DW: Congratulations on your recognition at the TIARA Recruitment Awards ANZ, especially winning the Training and Development Award!

Can you share some insights into the key strategies that led to this achievement and how it aligns with your overall talent solutions offerings?

PI: At PeopleIN our goal is to be leaders in delivery of complete talent solutions, enabling our clients and candidates to excel. We recognise the best way to do this is by investing in our own people, so they have the knowledge and know-how to source the right talent when, and where it’s needed.

In FY23, we launched several new programmes to grow the skills of our internal workforce:

– The Careers Pathway & Mentorship framework focuses on developing our current Executive Leadership teams and promoting a shared knowledge approach through mentoring and includes C-Suite development, executive coaching, and supporting our leaders to build on existing leadership capability.

– Our Emerging Leaders Programme is a two-year mentorship programme for a select cohort of aspiring leaders. It partners participants with our C-Suite to harness internal knowledge and skills transfer to develop leadership capabilities. They also participate in a workshop series focused on competency areas and quality deliverables expected within a talent solutions business.

– Our inaugural internal INspire Awards celebrated employees who have demonstrated our values to: Be memorable, be bold, be human, and achieve excellence.

DW: Could you elaborate on the specific services or solutions you provide to assist companies in effective workforce planning and development?

 PI: We offer a variety of services to assist companies in effective workforce planning and development. In our consulting role, we engage with clients to understand their training needs and identify the qualifications required for their workforce. We maintain knowledge currency for futureproofing and sustainability by analysing industry trends and aligning training programmes with emerging needs.

A key focus is on monitoring and mentoring staff engagement during training. We implement pastoral care initiatives to provide necessary support and guidance, ensuring employees receive assistance throughout their training journey. Regular check-ins with trainers help address concerns, track progress and offer additional support when necessary.

PeopleIN actively participates in the development and tracking of succession plans. By identifying high-potential employees and nurturing their skills, we help organisations build a pipeline of talent for key roles. This strategic approach minimises disruptions in leadership transitions.

We safeguard the quality of training delivery through regular check-ins with trainers ensuring training programmes remain relevant, engaging, and aligned with organisational goals. Our commitment to comprehensive consulting, future-proofing, and ongoing support sets us apart in assisting companies to build skilled, adaptable and sustainable workforces.

By identifying high-potential employees and nurturing their skills, we help organisations build a pipeline of talent for key roles.

 DW: Winning awards often reflects a commitment to excellence. How has the recognition from the TIARA Recruitment Awards ANZ influenced your approach to talent solutions, and what new initiatives or strategies has it inspired within PeopleIN Talent Solutions?

 PI: PeopleIN is proud of its acknowledgement as the leader in training and development among talent solutions businesses in the Asia Pacific. The recognition will further enhance our reputation and be a valuable addition to capability statements and business development activities among our 25 recruitment brands.

DW: Talent development is a critical aspect of future workforce planning. How does PeopleIn support their clients’ future workforce planning?

 PI: PeopleIN places great emphasis on maximising outcomes for clients by providing a highly skilled and responsive workforce. Understanding the dynamic nature of the job market and the specific needs of their clients, we tailor talent development programmes to ensure the skills of our recruited workforce are directly aligned with the requirements of client businesses.

The sector is seeing a trend toward recruiting for skills rather than qualifications and this tendency is something PeopleIN is actively incorporating in our support for clients’ workforce planning. While professional roles have typically required formal education, major employers are increasingly open to candidates with diverse backgrounds, including both technical and non-traditional experiences. Financial considerations are a factor however cultural fit and the ability to acquire skills from often younger workers who bring enthusiasm and different perspectives, is also important.

The recognition will further enhance our reputation and be a valuable addition to capability statements

DW: Hire, train, and deploy strategies can be instrumental in creating a skilled and adaptable workforce. Does PeopleIN have specific strategies in place for hiring, training, and deploying talent, and if so, could you provide an overview of how these strategies operate?

 PI: Since launching our Traineeship & Apprenticeship Programme, uptake from our internal workforces has grown more than 350 percent and we now have 455 people actively engaged in a traineeship or apprenticeship across the country. Additionally, since FY22, we’ve had 425 people graduate with an accredited qualification from our Traineeships & Apprenticeships Programme.

In addition to our established programme for internal training, in 2023 PeopleIN signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with state government training provider, TAFE Queensland. The agreement formalised a commitment to work together to promote labour mobility in Australia to in-demand sectors, as well as deliver placement services to TAFE Queensland’s 125,000 graduates and upskilling opportunities to PeopleIN’s 55,000 strong on-hire workforce.

 DW: The future workforce often involves understanding emerging skills and competencies. How do you assist clients in identifying and acquiring the necessary skills to stay competitive in their respective industries?

 PI: We recognise our clients are the foremost authorities on the specific skillsets imperative for success within their industries. We empower our clients to articulate their challenges and aspirations, which in term informs us on the necessary skills for the future in their sector enabling us to source talent with the right skills for current and impending needs.

We also engage with Registered Training Organisations to provide valuable insights and intelligence on industry trends and emerging qualifications. Through these partnerships, we glean guidance on qualification planning, ensuring the skills our clients seek align seamlessly with industry standards and demands.

This is where our dedicated training team comes into play. A conduit between our clients and training opportunities, our team is adept at navigating the landscape of both funded and non-funded options. The team uses this intelligence and skill in training design to assist our clients in identifying and acquiring the necessary skills for future workforce demands. In this way we not only address current skill development shortages but support our clients to stay competitive and agile in their often rapidly evolving industries.

 DW: Could you share a success story or case study where PeopleIN played a significant role in helping a client plan their workforce effectively, especially in light of the unique challenges and opportunities presented by the current business landscape?

PI: The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme enables approved businesses in Australia to engage workers from a number of Pacific nations to work in industries in which there is a local labour shortage. It provides businesses with access to productive workers and enables the participants to develop skills and send income home. Eligible businesses can recruit workers for short-term positions lasting up to nine months or long-term roles spanning one to four years, encompassing unskilled, low-skilled, and semi-skilled positions.

Pre-COVID, PeopleIN’s labour solutions business, FIP Group, employed around 1,000 workers under the scheme. Border closures during the pandemic had huge impact on the size of Australia’s labour force as international student and backpacker numbers shrank enormously. The resultant demand for low or semi-skilled labour could not be filled by domestic workers, presenting an opportunity for FIP Group to supplement the gap.

Today FIP Group is the largest approved employer under the long-term scheme, employing approximately six thousand workers to work in industries including meat processing, agriculture and hospitality.