Why good employment matters

We caught up with Carol Andrews from Wimbledon Village Stables to chat about why good employment matters. 

How many staff do you employ?
8 full time and 3 part time

Are your staff all paid at least the National Minimum Wage?
Of course! We pay well above the minimum wage.

What is the most important thing you consider when recruiting a new member to your team?
It's absolutely essential that they love horses, ride well and have the highest standards of stable management.

Why do you feel that Good Employment is important?
There are several reasons. 

From a business perspective, having happy well trained staff means I can deliver, to my clients, the very best level of customer service. Recruiting and retaining good staff is extremely important to my business for this reason.

From an ethical perspective, it must be the right thing to do – to pay staff fairly and to recognise their hard work, skill and commitment and the contribution they make to the success of the business.

What does Good Employment look like at Wimbledon Village Stables?

Great team work, happy fulfilled employees who know how to do their job well and who they can ask for support help and training.

• Employees who aren’t afraid to ask if they need help – this means asking a colleague as well as asking management. An employee who is prepared to admit they don’t know something shows a confident employee who is comfortable in their role.
• Employees who are able to understand the very varied needs of our clients and to deliver lessons and rides to meet these needs.

And this all leads to happy horses who enjoy their job and clients who love their riding!

What is the average time that an employee stays with you?
Until last year when one of our team moved abroad and two left on maternity leave it was 9 years!  We are very lucky that our employees like to stay with us.

Are you a caring employer? Why do you think that is important?
This is very important to me. 

I believe everything comes from the top and if the management sets a caring and inclusive ethos the staff will copy. If your staff trust you and know that you care about them it allows them to work confidently and enthusiastically.

Do you think grooms should be better employed and treated in the equestrian industry?
Yes definitely although I understand the financial reasons why some yards can’t pay above the minimum wage.But salaries aren’t the only way to build a great team.

There are lots of other ways of ensuring your employees are fulfilled – by training them in whichever area they want to develop, by being flexible about working hours to suit their personal circumstances, by having an open and fair management style, by providing little extras such as social events etc.

What makes Wimbledon Village Stables a great place to work?

I am so lucky to have a yard with the most incredible clients from all walks of life, many of whom have ridden at WVS for years, and amazing horses, but the thing that glues it all together is my fabulous team. It’s this combination that makes it a great place to work.

I give a very high priority to making sure my staff are happy by having a management style that encourages the team to raise anything they feel needs to be discussed.

We have an informal weekly lunch meeting when we discuss issues, problems, successes etc. but I hope my staff feel they can approach me at any time if they have something on their mind.

We organise lots of social events for the staff and encourage them to compete in equestrian events if they want to.

We have outings to horse shows as well as BBQs at the yard, drinks parties and our fabulous  Annual Ball – all of which are provided free to the staff if they wish to go. This creates a good bond of friendship between team members and allows them to get to know each other well.

The staff are encouraged to train and take exams to take a professional attitude to their personal development. We give them time to do this and actively support them while they do. Some want to compete and this is encouraged too.
 

Do you think equestrian yards need to modernise their operations to adhere to the National Minimum Wage compliance? 

They must pay the minimum wage – it’s a legal requirement as well as a moral imperative. But in London no one could live off the minimum wage unless they are subsidised by family.

It’s hard to modernise – this is a labour intensive industry.

What is the biggest challenge with running a team of staff.
In many ways my team are one of the great joys of the business. They are individual and so need to be treated as such but I also must ensure that I am being fair and open.

They are encouraged to come up with suggestions, ideas and initiatives and one of my challenges is to keep up with their energy and enthusiasm.

We tend to be a very female yard and another challenge is to try to inject a bit of male into it!

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