People choose agency work for a variety of different reasons

In November 2019 our client closed their mushroom operations in Spreyton, Tasmania leaving approximately 40 workers out of jobs. Our local Tasmanian team reached out to a range of agribusinesses and successfully found alternative employment for 15 staff in aquaculture and horticulture roles. Not only did we successfully assist these workers transition into new jobs, it also resulted in the engagement of a new client who has contracted us for an additional 70 staff - delivering greater continuity to their operations and supporting local employment

Two passionate entrepreneurs in Byron Bay had created a renewable energy start-up which was staffed by a sales team that comprised solely of backpacker casual employees. We worked with them to map a successful business structure, we found them an experienced Logistics & Procurement Manager, Technical Manager & Payroll Manager and connected them with a WHS specialist who quickly got them compliant in work safety. Once these leaders were in place, the business grew exponentially. We found a Recruitment Manager for them with a focus on increasing their local employee ratios, working with schools, colleges and other community groups to give young people in the area training and work opportunity. 2 years later, this company has won an AFR Fast Starters Award and they are one of the largest employers in the region.

COVID-19 has forced many businesses to change the way they operate. In some cases, the pandemic has presented new opportunities that provide a way of minimising the impact of COVID-19 if a business is agile and flexible enough to take advantage of them. A great example of this is a Southern Brisbane pool chemical company that was able to swiftly change its production to hand sanitiser during the pandemic. By working with a Job Agency, they were able to access the labour they needed for their factory. Not only did keep their own people in jobs, but it also created new jobs throughout the Southern Brisbane area.

To ensure safe continuity of mining operations in the Hunter Valley during the COVID-19 pandemic, additional workplace health checks needed to be implemented. This job agency was able to quickly provide 48 people to conduct Temperature and Wellness Checks onsite. All 48 roles were filled by local workers who had been displaced as result of the current downturn in the hospitality, tourism and retail sectors.

When COVID-19 hit, this large organisation urgently needed a significant workforce in their call centre to provide advice and information about COVID-19, to answer questions from the public and to triage people who were experiencing symptoms. By working with a Job Agency, they were able to find more than 200 nurses to their support 24-hour call centre activity across all of Australia. This sped up their ability to provide the public with information and address concerns about the virus, as well as to triage people in the community who were symptomatic.

In March 2020, a Victorian hospital food services division identified an urgent need to increase staff levels in response to a potential ‘worst case scenario’ surge in COVID-19 patients. At the same time, the global pandemic had grounded most aviation services leaving a number of people without work. This job agency partnered with the food services provider to train and re-deploy more than 20 people previously employed in aviation catering into the healthcare sector. The ability to utlise the employees’ transferable skills allowed for a swift transition.

This busy government body was unable to maintain business continuity after a system issue caused a significant backlog of invoices. Working with a job agency, they were able to source and on-board more than 10 skilled accounts payable staff at extremely short notice to help work through the backlog and get the system back on track. Suppliers got paid and the system issues were remedied. The organisation acknowledged that the partnership had driven efficiencies and productivity within its team and they offered extended contracts to a number of the people engaged.