The accolade recognises organisations with workplaces that ‘maximise the potential of their workforce ‘and with policies and practices that ‘demonstrate effective employee recruitment, engagement and retention’.
While the Employer of Choice award is for Goodstart, really, this win is all about our people.
They come together every day, across the country, to deliver amazing things for the children and their families. And they shape the team cultures that makes it all possible.
Our CEO, Dr Ros Baxter, said: “This award is a testament to our teams’ commitment to provide a nurturing, inclusive, and fulfilling workplace where our employees can thrive.”
We work hard to make Goodstart a great place to work. And we only want our employees to thrive.
Here’s how we do it:
Goodstart is just. So. Good.
We’re not-for-profit: good is in our name and doing good is in our practice.
Goodstart was founded in 2010 as a social enterprise by four leading charities that understood the power of early learning to transform the lives of children.
Today, we are Australia’s largest provider of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). And so, we have the power to lobby government on behalf of the sector, which we do, year-round.“For every $1 we invest at Goodstart in our targeted social purpose investments, $5.50 of value is returned to children, families and the community.”
We campaign to improve laws and policies that affect quality early learning. Our goal is to ensure universal, affordable access for all and to protect children.
Our advocacy is a responsibility that we take seriously. So, when you work at Goodstart, you’ll join a team of passionate changemakers and an organisation that’s good to its people.Epic employee value proposition (EVP)
As our CEO said: “We believe that investing in our team members contributes directly to the positive outcomes we achieve for the children and families we serve.”
It’s why everything we earn, we reinvest into our people, practices and programs. So Goodstarters can come to work each day fulfilled and ready to make a difference.
Our EVP includes heaps of perks and benefits that our people can access such as salary sacrificing, support and discounts.
We strive to provide a good work-life balance, job security and a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment. We run thank you campaigns, we listen, and we provide growth opportunities through defined pathways.Great pay and financial incentives
Simply, we care about our people. The proof is in the paycheck.
In July, centre-based employees received the biggest pay rise in our organisation’s history. And last year, Goodstarters accessed employer-funded paid parental leave for the first time. We’re increasing that for 2024.
We also increased childcare discount for cooks and educators – up from 15-30 per cent to 50. Our people can get their Goodstart childcare fees taken out of their pay before it hits their account for an added tax benefit.
Plus, Goodstarters can now access rostered personal wellbeing days. We not only offer above-award wages, but we’ve increased non-contact time and flexible work arrangements, too.We never stop working to make things better
We want to recognise and support our people as best we can. So, each year, we send out a sense-check survey to employees and we take action based on feedback.
Over the past two years, we've been listening to what Goodstarters need. And we continue to work together to implement more benefits and better conditions.
Dr Ros Baxter said: “We place a priority on supporting and recognising our people for their life-changing work, as they make the difference in children’s lives, helping to build the foundations for lifelong learning and success.Inclusivity and innovation to the core
We continue to focus on increasing workforce diversity and creating an inclusive environment.
We offer traineeships for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educators. And our communities of practice help us support under-represented groups.
In an agile operational shift, our support model for centre teams is shifting. We're becoming centre-led: empowering and enabling centre teams to confidently thrive through consultation and coaching.
And we’re still being recognised for our award-winning support, advice, flexibility and vaccination for employees through COVID-19.
Overall, the Australian Business Award sees that we invest in our people to ensure children receive the best possible start to life. How good is that?