Development of Assessment Tool for Workforce Sustainability

Abstract

The work environment in construction is physically and mentally demanding. This demanding environment can place adverse risk on the construction workforce including emotional, physical, and financial challenges. To minimize such challenges, continued development and cultivation of the construction workforce is required. Continued development and cultivation can sustain the workforce and lead to both personal and business growth. The process of developing and cultivating the workforce enhances construction workforce sustainability, a measure of the social sustainability of the construction workforce. The aim of the present study is to develop a practical tool for assessing workforce sustainability in construction. A mixed-methods research approach that relied on a review of literature, semistructured interviews, and a multiround expert survey was utilized to achieve the aim of the study. The developed workforce sustainability tool includes three levels of components (attributes, indicators, and metrics) organized in a hierarchy to characterize a workforce. The use of the assessment tool yields a final aggregated score that reveals the level of sustainability of a workforce. The present study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a means to assess and ultimately improve workforce sustainability in construction. Widespread use of the tool is expected to help the construction industry develop and nurture its workers to produce a healthy, productive, and resilient workforce.