Masonry Magazine September 2004 Page. 45
ADVERTISEMENT
The Quest for the Ideal Masonry Incentive System
By: Damian Lang. President Lang Masonry Contractors and EZ Grout Corp.
Those who seek to achieve results on today's masonry jobsite must understand the need to make every aspect of the job profitable and take the appropriate measures to get what they want out of the job at hand.
Never before has there been more emphasis on jobsite safety and efficiency as a necessary foundation leading to success. Yet, with time being a most precious resource both on & off the job, it becomes increasingly difficult for the movers and shakers in business to balance time to study jobsite safety, efficiency, and profit and make decisions.
With this in mind, it is easy to see and understand why today's
Photo: Incentive Program at Lang Masonry keeps employees motivated daily on jobsite
most intelligent and successful individuals in search of the ideal jobsite set up are taking more care to educate themselves by learning from each other in the industry. When it comes to choosing the best pay for performance combinations for their crews, who better knows the masonry jobsite than a fellow mason contractor? Contrary to popular belief, there are alternatives to consider to increase your efficiency and productivity on the jobsite while rewarding your employees for a job well done.
For years, the industry has adhered to traditional pay structures, including hourly pay, seniority entitlements, and systems that pay based on profit levels achieved. Undoubtedly, many contractors use these same methods today. Yet, we wonder why our crews aren't motivated? I contend it's because the reward is not tied closely enough to the job the field labor does everyday. They see little correlation so they give little enthusiasm for it. If only there was a way to get your crew from field employees to senior management excited about the results they achieve every day? Guess what. I have found a way that works for our masonry contracting company and I want to share it with you. From field labor to the secretaries in the office, we use a system to reward them all. And, it is tied directly to their performance on the job on a daily basis.
Once this system is in place, your crew will start thinking more heavily about efficiencies on the jobsite. They'll look at whether it's better to mix mortar on site to control when it's available or whether to order it from a concrete truck if the volume needed is higher. Your office staff will take more seriously the act of collecting money from your customers rather than accept repeated excuses not to pay. Your estimators will be more careful to make sure all costs are covered and that a proper profit margin is achieved. Why? It's simple...because their individual pay is tied to each of these areas.
Maybe you bought a new piece of equipment to take advantage of the new tax laws for this year. You know it will improve efficiency on your jobsite yet your crew isn't interested in using it. They don't want to take the time to learn...they don't want to change. It's human nature. Anyway, with their pay tied to production results, it won't take them long to figure out that the more they produce, the more money they make. Then, they start looking for ways to work smarter and that new piece of equipment gets a chance to show its stuff! I have seen this in my own masonry company so I realize it happens. That's part of why our pay structure we use has developed to the stage it is today.
About four years ago, I was approached by a number of mason contractors. They wanted to come to see how we run our operations. They were amazed to see how we could achieve profit and growth based in a small rural area of southeastern Ohio. So, I put together a presentation to explain how we operate looking specifically at safety, quality, and production. I included our pay systems. It wasn't long after that until word of mouth took over. I was getting more and more calls from mason contractors wanting the same opportunity. In short, now I hold these seminars two to three times a year and have published a book on our company's practices. We have had contractors from all over the U.S. come to our location to learn. While here, we not only talk about equipment and pay for performance, we discuss any jobsite issues mason contractors face on a daily basis. It's a great learning experience for all of us.
I am proud to say that both my companies, Lang Masonry Contractors, Inc. and EZ Grout Corp., make every decision looking at how to improve the masonry jobsite focused on safety, quality, and production. We have built two very strong companies based on these governing principles and I, as President of Lang Masonry Contractors and EZ Grout, stay actively involved in every aspect of the business to insure this focus remains unwavering. Our goal is to make the masonry industry better for today's masonry crews.
Having started a two-man masonry business over 20 years ago, I know the issues we faced in the past and what we continue to face today as mason contractors. I want to make the industry not only more profitable, but safer and more attractive to new talent at the same time. With a staff of experienced professionals, we are fortunate to get to know our customers on a personal level, to talk about jobsite issues they face, and help them resolve their jobsite headaches. This enables us to create a solid foundation for providing the best to our customers. The only risk with regard to retaining our services is the risk of drastically escalating your control of your jobsite while actually increasing your production.
What started years back as my dream to increase efficiency in my own mason contracting company has now attracted the attention and confidence of my peers on jobsites across the U.S. I consider that the best compliment a person can get. If you or someone you know would like assistance in building your ideal jobsite for efficiency, safety, quality, and production, I'd be glad to help. Attend our upcoming Rewarding And Challenging Employees (R.A.C.E.) for Profits in Masonry seminar. For details, contact us at 1-800-417-9272 (toll free) or visit our new website at www.langmasonry.com
CIRCLE 127 ON READER SERVICE CARD