Build Back Better: Energy Australia

Build Back Better.

What FlexCareers employer partners are doing to through COVID-19 to build better, sustainable working practices post crisis.

The world has been thrust into the most extreme version of ‘flexibility’. Remote working for almost all employees without time to plan and operationalise in most circumstances. This is not flexibility or working from home in the traditional sense.

However, what it has done is expediated the future of work into the way we work now. And there are some organisations that are leading the way in approaching the situation in a positive way by taking the opportunity to build back better than ever.

In this series, FlexCareers explores what these businesses are doing to focus on maintaining an engaged and productive workforce both now, and into the future.

Energy Australia. Stronger.

Energy Australia have set up a ‘Stronger’ project team within the organisation to address how they get better as an organisation following this crisis.

Most of their leaders and business units are reporting on how proud and positive they feel about how the organisation has managed the crisis. They’ve had to connect with people in new and innovative ways and their people are responding – feeling engaged and safe in an uncertain world.

The ‘Stronger’ project team are continuing this positive outcome once this crisis is over, making sure their leaders stay just as connected as they are now and that they fully embrace this newfound innovation!

What had to happen?

As an Essential Service provider most of their people have had to continue working as normal – some at essential power sites and some in their customer contact centres. They have now transitioned nearly 600 contact centre employees in Australia to working from home which is a technology feat that they never thought possible!

Historically, this is something that not many employees would have though could work – getting a 600 person contact centre working from home not only operationally possible but successful. However, the drive and determination shown by their people has made this happen.

How?

All of their leaders have been encouraged to show maximum flexibility about how work is delivered. This includes thinking about when work is done and how teams can manage their outcomes to balance the different personal situations of each member in the team.

EnergyAustralia have been supporting employees in a variety of personal situations (include a large numbers of working parents) to be productive by having maximum work flexibility. Recognising that of course if they’d like to take some leave during this time, they’re 100% supportive of that also.

Build back better.

If you have a story on how your organisation is building back better than you would like to share with the community, please let us know here. Alternatively, if you need help to build back better, please let us know here.