Effective engagement with First Nations peoples to ensure better recruitment, retention and advancement is a priority under the Australian Public Service Reform pillar ‘The APS as a model employer’. Collaboration Circle is a recent initiative under this pillar in line with Closing the Gap Priority Reform 3, designed to ensure that the experience of First Nations public servants is understood.
On this IPAA Work With Purpose podcast episode, First Nations APS leaders Sam Jeffries, First Assistant Commissioner First Nations Systems Lead at the Australian Public Service Commission, Julie Hansen, Training Force WHS Advisor at the Department of Defence and Stella Renagi, Business Strategy Manager at the Australian Taxation Office, join host David Pembroke, CEO of Contentgroup, to talk about how the Collaboration Circle initiative has evolved from pilot to a permanent mechanism in 2025.
Key tips:
- Trust is the currency – it is the only thing that will help you build relationships to drive genuine change.
- Embrace the findings of the Collaboration Circle to support recruitment and retention of First Nations staff in your organisation. Bring it into senior leadership meetings.
- Recognise your privilege and bias, and that people’s lives can be very different.
Listen to the Collaboration Circle podcast.