Career Development Month: Empowering Growth Through Quarterly Check-ins
In today’s competitive construction market, career development is essential for companies aiming to attract and retain skilled workers. Structured career development models, including quarterly career check-ins, provide a practical and proactive framework to develop depth of skills and align employee goals with evolving construction industry demands. This continuous development process offers construction firms a way to stay aligned with field and office personnel goals, competencies, and real-time feedback, which are critical in the construction industry's fast-paced and project-oriented environment.
Quarterly Check-ins: An Ongoing Dialogue
Quarterly career check-ins enable project managers, superintendents, and other team leaders to discuss career goals, competencies, and skill-building opportunities with their teams. Instead of waiting for annual reviews, quarterly discussions ensure that goals stay relevant to current projects and changing conditions. Employees can set clear, measurable objectives that build toward annual career goals while honing project-specific skills. This continuous approach keeps personnel engaged and responsive to project and industry needs.
Annual Competency Updates for Evolving Skills
The quarterly check-in framework supports annual updates of competencies, reflecting industry advancements and project requirements on a personal scale. By formally updating required competencies, construction firms ensure that employees stay current with specialized skills, including building techniques, company protocols, leadership, and more. This structured skill development process promotes transparency in career progression and enables managers to guide employees toward responsibilities and experiences that drive both career and company growth.
Gathering Peer Feedback for Comprehensive Development
Peer feedback provides valuable insights into teamwork, problem-solving, and communication. Providing and receiving constructive feedback builds communication skills and fosters trust among coworkers by reinforcing the value of supportive improvement and mutual growth. Peer feedback allows team members to highlight strengths and areas for improvement in real-world contexts. This 360-degree feedback loop builds skills that are vital for collaboration on construction sites, including adaptability, communication, and conflict resolution, which all foster a culture of openness and continuous improvement.
Annual Overview: Reflecting on Success and Growth
At the end of each year, the annual overview session allows construction professionals and managers to review achievements, assess performance on various projects, and recognize skill advancements. This reflection provides a foundation for setting next year’s goals and aids in identifying new certifications, training, and relevant work experiences that ensure employees’ career paths continue to grow and align with the company’s project pipeline.
Fostering a Culture of Continuous Development in Construction
Quarterly career management check-ins help construction firms build a supportive, skilled workforce that feels valued and empowered through structured, real-time development planning. These check-ins combined with annual reflection, competency updates, and goal-setting fosters a workforce that is motivated and aligned with company goals, positioning the organization for sustainable success in a competitive and evolving industry.
By Dan Miller, Director of Human Resources & Talent Development
National Stress Awareness Day: The Brain Science of Stress and Strategies for Resilience
On National Stress Awareness Day, it's important to explore the science behind stress and highlight practical strategies to improve resilience. Understanding what stress does to the brain can help us all recognize its signs and create healthier ways to cope.
Stress, at its core, is a survival mechanism. When we perceive a threat, the brain triggers a “fight or flight” response, releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These chemicals prepare us to respond to danger by increasing heart rate, focusing attention, and energizing muscles. While this reaction is essential in situations of immediate physical danger, chronic stress—common in our fast-paced lives—can have harmful effects on the brain and body.
The brain's prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making, emotional regulation, and impulse control, is particularly vulnerable to chronic stress. Studies show that prolonged stress weakens the prefrontal cortex, making it harder for us to concentrate, manage emotions, and make thoughtful decisions. Conversely, the amygdala, which governs our fear response, becomes more active, making us more sensitive to stressors. In essence, chronic stress rewires our brains, increasing the risk of anxiety and depression and diminishing our resilience over time.
Understanding these effects is a vital first step in managing stress. Here are three strategies, grounded in brain science, to help mitigate stress and build resilience:
- Mindfulness Practices: Mindfulness meditation is one of the most effective ways to counteract stress. Research shows that mindfulness strengthens the prefrontal cortex and reduces the amygdala’s reactivity. Even a few minutes of daily mindfulness practice can help the brain recalibrate, reducing overall stress and improving focus and emotional regulation.
- Physical Activity: Exercise not only helps relieve stress but also triggers the release of endorphins, the brain’s “feel-good” chemicals. Regular physical activity also stimulates neurogenesis, or the growth of new brain cells, particularly in areas of the brain affected by stress. It can serve as both a physical outlet for stress and a means of building a more resilient brain over time.
- Social Connection: Neuroscientific research highlights that social interactions can counteract stress. Positive social interactions stimulate the release of oxytocin, a hormone that helps calm the amygdala and reduce stress. Maintaining supportive relationships and making time to connect with loved ones can be a powerful buffer against stress.
Let’s take this National Stress Awareness Day to recognize stress as a natural part of life, but also as something we can manage. By understanding how stress affects our brain and implementing science-based practices, we can enhance our resilience, improve our mental health, and lead more balanced lives.
By Lisa Marini, Learning & Development Manager
Celebrating Employee Ownership Month: Exploring the Benefits
Employee Ownership Month is an exciting time for our company to reflect on where we started from, what growth we have had, and what pursuits we see for future expansion. Brinkman Construction started the ESOP journey in 2016, and in the 8 years that have passed, our share value has increased over 670%.
Prior to joining Brinkman Construction, my work experience spanned a private equity-held company, individually owned entities, and Fortune 500 companies. Looking back on these different experiences, I can truly state that working for an ESOP provides more employee camaraderie and benefits.
Managing the administration of an ESOP is highly rewarding due to the shared ownership model and potential for employee empowerment, but it also requires navigating complex regulations, financial intricacies, and careful communication.
Challenges:
- Complex Regulations: ESOPs are subject to intricate legal and tax regulations, requiring thorough knowledge of compliance and fiduciary responsibilities.
- Valuation and Financial Management: Managing the value of shares in an ESOP can be difficult, especially in fluctuating markets. Accurate valuations are essential for fairness but can be costly and time-consuming.
- Balancing Stakeholder Interests: As the interests of employee-owners are directly tied to the company’s performance, management must strike a balance between growth, profitability, and employee satisfaction.
- Communication: Educating employees about their role as shareholders and the financial aspects of employee ownership can be challenging. Clear and consistent communication with team members is vital for an ESOP’s success.
Rewards:
- Empowering Employees: Working for an ESOP means contributing to a culture of ownership. Employees directly benefit from the success of the company, which often boosts morale and fosters a sense of pride.
- Long-Term Growth: ESOPs provide a long-term retirement benefit for employees, aligning their interests with the company's financial success. This can enhance employee loyalty and retention.
- Inclusive Decision-Making: Managing an ESOP means encouraging transparency and participation from employees in business decisions, which can create a more democratic and collaborative workplace.
- Wealth Building: For employees, the stock allocations and dividends can become a significant part of their financial well-being, offering a tangible reward for their contributions to the company.
The challenges of employee ownership are significant, but the positive impact on both the business and the employee-owners makes it a worthwhile endeavor.
By Jonathan Semonchick
Jon is the total rewards manager at Brinkman Construction. He has over a decade of experience working in finance, and joined Brinkman Construction in 2018.