Lake Macquarie City Council in New South Wales has recently received international recognition for its leadership in human resources, with its efforts showcased alongside those of major global companies.
The council is one of thirty workplaces featured in the latest edition of a global publication, the 100% Human at Work experiments collection, published by Virgin Unite’s B Team.
The collection shares case studies of initiatives to promote equality, respect, growth and inclusion at work around the world and also profiles major companies Atlassian, H&M Group and Red Bull.
Council’s Manager Organisational Performance Laura Kendall said it is terrific to have a local government organisation recognised alongside global businesses that are more commonly known as great places to work, and to contribute to a better tomorrow.
“As a dynamic organisation of more than 1000 people, we look for ways to collaborate, improve and innovate to make Council a modern, successful and enjoyable place to work.
“We have worked for several years on making our workplace more human centric.
“Our inclusion in 100% Human at Work is a testament to the headway we’re making in this area,” Ms Kendall said.
Featured ‘experiments’ include the Council’s Leadership Development Program, through which it aims to cultivate leadership across its entire workforce.
“Our philosophy is that leadership is not just a role, it is a set of skills and attributes that can be taught and nurtured,” Ms Kendall said.
This approach is reflected in the organisation-wide innovation program, One Future, Our Team, which empowers multi-disciplinary staff teams to drive improvement throughout the organisation.
Other projects showcased are Council’s work to support courageous workplace conversations through its Interest-based Discussion Framework, and opportunities for young people created through the Education to Employment (E2E) program.
E2E’s benefits include a living wage while studying, payment of course costs, valuable work experience and skills, and enhanced competitiveness in employment markets.
“In two years, Council has achieved a more inclusive workplace by creating 33 E2E positions, with no increase in employee costs and no decline in productivity,” Ms Kendall said.
