In a recent Embassy Unfiltered interview with our Roofing Director, Dan Tomlin, Billy asked Dan about how we have transformed from a small scaffolding business into a major player in the scaffolding, roofing and training industries, managing a workforce of over 50 direct employees and over 100 subcontractors.
The heart of our success lies in a commitment to our culture, recruitment and training.
Family-First Culture
Our foundation as a family business shapes Embassy’s entire approach to employee relations. “We tend to look after people like their family,” explains Dan.
This isn’t just rhetoric. Embassy employs multiple generations of families, including grandfather-father-son combinations, creating a unique workplace dynamic that strengthens company loyalty and culture.
Comprehensive Employee Support
The company’s growth has led to the development of a robust HR division that focuses on employee wellbeing, including healthcare and mental health support.
If members of our team face personal or financial challenges, it is our duty to take an active role in providing assistance. It’s in our nature to protect and assist our own, as and when they need it.
Clear Career Progression
Clear career pathways for all team members are crucial, regardless of their entry point.
For those starting in scaffolding, the progression typically moves from labourer to scaffolder, advanced scaffolder to team leader. Following this, moving into the office opens up progression into many areas including health and safety, contracts management and scaffolding design.
For us, its important progression opportunities are based on merit rather than filling vacancies, ensuring talented individuals can advance their careers. If you are ready, then the sky is the limit.
The Embassy Academy: Bridging the Skills Gap
Recognising the construction industry’s ongoing skills shortage, in 2023 we established
Embassy Academy to attract and develop new talent.
Our Academy serves as a crucial bridge between traditional education and practical construction careers, offering industry newbies, young and old, a chance to experience the industry and kickstart their new careers.
On the other hand, our Academy’s approach is particularly innovative in that we offer multiple career paths. Therefore, even experienced construction professionals can upskill and progress through the ranks.
While some may focus on hands-on trades like scaffolding or roofing, others, perhaps later in their career, can pursue roles in estimating, contract supervision, or management. This flexibility acknowledges that construction is a career for life, not just whilst you can work on the tools.
Changing Industry Perceptions
We strive to change perceptions about careers in scaffolding and roofing. Whilst traditionally viewed as short-term, physically demanding jobs, we promote them as stepping stones to longer-term careers in construction management and supervision.
It’s important we encourage workers to plan their career progression early, recognising that while transitioning from on the tools to to office-based roles might initially mean a pay decrease, it can offer better long-term career prospects.
Key Recruitment Criteria
When recruiting, Embassy focuses on three main qualities:
- Dedication and commitment to learning
- Strong work ethic and desire to earn
- Long-term personal and professional goals
But it’s not all about skills, arguably the most important attribute of a new hire is their personality. Here at Embassy, we value good characters and team players.
As we look to the future, we must work to establish stronger connections with local colleges, positioning Embassy Academy as an alternative path to traditional higher education.
Our ultimate goal is to become a recognised option alongside sixth-form and university education, offering practical career paths in the construction industry for those seeking alternatives to academic routes.
Through this multifaceted approach to recruitment, development, and retention, Embassy Site Services are not just building a workforce, we are creating career pathways and changing perceptions about what a career in construction, scaffolding and roofing can offer.
You can watch the full interview with Dan here:
https://youtu.be/NhUqP8ubZ6A