APAC 2018 Australian Enterprise Awards

6 APAC / 2018 Australian Enterprise Awards , AE180014 Best Employment & Workforce Solutions Firm 2018 Drawing on more than 33 years’ experience, IPA is a well-established Australian provider of employment and career solutions designed to help organisations and individuals to succeed at work. We invited Paul Barbaro to tell us more about the firmand explore the secrets behind the phenomenal success it enjoys today. Established in 1984, IPA provides recruitment and labour hire services to clients ranging in size from multi-nationals, to start-up companies. Over the years the firm has cultivated vast experience which has enabled it to support clients across a range of industries, including construction, manufacturing, finance, banking, FMCG, mining, hospitality and the professional services sector. These clients receive the benefit of IPA’s expertise, and are provided with a full plethora of services including temporary labour hire in both blue and white collar; permanent recruitment; senior appointments; diversity recruitment; as well as government recruitment. Paul explores how the firm’s vast service offering helps it to achieve its client focused mission. “At IPA, our clients are our focus, and as such ur mission is: Everything we do, we do to enhance the lives of people, be it our candidates, our clients, or each other. We invest heavily in our values, which underpin our mission. Through our Values Reward Program, we recognise behaviours which demonstrate and help bring the IPA mission to life each day, and we are constantly seeking feedback from clients and candidates to improve how we deliver our services. “If we are not enhancing the lives of people, we are not being effective, and quite simple, not doing our jobs. Regardless of who we service, ranging from juniors through to executives, we seek to enhance their lives in one way or another. We are owned by a not for profit organisation, GenU, and our profits are directed back to communities, therefore we are ‘profit for purpose’. As a result of this, it is critical for us to deliver solid financial performance, because every cent of our profit is redirected back to communities, including disability services, aged care facilities, job active programs, as well as substantial contributions to charities we support, both locally, state and nationally. By focusing on people, we are able to provide a service that meets everyone’s needs.” This client focused approach and community centred profit structure is what sets IPA apart from its competitors, which is particularly vital in the recruitment sector. Paul delves further into the techniques his firm employs to ensure that it stands out from the crowd and marks itself out as the best possible option for its valued clients. “Unique in our industry is our commitment to community based initiatives, which is one of our primary motivators, and we will continue to invest in every community in which we operate, and this will be a key point of difference. Alongside our ‘profit for purpose’ structure, we are currently working to become an accredited White Ribbon Workplace. White Ribbon is an Australian Charity which is aimed at preventing violence against women, and we have partnered with Fitted for Work, where we will jointly appoint someone to work with women who have exited violent relationships, and assisting them to re-enter the workforce. “Perhaps most important of all for our clients and those we support, at IPA we are one of the few Labour Hire companies who has not changed name, or been absorbed be a multination since inception, making us one of the most recognised recruitment companies in Australia with a solid brand.” The firm’s supportive and collaborative focus extends to all of its shareholders, including its staff, who are of vital importance as they help to drive the profits that benefit everyone. As such, Paul is proud to be able to showcase IPA’s dedication to supporting its staff and finding the very highest standards of employees who are able to help the firm to grow and flourish. “Fundamentally it is our diverse background, along with our extensive branch network, the strength of our financial performance, and the broad depth of our client base that are all key to attracting the best talent. The fact we belong to a Profit for Purpose organisation is also a big attraction as we have employees who know that the profits the business generate, are channelled back into communities. Our internal culture is authentic and laid-back, and we have the courage to acknowledge our weaknesses, and the knowledge and passion to implement a better process. Our values attract a workforce who are passionate and engaged, delivering outcomes that promote our performance goals and company objectives. We are committed as a team, to ensure our company has a pulse, a heartbeat, one that cares. “Additionally, we offer extensive benefits to employees, including work from home arrangements, diverse jobs to engage in across the whole organisation, and lucrative commissions to reward high achievers. We are currently