Why electrical contractors should spend time thinking how to reward key staff
Posted by: electime 15th December 2025
By Callum Biscoe, Commercial Director of C&B Electrical Contractors Ltd
The demand for qualified electricians in Britain today is huge and growing, with a shortfall of 15,000 predicted over the next five years. And while that does not mean electrical contractors should lower their standards when seeking new members for their team, it does present challenges. Which is why here at C&B Electrical Contractors Ltd, we choose carefully, integrate new staff members fully… and most of all, appreciate who we have.
Most recently, we marked a special milestone for one of our own: Danny’s five-year anniversary at C&B Electrical. To celebrate the occasion, Operations Director Ben Wilson and I presented him with a Tag Heuer watch as a thank you for his hard work, loyalty, and the impact he’s had on the team.
Danny represents exactly what we’re proud to build here; a team we can celebrate, support, and grow with. We love having people who choose to stay, develop their skills, and be part of our ongoing growth journey. Retaining and looking after members of staff is important here at C&B Electrical as we believe everybody has a stake in the overall success of our enterprise, and we stick to five core principles:
- Recognise their contribution while they are doing the job to professional standards on a daily basis. Historically, a watch was a gesture from an employer saying, “You gave us your time, now we are giving you ours.” But a good electrician is giving you that time on a regular basis … why wait until the end of their career to recognise that?
- Loyalty is a two-way street. If a member of our team demonstrates it on a regular basis, the least others in the team can do is give it back. Everyone at C&B Electrical is given the support they need to flourish in a professional environment – we are a team, and we lean on each other.
- Give people the chance to grow: This is a biggie for me, because training is a key part of the ethos at C&B Electrical. When a new team member arrives, they may have gaps in their professional knowledge, but we are here to fill them. A full training programme for less experienced personnel, from apprentices upwards, is so important in making them feel that we are fully invested in their professional development.
- Celebrate milestones. With Danny, the Tag Heuer watch was in recognition of five years’ loyal service, but we take into account lots of other significant moments. An apprentice achieving his first year’s qualifications, one of our electricians being singled out by a client for outstanding work… we are a team, and we celebrate together.
- Play to people’s strengths. When staff excel in a particular area, we build on that by drawing on their experience to streamline process generally through the team. We learn from each other at C&B Electrical, with no contribution being without merit.
I am a firm believer that, in life generally, you get out what you put in. Showing members of our team that their contribution is valued has paid dividends in loyalty and good work many times over. It may be a Tag Heuer watch to Danny, but to us here at C&B Electrical, it symbolises five years of time… time well spent.
