Taking on Staff

Bringing new members into your team is a big yet exciting step for your business. However, in order to be successful, it’s key to make sure you’re choosing the right people. Here, Richard Kendrick, Marketing Manager at SIG Roofing, details the ins and outs of the process.

Generally speaking, those involved in a roofing business know just how busy it is day in, day out. But it’s this that makes you realise that an extra pair of hands could come in handy. When that time comes, there are a few things to take into consideration, from identifying the ideal character to join your business to ways of keeping them happy and motivated.

Young blood

During more recent years, completing an apprenticeship is an option, which has passed through many young minds deciding which next step would be beneficial to them in their career ladder. In fact, figures published earlier this year by the Department of Education show a significant increase in the number of people starting an apprenticeship compared to last year.

There is no doubt about how widely employers benefit from taking on apprentices. As well as improving both your productivity and staff morale, you’re also offering apprentices the chance to gain valuable skills.

More importantly, however, it’s important for the industry to recognise the current shortage of people in the roofing sector. Now more than ever, there are fewer young people considering roofing as a career, with a recent survey showing that 22% of construction workers are over 50 years old and 15% are over 60.

At present, the skills shortage is a factor taking a big toll on the industry today. It’s for this reason that it’s important to grab the minority of those interested in the trade with both hands and get them trained. Not only will this help to bridge the skills gap, but it’ll increase the diversity of your business and your company image.

The legal bit

As much as introducing new people to your business is an exciting concept, the legalities of doing so can be tricky. When employing staff for the first time, it’s important to fulfil each of the below six steps:

  1. Employment checks – check if someone has the legal right to work in the UK before taking them on.
  2. Insurance – make sure you have employers’ liability insurance. As an employer, it’s essential to have this.
  3. Salary – decide how much to pay the employee. This, of course, can vary depending on a prospective employees level of experience
  4. Details – send clear information to the apprentice around the job, including terms and conditions.
  5. Register – let HMRC know about any new staff member by registering as an employer.
  6. Pensions – recent changes in the law mean employers have to provide a workplace pension for eligible staff as soon as they start work.

If you’re unsure on any of the above your best port of call is the Gov.uk website, which has all the latest information around taking on staff.

Keep the momentum going

Once you’ve gotten through the daunting but essential legal stuff, you can start focusing on the more positive side, which is building your relationship with your new apprentice.

Generally, most people would ideally want their working relationships to comprise of trust and loyalty. With the right people under your wing, this is easily attainable. Building a positive and friendly relationship will ultimately make them want to work harder for you and help develop the basis of trust, giving you peace of mind in that you’ll be able to rely on them at work.

As well as the relationship itself, it’s important to consider giving them opportunities to thrive. Training, schemes, benefits such as gym memberships or bonuses for reaching targets will not only motivate them but also put you and your business at an advantage by having a generally happier bunch of people working for you.

And don’t forget your current staff – if possible, grant them the opportunity to upskill them in any areas required. At the end of the day, the best of your staff = the best of your business!

For more information about SIG Roofing, please visit www.sigroofing.co.uk or follow @sigroofing on twitter.

Registered Office: SIG Trading Limited, Adsetts House, 16 Europa View, Sheffield Business Park, Sheffield, S9 1XH. Registered in England No. 01451007 VAT No. GB 487 01733