COVID-19 redefined the way we work on a global basis. With the majority of our people working from home during various lockdowns and all meetings taking place virtually, the human factor in the employer-employee relationship was truly highlighted. We became familiar with employee family members and pets who often made an appearance during meetings, and it was clear from team conversations that our people valued the flexibility to be more ‘present’ at home.
As a company, we learned quickly that employee wellbeing was improved by enabling our people to reconcile work and life responsibilities. This was an area which we aimed to further promote to enhance our employee experience and to be more inclusive.
As well as positioning ourselves as an employer of choice within the renewables industry to attract and retain talent, RES is committed to supporting our existing talent to balance their work commitments along with their family or other personal responsibilities. Our aim is to ensure that our people are happy both in and out of the workplace and consequently, we have found that high levels of job satisfaction and engagement results in a stronger commitment to Company objectives.
Our Flexible Working Policy has a ‘flex for all’ approach and is inclusive. Previously, flexible working was a choice typically made by our female employees who had child caring responsibilities. We designed our flexible working framework beyond that tradition to recognise our people’s passions outside of the workplace no matter what their stage in life. This approach also compliments one of our core values ‘Passion’. Being a family-owned business, our ‘flex for all’ approach speaks to our unique culture of care and our commitment to belonging, inclusion, and providing equitable opportunities.
As support is demonstrated throughout RES in Australia, we are proud of the diversity in those who have taken the opportunity, and how committed leaders are in the business to making this work, ensuring that there is no negative impact on any other areas or people in the business. Some of our examples include:
We have a headcount of 107 and we have seen five male employees within 18 months take up extended parental leave and this has had a positive impact on our culture. Not only is it the ‘right’ thing to do, but it helps our employees feel truly valued which has an impact on our retention. Given the visible support from leaders in the business, our people feel engaged and know that should they need flexible working, RES will do everything possible to enable, and that their career will not be negatively impacted. It complements our People Strategy and our Employer Value Proposition and helps with job satisfaction, trust, and productivity.
Eleonora Catalano, Technical Analyst, RES Australia
When I moved from Europe to Australia back in 2018, I thought it didn’t matter to me where I was going to live as long as the job was right for me. After four years at RES, I can now say that not only it was the right job for me, but it was also the best employer I could have asked for.
Moving to the other side of the world by myself was exciting, but it also had some challenges given that I didn’t know anyone in Sydney. Luckily my colleagues at RES had been very welcoming and have made me feel at home since day one. One of the passions that I brought with me was music, and I was extremely happy to share that with some of my colleagues, playing guitar and singing together.
As I started to get to know more people in Sydney, I had the chance to form an acoustic duo and from a hobby, music has grown to be an important part of my everyday life. I didn’t want to miss out on gigs and music-related opportunities and so I discussed with my manager the option of becoming a part-time worker for a better work-life balance. I was very impressed by his answer and his open mind about this topic, carefully evaluating the impact on work, but at the same time caring for my personal wellbeing.
What makes the difference at RES are clearly the people and their positive attitude, always willing to improve the work environment and support each other. I can tell from my own experience that this is a reflection of a healthy and balanced lifestyle that is only possible with an open-minded and flexible employer. It’s a win-win situation!
Whether or not we enjoy it, we live in a very competitive world. The renewables industry is similar to other areas of our economy; hard graft and innovation are paramount factors to a Company’s success. As a result, we ask our team members to invest in themselves. I really enjoy my working life, I love my family and I savour being surrounded by a team and a wider community who similarly prioritise these parts of their lives. It makes for a much more nurturing engaging working experience, and therefore resonates with my life values. It is the world I want my children to grow up in.
