Building Service Starts with Building People
🕘 Reading time | 3 minutes
At Hemlow, people come first.
We believe the quality of our service is driven by the quality of our people. That is why we invest heavily in training, development and long-term careers, not just recruitment. The Hemlow Foundation is a key part of that commitment. This provides you an inside look into the Improver Programme which sits within our Hemlow Foundation.
This guide gives you a glimpse into what we’re building and how it directly benefits you.
Why We Built the Improver Programme
The Improver Programme allows us to:
- Provide careers to local people and develop our own
- Embed our core values in our team
- Drive retention of staff through loyalty to Hemlow
For our clients, this means you have a trusted and consistent team working with you to improve the performance of your building/ portfolios.
What Is The Improver Programme?
The Improver Programme is a structured two-year training programme for junior engineers and office-based staff. It is designed to build long-term careers, develop well-rounded professionals and maintain high standards of safety and compliance.
How The Programme Works?
  Engineering Improvers
Business Navigators (Office-based Improvers)
First 3 months in the office
Learning the backend processes such as job logging, scheduling, reporting and CAFM systems to fully understand our business and why accurate information matters.
First 3 months onsite
Going onsite to gain a real understanding of the engineering world, maintenance tasks, call-outs and clients.
Remaining 21 months on site
Working & training in live environments and developing core maintenance engineering skills. Improvers shadow experienced engineers who mentor and guide them throughout their training.
21 months rotating through departments
Spending time in Marketing, Administration, Technical and Accounts to learn how our processes support clients. They will develop computer literacy, communication & organisation skills, critical thinking, customer service, time management and attention to detail.
End of programme – 2 years
On completion of the programme, once appropriate qualifications have been gained, improvers qualify as lone working maintenance engineers.
End of programme – 2 years
Business Navigators move into the department where they have performed the strongest and add the most value.
How We Recruit
We take a non-traditional approach to recruitment. Rather than focusing only on qualifications or experience, we look for passion, personality and motivation.
Improvers and Business Navigators are recruited through careers fairs at schools, colleges and employee referrals, which are followed by open days at our head office. We also welcome client referrals, allowing you to recommend people who share your values and would succeed in a professional engineering environment, focused on safety and customer service with a pathway to progress in their careers.
Why Does This Benefit You
Our investment in people is also an investment in your experience.
- Stable teams who know your sites
- Strong communication between site and office
- The right people are always in place
- High standards of safety and compliance
- Reduced staff turnover and greater continuity
Creating Real Social Value
We don’t just hire talent. We create opportunity.
That means more local jobs and more supported communities around the places we work.
Our Figures
- 102 training courses available
- 47 trainees hired in the last 10 years
- 37 internal promotions from trainees
- 15 people progressed into management roles
- 100% of Directors developed through apprenticeship routes
- Over £2.5million invested in developing our people in the last 10 years
Why This Matters For You & For Us
The Improver Programme sits at the heart of our Hemlow Foundation. It’s how our values show up in everyday work and how our investment turns into real impact.
For our people, it means opportunities and a future.
For our clients, it means stability and lower risks, as you’ll have a team that understands how to deliver the standards you expect.
Hemlow’s strength comes from its people. The people who make your day to day work easier.
What’s Coming Up
Next month, we’ll be sharing a story about one of our core members and his journey from Improver to Contract Manager. Can you guess who it is?
If you’d like to know more information about our Hemlow Foundation, drop us a message below!
