I’ve been a ‘people2people person’ since 2006, having joined the business not long after it opened its doors for business in 2005. When I tell people my tenure, I am invariably asked; “what has kept you with the same company for so long?” I had this very discussion with one of our newer team members recently, which prompted me to reflect on what it is about people2people of which I am proud, and what keeps me coming back day after day since my first day in 2006.
Opportunities for women
Last Friday (early in 2018), I was in our Melbourne office for the quarterly meeting of our leadership team. In that room of eight people, there were just two blokes and six women. So 75% of our senior leadership team are women, including some with very young children. Similarly, the Board of Directors for people2people NSW has exactly 50% representation of both men and women. There are not many organisations out there with such a strong representation of women in their leadership team. people2people has provided an environment in which women can thrive and where the pressures of work and family life can be navigated.
We promote from within
We have always had great success ‘growing our own’ and have provided a clear and structured career path for many. We identify potential, foster and support those people to develop and then give them the opportunities for promotion, so they can flourish and contribute effectively to the business, as a whole.
No Bull^$#%
At people2people, we operate in a transparent environment with a culture of no bull^$%. We are empowered and confident to (respectfully) say what we mean and different ideas and opinions are encouraged. Authenticity and openness are core to how we operate.
Great leadership
A huge part of people2people’s success is the exceptional leadership of our Managing Director, Mark Smith. At the risk of inflating his ego, he is simply one of the best leaders around. He shares information readily, makes smart commercial decisions, is always available to his team and is able to be both a smart businessman and a great bloke. people2people is where it is because of him.
Investment in people
Recruitment is a tough industry, and many people churn and burn within just a few months. people2people understand that it takes time for people to fulfil their potential and we have always invested in growing our own people. We back our staff and give them time to grow.
Embracing of new ideas
I’m proud to say that people2people have been the first to adopt new innovations available in the recruitment industry ( or anywhere else for that matter). We’ve seen the benefit of being early adopters of technology, often being the first in the market to embrace these new tools. This willingness to innovate is definitely a big part of our success
We don’t take ourselves too seriously
We work hard and at times we work long hours, but we always do it with a sense of humour. Not a day goes by in any of our seven offices, without lots of laughter. Recruitment can be a pressured environment and we remember to laugh and have fun every single day.
I am a passionately proud people2people person. It’s a great place to work with a great bunch of people.
Are you proud of your company?
