Supporting growth and knowledge: why our team is passionate about building standards

The difference a good building control team can bring to a project is significant in terms of meeting building safety regulations and compliance, with early collaboration mitigating any potential delays – and therefore budget overruns – to client schedules as the project progresses.

But what does it take to build a good team? Communication, collaboration and competency are all core skills highlighted by Building Control Manager Martin Reavey, supported by a strong internal culture and a commitment to supporting staff progression.

We caught up with Shaun O’Neill, Senior Project Manager, Mark Goldsmith, Associate Director, and Martin Reavey, Building Control Manager, to talk about what they think makes Harwood stand out in terms of culture and continuous learning and development opportunities.

Corporate culture

Shaun explains what he appreciates about working at Harwood: “It’s very much a level playing field; I can phone David (CEO at Harwood) and if I need to talk to him about something, he’s always at the end of the phone. We support and look out for each other and make sure we’re all on the same page.

“I really enjoy the variety of projects I am involved with, and the flexibility and autonomy we are allowed: for example, if I get the lead on something, I’m trusted and left to it. Ben Cheeseman (Commercial Director) or Adam Dodd (Operations Director) will be there in the background if they need to be, but they are not going to be taking over. They trust me. I’m someone who likes to be left to his own devices, and that is something that is respected.

“Sometimes, it’s the little things that mean a lot. Something that I didn’t think much of, just helping someone out in the team recently, resulted in a text message from David. He didn’t need to do that, but it goes a long way.

“It’s great to have all the company perks such as Brands Hatch and access to the flat in Spain, but it’s the day-to-day things that make the real difference – the flexibility allows me to have a good work/life balance.”

Martin agrees, commenting: “It’s a relatively small team environment, which, I think, means you can collaborate more in company matters. Your day-to-day decisions can have a greater influence on the whole company rather than maybe if you’re working for like a big corporate company. I don’t feel like you’re just a number here; you’re an actively engaged member of the team.

“We’re a close-knit team that always strives for better, and anyone who comes to work for Harwood in the future will be a respected member of the team.”

“I love the role of building control; I believe it is a worthwhile industry and profession to be in. There is so much value we can provide projects.”

Martin Reavey

Supporting professional development

Mark joined Harwood back in February 2021 as Building Control Manager, and in September 2022, he moved up to Associate Director, looking after the technical compliance side of the business.

Talking about how his current role came about, Mark explains: “I had expressed a desire to move beyond the delivery of building control work. I have worked in the industry since 1994 and was looking for a different role. Harwood is very supportive of our career aspirations; there are always job opportunities beyond your core job if you show interest and desire to do so. They [Harwood] were very keen to hear what my ambitions were, and fortunately, I was able to take on this new role.”

Shaun explains how Harwood has supported his own career progression: “Day courses were provided to me revolving around time management, leadership and general people management. This helped me progress and got me ready for the new (Senior Project Manager) role.

“The commercial experience I brought with me to this role from my previous jobs assisted with the general mentoring of plan checking on more complex projects and delivering peer reviews for Jayden Petch and some of the other surveyors coming through.

On his future aspirations, Shaun continues: “I’d like to move up the ranks. If there were to be a position open at the board level in the future, I’d love to be a part of the senior management team. Hard work is rewarded here, and if you want to go for something, that’s very much encouraged.”

 

Working with Harwood means guaranteeing that safety and quality are never compromised. If you’d like to discuss how working with our building control team can make your construction project smoother, contact Harwood today.