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Remote/Hybrid work in Construction?

2020 was a year that changed a lot of things, and even in 2023 we are seeing an impact- specifically on how it has changed how construction mid-level managers want to work.

In 2020 we sent a lot of people home to work and we discovered we could do so with a lot of success. In some industries and job descriptions more than others. Estimators, for example, love looking at blueprints and making estimates and doing take-offs. They do not need a lot of interaction...or do they?

I think 2020 did teach us a lot. I think certain people can absolutely work from home effectively - even more effectively than in the office. But that is not what work, and culture, is all about. Work, especially construction is still about making human connections. It makes a company better when humans can work side by side, bouncing ideas off of one another. And, when a general contractor can meet with the one working with the plans the connections become stronger. This makes for a better bottom line - and better sales now and in the future.

In the drywall and framing industry, contractors are shooting themselves in the foot by not working in offices. After all, a huge part of any drywall subcontractors' scope of work is taking existing space and changing it for the new tenants TI's or fit-outs). If everyone is working from home, anywhere from 10%- 70% of the subcontractors' business is out the window. Contractors need to take the lead in this area. The benefits of having an office with regular hours are still huge.

Not only that, there are people outside the US offering to do takeoffs remotely for pennies on the dollar. Estimators should take notice because these offshore workers do excellent work. When you remove the value of your presence by reducing it down to just doing takeoffs there are people all over the world who will do it as effectively and at a fraction of the cost. Being present at your office increases your value. You are no longer a face on a screen, but a real human person.

Finally, there is AI. Do not sleep on this; I believe there are jobs including the labor portion of this that can and will be taken over by AI and robotics. There is coming a day when blueprints will be able to be fed into a computer program and the computer will be able to take it off and prepare an estimate with no human help whatsoever. These computers do not need lunch breaks, health care, a truck allowance, or workers' compensation. They are not unionized. By demanding hybrid or fully remote work environments, we are encouraging the advance of this type of technology removing the human aspect entirely.

Do I believe working from home is a great benefit? yes. Do I believe it should be the rule rather than the exception? no. We were created for relationships. We do better as a race interacting in-person regularly. As workers, we are setting ourselves up for extinction as we devalue ourselves and our roles by working on a remote basis.

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