Running a crane business is no easy task. You need a wide range of team members if you want to cultivate an efficient working environment, and each worker must have the hard and soft skills needed to excel at their job. But how do you know which players you need on your team, and where do you go to get them?
In this guide, we'll show you how to build a mobile crane team from the ground up. We'll identify which positions you should look for and then explore some strategies for how to recruit the right fit. We'll also explore some top retention tactics that can help you minimize your employee turnover so you can maintain your team's synergy, followed by an examination of how you can invest in long-term, sustainable growth.
Inside this guide:
Before you can build a team, you need to know which positions you'll have to fill. A single mobile crane project will require multiple crew members, each having a different role. Understanding the differences between each role can help you identify any missing pieces so that you can make the right hires.
The most common mobile crane team positions are:
Each team member must work together to ensure a successful operation. As always, communication is key. A well-rounded team can complete even challenging projects safely, efficiently, and rapidly, whereas a dysfunctional team could result in a disaster.
Once you've identified which team members you need, the next step is to leverage your team's network and resources to recruit the top talent that's out there. You'll then need to craft a retention strategy that reduces your turnover rate and fosters a company culture of long-term engagement so you can keep your all-star team together for the long haul.
Here's how you can get it done.
Regardless of the position, working with mobile cranes is a highly specialized job. It requires certifications and plenty of construction experience — and the ability to work well under pressure.
Hiring for such a niche position can be a difficult task, so you should make sure to utilize all of the networking resources at your disposal to find the right fit. We've previously about the top mobile crane workforce recruitment strategies, but here's a quick review of the most common recruitment techniques:
Pro tip: Offer internships to recruit new graduates and put them through a work-study program. This provides them with real-world experience and the potential for long-term employment.
In 2021, the construction industry had an employee turnover rate of roughly 68% — well above the national average of 30% to 40%. A high churn rate can dampen your company's culture, lower morale, hinder communication, and reduce your team's efficiency — all of which can eat into your bottom line.
To elevate your retention efforts, the first step is to create a strong culture that shapes your company's ethos. We've covered these crane operator retention strategies more comprehensively, too, but some of the main ways to keep your team together are:
Pro tip: Promote from within whenever you can, and highlight success stories where possible. This demonstrates your commitment to your employees and shows them that their efforts are being seen.
Once you've established a team that can carry your crane business to long-term success, the next step is to invest in developing your workforce to facilitate future growth and keep your crew satisfied.
Workforce development is essential for growing your crane business in a sustainable and profitable way. A typical construction company's labor costs account for roughly 20% to 40% of its overall expenses, so wasted labor can severely damage your company's profitability.
The high rate of employee turnover contributes to these costs. Investing in the right retention strategy can reduce your labor expenses and boost your bottom line. Also, because workforce development makes your mobile crane team safer and more efficient, it also boosts the team's performance.
Workforce development improves your retention rate, but it also makes it easier to fill shifts. Some strategies to consider are:
These tactics not only make your team more effective; they're also more cost-effective than hiring from outside your company. Check out a deep dive on these workforce development strategies.
When companies invest in workforce development strategies, they improve their productivity and profitability. Businesses with more engaged employees are 18% more productive than those with less engaged workers and experience 23% more profitability. They're also safer and experience less theft — a critical problem in the construction industry — so when your employees are satisfied with their job and work environment, your balance sheet will thank you for it.
One way to invest in your workforce is to establish a leadership training program to prepare high-potential operators and riggers for supervisory roles. Conducting regular employee surveys or feedback sessions can also help you understand their needs or concerns, and their suggestions may unlock improvements for your overall work environment.
Pro tip: Developing future leaders helps you maintain strong operational management and decision-making as your business scales.
Building a mobile crane team requires careful planning, and having the right construction software in place should be a key part of your recruitment, retention, and workforce development strategy. The right solution should foster clear communication between team members, provide a centralized hub for all of your construction workflows, and keep everyone on the same page to ensure adherence to vital safety protocols.
RapidWorks' products are at the forefront of the heavy construction equipment industry, delivering innovative mobile and telematics solutions that can help improve your mission-critical mobile crane workflows.
Visual Dispatch, RapidWorks' premier crane product, lets you allocate your crew and crane resources, generate quotes, and manage your daily operations with ease. Keep your crew happy by maintaining open communication lines and workflows that help them know their job schedule and job details ahead of time. Schedule a demo today to see how we can help you facilitate better communication and improve your workforce.