Saturday, July 31, 2010

Benefits 

CES is a highly qualified, multi-disciplinary team of civil, chemical, environmental, and agricultural engineers, complementing soil scientists, geologists, hydrologists, biologists, and agronomists. This team specializes in helping clients find comprehensive solutions to the water management and environmental challenges facing today’s agricultural, industrial, and government customers.

Employees are CES’ most valuable assets. They are the channel of communication with clients, subcontractors, regulatory agencies and the community at large. The success that CES enjoys is simply the cumulative successes of each employee. CES strives to create an environment which encourages team innovation and action, dedication to clients, openness of communication, profit awareness and expense control, planning, coordination and cooperation between employees at all levels and locations.

CES is committed to high ethical standards in all client and employee dealings. Our goal is to provide employees opportunities for self-improvement and advancement through training and education; to employ only qualified individuals; to be supportive of their goals; and to design compensation programs based on level of responsibility and performance. These are the same principals that form the cornerstone beliefs of our parent company, Valmont Industries, Inc.

CES/Valmont recognizes that employees are a very important resource. Trust, communication, involvement, and sharing form the foundation of our work environment. In order to effectively utilize and maximize employees’ strengths, CES/Valmont has adopted an environment that builds on teamwork. Through teamwork, CES/Valmont encourages employees to make a contribution by pooling and sharing ideas, values, experiences, and problem-solving strategies. We believe that effective teamwork boosts performance, employee engagement, communication and involvement.

We believe that the work conditions, wages, and benefits we offer to CES/Valmont employees are competitive with those offered by other employers in this area and in this industry.

Employee Engagement Program

CES, as a part of Valmont, participates in a workplace improvement process created by the Gallup® Organization called Q12®. The Gallup Q12® process relates to 12 questions, which were created by Gallup® to assess employee engagement in 12 key areas ranging from knowing your job expectations to opportunities to learn and grow. On an approximate annual basis, employees are asked to rate their opinion on each of the 12 questions on a range of 1 to 5. Results for a workgroup are reviewed by the group, at which time one or two areas are selected to work on for improvement. For instance, a group might work on not having the necessary tools or equipment. The focus would be to come up with ways to assess this further and recommend acquisition of any equipment needed to properly do a job.

CES has been involved in the Gallup Q12® process since 2004 and we have seen improvement in scores. Improvement is also evident by an increase in employee engagement and employee satisfaction – knowing that there is a mechanism that encourages employee input and will result in positive change. In the end, this not only benefits CES and our employees, but benefits our clients from having motivated and engaged professionals helping them.

Clifton StrengthsFinder®

Beginning in 2005, CES supervisors were introduced to the idea that each of us can be more successful by concentrating on our strengths instead of our weaknesses. This concept was introduced in the book First Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham of the Gallup® Organization (1999). Since then, all CES employees are asked to take the Clifton StrengthsFinder® assessment. Once they know their strengths (or natural talents), they can better focus on them to achieve success in their job and to plan their careers. We believe that self-awareness is a key to success and happiness on the job and we believe this improves everything we do for our clients.

Project Management Training

CES is a consulting company, but is also a project management company. Our technical project work is managed by technical staff members who have received training in project management. This training begins with having new technical employees take a self-paced course in project management to give them the basics and the terminology. Senior staff skilled in project management act as mentors to new employees and those just starting out on small projects. Every few years, CES gathers the technical staff together for an in-house project management skills and ‘lessons learned’ course. Those employees that want to take on the larger, more complex projects are encouraged to take outside courses in project management and seek certification as a Project Management Professional. We, at CES, are always striving to improve our project management skills in order to give our clients better service.

Safety

CES is committed to its safety mission: “A passion for world-class safety: excellence in execution, employee commitment, innovation, exceptional communications…globally.” CES employees apply the principles of this mission to ensure that safety is a priority for the duration of the project and for everyone involved in its completion.

The day-to-day application of the safety mission has resulted in many benefits, including awards. CES is proud to announce we have received the Irrigation Division President’s Safety Award for three years running – 2006, 2007 and 2008. These are noteworthy achievements based on several factors considered critical for building world-class safety systems.

The selection process starts with a review of injury rates. Sites must first post rates that are at least equal to or better than average corporate injury rates for the year. This group is further measured by evaluating upstream Drivers and downstream Results. Extraordinary performances in any category have a great influence on the evaluation process. Statements from each site in support of their nomination are also part of the evaluation.

Safety accomplishments are evaluated in context of overall site performances by the Division and Corporate Management. Subsequent safety awards are then presented to those sites demonstrating a high commitment to safety with solid performances.