People Development
Grow, Develop, Succeed
We are determined that working for GRS should be fulfilling and rewarding, and the development of our people is one of our five core values. Our aim is to maintain an environment where everybody is valued, regardless of their background, and has the opportunity to reach their potential.
We put a huge amount of effort into making GRS a place where people want to excel and develop their careers, but also a place where they can be themselves, where they want to spend time, where they’re looked after and where they flourish.
In return, we expect a caring, can-do attitude, generating a culture where people inspire each other, they excel every day, learning as they go. GRS is founded on the spirit and collective values of all those who work across the organisation.
GRS Academy
The GRS Academy is the primary vehicle to make this happen – a people-dedicated learning centre and support team, committed to the development of the huge pool of talented people we have working at GRS. Through the Academy, which is housed at our offices in Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire, we provide high-quality practical training for our employees at all levels, using internal and external training specialists.
Such is the standard of our programmes that GRS is one of the few companies in our sector to be awarded ‘Recognised Provider’ of the ILM, the UK’s leader in the provision of leadership, management and coaching qualifications.
Since it was established, more than 75% of our employees have participated in GRS Academy programmes with almost 200 of those moving up to new roles as a result of internal promotion.
Besides running courses in-house, we also have strong links with a network of top-flight external providers, including the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, which runs a three-day practical learning event as part of our acclaimed First Line Management (FLM) programme, and global sales training specialists Mercuri whom helped us to deliver a tailor-made programme for our nationwide trading team.
Leadership & Management
Customer Service & Sales
Production & Logistics
Business Administration
Development in sustainability
GRS is a gold member of the Supply Chain Sustainability School, an organisation committed to providing people in the construction sector with the skills and knowledge to deliver a sustainable future.
One of our priorities is to ensure that every person working for GRS has an understanding of what sustainability means and how they can help GRS to deliver our sustainable business model. Besides improving knowledge and awareness of sustainability at all levels through formal training and engagement, the aim is to provide tools and set expectations, with each employee assigned to deliver on specific sustainability objectives.
Recognising excellence
The GRS ‘We Go Beyond’ Excellence Awards are a company-wide scheme to celebrate those who ‘go beyond’ for colleagues and customers alike. Attracting hundreds of peer-nominated entries each year, the awards champion unsung heroes at every level and in every role, everywhere in GRS, including our subsidiaries and joint ventures.
The finalists take part in a celebratory lunch in a private dining venue in London which is also attended by members of the GRS Executive team. The winners are announced on the day, receiving trophies and widespread recognition for their efforts. The awards are widely anticipated and for finalists are often a springboard for career development.
League Managers Association
GRS has a unique and long-standing partnership with the League Managers Association which offers staff development that complements our own leadership programmes.
There are many benefits to the partnership – one of the highlights is our annual inter-company five-a-side football tournament at St Georges Park, Staffordshire – the home of English football – where GRS teams from around the business are coached by some of the best-known football managers and compete for the GRS Cup!