In part 2 of this three-part series, industry heavyweights Andy Beasley and Darren Jones continue to explore the strategies and ingredients needed to build and run a successful housebuilding team. In this episode they focus on company structure, finding the right balance and keeping on top of a healthy team dynamic.

Recorded as part of a series of three webinars, Human Capital Group managing director Gerard Ball and two industry titans, Andy Beasley and Darren Jones, discuss their tried and tested methods of building a solid and reliable and housebuilding team that delivers results. Both Andy and Darren have come through the ranks of the housebuilding industry themselves and fully understand the complexities of talent management. Both have previously been chairman of PLCs and privately-owned companies and are now both working as non-execs within SMEs. In this episode, Andy Beasley (ex-regional chairman of Bellway PLC for 10 years) and Darren Jones (ex-regional chairman of Persimmon and exec-board member for 8 years at Miller Homes) give their insights into the critical actions for setting expectations and establishing a successful team.

In a fascinating interview, Orbit Homes group director Helen Moore shares her key drivers and the many leadership lessons she has learned since joining Countryside nearly 30 years ago as one of only three women, out of 350 staff, to occupy non-admin roles.  Her journey through the home building industry, initially within sales and marketing, has given her an unusually varied breadth of experience encompassing the Plc (Crest Nicholson), private SME (City & Country) and now, as part of Orbit Housing Association's development arm leadership team, the housing association environment.  Helen gives insights into the challenges and complexities unique to each of these sectors and she highlights the slowly changing landscape of equality, diversity and inclusion within the UK house building industry, explaining what needs to be done to attract new and diverse talent to the industry.  She also shares her own personal experience of working up through a male-dominated industry, how her goal-driven, structured and positive mindset has served her and how her belief that having a clear understanding of sales, customer relationships and communication are key to great leadership. 

Recorded as part of a webinar series, this podcast looks at how the right language can create an assertive and resilient homebuilding workforce and the benefits of flattening hierarchical structures. Gerard’s guest is best-selling author and key-note speaker, former US navy captain and submarine commander, David Marquet, whose autobiography, Turn the Ship Around highlights the power of giving rather than taking control within a team. From his follow-up book Leadership is Language, Marquet shares with us key communication techniques for leaders to empower thinkers and decision makers within your business, to increase employee engagement, create resilient teams, improve succession planning and develop a mentally strong workforce.

Gerard talks to West Midlands-based Lioncourt Homes chief executive Colin Cole, whose tenacious approach to finance saw him launch the private firm in 2006 alongside a strategic land division, as what has termed “a mini-plc housebuilder". The business is backed by up to 100 investors, who helped drive it through the crash of 'the noughties' to become one of the Sunday Times top 100 fastest growing businesses in the UK, for four consecutive years. Previously, rising through the ranks at Westbury plc through the 80s and 90s to become executive director and divisional chairman, Colin was an integral part of a management buyout at the business as well as numerous acquisitions and ultimately helped facilitate the housebuilder’s £950 million sale to Persimmon in 2005. In this podcast, he gives an insight into his extraordinary career and what’s driven his success. He highlights the qualities of strategic focus, work ethos and organisational culture that he believes are integral to his businesses strength and resilience.

Gerard chats to Steve Errington, MD of Yorkshire-based housebuilder, Stonebridge Homes, which he joined in 2018 after leading his previous firm, Story Homes, from a £26m to a £250m-turnover business within six years. In this interview, Steve discusses many of the lessons he learned from heading a business through such explosive growth and how he is bringing them to Stonebridge, for which he has similar aspirations, with targets to expand it from a 150- to a 1000-unit business. Discipline, communication and goal-clarity feature high on Steve’s list of musts, along with succession planning, staff development, getting the right person for the job and attracting new talent to the industry.

In this third instalment of Human Capital Group’s three-part series of interviews two former regional chairs and leaders within the SME and Plc housebuilding market, Andy Beasley and Darren Humphries, continue to explore the potential implications of a bad hire on your business. This episode focuses on the roles of sales and finance directors.

Together with Human Capital Group MD Gerard Ball the pair analyse the critical aspects of interviewing and appointing the right candidates for leadership positions, the strategic and financial value that each role brings to a business and just what impact the wrong hire can bring about.

All podcasts and webinars are available to view on www.hc-group.co.uk.

This is the second instalment in a three-part series of interviews in which two former regional chairs and leaders within the SME and Plc housebuilding market, Andy Beasley and Darren Humphries, explore the true cost of a bad hire. This episode focuses on the roles of commercial and technical director.

Together with Human Capital Group managing director Gerard Ball, the pair analyse the critical aspects of interviewing and appointing the right candidates for leadership positions, the strategic and financial value that each role brings to a business and just what impact the wrong hire can bring about.

All podcasts and webinars are available to view on www.hc-group.co.uk.

The first in a three-part series of interviews exploring the cost of a bad hire, this episode focuses on the roles of managing director, land and construction directors.

Former Bellway regional chairman, Andy Beasley and ex-Rectory Homes CEO and divisional MD at McCarthy & Stone Darren Humphries, join Human Capital Group MD Gerard Ball for this mini-series, in which they unpick the critical aspects of interviewing and appointing the right candidates for leadership positions, the strategic and financial value that each role brings to a business and just what impact the wrong hire can bring about.

Throughout these three interviews, which were recorded as a webinar series, the panel covers the full range of directorial roles.

Episode two covers commercial and technical director, while episode three looks at the roles of sales and finance directors.

All podcasts and webinars are available to view on www.hc-group.co.uk.

In this podcast, recorded before the advent of coronavirus, Gerard talks to group MD of Ainscough Strategic Land, Rachael Ainscough. Rachael gives a valuable insight into the complex nature of what a land promoter does, the evolving shape of the land promotions market, how they work with landowners to help secure planning and how that all relates to house builders in the UK today.

US Marketing guru, author and keynote speaker Gerry O'Brion is a regular keynote speaker at the US National Association of Home Builders amongst many others. His presentations and guidance have driven major growth in businesses from SMEs to billion dollar brands such as Proctor & Gamble, Tide and Coors Light. In this podcast, recorded as part of a webinar series for Human Capital Group’s Housebuilder Business Resilience Hub, O’Brion highlights how differentiation, influence and added value are key to making your business stand out, but can be equally as tricky to understand, outline and implement. Here, Gerry introduces a new way of approaching sales by understanding buying psychology and how you can use it to attract and influence your customers. To access the accompanying slideshow visit www.whatbigbrandsknow.com/hcg

In this podcast, recorded as part of a webinar series for Human capital Group’s Housebuilder Business Resilience Hub, Gerard, is joined by two sector veterans: former regional chairman of Berkeley Group, John Anderson, and Andy Beasley, former regional chairman of Bellway Plc. With their cumulative years of experience they provide critical insight on how it is possible to thrive in a crisis. Anderson and Beasley provide a Regional Chairman’s perspective of Managing Directors, Divisional Directors, their teams and productivity. They discuss expectations of those roles in this new Covid-19 era, doing things differently, how to adjust teams and work together for maximum efficiency, and critical advice to help stay on track.

In this second interview with the British army’s former Head of Training and Development, Paul Kinkaid, we find out how crisis situations can be overcome by adopting the commando mindset: be the first to understand; the first to adapt and respond; and the first to overcome. Paul has industry-specific knowledge of training within housebuilding and construction companies and through his training consultancy Selfless leadership, he specialises in developing training programs for crisis response. In this fascinating interview he lifts the veil on some of the key techniques for identifying emerging problems, finding long-term solutions and mobilising a valued, energised and high-performing workforce.

Jason Forrest is a US-based best selling author and founder of leadership training company Forrest Performance Group. In this cashflow and mindset-focussed episode, he discusses strategies for selling new-build houses during and post Covid-19 lockdown. Jason has over 19 years of experience in sales and housebuilding and shares with us his four keys to success. These include adopting the right leadership and team mindset, and what that looks like; identifying the right skillsets in your new build sales team that will drive you through the pandemic. How to successfully sell your houses online and how to dominate the competition and finally the new KPIs you should be focussed on during this and other crises.

In his second interview with Human Capital Group, Paul Kinkaid, former Head of Training and Development for the British Army and founder of training consultancy Selfless Leadership, looks at the process of unfurloughing in the housebuilding and construction industry.

As an organisation, the military has abundant experience at effectively bringing troops out of hibernation and training them back up ready for action as efficiently and as safely as possible. 

Paul, who is the owner of training consultancy, Selfless Leadership, answers questions about the physical and mental aspect of reintegrating staff who have been absent for a long time, how leaders should address employee concerns, helping them adapt quickly and easily to a new normal and identifying those who will need extra support and how to offer it.

Andy Beasley, former regional chairman, Bellway plc: Cashflow and cost control post Covid-19 lockdown

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the repercussions on businesses worldwide, Human Capital Group has created its online Housebuilder Business Resilience Hub of blogs, podcasts and webinars, designed to help leaders in the housebuilding industry manage their operations successfully and effectively. In this podcast, Karen Eyre-White, productivity coach and founder of coaching consultancy Go Do, speaks to Human Capital Group’s managing director Gerard Ball about how to maximise productivity from remote working. She details the best ways to get set up for productive remote working, gives guidance on skilfully and considerately managing a remote team and outlines what HR and leadership need to consider to create the right culture for productive remote working.

The enormous changes, such social distancing measures and isolation that have been brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic means that a focus on mental health is critical for the housebuilding industry, now more than ever. In this episode Human Capital Group’s managing director Gerard Ball speaks to mental health campaigner and business transformation consultant, Geoff McDonald. Geoff left his role as Unilever’s global VP of HR over a decade ago to begin a very personally-fuelled journey to end the stigma of depression and anxiety in the workplace. Here he offers advice on creating cultural change that normalises mental health and mental ill health, and how businesses must make them a strategic priority. He talks about the need to open up the conversation around anxiety and depression, particularly in male-dominated industries such as construction and housebuilding. And crucially, he gives real practical advice and techniques to both leaders and employees in the industry on how to maintain good emotional health and importantly how to support each other.

Tariq Usmani co-founded Henley Homes in 1999 creating a business known for its design-led approach and work ranging from volume multi-storey apartment blocks to conversions of landmark and listed buildings in London and the South East. As CEO of Henley Homes, Tariq has grown the business from a SME to a private PLC, incorporating a construction arm with an in-house architectural practice, and other vertical businesses including a growing and award-winning portfolio of city-centre hotels. In this podcast, Tariq tells Human Capital Group MD Gerard Ball about how he found his way into the residential property market, his role as a mentor for former offenders and why for him, efficiency is key to leading a successful team and consistently delivering great detail and design.

Former regional chair of Berkeley Group John Anderson has recently stepped down after 20 years with the residential property developer to start his own consultancy, Adamia. Here he discusses with Human Capital Group MD Gerard Ball what it takes to bring major long-term developments such as Royal Arsenal and Kidbrooke, to fruition, how regeneration schemes have evolved over the decades and how nurturing partnerships and prioritising community needs are the key to their success.