‘Strong workforce values will make us more competitive’

A small Sunshine Coast business is preparing their workforce for future opportunities through the Olympics supply chain with a refreshed focus on workforce diversity and employment practices.

Business Chamber Queensland’s Workforce Evolve program helped Global Turf investigate new employment options to grow their workforce to meet the businesses’ future needs.

The team of eight travel all over Queensland to deliver turf projects like sports field renovations and race track restoration for local communities to use.

The business has been operating in Queensland for three years and project administrator Kelly Epong says it’s gone from strength to strength in that time.

Kelly said the business was expected to grow significantly in the future, and was well placed to capitalise on a renewed focus on community sports and sports field demand in the lead up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“One of our biggest assets in that growth is the team. Our team is what delivers the product, and a good team means we can deliver a great outcome,” Kelly said.

“We wanted to promote a focus on diversity to attract the people we need and want in our team, rather than accessing the same talent pool.

“A driving force of a good team is diversity. People from all different walks of life can bring different experiences, different points of view. How to tap into that is what we were looking to learn and understand.”

Kelly said she wasn’t aiming to solve a problem but create an opportunity in the future. The Workforce Evolve program provided the business a broad view of employment options which they hadn’t previously accessed.

“Our eyes are open to anything crossing our desk and seeing what or who fits. As employers sometimes we don’t know what we’re looking for until we see it. We don’t know what we’re missing.

“The program helped us firm up our workforce goals and objectives, it really floated diversity to the top of our employment priorities.

“We wanted to arm ourselves with as much information as possible and to have the fundamentals in place.

“It’s great to be across changes in the workforce needs, to stop and assess what that means in practice and making that connection to our workplace.

“The program helped me to connect the dots, to see our employment practices with fresh eyes, what our employment and engagement with staff is really like, and how our employment strategy is working.”

Kelly said a focus on workforce diversity meant they were competitive for opportunities to come through the Olympics supply chain.

“Being in the sports field arena, we’re well placed to tap into the great opportunity that is the Olympics,” Kelly said.

“With this new knowledge we have we’re in a very good place to be in the early stages of the investing and tendering process.

“We’re investigating what’s needed for us to be competitive, not just tick a box.

“We’re researching what meets out core values and objectives, and how we can build that into our business to benefit from the Olympics.

“I expect strong workforce values will make us more competitive for tenders. We’re already seeing an emphasis on commitments to modern slavery, diversity, sustainability and environmental standards. Those standards are at the forefront of everyone’s minds.

“We’re thinking ahead and Workforce Evolve was a tool to allow us to do that. It’s a starting point and a great reference.”

About Workforce Evolve

Delivered in partnership with the Queensland Government, Workforce Evolve is designed to ensure greater attraction, retention and participation among workforces across the state, supporting businesses and their workforces now and in the future.

Throughout the program, employers will have access to tailored, fit-for-purpose support to empower you to achieve future-ready, sustainable and inclusive workforces.

The program is free, and open to any employer in Queensland REGISTER HERE.