| "Communications are vital; we ensure that our management teams hold regular meetings with their supervisory staff who filter information to their teams. This is something we have always done but now it is much more formalised and effective.” |
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Company Background
Originally founded in 1926, CMT Engineering is now part of Caparo Industries - the largest private engineering group in the UK. It has four operating divisions providing a range of products and services, with the largest of the group providing tube fittings.
The company was first recognised as an Investor in People in 1994 and has now been assessed against the Investor in People Standard four times.
The Challenge
Paul Taylor, Managing Director at CMT says: "When we originally looked into what was involved in achieving recognition of the Standard, we felt that many of the processes were already there within our business but perhaps not in a formal way. We introduced structured assessments for our staff on an annual basis, and introduced more formal manpower planning."
This combination of annual assessment and manpower planning led to increased opportunities for CMT staff who expressed an interest in moving department or learning new skills. These staff may not have been considered for a change of department or career had these processes not been in place, and to date the company has found that this has worked extremely well, and has given its staff added motivation and a more positive view of the company.
Paul feels: "Gaining Investors in People recognition is not about having a plaque on the wall. It is about making sure that we have the right people in the jobs that they enjoy, with both the company and staff reaping the rewards.” He adds: “We find that our employees are more responsive to new ideas and flexible in their attitude to work. We need this level of involvement and co-operation if we are to continue to be one of the most successful engineering companies in the UK."
Paul continues: "Communications are vital; we ensure that our management teams hold regular meetings with their supervisory staff who filter information to their teams. This is something we have always done but now it is much more formalised and effective.” He believe: “Giving people the information to do their jobs properly increases their involvement and interest, and reflects back on the quality of our products and services. That can only be a good thing for our customers and our business."
The CMT management team realised early on how beneficial Investors in People Standard accreditation could be to its business.
Paul concludes: “We believe that the good practices encouraged by the Standard have played a large part in our success. We have bucked the current trend in engineering and recently increase our workforce by over 5%.”
The Results
A testament to the job satisfaction within the CMT workforce is the low staff turnover rate and high number of family groups working in the business. There is also a significant number of individuals with over twenty years service at the company.
