星空传媒

After just a few minutes listening to Steve Oldbury, director of Connaught, talking passionately about the benefits of partnering, it is clear that candidates need to be client-focused.

"I don't want somebody who has no idea about customer service or is disorganised and can't manage people," he says. "I'm looking for a people person with all-round management and logistics skills who can build lasting client relationships.

Long-termist
With 70% of Connaught's work partnering based, candidates with a holistic approach to business are essential. "Businesses today tend to have an all-round approach, so people need to be able to service all the client's needs. Five years ago, people went into a refurbishment project, did the work, and that was often the end of contact. We need to look at how we can interface with our clients' business long term so that we are permanently a part of what they do."

Oldbury says his ideal candidate will have ten years' experience, but this does not need to be in construction. "We are prepared to look outside the industry. Candidates don't need to know everything about building as this can be taught, but they need inbuilt logistics and people skills. One of our best project managers was a teacher before joining us."

He stresses he wants knowledgeable applicants. "There's education and then there's knowledge," he says. "At the end of degree courses, people can come out educated, but not knowledgeable."

Space to develop
This is not to say he does not take on graduates. "We have a few graduates working their way through, but we tend to bring apprentices into our business and move them through our departments."

The successful candidate will need to fit within the culture of a partnering agreement, and so team working, good working-relationship and good communication skills are essential.

It seems the partnership philosophy works both ways. Connaught trains all staff and offers a structured career-path.

Oldbury notes the common trend of people who seek promotion off the back of a desire for remuneration, rather than based on their skills. "You get 24 year-old bricklayers who expect to be managers at 28 before their skill base is ready. We've got to offer career enhancement opportunities and a paved career path for people to counteract this. Partnering helps us do this as a sustainable period of work means we can map someone's career path."

Connaught recently won the Customer Focus Award at the National Business Awards, where they competed against companies such as Virgin One and Fujitsu.