Staying fit for work
Oct 21 2008 by Sue Scott, Evening Gazette
AS THE crunch bites, companies are going for the burn, as SUE SCOTT reports
TWO Tees Valley companies have turned to sport as a way of motivating staff.
TechConsult UK, an engineering recruitment company based at The Wilton Centre, near Redcar, and Carterbar financial advisers, based at Manor Way on the Belasis Business Park, in Billingham, positively encourage their staff to take part in sporting pastimes because they believe it makes for a better workforce.
The most recent example was the Middlesbrough Tees Pride 10K road race in mid-September, in which Suzanne Cox, Gill Wherritt and Tim Race from Carterbar and TechConsult managing director Steve Guest took part.
Gill Wherritt said: “The run was a fun experience but there was a serious side to it from a business point of view.
“We regard sporting activities as an excellent way of teambuilding, and making staff feel that they are part of something together.
“In the days leading up to the run, all the talk was about how people would perform, what the experience would be like, and it gave people an additional, common goal.
“We also encourage staff to take part because, as a company whose work includes medical insurance, we believe we should be taking a lead in helping our staff to keep fit.”
Fellow Tees Pride runner, TechConsult UK’s Steve Guest, also completed the Great North Run in 1hr 36min earlier this month.
“I have a passion for running and go out in my lunchtime, which helps keep me fit,” said Steve.
“Ian Marshall, our senior consultant, is involved in a football team, which we sponsor.
“These kinds of activities are excellent for staff morale. They not only keep people fit but there is a sense of togetherness.
“Life is not all about work, and encouraging this kind of activity can only be beneficial to the company as a whole.
“I believe that one of the ways we benefit commercially is because people who are fit and healthy, and well motivated, perform better at work.”
Carterbar’s Suzanne Cox agrees: “This is not just about having fun, although that is important.
“Involving staff in this kind of activity does enhance their performance, in my view, and that in turn can give us a commercial advantage over some of our competitors. Healthy, motivated staff tend to be more alive to the opportunities they come across in their working day.”
PAGE TWO: Coach route to success
