A winning approach to employee development

Boxers & Briefs Podcast #7: “You can’t fit a square peg in a round hole” with Jacqui Bensemann

Employee development has become increasingly crucial for long-term success in business. Jacqui Bensemann, Managing Director of Argus Fire Protection, shares insights from her 27-year journey of building and nurturing talent within the organisation.

The foundation of success

“We do truly believe, and I think our actions demonstrate, that if you look after people they will look after you,” says Jacqui, emphasising the reciprocal nature of employee-employer relationships. This philosophy has been fundamental to Argus Fire’s approach to employee development, which allocates between 2-4% of each employee’s gross wage towards their development, including both training costs and necessary downtime.

Jacqui shares one of the most valuable lessons from years of experience in hiring and developing talent: the importance of cultural fit over technical skills alone. “It’s like a marriage or any relationship – if the values of the business do not align with the person, it’s not going to be a long-term relationship,” she explains.

To ensure this alignment, Argus Fire employs a unique pre-interview assessment approach. Before meeting potential candidates, they use an online portfolio called Assess Systems to evaluate not just skills, but also:

• Working style preferences
• Preferred management approaches
• Remuneration expectations
• Motivational factors
• Environmental preferences

The evolution of development conversations

The traditional Personal Development Plan has evolved at Argus Fire into what they call the ‘Argus and Me Chat’. This represents a significant shift from formal documentation to meaningful dialogue. “We’ve turned it much more into a conversation about what do you want to do, what is it you love doing, what have you enjoyed doing this year, and how can we help you do that,” Jacqui shares.

Jacqui openly shares both success stories and learning experiences. One particularly instructive example involves a technically skilled individual who struggled after being promoted to management. “It really was a case where we tried to fit a square peg into a round hole,” she reflects. “It had terrible outcomes for everyone – for him, for his personal life, for the team around him, for customers.”

This experience led to a more nuanced approach to career progression, recognising that management isn’t always the right path for talented technical staff. “We’ve got some fantastic technical people, but they’re never going to be managers, and that’s perfectly fine,” Jacqui emphasises.

In contrast, Jacqui shares the success story of Bryce Donson, who joined the company 18 years ago and has grown alongside the business to become General Manager of their northern operations. His journey from electrician’s apprentice to senior leadership demonstrates the potential of long-term employee development.

“Both he and I, if we applied for the jobs that we currently hold where we were when the business started, we wouldn’t get them,” Jacqui reflects, highlighting how they’ve grown their skills with the business.

Adapting to future challenges

Looking ahead, Jacqui identifies two significant challenges in employee development:

Remote work culture: The shift towards remote working has created new challenges in building and maintaining team culture. The question of how to foster strong team connections and cultural alignment in a distributed workforce environment remains a key consideration.

Artificial intelligence opportunities: Jacqui sees AI as a significant opportunity for those willing to embrace it, particularly in areas like data analysis and process improvement. The key lies in learning how to frame the right questions to get the most valuable insights.

Practical implementation strategies: For organisations looking to enhance their employee development programmes, Jacqui offers several key recommendations:

1. Invest in pre-employment assessment tools to ensure cultural fit
2. Maintain regular development conversations focused on individual interests and strengths
3. Allocate specific budget percentages for employee development
4. Focus on matching roles to people rather than trying to fit people into roles
5. Remain open to various development paths, recognising that management isn’t the only route to growth

Measuring success

The success of Argus Fire’s approach to employee development is evident in their strong reputation for employee satisfaction and retention. While Jacqui acknowledges they don’t get it right all the time, their track record speaks for itself, with many employees staying with the company for decades.

Looking forward

“Know your people, get to know them, take the effort to get to know them even before you meet them,” Jacqui advises. “Don’t try and fit the person to the job – fit the job to the person.”

This approach to employee development, focusing on individual strengths and authentic relationships, has proven successful in building a sustainable and growing business in the competitive fire protection industry.

For businesses looking to enhance their own employee development programmes, the key takeaway is clear: invest time in understanding your people, align opportunities with their natural strengths and interests, and create an environment where mutual growth and success can flourish.bout continuing to grow and evolve while maintaining what you’ve built.ng true to your values.