When Bay of Plenty’s Waiotahi Contractors wanted to introduce a professional development plan for its people, they turned to a concept every civil construction worker knows well – building roads.
Waiotahi now uses the simple imagery of building a road on its Career Progression Map to give all employers a clear visual understanding of how they can develop their career opportunities and progress through the company by training. The map clearly tracks how an employee might go from being a labourer to a project manager by following a training path with Connexis from NZ Certificate in Infrastructure Works (level 2) through to the NZ Certificate in Project Management (Level 5) with other jobs and qualifications along the way.
Each step along the path outlines approximate pay increases, skills acquired and responsibilities undertaken.
The Waiotahi Career Progression map is the brainchild of the company’s People and Capability Manager, Hollie Atarau.
“We had done some staff surveys and one of the things a lot of staff said they wanted was more training and professional development, so, as part of developing a culture and wellbeing improvement strategy, we came up with the professional development career progression plan,” Hollie says.
“It provides a clear pathway for our entry-level roles to progress within Waiotahi. Which helps with employee retention as well as professional growth. Employees who advance within the company from the bottom up are really valuable, because they gain that knowledge through experience and on-the-job training, while getting the qualifications. It’s great to keep that knowledge and understanding in the company.”
Hollie knows a thing or two about how important training and professional development can be for building a career, having started at Waiotahi as a receptionist. She developed the roadmap so everyone in the Waiotahi can see clearly and quickly where training could take them – and how it can impact what you earn.
“We put the average industry pay rates in because it does inspire people to see what they can achieve financially by investing in their own training and development. That’s quite motivating.”
Hollie says the map is often used by managers when they’re onboarding staff, and in performance reviews, to motivate team members.
“An operator can see on the map that their journey can lead to a project manager. Waiotahi do really want their staff to succeed and they want to be part of that journey of supporting them to reach their goals.
“It goes a long way to fostering a positive company culture when staff feel valued and motivated. They then want to contribute to the success of the business.”
Feedback on the map from Waiotahi staff has been hugely positive, Hollie says. “A lot of feedback has been on the fact it’s a really visual tool; and it’s pretty simple without pages and pages of words about different steps and options.”
Shining a light on the value of training also has a domino effect within the team, Hollie says. “One of our guys in Kawerau recently finished a qualification and one of his team mates reached out to me and wants to complete the same civil apprenticeship. Seeing people succeed encourages others.
“It makes them want to achieve more, and they enjoy their job more. It gives them a sense of produce, and a sense of loyalty to the company. That reduces our staff turnover and reduces the costs of hiring. It’s good for everybody.”
Waiotahi currently have 9 staff members completing training through Connexis.
