Season 2 – Your inclusive hiring starter pack

The Aussie job market is competitive right now, so if you want to attract the best candidates you need to look closely at your hiring processes.

Season 2 of Getting It Right is all about providing you, the hiring manager, a practical toolkit to hire a dynamic and inclusive workforce.

We’ll unpack the hiring processes that work, guide you on best-practice principles for recruiting, and help you design a more inclusive and flexible workplace so you can attract the best candidates.

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Getting It Right is a podcast by Jobsbank. It was produced by Deadset Studios and hosted by Rae Johnston.

Check out the recently launched Jobsbank Resource Centre. There you’ll find plenty more information, tools and resources to help you expand your hiring pool.

CREDITS

Host: Rae Johnston

Deadset Studios executive producers: Kellie Riordan, Ann Chesterman, Rachel Fountain

Deadset Studios producer: Luci McAfee

Sound Design: Scott Stronach

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Rae Johnston (00:05):
I grew up on a rural property. There was a
dirt road, no street lights, no local shop. I lived
there with my extended family in what was really a
big shed.
I'm Rae Johnston and I'm a wiradjuri woman. I was
born and raised on Dharug and Gundungurra country in Western Sydney. That's where I have responsibilities

(00:27):
to community and country. And my dad is also from Greece.
So I am a Greek Wiradjuri woman.
Welcome to series two of Getting it right. It's a
series from Jobsbank all about inclusive employment. We help you

(00:48):
with practical tips on how to expand your hiring pool
and to attract the workers that you need. And that's
something that I feel especially passionate about. When I was 18.
I fell pregnant with my son.
And at that stage, I had a lot of conflicting

(01:09):
advice and opinions coming towards me. I had a lot
of people judging me and I had a lot of
barriers in my way, but I was determined to show
my son that he could be anything he wanted to be.
I didn't have internet access. I had to put him

(01:30):
in a pram and walk half an hour to the
closest petrol station that had one of those pay by
the hour internet kiosks. And I would use that internet
access to search forums for opportunities. I remember one of
my first big opportunities. I had an audition for a

(01:53):
Lipton commercial.
I'd gotten a call back for it and it was
two days after the original audition and it was still
another four days I believe before I would receive my
single parent payment. And I didn't know if I was
going to be able to scrape up enough money for

(02:13):
the bus fare.
And I remember looking under the cushions of the lounge
in the console of the car, just trying to find
five cent pieces everywhere. And it was a three hour
trip to get there on the public transport and my
hair was all messy by the time I got there.
So I snuck into the pub

(02:34):
next door and tipped my head over upside down and
blow dried my hair with the hand dryer in the
bathroom to be able to look polished. And I got
the job.
I didn't have a formal tertiary education. We weren't well
off as a family and it was necessary for me

(02:57):
to work to support myself. So I went straight into
the workforce and all of the skills that I have
learned in my career. I've learned on the job, but
it's really difficult for a long time to not have
imposter syndrome. I don't belong here. I clearly don't belong here.
I didn't go to a private school. I didn't go
to the fancy uni,

(03:17):
I don't have parents with a holiday house. Like, what
am I doing here? But it's what you've fought for.
So you're gonna keep going.
You have to keep going.
My story is just one of many stories. I know
just how important it is for all kinds of people
from all walks of life to secure a job. And

(03:41):
that starts with employers being open and flexible in season
two of getting it right. We're looking at how you
can make your team stronger and more diverse from the
ground up and all the way to the boardroom.

Karina Davis (03:56):
We have to have the attitude and the mindsets for flexibility.
It has to be modeled. We have to call things in,
not just call things out is the way that I
see it, but we also need to celebrate and highlight
the times when it does work.

Rae Johnston (04:10):
It's understanding what unconscious bias is and how to remove
it from your hiring process. It's learning how to create
a flexible work environment and that's not just about working
from home. It's so much more than that.

Peter Mousaferiadis (04:26):
If there's no diversity in the leadership team, then organizations
can also put themselves at risk.

Rae Johnston (04:34):
It's about you the employer designing pathways for all kinds
of people to thrive and rise through your organization over time.

Dr Theresa Smith Ruig (04:46):
You think about your workforce. It's not just your current workforce,
it's your potential workforce. So when you're trying to attract
people into the organization, what can you do to ensure
that you bring diversity in

Rae Johnston (04:58):
this season on Getting it Right, we 're focusing on giving you real
world skills to identify and remove the handbrake on your
hiring practices and your company culture.
Join me, Ray Johnston, as we learn practical tips to
remove the barriers employees face. So you can create a

(05:20):
more dynamic workforce with those people who want to be there.