Success shaped by people and HJ Weaver Development Program

Interflow founder Harold ‘Bill’ Weaver instilled a passion for learning and development within his business. Since then, the HJ Weaver Development Program has enabled people to develop their future careers.

After his first six months as an intern with Interflow, promising young engineer Matt Cremona was offered a place in a program that would introduce him to all parts of the business.

“It was all about experience and opportunity,” Cremona, now Delivery Manager at Interflow, said. “I was given the opportunity to rotate around different divisions within the organisation for six months to a year each. I spent some time with operations, asset creation, repairs and maintenance, product development, and tendering.”

Cremona said his most valuable assets were the relationships he developed with people in various parts of the business during that time. His strong connections throughout the business have helped his career ever since.

“Having those relationships meant that when I was given opportunities in other divisions, I could rely on those relationships to help me in my new roles,” he said.

That was 13 years ago. Interflow’s approach was built on Bill’s passion for developing his people to be their best and formalised more recently as the H J Weaver Development Program.

Education assistance

“The program is about supporting and developing people over the years by creating a business environment that encourages, enables, and supports learning,” said Fiona Warnock, Interflow’s People and Capability Business Partner.

“It’s looking not only at the entry level. It’s also about our existing team members. One gentleman in his late 30s or early 40s was a supervisor in the field and now wants to do a mature-age heavy vehicle mechanic apprenticeship. So, we’re supporting him in completing a four-year apprenticeship through TAFE.”

Warnock said the program is more like an education assistance policy than a pure graduate program. It consists of two streams that promote learning and development at every level.

One is for the business’s interns, undergraduates, and graduates. The other focuses on existing team members who want to develop or change their careers. Chosen education programs are eligible for funding, including fees, textbooks, and union fees. For the graduate, that can represent an investment of more than $30,000 in their professional education.

“Many businesses offer rotations into various departments or programs,” Warnock said. “But this financial support for education programs, coaching, rotations, mentoring and other development opportunities are a real value add for our people.”

In this employment environment, Warnock said, it’s vital that businesses planning for growth also put internal talent development structures in place to ensure that future growth can be supported.

“It’s no secret that there are great challenges in recruitment,” she said. “You can’t always find someone who has all the necessary skills. We want to develop people and have a pipeline of talent that will help enable our growth trajectory. At the same time, people realise they are a vital part of that growth story. It makes them want to stay with us when they realise they’re valued, nurtured, and developed.”

How the HJ Weaver Development Program works

The most important steps in the evolution of the HJ Weaver Development Program have been analysing what types and levels of talent the business will require over the next five to eight years and creating a talent map that informs the business of what it has in place now.

Then, a framework was built around how the program works, ensuring clear channels for people to request, report on, and record progress within specific educational programs.

“I have aimed to provide rigour and a structure around how it works,” Warnock said. “We first had to understand what the business needs and what we have in place.”

The next step comes from mid-year and annual performance reviews, during which a development plan is discussed. Development opportunities identified during those reviews are then run by the individual’s line manager and the Executive General Manager.

“It also needs to be in line with the skills needed for the future of the business. But if it’s beneficial to the person and the business, then we’ll look at it,” Warnock said.

Why development is worth the investment

There is longevity at Interflow in terms of average employment periods. Part of this is explained by the business demonstrably valuing its people and putting its money where its mouth is.

“It does create a personal touch, a sense of investment in the individual,” Warnock said. “Education can be compelling in a person’s life. I have a 23-year-old son, so I feel strongly about this.”

The program made a measurable difference in Cremona’s life.

“It felt pretty special,” he said. “I was able to set myself up in terms of career and development.”

He recalls that many other university graduates he’d gone to university with were struggling to find careers or job opportunities while he was being developed through the program.

“But I had that security,” Cremona said. “As I graduated, I was also exposed to different avenues, divisions, and relationships. This has helped throughout my entire career so far. Every time I stepped up, like when I became a Project Manager, I understood all the background and why it was so important.”

Cremona is now using what he’s learned to support and develop his team at Interflow.

“That information has helped me succeed,” he said. “It has given me security and confidence in my ability. I have the confidence to know what I’m saying is right and back my decisions.”

For more information, visit https://www.interflow.com.au/