Construction financial professionals (CFPs) who are in the specialty trades often find themselves responsible for more than accounting-related activities due to the size of their company and available resources. It is common that they will oversee Human Resources (HR), in which many have not had much experience. Each company is unique in its HR needs and the subject encompasses many different facets of a company from employee onboarding to retirement benefits. Some CFPs will find certain HR responsibilities flow more easily into their role, for instance, complying with ERISA laws, while others, like managing conflict between employees, are a little more foreign to them. It is important to hear feedback from our peers in the specialty trades as to the resources they use and how others have navigated this unknown territory. Below you will find a few responses from those in the specialty trades and what they found to be challenging or surprising to them since taking on their roles.
Lori Swisher, Vice President of Finance, EHMS Mechanical Services
As a smaller specialty subcontractor managing HR can be challenging. Since we are smaller, we do not have an internal HR professional. We do have an outsourced HR professional who I can go to with questions, the employee handbook and policies and procedures. However, most of the HR functions are performed by me.
One of my biggest struggles has been the various employee issues that come up that require multiple meetings and discussions. Employee behavior, issues with following procedures and hiring and terminations can be challenging.
One thing that surprised me the most about the HR functions that were thrust upon me when I started in the industry, was how many phone calls and meetings I would end up having with our attorney over the years. I really had no idea how involved HR could be, it’s been a struggle at times to juggle this along with all my other responsibilities that I have with the company.
Becky Jenne CPA, CCIFP, International Lining Technology
As a “smaller” contractor, we have very limited office/accounting staff. So, a full time HR person is not even remotely possible. My payroll administrator and I share the HR functions. Through our D&O policy we have access to free HR resources, which are really helpful! Those tools include things like employee handbook and policy building tools specific to the states we work in, webinars, and direct access to employment law attorneys for those quick questions about situations and policies. Our largest struggle is making sure none of the paperwork falls through the cracks, both at hiring and on an annual basis for things that need updated. The thing that surprised me most about the role I play in the HR functions is that everyone assumes that I have all the answers!
Nicolle Taylor-Sheafor, CCIFP, Hardman Construction, Inc.
When I started with Hardman Construction there wasn’t a designated individual in charge of HR and the tasks were somewhat spread throughout the administrative staff. I was lucky in that we had a wonderful established relationship with a 3rd party HR firm that helped us along the way. We are a union contractor working in 3 states with 3 different trades, so the number of contract rules feels endless and can be difficult to keep track of. Luckily, in 2016 we were able to hire someone who took over payroll duties and had a knack and love for HR which evolved organically. Today she serves as our HR manager and knows her union contracts like the back of her hand. She oversees all HR duties except for employee benefits, and I consider myself very lucky to have come into the company when they understood that there was a need for someone like her because of the structure of the company. I know that I would not be able to do my job or all of the tasks I do today without bringing someone on board.
In closing you will see that each company is structured differently and has dealt with this issue in different ways. Be sure to attend the panel at this year’s national conference to hear more about CFPs and their experience in HR.