AIPC
Promise of a retainer
FROM RECRUITMENT THROUGH TO RETENTION, HELEN FAIRCLOUGH
DESCRIBES HOW HER VENUE ENGAGES EMPLOYEES
t Melbourne Convention
and Exhibition Centre
(MCEC) our diverse and
inclusive culture is
something we pride ourselves on, and it
is key to our recognition as an Employer
of Choice for two years running
(2017-18). This accolade is testament to
our people, who work hard every day. We
are just one of only six organisations
worldwide to be recognised for
outstanding achievement in recruitment,
engagement and retention practices.
Our working environment is defined
by a commitment to shared learning and
continuous improvement, and we invest
in our talent and encourage them to be
innovative.
In 2016, we engaged with our
employees across our casual and
permanent workforce to determine our
employee value proposition (EVP). We
think of our EVP as the promise we
make to our people. Through a series of
focus groups, we looked at the value our
employees placed on a range of offerings
at MCEC, why they were attracted to
work for us initially, and what keeps
them engaged with our brand.
From these discussions, our EVP was
born – ‘expect anything, experience
everything’. Just like every event, every
day at MCEC is different. Once we knew
our EVP we could build our talent
acquisition strategy, focusing on
sourcing, recruitment and selection.
The strategy includes educating
managers on unconscious bias, and the
importance of attracting the best and
brightest employees who form part of a
diverse, inclusive and collaborative
culture.
We also focus on upskilling and
progressing our employee’s career
development, with a preference to
promote from within. This has led to
over half our positions being filled with
internal applicants. We offer ‘temporary
transfers’ across our business, opening
opportunities for employees to work
across different areas, allowing them to
develop skills and enhance their
professional growth.
One of the most important ways to
retain talent is through employee
engagement and recognition. Effective
communication is a strong focus
throughout the stages of the employee
journey, and we encourage continuous
feedback, ensuring employees are
supported and valued. Senior leaders
actively engage with and mentor
employees - it’s important for leaders to
provide an environment where
employees are encouraged to take risks,
learn from colleagues and collaborate.
Employees participate in reward and
recognition activities. Recent examples
being a ‘Thank You’ event and ‘Shout
Outs’ in our weekly employee newsletter.
We strongly believe recognising and
rewarding performance motivates
employees to want to be part of the
company.
We also recognise our employees’
desire to be involved and connected with
their community and global issues,
including sustainability, volunteering
and wellbeing. An Employee Health and
Wellbeing Committee organises a
calendar of activities including massages,
workout sessions and yoga.
Our employees are supported by
processes to help them achieve. This
starts with on-boarding, which includes
regular check-ins and objective setting
Above:
Helen
Fairclough is
Director of
People,
Culture and
Improvement,
Melbourne
Convention
and Exhibition
Centre
and continues with our annual review
process MAP (meet, align, perform).
We learnt our employees value a
‘personalised’ approach to their MCEC
experience: How they work, when they
work and their benefits. So, we
introduced flexible working, opt-in and
out benefits, and performance-related
pay.
Our EVP is evolving as our business,
people and culture have shifted and
grown. We need to ensure we’re aware of
the brand we have, the brand we aspire
to, and how we leverage that to attract
key talent both locally and internally to
work at MCEC.
MCEC is a
long-standing member
of the International
Association of Convention Centres (AIPC),
which represents a global network of 190
leading centres in 64 countries with the
active involvement of more than 1,000
management-level professionals worldwide.
ISSUE 102
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CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD
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61