For employers

- Hello everybody.

My name's Jo Hegerty,

I'm from the Department
of Social Services.

I'm the Director for NDIS Communications.

I'd like to start off this afternoon

by acknowledging the traditional owners

of the lands on which
we're all meeting today.

For myself that's Ngunnawal
country also known as Canberra.

I'm just going to start
off with a tiny bit

of housekeeping before we
launch in to the main events.

So we will be able to take some questions

at the end of the complete session.

So if you have a question
for a particular speaker,

please jot it down and pop
it into the Q & A function.

And we will get to those at the end.

As you know this seminar is being recorded

and we will be distributing

the link at the end of the session.

And I strongly encourage
everyone to share that widely

with anyone you think
it may be helpful for.

And if you require them, we
have live captioning enabled.

So thank you very much
for joining us today.

We've pitched this seminar to you

as how to write a good job ad,

but I think actually you'll find

that you're going to get
a lot more out of it.

We're very excited.

Before I introduce you to
the wonderful panelists.

I am just going to
introduce you to the context

of this seminar series

and talk to you a little bit about

the care and support workforce campaign

that I've been working on.

So care and support workforce
campaign is a collaboration

between Department of Social
Services, Department of Health,

and also Department of Veterans Affairs.

It's quite unique to have
a government campaign

that crosses over three departments

and is so extraordinarily collaborative,

but we recognize that there

were really similar workforce challenges

across aged care, disability support

and across veterans services as well.

So Department of Social
Services is the lead.

However, we work hand-in-hand
with Department of Health

and Department of Veteran Affairs,

and also with the Department of Education,

Skills and Employment
DESE, as you might know it,

and also as state and
territory counterparts as well,

'cause you may be aware that there's

other work going on very
similar across other state

and territory governments as well.

Our next slide please.

So A Life Changing Life is our campaign.

It's a $13 million
investment from government

that launched in August.

It continues all the way
through until the end

of the financial year, 4th of June.

However, we are actually anticipating

that it will go on for another year.

So it's been recognized by government

in a really important
sector that we need to grow.

And there's more than
115,000 vacancies predicted

over the next few years,
as you are well aware.

So when we were planning
for this campaign,

we spoke to providers, to
workers, to general population,

to people with disability,
older Australians,

and also veterans as well.

And what we found when we spoke

to potential workers was that

there was a really urgent need to disrupt

what people's perceptions of aged care,

disability support, and
veteran services presently are,

the impressions people
have did not match at all.

The realities that we found

when we spoke to actual
workers in the sector

who told us they love the sector
because of the flexibility.

They love the fact that there's
entry-level work available

and they love the fact that they can enter

in a role and then grow in that role.

And it fits in with their lives.

And it can be something
that you can come into

with no qualifications and progress

and develop in a multitude of ways.

People we found were really
unaware of the variety

of the work across the sector.

And yeah, we found that there was

a really urgent need to disrupt that.

So I will just point out,

We'll refer to it as the
care and support sector,

very intentionally.

Our developmental research told us that

it was important to create a brand

because a lot of people
are working in aged care

and disability or in aged
care and in veterans care.

So to create this brand of
care and support sector,

as well as giving people more interest,

perhaps had heard of care, but
they hadn't heard of support,

and putting the two together.

Already told them that
there was more to the sector

than perhaps they had already considered.

So as you'll see here,
this is Tai and Emily,

our campaign users, only real workers

and the people they
support doing the things

that they would normally do together.

So Tai as a disability support worker.

And he and Emily liked to
go on adventures together.

She really likes to get
out and about in Melbourne.

All of our creative uses real people.

And the core of our creative
is about the relationships

that people can build
and the warm experiences

that they have.

And this is evidence throughout
our creative execution.

Can I have the next slide, please?

So when we were in the
process of doing our research,

we found that across gen pop,

there were around 5% only
of people job seekers

who would consider working in aged care,

disability support or veterans services.

And among these...

Sorry, across the people
that we interviewed,

we found that there were certain cohorts

who were much more likely to consider

so went higher than that 5%,

and so this has helped us determine

our target audiences for the campaign.

Next slide, please.

This is Jake and Darcy.

and actually that is Jake's mum

Caroline in the backgrounds

who is also a disability support worker.

So tertiary students is
our first target audience.

This also includes high school students

who may be thinking about what
they want to do after school

perhaps they're not interested
in going to uni immediately.

We also found that
university and tafe students

who are studying health

or allied health qualifications
were very interested

in this kind of work as it helps them get

a little bit of a leg up
in their future career

and puts them into those kinds of services

that they will be eventually working in.

And we also, interestingly,

found that tertiary students

who were studying the humanities
tended to be more likely

to consider working in this sector.

So that's your music,
drama and arts degrees

that may be they can see
a role for their passions

and their skills, like for example, music

and how they can bring them
into the sector as well.

Next slide, please.

Our next target audience
group is searchers,

this is Amber and Stevie.

and Amber is really classic
example of a searcher.

She was working in retail

and it just didn't fit that well with her

she's not that interested in a career

she's more interested in a job

that works around her lifestyle.

And she says that the first day

on the job working with Stevie,

she realized that this
was 100% the job for her.

And that case study is on our website,

if you would like to see the full story.

So searchers, we call them,

so this may be people
who've been displaced

by the pandemic from
hospitality or retail.

And it can just generally be people

who may just be looking
for their forever job.

Next slide, please.

Our third group is more complex.

This is a transitioners.

Here we have Jeff and Ruwan.

Jeff is a veteran and he
lives in an aged care home

and Ruwan really enjoys
hanging out with him

when he has some spare time

and because Jeff has a
passion for model airplanes

and war memorabilia.

Ruwan used to run businesses,

He comes from a culturally

and linguistically diverse background

and he came into the aged care sector

and has really flourished,

and now it has a more managerial role

at the RSL Care that he works at.

So in the transitional audience

we have people who may have worked

for awhile in a professional career,

and they're now looking to make a change

and make transfer into a new role,

potentially one with more meaning.

It includes recent arrivals to Australia,

so recent migrants,

and also includes people
who may be coming back

into the workforce.

So they may not recognize that
they have those soft skills

perhaps they've been caring
for a family member or a child,

and then they're coming
back into the workforce

and obviously their skillset

and their attitude will make them ideal

for this sort of work.

Also in this audiences,
people with disability,

our research found that people

who have experienced or have seen care

and support at work are far more inclined

to consider take-up of these roles.

Next slide, please.

So very quickly how we will get there.

we've got the...

Sorry, this is Damien and Cliff

an Osteopath and his veteran client.

So we have got five
major bursts of activity

as mentioned, it's just under...

we launched in August and
the campaign is running

for just under a year

We've got ads on television,

we've got a lot of out of
home kicking off next year,

now that everyone's
allowed out of their home.

And we have a lot of...

because of our target audiences,
65% of them are under 35

so we have a lot of
digital social activity,

Google search things like catch up TV ads

will appear as well.

So as you can see, it's
quite an investment

by governments to get the word
out there about this sector.

We've also done a couple of
content partnerships to try

and speak to younger people,

junkie and Year13 are examples of that.

So far everything we've
found that the engagement

has been really great on the campaign

we've had more than a
million hits to the websites

and more than 5 million people have seen

our ads on the Facebook network alone,

which is really great.

The website, which I'll
share a link in a moment.

The most popular page,

which is great for us to
hear is the now hiring page.

So when people click on this page,

they will see a job active
link that takes them directly

to a curated list of roles

in disability, support,
aged care, veterans care.

And then we also have Seek links as well,

acknowledging the fact
that something like,

I think it was in one
of our younger audiences

as high as 85% of our target audiences

will go to Seek first
to look for their job.

So if I can have the next slide, please.

We have a bunch of resources
on the website to help you

help us so to speak.

There's a campaign support a kit

and also an employer support kits,

which has all our assets,
all our beautiful images.

You are 100% welcome to use them anywhere

and everywhere there's website copy.

You can use our social media tiles

through your social channels, et cetera

or really easily downloadable.

We have some fact sheets

and we're regularly updating that section.

We're also running the Seek webinars.

We have two more coming up,

which I'm sure we'll tell you about later.

And also we have a targeted culturally

and linguistically diverse
audiences strategy.

And part of that we're including,

and we've got an upcoming
webinar on cultural competency.

Can I have the next slide please?

So we'd love you to stay
connected with the campaign.

The link is careandsportjobs.gov.au,

add a forward slash employers to that,

and you'll find all
the employer resources.

And we're also on Facebook.

We've created a Care and
Support Sector, Facebook page,

which we'd really love to see
people sharing their stories.

And we're also happy to share any stories

that you have as well through that page.

Next slide please.

So that is me done.

I'm going to hand you over
to the wonderful Steph Hutton

who is going to...

She's a wealth of information

and yeah, we're really excited
about what she's bringing.

The information that she's
bringing to you today.

And then after that, we're hear from Jodi.

So over to you Steph.

- Right, good afternoon, everyone.

And thank you Jo for
such a warm introduction

and acknowledgement of country as well.

And also really fantastic to hear

about all the amazing
resources that are out there

for the hirers within this
care and support sector.

Before I begin my section today,

I would also like to pay respects

to the Bunurong people
of the Kulin nations,

the traditional owners of the land

on which I am dialling in from today.

And I pay my respects to the elders,

past, present and emerging.

So my name is Steph

and I am a Customer Success
Manager here at Seek.

And my role as a Customer Success Manager

is to work with our hirers,

to help them get the most
value out of the tools

and products that they using,

which is why I'm here to
speak with you all today

to help you learn how
to write a good job ad.

So the agenda that we're
going to go through

for the rest of today's session,

firstly, we're going to have a look at,

I guess, a bit of the
backstory as to why we're here.

So look at some of our
current candidate sentiments

and the landscape in which they are now.

We'll also have a look at
how we can attract candidates

into the care and support sector,

as well as how we can attract
candidates regionally as well.

Then we're going to focus on
how to write a good job ad.

So we're going to be looking
at candidates priorities

and behaviour, as well
as looking at headings,

structure and language,
and some ad examples

of some good and maybe
some not best practice ads

that are out on site at the moment.

And then lastly, I will hand
you over to Jodi Schmidt,

who is the CEO of the Human
Services Skills Organization.

Who's going to talk you
through some education

and then we should have
a couple of minutes left

for some questions as well.

So firstly, let's have a look

at the current candidate
landscape to set the scene

for why we're here today.

So the pandemic has prompted reflection

amongst Australian candidates,

which provides a positive opportunity

for the care and support sector

whilst recruiting going forward.

So how are candidates
feeling at the moment?

Based on our latest research,

Australians want to prioritise
a career with purpose

with 31% agreeing that COVID

has made them rethink their career.

We also know that more than one

in four Australian candidates

are looking to change jobs
within the next six months

with younger candidates more likely

to be seeking the change.

And lastly candidates are
seeking security with 41% saying

they would change roles to an industry,

less likely to be impacted
by COVID in the future.

Now these all present
fantastic opportunities

for the care and support
sector moving forward as well

and how you can position your roles.

So let's dive into those three statements

a little bit further.

So we know that over one in
four Australian candidates

are looking to change roles
within the next six months.

However, majority of those are
actually younger candidates,

just like Jo mentioned before.

So we can see that the 18
to 34 year old age group

are those that are most likely

to make a change in the next six months.

Now, keeping this in mind,

we need to think about our current staff

and how we can retain them as well.

If one in four Australians
are going to change jobs,

then retention is equally as important

as finding new candidates

in this anticipated period of attrition.

Seek also ask candidates
what motivates them

to consider an industry switch.

The results showed that
better work-life balance

was the number one response.

Accompanying this in the top five answers

were greater stability and job security,

to find purpose and meaning in life,

which have both components that a role

in the care and support sector
could confidently deliver on.

Being an increasingly growing industry

with a strong purpose
and community connection.

This really highlights the importance

of selling not only the
role in your job ad,

but the industry in which the candidate

will be working in as well,

which we'll expand on shortly.

Next, what are candidates looking for

when they're moving industries?

So there are many factors
that are popular to candidates

when looking to change careers,

which are relevant to the
care and support sector.

This is great for hirers is to consider

as lots of the key drivers that candidates

are looking for can be provided.

For example, transferable skills,

which we'll discuss in a
little bit more detail later,

as well as strong industry
growth and career trajectory.

These are all positive
indicators for industry mobility

into care and support for those candidates

that are looking to shift
careers in the next six months.

So in this session,

we'll talk about how you can address

some of those key appeals
within your job ad as well.

So what does this mean for you as a hirer

within the care and support sector?

So 28% of candidates are
looking to change jobs

in the next six months.

So now is the time to be updating

and refreshing your job
ads as well as revisiting

your hiring processes and activity.

It's important

to be highlighting relevant
transferable skills in job ads

to appeal to those who are
considering a career change.

And when considering a new career,

purpose and opportunity
for growth are key drivers,

which should be highlighted
within your role descriptions.

So now that I've sort of set the scene,

let's have a look at how
we can attract candidates

into the care and support sector.

So if we firstly,

think about mobility amongst
different industries,

80% of applicants for
personal care roles come

from a total of 28 different role groups.

That means there's a huge
opportunity to source

from a broad talent pool
and varying industries

and take advantage of candidates
who have been displaced

and unfulfilled from other industries,

as well as through the pandemic.

So employees interested
in care and support roles

are exploring other industries

then looking for a job as well.

So approximately 8% of
care and support candidates

are only looking at
care and support roles,

which leaves the remaining 92%

of care and support candidates

who are applying for roles in
at least one other industry.

So this is a competitive landscape,

not just amongst the care
and support providers,

but for jobs within other industries

with similar transferable skills.

So which industries
should you be targeting?

Traditionally many care
and support candidates came

from roles such as community development,

receptionists, youth and family services,

informal carers and admin roles.

Recently there has become
a growing opportunity

to engage further candidates from retail,

hospitality, and tourism
and customer service,

following the insecurity

and displacement due to the pandemic.

So we need to think about
these candidates as well

when we're writing our job ads.

Now we ask candidates
who currently don't work

in the care and support sector.

Why a career within this
sector appeals to them.

The top three insights were,

it's a career with meaningful purpose,

it provides flexible working hours

and there are diverse roles available.

So these are all excellent pieces

of information to keep in mind

and provide a good
benchmark on what to include

when promoting your own industry

within your hiring activity.

So now let's have a quick look

at how we can help you
attract those candidates

to your regional positions.

So would candidates are
consider moving locations

for their next job is the
first question we should ask.

And luckily for us,

33% of Metro candidates
said that they are likely

to consider moving location
to secure their next job.

Now of those 33%,

one third said that they
were already in a Metro area,

but would move to another suburb.

9% said they were already
in a regional area

that would move to another suburb

and 14% said that they
would move from a Metro area

to a regional area for the right job.

Now this is really promising
and what's interesting as well

is that the majority of
candidates that answered

they would move from Metro to regional

were also are younger candidates

within that 18 to 34 year old age bracket.

So not only are they the
ones who are most likely

to change roles or careers
in the next six months,

but they are also the age demographic

who is most likely to
move to a regional area

for a role as well.

Now, obviously there are
barriers for people out there

and perceptions into
moving into regional roles.

And some of the key
themes that we picked up

from our research were that,

43% said it would be too
hard to move their family.

24% said that there
limited job opportunities

in their field within regional areas.

And 17% said there's limited entertainment

or things to do within
their regional areas.

So if we're trying to
relocate people regionally,

this is what people are worried about.

So it's important to
address this in your job ad

and actively considering,
including some of this,

to provide them a realistic expectation

for the candidates as well.

So we need to have a think about,

is there an opportunity
to provide a package

to assist candidates in relocation?

And is there an opportunity to consider

how we could sell the
location or the community

that this role might be located in

as well as the role within the job ad?

And although we can't change
the first one or control it,

it can be addressed in passing by saying,

this role is only
located a two hour drive,

out of Melbourne,

which can help promote the proximity

to their family and friends.

So as a hirer, how can you overcome this?

So we know 18 to 34 year olds are the ones

who are most likely to consider relocation

to a regional area for a role.

Highlight the community
and location benefits

within your hiring processes
and job ads as well,

and highlight any relocation benefits

that might be available as well.

So now that we've had
a look at the backstory

into attracting candidates into
the care and support sector,

now we're going to really have a look in

and how we can optimize our job ads.

So what a candidate is doing on site

and how are they behaving

and what can we actually
be including within our ad

to make sure that it's standing out

and engaging to our candidates?

So candidates are changing
how they're searching.

They want a simple streamlined process.

That's like a Google search.

The relevancy of your ads is now the key

to surfacing them in front
of the right candidates.

So let's think about Google.

If I wanted to find a cafe in Melbourne

that sells really good coffee,

I want the most relevant cafes

to come up in the search results

when I search for that in Google,

not just the restaurant that happened

to mention coffees were
available on the website

that they updated yesterday.

So relevancy is key.

So we've improved the
job search experience

to align with the change in
candidate search behaviour.

We started noticing that
candidates were not filling

in all the boxes on the left.

They would just type in a
keyword or two and hit Seek.

We also noticed that location
was important as discussed,

and therefore we implemented
a granular locations

to align with this as well.

So candidates are now
searching by suburbs.

These are just some things to keep in mind

when putting together your job ad.

So how are candidates searching?

So 72% of our candidates are searching

on Seek using a location
or a granular location,

such as a particular suburb.

We also know that 57% of our candidates

are searching using a keyword.

Now they use a key to matching your job

to more relevant candidates.

So it's even more critical today
to make sure your job title

is aligned to how candidates think

and to similar titles that
are out there in market,

as it's becoming a very
dominant search behaviour.

Next, classifications.

So only 30% of candidates
actually search using

the classification filter,

and this has been declining over time.

But until it disappears altogether,

we still need to consider that our job

is being posted in the most
appropriate classification,

or you could be missing out
on some potential candidates.

And finally salary.

With our salary filter,

we found that only 14% of candidates

are actually using this,

which means that 87%
of candidates are not.

That being said, I will
touch on in a little bit,

the importance of displaying
salary within your job ad.

So we'll get into that
a little bit later on.

So something that I wanted to highlight

for you all on the call is,

roles within the care and support sector

are predominantly posted into
two different classifications

here on Seek.

The first is the community services

and development classification.

And the second is the
healthcare and medical.

So I wanted to share with you all

what the top 20 search terms
that are being searched for

by candidates are within
these two classifications.

So the first one is community
services and development.

So these are the top 20
search terms by candidates.

So we can see in their support worker,

disability support worker
and community services,

we can also see terms in
there such as part-time

and entry level.

Now these are not terms
you should be including

in your job title, but somewhere
else within the job ad,

as we don't want to take away

from the market relevancy
of our job titles.

And if we have a look

at the healthcare and
medical classification,

we can see registered nurses, nurses,

enrolled nurses,
administration, receptionist,

and aged care in there as well.

So there's not a one size
fits all for job ads.

So you need to think about the candidates

you are recruiting for

and be a little bit more
strategic in your approach.

So you can use this
matrix to help you plot

where your job might sit.

Now, I'll be taking you through
two of the boxes on here.

As we know right now in this industry,

that candidate supply
is predominantly low.

So we're going to have a
quick look at specialization

when it's high and low.

And when I talk about specialization,

we're talking about the skills experience,

qualifications, licences, et cetera,

that might be required within a role.

So firstly, let's have a
look at high specialization,

low supply roles.

So these might be roles such as physios,

HR professionals or nurses.

Now this is what we'd call
the competitive segment.

As in, you the hirer
needs to be competitive

in order to get the best candidates

out of this particular area.

Now, conversely, we have
the low specialisation,

low supplies segment.

And this is where our support
workers, cleaners, carers,

community care workers,
et cetera, would fit in.

And this is where as a hirer,
we need to be creative.

So looking at different areas and avenues

that we could potentially
find these candidates from,

and when there's low barriers to entry,

helping them get their foot in the door

and upskilling them on the job.

So let's have a look at how we could pop

this into practice within a job ad.

So let's have a look at
that high specialization,

low supply, such as a nurse.

Here, we're really
competing for top talent.

These candidates are highly skilled

and they have choices and
they will often be headhunted.

So you really need to
sell your organization

and the benefits that you
can provide this candidate.

So we need to think about whether

or not our job ad is compelling enough

to make that kind of
candidate consider choosing us

or moving from their current role.

This is where you really need to highlight

any unique selling points
that you might have

that are going to help
you stand out in a crowd

that is competitively
searching for these candidates.

So if we say the example on the left,

if we can say, it sounds okay in theory,

but have we really given
ourselves the best opportunity

to succeed in this market?

Probably not.

It's quite vague and subjective.

Whereas the example on
the right hand side,

is extremely specific and lays out exactly

what the candidate will get
in return if they work for us,

which allows us to be
competitive in what we've written

in our ad versus what our
competitors might have done.

So if this is what...

If we look at what this
looks like in the job ad,

this is where we will
need to consider utilising

something like maybe a standout ad on Seek

to ensure we're capturing the
candidates attention early

and giving ourselves advertising space

to really draw them in.

Now, if we compare that
to the low specialisation

and low supply, such as a support worker.

Now, where the barrier to entry is low,

but there's also a shortage of candidates.

We need to think more creatively

about who we're considering for the role.

So with this one here,

I've eliminated some
unnecessary bullet points

from the original

and I've removed points
that didn't really fit

under specific requirements
and combined some others,

so that it's easier for the
candidate to scroll through.

Now, flexibility in this space is key.

So remember to reduce the number

of requirements is also suggested,

being creative is also important.

So if you would accept a candidate
with a transferable skill

or from a transferable industry,

and perhaps they could take
a course while doing the job,

then I would be highlighting this

so that a candidate is
more likely to apply.

You can say here that I've
highlighted the other industries

that we know candidates are
looking from at the moment,

and I've encouraged them to apply.

For example, with an
entry-level support worker role,

do we really need to list all
these specific qualifications

that they must have before applying

or could they simply have prior experience

and a willingness to learn?

And perhaps we could support
them to undertake a course

whilst they worked for us.

Again with this, what we would look at

is where we might move
from say a classic ad

to a standout ad on
site as it might give us

some more opportunity to include
some of the great reasons

and highlight the benefits

as to why a candidate
should apply with us.

So, now that we've done
all of the background work

into understanding where
we sit in the market,

as well as what we know candidates want

and how to plot our roles
with a bit of strategy,

we can now pop all of this
information into action

when it comes to actually
structuring our job ads.

So I'll start you off
by imagine your jumping

onto a website full of job ads.

You'd know, I guess, yourselves,

or when looking at any website,

we don't have a lot of time to capture

the reader's attention.

In fact, we have only between
about five or 10 seconds

to capture someone's attention

before they move on to the next item.

So that means that here at Seek,

we place a lot of importance
on how your ad stands out

within the search results.

So we're going to spend the next little

while having a look at
our short description

and going through

a really strongly
recommended best structure,

as well as what to include within this,

to help your ads really stand out.

So on the screen here,

we have our two different types of ads.

We've got a classic and what our stand out

or premium ad would look like on site.

So the first and most important
thing when posting a job

and how to write a good
job is the role title.

It needs to be short,
concise, and market relevant,

and it needs to make sense.

So usually this is just exactly

what the role title should be.

So we don't want any extra words in there

such as immediate start or
multiple opportunities available.

The way that our search
engine works here at Seek

is that it's driven by
artificial intelligence,

where we're matching the job
ads that are posted on site

to what we know candidates
are searching for.

Now, if there's extra terminology

within your job title on site,

that is not an actual job title.

This can actually hinder the
performance of your job ad

and not surface it to

as many relevant candidates as possible.

So next, where is the role?

Now we mentioned earlier
that the number one way

that candidates are searching on site

is by using location.

And candidates nowadays are searching

for particular suburbs.

So it's really crucial
that you are including

a suburb location within your job ad.

Now, if you're posting directly onto Seek,

this is as simple as clicking the suburb.

If you're posting through
a software provider

or a recruitment uploading software,

you may not be able to
click a particular suburb,

but if you include the name of the suburb

in the short summary here,
we'll do the hard work for you.

And when your ad is posted onto site,

we will map to the correct suburb.

Now for a lot of the roles
that you'll be hiring for

in the care and support sector,

they might be things
such as support workers

that require a lot of travel.

So I often get the question,

what location should we pop in

when there is going to be multiple?

My advice would be to pick the one that is

either the most central to the area

that there'll be working in and around,

or if they're going to
be visiting an office,

a base or a center.

On a regular basis, I would
be choosing the location

of where that office is based as well.

Now, the next thing that you must include

in your short description,

especially in such a candidate tight

and low supply market is,
what's in it for the candidate?

So we're going to look at two things here,

specific benefits and salary.

So I'll touch on salary first.

The salary field is this section here.

And what a lot of hirers
don't know is that

we can actually fit up to 50
characters in this section

and they don't all need to be numbers.

Now we know that there are
75% of candidates told us

that they're less likely to apply

for a role if the salary is hidden.

So our number one recommendation

would always be to display
the salary or the hourly rate.

Even if you don't believe

it's really competitive out in market,

it's still best to show it.

If your organization really
doesn't want to, that's okay.

But I would be using the salary field

to highlight perhaps any other benefits

that are out there
within your organization

around compensation or salary.

The next is benefits.

So if you're using a standout ad,

you're going to have the added benefit

of having your logo here,

as well as some extra key selling points

to help sell your role to candidates.

Now, in these key selling points,

I would be trying to list as many benefits

and reasons as to why people

might want to join this role as possible.

So think back to all the stats
we haven looked at earlier,

if there's flexible working practices,

if job security is available,

if learning on the job
and skill development

is available as well,
I'd be listing those here

as well as any other perks that
you might be able to offer.

And lastly, what will I do?

Now, this is something that
we continuously see done,

not so well on site.

So what we would recommend here

is in this short description area

to really explain to a candidate

what it is they're going to
be doing within this role,

especially for attracting people in,

from other industries
who may not have done

this type of role before.

It's important that in the search results,

the first time they come
into contact with our ad,

they're getting a bit
more of an understanding

about what they'll be required to do.

So when we have a look at job titles,

you can see some examples of
clear, concise, recognizable,

and market relevant titles on the left.

And then you can see some job titles

on the right that don't
work so well on site.

And I've pulled all of these
directly off our website.

So words like amazing.

Have you got what it takes?

Awesome, et cetera.

We would definitely recommend to stay away

from including these in your job title,

because they actually going to hinder

the performance of your job ad.

Now, if we look at the bottom
one, which is helping hand.

Now this is acute internal title

that an aged care provider
was using on site,

but candidates won't
be searching for this.

So in this particular area,

I would definitely
recommend using an industry

and market relevant job title on site,

and then keeping cute internal titles

for when you're sending out contracts

or discussing the role with the candidate.

Next within our 150
character summary area.

This is where you want to, as I said,

tell a candidate what it is
they might be doing in the role.

So we recommend to stay away

from phrases like this for two reasons.

One being that it doesn't
really tell the candidate

what they'll be doing in the role.

And secondly, a lot of other hirers

are posting these types of things on site.

So it's not differentiating your ad

or helping you to stand out at all.

So instead we would
recommend using action words,

such as the ones on the right

and saying things like support
clients in their home by,

deliver high quality
support in, et cetera,

and using those action words

to help candidates gain an insight.

So now we're going to have
a look at some example ads,

some befores and afters.

So this is one of our classic ads.

So this is an ad that I've
pulled directly on site

and that I've workshopped.

So a couple of things
that I've changed here.

So the first thing is suburb.

I've added in the actual suburb

that the role was located in.

The next is the salary field.

So this one didn't have
a salary field visible,

whereas you can see when we
make the salary field visible,

no matter what the content is,

we're actually gaining a
little bit more real estate

in the search results.

So I've added in hourly
rate plus any allowances

or salary packaging
that might be available.

And of course, whatever
is relevant to your role,

you'll be able to type in here as well.

And then lastly, for this role,

again, the short summary

didn't really give potential candidates

much of an insight as to
what's required of them.

So I just copied and pasted
straight from the full job ad,

some of the action
words and the key duties

that this candidate
would be required to do.

So provide support to clients
in their homes as per care

plan and monitor their environment.

And I've also highlighted
that no previous experience

is required and full training is provided.

Now, this is something again,
if candidates from potential,

other industries are looking at job ads,

this is something that's
going to just confirm

for them that this is a
role that they will be able

to apply for despite perhaps not having

the experience within
this sector specifically.

Now next I have an example
of one of our standout ads.

So the difference here is
that you can have your logo

for branding within the search results,

as well as the ability to
add in extra dot points.

So some changes that I've
made on this one here,

firstly, the job title.

I've removed the words that
were not related to the job

and were not market relevant.

As I know that this will inhibit
the performance of the ad.

Next, I've also added in a
specific granular suburb.

Next I've added in the salary field.

Now they already had a
salary field in this ad,

but I've just expanded.

So I shortened that hourly
rate as much as I can

and add it in a couple of
extra compensation benefits

that the candidate would receive.

Next, if you have the three
key selling points available

to your ads, use them to their fullest.

So highlight benefits,
training, wellbeing programs,

job security, ability to
move to a permanent role,

flexible working arrangements, et cetera.

Now what I've actually done here is,

despite only having three dot points,

I've managed to list nine
different points in the ad.

Now here, you can also utilise

if there are any
qualifications or requirements

that must be obtained by the candidate

before applying to the role,

you'll also be able to express

that in this section here as well.

And then lastly, again,
this short description

wasn't really giving us any insights

into what was going to be
required of us in the job.

So again, I've just copied
and pasted something

from the duties within the long job ad,

as well as highlighted that
travel will be required

by saying this role works
across Greater Sydney.

So next, this is our
recommended jobs structure.

So great ads that work.

We know that we have bolded subheadings

to help candidates scan through content.

And also we add in lots of white space

to help candidates scan,

as well as keeping dot
points short and punchy,

adding in a benefit section

as well as adding in a
how to apply section,

which is really going to help

and give a call to action to candidates

and encourage them to apply further.

Now we know 73% of
candidates view our job ads

on a mobile device.

So it's important to make
sure that our content

is really engaging and
easy to read on a mobile.

So this is an example of
a more dense ad versus

a really nice structured ad.

Now, something that I
would leave you with,

is if your organization has a great video

on what it's like to work for you

or the work that you provide,

I would highly recommend to
include that within your job ad.

Now, if you don't have one specifically,

there's a fantastic Life
Changing Life campaign video.

There's a nice 30 second one,
which would be really great,

powerful message to
incorporate within your job ads

for future candidates as well.

So just to summarize all of
those job ad optimization tips,

we just went through,

I'll leave you with some key takeaways.

Firstly, keep those titles
structured and market aligned.

List the salary amount or use the field

to talk to incentives around salary.

Utilize all the fields and all the texts

in the short description.

Structure your ad details
for mobile traffic.

In fact, I implore you all to jump

onto your mobile device after this

and have a look at what your
job ads look like on a mobile.

And lastly, focus on specific benefits

for that industry and role.

So that is everything for me today.

And I would now like
to invite Jodi Schmidt,

who is the CEO of the Human
Services Skills Organization

to speak.

And she's going to run you
through some key considerations

in regards to education and
training for the sector.

Thank you Jodi.

- Thanks, Stephanie.

And hello everyone.

I'd like to also recognize
the original custodians land,

on which each of us
gather and pay my respects

to elders past, present and emerging.

I'm going to move pretty
quickly through this

so that we've got time for questions

and think Steph's information
has been incredibly valuable.

The Human Services Skills Organization

for context is an organization
that's led by employers

from both the aged care
and disability sector.

That's focused on ensuring
that the skills and training

and workforce development
support that employers need

are in place to address the issues

that are facing the sector.

And namely today we're talking

about the labour market
tension and competition

and the continuing growth and need

for more workers in the sector.

So if you can move us
on, please, Stephanie.

It's really important to provide context

from my perspective.

The National Skills
Commission in 2020 provided

a five-year employment outlook based

on what the national employment market

was intended to look like.

And there was an expected
growth of 7.8% through to 2025.

What's really interesting
about that is in the time

between 2020 and 2021, where we are today,

we've experienced a growth
rate that has taken 35%

of that growth expected through
to 2025 is already with us.

And that's what explains, what
is the tight labour market

that we're all experiencing?

And we're not alone in
healthcare and social assistance.

And whether that's in
disability support veterans

or in aged care.

What's really important also to note

is that healthcare and social assistance,

which includes all of the
sectors we're talking about here

is the largest employer
in the country today

and is expected to grow at double the rate

of the rest of the sectors
that you can see on the slide.

And so that's going to be critical

in terms of how fast we come to market

to attract the right
people to these sectors

and to have a sustainable
workforce into the future.

And therefore today's workshop webinar

is absolutely critical
to your sustainability

of your business.

Thanks Stephanie.

When we think about attraction,
recruitment and retention,

the advice that you've received today,

I think is incredibly important,

but so too is the skills and the quality

of the individuals once you get them.

We've heard that candidates are willing

to explore options of
care and support roles

for a range of reasons.

But when we talk to
people from the sector,

increasingly we hear them
talk about the satisfaction

that they get from their roles,

the human connection that they have

and the other values that
are really important to them.

And I think it's really important

that we focus on those
things into the future.

What we also find is that

whilst we have nearly
100,000 people a year

in this country go into
the Certificate III

in individual support,

about 30% of them actually graduate

in the original timeframe

in which they approach
their qualification.

And what that means is those individuals

are entering straight into work,

and variably if they have the right traits

and personality aspects.

We're finding that the right
people are often not likely

to have the qualification,

that's directly related to the sector,

but will be attracted.

And what we need to make sure

is that we don't lose them at that point.

Offering them and providing
them with the ability

to attain their qualification
while they're working,

in our experience,

not only provides the best opportunity

for them to be the best
worker that they can be,

but also create some stability
for you as an employer.

We're also finding a lot of candidates

who may bring qualifications

and experience that could be valuable

to the human services sector.

And they're coming from customer service,

other service sectors.

And also all of them are
coming with qualifications

that they may have obtained overseas,

or that haven't been
recognized in Australia.

And we've increasingly find this,

finding this as an opportunity

that would be valuable
to you as employers.

Also and this was covered at the beginning

in terms of thinking about the cohorts

of individuals that you can target.

Individuals with lived experience,

who've had some familiarity
with family care provision

or the like are also good
candidates to enter the sector.

Well, there's no doubt as
there's a need to be creative

and for us to work differently

to achieve the required
recruitment and retention rates,

if we're going to meet the growth

that is coming into the sector.

And I guess the underpinning issue

is that this sector is
seen to have security

because of the long-term expected growth

and the opportunity that will be presented

in a range of roles.

If we move on to the next slide

and that's why pathways are
going to be really critical.

When we think about pathways,

one of the things that we need to do

is really start to highlight

where the pathways are in the sector.

Now this is difficult and
it was certainly identified

in the work undertaken

by the Department of Social Services

and the development of the
NDIS national workforce plan,

that we need to map the job architecture

and really be clear to individuals around

what the job roles are that are
opportunities in the sector,

and then in turn be able
to make them accessible.

So understanding how you might take

a frontline customer
services, staff member

and quickly train them to become

a disability support provider

will be critical into the future.

So the Human Services Skills Organization

with DSS are about to embark
on a project to understand

and document many of
these career pathways,

available in the sector

and then to match and
develop the micro-credentials

and or skill sets that will
unlock that transferability

of skills, both within the
sector and across the sector.

And this is part of the workforce plan.

But in the meantime,

understanding that there

are multiple pathways available already

and can be promoted to
individuals as an attraction

for a new entrance will be really helpful.

Before I given an example of
the work that we're doing,

following the development of
an entry to care all skillset,

which is four of the initial competencies,

out of the Cert III,

we've recently completed
a pilot that seen 65%

of 50 young people across the country.

Not only secure work in
the disability sector,

but commit to undertaking
their Cert III with an RTO,

partnering with employers.

What that means is,

is that they have work ready already

after completing four competencies

that give them the necessary knowledge

and the requirements
of the role compliance

and safety to begin work,

and then to be supported in developing

their knowledge over time.

Again, the thing that will be helpful

in terms of retaining
staff of this nature,

or giving them then and
thinking about the options

in terms of your workforce planning

of perhaps sending them on pathways,

whether it be through
allied health assistance,

through health support services,

or through assistant
nursing qualifications

that take them on to
further qualifications

and or rolls into the future.

Of course, there's also
the developing areas

of specific specialist skills

that are required in your businesses.

I hear day in and day out
high complex care needs

are really critical medication
delivery is critical,

behavioral support and
psychosocial support

to give an example.

And increasingly training programs

are available to skill
individuals specifically

in these areas and can be
consumed in an appropriate way

on the job or supported
by good partnerships

with registered training organizations.

We're also working of course on pathways

that then start to extend
a range of other roles

that might be accessible to
individuals who enter this way,

whether it be through
support coordination,

case management, allied health nursing,

coaching and mentoring, and
supervision and leadership.

Next slide please.

So we recognize that collaborative effort

between employers and RTOs
is absolutely critical

to sustaining the
workforce into the future.

And we're working on a
range of projects to try

and highlight best practice in that regard

and to bring those things together.

On the job skills development,

certainly from a vocational education

and training perspective is the best way

to get the best quality
workers in our view.

And we're hearing that from you

as employers across the
country, as we consult.

We're also working on the
range of training products,

but also making recognized prior learning

much more accessible than it is today

in terms of recognizing
those transferable skills.

As a taste of the initiatives
that we're working on,

you can see them there

and you'll find more detail
on our website at hsso.org.au.

But we're here to not only
respond to the training needs

of the disability and the
wider human services sector.

We represent the employers from aged care,

veterans affairs,
disability, allied health,

and early childhood education and care,

but to respond on the ground
and to assist as is example

of the rapid response aged care workforce,

where we matching existing students

to employers to fill desperate needs

that exist at the moment.

And we're in discussions
around bringing that project

and that initiative to
disability early in 2022.

Last slide, I think Stephanie supporting

and we're supporting both
the initiatives coming out

of the Department of Health

and the Department of Social Services

to enable you to make
the most of the campaign.

A Life Changing Life is really critical.

We have perhaps the danger
of insufficient staff

to deliver the services that we need to

and attracting people to the
sector is really critical.

I can recommend certainly the materials

that are provided on the website

in terms of the Life Changing Life.

But I think for us as the employers,

we need to make sure that
we capture all of those

who are interested and
have the right skills

and make sure they're in the funnel

that translate into staff into the future.

And the HSSO are certainly here

to support you in that regard.

And then I think we've
got a following slide

with some contact information
and we move to question.

So back to you, Stephanie.

- All right, thank you
so much for that, Jodi.

That was really insightful as well.

So myself, Jodi and Jo,

we've only got a couple of minutes left.

So I have had some questions come

through in the Q&A box.

So I might hand this one over to the group

and any of us might answer this

'cause it seems relevant for all of us.

So Liv has asked us, if
younger people are more likely

to consider the care and support sector,

how can we reach them?

So I might throw that one out there,

not sure if Jo, you want to jump in

or I'm happy to start off with that one.

- Yeah, I'm happy to jump in.

Certainly we're finding that
social media is one suggestion.

If you're advertising
your jobs on social media,

that is helpful.

If you don't have access
to the right channels,

then perhaps there's
potential to ask your staff

to push it out through
their networks as well.

Peer support, particularly
in the culturally

and linguistically diverse space,

we've had a lot of feedback

that those non traditional
recruitment approaches

are quite effective.

So holding things like jobs fairs

potentially in your local
library, something like that,

getting people together so
that they can ask questions

of actual care and support
workers is also a potential idea

that you could do to in your community.

And certainly I'll just mention,

we do actually have exhibition pack,

which you can find through
the campaign resources page

if you did want to do a job
fair or anything like that,

or just pull up banners,
we've got posters, et cetera.

Those would be my top suggestions.

- If I could suggest Stephanie,

Jo mentioned the campaign

that the department is doing with Year13.

Year13 is a platform that has access

to 1.6 million young
people who are thinking

about what their careers will bring.

And it profiles both information
about the disability sector

and the broader human services sector.

We also working with Year13
over the next 12 months

to work on an attraction
conversion campaign

for 15 to 24 year olds.

And I think that's a good place to start.

Along with local schools
in many instances,

vocational education and training programs

have been delivered in skills

where we're starting in the early areas

of individual support or
other community services,

Community Cert IIs and
community development

and community services where
you may be able to partner

with those schools, not only
to provide work placement,

that is often a try before
you buy arrangement,

but also to think about
courting the future workforce.

Other places like the YMCA

are working really hard to build...

They've set themselves a target

of having 30,000 young people
working in disability sector

in the next five years,

really targeting those university students

that Jo talked about who are really keen

on exchanging retail jobs traditionally

for work with more purpose.

And there's a huge range of
opportunities in that regard.

- Amazing.

I think we're almost out of time.

So I'm just going to jump
in there and say as well,

from my perspective,

in terms of the actual
content that's in your ad,

young people at the moment
that have more choice

than ever on site.

So what are you popping in the job ad

that really sells the organization
in your care provider?

Or what things can you look

to maybe incorporate moving forward

as well to help attract
that young talent as well?

So look, that's pretty
much all from us today.

So I just wanted to say a
couple of words in closing.

Thank you so much for joining us

for our second webinar of the
Life Changing Life campaign.

There are two more coming up,

so I would highly recommend registering

your interest for those.

We will be sending a recording

of this session later in the week,

as well as the slides that we
went through for the session.

And we will also be providing links

to all of the Life Changing
Life campaign resources

for you and your teams

to be able to reference moving forward.

So I just wanted to say thank you again

so much for joining us,

and I hope that you all have

a lovely rest of your afternoon.

Thanks again, everyone.

- Thank you.

- It's my absolute pleasure to be your host this morning.

But before we kick things off,

I'd first like to acknowledge the traditional custodians

of the land on which we meet, live, learn, and work.

For me this morning, it's Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.

I'd like to pay my respects

to Elders past, present and emerging

who have cared for this land since time in memorial

and commit ourselves to a future with reconciliation

and renewal at its heart.

Please feel free as we join,

we've got people joining from all over Australia today.

So, please feel free to pop into the chat

where you're joining us from today.

And we'll just move into some introductions

and a little bit about what we're going to cover this morning.

So, welcome.

Just a note before we do kick things off

that we'll be recording this session.

And for the next hour,

myself, Jamel and Melba will be joining you to talk

through the next steps around cultural diversity

in the workplace.

For the next hour, we'll be discussing,

lovely people are popping in the chat

where they're joining us from, thank you everybody.

For the next hour,

we'll be discussing cultural diversity across Australia

and what that means

for the care and support sector in particular.

we'll build our cross-cultural knowledge.

We'll reflect on the unconscious thinking and biases

that we all possess and learn how to be aware of them.

Then we'll identify tools and resources

to create more inclusive and supportive workplaces.

And we'll focus on the recruitment

and onboarding of multicultural staff.

And importantly,

we'll learn how to harness cultural diversity

for the benefit of the people you support and employ.

It's wonderful that we have a really diverse range

of providers on the call today.

Some of those with great experience working

with multicultural clients and staff,

and others that may be new to this conversation,

which is okay,

'cause we're all at different stages in this journey,

and that's the point of today.

Today is about supporting each other

and growing our understanding of others,

building the confidence to meaningfully engage

on the topic of culture,

and making the most of the opportunities

that cultural diversity presents.

To get the most out of this collaborative session,

we need to be open, curious and most importantly respectful.

All questions are welcome and encouraged.

So, please feel free to pop any questions, statements,

or even if you want to share some stories or anecdotes

in the chat box today.

And there'll be time later

to delve into those and unpack them a little further.

There'll be a mix this morning

of theory, storytelling, sorry,

discussion, group exercises, to prompt new thinking

and challenge our existing ways

of thinking about culture.

At the end of the session,

we'll have developed and shared some tangible next steps

that you can implement in your workforce.

Now for some brief introductions.

My name's Kylie,

you can probably see my name on the screen there.

And as I said,

it's my absolute pleasure to be your host this morning.

A little bit about me, for the past 15 years,

I've worked with people from diverse backgrounds

on their journey to settlement, education

and employment here in Australia.

My background is in vocational education and training,

employment services, human resources

and workforce development.

I'm extremely passionate about working with organisations

that promote high performing psychologically

and culturally safe

and most importantly, harmonious workplaces.

I've spent many years as an executive

and consultant working to support and advocate

for people from culturally

and linguistically diverse backgrounds

and people with a disability.

- And good morning

from the land of the Boon Wurrung and the Wurundjeri.

I come from Melbourne.

Yes, I am a cross-cultural educator

as you can see on the screen

and I've had more than three decades of experience

in the cross-cultural training,

particularly with the grassroots communities.

And I'm an advocate of,

a strong advocate of multiculturalism.

I was a commissioner

with the Victorian Multicultural Commission for five years.

In fact the first appointment

of the then Premier Steve Bracks.

And I have been working on delivering leadership courses

for multicultural committees, particularly women

and I'm in my semi-retirement,

but as you know, we women, we don't stop, don't we?

So, I still keep on doing a lot of things.

So, this is one of the things that really interest me,

working with employers

on how to make sure that there is productive diversity

in our workplaces.

So, good morning, everyone again,

and I hope you will get a lot from this webinar, thank you.

- So, we're back in action guys.

So, apologies for that.

So, Jamel.

Jamel works to champion cultural awareness

in the education sector

by facilitating and presenting

in professional development, workshops, conferences

and events nationally.

Having studied Aboriginal culture,

she's passionate about instilling cultural awareness

and understanding in organisations.

organisations to foster connectivity, compassion

for multiculturalism and citizenship.

Jamel's personal and professional experiences

have contributed to her curiosity

and extensive knowledge

on Australia's rich multicultural history.

And on that note, I'll hand over to the fabulous Jamel.

- Thank you.

Oh, Siri, thinks you're talking to her.

Ah, that's hilarious.

I'd like to start by acknowledging

the Aboriginal ancestors of the land.

I live in Melbourne,

in the Kulin nations of the Wurundjeri people.

But today I'm actually sitting in Adelaide

on the lands of the Ghana people.

And I pay my respects to the Elders of the past,

the present and the future.

Thank you, Kylie for your introduction

and sorry everyone about the technical issues

that we'd had.

But I'd first like to start by finding out

what we think culture is.

I'd like you to all open up your chat box

and I will find mine as well.

And I'd like you all in one word or a couple of words,

write in the chat box for me, what you think culture is.

Have we got any takers?

While you are doing that as well,

just to let you know,

I've been teaching cultural education

and Bollywood dancing in schools nationally.

And I actually worked with ACARA

in the consultation of cultural curriculum inclusion

in the national curriculum, which was fantastic.

And I'm actually doing my MBA as well.

And it's great to see so many people here

that are wanting to make a difference.

And we're in that point in our history

where there are a lot of changes going on.

So, now just going into the chat their values, beliefs,

set of beliefs within the group,

shared way of living, belongings, the values and customs

of particular group of people, foundation platform.

Culture is the collection of customs, values

of a group of people, awesome.

I think the other thing that we forget

is culture is actually a lot to do

with the foods that we eat

and the dress and the way in which we think.

And I know that many of the times I get things like country,

the country that you're from.

And I'd like everyone to take a quick guess

as to where you think I was born.

I wasn't born here in Australia.

I'll give you that straight away,

but I was actually born overseas.

Can we have any guesses as to where you think I was born?

India, okay, good, good, good, good start.

But no.

Singapore, no.

Europe, no.

Actually, I was actually born in England

and I came to Australia when I was four years old.

My parents were born in Malaysia,

my grandparents were actually born in Punjab.

Which is the region between North India

and Pakistan divided by the partition

when the British left in 1947.

One of the strongest parts of our Australian values

is things like Mateship, to be a larrikin,

to be a humanitarian.

We're always worried and looking out for each other

and other people and other countries as well.

And the way we do something in your home,

your community, your country,

or most importantly in your workplace,

that is culture.

Now at the very end of this whole presentation,

you're actually going to be asked for five things

that your organisation can do or must do

to build a more diverse workforce.

Who are the key stakeholders to make these things happen?

And the actions you need to take to make it happen.

So, please, as you go through this presentation,

write down questions, write down ideas, raise your hand.

And if somebody is raising their hand,

please, I'm not looking at the full screen,

so do interrupt as well.

But anything that you want to input that is relevant,

most importantly,

there's nothing culturally insensitive

that will make me offended.

This is your opportunity for asking questions on religion,

on culture, anything insensitive

that you think normally, or I better not ask.

I don't want to be out of place.

Nothing is out of bounds in this.

And I guess it's a real good opportunity

for you to get involved,

and have those questions answered.

Now, of course, if you start telling me,

I don't look like a Bollywood princess,

I might get offended, but no, seriously.

I'm here as an open book.

So, please feel free to actually ask

and pose those questions.

Preity, can we go to the next slide?

Please darling.

Now Australia is multicultural and linguistically diverse.

One of three people are born overseas

and other than England and New Zealand,

the top countries include places like India,

China, Vietnam, Philippines.

Now within care and support sector,

which is the largest and fastest growing industry?

Bilingual support is now crucial, critical,

and obviously very common.

But we'll be further exploring why it's important

and how you can encourage, build and support culturally

and linguistically diverse workplace.

Preity should we go to the next slide darling.

As you are well aware, care and support roles

are as diverse as the people and communities we work with.

There are so many beliefs to building an inclusive

and diverse workforce

and also creating inclusive and accepting workplaces.

Now Melba is going to go through with you in more detail,

all of that stuff, in more depth.

But as you read through the slides,

let me tell you of my own personal experience.

Now I think we should go to the next slide.

We can go through this case study,

but as we go through this case study

I'd like to tell you, my parents were actually granted

the NDIS care and support package.

And after navigating through all the options and companies

as their daughter and in Western terms,

I think I'm referred to as their carer,

I had to choose a provider and company.

They all charged similar percentages,

their cleaning costs and all that sort of thing

were all similar.

So, I chose the one

that A, on their link highlighted diversity

and cultural understanding.

B, had a photo of diversity,

and C answered the phone immediately

and got to back to me within a few hours.

Now, with names like Mr and Mrs. Singh,

it's not hard to tell that we're culturally diverse.

My mom has white carpet

and there was no real cultural sensitivity that we don't,

there was no real cultural sensitivity for the people

that came that we don't wear shoes inside.

Now I understand occupational health and safety,

but as they walked in a simple comment like Mrs Singh,

I understand that you don't wear shoes inside,

but for health and safety reasons,

we need to keep our shoes on, we mean no disrespect.

I would suggest that my Mum

would've felt a lot more at ease and comfortable.

So, just something to think about.

Now, we're going to look at this case study

a little short video that we're going to present now.

And we're going to play this video of a support worker

and the client.

It's in language, don't worry,

it has subtitles.

Good time to put on your glasses

if you need them to read the subtitles.

But when you're watching this and reading this little video,

I want you to really think about and look at it,

and knowledge the relationship created

between Jackie and Maria,

the client and the care worker, the bond.

Not only is Jackie there to support Maria,

but Jackie is in that process as the care worker.

She'd be hearing the stories of their community.

She'd be herself learning traditional words for things.

Perhaps learning traditional family recipes

and planting techniques.

These things would all have died with Maria

if Jackie hadn't ever actually put that kind of effort in.

And this is promoting and supporting culture and keeping it,

not just surviving, but also thriving.

And I know we don't encourage touch at all,

but Maria is close and comfortable enough

to put her hand on Jackie's shoulder in laughter and banter.

When they're out shopping,

they would understand the ingredients.

For example, my mom might say, I need dhania.

And none of you are really going to know

what dhania is unless you are from the Indian culture.

And that's the dog scratching on the carpet,

sorry about that.

But dhania is actually just coriander.

Now lets play this video

and let's go from there and see

what we can talk about afterwards.

Preity, I'll leave it with you.

So, it is, yeah, we're still very good.

So, I mean it's important to consider

how culture can be the connective thread

in various dynamics

and understanding how best to harness

this can form part of the client's support plan.

Your workplace culture, a more diverse workforce

and a better asset to society.

Now here comes the practical

and exciting side to the presentation.

I think we're going to the next slide please, Preity.

And please give a wave,

we can't actually see you so there's no point waving,

but our most esteemed presenter,

please welcome Melba.

- Can you go back to the previous one Preity.

Thank you.

Thank thanks, Jamel, that was amazing.

Now we are going

into a more in-depth discussion of diversity

or workplace diversity, inclusion and others.

So, in understanding the breadth of multiculturalism

and the values this brings to the care and support sector,

we need to understand how diversity in the workplace

is best understood and approached by employers.

Diverse people bring different values.

As you can see behaviours, communication styles

and ways of working to our places of employment.

It's important to recognise that these definitely exist

and let's work hard to create more inclusive environments

where our employees can feel, seen, heard and respected.

So, this section now, setting the scene,

diversity in the workplace,

will cover communication styles, unconscious bias

and cultural safety.

So, let's go to the next slide.

Okay.

Now this is just a simple differentiation

of diversity being the mix of people in your organisation

and inclusion is getting this mix to work.

Next slide please.

Okay.

Diversity Council Australia,

recently developed a guide

for how to assess cultural diversity in your workplace,

and it's called Counting Culture.

This guide includes assessing factors,

such as cultural background, language, religion

and even global experience.

Some steps include asking employers

about their cultural background,

languages spoken and country of birth.

So, workplace diversity

can really promote better business performance

and productivity, more creative innovative thinking

among staff and improved health and wellbeing

because all of these are going to be considered.

As you can see, here on the slide,

the step one, two, three and four.

And what I like best is actually the last one,

where on top of the basics,

we get to know what are the religious and faith affiliations

of the people in our workplace.

And what have been their global experiences?

Because everyone who comes here,

every migrant refugee who comes here in this country,

bring with them a lot of experience

that can contribute to the productivity in the workplace.

And in fact to social cohesion

and other needs of the society.

Can we move to the next one?

Okay.

To give you a broader context,

we'll begin by examining individualist and collective traits

and how they manifest in different cultures

and workplace environments.

Individualists, as you can see in these two columns,

individualistic cultures,

prioritize the needs of the individual

over the needs of the group.

In this culture, individuals pride themselves

of their autonomy and independence.

On the other hand, collectivist cultures prioritize

the needs and goals of the group

over the needs and desires of an individual.

The individual's relationship

with other members of the group

and the interconnectedness between them is key

to each individual sense of identity and belonging.

In a workplace setting,

employees who are individualists

or who work in individualist organisations tend

to be productive, proactive, ambitious and goal oriented.

However, they can also be competitive

and highly focused on climbing the career ladder

which can lead to stress and burnout.

Employees who are collectivists

or who work in collectivist organisations,

prioritize harmony and loyalty

and place value on being a good team player.

However, because collectivism focuses on adopting the views

and values of the group,

individuals may also feel unable

or unwelcome to truly express their opinions or ideas.

From a multiculturalist perspective,

countries around the world have historically been sorted

into one of the two camps,

based on traits of their people and societies.

For example, as you can see on the examples there,

North Americans and Europeans,

view themselves as an entity that is distinct, autonomous,

self-contained and endowed with unique dispositions.

Meanwhile, most Asians, Africans, Latin Americans

and Pacific Islanders,

view themselves as part of a larger social network

that includes one family,

one family, coworkers

and others to whom they are socially connected, okay

So, that's the difference between individualists

and collectivist cultures.

Can we go to the next slide now, Preity, thank you.

Now, individualists and collectivist cultures also mean

that they have very different communication styles

particularly in the workplace.

And you probably observe that a lot amongst your workers.

Communication styles can be verbal or non-verbal.

These characteristics are often so deeply ingrained in us

that we are unaware of them.

So, on the left hand column as you can see,

is the general type of communication.

And the second one is how people

from the individualist or Western culture behave

and the other one,

and the right side, how the collectivist cultures behave.

So, you can see with the body language,

the individualist culture people, are quite informal,

in the way that they actually greet people.

They can do it by handshake,

or they can just even say hi, hello, okay?

While people from the collectivist cultures

are quite formal.

Sometimes some of them can be very formal

and they will bow.

They will even hold their hands like that and bow

in front of you.

Or as in the case of the Filipinos where I come from,

just really bowing, okay?

And with a big smile.

Now, the second type it's about the volume of the voice.

It's important to know that the collectivist cultured people

are usually soft speaking, okay?

They demonstrate courtesy and respect.

We are very big on respecting the authority, okay?

So, sometimes you might find that you're very young,

you're 25-years-old and a 70-year-old employee,

will speak to you in a soft voice and will bow to you,

because that's how collectivist cultures are, okay?

Thus of course, as Western people,

they're likely to speak with emphasis

and usually very emphatic and loud speaking.

Okay, so you can see there, the communication style

where individualist culture people are very direct,

very verbal, okay?

While in our cultures, we are usually indirect

and we have a lot of non-verbal clues or cues.

Sometimes you ask them and you don't hear the answer yes,

because they will just nod, you know?

So, yeah, it's so important to actually,

be mindful of the communication styles of people

from the collectivist cultures,

so that you can fine tune better

how you are going to deal with them.

Next slide, please.

Another context to look at is the unconscious bias, okay

Unconscious bias are preferences

that we have and are unaware

of based on our brains making decisions quickly.

Our unconscious biases affect our judgment, actions

and behaviour towards other people on everyday basis.

Within these, they're typically

and as you can see here on the slide,

the unconscious biases can be based on a number of factors,

gender, race, sexuality, job position, your generation,

socioeconomic background, nationality and language.

Can you go to the next slide please?

Okay.

Affinity bias is connecting with others

who share similar interests, experiences and backgrounds.

On the other hand, perception bias is forming stereotypes

and assumptions about a certain group of people.

Unconscious bias in the workplace,

often manifests as a group think,

where a thought process

and decision making are usually collective,

causing others to silence their voice

or feel as though their opinion may not be valued

because they have to follow what the group says.

It's important that we all commit

to fostering self-awareness

and check in with ourselves regularly,

to sense how we and others are operating in the workplace.

Are we designing diverse teams with diverse perspectives?

Are we providing staff with opportunities

to connect and learn from one another?

Because all these biases can be corrected

if there are opportunities for these people to mix, okay?

And learn from one another,

and get the best out of each other.

What systems can we put in place to reflect

and avoid such biases?

These are all the important questions to ponder

on following this session.

Next slide please.

Now, so this session is introducing the importance

of cultural safety in the workplace.

Embracing and valuing a multicultural workplace

cannot be achieved without cultural safety.

Cultural safety means that everyone is treated

with respect and inclusion, okay?

Employers and clients feel comfortable,

if comfortable supported and respected.

You do not have to be an expert in every culture

or have the answers to be culturally aware

and make everyone feel safe.

Cultural awareness recognises

that we may all have a view of the world around us

and perceive ourselves and relate to others differently.

Cultural safety means you are aware

of your unconscious biases.

So, that includes judging people's behaviours and beliefs.

And these include your assumptions about different cultures,

that not all people identify with their culture

or religious background.

So, all those stereotypes sometimes you would just

have to throw them out of the window,

because there are some people who will not be following

their culture or religious backgrounds, traditions,

and ways of doing things.

So, at the end of the day,

we are still dealing with human beings,

and each human being is unique.

So, whilst culture is very important to look at,

we should also look at the context of what's happening

in the society and in the world.

And now, as we see,

you know, social media affecting everyone,

a lot of our understanding of people

previously may have to change, okay.

Next slide, please.

So, be aware of your own.

I think this has been discussed already in the previous one.

However, what's important on this slide

is that we shouldn't make assumptions.

Culture is fluid, and that's what I'm saying.

And the behaviour and beliefs

of people within each culture can vary considerably.

Next slide please.

So, how do we create

a more diverse and inclusive care and support workforce?

At this point in the session

we have already covered a lot, isn't it?

We have looked at cultural diversity

from a migration perspective.

We have touched on multicultural Australia,

unpack the communication differences

and discussed the importance

of cultural safety, et cetera, et cetera.

So, we know the diversity is a wonderful asset

to any business.

Now, how do we harness a multicultural workforce?

Now we should look

at how to recruit multicultural employees.

So, these are just some of the tips, okay?

Looking at the employees or potential employees,

you have to think that as people looking for jobs,

these people are also looking for good companies

to work with.

You know, they want to work with leaders in the industry,

they want to work with good bosses, okay?

So, that's where they will be coming from.

Yes, they do want jobs, to have jobs,

but they also want to make sure

that they're going to be working with a very good employer.

Okay

So, let's look at how to recruit these potential people.

It's very important

that you co-design your recruitment process.

That means you have to talk with your clients,

participants and existing employees,

to be able to get the benefits of working

in the sector from them,

and you can include that in the co-designing

of your recruitment materials.

Ensure that your job advertisements are accessible.

So, you may want to actually,

look at the last, that point there,

develop your recruitment materials in language,

in their languages.

So, if you want to target, Asian workers,

you may need to actually put some translation costs

in getting them translated.

Host community events or meet-and-greets.

I find that it's very useful for employers

to be attending festivals, okay?

Some big communities have large festivals,

and it's good to have a stall

there and introduce your organisation.

Highlight the benefits of working in the sector.

Know the demographics of your catchment area,

because especially if your company

is based in a local council area,

they will have demographics on their website.

And so you can see which communities actually

have the biggest population in the area.

And work closely with multicultural communities.

With your existing multicultural workers,

you can extend and extend,

your networks with them and be able to outreach

and use that as a source

for future expansion of your multicultural workforce.

Next slide, please.

And once, you've successfully recruited your staff,

it's important that you work on their progression

and how you retain their talent within your organisation.

And these are just tips, okay?

Support them during their onboarding,

invest in their career progression.

So, provide more training and development,

have regular perhaps,

regular discussions on their career progression.

Build cultural competency in your organisation.

I'm pretty sure you do have some programs

around having some training seminars

within your organisation.

Have more cultural awareness training

in some of those discussions that you have,

and review your policies and procedures.

For example, your code of conduct

and your other human resources documents

to ensure that they outline inclusive behaviours,

processes and ways of working.

And lastly, learn about, accommodate

and support your staff's cultural needs.

For example, allowing them to take time off for cultural

or religious holidays,

or dedicating a quiet space in your workplace

for staff to pray or to meditate.

So, I guess that's all and after that lecture,

it's time for a workshop, thank you so much.

- So, I guess that comes back to me

and we've had some really in-depth understanding

on the importance of cultural diversity

and the approach is possible.

Kylie's going to go through with some of the ongoing

resources that you have access to,

but Preity, let's go to the next slide.

We're going to spend a few minutes talking

about how your organisation can become more inclusive,

whether that be in recruitment,

the interviewing or ongoing support.

And we're running out of time,

but basically we want to make you aware

that our job ads need to become more inclusive

and inviting for our CALD workforces.

On the next slide, Preity, there's,

I'll leave you to go to the next slide.

There are always ways you can make your ad more inclusive.

We want candidates to know

that they are going to be trained and supported.

That being bilingual is a huge advantage

and as they also might be placed with clients

that are from the same culture and language groups,

they will be supporting their own community

and also their own cultural aspirations as well.

So, when you get the chance,

I'd like you to please go through some

of these practical examples of how to create

a more diverse workforce and encourage diversity

with not just your panelists,

but also in the way,

the language in which you use in your actual job ads.

So, Preity, let's go to activity three.

This is the one I mentioned at the start.

Five things your organisation must do

to build a more diverse workforce.

And can anyone please raise your hand

and give me an example of this?

Those tips were really helpful, thanks,

Kylie, that's great.

Can anyone share with me something

that their organisation must do to build

a more inclusive workforce?

I can't actually see if anyone's got their hand raised.

- [Kylie] Lisa Osborne, thank you.

In the chat box,

just jumped in saying a statement of inclusion.

And Karen Coley, thank you.

Just said, must know your client group to match.

Yes, to match your client group.

So, the, I think what you're trying to say

there is the alignment

between the cultural linguistic backgrounds

of the clients you support and also making sure

that your workforce matches up

with those clients, better outcomes for the clients.

I'm sure.

- Yeah, so I guess.

- [Kylie] Yes.

- [Jamel] I think, I guess the thing

is that who do we need to reach out

to make the things happen within your workplace?

Who are the key stakeholders?

And is there one particular action that you must complete

to get the ball rolling?

For instance, someone that has a refugee background

may not have the job references

which will disadvantage them,  which is true.

Very noted.

And I think that's the other thing that we have problems

with is those labels and things

and a lot of preconceived issues

that people have with cultural competency

and cultural preconceptions

from previous countries that they've come here from.

And those prejudices,

all we can do is try and change them.

It's interesting,

I had a conversation with a colleague the other day,

'cause they kept using the word Naarm,

on their advertising material.

Back in Naarm and what they were referring

to was back in Melbourne.

And I do a lot of work with the Aboriginal community.

So, I was like, what's this Naarm word?

And he said to me that, oh,

it's been used for the last four years

and we are changing all of our geo symbols to,

we want to go back

to the traditional words used around Australia.

And I'm like but, which Elders,

the one that's actually used this word?

And I actually rang Aunty Joy Murphy

and I rang Aunty Caroline Briggs,

who jumped down my throat saying,

if I hear somebody using that word,

I'm going rah-rah-rah,

Aunty Diane Kerr, all these Aboriginal elders,

and none of them knew where this word

had actually originated,

which makes it really difficult

because you have one culture that's trying to do

the right thing by another,

but at the same time not realising

that they're actually going

to be putting down another culture.

And those preconceptions can be really hard

in the workplace.

Where do you draw the line?

Where do you go through?

Caroline, "Can I have some further thoughts

on asking people what their background is?

I've heard that this is offensive to people

from varied backgrounds.

I feel that it is helpful to know where their background

is from so I can adjust to what I know of their culture

to try and accommodate their needs."

Definitely. If people have issues

with their cultural background,

like I often get asked where are you from?

And I'll say, oh, from Adelaide,

just to throw a spanner in the works,

but that's obviously my Australian larrikin nature.

But what my background is, is I was born in England.

My parents were born in Malaysia,

my grandparents were born in India.

So, I'm a few generations away,

but obviously with the colour of my skin,

people straight away, it's like, oh, where are you from?

It's like, yeah, Adelaide.

So, it does become hard and people

have their own little issues about those things.

But you know, what's your ancestry?

What's your background?

These are all important.

And the resources that you have,

I know Kylie's going to go through those resources.

Caroline, doesn't matter,

where someone is from, may have different culture,

from people from other countries.

Yeah, I definitely, I go to schools

and I'll say, oh, which country do you think I'm from?

And then when I say England,

it's like, oh, I don't look, not like

I'll be wearing my Bollywood outfit and stuff like that.

And they'll be like,

I don't have the visual perception of someone

that's from England, but I do enjoy my tea,

so that's about as English as I get.

I think that's it from us

and I'd like to thank my colleague Melba

and Preity for an amazing job on the slides

and handing back to you now, Kylie, thank you.

- Thank you ladies.

Thanks everybody.

We are close to time or on time

so I'll speak extremely quickly,

which from a Dutch background

that shouldn't be too difficult for me to do.

So, we do have, you'll see on the screen there,

a list of really useful resources to share with you.

So, you can refer back at any time

and access the support and tools

that you may need to take

the next steps towards building diverse

and inclusive work forces.

Please be sure as well to refer to the Department

of Social Services website,

which for those of you with the pen and paper,

which I think is in there as well

is www.careandsupportjobs.gov.au

for useful tips on how to recruit, support

and retain workers from culturally

and linguistically diverse backgrounds

and how to develop a culturally safe work environment.

Also please check out for more videos,

like the one that we saw earlier,

the Department of Social Services,

A Life Changing Life website.

And just some key takeaways

that I noted very quickly during the session today,

to wrap up.

Key to creating and maintaining a culturally diverse

and inclusive work environment

is really ensuring some simple things.

Everybody feels seen, heard, included,

respected and understood.

If you keep this at the heart of, I guess your strategy,

you really can't go wrong.

This can be achieved by being mindful,

aware, and conscious of current talent attraction

and your recruitment practices

and changing how you do things

and being open to changing how you do things.

Also by fostering psychological and cultural safety,

you'll naturally see an improvement in employee retention.

You don't need to do it alone,

as I said, there's resources available for you guys

that will be circulated following the end of this session.

But to wrap up,

thank you very much for your time this morning.

It's been an absolute pleasure.

I'd like to thank Department of Social Services

as well as our lovely facilitators,

Melba and Jamel.

Thanks everybody, and have a wonderful day.