Construction project managers are the key to successful and smooth projects that are finished on time, within budget and with minimal to no issues. Hiring a reliable project manager is no easy feat; not everyone has the skills to fill such a role. From monitoring the day-to-day activities on a construction site to completing a project within scope, you must be careful in selecting the right talent to manage projects.
Here are five skills and traits to look for in a reliable and successful project manager.
Industry knowledge
The construction sector isn’t as simple as most think. There are typically five types of construction, and within each, there are even more subcategories. Construction is a dynamic sector with new materials and construction techniques, like mass timber, developing daily. Ideal construction project managers will have a firm foundation of the basics of managing a construction project and remain aware of emerging technologies, methodologies and strategies to leverage your business to reach its goals.
Communication
Communication is one of those skills that everyone understands is very important, but very few seem to exemplify. Like any other given project, your vertical construction project has several stakeholders, including clients, suppliers, subcontractors, employees and more. Making sure everyone is on the same page is incredibly important, no matter the project’s scope.
A construction project manager’s responsibilities can range from change orders, day-to-day field operations, managing personnel and executing various tasks. According to the Project Management Institute, poor communication is the primary reason projects fail one-third of the time. It’s important that your project manager has outstanding communication skills and expresses themselves clearly in order to avoid problems.
Organization
The right talent for the job will be able to maintain a high level of organization to keep up with and stay on top of projects. Construction projects can often overlap at any given time, so project managers will need to be able to jump from one project to another without getting their wires crossed. Look for applicants that can prioritize adequately and keep the project time-efficient and within schedule.
Flexible Planning
Construction in 2022 dealt with plenty of supply chain issues and labor shortages. If anything, we’ve learned that things don’t always go as planned throughout a construction project, and small changes and issues can easily snowball into massive ones. That’s why you need to look for managers that are not only flexible but can also pivot and adapt to changes. Being able to adequately plan and prepare is a skill that becomes more valuable by the day in the construction industry.
Planning doesn’t end in the pre-construction phase. Your manager should continue revising and developing plans until the project is complete.
Risk Management
Construction managers need to use their expertise to mitigate risks. Today’s top talent should be able to determine potential risks and devise a plan to address them before a project begins. Risk management is particularly necessary because it involves taking care of human lives on the site. Risks must be identified and tracked to make the project as secure as possible.
In addition, proper risk management can help avoid issues, which means more cost savings and no unexpected expenditure.
No other construction recruiter understands the importance of stellar project managers to the degree that Honour Consulting does. We know what you’re up against. That’s why we want to help you hire the best of the best. Reach out to us today to discover the project managers that can elevate your construction business to the next level.
