Quality work from quality people
By Matt McKinnon, General Manager/Director, New Zealand Specialised Coatings
Here at New Zealand Specialised Coatings, we think we are in the top tier of flooring/resin applicators across the country – but then I’m a little biased. Our biggest asset is our people and training is a key aspect of that. We bring people in from a young age and I enjoy watching them grow, qualify, and ultimately become more valuable to the company.
We’re proud to nurture a training culture – it’s core to our business, and for the right people we back them all the way.
When we’re looking for staff we’re looking for a couple of key characteristics:
- someone who would have the drive and inclination level to achieve the Resin Flooring qualification
- someone who can be a good all-rounder.
You can’t underestimate a good work ethic. When we see this in someone, we will often offer them a casual contract as a labourer. This way they get a true understanding of what’s involved in the role. If it’s a good fit for both them, and us, we send them on the qualification pathway.
Achieving a qualification is no mean fete, but training our people brings more than that – it makes the person an all–rounder.
We have ongoing training for apprentices and other staff as we need to hold current certifications – whether it’s health and safety or sector-specific permits for some of the big clients we work with. If someone in our team shows potential, including leadership skills, we also try to ensure they can access training courses. We try to match our people up with the best training options for their skills because at the end of the day it provides benefits for them and back to the organisation.
Having a training culture has created expectations. Our team members want to have the same credentials as the person they are working alongside, they are curious, and they appreciate the investment that goes into training them – not just on the job, but a qualification pathway that can lead to great things. Hands down we get the productivity and profitability of training – you really can’t afford not to do it!
