In just
seven years, Cheryl Durey has turned her business into a multi-million-dollar
operation by building on a foundation of creating an ideal workplace.
Six weeks
annual leave, a monthly shoulder massage and the option to work
from home during school holidays are just some of the benefits Cheryl
Durey offers to her staff in her plan to create an ideal workplace.
As managing
director of ASSIST, which employs 38 people, Durey takes very seriously
the challenge of finding and keeping excellent staff. She is well
aware that her staff are the most valuable asset to her company
and so makes hiring and retaining excellent people a top priority.
And so, it's
hardly surprising that ASSIST was recognised as one of the top 25
companies to work for in a study entitled "The Best Employers to
Work for in Australia". At the time of this interview, Durey and
her staff were celebrating winning the 2001 Telstra Small Business
Award for Businesses in the ACT with under 50 employees.
The core
business of ASSIST (Accounting Systems Software Implementation and
Support Team) is to provide high-quality specialist support in implementing
large-scale financial systems. Her employees require high levels
of expertise, as well as excellent analytical and interpersonal
skills. "People are our product," she says.
Durey arrived
in the ACT after extensive experience implementing large-scale financial
systems in Europe. At the time, all government departments were
getting set to adopt accrual accounting systems and she saw the
need for specialist skills to introduce them into the public sector.
"I formed
ASSIST to capture a share of this niche market in early 1994 with
only a company name and legal structure but no turnover and little
money in the bank," she says. She started as the sole employee,
working initially from home but with the sole focus of growing the
business and servicing clients' needs. By
the end of 1995, she had two full-time staff, and now employs 38
in offices in Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane. Last financial year
a turnover of $4.2 million was achieved and the company is on target
to achieve $5.6 million turnover this year - growth of 33%.
The
Right People
"There are
a limited number of people who possess the high-quality expertise
and skills required for this kind of work," Durey says. "We've used
recruitment agencies with limited success. Almost all my employees
have come to me through word-of-mouth or recommendations by clients
or staff. My staff know what sort of skills and personalities we
need so they are always looking out for new people. The reality
is that very good people working with other companies come to ASSIST
looking for a better, more caring and family-friendly company."
New applicants
are assessed on their functional abilities and particular emphasis
is placed on how they will fit with the team.
"Teamwork
is crucial. I go out of my way to select staff with complementary
skills and knowledge, and work hard to create an environment which
enables us to capitalise on the positive attributes of individuals
and the broad experience of the team."
The overall
philosophy is that if you get people with the right outlook, attitude
and aptitude, they can acquire the skills required. "Sometimes we'll
hire people with particular skills even if we haven't got work available
for them at the time. They can build up their knowledge and skills
while we wait for a job to come up to suit them," she says. In an
industry renowned for mobility, ASSIST has an extremely low staff
turnover and a high level of staff morale, Durey says.
"I know what
makes my staff happy: interesting work, flexible hours and family-friendly
arrangements, opportunities for training, and the latest technology
to work with. I respect my staff as professionals and members of
an extended commercial family deserving continuity of employment
and a long-term career path in a volatile market. This sets us apart
in an industry that doesn't have a good reputation for looking after
people - quite the opposite in fact."
All salary
packages are flexible, depending on the personal requirements of
individual staff members. "Almost anything is negotiable so long
it is within the laws of FBT and superannuation, etc," says Durey.
There is
a strong belief in sharing the wealth of the company with those
who contribute to it. In addition to salary, an annual bonus recognises
an individual's contribution to the organisation - in essence, a
type of performance-based pay. All staff are entitled to six weeks
annual leave, instead of sick leave. "I can't afford to have people
on sick leave unexpectedly. We work in a stressful industry," Durey
says.
Employees
can also have an hour-long massage once a month as part of ASSIST's
health and safety policy. "Staff are using computer keyboards most
of the time so the massages are really appreciated, particularly
by the guys who don't usually do these sort of things for themselves."
Staff
Development
This is one
of the most significant areas of the business investment and staff
are encouraged to continually seek self-improvement. "Because information
technology is a rapidly changing industry, we need to keep pace
with change to enable us to provide practical solutions for our
clients. Hence staff development remains high on our business agenda."
As part of
the induction process of new employees, a questionnaire assesses
their knowledge and skills to identify their learning needs in each
area relevant to their job. A training plan involving 5-10% of scheduled
work time is agreed upon and commenced (beginning with a time management
course) and updated in line with product and market developments.
During bi-annual performance reviews, further training options and
priorities are identified and agreed as part of a 12-month 'learning
contract'.
"My responsibility
as managing director is to give my employees the opportunity to
follow through with their goals. I will assist in funding some study
courses that are specific to work. I also offer practical support
such as flexible leave and time-in-lieu arrangements to help staff
meet study commitments.
"The percentage
investment in training at ASSIST exceeds industry average, a statistic
reflected in the results of an international training-benchmarking
study in which we participated in 2000. This study compared training
investments and practices and rated us in the top 13% in all categories
across all participants and as a leader in both our industry and
our region (Australasia)."
Effective
Communication
Durey emails
all staff a fortnightly company update to inform staff on progress
on current projects, to outline all new business opportunities and
to summarise the contribution of members to progressing key business
objectives. Where interstate or international opportunities arise,
staff are invited to nominate to work on those projects.
ASSIST is
a quality endorsed company with QAS certification ISO9002 to 2003.
Its staff accept responsibility for quality and contribute to the
ongoing improvement of the company's processes and to the elimination
of faults, defects, wastage and re-work. "Our staff realise that
by providing a quality service, on time and on budget, their work
possibilities and job satisfaction are enhanced."
Staff are
encouraged to suggest and recommend ways in which ASSIST can improve
its services, as well as how ASSIST can work more efficiently and
effectively.
The company
intranet incorporates information regarding improvement initiatives
and best-practice ideas. The intranet is also used as a library
of tips and tricks resulting from work experiences and research.
Staff are encouraged to transfer their knowledge and experiences
to their colleagues.
Company meetings
are held regularly in each office to allow staff to share information
or specific knowledge thus furthering the learning of the whole
organisation. Video-conferencing and tele-conferencing between offices
is used to allow staff from other states to participate in presentations.
"I prefer
to lead by example rather than decree," she says. "I have an open-door
approach to management and encourage all of my colleagues to express
their opinions and ideas freely. You can't meet the needs of either
your staff or your clients unless you are prepared to listen and
be sensitive to their needs. I like to think I encourage individual
expression so that my staff feel they can talk to me about anything."
