National poll says G8 Eduction a ‘Gr8’ place to work

LISTED Gold Coast childcare outfit G8 Education has been named among the country’s most attractive places to work.

The organisation, which is the city’s largest employer, was ranked 19 in the top 50 places to work in global recruitment firm Randstad’s 2019 Employer Brand Research.

The only Gold Coast company to make the list, G8 Education joined the likes of Qantas, Apple, Virgin and the Australian Broadcasting Authority.

G8 Education managing director Gary Carroll said he was thrilled to be included in the prestigious list for the first time and that the ranking came down to a conscious commitment to always put people first.

“Our people are at the heart of all that we do. They are the ones shaping the lives of thousands of Australian children and through them we can really make a difference,” he said.

Mr Carroll said while G8 Education was going through a period of unprecedented growth and transformation, he was conscious the organisation embedded a culture where all employees felt valued.

Employee incentives also added to G8 Education’s appeal, with financial incentives, career advancement opportunities, discounts on childcare fees as well as access to employer benefits and discounts to thousands of retail providers including travel, groceries, health insurance and fuel.

“We are committed to delivering employee incentives and professional development programs to achieve a rewarding culture that will ensure an engaged and driven workforce,” Mr Carroll said.

According to Randstad, more and more employees are looking to work for organisations that serve a purpose, and G8 Education’s commitment to improving early educational outcomes was appealing.

“We saw organisations who set out a clear purpose do well,” Randstad Head of Education Matt Hodges said.

“Our research shows that salary is not the driving factor in attracting employees. Organisations that can align their core message to match what job seekers are looking for will attract top talent.”

Mr Hodges said this year’s research also revealed early learning was the second most attractive sector to work in.

“The early learning sector ranked second in terms of attractiveness overall whilst the education sector ranked fourth overall. This indicates that for those who work in education there is a feeling that their work is of great value,” Mr Hodges said.

“For early learning, the top three drivers for Australians include having a great reputation, fostering a pleasant work atmosphere, followed by financial robustness.”