Welcome to your People and Culture update where we highlight everything from academic excellence to new starters, goal setting for career success and our shared values.
In this edition of People and Culture news, we highlight some of the interesting stats from the Satisfaction and Engagement Survey, and our current vacancies available across the business.
Are you new here?
Welcome to the team...
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Julian Caruana
Senior Accountant, Business Services, Brisbane Office
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- What’s the best book I’ve read recently?
Atomic Habits by James Clear. It’s an international best-seller for a reason. It’s easy to read and dives into various techniques including online resources that can help you improve your habits. It touches on more than just waking up and making sure you go to the gym, it’s about building lifelong habits that positively improve your mental wellbeing and simplify growth. He includes a summary of his life and how habits benefit him before jumping into the theory/science behind successful and failed habits. The real-life examples are relatable and cement the theory. I highly recommend if you are struggling for focus and want to find simple ways to learn new things. There is an example where he talks about repetition being more important than perfection. Too often people are spending too much time in “motion” but not actually moving forward and taking action.
- What show are you currently binge-watching?
My wife, Brittany, saw a TikTok on Prison-Break. We quickly both realised neither of us had watched the show when it first released. Cringey, odd and definitely shows it’s age, but it keeps us both entertained enough. Once this is done, the TV will be free again and I can jump back onto the Star Wars series The Bad Batch, followed by the latest season of The Mandalorian. Falling behind whilst avoiding spoilers is a difficult task! 😜
- Do you have any pets?
I have a 7-year-old Golden Retriever named Sassy (definitely named in honour of her nature) and Monty, a black-short haired cat, named after C. Montgomery Burns from the Simpsons. Monty definitely has the attitude of Mr Burns, he’s always in charge and let’s you know when he needs to be fed. Demanding attention whenever the TV is turned on, until he has been fed. He cuddles up in the morning exactly when my alarm goes off. Sassy or as she is affectionately known by my 10 year-old brother-in-law, SassleBerry, is a sweet dog who acts tough but only wants love. She gets to go for constant walks and she will guilt trip you if you get caught up in the evening. She will welcome anyone with a loud bark before promptly laying belly up for scratches. You give her an inch, she will take a mile. Her mother and sister are my in-laws dogs and she gets to catchup with her pack every few weeks. Only thing better than 1 Golden is 3 or more!
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Ella King
Trainee Accountant, Business Services, Bundaberg Office
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- Are you a coffee or tea person?
I am most definitely a coffee person. ☕
- Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
I am definitely more on the introvert side of things – I like to just blend in and do what I need to do.
- Do you have any pets?
I have a few pets – a cat, a fighter fish and two chickens that are very fond of pecking and cuddling. 🐈🐟🐔 🐔
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Kelsey Redshaw
Support Assistant, Corporate Services, Bundaberg Office
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- Do you play any sports?
I play indoor and outdoor netball. 🏐
- Do you have any pets
I have a bird name Elfie (Cockatiel) and 2 dogs Charlie (Golden Retriever) and Lexi (German Sheppard)
- Do you have any vacations planned?
I will be going to Scotland in June with my family.
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Mitch Hooper
Assistant Manager, Business Services, Brisbane Office
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- What three items would you take with you to a deserted island?
My guitar, a BBQ and a comfy armchair lol
- What’s your favourite thing to do on the weekends?
Bouldering (indoor rock climbing without a harness), or anything in the water, plus walking the dog and jumping on the exercise bike. 🚲🐕🌊
- What’s the best place you’ve travelled to?
Vietnam is brilliant, everyone should go.
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Lachlan Duff
IT Support Officer, Corporate Services, Bundaberg Office
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- Do you have a pet?
I have a cockatiel named Halo (not the game) 😜
- Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Night owl
- Do you prefer tea or coffee?
Coffee, mostly Dare coffee flavoured.
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We hope you settle in nicely and wish you every success in your new roles. If you’re an “old hand” and happen to see these new faces around the office, introduce yourself and make them feel at home.
Leading from the top
Strong business performance is tied to the quality of "the human asset." It is people who increase customer satisfaction, expand market share, and build corporate value. This is why Ulton have partnered with Dale Carnegie to build and inspire Ulton’s leadership team. Over a multi-year commitment, Ulton’s leadership team (consisting of partners, managers, assistant managers and consultants) will embark on multiple in-person and online events which focus on a variety of team engagement and leadership development topics.
The training topics being delivered to Ulton’s leadership team have been customised to us based on the leadership’s group responses to a training needs survey. The point of difference with Dale Carnegie training, is that it empowers people to move beyond their comfort zone as they reach for and attain break through goals. This provides a foundation for lifelong performance improvement.
Now, we are in very good hands with the Dale Carnegie group. Established by Dale Carnegie, the author of the very popular book “How to win friends and influence people”, the business has operated for over 100 years and has impacted millions of lives world-wide. Stay tuned as we share more updates from the leadership group about their Dale Carnegie experience in future Connect editions.
The next generation
This year will be our 5th year of hosting ECOMAN in Bundaberg.
ECOMAN is part of Ulton’s student awareness initiatives which are designed to inspire and motivate the next generation of business leaders and maybe even future Ulton talent. ECOMAN is a three day workshop for year 10 and 11 students to learn about the basics of managing a ‘real’ business through the four phases of a business cycle. The students are tasked with co-directing a 10 year old business for a further 4 years.
This year we will host ECOMAN at our newly renovated Bundaberg office on 11-13 October 2023.
The vibe from the ECOMAN workshop is very infectious. The students arrive nervous but very quickly excel at being pushed outside of their comfort zones. Parents, teachers, Ulton representatives and other special guests are always so impressed by the professionalism of the students’ presentations on the final day. The ECOMAN workshop has proven to be valuable in feeding talent into our Vacation Program which has also led to new Ulton team members.
Image: Students presenting their company reports to the 'shareholders' on the third day of ECOMAN.
Ulton – A great place to work!
A BIG thank you to everyone that took the time to participate in the Satisfaction and Engagement Survey. The survey received a whopping 88% participation rate, 30% up on last survey (2021).
Over the next month, we will be evaluating the feedback to identify key areas of opportunity and develop a plan to leverage these. We will share more updates over the next year as we implement new and exciting changes, all thanks to your feedback.
We are overwhelmed by the positive feedback and grateful for those that took the time to leave constructive commentary. Please join us in celebrating:
- Approximately 50 survey questions are categorised into four areas of Goal Setting, Communication, Trust/Respect and Accountability. All areas rated between 85% – 89% satisfaction. Our biggest opportunity area (still with only 14.94% dissatisfaction) is Communication.
- Key opportunity areas are around: managing conflicts and communication from leadership to employees
- 97.4% are satisfied or completely satisfied with our work/life policies
- 94.81% feel they have the training they need to do their jobs
- 94.81% value the recognition they receive from leadership
- 94.81% get along well with their peers
- 90.79% feel that they are more informed of what is going on at Ulton as a result of our internal comm strategies.
- 86% - 93% are satisfied or completely satisfied with their current and future career progression opportunities
- 85.53% agree Ulton is truly a great place to work
Key behaviours aligned with shared values
There are many ways to demonstrate our 6 values of Service, Human First, Authentic, Partner, Excellence and Dynamic. The partner group has identified the key behaviours that are believed to be the most important in aligning to our values. Please read over the list of behaviours… How many are already apart of your every-day?
These behaviours have been incorporated into the July 2023 PDP form. Upon reflection of the PDP process, we have also elected to remove the rating scale from the July PDP. We felt the rating scale was too subjective and missed the mark on the real point of the review process. The July 2023 PDP will focus on constructive discussions between manager and team member that celebrate team member strengths in relation to our values, identify professional developmental areas and discuss how these can be mastered.
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Value
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Definition
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Associated behaviours / character traits
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Service
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We pride ourselves on providing awesome service. We are proactive, tactful and helpful.
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- Demonstrate active listening and ask the right questions.
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Identify when issues are outside of your skillset and identify specialist advice (i.e. identify cross-team client referrals)
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Maintain up to date industry knowledge and strive to apply best practice to work
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Leads by example by being punctual, approachable, presentable, keeping work station and surrounding areas organised and tidy, willingly assisting others, delegating work where appropriate
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Return/acknowledge internal and external enquiries (calls or email) within 48 hours of receipt and establish response timeframe with the recipient.
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Human first
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We put people at the heart of everything we do. We believe our clients and team are our key strengths.
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- We believe our clients and team are our key strengths.
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Identify, build and maintain formal and informal networks and relationships with both internal and external stakeholders
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Provide coaching, feedback, reward and recognise team members (applicable for assistant manager level and higher)
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Learn about and express an understanding of ‘what matters’ for your clients (or relevant internal/external stakeholder/s)
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Be respectful and considerate of individual differences.
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Authentic
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We are honest, open, respectful and transparent in all of our dealings. Our actions align with our words.
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- Behaves ethically and honestly at all times.
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If a mistake is made, own it, admit it and learn from it
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Ability to handle sensitive information and delicate situations diplomatically.
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Partner
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We are with you every step of the way. We are collaborative and have an inclusive way of working together.
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Excellence
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We have a positive mindset and continually strive to achieve the best. We deliver the highest standards of work possible.
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- Consistently demonstrates strong attention to detail.
- Committed to and takes ownership of continuous learning and development of self and team
- Possess sustained energy, positive mindset and determination to set and meet challenging objectives/deadlines/timeframes.
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Dynamic
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We are building a positive and enriching future, now. We have a flexible, energetic way of working
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- Suggests methods of continual improvement and is open minded about new ways of working.
- Assists clients/colleagues to achieve their goals through active listening and offering solutions
- Think about the client (or relevant internal/external stakeholder) and what matters to them and design solutions to recognise/respond to issues.
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Wanted: Awesome people
We’re currently looking for talented, skilled and enthusiastic people to become part of the next chapter in Ulton’s success in the following roles:
- Senior Accountant | Business Services | Brisbane, Bundaberg, Fraser Coast, Gladstone or Remote
- Intermediate Accountant | Business Services | Bundaberg, Fraser Coast
- Receptionist and Dealer’s Assistant | Morgans | Bundaberg
Remember, internal applications are most welcome.
If you are interested personally, or have a great recommendation, please make contact with me, Ammie, at acauchi@ulton.net
And don’t forget to check our Team Handbook for more information about our Team Member Referral Bonus policy. You may be eligible for a $7500 bonus.
- To share a specific job advertisement, go to:
- https://ulton.elmotalent.com.au/careers/careers/jobs
- Scroll to our vacancies (bottom of page)
- Click on the job you wish to share
- Scroll to bottom of page and click the Facebook or LinkedIn share buttons (see picture below)
For the complete list of career opportunities, go to: https://ulton.elmotalent.com.au/careers/careers/jobs