Case Study
M Group Services
As the leading essential infrastructure services provider across the UK and Ireland, M Group Services is passionate about recruiting Service leavers.
To find out more, we spoke with their Head of Training Compliance, Richard Nelson.
So, how long has M Group Services been working with the CTP?
We’ve been working together for five years, using the CTP as a vehicle for bringing Service leavers into all areas of the Group – across our water, energy, telecom and transport Divisions. It’s been a highly fruitful relationship so far, and we’re now looking to focus some more on using the CTP’s resources to enhance our own events offering.
We’re currently in the process of planning a pilot event up in Preston, and the CTP have been great in promoting it for us. We’ll then be looking to hold more regular events up and down the country, enabling us to be far more targeted in our recruitment and fill more regional opportunities across the Group.
And can you tell us a bit about your relationship with Service leavers?
I’d love to. We’re huge advocates of the CTP’s Employment Fairs and have attended every single one in the last five years – helping to keep us connected with Service leavers right across the UK. Plus, we were awarded the Armed Forces Gold Covenant Award in 2021, highlighting our dedication and commitment to providing opportunities for ex-military personnel.
Everyone we recruit from a military background is introduced to our internal Armed Forces Group as soon as they join the business.
By having immediate and ongoing access to the support and mentorship of someone who understands their experiences, our military hires are able to settle into their new roles and teams far quicker. We also completed the Medicine Ball Challenge this year to raise awareness of mental health across the Group. Our Service leaver personnel were brilliant, highly engaged and instantly understood the importance of the initiative – helping us to raise over £2,000!
Wow, that’s amazing! How many Service leavers have you employed to-date?
In the last five years we’ve hired approximately 188 Service leavers into a variety of roles, from directors and senior managers to junior operatives. There isn’t a single Division within the Group where Service leavers aren’t a valued part of our teams.
And have you found they often choose to stay with the Group long-term?
Yes, we have a 91% retention rate among our ex-military population. This is great both for us and the people who join us, and I believe it reflects the excellent fit between M Group Services and Armed Forces personnel.
That’s great. So, what qualities do you find they bring into the business?
They’re amazing under pressure, always coming up with solutions and are able to make decisions when time is of the essence. Their can-do attitude is infectious and helps to generate buy-in from their team members, almost from the moment they join.
Service leavers are also often well-equipped to hit the ground running in any role they take up with us.
The skills and knowledge they possess is second-to-none, and their willingness and eagerness to learn is part of what enables us as a business, to keep enhancing and improving our service to clients and their customers. We’ve long understood the value of employing Service leavers, and so it’s no surprise the competition for them is heating up across the industry.
To guarantee we remain an attractive employer, we hold regular meetings with our internal Armed Forces Group to ensure we’re always aligned to the needs of current and new Service leavers.
And would you say there are business benefits to recruiting through the CTP?
Definitely. We’re looking for leaders here at M Group Services –individuals who can take control of a situation or team and achieve success – and that’s exactly what you get when you hire from the military talent pool.
Since working with the CTP, we’ve seen how Service leavers streamline processes and ways of working. Their expertise and mindset enable them to make key decisions and get things moving, which helps keep productivity levels high.
They’re also great at encouraging loyalty and driving engagement in their teams. Ex-military and civilian colleagues enjoy working with them, and it’s because of employing Service leavers that we’ve seen increased talent retention and output levels across the Group.
Having this highly accessible talent pool, full of the skills and knowledge we’re looking for, means we’re never short of top quality candidates to fill our vacancies. They have so many transferable skills, often without even realising it, which is why we’re looking to bring more and more military leavers into the business.
That’s great to hear! So, should Service leavers be keeping an eye out for opportunities with M Group Services?
Of course! We’ve in discussions with the CTP and Ministry of Defence to get funding for entry level hiring. We need people qualified to operate safely onsite. If these qualifications and training can be provided while they’re still serving, we can offer them a job and a highly rewarding career path on the spot. So, if you’re a Service leaver reading this, watch this space!
