"A modern foreman must act like a general on the construction site"

Vladimir Halas actually has more than one job. "A foreman is the interface between the construction manager and his team, psychologist, politician, kindergarten teacher, hand-holder, and, if necessary, teacher for the very young," explains the 34-year-old. Despite all these areas of responsibility, he welcomes VIENNA.at for an interview for Immoinsights.

VIENNA.at: When is a foreman successful?

Halas: For every foreman, it is very important that the colleagues working outside also return home healthy. It is also important for us and the company that we deliver the construction site economically and qualitatively within the owed framework. And of course, a clean and safe construction site is the business card of every foreman and the company. Because it is what the outside world sees.

What qualities should a foreman have?

We are in the era of the modern foreman. A modern foreman must act like a general on the construction site, have an overview of what will happen in the future, meaning the next days and weeks, be well-prepared, use detailed knowledge at the right time, and understand and implement complicated processes. Why modern? We are in a digital age, which can sometimes present a certain challenge. A foreman must be a coordinator. He often has to make and implement decisions based on gut feeling due to his experience. Also important are forming and welding teams together. A foreman is the interface between the construction manager and his team, psychologist, politician, kindergarten teacher, hand-holder, and, if necessary, teacher for the very young.

How did you become a foreman?

That was fate. I did not plan to become a foreman. Actually, I came to my profession as a bricklayer and formwork builder through the AMS. At that time, I was newly integrated into Austria, and that was my only option. I saw that you could earn well there. Subsequently, it just happened. When I attended the foreman school, HABAU had a project opposite it. That's where I met my mentor, who made the whole thing appealing to me.

What are the nice and less nice aspects of the job?

The beautiful aspects are the variety of tasks, the people you meet, that no day is like the other, you always see something new, participate in innovations, and take part in various projects. One of these is, for example, the apprentices you have to train. It's nice to see how they develop. The less beautiful aspects are hard to say. Of course, there are ups and downs. One thing is the ever-growing administrative workload. However, this is also essential for quality assurance, cost, and schedule control. You have to document more and more due to the digital age. And a major challenge is the shortage of skilled workers. If you have well-trained professionals, it is much easier to deliver quality.

How great is the responsibility of a foreman?

Very great. There is more and more responsibility and tasks. But that is part of this job. You have to be stress-resistant. At least at the beginning, a lot of stress and turbulence came my way. Over time and with the tasks, you learn to rise above it. You grow with it.

How affected are foremen by heatwaves?

In my position, I am not affected by heatwaves, so I must not complain about it. Of course, I go outside, but the people who really work outside, the workers and assistant foremen, are much more affected. We try to organize the work so that, for example, if possible, we perform tasks in the shade during extreme heat.

Which of your projects are you particularly proud of?

The last one, the Central Hub, that we built. It was the first time I officially took on the role of foreman, and my name was on the construction board. It was a very large project with a lot of responsibility, which we implemented very well. And we had a very good relationship with the client.

(BP/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.