Written by LetsBuild
Last updated May 13, 2024
Like I said in the last Blog on this subject:- Are we? Well, that could well be! Happiness in construction is no coincidence, though.
The difficulties and the challenges may be endless, but at the very same time make our job more special day after day. Out of the top of my head, I can easily think of a few more reasons why construction workers are possibly the happiest employees:
All projects have an expiration date
That may sound a bit insignificant, but it actually is very essential. An obvious reason for that is, if we don’t like the job, we know the project will soon be over and we’ll be far away from it. Just hope for something better next time! To the contrary, that’s not possible for most employees.
Appreciation matters
In offices and other sectors, one thing that makes employees feel uncomfortable is that they don’t feel appreciated by their managers. Construction, particularly commercial construction, is all about time and money.
Managers who don’t appreciate their skilled tradesmen and others on site tend to let their jobs run over time and over budget. So what happens to them? They get fired and someone is brought in to turn things around! That “someone” is usually someone who does appreciate his employees. Suddenly everyone is happy at work.
Construction tasks aren’t monotonous
Now I do know from experiences earlier in my life that factory and office work can be pretty boring. The same thing day in, day out! No intellectual stimulation; no relief from the boredom. Made worse if there is a boss who discourages idle chit-chat that helps pass the day.
It’s clear, then, that happiness in construction is closely connected to the fact that it doesn’t include may repetitive tasks. Construction workers can talk to whom they like, whenever they like. Even better is that every job is different. Sure, that might mean butchering bits of wood, slapping plaster on something or sticking bits of wire in holes – but different every time.
Find also: The Construction Manager Profile – Infographic
Construction workers are proud of their job
Now let’s get really subtle about this. Everyone “knows” that anyone having anything to do with construction in the UK is a “cowboy”. We guys in construction think that is a very misguided public perception. We build the whole infrastructure around which society operates. Roads, railways, gas, electricity, hospitals, offices, malls, houses – and everything else are built by construction workers. That makes on site employees to feel pretty smug when they are out and about.
The Tools
This may not be clear to everyone, but people working in construction can understand pretty well. Being responsible for a particular type of equipment can be pretty interesting. Once again, safety is of course the first priority but this doesn’t mean that working on site can’t be exciting. Take for example a crane handler. His job looks -and for sure is- extremely difficult and demanding for most of the people, but for him it’s part of his everyday routine.
The power of the team
Most of the times construction workers who share the same job site are developing a special connection and start acting like one. This special bond between construction workers is probably the result of the different challenges that they have to face on a daily basis. It’s pretty self-explanatory, then, that construction workers can enjoy being around their co-workers and hence they can appreciate their job a bit more than the average employee.
Conclusion
By now, you may think that everything in construction is idyllic and that all the other employees are just unhappy. That’s not true, of course. A construction site is a truly challenging place to work in. Those difficulties, though, are bringing people closer and help them realize that they are daily working on something special.
