It's not about us...

AGL is a company with concrete plans in place to actively support local Indigenous communities through what are termed enterprise hubs.  These hubs enable AGL to support and mentor local businesses and provide employment opportunities to local First Nations Peoples.

AGL wanted to build upon the work already being undertaken with local indigenous communities, and be  seen as a first-choice employer for First Nations peoples.  They engaged us and Pipeline Talent to undertake the development of a First Nations EVP with the aim of creating a number of assets and messages to target their recruitment and retention efforts.

Key to the success of the project was to make the EVP realisable, and aligned with the Reconciliation Action Plan Steering committee.   This meant that the roadmap we designed and the outputs at each stage of an employees' life cycle needed to be validated.

What was eventually presented was a series of videos (see links below) in addition to a re-designed First Nations careers website which can be found by clicking on the logo above.

• https://youtu.be/l9_sZ3JfAsc
• https://youtu.be/Xbsu-cAVfOc
• https://youtu.be/xvy2KGEpYdo
• https://youtu.be/b_dUW1rfGi0

The EVP was  very well received within the business but more importantly, it should help drive meaningful change within AGL and help create a culturally safe space that helps recruit and retain First Nations employees for many years to come.

Re-framing the public perception of the department of social services, combined with emphasising for existing employees the important role the department plays in the lives of some of Australia's most vulnerable people was a core focus of this engagement.

Key for this engagement was defining the roadmap that brought to life three key  themes was critical:

1. Work you can see the results of every day
2. Diversity as a strength
3. Careers with more depth and breadth that you realise

The redesign of the website is a work in progress, and with the EVP only launched late 2024, we look forward to seeing the success of the EVP in retention and recruitment rates for the department.

Click on the logo or here to see the EVP live.

Sanitarium is a different FMCG – one that still has all the pace, excitement and focus of consumer goods brands – but with a difference that focuses on engaging its people through purpose, values and integrity.  

As with many organisations, the company faced challenges in attracting and retaining quality candidates in a tight talent market, despite the strength of its brand.

Compounding this challenge was the advent of remote working in the wake of the COVID pandemic which eroded some of the competitive advantage Sanitarium enjoyed as an FMCG operating outside of a major metro area (they are Headquartered on the NSW Central Coast).  The business needed to compete beyond salary and benefits.

As you can see in the logo, Sanitarium is a Health Food company so had a couple of attractive elements for employees wanting to work in FMCG but who didn't want be associated with a sugary beverage or snack-food company.

We were able to leverage this uniqueness and provide more tangibility to what this means for employees as we conducted market research, leader interviews and focus groups.  It's a company that still has all the pace, excitement and focus of consumer goods brands – but with a difference that focuses on engaging it’s people through purpose, values and integrity.

The YouTube video - Working at Sanitarium: Where people and purpose matter - can be viewed here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-A4Je3UqCI.

There were two elements of this project, reflecting not only a diverse workforce, but also two distinct business units..  City Services delivers a range of services including public libraries, the collection of recycling and waste, graffiti removal, shop and playground upgrades and grass mowing. It is responsible for the management of urban trees, public open spaces and city places including maintenance of shops, domestic animal services, animal welfare and other licensing and compliance services including ranger services and permits for public land use. City Services also manages roads, footpaths, street lights and cycle paths.

Transport Canberra manages Canberra’s public transport system. It ensures that buses and light rail are integrated with each other, and with other forms of transport including taxis and active travel elements such as cycling and walking, all of which makes public transport accessible for all Canberrans. 

Bringing these two elements together presented a real challenge as the type of people each unit sought were different, and generally the organisation was seeking people within a limited talent pool (Canberra).  

Adding to the complexity of the project was to develop an Indigenous EVP targeted at increasing the number of Indigenous employees applying for entry-level roles who could then build long-term, growing and stable careers with TCCS.

This EVP focused more on the wording in advertisements and in defining how leaders needed to behave in the interviews during the recruitment process than something that was communicated on a website.  However, key elements from the research, leader interviews and focus groups were woven into the careers pages and jobs, in addition to being reflected in internal imagery, messaging and leader behaviour that has been widely appreciated within and outside the organisation.  

How it is communicated externally can be seen by clicking on the logo.

The narrow perception of what the Department of Finance "did" was one major challenge the EVP was targeted to address.  Candidates didn't understand the important policy role the department played in Australia's economy, having only a superficial understanding of what it did and the value it added to the overall operation of government.

The EVP not only had to define what the department does, but also why it was a more attractive proposition that some other high-profile departments - "Why Finance?" was the question we needed to answer.

Conducting a comprehensive market analysis gave us a clear view of where the gaps lay between the perceived offering of Finance and that of its talent competitors in a tight talent market.  We then dug further by reviewing the messages that were communicated to employees in onboarding and employment materials, engagement surveys and other communications.  This information provided further insights which we validated through interviewing leaders and conducting employee focus groups.

The resulting EVP highlighted the role of Finance in underpinning the economy, the pride, growth opportunities and team success enjoyed by employees and the influence they could exert in their roles to make tangible differences to the operations of different parts of government.  The key was to showcase Finance as an enabler rather than a "checker".

How this work played-out can be seen in the various careers pages on the organisation's website (click the logo)

Competing in a challenging talent market and operating as an essential service, PFD Foods recognised there was a shortage of talent in the market and needed to be seen as a first-choice employer for the calibre of people the organisation needed to recruit and retain.

Core to the project was to recognise the customer-driven focus of the business and to define how to leverage this to attract like-minded candidates and retain like-minded employees - like-minded in terms of being customer-focused.  PFD has a wide range of roles and we needed to ensure that we leverage the customer-centric element that was one of the company's core values.

Conducting market research, interviews with the key leadership and stakeholders, and meeting with a wide variety of employees across the country gave us a clear understanding of what imagery, messaging and leader behaviour would be needed to bring the EVP to life which is now seen through their careers pages (which include videos) as the business showcases what it is genuinely like to be an employee of PFD Foodservices.

Click the logo to see the live site.

The Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) wanted to position itself as an employer of choice for individuals with disabilities. The first step was to develop an Employee Value Proposition (EVP). 

At the onset of the process DISR partnered with Randstad and GetSkilledAccess to undertake market research, interviews with leaders and conduct focus groups with current employees.

The team identified unique aspects of the department from a purpose perspective and how these could be effectively communicated to potential candidates. In doing so, we gained a comprehensive understanding of the key motivators and potential barriers to employment for individuals with disabilities.

The outcome of this project was a compelling message that resonated strongly with disabled employees and potential candidates, enabling DISR to successfully attract and recruit individuals with disabilities. It was a privilege to be part of this initiative that had such a significant impact on the department and the individuals it sought to support.

Click the image to see the results of the project.

The Objective:

Having committed to promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment opportunities through a targeted strategy, the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) sought to develop an EVP to resonate with employees and potential candidates in the demographic.

The Project:

We were engaged to identify the positive elements of working at DVA that would speak to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees and candidates. We partnered with Rachelle Towart, Tamara Giles and Cathy Sear from Pipeline Talent (https://www.pipelinetalent.com.au/) who provided cultural advice and insight to the project.

The organisation had a number of initiatives in place but we bound them to an underlying value proposition to drive DVA a first choice employer for the audience.

The project outputs enhanced recruitment and engagement activities throughout the department.

Click on the image above to see the EVP live on the Indigenous Careers website.

Please contact malcolm@peakcorporatesolutions.com.au for more information.