Message from the NZCB Board

What a time to be a builder!

Not only are we battling material shortages, COVID-19, and changing lockdown levels we also need to run a business that is profitable and hold onto staff at the most trying of times.

As a business owner the buck stops with you. You are responsible for the continuous development of your staff to aid in productivity, quality, professionalism, reputation, and for the longevity of the industry. Keeping employees engaged and showing them a career pathway within your business is important in today’s environment.

When I was an apprentice, my boss sacked me as soon as I was qualified. He told me to come back in a year’s time, otherwise I would always remain the “apprentice”. Attitudes have changed a lot since then and so have working environments. I recall finishing my three-month trial period and sitting in the boss’s office where he asked, “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?” As a very youthful apprentice on trial, I responded with “in your chair”. I was promptly informed that the only way I would get there would be if he died, or a plague wiped out the other builders above me. If only he could see me now, and what has happened on the plague front.

Creating a pathway to success

As employers, we create a career pathway for our crews. We take on apprentices and show them how they can move from journeyman to carpenter to licensed building practitioner (LBP) and site foreman. The reason we have this pathway is that very few of us in the industry have what it takes to succeed. As a small business in construction, and as an employer, you not only need to be a good carpenter, but you also need to understand business and everyone else’s trade. That way, you can solve complex problems under pressure and ensure a successful outcome.

When you have the business model set up, key support around you, the complex set of building skills on board, and the necessary tools and equipment to do the job, along comes the homeowner/client.

I have had many builders over the years tell a homeowner their thoughts on how they would have done the job, asking them what the architect was thinking with the design, and that they could have saved them thousands. This “throwaway” comment (said as he packs up his gear and leaves site) causes a whole lot of damage. Late night phone calls and emails for the business owner, not to mention the stress on the homeowner, who’s undergoing a project that’s often the biggest investment of their lives. (I bet a lot of you reading this are now nodding, grinning, and know exactly what I am talking about.) This kind of situation can be avoided by providing a pathway and training for staff. We need to get our employees in front of clients, sub trades, and architects early on to expose them to the different levels of complexity within our industry. It’s not just about turning up to site each day and banging in nails! We need our future people to step up and take the opportunities presented to them and have the drive to push further.

Always learning

My father’s advice early on in life was “Son, you either learn from education in the classroom or from life experiences.” I never went to university and learned my fair share of life’s experiences the hard way. I know I do not stand alone on that front.

Today’s environment provides so many more growth opportunities for builders. These opportunities are supported by education available on various platforms and e-tools online, a buoyant building market, and support from New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB). NZCB provides business support and a countrywide network of like-minded small business owners and industry contacts with shared experiences.

I am an inaugural member of NZCB. I wonder if NZCB had been around at the time I started out in business, fresh out of my apprenticeship, some of my hardships could have been avoided. But I would not change my journey because it has made me who I am today.

It is important for business owners and employers of staff to have their own vision and pathway. The after-hours networking, attending seminars, conferences, trade evenings, and supplier product information events are all avenues for growth. From NZCB Auckland Committee Member to NZCB President Auckland to Vice Chairperson of the NZCB Board, I too am continuing to challenge myself while following the industry pathway.

We need our future people to step up and take the opportunities presented to them and have the drive to push further.