Learn how Northumbrian Water is working to strengthen their pipeline of talent
Northumbrian Water is a utilities company providing mains water and sewage services across various English counties. Having long been alert to the risk of their ageing workforce, the company decided to look at measures that would promote retention and internal mobility of junior colleagues. This was part of a wider strategy to strengthen their pipeline of talent over the next decade by reducing reliance on finding candidates in an increasingly tight labour market.
Collaboration between HR and management helps the company identify gaps and opportunities within the business
After making internal mobility a strategic priority, Northumbrian Water looked to improve collaboration between HR and business departments across the company.
It’s now common practice for the organisation’s Head of Talent to work with management teams across the business to identify gaps and opportunities for where people could move internally, with formal reviews taking place annually.
This was a big cultural shift for the business where managers had previously operated with a silo mentality, not considering candidates from other areas of the business when they were hiring. HR teams work with managers to help them consider how the skills of employees in different departments are relevant to the role they’re hiring for, ensuring that preconceptions don’t act as a barrier to retention.
Making internal vacancies more visible and introducing CV workshops has incentivised employees to look for new jobs internally
The company offers lots of feedback opportunities for colleagues to engage with the Colleague Strategy and Engagement team, and found that employees didn’t know what opportunities were available to them in the business.
To make internal positions and development opportunities more visible and boost internal mobility, the company introduced HYDRO – ‘Helping You Discover the Right Opportunities’ – which included a new part of the company microsite listing all the development opportunities and roles open to curre
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