How Xref Engage Surveys helped Optometry Australia improve hiring and engagement

In June 2024, Optometry Australia conducted their second Employee Engagement Survey with Xref Engage. 

The survey provided staff with the opportunity to give feedback about the quality of current work practices at Optometry Australia. It also enabled the measurement of the outcomes of employee engagement, employee wellbeing, and organisational progress. 

Research shows that more positive results from these outcome measures are associated with tangible outcomes such as turnover, absenteeism, safety incidents, and performance. 

Optometry Australia scored 82% in the most recent survey in the Recruitment & Selection Category, with a high score of 90% on the question ‘This organisation is good at attracting people to apply for jobs here’.  

We interviewed Catherine Roubos, CFO and Director of Operations about the HR challenges faced and their experience running an employee engagement survey with Xref Engage. Read on to learn about the employee engagement survey results. 

Tell us about Optometry Australia

Optometry Australia represents the largest community of optometrists in Australia, with 85% of all registered optometrists being our members. 

Since 1918, we have united the optometry sector to make Australia a world leader in delivering vision and eye health services and patient care. 

With our 100+ year history servicing optometrists and evolving optometry, no other organisation understands our profession like we do or has a more influential voice.

Industry challenges with recruitment & selection of candidates

The "Recruitment Spotlight: Recent Trends in Recruitment Difficulty" report from Jobs and Skills Australia examines the challenges employers face in recruiting staff post-COVID-19. 

Since the pandemic, employers in Australia have struggled to recruit staff. Employers are concerned about the lack of applicants and suitable candidates. It is especially hard to recruit for higher-skilled jobs compared to lower-skilled ones. 

As of May 2023, 67% of employers report difficulty in hiring, driven by many factors. 

The difficulty is more pronounced for higher skilled occupations and varies across regions and industries, with regional areas and sectors facing more acute challenges. 

Despite some easing since mid-2022, labour demand remains strong, and many vacancies remain unfilled for extended periods, indicating ongoing tightness in the labour market. 

Employers are adopting various strategies to mitigate recruitment challenges, such as offering higher wages, flexible working conditions, and investing in employee training and development.

According to the Xref Engage benchmark standards, Optometry Australia sets the bar high by performing 26% better than "associations, professionals and peak bodies" in the industry and 26% better than the “Not-for-profit” sector. Their success in recruitment and selection shines through in recent survey results. In this blog, we’ll dive into the key areas where they’re truly standing out.

Tell us about the culture at Optometry Australia

“Optometry Australia has an established set of values. We work hard to ‘live our values’ and ensure our organisational culture reflects them”, says Catherine, CFO and Director of Operations.

We consider a 'good fit' culture imperative to our organisation's success and work purposefully to build and maintain a strong alignment, this includes frank conversations about culture with all staff and reflections on performance against values in all formal performance reviews.

How do you promote the organisational culture?

Management prioritises ensuring a strong cultural alignment with each hire. The organisation's purpose is well communicated to members and throughout the sector so most applicants are familiar with our mission before applying for roles with us.

You have achieved amazing scores on Values and Vision. How did you do this? Does this tie into your high score on Recruitment and selection as well? 

We place great importance on living our values and communicating our vision. 

At annual performance reviews, staff are asked to reflect on their performance in relation to organisational values, and our quarterly staff awards are awarded for demonstrating organisational values. 

We have an established staff engagement working group whose main role is to review and action the results of our annual staff survey.  

We constantly strive to improve our culture, which is tied to our high scores in recruitment and selection.

How do Xref Engage surveys fit into your culture strategy?

The Xref engagement survey is an important tool for tracking our progress in maintaining our preferred organisational culture and staff engagement. It's a barometer of our performance that also helps guide our direction on where we need to go next.

In our most recent Engagement Survey, Optometry Australia scored 82% on the Recruitment & Selection Category, with 90% of staff who took the survey agreeing that the organisation was good at attracting people for roles and majority of staff (75%) agreeing the organisation is good at selecting the right people for roles, which is a high score according to industry standards.  

As mentioned before, according to the Xref Engage benchmarking standards, Optometry Australia outperforms its peers, surpassing the "associations, professionals, and peak bodies" sector by 26% and the "non-profits" sector by the same margin. 

Tips for Recruitment and Selection – as practised by Optometry Australia

Optometry Australia practises an effective recruitment strategy. Here are some valuable tips they've implemented to ensure they attract and retain top talent in their organisation.

1. Establishing a strong brand and reputation
   • Brand recognition: People want to work for the organisation because of its strong brand, clearly defined values and purpose.
   • Establishing reputation with graduates: Optometry Australia builds trust and brand loyalty by engaging with students as soon as they leave university, offering them perks like free membership for a year, access to different leadership programs, and keeping them up to date with industry information. They also hold events and run leadership programs to introduce students to potential career paths. Graduates who engage with the organisation early tend to stay involved throughout their careers.
2. Engagement with members and candidates
   • Member engagement: Optometrists are highly engaged with the organisation, regularly interacting through various channels.
   • Continuous interaction: The organisation communicates regularly with members, offering updates through newsletters, advertising roles and suggesting positions available.
3. Diverse and flexible roles with a clear purpose
   • Varied optometry roles: The organisation offers roles that benefit optometrists allowing them to work on unique projects and contribute to the overall profession focusing on duties like policy creation, advocacy, and assisting in legislative changes.
4. Collaborative and inclusive recruitment process
   • Collaborative care: Emphasis on collaborative work in serving the profession.
   • Cross-team collaboration: Team members discuss applications, cross-review CVs, and conduct blind reviews to eliminate bias.
   • Panel discussions: The recruitment process involves panels that focus on cultural fit over skill set alone.
5. Proactive candidate guidance
   • Guiding candidates to suitable roles: The organisation actively guides candidates to roles that best suit their skills and interests, enhancing engagement before they even start.
6. Cultural fit and organisational values
   • Cultural fit over skills: The organisation prioritises cultural fit, recognising that skills can be taught, but a poor cultural fit can harm the organisation.
   • Unified team agreement: All teams agree on hires, ensuring consistency in values and culture.

Summary

Recruiting for higher-skilled occupations remains challenging, often leaving vacancies unfilled for extended periods. However, Optometry Australia overcomes these challenges with a robust approach to recruitment and selection. They leverage their strong brand, proactive member engagement, and clear purpose. 

Their collaborative recruitment processes emphasise cultural fit and professional development, offering diverse roles and guiding candidates to the most suitable positions. These strategies ensure a cohesive and effective approach to attracting and retaining top talent.

By conducting thorough well-thought-through employee engagement surveys backed by the knowledge of workplace consultants, Optometry Australia can gain valuable insights into how well employees are connected to the organisation's purpose. This timely and regular feedback is essential for fostering a positive culture and keeping staff motivated and engaged.