Testimonials

Attraction and Retention Testimonials

Sometimes we get so busy, that we forget that we do need to step out of the normal day-to-day so we can update our understanding of current HR trends. As my role is to help businesses in an advisory capacity, attending ‘Attracting and Retaining Talent’ was an excellent way for me to update my knowledge. Bridget Hogg’s facilitation style ensured that all voices were heard, and she encouraged robust discussion whilst still imparting her knowledge and support. The training materials are very thorough and a great take-away resource. I highly recommend Development at Work Australia and if you have the opportunity to attend one of Bridget’s workshops, go for it!

Bridget Ransome, formerly Economic Development Officer, Mount Barker District Council

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Attracting and Retaining the right people continues to be a challenge and one that certainly is not going to get easier any time soon.  Having once attended Bridget’s MasterClass a few years ago, I went along to the March 2018 half-day workshop for a recap and for fresh perspective.  I came away reminded about key concepts about employer branding and retention, insights into other businesses’ challenges and a practical tool to provide a structured approach to formulating an attraction and retention plan.  Taking a few hours out to get on track was important and worthwhile.

Patricia Harris, HR Manager, Lucas Total Contract Solutions

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We recently used Development at Work Australia for scribing and reference checking, Bridget was very responsive and contactable. Her team were very professional, with the work turned around quickly, and to a high standard. Working with Bridget and her team was a real pleasure and their assistance made the recruitment process easier on our side and enabled us to turn around our reports in a shorter timeframe. I would definitely use them again and highly recommend their services. Regards,

Margaret Hilliard MAIPM CPPM, PMP
Project Manager, Collins Platform Projects, Submarines Group

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“Helping Hand invested in this training to ensure that our recruitment decision makers have the right skills, knowledge and support to achieve positive outcomes. The training delivered by Development at Work focused on the interviewing and decision making skills and provided the opportunity to practice the learning within the workshop. This is an especially important feature of the training approach. Feedback from participants was very positive with 80% of participants confirming that the key learning outcomes were met…a solid return on investment. Participant comments included:

• Very useful day providing practical advice that can be put into action right now
• It was one of the best workshops I have been to

We are all on the same page now in regards to recruiting. The process is structured and easy to follow

I would recommend this training to organisations seeking to increase the recruitment skills of their managers.”  

Julie Goods, Director Workforce, Helping Hand Aged Care
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“Sam Ricci & I attended part of Bridget Hogg’s session yesterday on Resumes and Interview techniques etc. It was outstanding! Student engagement was all happening. Looks like the program was kicking some big goals. Well done. Great Work.”

Russell Atwell, Apprenticeship Broker, Trade Schools for the Future
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“The Managers’ Role in Retention’ training was a useful tool for those attending. For some, it was a good refresher on the importance of this as part of our role and a good reminder of the cost if we don’t pay attention to it. For others, it was new learning and they now understand how much of an influence they can have on retaining good staff that goes beyond how much a staff member gets paid. The workbook was useful and people were able to develop a plan as they went through the day.”
Sue Phillips, General Manager, Community Services, Southern Junction Community Services
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“Thanks for the training “The Managers Role in Retention”  It reinforced some of the work I am currently doing with staff and has given many new ideas on how we can attract and retain great staff in the future.  Thanks I really enjoyed the session.”
Liz Hillyer, Portfolio Manager, Home and Family Support Services, Southern Junction Community Services
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“I have had the privilege of attending a number of Bridget’s training workshops, and her wonderful and informative sessions have fired me up and left me wanting for more. I find she has provided a catalyst for improving my life and having purposeful life goals.”
Gordon Wilson-Roberts
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“I thoroughly enjoyed Bridget Hogg’s workshop Confident Networking. Bridget was informative & entertaining. I came away from the afternoon feeling more enthusiastic & confident in extending my professional relationships & how to go about it.”
Denise Newman
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“This workshop (The Managers Role in Retention™) was timely for our organisation in meeting the challenge of retaining excellent service delivery teams. My action plan is purpose driven to include exploring competency value questions in our recruitment process, to clearly ensure the psychological contract is mutually understood and to clearly demonstrate our organisational values. The characteristics of effective managers will be an ongoing challenge to my leadership style.”
Gavin Dennien, Manager Business Services, Carer Support
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“The Managers Role in Retention™ was very good. It was good to engage with other participants and share experiences. The open discussions are very good. I found this helpful in identifying ways to improve staff retention and my leadership style. I have left with an 8 step action plan to implement and I recommend this workshop to HR department and other functional managers.”
Bo Matschke, Mechanical Systems Manager, ASC
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“Going through that workshop gave us the opportunity to think about creative ways to look at retention of staff and maybe doing some things that were simple, sometimes you look at more complicated ways and sometimes there are some simple things you can do to make a difference. A very positive, well presented workshop.”
Peter Sparrow, CEO, Carer Support
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“Regional Development Australia Barossa through the Barossa Career Service was keen to kick-start our Employer of Choice initiative with a ‘big ticket’ opening.  Consequently we opted for your Attracting and Retaining Talent workshop to stimulate this initiative.  Bridget, we were not disappointed and have received some very positive feedback about the workshop.  Participants were particularly happy with the practical strategic planning tools and I will be happy to promote these tools as I have opportunities to assist other businesses in the Barossa region. Thank you so much.”
Stephen Birch, Career Coach, Barossa Career Service, Human Resources Planning
Regional Development Australia Barossa Inc
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“The Attracting and Retaining Talent workshop in the Barossa was extremely insightful as General Manager of an organisation that is going through a transitional period at the moment and thus has a real need to ensure staff retention, their well being and motivation remains throughout.  This workshop was very helpful in identifying ways that we can not only attract but also retain talent. It was very informative, relaxed and interactive and I liked the general insight into solutions to everyday problems, the reminder of old ideas (that refreshed my memory) and new ideas that I had not thought of before. It was excellent, thanks.”
Ian Bellingham, General Manager in the Barossa
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“The Attracting and Retaining Talent workshop in the Barossa was a very valuable experience. I found the session to be very informative, and Bridget’s presentation style was very engaging. The workbook is a great resource that I will definitely keep on hand for future reference. The ways you can improve your advertising to increase the quality of candidates you are attracting, was interesting; the discussion on engagement of workers across different generations was also very thought provoking.”
Sara Young, Yalumba Winery
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“I interview and employ staff on a regular basis.  Bridget’s ‘Retaining Talent’ workshop provided an entertaining and comfortable environment through which to reflect on my current practice, and to ensure that we do retain talent in the future.”
Lyn Helbig, General Manager – Residential Aged Care, Nurse Practitioner, Barossa Village Inc
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“The Attracting & Retaining Talent workshop was very enlightening. It dealt with issues such as Gen Y & X and the ever changing landscape of recruitment. It clearly focused on culture and leadership in attraction and retention. I will be reviewing my current HR Strategies.”
Simon Newbold, Barossa Village Incorporated
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“There were plenty of new ideas and reinforcement of existing ideas at the Attracting and Retaining Talent workshop in the Barossa. I liked the balance of ideas, experience and anecdotes that were shared.”
Jo Hill, Team Services Manager, Yalumba Wine Company
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“Bridget was an excellent presenter and provided great insight into how to market yourself to prospective employers. I was not only impressed with her presentation, but also with the background work she did talking to business owners and other expo presenters to get their personal opinions to add value to her own presentation. Thus adding great value to the information given to everyone in attendance.”
Annette Annandale-James, Project Officer, Community Engagement, Science and Information Economy Directorate
Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology
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“As a result of your seminar on phased retirement, all the HR Managers and leaders present will have realised there are many factors to take into account before they start to implement phased retirement in their organisations. This seminar really helped to make the pre-requisites for a successful program clear. The seminar will become even more valuable over the next five years as more companies face major skills shortage and knowledge retention issues linked to growth and the aging workforce. It is an excellent addition to the workforce development tools available to Service Skills SA. Thanks and Regards”
Graham Oades, Executive Officer, Service Skills SA
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“Thanks for your session yesterday on workforce planning, attraction, selection and Employer Branding – it was just what I wanted. I was really pleased with this and the full day session you ran for the HR team previously. Yesterdays session will really help the working party to decide how to progress with the improvements to our attraction and selection processes.”
Julie Stace, Organisational Development Coordinator, Courts Administration Authority
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“As we head towards an employee’s market, attending the Attracting and Retaining Talent Masterclass proved to be an invaluable exercise in finding creative solutions and innovative ways to onboard talented staff at every level. Bridget’s approach in how to create an environment that attracts and keeps the right staff in any workforce was insightful and a must for any employer who wants to know how to market their ‘brand.’ I came away with a great understanding of ways to attract, recruit and retain the best talent and how ensure this becomes an essential part of the strategic and workforce planning process.”
Paula Roberts, Executive Manager, Life’s for Living
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“Bridget’s workshops are such a refreshing change from the plethora of workshops I have attended over many years. They are insightful, knowledgeable and full of practical ideas that can immediately be applied back at work. She makes learning fun. She challenged me to look at things in an entirely different way and what I have learned I have applied and noticed an immediate difference in my approach, whether that be interviewing for staff or knowing how to interpret people’s reaction to change. She has made a real difference to our organisation!”
Lis Burtnik, Formerly Chief Executive Officer, Life’s for Living
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“Personally, I found the Managers Role in Retention very informative and timely. The structure of the workshop provided ample opportunities to ask questions tailored to my industry and profession. I enjoyed the interactive, personal components of the workshop and learnt a great deal from the expertise of Bridget and her team members. Another very informative session – thank you.”
Georgia Harrison, Human Resources Manager, BDO Kendalls
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“The Attracting & Retaining Talent Masterclass was a very pragmatic course, in that the practical tools provided can be used throughout any industry. I will use the tools as part of the process in updating our current system. I found the lecturers to have a sound knowledge of the topic from both a practical and research level.”
Brian Tarry, General Manager Human Resources, Intercast & Forge
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“I thought this session (The Managers Role in Retention™) was very good for upper management to do as it highlights the savings these strategies can make. We often are constrained as a not for profit organisation by the perception of wasting money. I have and do advocate that looking after our staff can only benefit all involved including our client base, and that is the perception we need.

Your course was good at highlighting the benefits of staff retention and therefore that it is money well spent, actually an investment in social capital

So thank you for the support and guidance in a very important ideology – look after your staff and they will look after everything else!!”
John Leicester, Acting Program Manager – Housing, Helping Hand Aged Care
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“The Attracting and Retaining Talent Masterclass was probably the best one day training course I have attended in the last ten years. Bridget’s easy-going presentation style enabled plenty of interaction amongst the attendees and we were able to share our experiences in trying to attract and retain staff. The Masterclass was extremely informative and provided a very useful, practical and appropriate model for the development of a Workforce Attraction and Retention Plan. I have already used the model to develop a strategic plan for a specific work group. I wish more training courses were as good as the Masterclass!”
John Windsor, Human Resource Manager, SA Dental Service
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“Since taking the Masterclass, my senior management team and I have a greater awareness of the impact that all managers, whether they are at a supervisory level, eg, coordinators and even team leaders, have … over those working within their scope of responsibility. While we except great outcomes from them, we often don’t arm them with the appropriate skills to carry out their roles. The Masterclass has given us greater clarity in supporting our managers to work better. We will be engaging Bridget to run the “The Manager’s Role in staff Retention” for all our management staff.”
Lis Burtnik, Formerly Chief Executive Officer, Life’s for Living
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“I found the day very insightful, and in particular, the session on Employer Branding. I would recommend this Masterclass to other HR practitioners who are wanting to develop retention and attraction strategies for their organisation, I just wish that there had been more time as one day just wasn’t enough!”
Kylie Graeber, HR Advisor, Helping Hand Aged Care
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“I enjoyed the Masterclass. It allowed me to see that I am tracking in the right direction with my attraction and retention strategies and my methodology for workforce planning. It provided me with some great tools to use to engage the executive and also showed me that I need to gather more information than I currently have. Thanks Bridget for an enjoyable and informative day.”
Michelle Holland, formerly Manager, Human Resources, Helping Hand Aged Care
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“I thought the seminar on ‘The Manager’s Role in Retention’ was very well presented, and demonstrated a thorough knowledge and understanding of the subject. It confirmed in my mind that management style is critical in retaining staff, and was a timely reminder of the importance of feedback to staff, flexibility and generally meeting their needs/expectations. I feel that this training day would prove excellent value and a great refresher for all managers, regardless of how much experience they have had in the role.”
Margaret Hurrell, Manager Administrative Services, UnitingCare Wesley Port Adelaide Inc.
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“I’d just like to say that your Attracting and Maintaining Talent Masterclass was fantastic. It was practical, relevant and the most useful course I have been to since my time in HR. The content was readily translated in the workplace and I have used all of the materials that you gave us for writing reports and guiding our workforce planning, attraction and retention strategies. Very rarely do you attend a course and take away so much from it!
Thanks Bridget.”
Antonietta Girolamo, HR Officer Training and Development, Adelaide City Council
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“I keenly anticipated being provided with some very useful outcomes and methodologies when I convinced my Director that I should attend the Attracting & Retaining Talent Masterclass – and I was not disappointed. Thank you Bridget for pointing out the right questions to ask ourselves with regard to our A&R practices and philosophies! I particularly found the A& R Plan and the Workforce Planning suggestions to be very useful and the foundation to build a positive framework on. Thank you Bridget for your genuine interest in A&R, your cheerful disposition and your research and understanding of the issues.

Now comes the time for implementation. We prefer to have an innovative outlook and anticipate developing a brand that will compel our staff to stay with us and attract high quality and genuine people to our Council!”
Stephen Birch, Human Resources Office, District Council of Yorke Peninsula
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“Like most managers, I can not achieve my Council’s targets unless I have the appropriate, reliable staff . Once you have built up a great team you don’t want to lose any members, so The Managers Role in Retention seminar assisted me to understand the dynamics of the “team spirit” and how to keep the spirit alive. It helped me contemplate the needs of individuals plus how to relate to the changes currently occurring in the Local Government area of employment.

Due to attending this seminar, I now know what indicators to put in place with my team to ensure , as a manager I can retain the appropriate staff. The workshop was enjoyable and involved quality information which I could use.

I would recommend this workshop to any manager who considers their team highly.”
Ken O’Neill, Manager Regulatory Services, City of Holdfast Bay
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“As a newcomer to the HR world, I found ‘The Managers Role in Retention’ enormously beneficial; a wonderful opportunity that highlighted how critical it is to attract and retain the right people, which is especially important when skilled staff are in short supply. We endeavour to retain our staff, but this workshop reinforced that improvement is always possible. The processes of recruiting and retaining must be actively managed with communication and feedback being essential. I am now in a much better position to help select the right staff and feel empowered about managing our existing talented people.”
Jenny Walsh, Practice Manager, C A P I T A L | A R C H I T E C T U R E
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“Thank you for a most enjoyable workshop on The Managers Role in Retention. I learnt various tips and techniques and it will be very helpful in assisting me to improve staff retention. I also enjoyed the high level of interaction between the presenter and the participants. All managers should give this workshop a go! It is great value for money.”
Jeremy Ong, Manager Financial Services, ECH Inc
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“Prior to attending the Attracting and Retaining Talent Masterclass, I thought I knew how to attract staff, just tell people how good the company was. The Masterclass gave me a whole new perspective on why people would want to work for a company. It also showed me that every company, no matter what its industry, can apply Bridget’s principles of Attracting and Retaining Talent. Anyone involved in recruitment can benefit from principles that Bridget teaches and these can be applied immediately from returning from the class.”
Shane Booth, OHS & Employee Relations Co-ordinator, Resourceco
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Talking about The Managers Role in Retention™ for the Toro Australia top team:
“It was much better than I thought it was going to be. It promoted a lot of discussion and you allowed it to take its own course and brought the discussion back when it needed to be. It opened up ideas and let people talk about things…It was great”
Richard Walne, Managing Director, Toro Asia Pacific and Australia
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“I really liked the practical approach on the Attracting and Retaining Talent Masterclass – especially ‘the equation’ and Employer Branding Strategy. It was very helpful in helping me identify ways to improve attraction and retention of staff and, as a result, I’m going to improve our employment branding and finalise our A&R policy and plan.

We know that programs of this nature do not survive unless there is senior management support. In turn this will not be given unless they are clear that the program in question adds value to the organisation. Bridget was able to help participants crystallise a means of demonstrating the added value of an attraction and retention program for any senior management team, but at the same time make it particularly relevant to a specific organisation.

Bridget is an energetic and enthusiastic presenter who makes sure her audience is engaged. She made sure that there were opportunities also to learn from others in the group.”
Malcolm Butcher, Human Resources Manager, RAA
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“From the Masterclass I most appreciated being shown a structure and a plan to follow. There were also plenty of data and resources which support my cause back on the job! Your great experience was valuable and it was a very inspiring day, thank you Bridget.”
Julie Le Lievre, Learning & Development Manager, RAA of SA Inc
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“I found your training on The Manager’s Role in Staff Retention to be extremely useful. I have had a reverse situation where I have been having to performance manage people, once I have the right people in positions I will be able to use the skills you have taught me to help provide them a positive, supportive and flexible workplace.”
Tracy Scrutton, Branch Manager, Noarlunga Office, Workskil
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“Well done Bridget on another riveting and inspiring workshop! The Managers Role in Retention is a brilliant opportunity to further understand the importance of attracting and retaining talent, particularly with the prediction of staff shortages over the next few decades. This workshop encourages you to think laterally and consider various scenarios and strategies. Although we all endeavour to retain our staff, this workshop is a reminder that we can always do it better………….”
Dee Kazek-Hoad, Human Resources Manager, d’Arenberg Pty Ltd
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“I liked your presentation style, it was quite refreshing. I got a lot out of The Managers Role in Retention myself and it was good to see that the engineering leaders who came with me were impressed as well, they identified with it. It was a bit of a shining light – something positive to look forward to, to impact both business performance and employee development. It was good to see there is something appropriate for the managers and leaders in our business to attend.”
Debbie Lawson
Senior Human Resources Advisor
Electrolux
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“The Managers Role in Retention was very helpful to me. I particularly found the practical examples and the way we worked through participant issues very useful in consolidating the subjects discussed during the day. There were a number of factors impacting staff dynamics that I had not actively considered such as generational differences but now that I know what to look for, I can now see signs of those in the workplace. As a result of what I learned on the day I am now going to put together a clear plan on improving team dynamics which should also aid in staff retention.”
Andrew Makin
Managing Director
Auspace Limited
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“The Performance Conversations and Feedback session run by Bridget was extremely useful. Having only managed staff for a few years, I was keen to extend my thinking about managing performance. The day reiterated to me the importance of continuous feedback and communication. The workshop assist me to develop some strategies to ensure that this topic stayed on my agenda and becomes part of my everyday practice with staff. The workshop allowed us to also share some of our more frustrating performance management issues, and work through these. It was a great exercise to see how different people approach different situations and what may be the consequence of various approaches. Bridget lead the group well, allowing the group to drive some discussions, but bring it back in line when needed. The workshop has motivated me and given me more direction in my supervisory role with my staff.”
Jane Rajkowski
Regional Community Care Manager – Southern Region
Masonic Homes Incorporated
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“I really enjoyed The Managers Role in Retention, especially understanding different motivating factors based on generation, gender and other unique factors. I liked the way the workshop was interactive and the open discussion with the group provided valuable insight. It was a really helpful workshop – I’ll definitely recommend it to others.”
Kathryn Hawkins
Masonic Homes
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“The Coaching Skills Workshop offers real opportunities to progress both personally and professionally. Concepts learned can easily be applied to practical workplace situations, and will deliver outcomes for not only myself, but also my team and employers.”
Ben Parkinson
Maintenance Coordinator
City of Unley
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“This seminar has influenced the way we think in retaining and seeking new employees. Whilst I was aware of the changing values in the market place the enormity of the changes hit home during a most enlightening and entertaining day. This is one of the few seminars that I have stayed to the end….”
Phil McMahon
Phil McMahon Real Estate
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“I’m so glad I participated in this class. As a manager of a municipal design consultancy service, it was enlightening for me to gain different perspectives from Bridget and the participants who were mainly HR practitioners. It corroborated some of the ‘change of paradigm’ issues required within this difficult market and within the organisation and provided further models and options to better enable me to communicate with my HR providers.”
Christopher Stephens
Manager Technical Services
Gold Coast City Council
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“I enjoyed the Masterclass and found the case-study particularly helpful. As a result of the Masterclass I an now going to look at HR from a more strategic viewpoint and not get bogged down in day to day activities.”
Chiquita Searle
HR Assistant
Abigroup Contractors Pty Limited
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“The Attraction and Retention Masterclass far exceeded my expectations. Bridget was an informative and interesting speaker, who managed to convey in one day and enormous amount of practical, user friendly information on latest trends and best practice attraction and retention methodologies. Bridget’s organisational psychology background helped her convey the important information about the intrinsic need of people in the workplace. Bridget has helped us to reframe out frame of reference around which we recruit and retain. Thanks Bridget for an enjoyable day.”
Natalie Henderson
Human Resources Officer
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council
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“I thought the masterclass was comprehensive and presented a practical set of strategies and actions that could be carried forward into the workplace and implemented fairly readily. The seminar style enabled interactive learning between participants and I came away with a number of useful actions to carry back to my organisation.”
Ken Shelston
Senior Manager – Corporate Development
Sutherland Shire Council
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“I found Development at Work Australia’s ‘Attracting and Retaining Talent’ Masterclass both informative and thought provoking. As a country council faced with an aging workforce and serious competition from developing industries for talented staff I was keen to find a fresh approach and to discuss some workable solutions. Bridget Hogg’s planned approach is excellent and as well as clearly identifying the problem will encourage ownership of the solution at departmental / sub unit level.

The opportunity to network with other councils on a range of issues was invaluable.

Bridget’s presentation pace and control of the session ensured plenty of input from participants and an effective exchange of good ideas.

Highly recommended and a ‘must’ for those serious about workforce planning.”
Phil Hayden
Manager Human Resources
Gunnedah Shire Council
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“With the economy currently flourishing and competition for talented team members intensifying it is vital, if not essential, to take the time to participate in the Attracting and Retaining Talent Masterclass. The session was well structured with open participation and sharing of ideas from a range of industries. The key benefit for me was to re-position a number of initiatives we currently have in place to align them more with the overall purpose of attracting and retaining talent. We’re currently achieving 97% employee retention in the IT sector, but that’s no reason to be complacent. My sincerest thanks to Bridget, Sherylee and to fellow participants for a very rewarding session.”
Ben O’Brien
Finance & Services Director
Sybiz Software Pty Ltd
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“I found the Attracting and Retaining Talent Masterclass riveting – it really made sense !! Bridget is an excellent presenter who puts things into perspective and prompts you to think outside the square. It was also a brilliant opportunity to network with other companies, hear about their staffing issues and discuss various solutions. The Masterclass prompted me to redefine our recruitment process, and focus on the numerous benefits of employer branding. Attracting and retaining talent will become a big issue over the next few years, and our recruitment strategies will now be proactively designed to meet these demands. We will ensure our future recruitment campaigns highlight the numerous benefits the company can offer to prospective employees – the thrills and challenges of working in a successful boutique winery, the benefits and knowledge to be gained, and above all our advertising will now stand out and be exciting, which is what d’Arenberg Winery is all about.”
Dee Kazek-Hoad
Human Resources Manager
d’Arenberg Pty Ltd
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“I have found the Masterclass beneficial for a number of reasons. It was good to interact with a number of managers from other industries, and gain their perspective on issues affecting business. I enjoyed the interaction and discussion groups pertaining to the Masterclass. You literally don’t have the opportunity to just sit back and listen – you have to engage and participate. You obviously have worked with a number of companies and can bring some beneficial insights into the attraction and retention of staff. The case studies relate to issues you have already dealt with and I certainly believe that “Development at Work Australia” has encouraged us along the path to developing our own strategic plan in this respect for our own organisations. The day was well structured in its use of lessons, planning and discussion groups. I have found the day has reinvigorated me to challenge my business and to see the opportunity best found in people.”
Phil Ransome
formerly General Manager
Multi Slide Industries
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“The Attracting and Retaining Talent Masterclass conducted by Development at Work Australia was extremely useful in assisting my organization with its current workforce planning project. The highly relevant case studies and the importance of providing an “employee value proposition” to prospective applicants provided by Bridget have already greatly assisted us in our HR planning. I would recommend this course to anyone who is serious about retaining and attracting talent to their organization.”
Paul Trumble
Manager Organisational Development
City of Charles Sturt
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“I found the Masterclass exciting, whilst giving me the opportunity to learn new ways of attracting a more suitable calibre of candidates by using the “what we can offer you mode” which I have already implemented with success. I highly recommend the Masterclass to other HR Practitioners across all industries who are seeking the opportunity to “think outside the square” particularly in such a competitive market place – it can make the difference between a good candidate and a great employee.”
With kind regards
Liz Razzano
formerly Manager Human Resources
City of Holdfast Bay
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“On the Attracting and Retaining Talent Masterclass the light came on for me about a lot of stuff. There is a lot to do here and I have spent a great deal of time troubleshooting issues simply because we didn’t have a plan in place but, on the Masterclass everything made so much sense – lots of lights came on about how to move forward. Being new to the position, it helped me define where to start and how to progress.”
Anthea Daly
Executive Manager
Human Resources
Churches of Christ Lifecare
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“I have really appreciated having you work through some of our erroneous areas and truly hold you in high regard. You have shown an amazing ability to intuitively pick up on areas of difficulty that not only the agency experiences but also our “top team”. Your ability to work through some delicate areas in a non threatening way with slight humor is nothing but welcoming. Thanks once again Bridget.”
Andrea Sherratt
Director of Care
SA Care
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“The A & R T Masterclass is one of the most instructive and useful developmental sessions I have attended recently as HR Manager.

The one day session was relaxed, informative, interactive and skilfully planned by Bridget to combine the strategic and personal aspects of securing a quality workforce aligned to the organisation’s culture and skills sets, with both progressive learning and practical applications.

The outcome is a structured Attraction and Retention Plan combining enhanced organisational insight and implementation strategies valid for the current and future needs of your own organisation.”
John Arvan
Manager Human Resources,
Department of Trade
and Economic Development, SA
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“The Attraction & Retention Masterclass Workshop forced me to rethink the way we recruit and retain staff. I will certainly be taking the knowledge & skills with me to my new role”.
Evelyn Pollard
formerly Employee Relations Co-ordinator
City of Onkaparinga
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“Development at Work Australia revolutionised my recruitment process. The training and materials were tailored to my needs. Now I am able to clearly define what I am looking for and have interviewing tools and skills to help me choose the right candidate for the job. Recruiting now is less subjective and is something that I can do with confidence.”
Gavin Klose
formerly Director
DO-DA
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“I am pleased to recommend Development at Work Australia to any organisation seeking to examine, and plan strategies for attraction and retention of staff. Our recent project required interviews with Industry people, with recent school leavers and Vocational practitioners, bringing them together in forums so that barriers and breakthroughs could be achieved: The facilitation and attention to detail were first rate.”
Anthony J Leverenz
Executive Officer
EEE&W Skills Board.
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“The Attraction & Retention Masterclass is strategic and thought provoking. It was fantastic to be able to learn from case-studies, from Bridget’s input, and from the experiences of other participants. I recommend this to anyone who wants help to develop a strategic attraction and retention plan – and be part of an ongoing support group to help with implementation.”
Janelle Gavin
HR Manager
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“The Attracting and Retaining Talent Masterclass was fabulous and was full of relevant and useful case-studies, we shared what we learnt with our colleagues and we now want to progress the attraction and retention plan that we developed at the Masterclass in our organisation. I’m sure that the information gleaned from this day will have a big impact on the way we go forward. Thoroughly recommended.”
Anthony Arbon
Senior Human Resources Consultant
Department for Transport
Energy and Infrastructure
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“I found that the Attracting and Retaining Masterclass workshop was extremely helpful. It helped me understand what we as an organisation can do to attract and retain talent. I recommend this workshop to anyone who understands the importance of the issue that is attraction and retention of talent”
Kind regards,
Debbie Stillitano
Human Resources Co-ordinator
Tagara Group
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“I found the Attracting and Retaining Masterclass workshop extremely helpful in deepening my understanding of what we can do to attract and retain talent. I thoroughly recommend the workshop to anyone who wants to improve retention rates in their organisation.”
Ian Ward
Organizational Development Manager
Philmac Pty Ltd.
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“Bridget, did a fabulous job of facilitating the Attraction and Retention Masterclass in terms of the pace, the quality of information and interaction with participants. I felt reinforced about the approach being taken within my agency in regard to workforce planning, yet the plan completed on the day added so much more depth and meaning. I have since shared many of the ideas from the workshop with colleagues and have found their response to be equally enthusiastic”
Bernadette Kerr
Manager Workforce Planning
Children, Youth and Family Services
Department for Families and Communities
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“In the ever competitive market for securing the right skills for our engineering business, the focus is more and more on not just attracting the right people, but retaining the people we already have! Bridget’s Masterclass was a real eye opener in looking at what are the key drivers for our employees, the Gen X’ers vs the Gen Y’ers, and what our business needs to do to meet the goals and desires of our most important asset – our people!”
Sarah Howard
Human Resources SA/NT
KBR Government and Infrastructure
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“The Masterclass was great, it identified ways to improving staff retention and as a result, I have many simple strategies to improve our staff retention rates. It also provided the framework to develop an attraction and retention plan.”
Neville Peters, GM,
Dare Sutton Clarke Engineers and Project Managers
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“Strategic resourcing encompassing the attraction and retention of talented professionals is an important focus for our business. Bridget’s Attraction & Selection Master Class provided thought provoking information and statistics on the subject in addition to providing valuable ideas on how we may enhance the success of our attraction and retention strategies in the future.”
Cathy Riach,
Recruitment Manager, Human Resources
BAE SYSTEMS AUSTRALIA
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“The framework for building the strategy will save a great deal of work for me.”
Dr Peter F Teague,
SA Operations Manager & Quality System Manager,
Vipac Engineers & Scientists Ltd
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“As a result of this workshop (Attracting and Retaining Talent), I am going to make GHD a better place! Look internally for ways I can improve my management skills. Facilitate a follow-up.”
Kylie Bishop
now General Manager
LBW Environment Pty Ltd
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“Team Dynamics was an area of concern within our business. With Development at Work Australia s input, and hands on workshop, we were able to isolate some of the major breakdowns and areas of communication, probe these areas in more detail and then actively work on the repair process. Today, we’re a better company for this…..”
Peter Whalley,
Managing Director
Sybiz Software.
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“The independent advice has been a valued contribution in developing and implementing successful HR initiatives. Your commitment to delivering pragmatic solutions, maintaining a strategic focus, and your comprehensive understanding of business processes ensures a swift and cost effective service.The work completed in reviewing the Codan competency framework and your recommendations for continued improvement was an important part of the HR development process for engineers at Codan. I look forward to working with you again in the future.”
Michael Bailey
(formerly Organisation Development Manager,
Codan)
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“Bridget presented a workshop on stress management to our staff last year. She structured the workshop according to our needs and presented it with great enthusiasm and humour.”
Leanne Stewart
Legal Counsel,
Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation
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“Flexible, diligent and enthusiastic are three qualities that come to mind when considering how Development at Work Australia provides its services. Their involvement in consultations across DHS and subsequent report provided the springboard to make a real change in how we do things.”
Senior Project Officer, Workforce Services, Department of Health
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“The best thing about the Managing Pressure at Work workshop was being able to express my own stress triggers with the team.”
Carol Mills, formerly HR Manager DAIS
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“The best thing was… having the opportunity to voice my opinions in a safe environment.”
Christine Morris, formerly HR Consultant DAIS
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“The best thing about this (Situational Leadership) workshop for me was the realisation that style relates to task rather than individual – can use different styles for the same person. As a result I am going to review my relationships with my team, particularly expectations, and fellow party’s performance with their team.”
Bruce Spangler, CEO, Bentleys MRI
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“Bridget is consistently highly rated by participants who provide evaluation. She conducts highly interactive and interesting sessions and is able to put people at ease very quickly. I have no hesitation in recommending Bridget to any organisation seeking to engage a highly experienced, skilled and flexible Training Consultant.”
Karen Andrews formerly Client Relationship Manager, Michael Craig Consulting.
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“Thank you for running the Managing Pressure at Work workshop for us… The workshop was an important part of our offering to small businesses and received excellent feedback from participants. We enjoyed working with you and look forward to possible opportunities to repeat the session next year.”
Susan Devine, formerly Manager, Inner West Business Enterprise Centre
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“I found Bridget to be a true professional. In her pre-workshop briefings, in her delivery and in her post workshop follow-up she impressed everyone with her attention to detail, her understanding of the client’s needs, her thorough approach and her personable, capable manner. I recommend Bridget to you without hesitation.”
Adrian Skull, formerly OD Manager, Adelaide City Council, now CEO, City of Marion
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“The opportunity to create a ‘live’ plan, as we tracked through the model, was effective action learning, which, along with joining an effective network amongst like-minded managers, including the ‘fast forward’ initiative, made good use of a day’s professional development to apply ‘back in the trenches’ immediately.”
Russell Foote, HR Manager, Toro
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