Client
- Organisation: Leading in-home aged care & disability support provider (Inner Melbourne HQ)
- Sector: For-purpose / community services (Aged Care, Disability, NDIS)
- Context: Multi-site workforce scaling quickly; tightening compliance requirements (SCHADS, Fair Work, NDIS Quality & Safeguards); need to lift recruitment speed, onboarding quality, and people leadership capability
Client Need
- Appoint a hands-on HR Business Partner to:
- Partner with service leaders on workforce planning, ER/IR basics, performance and development
- Reduce time-to-fill and improve onboarding for care and corporate roles
- Refresh policies, HRIS data integrity, and reporting; embed consistent processes across sites
- Strengthen culture, engagement and retention in a values-led environment
Our Approach
- Consultative brief: clarified success profile, KPIs (time-to-fill, onboarding, ER triage SLAs), reporting lines and stakeholder map
- Targeted search: HR generalists with SCHADS / NDIS / aged care exposure and “partner + doer” mindset
- Assessment: capability interview; case task (performance management + change plan); HR data literacy review (dashboards/metrics); value/behavioural alignment
- Shortlist & validation: salary benchmarking, two reference checks (line leader + peer) focused on judgement, coaching style, and delivery under pressure
Outcome
- Placement in 4 weeks with an HRBP experienced in aged care/disability and multi-site operations
- Within first 90 days, the new HRBP:
- Introduced a 90-day onboarding framework and manager toolkit
- Cut time-to-fill by ~25% across priority roles through process tweaks and hiring manager coaching
- Stood up an ER triage playbook and SLAs, resolving low-risk matters earlier
- Improved HRIS data hygiene and launched a monthly workforce dashboard (turnover, vacancies, leave, compliance)
Key Success Factors
- Sector-specific search (SCHADS/NDIS/Fair Work) vs. generic HR profiles
- Emphasis on practical change and continuous improvement (toolkits, SLAs, dashboards)
- Values-based engagement that resonated with mission-driven candidates
- Rigorous validation of stakeholder influence, judgement, and problem-solving
Impact
- Faster hiring and smoother onboarding → reduced agency reliance and quicker workforce stabilisation
- Clearer ER pathways and consistent policy application → lower escalation rate and better manager confidence
- Improved visibility via HR metrics → sharper leadership decisions on rostering, overtime and retention
- Culture uplift: early pulse feedback showed +7–9 point gains in “onboarding experience” and “confidence in people processes,” supporting safer, more consistent service delivery
