Products & Services

Organizations across Australia are searching for better and more cost-effective ways of recruiting and retaining Indigenous employees as well as initiatives to encourage Indigenous people to embrace Indigenous enterprise. ISA can help organizations design and implement a wide range of strategies to facilitate their ideas and plans.

ISA has pioneered and developed a range of innovative products and services around Employment, Education and Enterprise for the advancement and support of Indigenous Australians wanting to create their own successful future.

The Changing Landscape

Within both the Private and Public sectors there is an emerging body of good practice in Indigenous employment and recruitment. The most progressive organisations are taking a long-term view and, in addition to providing employment opportunities, are participating in initiatives to address the root causes of indigenous socio- economic disadvantage- poor education, poor health and poverty.

A key business driver is the recognition by organisations that robust relationships with Indigenous people based on recognition, respect, trust and honouring commitments are fundamental to maintaining open ‘communication channels’ and establishing long-term credibility.

Other factors driving the increased focus on Indigenous employment and addressing socio-economic disadvantage include social and demographic changes in the regions of Australia, particularly the projected Indigenous population growth, and the continuing skills shortages in remote and regional areas.

Obstacles to Employment

Our research shows that there are some general and specific factors that can make it difficult for Indigenous people to obtain work including:

• Lack of education and relevant training
• Lack of exposure to the mainstream workforce and the expectation of employers
• Geographical isolation- in some cases
• The challenges in balancing family and community obligations with the demands of full-time work
• Poor health and difficulties in complying with drug and alcohol resting regimes- in some cases

For organisations wishing to employ more Indigenous people the obstacles include:

• The lack of a ‘job-ready’ labour pool
• Insufficient appreciation of how socio-economic disadvantage impacts on the recruitment and retention of Indigenous employees

Critical Success Factors

In our seven years of operation we have found that when organisations give the same commitment to Indigenous employment initiatives as other business activities, good outcomes can be achieved in relatively short time frames. The critical success factors are:

The People Factor

First and foremost, achieving sustainable improvements in Indigenous employment requires organisational commitment. Organisations with successful Indigenous employment strategies are characterised by:

• An executive leadership team that has publicly committed to improving Indigenous employment outcomes and backs this commitment by providing adequate financial and human resources
• A commitment to the development of honest and transparent relationships with Indigenous communities
• Corporate champions who ‘go the extra mile’ in supporting Indigenous employees and who have influence with the operation’s management team to ensure that Indigenous employment issues remain on the corporate agenda
• Suitably qualified, skilled, informed and committed personnel in training and liaison positions, who are respected by the local Indigenous community.

The Recruitment Factor (Strategies)

Traditional HR systems and processes can present barriers for Indigenous people seeking to enter the mainstream workforce. Leading organisations have developed a range of strategies to assist Indigenous people overcome these barriers. These include:

• Focusing more on face-to-face rather than written communication with potential applicants
• Using selection centre workshops to identify individual skills and abilities
• Adopting flexible strategies to manage problems with drug and alcohol use, if warranted
• Developing Job Ready programs that prepare Indigenous people for the transition into the mainstream workforce
• Provision for cultural awareness training for all recruits, Indigenous and Non-Indigenous, as part of the induction process.

The Retention Factor (Strategies)

While considerable effort has been put into developing new approaches to Indigenous recruitment, relatively little has been done in the way of developing specific retention strategies for Indigenous employees. Indigenous employees face particular challenges in balancing work and family commitments and making the transition to a new organisational and cultural environment.

Strategies for increasing retention include:

• Provision of on-going mentoring and support
• More flexible work rosters
• Provision of career development opportunities while addressing the overall personal and professional development of the individual
• Provision of family support
• Addressing racism in the workforce

ISA’S products/services include:

Recruitment and Retention Strategies
Consultation, Strategy Development, Documentation and Implementation for the recruitment, employment and retention of Indigenous Australians for both the private and public sector.

Job Ready/Pre-Employment Programs
Developing Job Ready programs that prepare Indigenous people for the transition into the mainstream workforce. Can be specific to the organisation or of a more general nature.

Cultural Awareness Training
Tailored cultural awareness training for all recruits, Indigenous and Non-Indigenous, as part of the induction process as well as training for all levels of the organisation

Mentor Training and Support Programs
Specific workshops and courses aimed at developing Mentors to support Indigenous employees. Programs can be specific to organisation or more of a general nature

Indigenous Youth Mobility Program
A Government sponsored program that encourages Indigenous Youth to re-locate to larger regional areas for education and employment opportunities.

ISA Consulting Services
A range of Products and Services designed to provide ‘culturally sensitive’ advice to both the Private and Public Sector on Indigenous issues.

Registered Training Organisation (Building Indigenous Capabilities Pty Ltd)
A service that provides a range of nationally accredited training programs