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Focusing on the customer is pivotal in any industry that requires outcomes and the defence industry is no different, and with the stakes so high, getting the workforce right is critical for a company’s reputation and its success in this highly competitive sector.
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The Defence Strategic Review in much of its branding from Government and commentators has been billed as the “most consequential” realignment of Australia’s defence and defence industry capabilities in our national history.
While there is a heavy emphasis on capabilities like the recently announced Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicles, the AUKUS nuclear powered submarine fleet and the Hunter class frigates amongst other major programs, there is equal emphasis on getting Australia’s defence industrial base and supporting workforce “match fit” from the ground up.
At the core of this is the increasingly complex nature of the major project ‘emphasis’ of Australia’s defence modernisation and doctrinal shift identified in the Defence Strategic Review.
Whether it is programs like the successful KC-30A MRTT program, or the maligned Hunter class program, or the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise (GWEO) or the long running and incredibly complex AIR 6500 integrated battle management system the workforce is fundamental to the success of these programs.
In order to meet these challenges and the exciting opportunities, defence industry has had to confront an increasingly competitive labour market, tailoring their offering to stand up the workforce necessary to deliver the programs on time and on budget.
Speaking to Defence Connect, Lorraine Kennedy, People Strategy and Culture Leader with Northrop Grumman Australia highlighted how the company has leveraged the culture and strategy shift articulated in the Defence Strategic Review to mobilise its workforce from the ground up.
Kennedy said “We have been focused on mobilising our workforce for a while in anticipation of the findings of the DSR. At the core of this is an employee value proposition which drives employee centred design through all our recruitment processes and systems, in fact the entire employee lifecycle.
Placing employees at the centre of the company’s workforce mobilisation strategy incorporates a number of factors, with a heavy emphasis on through-career life, whether it is for graduates, technical trades of all levels of experience through to more established professionals and technical experts.
“Engaging early is essential for the success of every program, so we begin with an internal consultation process with our capture and bid teams working in conjunction with the engineering, project management and technical teams to identify the workforce pipeline requirements as early as possible,” Kennedy explained.
This approach is echoed in Northrop Grumman Australia’s engagement with peak industry bodies and associations including Aviation Australia, Engineers Australia and universities in Queensland and Canberra to engage across the wealth and diversity of experience, expertise of the workforce in Australia.
Northrop Grumman Australia’s “employee-centric” approach equally emphasises an environment of employee quality and reputation which serves as a powerful attraction tool across the company’s workforce.
Kennedy highlighted this, saying, “We have also been very thoughtful and targeted about bringing in high regarded and experienced experts that are a major draw card as future mentors for potential employees. That attraction strategy is further moulded and encouraged by a culture of transparency and accessibility to key decision makers and thought leaders.”
Explaining this further, Kennedy added, “We also have a very strong focus on gender diversity in the business. This includes working through mentoring, gender pay equity, gender diverse candidate pipelines and showcased in Australia’s current leadership is nearly 60 per cent female through to the highest levels in the corporation where diversity is demonstrated and not tokenism.
This combination of approaches gives a sense of momentum, and that the company is moving forward with pride and a strong values based culture, that is delivering both for our employees and for the customer.
“We offer our people some complex and exciting areas to test their skills and build their capability, across the Business, whether in project management that affects growth and change for the business or leading technology solutions. Have we got everything sorted? No, but we are providing an environment where a mindset of being a ‘disruptor’ is encouraged with the confidence of our corporation which offers world leading innovation. ” Kennedy said.
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
