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Employees

Over the last year HomeServe has reviewed and refocused its business values, ensuring they align to our Company vision, mission and strategy. In addition, the Company has undertaken research into the key leadership behaviours which have made HomeServe successful, bring our values to life, and support our continued expansion. Six key leadership characteristics have now been agreed and defined and will form one of the foundations of our recruitment and development strategies.

HomeServe is committed to developing talent within its businesses, and has introduced a formal succession planning programme, complementing the performance management process and overseen by the Executive Committee. The Committee formally reviews available talent and key current and future opportunities twice a year, ensuring a planned and robust approach to resourcing, development, and the appointment of individuals to key roles.

We have successfully employed interns in our French joint venture for some time, and have now introduced a graduate training scheme into our UK Membership business. Four graduates have been appointed to roles in the UK Marketing Department, an approach which allows them to benefit from practical experience as well as a formal development programme. Feedback from both graduates and managers is very encouraging and the Company plans to extend the scheme into other businesses in due course.

We have developed an accredited training and development programme for our call centre staff in the UK, providing them with training which is externally recognised as well as improving personal and business performance. The Company has actively supported trade apprenticeships for some time and this commitment will be enhanced with the establishment of a formal, accredited apprenticeship programme for plumbing and drainage engineers in 2010.

We continue to recognise the importance of effective communication with both managers and employees. The Company’s strategy has been circulated as a booklet to all employees in the UK and will be cascaded to all employees as part of the annual performance management and objective setting process. We are also continuing to make effective use of Company intranets, staff magazines and employee representative forums both to disseminate information and to receive feedback and ideas from employees regarding business strategy and performance.

The Company’s employee recognition scheme, HomeServe Heroes, has seen dozens of staff recognised and rewarded for their contribution to HomeServe’s success with a second annual award ceremony being held in June 2010.