Genius PVC Trade Frames says that a focus on employee development and workplace culture is helping to create an environment where ‘skills can flourish, and careers can thrive’ in the industry.

“Today’s workforce, regardless of age, wants more than just a job – they want to be valued, heard, and supported, and get fairly paid for the job that they do,” commented Thomas Weston, managing director of Genius. “The key to addressing the skills shortage isn’t just about finding fully trained individuals; it’s about creating an environment where people want to learn and develop.”

Genius has implemented a comprehensive support system for its employees. The company has introduced an impartial employee assistance programme, providing 24-hour confidential support and advice for team members to get in touch with experts for whatever issues they might be facing.

“We’ve also recently rolled out extra holiday allowance based on length of service. It’s about recognising and rewarding loyalty while ensuring our team maintains a healthy work-life balance,” continued Thomas. “These aren’t just perks – they’re investments in our team’s wellbeing and job satisfaction.”

He adds that the company’s approach to skills development is equally forward-thinking and rather than solely focusing on external recruitment, Genius is developing talent from within.

“We’re looking at various training and developing different positions within the business as we are growing so quickly, including area team leaders, with a strong preference on internal promotion. When people see opportunities for advancement, they’re more motivated to develop their skills and commit to their role,” said Thomas.

“Creating an environment where the team feel comfortable giving feedback, improvement ideas or to air their grievances is crucial for us to be able to continue pushing forward.

“Although critical and also part of our existing recruitment goals, I feel that rather than solely looking to the limited pool of people already in the industry, if a business can train people correctly and provide them with the right tools and information, the skills themselves can be taught to and learned by novices.

“What’s crucial is having the right people and the right culture in place alongside a good training regime. Then you’re teaching good people good skills. It’s a journey and, while we might not always get it right, we are always focussing on improvement wherever we can.”

This positive approach is already said to be yielding results. While many in the industry struggle to attract workers, Thomas says that Genius is seeing increasing interest from potential employees, often through referrals from existing staff members.

“We’ve got some good relationships with local recruitment agencies, which is great, but recently we’ve had several instances where friends and family members of our current employees have expressed interest in joining us,” he said.

“That’s perhaps the strongest endorsement we can receive – when our own people are recommending us as a great place to work, so we’re not short of people interested to come and be part of what we’re trying to build here.”

Genius’s success in building a strong workforce comes down to recognising and adapting to changing workplace expectations, added Thomas.

“People’s work expectations have evolved and it’s important that we are aware of that and provide a comfortable, supportive workplace where people look forward to coming in each day and where they want to learn and improve. It isn’t just good for morale – it’s essential for developing and retaining skilled workers and making sure we are able to provide our customers with the expertise and products quality they expect both now and in the future.”