Innovative career programme creates pathway to award success

A ground-breaking pay and career development programme developed by Lanes Group plc has been shortlisted for a prestigious Utility Week Award.

Lanes and Thames Water have been named as finalists in the annual award in the staff development category for developing the Pathway to Success programme.

Lanes, the wastewater network services maintenance partner for Thames Water, developed Pathway to Success to introduce a transparent pay structure and give every employee a clear view of how they can build an exciting and rewarding career in the company.

The Utility Week Awards are open to companies working across all utilities, including water, electricity, gas and digital services, and are among the most sought-after accolades in the utility industry.

Andy Brierley, Technical Director for Lanes Group, said: “We’re delighted that our partnership with Thames Water has led to the development of an initiative that has impressed the Utility Awards judges.

“Our aim from the outset with Pathway to Success has been to introduce a fair and transparent pay and career structure that inspires our whole team to deliver great service for Thames Water customers while resolving key challenges faced across all utility industries.”

Pathway to Success, introduced over the last two years, is unique in the utility industry. It creates clear descriptions of job roles, with five attainment levels for each role – Trainee, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.

By demonstrating they have achieved the skills and experience detailed in job role checklists at each level, through reviews with their line managers, colleagues can progress along pathways, earning higher salaries and developing chosen career paths.

Pathway to Success is designed to support solutions for key challenges in the utilities industry, including staff retention, succession planning, skills development, delivering customer excellence and employee wellbeing.

Michael Hall, Head of Operations for Lanes’ contract with Thames Water, said: “Ultimately, we want to have a happy, well-rewarded, motivated and highly-productive workforce. Pathway to Success is central to achieving that in the long-term.

“It’s a key element of a wider operational strategy that has reduced staff turnover, saving £1million a year in training costs, reduced our illness rate, increased vehicle utilisation by 20% and resulted in record high levels of customer satisfaction.”

The winners for each of 15 Utility Week Awards will be announced on 9^th December 2019.