The latest edition of our Voices of Highview series features our new Social Value Manager, Glenn Harris!
We caught up with Glenn to get to know him a little better, exploring his career journey and finding out more about the person behind the role.
Find out what we asked him below 👇
Can you tell us a little about your career journey and what led you to your current role as Social Value Manager at Highview?
“I started my career as an apprentice in a completely different sector, so social value wasn’t something I originally planned to get into. Around six years ago, I was introduced to social value and quickly realised how rewarding it was to help people access opportunities while making a positive difference in local communities. Since then, I’ve built my career around employment, skills, education and community engagement. In my role at Highview, I manage our social value commitments across projects, work closely with clients and stakeholders, and support bid submissions by developing social value proposals that create meaningful and measurable impact. It’s a role that allows me to combine relationship building, strategic planning and community engagement to help deliver lasting benefits where we work.”
What does a typical day look like for you, and what are some of the key responsibilities involved in your role?
“No two days are the same, which is one of the things I enjoy most about the role. A typical day could involve visiting clients and project sites, meeting with community partners, and working with our internal teams and supply chain to deliver social value commitments. I also support bid submissions, develop social value proposals, monitor performance, and report on outcomes. A key part of my role is bringing people together to create opportunities that make a real difference and ensure the impact of our work continues long after a project has been completed.”
What do you enjoy most about your role and the opportunity to make a positive impact through Highview’s projects?
“The thing I enjoy most is seeing the impact of what we do long after a project has finished. Whether it’s someone finding employment, gaining new skills, completing work experience, or a community organisation benefiting from our support, it’s rewarding to know the opportunities we’ve helped create can have a lasting effect. Construction projects have a defined timeframe, but the social value we deliver can continue to benefit people and communities well beyond our time on site.”
What are some of the challenges businesses can face when delivering social value, and how do you overcome them?
“One of the biggest challenges is turning social value commitments into meaningful outcomes rather than seeing them as a box-ticking exercise. It takes collaboration, planning, and engagement from project teams, clients, and supply chain partners to make a real impact. At Highview, we overcome this by building strong relationships, understanding the needs of the communities we work in, and embedding social value into project delivery from the start. That helps ensure we’re creating opportunities and delivering benefits that are genuine, measurable, and long-lasting”
How would you describe the culture at Highview and the way different teams work together to deliver social value?
“Highview has a really collaborative culture, and there’s a genuine willingness from people across the business to get involved and make a difference. Delivering social value isn’t just the responsibility of one team; it takes input from our operational teams, commercial teams, managers, and supply chain partners. Everyone plays a part, which makes it much easier to create meaningful opportunities and maximise the positive impact we can have in the communities where we work.”
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
“The best advice I’ve ever received is that when good people come together, great things happen. I’ve found that to be true throughout my career. The best results don’t come from one person working alone; they come from people collaborating, sharing ideas and supporting each other.”
Looking ahead, what are you most excited about in your role and the future of social value at Highview?
“I’m excited about what’s still to come. Every project brings new opportunities to support local people and communities, and it’s rewarding to see social value becoming more recognised across the industry. I’m looking forward to building on the great work we’re already doing at Highview and continuing to create opportunities that leave a lasting positive impact.”
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
“Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family, playing football (although the legs don’t always agree these days!), and getting out on the golf course whenever I can. I also enjoy catching up with friends and a pint of Guinness… or three.”
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
“That despite being a spurs fan I still enjoy football! (to an extent)”
If you could give one piece of advice to someone considering a career in construction or social value, what would it be?
“Go for it! We will always need people in construction and now is a great time to get into the industry.”