Wavelength International

Business Name Wavelength International
Business Nature
Private
Industry
HR/Recruitment/Employment Services
Product/Service Overview
Wavelength International is a doctor owned and managed medical recruitment company with a proud 13 year track record of placing doctors in both locum and permanent roles throughout Australia, New Zealand and beyond. Based in Sydney, we offer international candidate sourcing, medical registration and immigration services for medical professionals.
Number of Employees
less than 100
Locations
NSW
Website www.wavies.com.au and www.wave.com.au

Our Work Life Balance Philosophy

"Since Wavelength International's inception in 1999, we have been committed to creating a workplace environment and culture that provides a work/life balance, focuses on the health and wellbeing of its employees and recognises the contribution our employees make to the success of the company. As Wavelength International has grown, maintaining this culture has sometimes proved challenging, but we truly believe that it is integral to creating a company of motivated, caring, productive and quality focused individuals who collectively ensure Wavelength International reaches and exceeds its business goals".

Claire Ponsford
Director
Wavelength International

Our Organisation Benefits

In June 2012 Wavelength International achieved a position (28th) in BRW Top 50 Best Places to Work list for the third consecutive year. In survey responses 92% of our employees stated that Wavelength was a Great Place to Work.

Our benefits include:
  • - Flexible work practices & the opportunity to regularly work from home
  • - Casual dress code
  • - Paid parental leave
  • - Subsidised onsite massage, pilates & yoga classes and personal training
  • - Regular social events
  • - Regular Health and Wellbeing initiatives including flu vaccinations, skin checks and a nutrition seminar
  • - Employee Assistance Program
  • - Breakfast, snacks & fruit provided daily for all employees
  • - Competitive remuneration packages and incentive schemes

Advice to Other Employers

Happy and healthy employees are really important to us at Wavelength. We take the time to listen to individual needs and implement work life strategies that are valued by each person. As employee needs change, we regularly check in with individuals to understand what else we can do to meet the challenging demands that many individuals face in meeting personal and work commitments.

We recognise that managers are critical in making work life strategies successful, so they play an important role in supporting and role modelling a healthy way of working.

Want to Know More?

Some Further Notes from our Organisation

To find out more about what we do, please contact our HR team on 02 8353 9000 and they will be more than happy to assist you.


Work Life Balance Awards/Recognition

  • In June 2012 Wavelength International achieved 28th place in the BRW 2012 Best Places to Work list.
  • In July 2011 Wavelength International was recognised as a Recommended Employer in the 2011 Australian Business Awards.
  • In June 2011 Wavelength International was excited to achieve 30th place in the 'BRW Best Places to Work 2011 list' for the second successive year -http://www.wave.com.au/news.aspx.
  • In October 2010 Wavelength International was delighted to win awards for both 'Best Brand' and 'Best Learning & Development Plan' at the Recruitment Excellence Awards, an initiative of Recruitment Extra magazine and its publishers Thomson Reuters, which recognises excellence, innovation and professionalism in the Australian recruitment industry.
  • In June 2010 Wavelength was proud to achieve 30th place in the ‘BRW Best Places to Work 2010’ list which is organised through collaboration of BRW Magazine and the Great Place to Work Institute - http://www.wave.com.au/news.aspx#BRW.
  • In October 2009 Wavelength International won 'Best Boutique Agency' for the second successive year at the Recruitment Excellence Awards.
  • In August 2008 Wavelength International was named as a 'Recommended Employer' at the prestigious Australian Business Awards. These national awards honour organisations that demonstrate the core values of business excellence, product excellence, sustainability and commercial success in their respective industries.

Work from Home

All employees are provided with remote access to their computers enabling them to access information and work from home where necessary. Once employees have successfully completed their probation period they are given the opportunity to work from home one day per week if their role permits. Approximately 95% of eligible employees take advantage of this benefit on a regular ongoing basis.

Flexible Working Hours

Flexible work hours are a cornerstone benefit for employees at Wavelength, enabling individuals to work their 38 hours per week flexibly between the hours 7am and 7pm.

Part time opportunities

Part-time work options have been arranged for a number of employees to accommodate their needs to support their family, study and manage other commitments. 23% of our current employees work on a part-time basis and have a broad range of agreed working patterns.


Paid Parental Leave

14 weeks paid parental leave is provided to Wavelength employees who are the primary carer following the birth/adoption of a child, once they have completed 2 years continuous service with the organisation. Employee’s who will not be the primary caregiver for the child but have completed this period of service, are entitled to 2 weeks' paid parental leave. This is exclusive of the Government's Paid Parental Leave Scheme.

Annual 'Wavie' Day

Employees also receive an annual 'Wavie' day - an additional day of annual leave to spend how they choose which recognises the diversity of our employee's personal needs and our genuine commitment to work life balance.

Volunteer/Community leave

Our volunteer/community leave program is currently being enhanced to ensure all employees have the opportunity to give back to the local community. Employees receive 7.6 hours (1 working day) of paid voluntary leave annually.

Study leave

Study leave and financial assistance with course fees is provided for a range of work related courses and eligibility is assessed on a case by case basis.

Wavelength also offers employees an extra five days of annual leave after four years continuous service.


Wellness Program

Wavelength has initiated an ongoing health program for all employees - flu vaccinations and skin cancer checks are amongst the initiatives already occurring in 2013 with further health checks and elements including a nutrition seminar to be rolled out later this year.

Health/Well-being allowances/discounts

Subsidised onsite massages, Pilates, Yoga and fitness classes/personal training sessions are available to all employees and healthy fruit, snacks and breakfast are provided daily.

Social/Sports Club

Wavelength organises a broad range of social events for its employees including the annual Christmas party, Wavelength Anniversary party, quarterly team reward days and Wavie of the Year Awards (which recognise the achievements of our employees over the preceding year). Sponsorship for team sporting events is also provided including the City to Surf and JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge.

Employee Assistance Program

Confidential counselling and advice is available to provide support for employees with either personal or work-related issues.


Position

Recruitment Consultant

Employment Status
Full Time
Average Weekly Working Hrs

40

Gender
Female
Age Group
31 - 40

Health & wellbeing is encouraged with all Wavelength staff and these values flow through to provide congruence in our work & life.

How important is work life balance to you and why?

I've realised over the years that it is very important. It's Wavelength that has made me realise that!

What work life balance practices have you used that are offered by your organisation?

Work from home day once a week, fitness training, Yoga classes, flexible hours, massage at work.

What has been the major benefit to your life due to work life balance practices that you have accessed through your work?

I enjoy the work from home day because I'm far more productive working at home and therefore I can plough through my work, keep on top of it and avoid unnecessary stress. Exercise and massage are very handy having at the workplace as I probably wouldn't go to either of them outside of work and they both have positive health & mind impacts. Flexible hours make it easy to plan things outside the work day.

Personal Benefits

- To be able to go and do a gym session in the middle of the day, where as before I would not go as I was tired after work.
- To have access to a massage therapist at work is a great help to my back and neck which can get quite tight during high pressure days / weeks. I'm not the sort of person who would go to one outside of work yet I go every fortnight at work.
- Having the flexibility to come in early and leave early or come in a bit later and leave later is a huge convenience when planning appointments outside of work.
- I find it very beneficial to be able to work from home as I can concentrate and plough through alot more work than I do on a normal day in the office. I usually work from home on a Monday, get on top of things, which sets me up for the rest of the week recruiting.

Family Benefits

I am able to come in 8am and leave at 5pm which gives me time to pick up groceries on the way home and cook for my partner who usually has to work back quite late. If I wasn't able to leave at this time, I imagine we would either not be eating dinner at all or we'd be having take away food every other night.

Organisation Benefits

Because Wavelength encourage a healthy life of work and play, it makes it more enjoyable going to work and I am more productive in my role.

How has your organisation managed to achieve the benefits of work life balance?

- There is a culture at Wavelength of people working in a focused manner but only working their set hours. The majority of employees work hard and work fast, but head out the door at a decent hour.
- Full time employees who have become mothers have been able to come back from maternity leave part-time, whether it be 4 days a week of 8 hours a day or 2 days a week of 6 hours a day.
- In the early days I was a work-a-holic (habit of my previous job). I was asked to decrease my work hours to a normal weekly average so that I was not overly tired and therefore unproductive. Because I struggled to break the bad habit of overworking, I was given a KPI to meet surrounding work-life balance. Because I failed that KPI, it meant I did not get as high a bonus and at that point I started to listen, worked a normal week and suddenly my results increased.

What is unique about the work life balance practices that are offered by your organisation?

The Directors actually care about this and believe that work life balance is important. They themselves are extremely busy people, however ensure that they have the right mix for their work and their lives.

Do you feel that work life balance initiatives are available to most staff?

Yes.

Can you offer any advice to others who want to manage their work life balance better?

Give it a trial.... I'm sure you'll see your results improve. It makes you far more focused because you have less hours to get the same amount done. Set your goals at the beginning of the day and tick them off as the hours go. Watch the very successful people around you. In my office, the most successful people are the ones who do their 8 hour day each day with only a rare day here and there working back.

Position

Recruitment Consultant

Employment Status
Full Time
Average Weekly Working Hrs

50

Gender
Female
Age Group
31 - 40

Wavelength's work life balance policies makes for an extremely happy and enjoyable workplace.

How important is work life balance to you and why?

Very important! The older you get, the more you realise how important down time and family time is.

What work life balance practices have you used that are offered by your organisation?

I make use of the flexible working hours and I also make use of the massage therapist that comes to the office on a fortnightly basis. I also made use of the yoga classes and personal trainer.

What has been the major benefit to your life due to work life balance practices that you have accessed through your work?

I guess I'm fitter and healthier than I have been in a while. I'm better able to cope with stress.

Personal Benefits

I like the flexible work hours, which allow me to start a bit later in the morning. I'm not a morning person, and I find that staying back late suits me and my work flow.

Family Benefits

I find that the time I spend with my family and friends is quality time, as my mind isn't on work and the stress doesn't leave the office with me.

Organisation Benefits

Because we are allowed to work at our own pace and we are able to adapt our own style, my work is thriving. I don't feel that anyone is watching and scrutinising everything I do and say, which would be very un-nerving.

Community Benefits

As a team, we are lucky enough to do very well and benefit from company rewards. We have given back to the community and put on a special day for children from less fortunate communities. We all enjoyed the experience, as did the children.

How has your organisation managed to achieve the benefits of work life balance?

I think the Directors lead by example. They both have young families and understand how important it is to have balance in our lives. I think that they try very hard to employ like minded people with similar values to join the company.

What is unique about the work life balance practices that are offered by your organisation?

I guess that everyone genuinely cares about each other. It's not a competitive environment, it's very caring and nurturing. Every birthday is celebrated, every achievement is rewarded and every anniversary is celebrated.

Do you feel that work life balance initiatives are available to most staff?

It's available to every single staff member, without exception.

Can you offer any advice to others who want to manage their work life balance better?

I would recommend trying to finish work at a decent hour for a week and see how it feels to have some "me" time.


Key Roles


For current job opportunities, visit http://tbe.taleo.net/NA2/ats/careers/jobSearch.jsp?org=WAVELENGTH&cws=1