August 2024 DRAKEVINE
A message from the EC
Since our last edition, we have seen a significant leadership transition with the appointment of Drake’s first-ever International Board of Trustees and Drake’s new Global CEO, Karen Meredith.
Bill Pollock, our Founder, has moved into the role of Chairman Emeritus & Advisor and will continue to serve in an advisory capacity and work on the newly established Bill Pollock Charitable Foundation, supporting new generations of leaders and entrepreneurs.
It was encouraging to see so many join the recent small virtual chat sessions, where we all had the opportunity to connect with our new Global CEO, and learn more about Karen both professional and personally. Karen also shared more on the Board, and Fractional Executive roles, all of which, bring an extraordinary wealth of experience to the table. It was wonderful to see the team asking Karen questions, as well as sharing insights and perspectives into our business and our functional day to day roles.
Mark Coetzee International Business Transformation
Frank Spizzo CFO
Gay Barton General Manager ANZ, Drake Medox
Sarah Ross National Marketing Manager
Paul Unstead National Manager, Operations
Nicole Jones General Manager, Drake Staffing
A message from the EC continued
As Karen said, “sometimes you need to go slow, to go fast” and emphasised the importance of the “discovery” phase to fully understand the business as it stands today both locally and globally. The Executive Committee and members of the senior leadership team have started collaborating with the Fractional Executive teams across key business functions, including Marketing, IT, & HR. Each Fractional Executive brings an impressive amount of experience, contributing significant value and support as we navigate the road map together.
To support the “discovery phase”, we’d like to remind everyone to complete the Global Engagement Survey. Your responses are completely confidential and provide invaluable insights into our business. We encourage you to be as detailed and transparent as possible. If you haven’t yet had the chance, please check your emails for the subject line “Employee Engagement Survey July 2024” and take a few minutes to complete the survey. The survey will close this week on Friday, August 16.
We’re excited to announce that our Global CEO, Karen Meredith, will be visiting Australian shores. Karen will be in Sydney from the 15th to the 20th of August, and Melbourne from the 21st to the 23rd to learn about the Australian business more intimately and connect with our fantastic teams. We have a packed agenda planned, including client visits, supplier meetings, and, of course, time with our wonderful teams.
The appointment of Karen Meredith, the Board of Trustees and Fractional Executives represents an exciting and unprecedented time at Drake International. We trust everyone feels inspired and positive about our future. As Karen emphasised in the recent calls, “people are at the heart of what we do,” and this principle will remain central as we develop the roadmap to ensure Drake’s longevity and success.
If you haven’t already, please take the time today to complete the Global Engagement Survey and provide the crucial insights needed to help the wider teams inform our strategic direction and renewed vision for the future.
On behalf of the Executive Committee
HR Update
Official launch of Drake Work Perks!
The roll out of Drake Work Perks at our EVP launch party was a huge success! We hope you enjoyed the event, the live webinar, and of course, the work perks merch! Work perks is all about making Drake an even better place to work and thrive, and we hope you have explored all the amazing benefits it offers. As a reminder, details about these fantastic benefits are available on our dedicated work perks page on Drake Insight.
New onboarding process
What’s next?
We will continue to work on initiatives that are under development and will keep our teams updated on any exciting new additions to Drake Work Perks!
It’s official! We have rolled out our new onboarding process across the business and are already seeing positive results for our new starters! Our onboarding process provides managers with a comprehensive guide and onboarding checklist to successfully onboard their new starter. HR also play a role in ensuring a smooth onboarding journey, providing support to managers and new starters throughout key stages during the onboarding process.
Welcome to our newest team members!
We’ve welcomed several new team members across Drake in the last quarter!
Name Role Branch
Tamika Day
Tony Nesbit
Jaden Simmavong
Shaleen Blacklock
Leonie Bridgeman
Lile Taufaao
Consultant
Clinical Coordinator
Resourcer
Clinical Coordinator
Clinical Coordinator
Recruitment Coordinator
Aisea Savu Consultant
Eloisa Mejico
Pippa Carr
Client Relationship Consultant
Clinical Coordinator
Medox Adelaide
Medox Brisbane
Staffing Wetherill Park
Medox Perth
Medox Perth
Medox Sydney
Medox Darwin
Government Bendigo
Medox Sydney
The Drake Derrimut team celebrating our EVP launch + work perks merch!
HR Update
Congratulations to our Q3 RAPID Award Winners!
These fabulous staff were our Q3 RAPID Award winners!
RESPECT:
ACHIEVEMENT:
Hollie Clarke
Asha Selva-Nayagam
PASSION:
INTEGRITY:
D&I:
RAPID TEAM AWARD:
EC AWARD:
Lee Eastwood
Sarah Ross
Yasman Wilkes
Epicor Kinetic Project Team (Finance/AR)
Stephanie Osgood
Congratulations to our RAPID Value Award Nominees!
Sharon Riley, Genevieve Tope, Ragavi palanisamy, Troy Poposki, Michelle McMahon, Nikhil Kachhadia, Troy Poposki, Ebony Stevens, Mike Benedet, Nicole Russon, Cameron Douglas, Caitlin Marciniak, Gia Lam Bui, Danella Williams, Kellie Hayley, Beverley Melville, Olivia Sorensen, Asha Selva, Annerley Juhlin-Beek, Holly Parker, Georgia Terry, Samidha Khanna & Emily Clarke
Congratulations to our RAPID Team Award Nominees!
Drake Professional, Drake Staffing Albury, Medox Melbourne & SWAT team
Thank you for all your hard work and support, and for living and breathing our RAPID values.
You can nominate a colleague or a team at any time
For more information about our RAPID Award program
DE&I Update
Reflect RAP implementation
In May this year, we were thrilled to fully implement our Reflect RAP in time for National Reconciliation Week. This marks a significant step forward for Drake. Our Reflect RAP has brought key initiatives to the business, including:
• Formal Acknowledgement of Country at key events
• Cultural awareness resources & training for all staff
• Partnership development with First Nations businesses
• Recognition of cultural celebrations (NRW, NAIDOC Week)
• Meaningful RAP artwork by Kinya Lerrk, displayed across our offices!
We know our commitment is ongoing, and we will continue to drive meaningful reconciliation initiatives across Drake.
DE&I Commitment:
Driving our DE&I journey forward is our dedicated DE&I Committee! We’ve had a few changes in our DE&I Committee and are thrilled to introduce you to all our current team members:
Jessie Drane People & Culture Officer Brisbane,
Nicole Jones General Manager, Drake Staffing Melbourne
Roberta Redondo National Government Staffing Lead Sydney
Wade Krieger Human Resources Officer Gold Coast
Sarah Ross National Marketing Manager Melbourne
Gay Barton ANZ General Manager, Drake Medox Auckland
Genevieve Tope National Client Relationship Manager Melbourne
Holly Parker Resourcer Brisbane
Nidhi Shrivastava Specialist Government Recruitment
These passionate changemakers are working hard to implement our DE&I Commitment. Their mission is to foster a truly inclusive environment through impactful initiatives aligned with our strategic goals. They’ll be your local point of contact for all DE&I efforts, so stay tuned for updates!
Learn more To learn more about our DE&I Commitment, please click here! Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Commitment
Training Update
Investing in our people
Last quarter, we focused on empowering our team with the skills and knowledge to excel in their roles. Key training sessions delivered:
• Broadbean – Manage Applicant Responses (All Staff)
• FT360 – Candidate & Client Compliance (All Staff)
• FT360 – New starter Overview (New Starters)
• FT360 – Referral Workflow Management (Adhoc)
• FT360 – How to use Sales Templates (Staffing, Gov, Prof)
• FT360 – Advertising 101’s (Staffing, Gov, Prof)
• RatesCalc - Re-quote Process (Staffing, Gov, Prof)
• LinkedIn – Recruiter & Talent Insights
Rates Calc update
Training calendar under development
We’re developing a company-wide training calendar with key monthly topics for both new and existing team members.
This ongoing initiative will equip everyone with the tools they need to thrive in their roles and stay current with industry trends. Stay tuned for further updates on the Training Calendar!
Throughout June, we’ve completed the important task of updating rates across all job orders and in Rates Calc for the start of the new financial year. These updates have ensured accurate rates data is included in our systems to create a more seamless process. A big thank you to the entire team for their dedication and support throughout this process!
Out and About
Jade Dodd and Nic Jones visited the Myer Altona site to discuss next career moves for our Drake candidates.
Melyssa Cumming and Roman Koester attended a local careers fair
Some of the Melbourne Medox team out to celebrate Amani’s birthday!
Ragavi Palanisamy and Sunam Sedhai from Medox Canberra attended a Ready Set Connect event.
Roman Koester, Nic Jones, Mel Cumming, and Holly Parker out for dinner!
Members from our Melbourne office attended the Talent X conference. L-R: Frank Spizzo, Nicole Jones, Georgia Matterson, Roisin Bettany, Gen Tope, Paul Marshall and Amana Alqasalias.
Out and About
Pride month celebrations
Perth team L-R: Paige Nowell, Nicole Russon, Hollie Clarke, Mel Cumming, Leonie
Sydney
Bendigo team L-R: Karina Hammer, Rudy Srahah, Eloisa Mejico, and Lucinda Gamboni
QLD team- Drake Medox, Staffing, and Shared Services team members!
VIC team – Shared Services, and Drake Medox team members.
team L-R: Anita Polimenakos, Annie Jordan, Mariana Guerra, Madelaine Brun, Roberta Redondo,
Bridgeman, Georgia Terry and Shaleen Blacklock
Out and About
CONGRATULATIONS
Congrautlations to Pam Jeka, who recently celebrated her wedding to Adam in a beautiful ceremony surrounded by loved ones, with some of her Laverton team in attendance
Congratulations to Ebony Stevens for reaching 200 AFL games with her local club- what an achievement!
Pictured: Dyson and Ebony Stevens
Frank Spizzo recently travelled to Italy to celebrate his Nonna’s 100th birthday! It was a fantastic day of celebrations, with both the Mayor of Torre de’Passeri in Abruzzo (where Frank’s Nonna lives) and the Mayor of Castiglione a Casauria (where she was born) coming out to honor her and present a plaque of acknowledgement. This was followed by a beautiful lunch out with family, followed by more celebrations at Nonna’s care home! Happy birthday to Frank’s Nonna- what an incredible milestone!
Kellie Forster and her husband Nathan celebrated at their baby shower with the Perth team!
Out and About
MILESTONES
Mel Cumming from Perth Staffing celebrated her 10 year anniversary with the Perth branch. Congratulations Mel, what an amazing achievement!
Congratulations to Kris Diluccio from our Sydney Medox team, who celebrated her 30 year anniversary in June!
Client Success Stories
Making a positive impact: Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal Event
Paul Unstead recently represented Drake at the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal event. Keynote speaker, Eddie McGuire, highlighted the urgency of the cause: every 17 seconds in Australia, someone depends on the Salvation Army’s services.
The Red Shield Appeal aims to raise a vital $38 million to ensure the Salvation Army can continue providing essential programs and social services to those facing crisis. These programs encompass a wide range of crucial support, including emergency financial assistance, safe havens for women and children in need, shelter for the homeless, addiction recovery programs, and long-term housing solutions.
It was a fantastic opportunity for us to show our support and celebrate the incredible role Salvation Army play in supporting those in need. Their tireless dedication makes a real difference in countless lives, and it’s inspiring to see a community come together to ensure they can continue this vital work!
The exciting future of warehousing!
Georgia Matterson and Nicole Jones recently toured the new fully automated purpose-built Myer Distribution Centre in Ravenhall, and met the Australian General Manager, Mark Earl. This site is over 40,000 square feet, will peak at $1 billion dollars in online sales, and has over 200 robots!
The good news is they still need people, Drake people!! We currently have 45 casuals working on site with the expectation of another 30 casuals to join by September! They are building a replica in QLD as we speak… this truly is the future of warehousing!
Paul Unstead at the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal event
Eddie McGuire delivering his keynote address
Drake International Marketing Update
Drake socials are at an all-time high
Drake’s social media presence is at an all-time high! In June, our LinkedIn following reached more than 23,000 followers, from the previous quarter. This platform continues to drive our brand awareness each month and hosts many of our ongoing CATM campaigns.
Capability statements are complete for all main industries
Capability statements are now complete for all our main industries. These statements are now available on our website for potential clients and are being used in an ongoing social marketing campaign to target prospects. They can also be sent through FastTrack as attachments using the new email templates.
Website forms optimised and SEO friendly
We recently revamped several of our main website forms, including the staff order form. These changes aim to enhance the visibility of these pages on Google and facilitate directing potential clients and candidates to the appropriate inboxes. We are also implementing new geo-location blocking to ensure that our future leads are close to our operational areas and accessible.
Marketing Update
Drake Medox
Examples of our recent Google My Business performing adverts
Drake medox resource centre:
Highlighted the array of services and resources available, showcasing our commitment to comprehensive care solutions.
New beginnings start here:
Launched an exciting new initiative, inviting our community to explore fresh job opportunities in homecare services.
Changing homecare providers:
Emphasised our tailored homecare services, ensuring potential clients are aware of the smooth transition and personalised support we offer when considering a change in homecare providers.
Candidate interview guide:
Candidate interview guide: Shared valuable insights and tips to empower job seekers through informative content, reinforcing our commitment to supporting career development.
Each post aimed to enhance visibility, engage our audience and provide timely updates on our offerings, contributing to our local SEO efforts and establishing Drake Medox as a trusted resource in disability support and homecare services.
Candidate
interview guide launched!
This new resource is designed to empower job seekers with essential interview strategies and tips, aiming to enhance candidate experience and support career advancement. Distributed across our digital channels, the guide is already making a significant impact by equipping candidates with the tools they need to excel in interviews. This initiative strengthens our commitment to supporting our community and fostering career growth in the homecare space.
Candidate interview guide!
Marketing Update
Drake WellbeingHub
Drake WellbeingHub team embraces Dry July!
Our Drake WellbeingHub team participated in Dry July, taking steps to improve their own health while raising funds for those affected by cancer. Here’s why each team member participated:
Tara:
“ “ “
“Instead of going alcohol-free for Dry July, I will increase my daily steps from 1,000 to 5,000, to improve my overall wellbeing and raise money for Aussies affected by cancer.”
Mariana:
“I’m giving up alcohol in July to raise funds for cancer patients in memory of someone I love.”
Andy:
“Granted I’m not a drinker, I’m wanting to participate in Dry July for the purpose of raising money for those impacted by cancer.”
It’s inspiring to see our team come together for such a meaningful cause. Whether it’s through abstaining from alcohol or increasing physical activity, they are all committed to supporting cancer patients and improving their own health.
LinkedIn campaign stats
We recently ran a LinkedIn campaign for our Responsible Gambling Support Services, targeting Management and Senior Management in gambling establishments.
The campaign reached over 23K people on LinkedIn, with 500 website clicks. We are working to gain more traction in this space and will soon be launching an automation campaign to engage with industry stakeholders and establish ourselves as a leading service provider within this niche.
Q3 overall stats
Employee Wellbeing
Maximising your wellbeing through winter
As we navigate the thick of winter, maintaining our wellbeing can be particularly challenging. Colder weather and shorter days often impact our motivation, activity levels, and diet. Here are some tips to help you stay active and healthy during these chilly months:
2. Boost your diet:
1. Stay active indoors:
Home workouts: utilise online fitness classes or apps to keep moving without braving the cold. Try yoga, pilates, or HIIT workouts.
Stretching and mobility: incorporate daily stretching to keep your muscles flexible and reduce stiffness.
Seasonal produce: incorporate winter vegetables like root vegetables, squash, and leafy greens into your meals for a nutrient boost.
Warm and hearty meals: prepare soups, stews, and casseroles that are both comforting and nutritious.
4. Prioritise mental health:
3. Maintain motivation:
Set goals: establish realistic fitness and wellness goals to stay motivated.
Stay connected: join virtual workout groups or challenge friends and family to keep each other accountable.
Light therapy: consider using a light therapy lamp to combat the effects of reduced sunlight.
Mindfulness and relaxation: practice mindfulness, meditation, or other relaxation techniques to reduce stress and improve mental clarity.
These handy tips can help you overcome the winter blues and maintain your wellbeing throughout the colder season. Let’s embrace winter with positivity and stay committed to our health goals!
