The partners are just as respectful and considerate with their staff. “We’re very conscious of having a great work environment,” says Miles. “We wanted to have flexibility within our own lives given what’s required of a young family. We also wanted to offer that to our employees as well.” To this end, they have adopted a nine-day fortnight so staff gets every second Friday off. They encourage constant communication between their people. “We’re very proactive in getting them to speak up,” says Miles. “We have toolbox talks once a month. If there’s anything on their minds or anything that can be improved, we give them a chance to speak. We like to be present at all our jobs so they always have an opportunity to talk to us. The feedback from the guys is always positive.” He says they have a good crew, and a young crew. “The eldest is maybe 30. We haven’t gone out specifically for that, but it works well and so far, staff retention is great.” East Elevation Construction’s commitment to their staff has resulted in multiple accolades. They were the winner of the Hunter region HIA Apprentice Host of the Year 2023 and 2024. “It’s a good pat on the back,” says Joey. “The HIA recognizes we create a good environment for our apprentices.” Miles agrees, saying their apprentices have also taken awards in past years, and have gone on to be tradesmen. “We always nominate them because they deserve it,” he says. The company uses the latest technology for communications when possible. “We’re very OCTOBER 2024
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