People

At 30 June 2010 Fletcher Building employed some 16,000 people in its business units across New Zealand, Australasia, Asia, Europe, North America and the South Pacific.

Through their capability, performance and diversity our employees differentiate our group, deliver value to our shareholders, customers and communities and reinforce our foundation for sustainable success.

An engaged workforce aligned in a high performance culture is key to the delivery of our business strategy and we strive to foster inclusive workplaces of choice that engage and enable talented high calibre people of all backgrounds to fulfil their potential.

Our workplaces are shaped by our values which promote individual and team creativity, mutual respect, commitment, and a focus on achieving results. These values underpin our code of behaviour, the Fletcher Building Way. This builds on our heritage of constructive, enduring relationships within Fletcher Building, and with our stakeholders. All Fletcher Building leaders are required to promote and model the Fletcher Building Way.

Our values-based, structured approach to people management is managed regionally within a framework of group policies and practices. These are framed to enhance the appeal of our employment brand – a powerful sustainable resource, that delivers significant intangible value to our stakeholders.

Back to topTalent identification, attraction and recruitment

Fletcher Building is committed to the development and advancement of employees from within the group, supplemented by high calibre new hires when appropriate. The group adopts an active approach to the attraction of talented new employees through online and print communications and by fostering links with a range of external sources including recruitment professionals, academic institutions and professional associations. The group's Australasian in-house recruitment centre is a further key conduit of good people; in the last year over 350 people were hired through this source, delivering savings of over $2.5 million.

Back to topLeadership and management development

The group recognises that as its business grows and diversifies, excellent leaders are needed to run its substantial businesses and functions, many of which trade internationally. Several of our businesses would rank as major enterprises in their own right. The development of an internationally focused
high-performing leadership team is thus a key strategic priority.

Our top talent pool has considerable experience and depth. Over 43 percent of the 350 most senior executives have more than 10 years' service with the group, while 28 percent have more than 15 years' service. We now have 71 executives at general manager or more senior levels in our business. Of these, 30 percent lead our offshore operations. With the growth of our international business, we are building a leadership group with global perspective; over 25 percent of this executive group have at least one year of experience working in a business outside their home country.

A comprehensive leadership assessment and development programme is in place for Fletcher Building's 300 most senior executives. The programme offers a mix of in-house development programmes, challenging work assignments under experienced mentors, and external executive education programmes at leading business schools in New Zealand, Australia, the USA and the UK.

Since our diverse and geographically-dispersed operations differ significantly, each business is encouraged to source and deliver in-house training programmes specific to its needs.

These are supplemented by an integrated range of centrally co-ordinated regional programmes, designed to drive the high performance leadership and culture that is central to the group's business strategy. Our regional programmes deliver economies and efficiencies of scale, help build internal networks, promote common processes and business tools, and foster the Fletcher Building Way.

The company believes that it is essential to invest in future talent, even in difficult times. For this reason, all learning and development programmes in the last year were maintained. These programmes were supported in Australia and New Zealand by the Fletcher Building Employee Educational Fund which paid out grants of over $4 million in support of group, employee, and employee dependant training.

Back to topReward and recognition

The group strives to offer market-competitive pay and benefits in each country of operation. Our general policy is to benchmark total remuneration at the third quartile, with appropriate regard to individual and business performance, market conditions, employees' priorities, needs and lifestyles, and reward practice in each location.

Back to topLabour relations

Fletcher Building enjoys a history of constructive relationships based on partnership and mutual respect with the many labour unions active within its business.

Some 32 percent of the group's employees belong to labour unions. There are more than 130 negotiated workplace agreements in place across the company.

Back to topEmployee share ownership

Fletcher Building wants its employees to feel directly involved in the performance of the business and so encourages and supports employee share ownership.

Certain senior managers are required to acquire and hold shares in the company in their own names as a condition of employment. A broader group is eligible to participate in a long-term cash incentive requiring investment in the company's shares. Details can be found in the Remuneration Report section
of the annual report.

Back to topCommunicating with our people

Keeping our people informed about what is happening in Fletcher Building, and monitoring employee views and perspectives of the group, is important to the group. We deliver information and encourage employees to provide feedback through a variety of channels including online webcasts, web seminars, web chats and email bulletins, and face-to-face briefing sessions, conferences and employee reviews.

'Faircall' and 'Safe2Say' are free, independently-administered, international 24 hour confidential telephone hotlines for employees to raise ethical issues and report grievances. All calls are logged and investigated by the appropriate function and are subject to regular Audit Committee review. All matters are brought to the attention of the CEO and the board.

We regularly survey our employees at group and at business unit levels to gather their opinions. In the last year, the group's international leadership group was surveyed through a confidential questionnaire available in five languages. An 82 percent response rate was achieved. Despite the workplace pressures of the global financial crisis, we were pleased that participants awarded the group a higher overall rating than in the previous survey, conducted in 2007. Amongst the highest scoring items were statements of commitment to the group (81 percent); pride in the group (80 percent); and acknowledgement of the group's progress on workplace safety.

Back to topEqual opportunity and diversity

A workplace that welcomes and supports all employees is central to the group's values. We aim for an inclusive workplace in which our people are able to rise to their full potential regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, disability, creed, or caring responsibilities.

Currently some 35 percent of the group's workforce is aged over 50 and 62 percent is aged over 40 years. Women comprise around 19 percent of the group's workforce overall, although representation is higher in some countries, reflecting national trends. A measure of the ethnic diversity of our global workforce is that from time to time we produce corporate communications in nine languages.

Recognising the diversity of backgrounds and needs of our increasingly multi-cultural workforce, we offer a range of adult learning and re-skilling opportunities including literacy training and access to occupational programmes leading to nationally accredited qualifications awarded by third parties. These initiatives help to offset educational and language barriers to advancement and promote our high performance ethic.

We continue to look for opportunities to advance more leaders who are women, and members of minorities.

Within the community, we are proud co-sponsors of the New Zealand Employers' Disability Network and the New Zealand Equal Employment Opportunity Trust, and strongly endorse their efforts to advance the representation of minorities in the workforce. The group also sponsors the First Foundation which assists academically talented, financially disadvantaged young New Zealand students to reach their full potential.

Back to topWork-life balance

People have different needs and work preferences at various stages in their careers. Fletcher Building recognises this through providing options such as alternative work arrangements - including flexible work, telecommuting and job-sharing to help employees balance their personal and professional commitments.

Employees who require support with personal or work-related problems have free access to a confidential counselling service through specialist providers.

New Zealand employees who experience personal hardship through unexpected misfortune may apply to the independent Fletcher Building Employee Welfare Fund for financial assistance.