05 Jul Headland-RSK: Three months on
It’s now three months since Headland Archaeology became a part of the RSK group so it’s probably not a bad time to provide an update on how things are going.
Our new colleagues from the RSK team
Headland has joined a much larger team of over 3000 people but will continue to develop its existing brand and deliver in the same way that clients have come to expect. Headland will remain a largely independent company and has, in fact, welcomed ten RSK archaeologists into the fold. They now form our North West team working primarily out of RSK’s offices in Helsby and Manchester under the management of Dr Andy Towle, who has worked for RSK in the North West for over five years. The RSK archaeologists are primarily consultants but stray into other areas of activity making them a good match for the established Headland Team. We have been sharing tenders, commissioned work and contributing to each other’s projects.
As part of the on-boarding, we have held joint receptions in all the Headland offices (including our new Manchester base), to communicate the specifics of the acquisition and how it will affect people. We have really enjoyed these meetings. They have been very positive events where people have been introduced to new work mates, compared company histories and services. Colleagues were able to ask how the merger will affect the way they work. Accompanying drinks and canapes seemed to have gone down well.
The Headland management team has also been getting to know the diverse range of RSK planning and construction companies at monthly gatherings. We have learnt an amazing amount about RSK as an organisation – everything from growing potatoes to remediating service stations. There are clearly many opportunities for cross-selling services to each other’s clients and a real chance to ‘join-up’ some of the products we offer; providing a complete cradle-to-grave contribution to clients’ projects. Issues such as contaminated ground (e.g. asbestos and hydrocarbons) often affect archaeology but practical support is now readily on hand and in house. We are looking at efficiencies (and cost reductions), as just one example, by combining environmental, soil engineering and archaeological approaches. This is all great for Headland, our clients and the wider RSK group.
Being part of a larger organisation also brings levels of support that we did not have access to before. Headland can now call on full-time human resources, financial, safety, health, environment and quality, marketing, training and legal support that will enhance the way we support clients and our staff. For anyone considering making a career in archaeology we now offer a very different type of environment to other archaeological organisations, one with extended possibilities to move forward in archaeology or to deploy their skills in other parts of the RSK Group.
Keep an eye on our current vacancies if this is something that might be of interest to you.