5 Tips to Effectively Manage Subcontract Workers

How do you manage subcontract workers? Onboarding workers for construction projects can take a lot of time. Especially when you’re working with several different contractors. 

Ineffective contractor management can lead to a number of headaches — both for the employees within your company and for the contractors. Poorly managing subcontractors can also cost you valuable time and money. 

That’s why we’ve decided to share these five tips to help you effectively manage subcontractor workers at on the job site. Follow the advice outlined below and you’ll be well on your way to creating a seamless process for managing these workers.

• Create a Unified Experience for All Workers

The first tip for managing subcontract workers is to create a unified onboarding experience and standardized orientation for all new workers. This will reduce the amount of time and effort required on your part, and will provide clarity for the contractors. 

One way to create a unified experience is by uploading custom training to your onboarding platform. 

When all workers receive the same consistent training, there will be fewer discrepancies and misunderstandings about company policies, legislation requirements, and the roles and responsibilities of each individual employee.

Knowing where they stand and what is asked of them is important for all subcontractors at the start of their employment.

• Automate the Contractor Onboarding Journey

Another way to effectively manage subcontract workers is to digitally invite them to register themselves and provide all necessary documents upfront before arriving on site for an upcoming project. 

Workers can onboard up to three times faster when they have the option of completing their training and submitting their paperwork ahead of time. 

Onboarding workers with GoContractor is easy. Simply send them an invitation to your platform and wait for them to do the rest. 

Of course, you’ll want to be clear about which trainings and orientations they are required to complete, which documents need to be uploaded, and any other specific requirements you may have. 

Once that has been established and communicated, your automated contractor onboarding experience can just about run itself. 

• Create a List of All Workers On the Jobsite

You cannot effectively manage subcontract workers without knowing who is onsite at all times. That includes knowing which companies, how many employees, and the exact roles and responsibilities of each of those workers (along with their qualifications).

Having a current list of all workers on the jobsite helps you calculate costs, increase jobsite security, and better prepare for emergencies. 

GoContractor reports gives you a full view of who is working on the construction site. Even better, when managers utilize GoContractor’s check-in/check-out QR codes, they can quickly verify a worker’s status and credentials from a mobile device by simply scanning the workers code.

• Store Your Training and Documentation Online

Having a central, accessible place for all worker documents is essential. Storing them online means that you can access them from just about anywhere. This is especially helpful for managers who are in the field or on the go. 

You can update training requirements, generate reports, and check worker qualifications at any given time. No need to make a special call to the office or make a mental note to do these things when you get back to the office. 

In terms of training, workers can also complete them in the field as things come up. 

For instance, if you’re doing an inspection and realize a subcontractor isn’t aware of your policies on chemical safety, you can direct them to your online training instead of pulling them from the job and scheduling a date and time to complete the training in-person. 

• Integrate With Other Construction Technology

GoContractor integrates with popular construction technology, such as worksite management, access control, project management applications, and even wearable technology. 

The benefit of integrating these systems is that you’re able to manage subcontract workers safely and effectively, and will be able to make better decisions down the line.