stop?

Of course not. That’s why it is also important to train all workers to use specific tools.

For example, asset-tracking solutions like our GoCodes provide a single source of truth for the entire team on everything equipment-related.

So, regardless if the problem is an unavailable equipment manager or a single misplaced tool, a quick glance at the mobile app gives each worker an overview of key information and tasks.

The cloud-based software boosts productivity by enabling you to check tool availability, leave notes, and schedule service tasks instantly using any device.

The best part?

GoCodes is uniquely suited to construction companies.

Coupled with cross-training efforts, it offers a surefire way of countering all disruptions.

Helps You Realize Cost Savings

Cross-training your team lowers labor expenses by helping you develop an agile workforce.

While it’s important to note that there is an initial investment, the future benefits of cross-training in construction outweigh the upfront costs.

One of the first, pivotal studies of the impact of developing multi-skilled construction labor goes back to the Construction Industry Institute (CII).

Their estimates showed a 5% increase in labor cost-savings.

Notably, the figures also showed a potential 35% percent reduction in the required project workforce.

While the numbers may vary, cross-training achieves savings by minimizing the need for your business to rely on specialized subcontractors and temporary workers.

Besides giving you the flexibility to plan project activities without involving subcontractors, your construction firm is also in a better position to accommodate last-minute client requests and prevent costly rework.

Let’s say an unexpected request came in after the initial plans had already been finalized.

Instead of scrambling to find contractors and risking cost overruns, you can simply send in the crew with relevant skills to make adjustments.

Of course, the availability of cross-trained team members doesn’t mean that you can or should eliminate all specialized subcontractors, but it provides peace of mind in certain situations.

Hiring new employees or subcontractors is not only the most expensive option but also the most challenging one.

The shortage of skilled craft labor, as well as the aging construction workforce, have created a host of problems for construction businesses when it comes to hiring.

More than 82% of respondents of Deloitte’s 2022 survey cited a tight labor market and an exiting workforce as one of their company’s top challenges in the upcoming year.

While many companies are rethinking their hiring practices or setting up different apprenticeship programs to attract new employees to their companies, others are turning to their existing employees.

Because that’s more cost-effective.

In a recent podcast episode, Katie Hall, the Founder and CEO of a competency analytics platform Claira, emphasized the necessity of making the most of your current workforce.

We’re actually hearing more and more from customers how hiring is so difficult that optimizing each person on a line, on a project, or on-site means everything to [their] business, that’s [their] future. If you’re getting 40 percent out of somebody, you’ve got to get 60 or 70% percent…

As you can see, focusing on developing and diversifying unique skill sets within your crew is the key to unlocking the cost-saving potential.

Instead of a costly cycle of hiring, layoffs, and rehiring based on project phases, the company realizes cost-saving opportunities while staying on top of project demands.

Improves Safety on the Construction Site

Workers trained for different tasks and roles contribute to a safer work environment.

Construction sites can be very dangerous settings to work in, which is why the number of fatalities recorded by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics isn’t at all surprising.

The report showed that 1,069 construction fatalities occurred in 2022, a 7.7% increase from 986 construction fatalities the year.

This could either mean that we’re building more things, or that the safety on construction sites is decreasing.

In any case, construction companies are required to follow the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards and should regularly conduct safety inspections and basic construction safety training to avoid common violations.

However, creating a good safety culture requires more than knowing general safety protocols.

This is where cross-training comes in.

Workers who understand the issues and risks related to tasks outside their primary roles are more likely to identify potential issues and prevent accidents.

And we have data to back this up.

CII’s research on the U.S. workforce development system shows that construction firms that focus on their workers report fewer safety incidents. One of the most effective ways of doing that is to let your employees learn a new trade.

With cross-training, your workers gain a fuller understanding of different trade-related specifics, enabling them to:

• gain better awareness of safety protocols,
• communicate safety concerns, and
• take preventive action.

Here’s one scenario to put things in perspective.

A worker who has training in both carpentry and electrical safety can easily spot a loose conduit near a wooden frame and recognize it as a potential fire hazard.

So, instead of waiting on an electrician, a worker with a dual skill set can immediately secure the conduit to prevent a potential safety incident.

So, not only are cross-trained employees more likely to notice problems and fix them but they’re empowered to actively maintain a safety-driven culture.

Fostering a problem-solving mindset and a sense of personal ownership over workplace safety is part of a wider shift in how safety is perceived in the construction industry.

Paul Amedee, Corporate Safety Director at Baker Construction Enterprises puts it like this:

But to do what is right, employees must understand the importance and reasoning behind safety protocols.

Those who do see the protocols as a necessity, rather than abstract concepts.

As such, they’re more likely to follow the rules even when no one is watching.

Those are precisely the benefits of cross-training—knowledgeable and empowered employees ready to ensure safety at every turn.

Fosters a Sense of Collaboration

Cross-training fosters a sense of collaboration by promoting a shared understanding of project objectives and workflows.

Collaboration in construction is typically observed on the stakeholder level, but it’s equally vital within crews themselves.

One academic study highlights how collaboration impacts project success through three main drivers: open communication, a win-win philosophy, and mutual trust.

Fostering these elements is essential for broader stakeholder collaboration and for creating a positive work environment.

Cross-training is an effective method for cultivating collaboration because it creates opportunities for team members to gain new skills and a clearer understanding of key workflows and project objectives.

Learning new skills helps you see things differently and work better with others on shared projects and company goals.

But you might be wondering where to start.

The first building element of effective teamwork is trust. 

Would you go the extra mile for someone you don’t fully understand or trust?

Construction projects bring together people from different professions and diverse backgrounds, so building trust and respect is necessary for successful collaboration.        

Luckily, cross-training helps create close-knit teams.

And what’s more, all of this encourages the exchange of ideas, leading to increased innovation.

It’s easy to understand why.

Seeing the project from multiple perspectives and roles helps you come up with new solutions.

But first, workers need to be able to speak up and freely exchange ideas on how to move forward, which isn’t always easy.

Magin Perez, an experienced project manager and owner of a construction services firm INSOCO, notes how providing such a setting is challenging.

Fortunately, multi-skilling initiatives bring new knowledge so employees feel more confident to speak up and suggest improvements. All of this promotes a positive shift in company culture.

By putting focus on learning and sharing, a collaborative work culture can slowly take root, resulting in smoother project execution and better outcomes.

Conclusion

Cross-training takes you on a path of long-term excellence and improvement.

Employees who acquire new skills and knowledge through cross-training allow businesses to quickly adapt to different project demands.

The workers’ ability to switch between different trades makes the entire construction company more agile and productive.

It’s an investment that pays off on several levels, all positively reflecting on your bottom line.

So think about cross-training as a strategic move that can pay dividends.