Employers of choice need

good leaders
by Jo Thompson, DEWR Life Editor,
Corporate Communications

The Tasmanian state office

recently participated in an
Employer of Choice (EOC)
Conference in Hobart,
organised by the state
government’s Department of
Economic Development.
Employer of Choice Conference panel
‘The theme of the conference –
‘Attracting and Retaining Skilled Employees’ – addressed a range of factors influencing
the Tasmanian labour market’, said Simon Lawrence, Branch Head, Industry Strategy
and Indigenous Employment.
‘Keynote speakers were supported by a series of workshops involving several local
employers who had experience in successfully managing labour issues. Emerging from
these sessions was a clear recognition of the need to positively embrace changing
models and diversity in the approach to labour sourcing and selection, a notion very
much in line with DEWR’s Welfare to Work focus.
‘The conference was a good example of the close cooperation which exists between
DEWR and the state government in identifying and developing local strategies to deal
with skill and labour shortages’, said Simon.

But what makes an employer

of choice?
The conference referred to surveys, conducted
during 2000–04 by Hewitt Associates Surveys,
which highlight several common features of
Australian EOCs, including:
• excellence in leadership
• focus on performance and results, with
performance-based rewards, recognition
systems and formal management structures
• employees who feel they’re making a
difference and are acknowledged for their
contribution
• investment in the accelerated development
of workers
• open lines of communication
• high levels of employee engagement
• competitive remuneration, and
• strong strive for a work/life balance. One of the keynote speakers, Avril Henry
Excellence through leadership
Keynote speaker, Avril Henry, Executive Director AH Revelations, believes ‘being an
employer of choice is principally about leadership’.
She suggests that everyone can improve their leadership style if they: 
• learn to listen more and talk less
• learn to give and receive constructive feedback on both good and poor performance
• build learning cultures to enable the development of management and leadership
skills of supervisory staff
• create positive work environments, where employees are encouraged to be the best
they can be
• adopt more inclusive approaches to problem-solving by seeking input from
employees across the department, and
• move from command and control leadership to more inclusive leadership, engaging
employees at all levels.

Organisational impact
The quality of leadership in an organisation can
often determine its success or relative failure,
but it can also have a significant impact on its
attraction and retention of staff. The conference
discussed this in the midst of labour shortages
and population ageing. In particular, Avril Henry
believes highly sought-after Generations X and
Y generally rate effective or inspiring leadership
first in their list of job motivations: 

Generation X (born 1965–1979)

• effective leadership
• regular honest feedback and coaching
• managers who live up to ‘espoused’ values
• challenging work
• opportunities to learn new skills
• work and life balance.

Generation Y (born 1980–1995)

• inspiring leadership
• supportive environment, encouraging new
ideas and regular constructive feedback
• mentoring
• respect for skills, creativity and
entrepreneurial flair
• access to the most up-to-date technology
and training
• work and life balance. Avril delivering her presentation
Feedback from the conference was very positive, with both public and private sector
organisations leaving encouraged and committed to investing in better leaders and
training, addressing the above job motivations, becoming employers of choice and
consequently securing stronger, happier workforces.
DEWR runs leadership, supervision and other courses (see BIS Online) to support
staff, boost individual skills, and develop a more inclusive leadership style across the
department.
You can read more about how to become a better leader in DEWR Life’s education
section.

[‘Employers of choice need good leaders’ is an extract taken from the Department of Employment and
Workplace Relations online staff magazine, DEWR Life, May edition 2006].