Of all the factors that go into a company, image is arguably the most important. While providing quality products and/or services is crucial, how your business is perceived by the public and your employees is the test you have to pass before quality makes a difference. Construction companies are fighting an uphill battle in this regard for a number of reasons, but these tips can help your California construction company put its best face forward.
Hiring a PR Firm
Public relations is a field that seeks to manage the reputations of businesses, and there are many tools in the PR toolkit for that exact purpose. Investing in that kind of reputation security is essential for endearing yourself to employees past, present, and future, as well as the general public and potential clients.
Looking Like a Good Job Opportunity
The average business depends almost entirely on staff, and that same is true of construction companies. However, construction is an inherently dangerous job, so it can be difficult to find workers willing to put their lives on the line for a paycheck. While construction pays well enough for most people, getting employees to take that risk may take some convincing. Therefore, you’ll have to show the public via PR that your company will take care of its employees.
For example, labor laws are often a point of contention, and many companies will exploit workers when and where they can get away with it. That leaves an opening for you to show potential workers that your business prides itself on strict adherence to the letter of the law.
Consider researching California overtime laws in order to find some of the more common problems. Having done so, you can engineer policies that address those problems and make that information known in a public forum. Making potential hires aware of the fact that you respect workers and their legal protections will ensure that you have plenty of candidates when compared to the general atmosphere of distrust between businesses and workers.
However, labor laws aren’t as important to workers as the element of danger, and for good reason. That means that you’ll have to generate the impression that your company is looking out for its employees on the job. The first step is to pass a safety inspection. Upon doing so, you will be given certification that you can proudly show to potential hires and potential clients alike. However, your reputation is best served by achieving an impressive enough safety record that you can justify issuing a press release in order to make your accomplishment publicly known.
Being an Asset to Your Community
One of the biggest problems with construction companies, from the perspective of the average person, is that they tend to spend a long time on a large project, and that entails a lot of noise that ruins a lot of days for those nearby. However, it’s safe to say that all is forgiven a given construction project serves the community as a whole. Therefore, you can and should capitalize on this phenomenon by choosing clients and projects that reflect well on your business as an asset to your community.
As a business, the pressure is there to take what you can get, so you’re inevitably going to be ruffling the same feathers as any other construction company. However, getting a few projects under your belt that are well received in your area will give you fodder for positive PR.
Going back to showing how you can benefit employees, you can also make a name for yourself by being open to hiring former convicts. This can be a huge boon for your community, because many businesses outright refuse. Meanwhile, the assumption should be that a former convict has been successfully rehabilitated, and refusing them a job gives them little alternative to returning to a life of crime. However, this also serves as the making of a glowing news story about your company and the good it can do for your area.
