An employee database is a system that every company should utilize, no matter the size or industry. Essentially, it will contain a file for each team member, consisting of significant personal and professional information.
While the types of information that you want to include will vary depending on the individual’s position, in this article, we will go over some of the critical items that you should be tracking for employees on your construction team.
The following is just a starting point. Consider the different types of files and reports that your company captures regularly. Everything pertinent to the individual should be kept in their file. At the very least, your employee files should include:
Contact info
Even if your team is not regularly emailing one another, having a couple of different contact methods is essential. You may need this for tax purposes, but it could also be helpful to have a backup plan if you need to get in touch with the employee.
Emergency info
Hopefully, you will never need to use this information. But accidents can happen on the job (especially in the construction industry). If anything were ever to occur, or if you need an alternative method to get in touch with an employee, emergency contact info can be incredibly useful.
Resume and certifications
It would be best to capture all of the main elements of the individual’s application. This is useful if you ever need to refer back or if you are looking to fill a specific position that requires a particular background or skillset. It is good practice to promote from within instead of posting a separate job listing.
Hire date and employment milestones
Team members who have been working for your company for a while will likely expect to see pay bumps over time (as they should). This is incredibly important when it comes to retention. By capturing things like starting time and when they advanced or started new positions, you can make better decisions regarding pay rates and other offered benefits. Just make sure that you keep track of past managers and positions since you will likely need to inquire about the individual’s performance and accomplishments in that role.
Performance reviews and employee surveys
It is good practice to track things like team member satisfaction and manager feedback continually. This can be done on a quarterly or yearly basis. By doing so, you can get a better sense of the best moments to reach out to your employees or offer benefits to address any concerns and increase retention.
Complaints or disciplinary hearings
There will be times when someone receives a poor review from a manager, or an incident occurs that you need to address and course correct with your employee. While this might not necessarily need to result in the employee being let go, it is still a good idea to keep track of this information so that you have a paper trail and can make better decisions regarding things like pay bumps or promotions.
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