Friday, 27 November was an important date for the human resource function at Gasan Enterprises Ltd, with the company receiving two notable awards at the eighth Foundation for Human Resources Management awards night: the Overall HR Achievement of the Year Award and the Excellent HR Initiative Award.
Two independent assessor committees, comprised of HR professionals, judged the awards, for which 13 companies and organisations submitted nominations. The Overall HR Achievement of the Year Award is presented by the Centre for Labour Market Studies at the University of Leicester, UK, and is given to only one company that has distinguished itself above all other nominees.
Gasan Enterprises Ltd has invested strongly in its human resource function and embarked on several strategic HR initiatives in 2009, including adopting new working practices based on the principle that only through people can the organisation achieve its ultimate goals and provide the right care and level of service to its customers.
This is very much to the credit of managing director David Gasan, who believes in valuing people for their human capital as a human resource in the company. The project consisted of realigning business strategy in ways that better acknowledge the individual dimension and contribution each member of the organisation can make to the company’s success.
A strategic performance management approach has been used, linking the introduction of a performance analysis scheme to provide a new dimension in promoting and rewarding individual performance. Individual objectives were set at all levels, linked to overall departmental and company objectives, and several other initiatives were introduced across the entire organisation.
New remuneration schemes were adopted, linked to departmental and company bottom line performance, phasing out automatic (notched) wage increases. There was a high degree of employee participation, as well as that of the General Workers Union, who recognised the need to pull together in what is a model for industry.
The Excellent HR Initiative Award is a recognition of the standard of initiatives taken by Gasan Enterprises during 2009, including the renegotiation of the collective agreement (through a side letter agreement) with the General Workers Union, the introduction of the Performance Analysis Scheme, the link between HR initiatives and company goals, and the involvement of employees through the strategic dimension.
A series of one-day seminars was held to outline the company’s strategic objectives with everyone set individual targets to ensure communication at all levels.
Commenting on the awards, Mr Gasan said: “The two FHRD awards, including the Overall award, are an indication that the approach adopted and systems put in place are worthy of recognition, even at an international level. This is to the credit of all those involved, notably the HR Department, headed by Joseph Farrugia, the Technology, Electronics and Communications Section of the General Workers Union, headed by Andrew Mizzi and every single employee at Gasan Enterprises.”
Gasan Enterprises operates from the Gasan Automotive Centre on the Mriehel Bypass and represents such leading brands as Ford, Jaguar, Volvo and Mazda, Yamaha motorcycle and marine products and Cantieri Capelli and Pirelli marine products.
More information is available from www.gasan.com