If you don’t build your employer brand, someone else will do it for you

An employer brand represents an organisation’s reputation as an employer and encompasses its values, culture, work environment, and employee experience.

Your employer brand is the perception and image that current, potential and former employees have of your organisation as a place to work. It goes beyond the products or services your company offers and focuses on the experiences, values, and culture you provide to employees. A compelling employer brand creates a distinctive identity that sets your organisation apart from competitors and resonates with individuals who align with your values and goals.

Your employer brand will exist whether you craft it through employee experiences and clever marketing or not. Your brand is what people say about you, good or bad.

Why you need to be paying attention:

Competitive Advantage: A well-established employer brand gives you a competitive edge in the talent market. As job seekers research potential employers, a strong employer brand can differentiate your organisation from competitors, making you a more attractive option for top talent.

Attraction of Top Talent: A strong employer brand helps you attract high-caliber candidates who are actively seeking organisations with a positive reputation. An appealing employer brand can significantly reduce recruitment efforts and costs by attracting qualified candidates who are eager to join your team.

Increased Employee Engagement: When employees feel proud to be associated with your brand, they become more engaged and motivated. A strong employer brand fosters a sense of belonging and loyalty, encouraging employees to go the extra mile and contribute to your success.

Enhanced Retention Rates: Employees who are aligned with your employer brand are more likely to stay with your organisation for the long term. A positive work environment, supportive culture, and opportunities for growth and development foster employee loyalty, reducing turnover rates and the associated costs.

Have you seen the “nailed it” memes? When someone attempts to replicate a cake or craft project of a specialist? Well getting your HR function right is a little like that. You can try, but it will never match the end product of a specialist.

When we are looking at building an employer brand, this is our focus:

Define Your Employer Value Proposition (EVP)

Cultivate a Positive Work Environment

Showcase Your Culture and Values

Optimise the Candidate Experience

Building a compelling employer brand is an ongoing process that requires strategic planning, consistent communication, and a genuine commitment to employee satisfaction.

It needs to be crafted.

If you would like a strategic approach tailored to your specific business needs contact us to arrange an obligation free chat about how we can help.

Through impactful HR we create a positive employee experience every time.

We aim to create future-focused, people centred HR solutions to accelerate organisational and employee wellbeing, engagement and performance by making HR easy.

THE PEOPLE & CULTURE OFFICE SUPPORTS HR TEAMS AND ORGANISATIONS AUSTRALIA-WIDE TO TAKE A FRESH APPROACH TOWARDS THEIR PEOPLE AND CULTURE FUNCTION. 

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Without data, you’re just another schmuck with an opinion

In today’s fast-paced and competitive business environment, organisations are constantly looking for ways to improve productivity and profitability.

One approach that is gaining popularity is the use of people science and data to create a more engaged and effective workforce, in fact, people science and data is what underpins our Engagement Champions framework.

People science, also known as behavioural science, is the study of human behaviour and motivation in the workplace. By applying insights from psychology, sociology, and other related fields, people science seeks to understand why employees behave the way they do and how to create strategies that maximise their potential.

Data, on the other hand, provides a quantitative understanding of employee behaviour and performance. By collecting and analysing data on factors such as employee engagement, turnover rates, and productivity, businesses can gain a deeper understanding of their workforce and make more informed decisions about talent acquisition, training, and performance management.

By combining people science and data, organisations can create a comprehensive approach to managing their workforce. Here are some of the benefits of using people science and data in your organisation:

◼︎Improving Employee Engagement: Employee engagement is a critical factor in driving productivity and reducing turnover rates. By applying insights from people science and analysing data on engagement levels, businesses can identify areas where improvements can be made and create strategies to boost engagement.

◼︎Enhancing Talent Acquisition: People science can help businesses identify the qualities and attributes that are most important for success in specific roles. Data can be used to identify the sources of top talent and to evaluate the effectiveness of recruitment strategies.

◼︎Driving Performance: By using data to monitor and analyse employee performance, businesses can identify areas where improvements can be made and create strategies to optimise performance. People science can provide insights into how to motivate employees and create a positive work environment.

◼︎Managing Turnover: High turnover rates can be costly for businesses. By analysing data on turnover rates and using insights from people science, businesses can identify the factors that contribute to turnover and develop strategies to reduce it.

◼︎Creating a Positive Workplace Culture: People science and data can be used to create a positive workplace culture that promotes employee well-being, engagement, and productivity. By understanding employee motivations and behaviours, businesses can create a work environment that fosters creativity, innovation, and collaboration.

People science and data are powerful tools for managing a workforce. By applying insights from behavioural science and analysing data on employee behaviour and performance, businesses can create a more engaged and effective workforce that drives productivity and profitability.

If you would like a strategic approach tailored to your specific business needs contact us to arrange an obligation free chat about how we can help.

Through impactful HR we create a positive employee experience every time.

We aim to create future-focused, people centred HR solutions to accelerate organisational and employee wellbeing, engagement and performance by making HR easy.

THE PEOPLE & CULTURE OFFICE SUPPORTS HR TEAMS AND ORGANISATIONS AUSTRALIA-WIDE TO TAKE A FRESH APPROACH TOWARDS THEIR PEOPLE AND CULTURE FUNCTION. 

Who we are

A hot bed of stress, anxiety, burnout, poor health & low productivity

What am I referring to? Toxic workplaces – we’ve all experienced one. That one workplace that on a Sunday night you start wishing for food poisoning just so you don’t have to go Monday.

A toxic workplace is one where employees experience negative and harmful behaviors, attitudes, and practices that can undermine their health, well-being, and productivity. A toxic workplace can have a significant impact on employees, leading to stress, anxiety, burnout, and other negative outcomes. In this blog post, we will explore what a toxic workplace looks like, the signs to watch for, and what employers can do to address it.

Signs of a Toxic Workplace

High Turnover Rates: A toxic workplace often has high employee turnover rates as employees leave to escape the negativity and stress.

Poor Communication: In a toxic workplace, there is often poor communication between employees and management, leading to misunderstandings and frustration.

Negative Attitudes: A toxic workplace is characterized by negativity, where employees often express negative attitudes towards their work and their colleagues.

Micromanagement: A toxic workplace can be characterized by micromanagement, where managers are overly controlling and do not trust their employees.

Bullying and Harassment: In a toxic workplace, employees may experience bullying and harassment, including verbal abuse, discrimination, and intimidation.

Lack of Support: A toxic workplace may have a lack of support for employees, including inadequate training, lack of feedback, and little recognition or appreciation for their work.

Unrealistic Expectations: A toxic workplace can be characterised by unrealistic expectations, such as unreasonable deadlines, excessive workloads, and lack of resources.

Impact of a Toxic Workplace

Obviously at some point a toxic culture is going to drive poor business outcomes, but what is it doing to your people? A toxic workplace can have a significant impact on employees’ mental and physical health. Employees who work in a toxic environment may experience:

▸ Stress and Anxiety: Employees may experience chronic stress and anxiety due to the negative and stressful work environment.

▸ Burnout: A toxic workplace can contribute to burnout, where employees experience emotional exhaustion and feel drained from work.

▸ Poor Physical Health: Chronic exposure to a toxic workplace can lead to physical health problems, such as headaches, stomach problems, and sleep disturbances.

▸ Decreased Productivity: Employees who work in a toxic environment may be less productive, leading to decreased job satisfaction and engagement.

Addressing a Toxic Workplace

Employers have a responsibility to address a toxic workplace to protect their employees’ health and well-being. (Download our fact sheet on Psychosocial Hazards here) Some strategies to consider include:

◆ Conducting a Workplace Assessment: Employers can conduct a workplace assessment to identify the sources of toxicity in the workplace and develop strategies to address them.

◆ Providing Support: Employers can provide support to employees who have experienced negative and harmful behaviours, including counselling, coaching, and mediation.

◆ Establishing Clear Policies: Employers can establish clear policies and procedures to prevent bullying and harassment, promote respectful communication, and set expectations for employee behaviour.

◆ Encouraging Feedback: Employers can encourage feedback from employees to identify issues and concerns and address them proactively.

◆ Promoting Positive Work Culture: Employers can create a positive work culture by fostering open communication, recognition, and appreciation for employee contributions.

If you would like a strategic approach tailored to your specific business needs contact us to arrange an obligation free chat about how we can help.

Through impactful HR we create a positive employee experience every time.

We aim to create future-focused, people centred HR solutions to accelerate organisational and employee wellbeing, engagement and performance by making HR easy.

THE PEOPLE & CULTURE OFFICE SUPPORTS HR TEAMS AND ORGANISATIONS AUSTRALIA-WIDE TO TAKE A FRESH APPROACH TOWARDS THEIR PEOPLE AND CULTURE FUNCTION. 

Who we are

We created a viral Reel about having a best friend at work. We were bombarded with comments from people who don’t

Back in January we unassumingly posted an Instagram Reel that would blow up our account……… and open our eyes to just how truely miserable some people must be at work.

Promoting our Engagement Champions platform we posted a number of Reels dropping a few of the Gallup 12 elements of employee engagement.

3 posts in we dropped the contentious reel which went a little like this “If you’re one of those people who think you come to work to work and not make friends you aren’t going to like what I have to say” “The chances of you being engaged at work without a best friend there is 1 in 12”

“I have a best friend at work” is Gallups most controversial employee engagement question.

The responses we received were split into 2 very distinct camps:

“I hate everyone I work with”

“My best friends are those from school who I’ve known forever”

First of all, for everyone in the first camp – for the love of god go get another job! Life is too short!

For everyone else, the question isn’t proposing you make your work friends your best friends outside of work. “I have a best friend AT work”

Why is this question so important to employee engagement? The biggest driver of employee wellbeing & engagement isn’t what they are doing, it’s who they are doing it with.

When you show up to a meeting with your bud beside you having your back you’re more likely to speak up ……… to show up! Be present! Share ideas! Chuck that “out of the box” suggestion into the discussion!

At its core it’s about creating psychologically safe workplaces, where people feel confident and safe to share their ideas and opinions.

Let’s jump in the Time Machine for a hot minute and picture yourself at school. You have no friends at school, all your friends live the suburb over. You have heaps of fun with them on the weekend and the afternoons you’re allowed to ride your bike to their house. But Monday to Friday? Well, Monday to Friday you are friendless.

Now think about how keen you are to get out of bed each morning and go to school – not so much huh?

How willing are you to put your hand up in class? Nuh uh don’t put yourself out there, what if you’re wrong or people wonder why you’re contributing?

Are you going to talk your school up and share positive experiences? Nope!

Just so we are clear: you hate going, you don’t contribute and you have nothing nice to say about the place.

Juuust in case you missed that this is an analogy for work……. this is what happens to our employees when they don’t have someone they can trust to have their back, or are open to sharing experiences with them.

When you don’t have a psychologically safe workplace, when people are shut off to forming trust relationships at work, this is what you create.

A dysfunctional workplace culture, unengaged, unproductive and disconnected employees.


The contentious Reel.

If you would like a strategic approach tailored to your specific business needs contact us to arrange an obligation free chat about how we can help.

Through impactful HR we create a positive employee experience every time.

We aim to create future-focused, people centred HR solutions to accelerate organisational and employee wellbeing, engagement and performance by making HR easy.

THE PEOPLE & CULTURE OFFICE SUPPORTS HR TEAMS AND ORGANISATIONS AUSTRALIA-WIDE TO TAKE A FRESH APPROACH TOWARDS THEIR PEOPLE AND CULTURE FUNCTION. 

Who we are

Paid Parental Leave changes will be here 1 July

When the Senate passed the Paid Parental Leave Amendment (Improvements for Families and Gender Equality) Bill 2022 earlier this month, it was the first meaningful change to PPL legislation since it was introduced in 2011. 

For parents whose children are born or adopted from 1 July 2023, the requirement that 18 of the 20-week paid parental leave entitlement be taken by the ‘primary carer’ will be removed. The new legislation will allow single parents to use the full 20-week entitlement of paid leave, up from 18 weeks currently.

Under the new scheme, PPL will be extended from 20 to 26 weeks by 2026, with an extra fortnight of paid leave added each year from July 2024 until 2026.

Eligibility for parental leave in Australia

To be eligible for parental leave in Australia, an employee must have worked for the same employer for at least 12 months before the birth or adoption of their child. They must also have worked at least 1,200 hours during the 12 months before the expected date of birth or adoption.

Types of parental leave in Australia

There are two types of parental leave in Australia: unpaid parental leave and government-funded parental leave.

Unpaid parental leave: This type of leave allows eligible employees to take up to 12 months off work to care for their newborn or newly adopted child. During this time, their job is protected, and they are entitled to return to the same or a similar position when they return to work.

Government-funded parental leave: This type of leave provides eligible employees with financial assistance during their time off work. The scheme is called the Paid Parental Leave scheme and is administered by the Australian Government. Under this scheme, eligible employees can receive pay at the national minimum wage.


Australia was already behind most other OECD nations as the second-last to introduce a government PPL scheme, and while it procrastinated on making such leave more equitable, there were extensive consequences for our gender pay gap.

The numbers speak for themselves:

• In 2021-22, women used 88 per cent of primary carer’s leave, according to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).

• Women account for the majority of part-time workers in Australia. In the month ending 31 December, men had worked approx. 97,000 part-time hours compared to 210,000 for women.

• Australia has the third-highest part-time employment rate in the OECD. 

• Women retire with 23.4 per cent less super than men, according to the Australian Association of Superannuation Funds.

A Treasury analysis found that a woman’s earnings fall by an average of 55 per cent in the first five years of parenthood. 

The Australian HR Institute industry magazine states a major contributor to Australia’s slow progress is the fact that our current PPL scheme actively encourages women to have career breaks and discourages men from doing the same. Also, terminology such as ‘primary carer’ and ‘secondary carer’ sends the message that men should take a back seat.

“The leave imbalance entrenches traditional gender roles. It sends the message that there’s only a minimum role for fathers,” says Dr Leonora Risse, Senior Lecturer in Economics at RMIT University, who specialises in gender equality. “We know there are many fathers who aspire to spend more time with their children to bond with their family, but our current policy settings and cultural norms prevent them from doing that.


Building a well-rounded parental leave policy

When considering the benefits of offering PPL, many organisations go to cost first. They weigh up the short-term price tag, but rarely consider the long-term benefits associated with PPL – in particular, attraction, retention and productivity. 

“For a long time, the support offered by organisations has been seen as a nice-to-have, rather than a talent retention strategy,” says Gilbert. “But it’s more than that. It’s a critical path to closing the gender pay gap, the leadership gap and the super gap, and increasing female participation in the workforce.”

An equitable parental leave policy shouldn’t stop at offering PPL. HR will play a significant role in normalising both parents taking leave and introducing policies to support them before, during and after leave. 

There’s a clear business case for offering PPL and instituting a family friendly workplace culture but there’s more to parental leave than a simple cost-out. Equitable parental leave is a human rights issue. And this is HR’s opportunity to step up, help companies live their values and make a tangible difference to Australia’s gender pay gap. 

“Of course, parental leave is a strategic investment for businesses. But more than that, it’s about people and principles,” says Risse. “Your bottom line will fluctuate, but your principles should stand firm.”

Source HRM Online

If you would like a strategic approach tailored to your specific business needs contact us to arrange an obligation free chat about how we can help.

Through impactful HR we create a positive employee experience every time.

We aim to create future-focused, people centred HR solutions to accelerate organisational and employee wellbeing, engagement and performance by making HR easy.

THE PEOPLE & CULTURE OFFICE SUPPORTS HR TEAMS AND ORGANISATIONS AUSTRALIA-WIDE TO TAKE A FRESH APPROACH TOWARDS THEIR PEOPLE AND CULTURE FUNCTION. 

Who we are

The Profit Over People Mentality & It’s Impact On Business Sustainability

Businesses exist to make profit, nobody is denying this. We need to make a profit so we can grow, so we can keep people employed, and so we can meet a need for whatever it is we are supplying our consumers.

But when leadership drives a profit over people mentality things start to go wrong. When it’s the focus during a skills shortage – well it impacts business sustainability.

People over profit is becoming the new norm, are you paying attention to the mindset shift?

In June 2020 I attended the Australian HR Institute WA State Conference where Associate Professor Ben Farr-Wharton, from the School of Business and Law Edith Cowan University, was a keynote speaker.

Ben spoke at length about how a focus on performance as a motivator, shareholder value at all cost breeds toxic workplace cultures, narcissistic leaders and a lack of integrity driven by a win at all cost management ethos.

But more than the culture it creates, we need to take a deep dive into how it affects your ability to attract & retain staff. In particular, the age demographic that by 2025 will represent 80% of the workforce.

PWC Australia have led the way with their Future of Work project, and their report “What Workers Want”

When we view the future of work through the lens of age demographic and what those workers want (catch up on past blog posts here, here, here & here) you can see that in the midst of a skills shortage, and particularly in regional areas or niche industries, there will be employers who will, quite simply, run out of people to employ.

Data is where the answers lie

Now’s the time to really start examining your people metrics.

▸ How high is your employee turnover?

▸ What is your employee tenure?

▸ Is there a particular age group that leaves at a higher rate than all others?

▸ Who are you attracting through your recruitment efforts?

Are you an employer who has stripped back employee benefits and conditions, rewards leaders based on financial outcomes instead of how they engage with their people and is quick to pull the trigger instead of developing people? I’m predicting you will see the following in your metrics.

▸ 0 – 3 years of service represents the highest percentage of employees

▸ Longer serving employees are generally aged in their late 40’s or older

▸ Over the past 4 years you’ve found it increasingly harder to attract and retain employees in their 20’s and early 30’s

▸ Employees aged in their late 20’s to late 30’s represent the age demographic most likely to leave in their 1st year of employment

▸ Apprentices & trainees leave almost immediately after being signed off

In 2 years time Millennials and Gen Z will make up 80% of the workforce, how sustainable will your business model be?


If you would like a strategic approach tailored to your specific business needs contact us to arrange an obligation free chat about how we can help.

Through impactful HR we create a positive employee experience every time.

We aim to create future-focused, people centred HR solutions to accelerate organisational and employee wellbeing, engagement and performance by making HR easy.

THE PEOPLE & CULTURE OFFICE SUPPORTS HR TEAMS AND ORGANISATIONS AUSTRALIA-WIDE TO TAKE A FRESH APPROACH TOWARDS THEIR PEOPLE AND CULTURE FUNCTION. 
Who we are

Culture isn’t a HR function, it comes from the top

MYTH – Workplace culture is a HR function ⁠
FACT – Culture is built from the top, from your leaders⁠

Let’s bust that myth right here.

Think about the worst behaviour your leaders are willing to let slide – thats the benchmark for your workplace culture⁠.

HR can advise, coach and monitor, but ultimately the leadership at all levels builds the culture of teams and the organisation overall⁠.

Right before Christmas I viewed a Reel from a HR consultant based in the UK. The basic premise was a client had an employee attend work intoxicated after attending the work Christmas party the night before, what the ensuing discussion failed to consider was the impact of letting that behaviour slide on the organisations culture.

Check out our thoughts below.

There are 2 core areas we need to unpack – the manager who ignores and the manager who perpetuates.

The manager who ignores poor behaviour

We see this a lot and it happens for a variety of reasons. Avoidance of tough conversations, the employee means a lot to the organisation (ie: $$), lack of leadership development, apathy, skills shortages and not wanting to risk losing people.

The reality?

Well the reality is the longer you avoid the conversation the harder it’s going to be when it finally takes place.

The more you make concessions for higher revenue earners & specialised skill sets the more turnover you will have in positions around them.

And the longer you leave your leaders languishing without adequate coaching the longer it takes to rewind cultural issues.

The manager who perpetuates

Where to start – I’m going to put some scenarios out there and you tell me how many you’ve come across.

❌ The manager who blatantly flouts workplace policies ie: the organisation has a strict zero tolerance to alcohol and drugs but they frequently hop in the work vehicle after a few bevvies

❌ The manager who picks and chooses which policies they will follow ie: inconsistent application of policies based on which employees are involved.

❌ The manager who condones and / or participates in unacceptable behaviours ie: conversations about people personal lives, pranking or hazing of employees. Excluding members of the team.

❌ The manager who takes little accountability for issues within their team

The impact to the workplace

Back in 2020 when we wrote THIS post on leadership, Kylie McLerie of Collective Culture Consultancy told us:

“Leadership is, or should be, a people based exercise. Effective leaders are always remembered for how they made people feel valued and part of the big picture, not simply a cog in the wheel.”

Kylie McLerie states the ability to be a great leader comes from the ability to “be the standard that you expect. If it isn’t modelled from the top then it won’t be part of the culture”

An organisations culture is the standard it accepts, not the standard it expects. If a leader can’t emulate the right behaviours then why should your employees?

If a leader in your organisation thinks is kosher to not follow policies and procedures; lead by intimidation and fear; not communicate; speak poorly of clients, employees and / or people from minority groups; withhold relevant information from employees, then guess what?

Your employees will think that it’s ok to act that way as well


Through impactful HR we create a positive employee experience every time.

We aim to create future-focused, people centred HR solutions to accelerate organisational and employee wellbeing, engagement and performance by making HR easy.

THE PEOPLE & CULTURE OFFICE SUPPORTS HR TEAMS AND ORGANISATIONS AUSTRALIA-WIDE TO TAKE A FRESH APPROACH TOWARDS THEIR PEOPLE AND CULTURE FUNCTION. 

Who we are

Fuel Hardcore Business Results

What if I told you by asking your employees 12 simple questions, and developing action plans around their responses, we could fuel some hardcore business results for your organisation?

Crazy huh? But do-able

Before you continue, catch up on our first Employee Engagement themed blog here!

Did you know The People & Culture Office are Gallup Engagement Champions? Gallup is a global analytics and advice firm that helps leaders and organisations solve their most pressing problems. Using data from 160 countries and 35 million respondents Gallup have created a way to measure and impact employee engagement, and use that knowledge to create transformation.

Gallup researchers spent decades writing and testing hundreds of questions because their wording and order are fundamental to accurately measuring engagement. Their research yielded the 12 items that measure the most important elements of employee engagement.

Using the Gallup methodology we can partner with you to build a stronger, more engaged organisation.

When employees are engaged they have a stronger psychological commitment to the organisation; they know the scope of their work and they actively seek out new ways to achieve results; they are productive; they are safer; they are more efficient.

But more than that, they stick around.

So I ask you this……..

Are you ready to embed a new way of leading into your organisations DNA?

Hell yes!

Through impactful HR we create a positive employee experience every time.

We aim to create future-focused, people centred HR solutions to accelerate organisational and employee wellbeing, engagement and performance by making HR easy.

THE PEOPLE & CULTURE OFFICE SUPPORTS HR TEAMS AND ORGANISATIONS AUSTRALIA-WIDE TO TAKE A FRESH APPROACH TOWARDS THEIR PEOPLE AND CULTURE FUNCTION. 

Who we are