In a time when fruit bowls and yoga classes have become synonymous with workplace wellness, it’s clear that the demands on leaders have evolved far beyond the ordinary. Amidst evolving challenges prompted by economic conditions, post-pandemic catch up, supply chain disruptions, the advent of AI, digitalisation efforts, the urgency for change and speed becomes imperative. Employees look to their leaders for direction and stability, intensifying the pressure on leaders to successfully navigate both operational demands and people responsibilities.
The observations from Australian Great Place To Work Certified® organisations reveal that the essential qualities for effectively navigating these challenges and simultaneously cultivating flourishing workplaces are rooted in the behaviors of the leaders.
The 2023 Australia’s Best Workplaces, unveiled on the 17th of August in Sydney, paints a vivid portrait of leaders who rise to this challenge, transcending ordinary gestures to forge a legacy of integrity, engagement, empathy, and camaraderie. What sets these 90 Best Workplaces (AU Best1) apart from the rest is their leaders’ strong integrity and unwavering commitment to deliver on promises, engaging meaningfully with employees, cultivating an atmosphere of mutual respect and building a true sense of camaraderie. This insight is based on the Great Place To Work® Trust Index™ Survey responses representing almost over 110,000 employee voices across different industries in Australia.
1. Walking the talk: Integrity in Practice
Leaders at AU Best uphold their commitments by translating words into actions. They recognise integrity is the key currency, and deliver on promises, adhere to company values, and demonstrate ethical behaviour. The survey findings reveal that AU Best Trust Index©2 soars when leaders show honesty, and when their conducts match what they say. A leader’s integrity is the cornerstone of a trustworthy workplace.
An example of this is at Prospa, a leading fintech servicing Australian small businesses, dedicated to fostering a fair and inclusive compensation and benefits structure, they conduct annual salary benchmarking with a specialized remuneration consultant, which includes reviewing any gender-pay disparities. This has allowed their leaders to be fully informed about any inequalities and be transparent in rectifying any systemic biases. Embodying their core value of “One Team” to value and support diversity in their team, Prospa leadership recently endorsed an upgraded leave policy that better supports return-to-work parents and those on gender transition journey.
Management's actions match its words.
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Management delivers on its promises.
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Management is honest and ethical in its business practices.
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Our executives fully embody the best characteristics of our company.
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Trust Index
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2. Engaging Employees: Purposeful Connection
Gone are the days of top-down decision-making. Employees today want a seat at the decision-making table. They seek collaboration with management to actively shape the organisation’s path. This isn’t just about having a voice; it’s about being heard and driving meaningful change. Inclusion isn’t a mere buzzword; it’s the essence of a progressive workplace. Challenging as it may initially appear, AU Best have indisputably demonstrated it is possible to achieve, with substantially higher scores compared to AU Rest.
Jaybro Group exemplifies this purposeful connection when its Executives engaged employees to enhance community partnerships. Through an inclusive internal survey, all employees are encouraged to propose corporate partners aligned with the company’s values, fostering enduring and mutually beneficial collaborations that extends beyond financial contributions. This initiative empowered employees to contribute to a greater vision of the company, enabling them to be actively involved by volunteering and support in communities that resonate deeply with their interests and values.
Management genuinely seeks and responds to suggestions and ideas.
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Management involves people in decisions that affect their jobs or work environment.
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Management is approachable, easy to talk with.
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3. Nurturing Well-Being: Not Just An Employee
The era of pandemic-related support is behind us, but the need for care and understanding remains stronger than ever. With employees juggling work and personal responsibilities while grappling with the challenges of rising living costs, they’re seeking leaders to show genuine empathy and care for their individual circumstances, and extend a hand of support. The leaders who display sincere interest in their team members, recognise efforts for hard work and innovation, and foster psychological and emotional safety, emerge as trustworthy leaders.
Displaying empathy for the financial challenges experienced by its employees, Marriott International accelerated the required 4.6% wage increase plan for 2,500 staff members, a full three months ahead of the industry-scheduled timeline. This thoughtful action not only boosted employee morale and eased financial strains, but also communicated a strong sense of appreciation from the company towards its workforce for their dedication during recent difficult periods for the industry.
We celebrate people who try new and better ways of doing things at work.
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Management shows a sincere interest in me as a person, not just an employee.
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Management shows appreciation for good work and extra effort.
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This is a psychologically and emotionally healthy place to work.
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4. Fostering Camaraderie: Strong Workplace Relationships
Leaders at AU Best understand the importance of a healthy camaraderie in the workplace. They actively foster an environment where individuals relish collaborating, ensuring a sense of family-like closeness while enabling effective cooperation to achieve workplace excellence. Leaders make sure employees are warmly welcomed at initial joining, are smoothly transitioned when making internal moves and feel a sense of belonging at different stages of their journey with the company.
At Carlisle Homes fostering strong workplace relationships start from the top. Notwithstanding the value of various communication and collaboration mechanisms, the priority for the leaders is to get involve by actively walking the floors and jumping in a car to spend time in all locations to stay close to the heartbeat of the business. This innate approach of the leaders has the not only strengthened the company’s identity and culture but also united the team, proving essential during challenging periods.
The data shows that such leadership behaviours enable a work environment where employees look forward to coming to work and have fun doing so.
When people change work units, they are made to feel right at home.
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You can count on people to cooperate.
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People look forward to coming to work here.
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This is a fun place to work.
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The Path Forward: Leadership in Action
As we navigate through the ever-evolving landscape of leadership, the traits of integrity, collaboration, empathy, and genuine interest in employees have emerged as the cornerstones of trust. These attributes are not just admirable qualities of contemporary leader; they’re the key to fostering a high-trust culture where employees not only thrive but ignite company performance across all areas. In times of rapid change, it’s the leaders who translate words into actions, who actively engage and empower their teams, who extend a hand of understanding and care, and who cultivate an environment of camaraderie and strong bonds, that orchestrate workplaces where trust flourishes. By embracing these foundational principles, we navigate uncertainty not as a challenge but as an opportunity to create workplaces that transcend the ordinary, inspiring greatness and redefining success on a truly transformative scale.
Want to see how your employees are experiencing your workplace culture and how your company compares with the Best Workplaces in Australia for 2023? Contact us for a demo on our proprietary Emprising™ survey platform to find out.
1. AU Best refers to companies on the 2023 Australia’s Best Workplaces list. AU Rest refers to other companies, including Great Place To Work Certified™ companies, that participated in this year’s survey. Not all Certified companies appear on the 2023 Best Workplaces list.
2.Trust Index© – a measure of level of trust employees experience at work across the five areas of Great Place To Work Trust Model: Credibility, Respect, Fairness, Pride and Camaraderie.
Demographics
