AA Les Hiscoe likes to point out to his son the buildings in New York City where he has worked. The CEO of Shawmut Design and Construction says he watches the buildings under construction from his apartment in the city.
“I take my son to the window. I say, ‘Hey, check it out. This is what they’re doing today. And he said, ‘Dad, that’s enough,'” Hiscoe said.
Taking pride in the physical results of work helps workers enjoy their jobs, Hiscoe said
“There’s such a rewarding part of construction when you physically put the work in place, and when you finally finish what you started and walk through it, you say, ‘I’m really proud of that,'” he said.
The Boston-based construction company recently won second place in Fortune magazine The best jobs in construction ranking in the small and medium category, just below a Maryland homebuilder. In a survey, 95% of employees said the company is a great place to work.
Other construction-related companies that make the Fortune 40 list include PCL, Hilti, Moss Construction Management, Toll Brothers, Southland and Suffolk, all in the large company category. Leaders at companies like Hiscoe say there are tactics they follow to make their companies sought-after places to work.
have a voice
For one thing, Shawmut is 100% employee-owned, as is Denver-based PCL, which ranked fourth among large companies and was the top commercial contractor in that category. PCL President and COO Deron Brown said about 90 percent of PCL’s salaried employees have purchased company stock.
“It gives us a sense of ownership. It gives us a sense of, ‘You have more of a voice in this great company,’ and people are listening,” he said.
Deron Brown
Permission granted by PCL
Of course, not all companies have employees who literally consider their success. The key, Brown said, is investing in culture.
“You have to listen to your employees,” he said. “It’s listening and feeling like they have a voice and they’re engaged and they’re part of your company, and they’re not just an employee who gets a paycheck.”
Brown said leaders should remember the experience of rising through the ranks, remembering the experience of entering the workforce at a junior level and the pressures people face on the job every day.
people first
Hiscoe said he believes focusing on people first and maintaining an enthusiastic energy helped with the results.
“If they feel good when they come to work and show up at a job site, office or client meeting, it shows,” he said. “Since I am very lively and energetic in my workplace, I will provide you excellent service because I love what I do.”
Suzanne Roeder
Permission granted by Suffolk
Suzanne Roeder, Suffolk’s chief growth officer, said to “always sweat the small stuff” and focus on carefully choosing who to hire, promote and figure out who might not fit the culture long-term.
“‘Sweat the small stuff’ is about caring about all the little moments in people’s lives, both in and out of the workplace,” Roeder said. “There is no initiative or drive that makes a company a great place to work. Great company culture is based on how your manager responds in a difficult situation.”
Addressing the evils
A recent survey called construction the happiest industry in the United Statesbut those who work there say it still has shortcomings. Construction has a suicide rate of about 45 per 100,000 workers, 18 more than the national rate for all industries, according to the CDC.
“I think workplaces can become isolated,” Hiscoe said, adding that workers may try to work through injuries, rely on painkillers or work longer hours to earn extra money. “We have addressed the issue directly by talking to all the people in the field, our artisans at all levels of subcontractors. We want people to be able to talk to us.”
If someone has just worked a double shift, for example, Hiscoe said he wants those nearby to worry about how they’re getting home and not drive while tired.
“I think that level of care needs to be pushed harder in our industry,” he said.
Brown pointed to the mental health epidemic, highlighted by increased stress at work and social media.
“We have to adapt and change to the pressures of what’s out there and set up programs for mental health,” he said. “We have that kind of work hard, play hard [mentality] — This means celebrating and encouraging all your workers and understanding that they are going through a difficult phase in a project, and you have to find the time to thank and celebrate them.
