The best Australian companies to work for in 2015
The gender pay gap hit an all time high in Australia earlier this year. Photo: Shutterstock
Business Review Weekly’s annual Best Places to Work list has sent a strong message to employers everywhere: be flexible, be unique and treat your employees like adults.
Quirky novelties such as travel vouchers and extended holidays seemed to help companies land a spot on this year’s list, but allowing workers to manage their own destinies was critical.
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In the number one spot was Atlassian, a software broker that offers all new employees a ‘Holiday before you start’ travel voucher, to ensure you start your tenure feeling refreshed. Atlassian, like Google, also allows its employees to work on a project of their choosing for 20 per cent of their time.
This year’s list also includes MECCA Brands, a makeup empire that employs 1000 people. MECCA encourages staff to break the rules when they think it will achieve a positive outcome, calling it “Doing the wrong thing for the right reason”.
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MECCA spends more than three per cent of its annual turnover on education. Photo: MECCA
Glancing over 2015’s list, you could be forgiven for thinking that a few novel practices will guarantee companies a top spot.
But these departures from the status quo not only set workplaces apart – they demonstrate their commitment to treat employees as adults, and allow them to direct their own workflow.
Most successful, however, are cultures that allow employees to take care of their lives outside of work, so they can be absolutely engaged when they are doing work.
Healthcare company AbbVie provides workers with Child Care Kits and Elder Care Kits depending on their needs, while Campaign Monitor allows unlimited sick leave, and trusts its workers will do the right thing.
Famously, companies Netflix and Virgin offer employees unlimited holidays, while Netflix has just introduced unlimited parental leave in 2015 – a fact which has garnered much media attention and started a discussion about whether the current, regulated models might not be best for employer or employee.
If you’re looking to work for a company with a reputation as a great employer, SpotJobs is advertising current vacancies at Apple, David Jones or Telstra. Your dream job could be a few clicks away.
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All images via Shutterstock.
