What started as a PALM scheme workforce solution for two South Australian sites, following a referral from within the client’s broader group, has grown with a third site joining the partnership driven by strong attendance and zero turnover.
Problem
RWM’s client, a national supplier of timber trusses for Australia’s construction sector was facing ongoing challenges finding and maintaining a reliable workforce across multiple South Australian sites. The nature of the work (assembling timber trusses for construction projects) requires team members that are consistent, hands on people who can turn up reliably, adapt quickly to different tasks and stay engaged over time.
“High turnover has been a challenge for us. When you bring required skills (such as forklift tickets into the mix) recruitment becomes even harder. There is also massive competition from other industries and more recently from infrastructure upgrades in South Australia,” said Nick, Timber client People and Culture Business Partner.
This creates pressure on production schedules and increases the operational strain on site teams. The need for a stable, long term workforce solution had become critical to maintaining output and reducing the constant cycle of recruitment and turnover.
Solution
RWM introduced the PALM workforce to the South Australian division of this timber business, providing 11 staff across two sites. The engagement came via an internal referral from another site within the same parent company, who had already seen strong results with RWM’s workforce.
RWM provided end to end support for the timber business, managing the entire process starting with going to the Solomon Islands to recruit these employees, managing their visas, compliance and travel to Australia as well as onboarding and supporting them to settle in once they landed here in Australia.
“The depth of RWM's model is exactly what turns PALM from a labour supply into a workforce solution and because they manage the entire worker lifecycle, they deliver workers who are better prepared, more supported and more likely to stay. This leads to higher retention, lower risk for employers and a more stable and productive workforce compared to traditional labour hire,” said Nick.
Once they started on site, our site welfare and wellbeing manager Nicole provided ongoing 24/7 hands on support, helping these employees adjust to their new roles and workplace as well as get involved in their local church. There’s also a local Fijian community member who has taken some of the crew under his wing and the whole community looks out for them. This level of proactive care means all of our employees felt welcomed, valued and truly part of the local community.
“RWM’s focus on worker welfare and wellbeing has a direct impact on both the workers and the business. From a business perspective, that translates into lower turnover, fewer absences and more consistent productivity. It also reduces risk, because workers are less likely to run into issues that could affect attendance or compliance. Ultimately, by RWM investing in wellbeing creates a more stable, committed workforce, which is critical in industries with traditionally high churn,” said Nick.
Our employees, primarily from the Solomon Islands, bring strong English skills, reliability and versatility to our timber client. Living and travelling together, they’ve built strong camaraderie and team culture that lifts both themselves and the timber business. Just as important, the timber business has fully embraced the workforce welcoming them as part of their team and backing them both on site and in their local community. Activities such as workplace events and Christmas celebrations have helped the employees feel connected, valued and part of the broader team.
Outcome
The results have been tangible with 0.2% absenteeism across both sites and zero turnover, significantly below the Australian average at 16% (RWM average turnover 10%). This stable, reliable workforce has enabled the timber business to consistently meet production deadlines, reduce the pressure on recruitment and shift focus away from ongoing staffing issues to core operational delivery.
“RWM has provided us with a workforce that is super reliable, low maintenance and are happy to be at work. RWM has provided a team that never have time off, follow policies and procedures to the tee and do not need supervision once they have been trained. We are over the moon with the results of the RWM workforce so far. We can't ask for any more!,” said Nick.
Importantly, the success of the initial workforce has built strong confidence in the model. The timber client has since expanded the partnership, with seven additional PALM employees being mobilised across the two South Australian sites, along with a new third site receiving a further three employees – a clear signal of trust in both the workforce and the long term value of the PALM program.
