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Undercover boss digs deep to save skills

 

Stephen worked as a labourer for two weeks at a number of Clugston's sites as part of the Channel 4 TV series, Undercover Boss. By working at grassroots he saw at firsthand how the practical skills of a generation of 'baby boomers' are about to be lost and must be passed on before the older generation retires.

The Clugston Group employs 600 people and includes construction, logistics and property development with clients such as Corus, BP and Morrisons.

 

Stephen said: "I saw three big issues from a workforce perspective. Our communications look great in head office but don't work out on sites. On site people are reading tabloids, they don't relate to glossy magazine style bulletins. I hadn't realised the impact of the recession on communication - you need to do more, even if there isn't much to say."

 

"We've all heard about the ageing workforce coming up for retirement - but I saw firsthand how they have critical skills which are about to be lost.

"And for years now there have not been enough young people coming into some industries - manufacturing and construction are just two. While apprentices have reversed the trend I could see just how serious an issue this is."

 

Since the programme, Clugston has been looking at how they pass on the skills of the older generation. Stephen added: "At Clugston, we have accelerated our own activities to address these issues as a result of what I discovered. But the advice and support out there to help us is fragmented, difficult to understand and not targeted specifically on passing on the skills of older workers.

 

"We believe businesses need a support package - which we are calling Bridge the Gap - based around three critical areas. First, an easy process to identify which people have the ability to coach younger people possibly using a form of psychometric test that is not paper based.

"The package also needs to provide courses on coaching skills that are not classroom based and a way to identify skills which the older generation has and the where the gaps are in young people. The current process of a Training Needs Analysis needs adapting, allowing people on site who are not used to paper-based systems to use it."

 

Stephen Martin worked by day on site and in the evenings wrote up a diary, analysing the key findings of the day. His co-workers believed he was an office worker looking at what he could learn from people who work outdoors.

Overall he was impressed by the commitment of the workers to areas such as health and safety, one of the construction industry's major concerns. He also obtained a valuable insight into his own leadership style and the need to refresh and improve internal communications.

 

"I couldn't believe how much effort we had put into communications and how little of it was getting through. Redundancies were a classic. We'd taken ages to explain the criteria to those leaving not enough to those left behind. The rumour mill filled our gaps - they tried to second guess what was happening and assumed they would be next to go," said Stephen.

 

"I realised in a recession you need to communicate even more frequently than you normally do and even if there is nothing much to say. People need reassurance and information."

 

Stephen Martin joined Clugston two years ago and had already made significant changes. The company's results to end January 2009 were their best in over a decade with group turnover to end January 2009 up by 31 per cent to £141.7 million and group profit before taxation up 8 per cent to £2.8million.

 

He saw the programme as a one-off opportunity to get under the skin of his own business with a new perspective on the barriers and opportunities to achieving Clugston's ambitious goals.

 

"Perhaps the most extraordinary lesson for me was that even though I'd made a huge effort to go out on site and meet everyone - you are invisible when you are in a suit! People in suits carry certain baggage with them and rarely get under the skin of the real issues. That alone made it worth going undercover."