Whitfields Staff Success

The marvel of modern-day society is something to behold. No one person has all the knowledge and understanding, yet our individual contributions all form part of the bigger picture that makes the world what it is today. A successful company is much the same, it requires a multitude of personalities with different skills and knowledge for the company to perform at its best.

I must have interviewed over 50 people in my lifetime. Some candidates exuded confidence and said all the right things, whilst others weren’t sure of themselves, let alone their answers they provided! Those of you that have interviewed and appointed employees will know the old saying “you can’t judge a book by its cover” holds true. Despite psychometric testing and the science of an interview, one never really knows who they’re appointing. What I can say is that over the years one gets a gut feel from the person who sits in front of them, and that this “gut feeling” means far more than the perfectly answered questions. It is this, and forethought of how the individual will fit in with the team, that will ultimately determine if they get the job or not.

This year Whitfields celebrates its 30th birthday. From 2 founding employees in 1993, we now boast a staff complement of 123 which service the needs of our clients. What may be of interest to you are the statistics of staff retention. In an industry where staff turnover is rife, we see the following numbers:

Greater than 10 years less than 15 years – 17 employees

Greater than 15 years less than 20 years – 16 employees

Over 20 years – 5 employees

Staff retention is important on several fronts:

•   It tells management that they are doing something right and that the employees are generally content

•   It reassures the client that they are dealing with a company with a wealth of experience and knowledge, and that this should equate to good service

•   It keeps the knowledge and skills within the company and lessens the threat of the competitor. There are many start-up managing agents out there, but they seldom grow as their management is unable to transfer skills and keep the staff

If you asked the Whitfields management why we are the best company to work for:

•   It’s an environment that encourages freedom of thought and initiative. Management knows that mistakes will happen, we are human after all. We learn from our mistakes so that we can become stronger individuals

•   We have a culture of being valued and heard

•   Whitfields provides its staff with the necessary tools, stationery, systems, training and support that enable them to meet the needs of our clients

•   The reason Whitfields exists as a company is simply to help people. Whether that’s helping each other or serving the client to the best of our abilities, a sense of purpose is fulfilled when doing so

•   A common goal and vision is shared

•   We are proud of our staff. We know we have the very best in the industry

From time to time the retirement policy and an individual’s personal path in life would result in a new appointment. The new appointees come with fresh ideas which are heard and considered. Whitfields is fully aware that in order to stay in business for another 30 years, that it will need to be innovative and ahead of its competitors on every front.