Diversity makes good business sense says award winner

Head of people Kristy Bagnall holding Hunter Diversity Award with colleagues

A Hunter business says having good work and family initiatives is key to ensuring diversity and makes good business sense.

The Greater Building Society was one of three businesses to be recognised in the inaugural Hunter Diversity Awards. The Awards were held at a corporate International Women’s Day Breakfast on Friday March 6. Rail freight company Aurizon won the Gender Equity Champion Award and Newcastle law firm McCullough Robertson won the Inclusive Workplace Award. Individual Diversity Champion is Kathy Butler, Associate Professor at the University of Newcastle's Wollotuka Institute.

 The Awards and breakfast were run by the Equal Futures Project, a local group of business leaders seeking to raise awareness and funds to facilitate gender equity in the region.

The Greater’s Head Of People and Process Transformation Kristy Bagnall said creating flexibility helps build staff loyalty and satisfaction, which in turn builds customer satisfaction. Data from Roy Morgan shows The Greater is Australia’s most loved banking organisation having achieved the highest levels of satisfaction in more months of 2014 than any other banking organisation.    

She said The Greater’s flexible working initiatives can benefit both men and women. They include:

·         a willingness to offer part-time positions (38% of Greater employees are part timers)

·         the availability of ‘school hours’ shifts for branch staff

·         job share opportunities

·         the option to purchase an additional four weeks of paid annual leave

·         the option to purchase self funded days off as a flexible day off each month

·         expressions of Interest campaigns within our branch network for employees wanting to change their work patterns based on lifestyle changes such as children starting school or phased retirement.