Initiatives
A range of initiatives have been identified to progress the plan priorities.
These initiatives and current strategies are based upon the employee lifecycle model, comprising the stages of workforce planning, recruitment, induction, management, development and separation.
Workforce planning
Workforce planning is the systematic identification, analysis and planning of organisational needs in terms of people. Making informed decisions about management practices, aligned to organisational goals and community needs to build and maintain a skilled, flexible and sustainable workforce. It is about having a wide range of people with the right skills, doing the right jobs at the right time.
Workforce planning is a dynamic process, involving frequent modifications of direction in response to changing conditions taking into account factors including ageing population, turnover rates, budget impacts, industry needs and legislation. Tailoring workforce strategies to acknowledge and include a diverse range of people facilitates a positive, dynamic, high-performance and robust workforce.
Workforce planning often includes the transitioning of people to new roles and their development of new skills and it is therefore important there is a holistic approach through people leaders working closely with senior and program managers.
Good workforce data is essential to monitoring progress and Executive will be regularly updated on key workforce and organisational culture performance.
Table 8: Workforce planning initiatives
| Actions | Workforce priority | Responsibility - oversight | Responsibility - implementation | Timeframe | Measure | Monitoring and evaluation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report quarterly to Executive on diversity targets and progress of the plan. | Priorities 1 to 4 | Manager People Strategy and Workplace Reform (PSWR) | HR Systems Analyst People Leadership Advisors (PLAs) | Quarterly | Dashboard report is provided to Executive quarterly | Quarterly report is effective and fit for purpose |
| Evaluate, review and amend the workforce and diversity plan. | Priorities 1 to 4 | Manager PSWR | Executive Directors/ PLAs | 30 June, annually | Successful implementation of initiatives and progress against targets. Evaluation framework developed | Annual report on progress and evaluation of the plan to Executive |
| Reflect equity and diversity principles in strategic plan review. | Priorities 1 to 4 | Director Strategy and Governance | Director Strategy and Governance Executive Directors | December 2017 | Principles incorporated | EEO and diversity incorporated in strategic plan |
| Reflect equity and diversity principles in operational plans. | Priorities 1 to 4 | Director Strategy and Governance | Executive Directors | July, annually | Principles incorporated | EEO and diversity incorporated in operational plans |
| Inclusion of equity and diversity objectives in:
| Priorities 1 to 4 | Director Strategy and Governance Executive Directors | Director Strategy and Governance PLAs | June, annually Annually | Agreed performance agreement Agreed MyPlan | Quarterly report to executive and annual performance agreement review |
| Communicate the plan and its policies and programs to staff via internal communication tools and training programs. | Priorities 1 to 4 | Executive Directors Director Communications and Promotions | Directorate Communications Officer Manager PSWR | 30 June, annual reporting | Plan is communicated | Included in annual report on progress of plan to Executive |
| Staff to update their diversity profile to provide for contemporary diversity data. | Priorities 1 to 4 | Manager Organisational Development and Training Unit (ODTU) | Project Officer Equity and Diversity PLAs | December, annually | Staff requested to update their diversity profile | Number of employees that updated their diversity profile |
| Profile the employment of women at DAFWA to develop strategies for their progression internally. | Priorities 1 to 4 | Manager ODTU | Project Officer Equity and Diversity | September 2017 | Audit conducted | Strategies approved by Executive |
| Review directorate workforce plans, including workforce capabilities analysis and plan monitoring and evaluation. | Priorities 1 to 4 | Manager PSWR | Executive Directors, supported by their Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and PLA | June 2017, annually | Approved by executive and implemented | Quarterly report to Executive |
| Implement the strategic relocation of positions plan. | Priority 1 | Executive Directors | Directors | December 2016 | Positions relocated | Quarterly report to Executive |
| Review of DAFWA mission critical positions and high-priority directorate positions. Succession plans in place for these positions. | Priority 3 | Executive Directors | PLAs | December 2016, annually | Positions reviewed and succession plans in place | Annual review |
| Review the contractual arrangements of staff against finite projects and develop workforce planning strategies, as appropriate. | Priorities 1 and 3 | Executive Directors Manager PSWR | Directors PLAs | December 2016 | Review complete and strategies developed, as appropriate | Strategies approved by Executive |
| Implement the Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2015–19 (DAIP) and Reconciliation Action Plan 2015–18 (RAP). | Priorities 1 to 4 | Manager ODTU | Project Officer Equity and Diversity | As per implementation plans | As per implementation plans | As per implementation plans |
Recruitment and selection
Recruitment and selection is about having people with the right skills doing the right jobs at the right time in the right location.
Through the people leadership program, consideration is given by people leaders and project managers to the needs and skill requirements of projects as well as longer-term corporate needs.
There are a number of targeted recruitment programs that support the achievement of diversity outcomes (some linking in with public sector-wide programs), including apprenticeships, traineeships, internships, cadetships, graduate programs, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traineeship and cadetship programs.
Table 9: Recruitment and selection initiatives
| Actions | Workforce priority | Responsibility – oversight | Responsibility – implementation | Timeframe | Measure | Monitoring and evaluation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Review current recruitment and selection activities, policies and procedures and develop and implement strategies to enhance equity and diversity outcomes. | Priorities 1, 3 and 4 | Manager People Operations | People leaders and senior leadership team supported by PLAs Managers Management Services (MMS) in consultation with regional directors | December 2017 Ongoing | Approved by executive and implemented | Recruitment and selection data reported on a half yearly basis |
| Review online recruitment system ‘Big Red Sky’ for the ability to:
| Priorities 1, 3 and 4 | Manager People Operations | Recruitment officer | June 2018 | System reviewed Data collected and analysed | Recruitment and selection data reported on a half-yearly basis and used to inform workforce planning |
| Include a duty/responsibility for managing equity and diversity in job description forms of management positions. | Priorities 1 and 4 | Manager People Operations | Recruitment officer People leaders Project managers | Ongoing, as job description forms are revised | Job description forms revised | Revised when advertised, newly created and during workplace reviews. |
Induction
Employee induction programs provide a structured approach in welcoming new colleagues, delivering critical information about the organisation and job role and also clarifying expectations in the employment relationship. Addressing employee expectations at this stage will often reassure that they have made the right employment decision and form a basis for greater retention, job satisfaction and engagement.
The induction program contains four key elements:
- Local occupational safety and health (OSH) induction that commences on day one and completed in the first month of employment
- Corporate induction that consists of online training and a face to face meeting with representatives of the executive team
- Performance planning and development (MyPlan) which is completed within the first month of employment
- Essential training that is ideally completed within the first three months of employment for new employees, and refresher training completed periodically.
Table 10: Induction initiatives
| Actions | Workforce priority | Responsibility – oversight | Responsibility –implementation | Timeframe | Measure | Monitoring and evaluation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Review the induction program. Update as necessary. | Priorities 2 and 4 | Manager ODTU Manager OSH People leaders | Learning and Development Consultant People leaders | June 2018 | Induction program reviewed | Effectiveness of induction program and participation of new staff |
Management
This is a broad area which incorporates many of the day-to-day management and operational functions linked to strategic objectives, including:
- balancing the quality of life of the staff member against workload demands
- ensuring compliance with the public sector requirements in human resource management
- adopting a sound risk management approach in people leadership decision making and activities.
Development
A range of learning and development opportunities are delivered at a corporate level to support strategic capability objectives. People leaders need to be equipped with the skills to support the learning and development of others as identified and managed through MyPlan conversations.
The model applied is the 70/20/10 development concept which suggests a notional blend of:
- 70% informal, on the job, experience based, stretch projects and practice
- 20% coaching, mentoring, developing through others (network)
- 10% formal learning interventions and structured courses.
Table 11: Management and development initiatives
| Actions | Workforce priority | Responsibility – oversight | Responsibility – implementation | Timeframe | Measure | Monitoring and evaluation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Develop and implement an online system to capture the development and training needs of staff identified in MyPlan. | Priorities 2, 3 and 4 | Manager ODTU | Learning and Development Consultant Manager People Systems | June 2018 | Research undertaken and system in place | Evaluation of system completed yearly and reported to Executive |
| Recruit, appoint and provide ongoing training and development for contact/grievance officers to assist in resolving EEO grievances. | Priorities 1 and 4 | Manager ODTU | Project Officer equity and diversity | July, annually | Recruitment completed Workshops delivered | Annual report to Executive |
| Review and amend the grievance policy as necessary, promote the policy to all employees. | Priorities 1 and 4
| Manager ODTU Executive Directors | Project Officer equity and diversity | Review June 2018, promotion six monthly | Policy reviewed and amended and promoted | Number of grievances reported to Executive annually |
| Review and develop the staff engagement model. | Priorities 1 to 4 | Manager ODTU Executive Directors | Manager ODTU and PLAs | June 2018 | Model and implementation plan developed and communicated | As per implementation plan |
| Design and implement a development program for people leaders | Priority 2 | Manager ODTU | Learning and Development Consultant PLAs | June 2017 | Program in place | People leaders participating in program activities |
| Development of leadership and management skills of women using 70/20/10 approach | Priorities 1 to 4 | Executive Directors Manager ODTU | People leaders, with the assistance of PLAs Learning and Development Consultant | September 2017 | Learning and development documented in MyPlans Succession plans in place Talent management program developed, as appropriate | Women capabilities development and representation in senior management |
| Develop strategies to build capability and capacity in key skill areas identified in this plan | Priorities 1 and 3 | Executive Directors Manager ODTU | PLAs Learning and Development Consultant | December 2016 | Key skill areas identified in directorate workforce plans Strategies developed at directorate and corporate level, as appropriate | Capabilities development and ongoing review of directorate workforce plans |
Separation
Employees leave for a variety of reasons and through the separation process the impression left within exiting employees may be shared with others, support their return and impact on the department’s reputation as a good employer.
A structured separation process provides an opportunity to gain insight into exiting employees’ views of their working experience to assist in the identification of opportunities to improve workplace conditions and culture.
Quality of life strategies and flexible work practices are available to assist staff transitioning to retirement, including access to superannuation seminars and personal financial management courses.
Table 12: Separation initiatives
| Actions | Workforce priority | Responsibility – oversight | Responsibility – implementation | Timeframe | Measure | Monitoring and evaluation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Improve the collation and analysis of exit information relevant to the retention of employees, with a view to using it to develop strategies to retain employees and identify equity and diversity issues. | Priorities 1, 3 and 4 | Manager PSWR | PLAs and people leaders | December 2016 and ongoing | Data analysed and report provided to Executive | Quarterly report to Executive |
| Investigate the viability of developing online systems to capture information from exiting employees. | Priorities 3 and 4 | Manager PSWR | Manager People Systems in consultation with PLAs | December 2016 | Viability report | System implemented if feasible |