This year, three Premier Modular veterans, Jason Doddrell, Roger Todd and Phil Wicks, are celebrating 25 years with us. On top of this we also have a number of employees celebrating five, 10, 15 and 20-year anniversaries! These milestones got us thinking about career longevity, how businesses can cultivate it and what we do at Premier Modular that makes our people want to stay.
Carrying benefits for employers and employees, focusing on career longevity can inform an employer’s decision on who to hire, as well as an employee’s next career move. When people stay in a job for a long time, it creates stability throughout a team or company, having a positive knock-on effect on the organisation’s operations. An established team means people know how systems work, who is responsible for what and, fundamentally, how to do their jobs.
Career longevity is also beneficial as it enables a ‘promote from within’ culture. Most people seek opportunities for progression in their career, and a company that offers vacancies to its existing employees first is more likely to retain existing talent. This culture can also lead to higher team morale and a more positive relationship between management and more junior members of staff.
On an individual level, career longevity is beneficial as it shows commitment to a specific job, career path or employer, which is an asset to any resume. Staying in a job long term can also lead to the development of deep expertise in a field, which is highly valuable to the individual and an employer.
So, how can businesses foster career longevity? We’ve looked into the measures that can be taken to create a positive working environment that encourages growth, and how this is implemented here at Premier Modular.
A positive work culture
A positive work culture is vital for cultivating career longevity. To create and maintain a happy team, employers must prioritise a culture driven by mutual respect. Facilitating a clear line of communication between managers and more junior members of staff can encourage positive communication between the team and minimise the hierarchy. Also, ensuring there are good systems in place for complaints procedures helps everyone to feel protected and heard should they need to voice concerns.
Initiatives that support and encourage positive mental health practices also feed into a positive work culture, contributing towards employee wellbeing and general team morale. Company social events, community outreach and fundraising are also great options to consider implementing to create a cohesive team.
At Premier Modular, we love to invest in our people through organising team socials, past highlights of which include our yearly hog roast, participating in The Great North Run and community initiatives like our beach cleans. Last year, we also introduced the YuLife platform across the business to enhance the wellbeing of our employees.
Growth opportunities
Offering employees opportunities to upskill and expand their horizons is essential for creating career longevity. Staying at the same company should not be synonymous with a stationary career, so encouraging and offering opportunities for professional development is essential to encourage career longevity.
Regular internal and external training opportunities are a great way for an employer to show they care about their employees’ ambitions. Additionally, frequent catch ups between managers and employees to discuss career goals help people to feel supported and shape their career how they want. These practices will go a long way in preventing employees from hitting the glass ceiling and seeking their next opportunity elsewhere.
Create a pleasant environment
To encourage employees to stay at a company, it’s important to create an appealing office space that people actually like working in. Ensuring that the space caters to people’s needs through providing communal areas; a great place to start are quiet areas and dedicated spaces to brainstorm ideas and foster creativity. If possible, provide adequate parking facilities and a kitchen area for employees to use. Also, the power of an aesthetically pleasing environment should not be underestimated, so consider decorating the space in a pleasing way to boost team morale, inspire creativity and promote productivity.
This also applies to temporary modular office spaces where it’s important to create a pleasant physical environment to promote welfare as well as health and safety for workers.
Work life balance
These days, people are increasingly prioritising a good work life balance. A healthy work life balance allows people to excel at work and enjoy their private lives. To achieve this, systems should be in place to promote wellness, health and wellbeing and stress management. At Premier Modular, one way we’ve shown care for our people is through offering more flexibility for parents who need to drop off or pick up children from school. Also, setting realistic goals and encouraging employees to unplug outside of working hours all contribute to fostering a good work life balance.
The Premier Modular way
Here at Premier Modular we’re proud of our values and family PACT, where everything’s built on loyalty, trust, compassion and a deep understanding of one another; our people are at the heart of everything we do. And it would appear all the hard work we’ve put into cultivating a positive work environment is paying off, as demonstrated by the plethora of exciting work anniversaries we’re celebrating this year! If that’s not a testament to our great culture, we don’t know what is. Thank you for all your hard work across the years – here’s to many more!
Are you interested in a career at Premier Modular? Whether you’re looking for your first job, or an exciting new opportunity, why don’t you visit our careers page and see what vacancies we have available.
