In the first of three exclusive features with Karen Brookes, director of people and infrastructure, and member of the Board at Sir Robert McAlpine, we detail the construction landscape for the 153-year-old business in a post-COVID era, why sustainability is dictating talent solutions and how its partnership with the Morson Group is crucial to capturing market advantage.
Restoring an icon
“Hearing the bells of Big Ben chime at midnight each New Year’s Eve is such an iconic moment – it’s a huge symbol across the world, just like the fireworks at the Sydney Opera House and the ball drop in Times Square,” says Karen. Referring to Sir Robert McAlpine’s extensive specialist restoration work of the Elizabeth Tower as part of a parliamentary investment.
“We’re best known in residential, education, retail, healthcare and commercial sectors, so it’s actually a fairly new market position for us to be undertaking such intricate stonemasonry. We’ve had to recreate a ‘grotesque’ (a sculpture that juts out of the building in a similar fashion to a gargoyle, except that it doesn’t spout rain water) and slot it back into place perfectly. All while ensuring we’re preserving a building that is hundreds of years old – it’s new territory.”
“Our Special Projects division is now recognised as one of the leading contractors in the field and is listed on the Crown Commercial Service framework. That comes down to our ability to attract the right talent to complete jobs to such a high standard. Buildings like the Elizabeth Tower and the Royal Albert Hall are national treasures, and there’s a lot to do to ensure they remain in pristine condition and retain that heritage status for a long time to come. Having the right people in our team is crucial to whether or not we can successfully achieve this.”
Specialist project work is just one string of many on the bow of Sir Robert McAlpine. A tier one contractor, it’s playing a vital role in many governmental investments and private contracts to elevate the country’s infrastructure and sustainability as we emerge from the pandemic. And according to Karen, even the sectors which were predicted a downturn have begun bouncing back.
Workspaces for the future
“We’re always going to need schools and hospitals and private ventures like hotels and housing. Many thought COVID might be the death of the office space, it certainly hasn’t been,” she says. “People like collaboration, and going into work allows a demarcation between the start and end of the day, which isn’t always easy to achieve at home.”
Throughout the pandemic, Sir Robert McAlpine adapted its usual work in the healthcare field. They developed pop-up facilities for hospitals requiring additional space for extra beds. Working in collaboration with other contractors in the UK to ensure the NHS was adequately supported demonstrates the company’s dedication to social value. Building for purpose is now hugely important for its workforce and potential new candidates.
“More so than ever, people want their roles to involve contributing to society,” Karen says. “And it’s important for us to work that element into our parent projects. Sustainability, an ethical supply chain or offering teams the chance to give back to their communities matters to people. It’s great that they bring that mindset to the workplace because it promotes change.”
Sustainability
“Sustainability is so huge for us. Many buildings we’re working on centre on repurposing what’s already there, which isn’t carbon neutral, and turning it into something environmentally friendly. Carbon neutrality has become a major influence in construction – but finding the skills and capability to deliver it isn’t easy. They’re highly sought after and there’s a war for talent, particularly in areas like sustainability. There are organisations that are doubling or trebling salaries to attract people, but our proposition as an employer runs deeper than that.”
“We’re achieving our sustainability targets by working with partners who share our ethos, from Morson as our talent expert through to our building materials suppliers. We only work with those who align with our thinking. It’s not about building the cheapest building, but about creating one with social purpose and value, one which has a positive impact.”
“It’s important to ensure we’re hiring people in the locality of our projects. Contractors shouldn’t be travelling miles and miles each day to reach the site – because that’s unsustainable in itself.”
With that approach comes an acceptance that Sir Robert McAlpine might always operate within certain financial parameters.
“We’re a family-focused business – there are fifth-generation family members on our Board – which remains our priority over growing exponentially,” Karen said. “We’re always going to be assessing our margins and considering if we can expand into new sectors – that’s basic business sense – but we’re at around £1bn turnover and happy to stay there, because we want to remain selective about our projects. We’ve just taken on a project in Nottingham repurposing a mental health facility, which will have a real benefit to the community. We want to walk away from projects knowing we made a difference, rather than thinking about whether that brings us closer to targets.”
Talent partnership
Sir Robert McAlpine has had a managed service (MSP) in place with Morson for 4 years. Karen places the company’s ability to continue moving forward in the market on the tight-knit relationship between the two businesses.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to identify where Sir Robert McAlpine ends and Morson begins because we’re very much dovetailed together. They come to us proactively to discuss what’s happening in the industry. We brainstorm together how we’re going to respond, what could become a challenge for us. Whether it’s something that might impact our ability to hire engineers, for example, or where a competitor might take market share from us. We look for opportunities, like launching specialist talent schemes to tap into new candidate markets, together.”
“The data insights from Morson also mean we’re able to benchmark things like salaries and employee benefits compared to our competitors. So we can see whether we need to adapt to remain competitive when it comes to talent. That level of insight is invaluable.”
Targets
“We have an array of targets in place from the number of quality CVs received and hire time turnaround, as well as longer-term retention rates and cost savings. Everything is updated to dashboards regularly and reported monthly, if not more often. While targets are important, we take a top-line view of what’s happening. If we’re struggling to recruit for a role, is this a wider industry issue at the moment? Is the language we’re using engaging to the audience we’re targeting? Are we offering a salary and benefits that are appealing? We have those open discussions with Morson, and then, we tweak the brief and assess how those changes take effect.”
Commenting on Sir Robert McAlpine and Morson’s partnership, it’s clear Karen sees it as crucial to the business’s success for years to come.
“Over the years, our relationship has grown organically and that’s because Morson understands the industry, our business and the importance of sustainability. I can’t imagine working with a better-placed partner when it comes to knowledge and insight.”
“You have to enjoy your relationship with your talent partner. It has to be easy, and in many ways, they have to see your business’s potential before you see it yourselves. That’s exactly what Morson brings to our business – a client-focused partnership, working hand-in-glove to make us even more effective against the challenges we face, and in light of the opportunities they identify for us.”
If you would like to find out more about our MSP solution and how we can help your organisation cost save, continuously improve, and transform through talent, get in touch with Morson MSP director, David Lynchehaun at David.Lynchehauhn@morson.com
On the 9th of June 2021, Punks With Purpose published an open letter to BrewDog flagging concerns about the way the brand was operating, particularly in its culture and the treatment of its staff. The letter attracted considerable attention and went on to be signed by over 300 current and former employees.
In this article, we explore the actions the BrewDog Punk IPA producers have taken to address these culture concerns over the past year. Read on to find out what steps they are taking to rebuild their culture and employer brand and, importantly, analyse if it’s working…
‘BrewDog was, and is, built on a ‘cult of personality’ … ‘growth, at all costs, has always been perceived as the number one focus for the company.’
Punks With Purpose
The open letter asserted that BrewDog’s culture is dominated by fear and that it stemmed directly from co-founder, James Watt. In the aftermath of the letter, Watt posted an apology admitting that
‘on many occasions, we haven’t got it right. We are committed to doing better, not just as a reaction to this, but always.‘
James Watt CEO BrewDog
In response, BrewDog commissioned an independent culture review, carried out by consultancy firm Wiser. The review found that the company’s structure and policies hadn’t matured in line with its growth, particularly concerning HR, progression and communication. As a result, many staff felt unsupported.
Wiser asked current and former employees to compare their expectations of BrewDog’s culture with the reality of working there. They scored below expectations in:
Leadership & management
Purpose & values
Wellbeing & belonging
Psychological safety
Progression & development
A roadmap for a culture revision: The BrewDog Blueprint
In May 2022 the ‘BrewDog Blueprint’ set out their people plan, based on the recommendations made in the Wiser report. The Blueprint mission statement asserts
“We are determined to create a completely new type of business model. One where our team members are truly connected to the business, and where every single person in the team benefits from the growth and success that we collectively create”
BrewDog BluePrint
Strategies implemented include:
Hiring 600 new staff to ease bottlenecks
‘HopStock’ employee ownership programme
‘BrewDog 50/50’ – bars share 50% profits with staff
BrewDog alumni club
Employee representative group
Mental health first aid support
‘Top Dogs’ monthly awards
DE&I forum
Pawternity leave – 1 week of paid leave for a new dog
Brewdog academy – online training hub
Independently managed ethics hotline
Will the BrewDog Blueprint make a difference?
The Wiser review suggests that current employees are happier than former employees in several key areas. Suggesting that BrewDog’s culture has improved in recent months.
For BrewDog, increasing headcount was a key first step to alleviate fundamental challenges such as employees feeling overworked. Monetary benefits such as the Hopstock and BrewDog 50/50 are certainly generous gestures. However, companies must ensure that staff are appropriately paid for their role rather than relying on bonuses or similar schemes. Remember, money isn’t everything and in a post-Covid climate, we’re seeing more people choose purpose over pay. Surprisingly, the expected post-pandemic rush back to the office barely happened and over the past two years, people have had the opportunity to reflect on their priorities. As people evaluate what they want from their careers, workplace culture ranks highly among employees’ reasons for moving jobs.
Some of these strategies, such as ‘Pawternity leave’ could come across as a gimmick. We’ve seen this approach before when the founders changed their names to Elvis by deed poll, in promotion of BrewDog Elvis Juice. However, the company has implemented strategies that go beyond clickbait niceties. For example the ‘BrewDog independent ethics hotline’ shows a commitment to change, giving staff a secure way to report instances of toxic behaviour. The Employee Representative Group (ERG) have already produced actions, including a new sick pay scheme and enhancement of their welfare space. A robust relationship between the ERG and leadership team will be vital to ensuring continued improvements to workplace culture. Overall, these strategies indicate a commitment to improving the experience of BrewDog’s employees.
Of course, there’s no quick fix when it comes to rebuilding workplace culture. Yes, the Wiser review showed signs of positive change. However, BrewDog should consider whether employees felt secure enough to give honest answers to the questions asked. There is a follow-up review due at the end of 2022, which will allow us to evaluate these strategies further
What can organisations learn from the BrewDog story?
The dangers of growing too fast too quickly
A recurring theme in the Wiser review was that BrewDog’s policies weren’t keeping up with growth.
‘Brewdog has evolved at such a rapid pace, but the changing faces of HR has led to inconsistencies with the support employees have experienced. The current team hasn’t had the investment it needs and is small compared to the industry average, leaving people feeling they don’t have the support they need.’
‘Ours is the story is a young company and an inexperienced leadership team very much growing up in public…The lesson here – don’t let growth, even if it feels exciting at the time, come at the expense of looking after your people.‘
JAmes Watt CEO BrewDog
BrewDog’s new Chairperson, former chief executive of Asda Allan Leighton, will also serve as a mentor to Watt providing guidance on leadership and governance.
Invest in your people
Whatever stage of growth your company is at, it is essential that you give your employees the HR support they need. For example, start-ups need a solid foundation of HR policies that will ensure compliance and save time and headaches in the future. For scale-ups, a comprehensive onboarding process will set new starters up for success and establish the culture you want to create from day one. While SMEs should focus on giving employees a voice and ensuring that there are systems in place to allow for feedback at all levels of their company. At Morson, we equip businesses of all sizes with HR skills, data, and expertise through our HR outsourcing solutions.
Provide safe spaces
Safety isn’t just about PPE, workers also need to feel safe to express their opinions without fear of repercussion and trust that they will be listened to.
Wiser found that in the current BrewDog culture
‘Some employees feel uncomfortable speaking up and challenging. This is partly related to James’ previous demanding leadership style and the way decisions were made in previous eras.’
Wiser
By creating an environment where feedback is given freely and received empathetically your employees will be much more likely to share their concerns. Listening to concerns and acting upon them will prevent small problems from snowballing into bigger issues later.
It’s easier to cultivate a positive workplace culture than fix a toxic one
If you don’t look after the employees you have, it will become increasingly difficult to attract new talent. BrewDog has always courted controversy in its brand and leant into its ‘BrewDog Punk IPA’ image. Their identity as rebels of the brewing industry heavily relied on Watt. As a result customers identified with the brand, but it also left the CEO vulnerable to criticisms of dissatisfied employees. BrewDog is no longer a challenger brand, they’re market leaders, so while they may still be punks at heart, their company culture needs to reflect the scale of operations.
Technology, social media and career review sites such as Glassdoor have dramatically changed the way we recruit and retain talent. Allow Morson to lift your employer brand and ensure that top candidates want to work for you by engaging our Digital Studio team. Our employer brand and marketing team offers a range of services curated to engage, nurture and create awesome candidate experiences through personification, personalisation, effortless application and interaction. Each of our services enables businesses to harness the power of digital to increase brand visibility, attract and excite the best and most relevant talent for their organisation. To find out more, email Digital Studio Lead rebekah.lee@morson.com.
