How do you build a team of hardworking and dedicated employees who will drive your business to success?
Charlie Mullins, Chairman & Founder of Pimlico Plumbers, joined us on the second day of Elite Business on 12 March as the keynote speaker for the Talent and Regulation talk, speaking about how to employ talent and also keep them. He spoke about how to be an effective leader, and how to cultivate a positive work culture that will keep your employees happy and at the same time, increase productivity and boost results.
How do you build the perfect team that will spearhead your business into success? By being a strong leader, first and foremost. Charlie Mullins prides himself on being strong-minded and challenging the status quo, rather than sitting on the fence. To be a capable leader, you have to not be afraid to say what’s on your mind ‘ even if it is unpopular.
You’ve got to be self-opinionated and you’ve got to give your views, Charlie explained. If you’re a businessman you can’t sit on the fence and you have to put your head about the parapet wall. If people want to shoot you down that’s their choice, it doesn’t mean they’re right. I work a lot of my things on common sense. We need to challenge people, we need people to tell people when we don’t believe they’re speaking the truth, and we need to ask questions that others are frightened by. I don’t think I’d be where I am today if I kept my mouth shut.
Charlie encouraged the government to focus more time and effort on apprenticeships, which he believes can provide thousands of jobs to youngsters who have the skillset and abilities to excel, and also help nurture new young talent who will go on to start their own businesses in the future.
I would really encourage more apprentices into businesses, Charlie said. There’s a massive skill shortage. I am where I am today through my apprenticeship and many other people are in the same position, they’ve done an apprenticeship, they’ve been successful, they’ve gone running their own business, employ people and put something back into the economy. Undoubtedly, I would concentrate on apprenticeships and encouraging more people into business. The saying is ‘there is no business like your own business’.”
How do you attract the right talent for your business? What are the qualities and attributes you should look for when hiring new staff? Charlie believes employees should have not only have the right attitude, but also the enthusiasm, drive and willingness to learn.
It’s all about attitude, enthusiasm, drive and the will to want to get somewhere in life, and not just be the run of the mill, or not be part of society. I think once you give a youngster a job, then that’s a great opportunity, that’s the biggest turning point there is out. And especially if you can offer them an apprenticeship, trying them up, you mould them into what you want, and you can’t go wrong. I go back to what I’m saying, the training and apprenticeships are so important to people. Also, the other end of it is you have apprentices that have finished their time or learned to train properly. So, we have the best people of both worlds as a company now, where we train youngsters and we move on to the skilled ones that are already out there. You have to treat people decently, give them a good job, give them a good wage, give them the security that the job is there for life. I was told years ago doing an apprenticeship that you’ll never be out of work and you’ll earn loads of money. They’re right on one of them, I’m still working and never been out of work!
What is the secret to not just attracting good talent, but also keeping them? Charlie Mullins said it’s all about how you treat your employees. Pimlico Plumbers provides their staff incentives and have taken extra care to ensure their employees were looked after during the pandemic. If employees are happy in your company, they are more likely to enjoy what they do and are more inclined to work harder, Charlie said.
You got to look after people, you have to give them the security, Charlie explained. You can’t be paying people rubbish money these days, people are worth good days’ pay for a good day’s work. And you just have to look after people. We give many incentives to people who work for us. We have a gym; we have a masseur that comes in three times a week. Even though work has to be serious, you still have to have an element of fun. You have to make it interesting for people to want to work for you. We also have Christmas parties, big summer parties, we have a boat party… We incentivise our people. Through the pandemic, we’ve been paying all our office staff £20 a day bonus, free meals, free parking, free Covid tests… When staff feel happy at work, we all notice they are more productive. It’s all about looking after your people. It sounds corny, but it’s the truth.
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