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Our people
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The GRDC continued to emphasise the value of its people. Several staff members were given the opportunity to advance within the organisation, and efforts were made to identify potential and provide development opportunities. In a labour market where recruitment was generally difficult due to a shortage of candidates, the GRDC continued to attract a good depth of quality candidates nationally, and attracted former staff members back to the organisation, making significant steps towards becoming an employer of choice.
The GRDC has a culturally diverse staff, with a good mix of age and gender. The corporation values good health, and recognise its obligation as an employer to provide a safe and harmonious workplace where talented people can assist each other to develop skills and knowledge, and work as a team to improve and develop the grains industry of Australia.
Staff
The GRDC's staff are employed under section 87 of the PIERD Act, which provides that the terms and conditions of employment are to be determined by the GRDC.
As at 30 June 2006, the GRDC employed 50 full-time staff members, including the Managing Director. A staff list is provided in Table 12.
| Management group | Position | Occupant |
|---|---|---|
| Managing Director's Area | Managing Director Executive Assistant |
Peter Reading Wynette Neil |
| Corporate Services | Executive Manager General Counsel Corporate Lawyer Compliance Officer Manager Finance Accountant: Reporting Contract Payments Officer Accounts Payable Officer Manager Human Resources Records Management Coordinator Travel Coordinator Receptionist Administrative Assistant Manager Information Technology Facilities Network Administrator Webmaster Network Support Officer |
Gavin Whiteley Geoff Budd Rachel Manley Noelia Freitas Danielle White Nino Divito Cathy Wells Kylie McLay Wendy Neil Ross Thompson Sarah Smith Ros Walton Lauren O' Connor Tavis Hamer Lawrence McLaughlin Sia Lipapis Tom Vale |
| Corporate Strategy and Program Support | Executive Manager Business Analyst Corporate Strategist Evaluation and Reporting Manager Procurement and Contracting Contracts Coordinator Administrative Assistant Panel Coordinator (National and North) Panel Support Officer (South) Panel Support Officer (West) |
Iftikhar Mostafa Vacant Zoltan Lukacs Cathy Stewart Klaudia Skazlic Lauren Kennellya Shona Tidswell Desiree Koch Julia Polkinghorne |
| Varieties | Executive Manager Administrative Coordinator Administrative Assistant Administrative Assistant Manager Gene Discovery Manager Germplasm Enhancement Project Manager Pre-Breeding Manager Wheat and Barley Breeding Manager Pulse/Oilseed Breeding |
John Harvey Merrilyn Baulman Natasha Dziubinski Lauren Kennellya Andreas Betzner Richard Brettell Vacant Leecia Angus Brondwen MacLean |
| Practices | Executive Manager Program Coordinator Administrative Coordinator Manager Agronomy, Soils and Environment Project Manager Practices Manager Crop Protection Manager Validation and Adoption Manager Extension and Grower Programs |
Greg Fraser Chrisafina Valakas Angela Ditton Martin Blumenthal Vacant John Sandow Stuart Kearns Tom McCue |
| New Products | Executive Manager Administrative Coordinator Manager New Farm Products and Services Manager New Grain Products |
Vince Logan Manisha Jayawardana Paul Meibusch John de Majnik |
| Communication and Customer Services | Executive Manager Program Support Coordinator Manager Corporate Communication Manager Publications |
Vic Dobos Sonia Yanni Helen Weldon Maureen Cribb |
a Lauren Kennelly's role as Administrative Assistant is shared equally between Varieties and Corporate Strategy and Program Support. Note: Two staff members were on maternity leave. |
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Salary packages for GRDC staff members are set according to information provided by Hay Group International Human Resource Consultants. The GRDC engages Hay Group International Human Resource Consultants to grade each position description against the relevant market and advise the GRDC of an appropriate range of salary rates.
The GRDC also engaged four program consultants, under section 88 of the PIERD Act, in 2005-06.
In addition, the GRDC funded two full-time positions and a part-time administrative position in Single Vision Grains Australia (as shown in Table 13), as well as the Interim Board consisting of five members (as shown in Table 6).
| Position | Occupant |
|---|---|
| Chief Executive Officer | Selwyn Snell |
| Business Development Officer | Matt Kealley |
| Executive Assistant (part-time position) | Michelle Fairbrother |
Location
The six management groups, including the professional staff who manage research contracts and investment opportunities, are located in offices at the following Canberra address:
Level 1
Tourism House
40 Blackall Stree t
BARTON ACT 2600
The GRDC owns one floor of Tourism House. The GRDC does not own any research facilities. Single Vision Grains Australia operates from a rented office at:
Suite 17, Level 2
2 Loraine Street
CAPALABA QLD 4157
Code of conduct
The GRDC Code of Business Conduct and Ethical Behaviour is published as part of the GRDC Operating Manual, and copies of the code are publicly available upon request. A presentation about the code was made to staff early in the year so staff members have a sound understanding of GRDC requirements. The code is included in induction folders for new staff and discussed during the induction sessions.
Performance management
The GRDC aligns performance measures with strategic direction, and rewards individuals through an annual bonus scheme which promotes excellence in key performance areas. During the year a new performance management system was introduced, establishing a structured approach to reviewing, recognising and improving performance. This system provides employees with constructive feedback on performance against job-related competencies, as well as performance against objectives and areas of responsibilities assigned for the management period.
Individual efforts are recognised, and behaviour which reflects passion, commitment and ownership in relation to GRDC goals is rewarded.
Managers assist in developing accountability and key performance measures to tie operational outcomes to strategic aims. Individual performance is assessed against agreed key result areas and performance indicators twice each year.
GRDC staff at a team building exercise.
Recruitment, training, retention and succession management
The GRDC recruitment process aims for an honest and open exchange of information between the applicant and the organisation in order to identify the right person-organisation match as well as the best skill set for each role.
The corporation places importance on the induction process and recognise the need to provide proper training and support to new staff.
The GRDC aims to identify training that will challenge people and develop their capacity to perform both in their current roles and in future roles in the organisation. Our mid-year and end-of-year performance review process identifies possible career paths for individuals, which contributes to their personal goals and sense of achievement, and assists GRDC succession planning. Individual training plans are agreed formally, as part of that process.
The GRDC partly funded formal study by three staff members during 2005-06, and many staff members attended seminars and training workshops. The Executive Manager Communication and Customer Services and the Executive Manager Practices attended the company directors' course run by the Australian Institute of Company Directors during 2006. One member of staff fast-tracked his Master of Business Administration with GRDC assistance and has since been promoted into a more senior role. Three female managers attended the Women and Leadership forum and gave a presentation on the seminar at a staff briefing, demonstrating the GRDC's commitment to developing female staff members who have leadership potential.
As part of its retention strategy, the GRDC offers all vacancies internally at first. This has led to the retention and development of a number of staff across the organisation. High-performing staff may be identified as showing potential to succeed other staff, and developed for that purpose. This strategy allows the GRDC to retain valuable industry experience. The development partnership gives mutual benefits: it means staff have a reason to stay, and the organisation gains from the long-term employment of valued people.
Current commercial salary surveys are analysed to review financial rewards on an annual basis. Non-financial rewards are also rated highly as reasons why people choose to stay. In particular, long-term career development and organisational culture are motivational factors for staff. A staff climate survey is planned (for October 2006) and the GRDC will compare feedback to the results of a previous survey in order to track the effectiveness of current policies and procedures and identify any new issues or recurrent problems.
The GRDC staff assembled outside headquarters.
Occupational health and safety
The GRDC continued to focus on good health among staff in 2005-06, and implemented a Better Health at Work program during the year. The program emphasised matters relating to health, diet and nutrition; the importance of exercise; and the relation of all of these factors to a feeling of wellbeing. How well people work is closely related to how well they are feeling, so keeping employees feeling good is important.
Some of the features of the program conducted during the year were:
- promoting good nutrition by providing fresh fruit each week
- preventing injuries by increasing awareness of ways to prevent strains and injuries
- increasing awareness of stress and depression and ways to better manage them, including through lectures delivered by employee assistance program counsellors
- supporting a 'quit smoking' campaign
- encouraging exercise by supporting the '10,000 Steps a Day' campaign, providing pedometers and organising staff walks
- providing a free flu immunisation program
- providing a free employee assistance program and counselling service
- providing and maintaining safe plant, systems of work and access to and egress from the workplace
- maintaining information and records relating to health and safety.
During the year there were several instances of staff requiring extended leave due to health or personal problems. The GRDC was able to demonstrate its commitment to staff by adopting an individual approach in each case, allowing in most cases a full and safe return to work. These instances showed a consistent application of policy, while allowing fairness and flexibility in accordance with the circumstances.
Table 14 summarises the key elements of the GRDC's occupational health and safety performance during the year.
| Indicators | Performance |
|---|---|
| Workstation assessments completed for all GRDC staff | A professional assessor completed and documented workstation assessments for all new and relocated staff members. |
| Training and awareness of occupational health and safety requirements | Important activities conducted during the year included:
|
| Improved internal security arrangements | Locks on access doors were upgradedThe reception area was locked on close of business daily. |
| Workplace facilities maintained to a high standard | Activities to ensure that facilities were well maintained during the year included:
|
Equal employment opportunity
In 2005-06, the GRDC had 50 full-time positions, and employed staff under terms and conditions consistent with the Equal Employment Opportunity (Commonwealth Authorities) Act 1987. The GRDC's equal employment policy is set out in the GRDC Operating Manual. Table 15 compares the age and gender profiles of GRDC staff for the past two financial years.
| 20-30 | 30-40 | 40-50 | 50-60 | >60 | Male | Female | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2004-05 No. % |
16 35 |
7 15 |
10 22 |
12 26 |
1 2 |
23 50 |
23 50 |
46 100 |
2005-06 No. % % change |
18 36 +1 |
10 20 +5 |
7 14 -8 |
14 28 +2 |
1 2 0 |
22 44 -6 |
28 56 +6 |
50 100 |
Disability strategies
The Commonwealth Disability Strategy and requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 are implemented by the GRDC as the need arises.
Accessibility guidelines are followed when the GRDC presents documents on the internet, and large print for any publication is available on request. Mechanisms are in place to ensure that issues or concerns can be dealt with promptly and fairly. Grievances are first discussed with a supervisor, then raised with the Manager Human Resources if necessary, for resolution. The Managing Director may refer the matter to an external provider for assistance if required. Every effort is made to comply with the strategy, while applying the principle of 'reasonable adjustment', in GRDC recruitment processes.