Q: With a global skills shortage, what is Bristol doing to shore up its workforce?

A: We are doing a number of things to enhance the skills of the people who are working for us today. We have frequent career path discussions, provide cross-training initiatives and offer company-funded advanced education programs. When an employment opportunity becomes available internally we will make it known to our people that we're willing to give them additional training to help them be successful in that new position. If, after they make the move, they find it is not the right fit and would prefer to return to their previous post, we also support that knowing that we have still gained a broader skills base.

We are also developing cross-training initiatives so that eventually, every individual will be able to work in more than one area of their department. We want each position to have at least two or three qualified individuals able to do it so that if someone goes on vacation or becomes ill, we can still complete the task. Education, training and retraining is vital because it's not only about where we're at today, but where we are going to be two or three years down the road.

Q: What are you doing to recruit externally?

A: Bristol continues to recruit not only for growth but also because we have a number of workers nearing retirement in the coming years. Right now, we are looking at places such as Ontario, where the downturn has created an opportunity to recruit certain skill sets. As well, we are increasing our involvement with employment streams like Manitoba Aerospace, which has an aboriginal training centre, in promoting education programs in junior and senior high schools and in supporting the University of Manitoba and Red River College. Hiring students is important to us. We have hired between eight and 16 students a year and we will continue to look for many future engineers, program managers, finance specialists this way.

Q: Have you needed to refine or enhance the employment package you offer people?

A: Bristol Aerospace continues to offer stability, a strong workforce and a solid package for employees that includes competitive salary, benefits and programs which support a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle. Being a global supplier, we are also able to give people an opportunity to interface with international customers and contribute to exciting, worldwide products. For instance, not a lot of people know that we were part of building a satellite that launched five years ago and has logged over 30,000 orbits around the Earth to date. When we held a "Bring Your Kids to Work" day, we let the kids touch part of a space shuttle payload so they could actually say they've put their hand on something that's going into space. How many people get to do that?

Q: With nearly 700 employees in Manitoba, is it a challenge to keep people engaged?

A: It can be challenging, but direct and frequent communication is important so we're trying to improve in this area. In addition to my state of the union address, departmental meetings and company intranet, we communicate our business goals in writing. This way, they can be openly posted for people to see whenever they walk by. We want employees to be able to align their actions with company goals so that they realize they have the power to influence the outcome. That gives them a sense of ownership. If you give people a goal without a way for them to affect change, they will not be engaged and that only defeats the purpose.

I do my best to be involved as much as possible with our employees, which can be as simple as walking around and talking to people. Sometimes it means getting up at five on a Saturday morning, jumping in the car and coming down to chat with the weekend shift. I really value some of the great conversations we have while catching up at that time.

Q: What are the most important things you have learned about effective leadership?

A: It's really to be consistent, to be fair and to be honest with everyone. Those are values I learned early in life and I try to live by them, instill them in my managers and teach them to my kids as well. We are living in challenging times but if you always speak the truth to people in terms of where things are at and where they may be going, they'll come away respecting the fact you've been honest with them.

In business, a leader has to create a vision and know where they are headed, but at the same time, they need to be solution providers in a team environment. That means identifying an issue or opportunity, engaging the right team to provide input and then implementing a solution that works for everyone. You don't just herd people into a room and hand out a directive, you need to make them part of the process. That way, when you do make a final decision, the rest of the team has the confidence to follow your lead.

Q: With such a large workforce, how does Bristol ensure consistency for its customers?

A: We have a highly skilled workforce and we want to make sure they have the right training and the tools to do their job and deliver a high-quality product to our customers. Again, communication is key. We have very good, well-defined policies and procedures in place to ensure consistency. When a new person comes in, they are given guidelines to work within so that they understand what is expected of them right off the bat. In my experience, people want to be successful; they want parts to be made properly and jobs to be done on time. So if expectations are clearly explained upfront, it's best for everyone.

There are also constant and consistent reminders of our company goals. For example, our company's quality policy: "We will provide our customers and colleagues with defect-free products and services in conformance with the agreed requirements," appears on our website, is displayed in employee areas and is even printed right on our paycheque stubs.

-- With reporting by Barbara Chabai

John McFerran, PhD, CMC, F. CHRP, is founder and president of People First HR Services Ltd. For more information, visit www.peoplefirsthr.com.