web-based construction software provider. “Whereas efficiency
in manufacturing has almost doubled from 1995 to
2012, construction productivity decreased by around five
per cent.”
Employees who are engaged also tend to be efficient and
they are more likely to be high performers in deadline-driven
environments.
Shekhtman says the goal is to tie competition to deadlines
in a healthy way.
“Having something with clear guidelines that also ties into
a deadline will enable you to create a great deal of friendly
competition to complete a project on time,” he said. “Site
crews know they have to work together as a unit, and this will
further drive them toward a common goal. I think it’s a winwin
because you get a project completed on time and team
members are pushing themselves – and each other – to do an
excellent job.”
At Shamaym, the focus is on creating high performance in
a “lack of time” environment.
“Today, the work environment is built from teams, and how
you can improve the team and get results,” said Paldi. “From
the other end, we believe much is based on the individual and
each of us has their own role on the team. When managers
can create this sense of team and understand that when one
employee succeeds it influences the rest of the members and
spurs them on ... it creates the right work concept.”
While fostering healthy competition in any workplace is a
“top down, bottom up” process, Paldi says manager participation
is crucial.
“When you fall short of your goals, what do you get from
your manager? I think that if they react negatively, that
can create a bad culture and bad competition in the team.
Instead, the manager should ask, ‘What can you improve for
next time?’ Then, everyone wants to improve and contribute.”
He says, though, that too much competition in the workplace
can backfire.
“If there is no competition at all, employees probably won’t
be high achievers. But if you do it too much, you can break
the team. There is a line and if you cross it, it can go from very
healthy to a very bad competition environment and then the
stress immediately comes.”
Shekhtman agrees that competition in the workplace can
turn ugly if it’s not managed properly.
“It’s always important to keep competitive levels in check,”
he said. “Workplace rivalries can be very detrimental to the
organization. When you put your personal agenda ahead of
the team’s, that gets in the way of progress. It can result in
turf wars and management by intimidation; that drives low
morale and low productivity. It’s really critical for leaders
to set expectations and boundaries, and avoid creating an
environment where people feel pressure to perform at the
expense of others.”
A key thing to remember about fostering workplace competition
is to aim for balance and tie the initiative into the
company’s purpose and DNA. According to Shekhtman, that
should be the moral compass guiding any competition.
“For us at Robert Half, our goal is to deliver exceptional
service to our candidates and clients. But any competition
we have internally still ties to that – that’s how we ensure it
remains healthy.”
He reiterated that competition drives employee engagement
and that in turn drives retention. Even at a time when
unemployment is high, managers are still concerned about
retaining key staff.
“A survey we recently did showed that 82 per cent of senior
managers across Canada are concerned about retaining their
top talent. Managers and employers need to be very creative
moving forward, putting things together that are outside the
box, to build synergies to recognize and retain their people.
That is a big concern for in-demand positions and critical
roles, such as construction, which is an essential service.
“The reality is that it’s still tough to find quality people.”
FEATURE
“It’s really critical for leaders to set expectations
and boundaries, and avoid creating an
environment where people feel pressure
to perform at the expense of others.”
– Mike Shekhtman, Robert Half Canada
“Positive competition can be fostered
through virtual contests or challenges
that encourage participation and
provide a barometer for buy-in.”
– Ofir Paldi, Shamaym
ROBERT HALF CANADA
SHAMAYM
22 Q4 2020 www.pilingcanada.ca
/www.pilingcanada.ca
