Coast airport flying high as an employer of choice
THE reputation of Gold Coast Airport as a popular place to work appears to soar higher and higher.
The latest accolade for Queensland Airports Limited, which is currently overseeing the $370m redevelopment of Gold Coast Airport, is its inclusion as a finalist at this year’s Australian HR Awards.
QAL owns and operates the Gold Coast, Townsville, Mount Isa and Longreach airports, employing about 200 people across the four ports.
QAL chief financial officer Amelia Evans said being named a finalist comes at an important time for the group.
Work on the southern terminal expansion, which is the next stage of the airport redevelopment, is expected to start later this year. The three-level terminal, including aerobridges, will be built south of the current facility and generate 1500 jobs.
“We are absolutely delighted to have been selected as a finalist in the Hays Australian HR Team of the Year category (under 1000 employees),” Ms Evans said. “Everything we do is about ensuring we do our best to meet our team’s needs
through relevant and meaningful initiatives.”
Ms Evans said QAL focuses on talent and development programs to enable employees to deliver on strategic priorities.
“Now, more than ever, we need to ensure we have the right team with the right capabilities in place and are meeting their needs through innovative and meaningful initiatives and policies,” she said.
“There is a direct link to factors like employee retention and attraction rates by being an employer of choice.”
Initiatives rolled out by QAL in the past year include the Skyward leadership development program, LinkedIn Learning and Going for Gold (2018 Commonwealth Games employee reward and recognition program).
Earlier this year QAL achieved accreditation from the aptly named Great Place to Work Australia (GPTW), a global research consultancy. The accreditation, gained in February, followed an extensive organisational audit and employee survey. QAL was the first airport in Australia to receive accreditation.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony at The Star in Sydney in September.