A Site Manager is one of the most important job roles in the built environment. Construction sites are varied, messy, and hard to organise. To control everything, you need to have a specialist set of skills.
But what makes a great Site Manager? Well, they need:
Qualifications
All Site Manager positions require certification. These can include:
- Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS)
- CSCS Card
- First Aid Training
- Scaffold Inspection Certificate
- Asbestos Awareness
There are other courses that can be completed, such as a NEBOSH qualification, and these will naturally make any application more appealing to employers.
Communication Skills
Being able to communicate to a team is vital for any managerial role. Delegating tasks and keeping the site running efficiently can only be done with consistent, open dialogue.
Effective Delegation
Construction sites are not a solitary space; they’re filled with hard-working people looking to get the job done.
A key talent of a good Site Manager is identifying the skills at their disposal, and then assigning relevant tasks to specific individuals.
Looking at the overall scope of a project and breaking it down into manageable chunks will make things run as smoothly as possible.
Prioritisation
As well as identifying important skills, a Site Manager should be able to adapt to changes at hand and prioritise which work can be done at certain times.
A sudden downpour might make roofing jobs more challenging, for example, so workers should be moved to where suits best. Only an experienced, hands-on individual will know when to make the best decisions.
Enthusiasm
It’s easy to lose track of the end-goal when undertaking a huge construction job. But a successful Site Manager will be able to visualise the final product, and motivate their team to work hard until the job is done.