Happy employees lead to success for businesses
The Australian Best Places to Work are distinguished by an important factor: their employees are happy. Winners reveal the secrets that lead to employee engagement and happiness.
What makes a workplace a best place to work? The straightforward answer is that the very best places to work, as recognised by The Australian and WorkL, are where employees are happiest and most engaged.
Organisations like Scape, Bolton Clarke, Qube and La Trobe Financial are leading the way, having been recognised by The Australian as a Best Place to Work 2024. These organisations benefit from improved productivity, fewer employees leaving, and better commercial performance as a result.
Let’s hear from some of the winners about what sets them apart from other Australian businesses.
Global 24-7 is a recruitment and human resources consultancy servicing the mining industry. “We’re a small business in comparison to our competitors, but we are truly global,” the company says. “As such, we provide a close-knit team atmosphere with international career experience. Our strong recruitment process outsourcing client base sets us apart from your average recruitment firm. Less revenue uncertainty means we can provide greater stability and security to our employees and our clients. We continue to cultivate an inspiring and engaging environment.
“We pride ourselves on being values-driven and ‘one team’. Our values are at the core of all we do.
“Globe 24-7 employees are an amazing group of individuals from a wide range of ethnicities, backgrounds and languages (13 countries, 17 languages and eight business entities) which emphasises our approach to diversity and how it delivers quality results, strengthens our business and company culture.”
La Trobe Financial is a financial services organisation. “La Trobe Financial is committed to providing an unwavering dedication to employee wellbeing, inclusivity and opportunities for growth,” the company says. “It fosters a collaborative and supportive environment, where employees can feel respected, valued, and empowered to contribute to the company’s success. It prioritises professional development, offering training programs and career advancement pathways to help employees reach their full potential.
“The company values recognising and rewarding employees for their hard work and contributions, while being committed to corporate social responsibility.”
La Trobe Financial says its programs aimed at fostering employee engagement include providing professional development opportunities such as training programs, workshops and leadership development initiatives. The company also offers flexible work arrangements to promote work-life balance, allowing employees to manage their personal and professional commitments effectively.
Employee recognition and rewards programs celebrate achievements and foster a culture of appreciation, while inclusive diversity initiatives ensure all employees feel respected and valued.
Qube, a transportation and logistics organisation, has firm guidelines outlining its priorities.
As Australia’s largest integrated provider of import and export logistics service, Qube says its purpose is to help customers, communities, industries and people thrive through a relentless focus on five priorities: safety, wellbeing, planet, opportunity and performance.
The company says it works hard to create a culture that promotes engagement through its Thrive program, which is all about focusing on common values and priorities.
“Underpinning that is our support for programs and initiatives that encourage people to bring their ‘whole selves’ to work, and we actively celebrate and embrace diversity within our workplace,” it says.
“That’s a big change in an industry that has traditionally been very male dominated, but by shining a light on that we’re helping create change. We’re also changing how we work. For instance, we recently significantly enhanced our paid parental leave policy – including a doubling of the base entitlement – and we pay superannuation on both an employee’s period of Qube paid parental leave as well as on any government paid parental leave.
“Outside of the work we do ourselves, the sheer diversity within our business and our operations is one of the major drawcards for working at Qube. It means there is enormous opportunity for an employee to grow their career within our business and to gain valuable experience working in different teams, operations and even locations.”
Its initiatives are underpinned by a range of policies and procedures, together with reward and recognition programs, incentives and benefits programs.
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To enter The Australian Best Places to Work 2025 awards, use the QR code on this page or go to: https://workl.com/business/workplace-awards/the-australian-au/
or email theaustralianbestplacestowork@workl.com.au.
Surveys must be completed by May 31, 2025.
Join the search to discover the nation’s happiest workplaces
The Australian has partnered with WorkL, a leading employee experience platform, to find the best organisation with consistently high levels of staff engagement. Reach out and win awards.
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