2 February 2023
Nearing his 11th year at Tonkin, Business Development Manager Tim Ennis shares some of the things he values most at work.
Nearing his 11th year at Tonkin, Business Development Manager Tim Ennis shares some of the things he values most at work.
Many industries in Australia and around the globe are experiencing dramatic labour shortages. This is particularly the case in building, construction and engineering. While it’s a major challenge for employers, for candidates, it means there are more job opportunities available than ever before.
In a hot job market, the onus is on employers to ensure their people have a positive and rewarding experience at work – which is about far more than just salary.
If you’re considering making a change, it’s worth taking some time to think about what the key factors are that will make you feel fulfilled and happy at work. While these factors are different for everyone, these are some of the things that are most important for me:
1. Opportunity to do what you do best
Having the ability to do the type of work you excel at can have a huge impact on your happiness at work.
Among those who know me, it’s no secret that I tend towards the more extroverted side of the personality scale. I started my career as a stormwater engineer, and I did - and still do - enjoy the more technical side of engineering. However, I forged a career path in Business Development because a large part of my motivation at work is driven by the energy I get from building relationships with people. Having open conversations about what I was looking for in my career and leaders who trusted me to work on a variety of projects and stretch myself, are both important factors that allowed me to fast-track my career progress.
When you’re considering a job offer, explore if the organisation will allow you to tailor a career around your interests, whether that be a technical specialisation, project management, or people management route.
2. Culture of care
“Company culture” is a term that is used a lot these days and just about every organisation will have a different definition of what culture is. At Tonkin it’s about how we work together and value our employees in order to get the best outcomes - for our people, our clients and the business. What’s more important than definitions, are the actions that a company takes to follow through, so that the positive company culture promised when people join, is experienced in practice.
Our nation is more reliant on engineering professionals than we’ve ever been. This has resulted in many people dealing with increasing workloads and flow on negative impacts on their physical and mental wellbeing.
Tonkin’s people centric culture of care and demonstrated commitment to looking after our people is what we are most proud of, and a key reason why many people choose to work with us.
In interviews, a common question candidates may ask their interviewer is: “How would you describe the company culture here?”. However, perhaps a more pertinent question would be: “What initiatives does your organisation have in place that support your company culture?”
Be on the lookout for responses such as leadership training, mental health and wellbeing initiatives, relationship building opportunities (i.e. mentoring programs) and staff input and feedback initiatives – these are all signs that culture is embedded in the company’s operations, rather than just being a buzzword.
3. Good leadership
Good leaders are key to cultivating a positive and productive workplace culture. No matter how well paid the role is, or how interesting the projects are, poor leadership has the potential to overshadow everything else.
An important, but often overlooked part of becoming a great leader is building your own self-awareness. Being able to better understand yourself and your own personality and working style is a crucial pre-curser to being able to lead and work with others effectively.
At Tonkin, participants in our Leadership Development Program are equipped with tools designed to help them better understand their own natural strengths, as well as how they can empower their teams to draw on and apply their own strengths to their roles.
If you are thinking about joining an organisation, try to find out about the leaders of the business. This could be via their industry presence (LinkedIn), or asking for a follow up interview with other leaders of the business besides your potential direct manager.
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4. Genuine flexibility
While ‘flexibility’ is now common in workplace vernacular, the meaning of flexibility can vary widely between employers. If this is important to you, it’s worth asking potential employers for more information about what flexibility means in practice at their workplace.
As we progress further along in our careers, flexibility often becomes more important. If you have family commitments, there are the obvious things like flexibility in start and finish times, and remote working. Some employers offer purchase leave schemes, a valuable benefit if you have children and need to take additional leave during school holidays.
Personally, having a one-year-old at home has meant that Tonkin’s genuine approach to flexible working has been invaluable for my family.
Flexibility can also come into play later in your career. While some of Tonkin’s senior staff have waved farewell for good when they retired, a number of our people instead have chosen to step back from full time work, and continue working with us on a project-by-project basis. This ‘semi-retirement’ approach is a great opportunity for people to choose a small number of interesting projects to work on, while also allowing them more time to slow down and enjoy life outside of work.
As we progress further along in our careers, flexibility often becomes more important. If you have family commitments, there are the obvious things like flexibility in start and finish times, and remote working. Some employers offer purchase leave schemes, a valuable benefit if you have children and need to take additional leave during school holidays.
Personally, having a one-year-old at home has meant that Tonkin’s genuine approach to flexible working has been invaluable for my family.
Flexibility can also come into play later in your career. While some of Tonkin’s senior staff have waved farewell for good when they retired, a number of our people instead have chosen to step back from full time work, and continue working with us on a project-by-project basis. This ‘semi-retirement’ approach is a great opportunity for people to choose a small number of interesting projects to work on, while also allowing them more time to slow down and enjoy life outside of work.
5. Good people
We often spend almost as much time – if not more time - with our colleagues than we do with our family and friends, so it goes without saying that the people we work with are important.
While you don’t necessarily need to have close mates at work (although I feel very lucky that I do!), having a sense of social connection to your colleagues can be a powerful tool to build motivation, productivity and wellbeing.
Simply put, at Tonkin we have a solid bunch of good people who make me enjoy coming to work. The company’s regular social activities are also a great way to build connections outside of the usual work setting.
If you already know someone at the workplace you’re looking at joining, ask them about their experience dealing with the team you’ll be working with. If you’re moving along in the recruitment process and the signs are looking good, but you’d like to know more about your new teammates, you might consider proposing a casual coffee catch up with the immediate team as part of the recruitment process.
If you’re heading into 2023 feeling like you’re ready to try something new, there’s never been a better time to explore the opportunities on offer.
You can find out more about what’s on offer at Tonkin at www.tonkin.com.au/careers