"Care". That`s what how JMR founder and Managing Director Mike Richards attributes the company`s three percent turnover in contractors last year.
During the same period, JMR increased its contractor base by a third and is aiming for over 150 contractors on its books by the end of June 2002.
Central to JMR`s success in attracting and retaining contractors, Richards believes, is the sense of belonging.
"We have a strong people philosophy, which we apply to our staff and contractors alike," Richards said.
The company has a staff member assigned to do the rounds of where JMR contractors are working and to find out how they`re doing and to establish needs or gripes. Richards himself pays frequent visits.
Rather than a concerted strategy, the policy towards contractors has grown out of a genuine value system.
So successful has the company been, that many contractors on the books of other firms have opted to join JMR instead.
"We give them the best of both worlds, the freedom from many of the constraints of normal employment and security of being part of a wider community that cares," Richards said.
The company hosts a contractor get-together on the first Thursday of every month.
Care apart, Richards, believes that JMR`s success can be attributed largely to its skill in identifying the right person for a particular project or client environment and ensuring that the customer gets fair value.
While contracting is under severe constraints in Europe and the US, it is a growing concern in SA and not only as a result of the skills shortage in the country.
"The programming sector is showing healthy signs of growth in SA. Demand is particularly high for skills in the newer development environments such as Java and Microsoft .Net," Richards said.
Established in 1987 with its roots in contracting and software development, JMR today specialises in the delivery of custom-developed applications for mainframe, client server and Internet-based systems, and has made major contributions in fields ranging from banking, transport, retail, chemical and pharmaceutical, to human resources and the insurance industry. Most of these projects are implemented utilising the company`s contractor base.
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