Rewarding Great People - Issue 2

5 MINUTES WITH - OUR WATER AND DRAINAGE MANAGEMENT DIVISION

What would you say to other women thinking of working in construction/infrastructure? Jamie: Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty! FM Conway is a great company to work for; they have put us all through so many training courses and they really invest in you. Aliyah: Don’t be put off by the stereotypes; we’re now outperforming some of the men in our division!

FM Conway is not just a family business, it’s a business of families! There are currently two mother/ daughter gangs working our of Water and Drainage Management’s Sittingbourne Depot. Jamie, Aliyah, Bunny and Morgan recently spent five minutes with us to discuss their roles. What does the job involve? Jamie: Our jobs differ from day to day, however our main deliverables are cleaning and unblocking gullies, jetting lines, cleaning pits, and importantly clearing floods across Kent. We’re based in the Sittingbourne Depot on Matts Hill Farm, Hartlip. We are split between nights and days. Aliyah and I are on nights, whilst Bunny and Morgan are on days. We love the flexibility of our working hours as we own horses which means we have the capacity to look after them during the day. How long have you been working for FM Conway? Who was there first – mother or daughter? Aliyah: My mum (Jamie) joined the business first, and then suggested to me that I should join her. I loved it so much that I introduced Morgan to come and work with us who then eventually got her mum (Bunny) in too.

Each time we introduced a new friend or family member, we were sure to take advantage of the employee referral scheme – which has been great! What’s it like working with your mother/daughter? Bunny: There were reservations with our managers at first about pairing a mother and daughter together, but we have proved that we are naturally a good team as we know each other so very well. Jamie and Aliyah: We have moved from one of the smaller gully trucks to driving the super combis, and the key to that is our established relationship. We already know each other’s strengths and we play on that. Is the job what you expected? Morgan: We would have never considered a career in construction, but I now love it. I previously worked in a warehouse where I would stand in the same place all day long which was extremely boring. This job is now something I love doing and each day is different. You are constantly on the move at different locations and meeting different people. Jamie: The job has enabled us to train as the division is not shy about putting you through qualifications, and Aliyah and Morgan are looking to undertake their HGV licences.

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