GIBB’S WORKPLACE CULTURE ATTRACTS AND RETAINS ENGINEERS
GIBB Pty participated in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work in South Africa 2024 awards for the first time last year, entering the Best Places to Work: Medium Organisation (50-249 Employees) category. The results reflect a strong culture where growth, empowerment and employee wellbeing are prioritised and people are afforded the opportunity to thrive.
Not only did the business achieve an exceptional engagement score of 85.98%, it was ranked 12th in the Best Places to Work – Medium Organisations category, 29th overall in Best Places to Work category, 23rd in the Best Place to Work for Women category, and 23rd in Empowerment, with a score of 87.48%.
GIBB Group HCM executive, Philip Barnard, says the business is particularly proud of its low flight risk score of 5% – far below the industry norm of 41%. “Our sector is highly competitive and this score indicates that GIBB is not just a workplace, but a place where people choose to stay and grow. This is also evidenced by a large proportion of new recruits being referred by existing employees, and also previously employed staff returning to GIBB.”
He notes that, over the years, GIBB has invested in building a culture that reflects the firm’s vision and values. “While we may not be placed amongst the top 10 companies, the high scores we achieved exceeded the industry norm and are a reflection of our focus on collaboration, inclusivity, wellbeing, building trust, promoting flexibility and living the brand.”
GIBB’s Brand Essence – Beyond Engineering; Freedom to Create; Inspired to Make a Difference; and We Care – is fundamental to the business and drives everything it does.
Barnard says GIBB’s ranking in the Best Place to Work for Women is notable, given that the business operates in a largely male-dominated industry. “This is because we recognise the dearth of women in engineering and take steps to address it by actively pursuing talent and implementing development initiatives.”
Today, the business has a large female component, and focuses on providing growth opportunities and coaching for its existing female talent, as well as bursary opportunities for up and coming talent.
Additionally, GIBB partners with the South African government-backed, private-sector-led Youth Employment Service (YES) initiative to create work experience opportunities for young people. Young, unemployed women are well represented and eventually absorbed after completing the programme. In collaboration with the TechnoGirl Trust, the company also provides job shadowing opportunities for young girls from disadvantaged backgrounds, introducing them to careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
GIBB also fared well in the empowerment category. The ownership structure is made up of two trusts: a Broad-Based Ownership Trust that owns 73.06% and a General Staff Trust which owns 26.94%. This qualifies GIBB as a truly 100% employee-owned African company and affirms its ethos of ensuring meaningful participation of previously disadvantaged groups in South Africa’s active economy.
The business conducts regular Engagement (happiness) surveys aimed at gauging how employees feel about the business: what is working and what is not, and actioning the feedback. The Sunday Times result is testament to these initiatives too.
Barnard says GIBB is happy with its results in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work survey, but acknowledges there is always room for improvement. “We will continue to do what we’re doing: focus on talent development, empowerment and the advancement of our people.
“At GIBB Pty alone, we recorded a 28% promotion rate last year, which is substantial and indicates we are serious about recognising individuals and performance, and empowering staff to grow in their careers.
“We believe by measuring ourselves regularly and continually taking steps to improve how we work and engage, we will position ourselves as change-makers in the industry and boost the practice of engineering in South Africa. Together, we will continue to build a future that goes Beyond Engineering and improves the lives of all South Africans,” he concludes.
