Remote Location Project Management: The challenge of recruiting and retaining staff in remote locations

Are you under pressure to develop and deliver best practice remote location construction management, to very tight timeframes? Worried about transport, supplying water and energy, funding and communication in remote areas? And, how do you ensure that your employees don’t leave and stay happy throughout the whole duration of the project?

With the construction boom still going strong, a high level of activity is continuing across remote location projects. Many project managers are facing the same challenges logistically and environmentally.

With remote location construction, there are a lot of things to consider. The employees need to be happy and feel like the location is a ‘home away from home’ for them. This means that the project manager needs to organise good accommodation, catering and any other incentives to keep the employees. All of this, plus issues like communication, transport, energy, water and cost is the responsibility of the project manager.

This interview with Patrick Hastings, Indigenous Employment and Training Officer, Doucon, discusses communication processes, the impact the current employment market is having on Remote Location Projects and issues revolving around recruiting and retaining staff. The interview explores the following questions...
 

1. Could you review for us the current employment market and economic climate. What effect is this having on staffing for remote location projects?
2. why are communication processes throughout the project team vital in ensuring, I guess, the project runs smoothly?
3. In your experience working with the Aboriginal communities if there is an issue with recruiting and retaining staff, and maybe what are your top tips to ensuring that they stay content and motivated throughout the duration of a project?