From the Ground Up: Callum Parker-Oates – Pick of the Bunch

It’s time for our second edition of ‘Pick of the Bunch’, our monthly spotlight on the people who make Glendale thrive!

At Glendale, we believe that our strength lies not only in our expertise in grounds maintenance but more importantly, in the exceptional people who bring our vision to life each day. We created ‘Pick of the Bunch’ to celebrate this belief, and to shine a spotlight on our dedicated team members whose commitment, passion, and hard work are fundamental to our success.

This month, we’re particularly thrilled to delve into the compelling journey of Callum Parker-Oates, our dedicated Contract Supervisor. Callum’s progression at Glendale has been nothing short of remarkable, embodying our ethos of nurturing talent and promoting from within. He joined our ranks as a trainee arborist, fuelled by an innate love for the outdoors and a keen interest in arboriculture. Through his unwavering commitment, tenacity, and eagerness to learn, he blossomed, climbing the ranks to his current position. His ascent from a trainee to a supervisor is a testament to his dedication and our belief in fostering growth and promoting talent. Join us as we take a closer look at his inspiring path, a true embodiment of Glendale’s mission to provide opportunities for growth and success for all our team members:

Climbing High: Callum’s Rise in Glendale

Callum’s journey to becoming a Contract Supervisor began around seven years ago when he joined Glendale as a “trainee arborist and eventually moved onto grounds management where I gained the experience in order to progress up to a supervisor”. So, what led Callum to embark on his arboriculture journey with Glendale? From an “early age”, Callum was aware of Glendale through his family members who were part of our team. This familiarity allowed him to appreciate the values that we uphold – “Glendale is a great company that values their staff and provides good working environments.” These aspects made Glendale the natural choice for Callum when deciding where to begin his career in arboriculture. From the beginning, he knew he “always wanted to be in some form of management role”, and his current position paves the way for this ambition.

When talking to Callum, he said the part of his job he most enjoys is “working within the management team to help make sure the contract runs as smoothly as possible and provides the best service to all our clients”. His work life is diverse and rewarding, as he navigates a wide range of tasks throughout a typical week. While he admits, “it can be difficult”, there’s a special kind of satisfaction that Callum derives “when everything goes to plan”.

What brings Callum the most happiness at work? “When I see jobs done correctly to a high standard and hear positive feedback from happy clients.” For Callum, as well as the rest of our dedicated team, maintaining this high standard isn’t just about ticking off tasks on a checklist. It is about going that extra mile to ensure everything is beyond just ‘good’. It’s about constant innovation, commitment to best practices, and a keen eye for detail that ultimately culminates in a job well done.

Over the years, Callum’s skills have evolved considerably since joining Glendale. He shares, “I have developed skills using various pieces of equipment whilst also boosting my knowledge of how I can successfully run a team and provide the manager with support to run the contract.”

Glendale has played an instrumental role in Callum’s career progression. He reflects, “Glendale has played a massive part in my career so far as they’ve provided me with all the tools in order to better myself.” He particularly values Glendale’s internal promotion policy. His greatest professional achievement? “When I got promoted to supervisor at a young age.” At Glendale, we strongly believe in the potential of our young talents – age is not a barrier to leadership here; talent and dedication are what we value most.

Callum has shown immense hard work to get to where he is today, noting that the biggest challenge he’s faced since joining the team is “Ensuring everything runs smoothly as there are many things that can go wrong.”

For those considering a similar career path, Callum believes the most important skill for a Contract Supervisor is “Being able to confidently talk to the operative staff and be someone they can come to when they need something either professionally or personally.” He urges more people to consider a career in this field as “working outside is always a good part of doing grounds maintenance and it allows you to have pride in the work you do as you can make a big difference on the sites you visit.”

A massive thanks to Callum for taking the time to answer our questions and for continuing to embody the hard work, talent, dedication, passion, and attention to detail that sets our company and staff apart.

Here at Glendale, we have an award-winning apprenticeship scheme, so if you dream of a career journey like Callum’s, starting from the bottom and working your way up, then we’d be the perfect fit for you. Whether you’re wanting to get into the field of arboriculture, gardening, grounds maintenance, horticulture, tree surgery or even accountancy or bid writing, we could have the ideal role for you. Browse our jobs at Glendale Services page or contact us with what you’re looking for, we often have apprenticeships or jobs available that aren’t on our website.

Thanks for reading, make sure to follow us on social media so you don’t miss the August edition of our ‘Pick of the Bunch’ series!