standards, and in return the company backs them and provides security. A FAMILY BUSINESS WITH AN INCLUSIVE CULTURE At its heart, this is very much a family business. Gary’s children work in the company, and now those children have families of their own.That layered family reality brings all the normal joys and complexities, but it also informs how the company treats its people. “We understand the challenges of having young families,” Metcalf notes. “We try to be inclusive and recognise that family life is important.” That inclusivity plays out in a variety of ways. Monthly company barbecues give staff a chance to connect outside of the daily rush. A couple of larger functions each year bring not only employees and subcontractors together, but their partners as well. The idea is simple: if spouses and families can experience the atmosphere and dynamics of the company firsthand, they gain confidence in where their loved ones spend so much of their time. “It doesn’t always work perfectly – you’re dealing with a lot of different individuals – but we try,” Gary says with a laugh.“At the end of the day, we want our employees to want to turn up to work and to want to do a good job.” COMPLIANCE, PRECISION, AND TECHNOLOGY Working in heavily regulated sectors means staying ahead of compliance requirements. Government contracts, particularly with housing and public infrastructure, come with a constant stream of regulatory updates. Gary says the relevant departments are proactive in communicating changes, often on a daily basis, allowing the company to cascade that information quickly to staff and trades. The disability housing space is even more exacting. SDA builds are “to the millimetre,” he explains, with strict standards on everything from corridor 27 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 07, ISSUE 12 METCALF GROUP (SA)
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