Lend Lease | Every Action Adds Up
Our People
Detail
Contents
- Measuring Employee Engagement
- Building On the Diversity of Our People
- Growing and Retaining Our Talented People
- Attracting Young Talent
- Employee Policies
Lend Lease founder Dick Dusseldorp built a sustainable company on the talent of Lend Lease people. He strived to inspire and engage talented people by creating a work environment where they could flourish.
More than 50 years later, the development, retention and attraction of talented people have never been more important, especially in the current global skills shortage.
Global employee data collection will be extended to provide more annual information on workplace diversity, employee learning and development, succession planning and other recruitment issues affecting our employees around the world. This data will be used to shape best-practice strategies for the good health of the organisation.
Measures include:
- Number of employees: gender, age, status and length of service
- Percentage of diversity in management
- Diversity candidate turnover as a percentage of total staff turnover
- Percentage of employees undertaking training
- Proportion of people taking parental leave
- Number of people returning to work after taking parental leave
- Percentage of Lend Lease stock owned by employees
- Number of graduates
Global employee data collection, used to shape best-practice strategies for the good health of the organisation, will be extended to provide more annual information on workforce diversity, employee learning and development, succession planning and other recruitment issues impacting our employees around the world.
*Full chart only available in Flash web site
Qualitative Analysis
We can’t rely on quantitative data alone. We have been undertaking focus groups in our different regions to understand better what the issues around diversity are and to propose solutions. The focus groups have been on Workplace Flexibility, Women in the Workplace, Intergenerational Diversity and Cultural Diversity. Since last August, focus groups have been run in London, Manchester, Madrid, Moscow, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Sydney with more cities to follow.
Measuring Employee Engagement
We recognise the importance of tracking employee perceptions and benchmarking people management performance against best practice within the industry and against global high-performing companies generally. Results of the first Lend Lease Global Employee Engagement Survey, undertaken in 2007, identified and prioritised activities to sustain high levels of employee engagement at all levels of each business.
All employees were invited to participate in the survey and 61 percent responded, considered a good response rate for the survey's first year. The overall Lend Lease results showed strong positive scores for employee engagement, safety and adherence to values. In these categories, Lend Lease significantly outperformed comparative property companies.
Lend Lease are participating in this survey again in October 2009 where the opportunity to benchmark against ourselves as well will occur.
The continued participation in this survey demonstrates strong commitment to Lend Lease employees and the importance of listening to employees to assist in developing specific attraction and retention strategies.
Employee communication
Our response to employee feedback from the global employee survey occurs in a number of ways. Our Communications, Knowledge and ICT teams have worked together to transform our global intranet ("The Hive") into a portal, to help improve the quality of online communication, collaboration and knowledge sharing within Lend Lease.
Working committees are created in individual businesses to review, prioritise and respond to the employee feedback. An example of follow up work to address an issue is an employee information programme, What is Sustainability at Lend Lease?, was released in 2006 and followed up with a survey to determine whether it had reached the majority of employees. Line managers were asked to present the information to their teams, and the survey found that most of our businesses communicated important corporate messages reasonably well.
In addition to "town hall" meetings, "toolbox talks" on site and a range of training and information workshops and presentations delivered in person, Lend Lease employees are also updated via webcasts and video messaging through the internal network.
Recently, our business CEOs and global function heads started communicating with employees via a blog. These blogs give employees around the world the opportunity to know the leadership team a little better and participate in discussions on a range of topics. In the current global climate, these blog postings and discussions provide employees with more immediate communication on issues affecting Lend Lease people and businesses.
Building on the diversity of our people
Over the course of 2008, we have developed a vision statement for diversity at Lend Lease:
"Our aim is to create environments in which individuals are involved, supported, respected and connected so their maximum potential is reached; where people are respected for who they are and what they do. This means a workplace in which diversity is valued; in which everyone has the opportunity to develop skills and talents consistent with our values and business objectives. A diverse workplace leads to greater creativity and improved leadership effectiveness. We want Lend Lease to be a company where the best people want to work."
Lend Lease appointed its Global Head of Diversity in January 2008 to develop a strategy that will encompass programs and initiatives across the organisation and provide cultural direction to Business Units on tactical programs and systems related to attracting, retaining and promoting a diverse workforce.
We will regularly benchmark Lend Lease’s position on diversity, through the Global Employee Engagement Survey and by comparison with other organisations, to ensure it is in line with current marketplace practice. The use of metrics, such as number of diverse candidates in senior roles and succession plans, will allow us to gain a full understanding of our strengths and weaknesses.
The introduction of focus groups concerned with age diversity, disability, cultural diversity and workplace flexibility this year will play a vital role within the Diversity Strategy. In July and August 2008 alone, eight focus groups were held in Sydney, with more planned for the United Kingdom, United States and Asia.
The implementation of regional diversity councils allows for the discussion and resolution of local employee diversity concerns. The councils are to be chaired by a senior member of the Executive Management Team, with at least one person from local employee resource groups. Similar to this is the Global Diversity Council, which is to be chaired by the CEO with at least one independent member as well as a range of management levels and experiences. The aim of both these councils is to increase discussion of diversity within Lend Lease and provide a means for the discussion of best-practice policies throughout the organisation.
As discussed above, the creation of focus groups will allow for further discussions about the developmental needs of diversity within Lend Lease. These discussions about the needs for greater diversity within Lend Lease are not limited to focus groups, websites or blogs, and discussion boards facilitate company-wide discussion about the potential to further develop the diversity of employees within Lend Lease.
Women
More than 30 percent of Lend Lease's workforce is represented by women, and 21 percent of the talent pool within Lend Lease are female. Both of these metrics are targeted for increases in the next two to three years through a variety of initiatives.
With only one woman on the Lend Lease Board and one woman on the Executive Management Team, we recognise we have some way to go in achieving greater representation of women in senior and executive roles across the organisation. It is important to note, however, while the Equal Opportunity Management Programme was not formally introduced until 1986, the Lend Lease Board appointed its first female director in 1977, and in 2000 Jill Kerr Conway was the first woman appointed to the Chair.
There are several key initiatives are planned to support women in our workplace including networking groups such as employee resource groups, mentoring, high potential women programs and return to work programs.
People with Disabilities
Lend Lease Information Communications Technology (ICT) has been actively seeking employment opportunities for people with a disability since 2004, when Lend Lease ICT and the Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service (CRS) Australia first started working in partnership.
The partnership involved developing an on-the-job training and mentoring programmes for people with a disability who had information technology (IT) career goals.
Trainees with a range of physical and psychological disabilities have successfully completed the on-the-job training and mentoring programme and are valuable employees of the Lend Lease ICT team.
To date, Lend Lease has provided 18 on-the-job training and mentoring programmes and has placed 13 people in jobs, not only in ICT but also in Bovis Lend Lease, Lend Lease Management Services (Shared Solutions), Learning and Development Academy and, recently, Lend Lease Retail.
We are also undertaking a review of our recruitment practices to identify and address barriers to employment for people with disabilities.
Globally, we are developing a toolkit to address issues of our employees with disabilities.
Growing and retaining our talented people
Learning and development
Our aspiration is to be an industry leader in providing all employees with learning and personal development opportunities. While it has long been a key focus within Lend Lease businesses to provide best-practice learning and skilling opportunities, we now see it as critical to the organisation's transformation to a sustainable business that employees understand and work towards their full potential. We are continually defining and redefining what learning and skilling and professional development leadership means at Lend Lease.
While each Region manages the delivery of its own Learning and Development programme, this is coordinated globally to ensure we are building and developing the strategic capabilities required in our businesses for the future. Our learning and development offering encompasses technical training as well as the development of leadership and interpersonal skills that distinguish success in many of our roles. Additionally, Lend Lease provides comprehensive induction and orientation programmes for newly recruited people.
Learning and development opportunities play a central role in rewarding employees for their performance and contribution to business success. We are focused on ensuring consistent opportunities for the development of our people across our global business.
Executive development
We recognise that the development of our leaders of the future is critical to our continued business success. Executive development is therefore a key component of our global succession and talent management processes.
We have recently developed an executive competency model and implemented a rigorous assessment process for executives and future leaders. Together, these enable a more focused and strategically aligned approach to executive development. By integrating formal educational programmes offered through a number of leading business schools across the globe with coaching and mentoring, we provide an extensive development experience for our senior leaders and high potential employees.
Mentoring programmes
Professional and personal mentoring, both formally and informally, is part of Lend Lease's culture and also gives expression to our corporate values: Respect, Integrity, Innovation, Collaboration and Excellence.
Mentoring occurs at every level of the organisation, and many of our employees who are mentored within the organisation become mentors in community engagement programmes in which Lend Lease businesses participate.
The Global Diversity Mentoring Program was launched in September 2008 and centres around members of the Executive Management Team mentoring high-potential candidates to facilitate greater diversity throughout the more senior levels of management. This identification of high-potential individuals is a key focus in the diversity strategy because of the potential to overlook high-potential individuals within minority groups.
We continue to develop and enhance this programme based on feedback from both mentors and mentees. In 2010, this program will be relaunched to better align with and leverage our talent management process, providing increased development opportunities for our high potential and emerging talent.
Secondment opportunities
The Hornery Institute (THI), established in 2001 as a gift of retiring CEO Stuart Hornery, helps the property sector to develop sustainable communities that make them better places to live, learn, work and play. Lend Lease invests in the secondment of employees to THI, where they contribute to and learn from best-practice community development that they later bring back into Lend Lease businesses.
View the Hornery Institute website by clicking here: www.horneryinstitute.com
Lend Lease Foundation and its role in employee development
Lend Lease founder Dick Dusseldorp established "Foundation" in 1983, dedicated exclusively to the well-being of our employees, their families and the communities in which we operate.
We know that our continual success is fuelled by the dedication and enthusiasm of the great people who work here. Foundation aims to ensure that Lend Lease is a place where great people want to work.
Foundation runs programmes based on three categories—Health & Well-Being, Personal Development and Community. Springboard is our flagship personal development programme.
Springboard—inspiring, engaging and empowering our people
Springboard is Foundation’s flagship global programme, and is unique to Lend Lease. It is designed to help each individual realise and continuously reach their potential, in both their work and personal life.
The programme aims to nurture a continuous learning culture at Lend Lease. Since 1996, Springboard has continually evolved over the years, adapting to the needs of Lend Lease employees, but at its core are the Lend Lease values of Respect, Integrity, Innovation, Collaboration and Excellence. Almost 2,500 employees from around the world have participated in Springboard since the programme began.
=Early Springboard programmes centred around a forum in which employees could come together and share knowledge and experience. In 2002 Springboard evolved and was based around the "Shackleton" experience in which participants focused on inner strength and fortitude and making every day count.
Since its launch in 1998, Springboard has undergone a number of changes to keep pace with our business needs and opportunities. Our more recent Springboard programmes partner with community organisations, offering a highly interactive and rewarding component to the Springboard experience.
Springboard continues to evolve, building on its successes.
In November 2008 Springboard Thailand was launched and the first two Springboard programmes were a great success. For the first time Springboard centred on a sustainability theme, and introduced a third party – by way of a community partner – School For Life.
In June 2009 a new community partner and location was confirmed. The community partner is “Djarragun College” – an independent college catering for indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders. Over 600 students attend the college, from age 3 to 19 years. The College promotes excellence in education with a strong emphasis on values education and discipline in a loving and supportive environment, providing guidance and counselling for students at risk, including students with behavioural issues. Djarragun’s curriculum is broad and encompassing, developing students emotionally, socially and academically.
Springboard is an inspiring and compelling personal development programme, and in its most recent form, is a great example of employees ‘giving back’ to a community in which our company operates.
Attracting young talent
Lend Lease founder Dick Dusseldorp foresaw the need to provide skilling and training opportunities, particularly for young people. In 1981 Lend Lease sponsored the establishment of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU)–Lend Lease Foundation, which contributed to the creation of thousands of apprenticeships and traineeships. WorkSkill Australia started with Lend Lease sponsorship in 1984 to mentor young apprentices, and the Lend Lease Youth Council and Lend Lease Apprentice Council were also formed to provide support networks.
On Dick's retirement in 1988, Lend Lease staff and shareholders thanked him by establishing the Dusseldorp Skills Forum, which today continues his early work in skilling the next generation.
Many of the Business Units across the regions participate in the recruitment programs managed by universities and other places of education, and Apprentice Programs continue to operate in various businesses.
Vacation Intern Programme
The Vacation Intern Programme (VIP) is sponsored by Lend Lease's Foundation to provide the opportunity for families of Lend Lease employees to experience a working environment as they prepare to enter the workforce.
The VIP, now in its second year, runs independently of other Lend Lease undergraduate or graduate programmes and offers students, who must be enrolled in an undergraduate or post-graduate degree at an accredited higher-educational institution, paid on-the-job learning relevant to their chosen career for four to six weeks during their end-of-year break.
Children, siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins, spouses and parents of permanent employees are eligible and must be referred by the Lend Lease employee.
VIP generates numerous benefits—it gives families of employees the opportunity to develop new skills, and Lend Lease benefits from the fresh and innovative thinking of enthusiastic students. Programme participants also establish a professional network, laying a valuable foundation for future employment and development opportunities.
Employee Policies
Lend Lease is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion and sex amongst others. All Lend Lease employees receive a copy of the Code of Conduct with their employee contract and starter pack.
- Education assistance policy
- Equal Employment Opportunity Affirmative Action
- Grievance procedure
- Leave
Workplace conduct policies:
- Equal Opportunity Management Policy
- Workplace bullying policy
- Drug and alcohol policy
- Language policy
- Sexual harassment policy
- Email and Internet policy
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