Background
Kris joined the firm in 2014, a few years before Care Facility Management merged with Cleanall to become the Aston Services Group we know today. Originally working as a Security Officer, Kris now has over 20 years of experience in the facilities sector.
Born in Shrewsbury, Kris spent his early years overseas, his father was in the forces; the family then moved back to the UK and settled in Doncaster. Kris has remained in Yorkshire, living in Leeds for a while, but is now back in Doncaster with his wife and family. Outside work, Kris has been scuba diving for over 15 years and is a BSCA diving instructor.
His Role
In his current role, Kris has direct responsibility for 12 sites, whilst his remaining operations team, made up of five regional managers and supervisors, reports into Kris on the sites that they personally manage. Kris oversees the provision of security, maintenance and cleaning at his customer sites, primarily shopping centres in the south of England. As well as managing ASG staff at these sites, Kris works with the centre management companies such as Ashdown Phillips, Multi-Realm and Bellrock, ensuring there is open and regular communication between all parties.
On the ASG side, Kris reports to Operations Director Simon Hawkins and holds monthly meetings with both Simon and Managing Director Nick Atkinson.
Key Issues & Current Challenges
Recruitment has proven an increasing challenge over the past 18 months, finding the right person with the right qualifications for a specific centre location. There are often hurdles to overcome.
“The process of recruitment is a time-consuming one; it is crucial that we employ the right staff for the job and do not accept second best. We compete against other sectors for candidates, and there is often a perception amongst younger workers that the work offers low pay and limited career prospects. This is certainly not the case with ASG. All ASG staff are paid the Real Living Wage or above and undertake ongoing, relevant training, enabling them to deliver not only excellent customer service but also take pride in the work they do.” “I am absolute proof that we offer career opportunities,” states Kris. “I make it part of my role to support staff who show promise, and retaining staff is in our best interest.”
Another ongoing issue is the antisocial behaviour prevalent in shopping centres in some areas and the management of this. To handle these situations, ASG staff undergo regular refresher training from national training providers, ensuring that they are confident and prepared. Security staff are also kept up to date with ACT, Action Counters Terrorism training, designed to raise awareness and provide guidance on identifying and responding to suspicious activity related to terrorism. This helps ensure training is kept ahead of the curve. Part of Kris’s role also involves keeping on top of environmental policies, working with the management agents to implement changes. It is important that all team members are on board and that we are compliant and up to date with the latest standards.
Technology is another area where Kris sees constant change. He will review the latest cleaning machinery, looking at what is available and relevant and then arrange demonstration days to see what is appropriate for each centre. Kris is passionate about his role and wants to make a difference for clients and the team he supports. Continuing to manage both up and down the chain of command and doing this to the best of his ability, whilst looking for opportunities to improve service further. “Face-to-face communication is essential to do my role properly, and I couldn’t deliver without the operations and site teams; everybody plays an integral part.”