Our People

At Countryside Properties we endeavour to achieve our objective through our people, ‘by encouraging a climate of professionalism, teamwork, enjoyment and continuous development, by empowering them to achieve success.’ Developing the skills and abilities of our people, via the Investor in People standard which we have been accredited to since 2000, continues to be essential going forward to ensure culturally we are prepared for the increasing complexity of development.

Our success is driven by the skills and enthusiasm of our people and as a family business we are committed to nurturing their talents. Integrity and professionalism is central to our approach of working with our stakeholders to deliver mutually beneficial results. We therefore seek to instil into our people the importance of our values of integrity, professionalism, respect, collaboration, innovation and the highest standards of delivery.

This has undoubtedly been a difficult year for the development sector and, in common with our peers, we have regrettably had to make cutbacks in personnel levels across the business. Despite this we have not closed any of our operating divisions and we believe we are well positioned to create new employment opportunities when the market fundamentally improves.

Training and employee development

We continue to promote the coaching, training and development of our employees to ensure they have the full range of skills to meet the challenges and opportunities of the ever evolving development industry. This is principally being realised, in accordance with our Training and Development Policy, via the Group’s Training Academy, and in particular our ‘Training to Succeed’ programme which includes courses on leadership, management, health and safety, and sustainability. Additional specialist courses are also available to meet individual training needs.

Since 2001 we have successfully operated a Graduate Management Training Programme. During the reporting period we had 30 trainees working in four specially designed programmes for school and college leavers, undergraduates and graduates. In 2009 the sixth group of Graduate Management Trainees left the programme and have taken up full-time employment within the Group in their chosen careers. Economic conditions have meant that we did not recruit any graduate trainees in 2009 however we remain committed to bringing forward the future managers of the business.

During the reporting period, the Group invested £554,000 (2008 - £881,323) in employee development and training, including our Graduate Management Training Programme, which averaged, per employee, £1,053 (2008 - £1,098) or 2.6 training days – all of which compares favourably with our peer group. Whilst, our overall investment has reduced this is more of a reflection of the resource rationalisation that we, along with our peers, have had to undertake during the recession. Indeed, we have continued to invest in our people, as is evidenced by the average investment per person.

Empowering success

As an equal opportunities employer, Countryside Properties endeavours to provide employment on a fair and equitable basis. Internal job development, promotion and job sharing are actively encouraged to ensure that experienced employees are retained.

Personal Development Reviews (PDRs) are encouraged on an annual basis. They provide the framework for recognising achievements and objectives for the future, as well as training requirements. During this reporting period none (2008: 74%) of our employees undertook a PDR. Whilst, this is disappointing, it is perhaps not surprising given the prevailing market conditions, the Group’s focus on completing its refinancing with Bank of Scotland and the need to rationalise the business. Looking forward, we will re-instigate our historical commitment to undertake PDRs with an overarching objective to be reaccredited to the Investors in People standard in 2010.

The average absence across the Group has fallen to 3.8 days (2008: 4.8) and is lower than the last available construction industry average of 6.2 days. This compares favourably with the national average for all UK industry of 6.7 days in 2007. Unfortunately, due to the economic climate, the CBI has not surveyed absence levels since 2007. In 2009 we achieved our overall objective of reducing the average absence days per person.

Renumeration packages, holiday, pensions, health and child care entitlements are also monitored, against industry benchmarks, to ensure that they remain competitive. It continues to be the Group’s policy to ensure that the overwhelming majority of employees hold full contracts of employment rather than being engaged on a temporary basis.

Our Employee Assistance Programme is available to all employees and compliments our benefits package providing further for our people’s needs. Following a service review a new provider is now in place offering independent confidential counselling, help and information. The service is also now available to our employees’ partners and children. In addition, we hold free ‘Wellness Clinics’ in our Head Office for our staff to check and monitor their health.

Internal communications

We are committed to high levels of internal communications. We usually achieve this through a number of channels including: presentations to staff by Senior Directors; our intranet; an email newsletter; Main Board Receptions and the Inside Countryside staff magazine. Due to the refinancing taking up a large amount of senior management time during 2009 it was not possible for all internal communication to be as regular as was otherwise intended. During 2010 more frequent staff communication, through each of these channels, will be made.

A new intranet did however go live in July 2009. It is a much more collaborative and dynamic platform that is enabling easier knowledge sharing and improve internal communications. Our commitment to sustainability is communicated to our employees through each of these mediums, in addition to learning on innovative projects.

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