PEOPLE & SAFETY

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PEOPLE

GHD’s people have always been central to our endurance and growth. As we develop globally in our 80th year, it is even more critical that our approach to people is guided by our core values of Teamwork, Integrity and Respect.

Growth

This year our sustained business growth was supported by a 25 percent increase in staffing, with staff numbers now exceeding 6,500. A record number of graduates (233) and trainees (51) joined GHD, representing an increase from 197 graduates in the previous year. Thirty-five percent of our graduate recruits were female and their professional qualifications spanned engineering, applied science, architecture, design, planning and finance.

Our state of the art on-line recruitment and search system, Taleo, was implemented in the 2008 financial year. It has been an instrumental tool for the business, providing a consistent framework for our global efforts in helping attract and recruit more than 2,000 high quality people to GHD.

While the global skills shortage of technical professionals has impacted staff retention throughout the sector, GHD’s record remains better than the industry average in our respective countries and is a reflection of our commitment to long-term employment.

As a staff-owned firm we greatly value the contribution of our people over the long-term and take pride in providing a working environment that fosters loyalty and commitment. Consequently, each year a growing number of our people have reached significant service milestones. Currently we have over 250 staff members with 15 or more years of service with GHD. This year, we introduced a new Service Milestone Recognition Program, which recognises the achievement of important service milestones in a consistent manner globally.

Our reputation as an employer was further enhanced in New Zealand where GHD was a 2007 finalist and award winner in the New Zealand-based JRA ‘Best Places to Work Survey’.

Professional Development

The professional development of our people is a core part of our strategy. The GHD Business School has been set up to deliver comprehensive technical, administrative and leadership skills training. It operates with the strategic guidance and governance of an Advisory Group, comprising executives and a senior external academic advisor. It supports our business objectives and people development through a wide variety of internally designed and externally sourced programs, available to our people around the world.

During the 2008 financial year, the GHD Business School curriculum offered 65 core training initiatives for the many career stages of our people including Job Manager and Project Director. Other programs offered included Management Information Systems and operational support together with global initiatives including the new Service Line Leader program, Service Group Manager, and Advanced Train the Trainer. Technical skills programs and seminars to support our Service Lines were held widely as were Sustainability Awareness sessions. In all, over 5,000 training sessions were delivered throughout the firm.

The training and development of our people is founded on the annual Performance Review and Development (PRD) Program, which ensures that all of our people are actively involved in setting and achieving their goals. Globally, 90 percent of our staff completed the PRD Program and engaged in the opportunity to discuss their career aspirations and identified development and training measures, which will assist performance improvement and achievement of personal goals.

Leadership Development was further advanced in 2008 with an in-house ‘Harvard Business School Leadership in Professional Services’ program for 65 leaders – a first for our sector. We are further refining our approach to leadership with the development of the GHD Leadership Model, which defines the specific leadership capabilities for our leadership roles and aligns with our professional services leadership model. Implementation will involve 360-degree reviews and guided development plans for current staff, and recruitment processes for new staff.

Support for our Fast-Growing Businesses

In the 2008 financial year, GHD focused on providing development support for South East Asia, the Middle East and China. Key initiatives include:

We also successfully trialled the use of e-Learning to increase global access to process training with an Introduction to Performance Review and Development in both English and Bahasa – Indonesian. Further e-Learning modules are being progressively implemented for specific core GHD processes (e.g. Timesheets, Management Information Systems, Safety) initially in English (written and audio) with audio translations in Mandarin,Spanish, Vietnamese, and Bahasa – Indonesian.

Graduate and Young Professionals (YP) Development

After joining GHD our graduates typically embark on a three-year Consultant Development Program to adequately prepare them for a career with GHD. This covers foundation skills, technical and personal development and business skills training.

The GHD Business School facilitated its first Young Professionals (YP) International Forum in 2008 with representatives attending from Australia, New Zealand, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Kuala Lumpur, Chile, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The forum provided the opportunity to compare and enhance YP activities and structures across our operations and facilitate greater co-operation.

Global Experience

With our business now comprising a network of more than 100 offices throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas and Europe, GHD offers staff members the opportunity to work in another office – either for short-term project work or to transfer internally for longer term assignments.

During 2008, our well-developed mobility practices (including cross cultural awareness training) supported more than 160 staff relocations, aiding inter-office collaboration, sharing and development of company knowledge and culture as well as facilitating career progression.

Further opportunities for our Young Professionals to live and work in another location on Career Development Assignments of three to six months were introduced in 2008. Our extensive office network and global reach now makes relocating within their own country or internationally, an attractive opportunity for our Young Professionals.

Supporting Women and Families

Thirty percent of people employed at GHD are female and 2008 saw the largest increase of women in management roles in the firm’s history. GHD continues to receive high commendation from the Australian Equal Opportunity in the Workplace for Women Agency for our approach to and achievements in equal employment opportunity.

A significant innovation has been the establishment of the Women in GHD Forum. This group focuses on raising the profile of women and their contribution to the company and fosters networks amongst our female staff across our operations.

Furthermore, in 2008 GHD introduced an enhanced global standard level of paid maternity leave and enhanced family friendly employment practices. This was the result of a wide-ranging review of maternity leave support and major improvements in response to the 2007 People Survey and valuable input from our Women in GHD Forum.

SAFETY

During the 2008 financial year, we strengthened the GHD Health and Safety Management System via a robust review cycle and continue implementation of the GHD Safe observation process.

Key achievements include:

This year, GHD also launched a new Safety Index as a means of tracking and comparing health and safety performance in our operations. Five Lead Indicators including inductions, inspections, hazard briefings, GHD safe observations and project safety index