Staff Development
Performance Appraisals
At Watts we regard our staff as one of our most important assets. We invest in their career development and as such use the Performance Appraisals process to help identify needs/areas of development.
The overall objective of an effective appraisal scheme is to help each employee to maximise his or her job performance for the joint benefit of the employee and the organisation. Identified training needs during such discussions will be recorded and contribute to the company's overall training plan and budget.
Staff Development
Our range of development activities include:
- Provision of induction training for all new staff and if appropriate, to internal transferees, ensuring timely and comprehensive understanding of all those arrangements that apply to their job role and working environment;
- Provision of appropriate systematic training and/or related education to enable all new staff to reach the required job performance standards;
- Provision of additional training/education for future job change or promotion;
- Provision of necessary instruction for health and safety purposes;
Induction
It is our policy to ensure that employees are provided with a comprehensive, structured induction programme and probation process to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills required to carry out their job safely and effectively.
Technical training
It is the individual’s responsibility to ensure they fulfil all CPD requirements every year. Watts expects adequate attendance from all fee-earners and members of Corporate Services, where appropriate. It is crucial that CPD hours are recorded in order for the firm to ensure that skill levels are being maintained. Local CPD sessions are organised throughout the year during lunch times. The subjects are agreed by the Watts Academy to ensure all relevant information is provided on topical issues. Staff are encouraged to both suggest topics and deliver workshops where they have the expertise to do so.
- External courses – Where appropriate external training is provided
- Coaching and Mentoring – We encourage all managers to provide coaching and mentoring support for staff who are undergoing training and development. Managers have a responsibility to ensure that the skills and knowledge of more experienced staff members are shared with less experienced employees to ensure that learning occurs in a planned way.
Core skills and people management training
The appraisal process often identifies various skills, or areas for development outside of the technical requirements of roles. Examples include presentation skills, IT training, report writing and management/supervisory training. The aim of management training is to improve and develop the capability and self confidence of those with management responsibility.
Health and Safety training
We have a number of mandatory H&S training courses which are delivered both on-line and through the CPD programmes. This includes manual handling, risk assessment, fire safety and for all technical staff asbestos training.
