Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 1ST - 7TH DECEMBER 2017 | 15 The rainwater harvesting system, in conjunction with the normal potable water supply, will deliver a high-quality, consistent and ecologi- cally friendly supply to 8,500 people in Eddington. When completed, this district will comprise 3,000 homes, 2,000 student rooms, 100,000 square metres of academic and commercial research space, and community facili- ties and infrastructure. When the development reaches full capacity, approximately 595,000 litres of water will be saved each day – the equivalent of 8,500 baths of water. If you have an asset or project you would like to see featured in this slot, email: paulnewton@fav-house.com Pipe up Peter Sceats I do not think there is a people or skills shortage at the water market's coalface, but I think it has a signifi- cant management deficit. Some of you might have seen a post on social media concerning performance at work. You know the kind of thing: "Ten things that require zero talent." Here is the Grand Union version: 1) honesty; 2) preparedness; 3) punctuality; 4) work ethic; 5) positive attitude and body language; 6) double-checking work; 7) pride in completing tasks, however small; 8) willingness to go beyond expectations; 9) being coachable; and 10) being clean and smartly dressed. We are still a small company relying on organic growth, so we only hire selectively, but when we do it is on the above checklist rather than a candidate's experi- ence at a water company or – heaven forefend – an Eng- lish energy adviser. Knowledge of what we do is already in the company, so all we need to do is match people with the above attributes and apply suitable training. As such I am baffled that it is oen lamented there are not enough people with the right skills available to work in the water business. The knowledge of what water companies do is within those companies (and is not rocket science), plus there are more than one million registered unemployed people in the UK and a pool of another several million English-speaking unemployed in the EU. So, is the people and skills shortage in the GB water industry actually just a failure to train staff and therefore a manage- ment issue? When a water company helpline announces there will be a 25-minute wait to speak to an operator, that is not due to a people or skills shortage, it's a failure in planning by management. When a water bill goes out to consumers full of errors – even in the basic addition – that's not a people or skills shortage, it's a failure of IT and systems by management. The GB water industry might have better management were it regulated and held to account more proactively. Grand Union does not need to use a recruitment con- sultant for our frequency and style of hiring, but I know some corporations really value consultant assistance. My experience of recruitment consultants in the energy space was that they seek to charge too much, and too soon. My advice to any recruitment consultant looking to move into the water space is to only market people who are willing to tick all ten boxes above, charge fairly and bill clients monthly as the recruited candidates are paid. Peter Sceats, managing director, Grand Union Water "Is the skills shortage in the GB water industry actually a failure to train staff and there- fore a management issue?" Operations & Assets "The GB water industry might have better management were it regulated and held to account more proactively"

• Cover