How CGC's culture helped Kirstin build a career from New Zealand

When Kirstin Tye needed to relocate to New Zealand just four months after joining CGC, she expected it might affect her career. Instead, the business backed her move, supported her remote working arrangement and later promoted her. Today, as People and Admin Coordinator, Kirstin is helping create the same positive employee experience that first attracted her to the business.

Why CGC’s workplace culture stood out

Before she joined the business, Kirstin worked in corporate travel management. She said it was clear during the CGC recruitment process that the business offered a supportive culture where people were trusted, valued and encouraged to grow.

Kirstin added: “It was something I wanted to be part of. I was also impressed by the way the business gives back to the community. This involves providing scholarships, making charitable donations and participating in community engagement work.”

Building a career while working remotely from New Zealand

Having joined CGC as a senior business administrator supporting day-to-day operations, Kirstin took on additional responsibilities in people, culture and business support as she became more familiar with the business.

She said: “I had only been with CGC for four months when I needed to move home to New Zealand. The team was adamant I could do my role remotely and said it would support me. For me, this was huge, and its trust in me was further demonstrated when I was promoted to my current position despite living in another country.

“Through regular check-ins, flexibility and open communication channels, the team has ensured I feel connected and engaged. I have been able to be at my best while balancing personal commitments and have never felt that working remotely has limited my ability to contribute or progress at CGC.”

Supporting employees across CGC

Kirstin supports employees and leaders across all CGC offices, including in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Townsville and Melbourne. Her role is highly varied and involves working closely with CGC’s executive leadership team, managers and employees throughout the business.

One of the most important aspects of Kirstin’s role is to help create a positive employee experience. This involves looking at everything from recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, policy development, performance and development processes, remuneration reviews, employee engagement initiatives and HR compliance.

Kirstin said: “Working with people at all levels requires strong communication and relationship-building skills. I also need to be organised, adaptable and able to manage multiple priorities at once.

“Perhaps most importantly, I need to be approachable, maintain confidentiality and genuinely care about supporting employees while balancing the needs of the business.

“When employees feel valued, supported and connected to their workplace, they are more engaged, motivated and committed to achieving positive outcomes. A strong culture also helps attract and retain talented people, encourages collaboration and contributes to employee wellbeing.

“Creating a positive workplace culture isn’t just about employee satisfaction – it’s also critical to long-term business success. Organisations that invest in their people are better positioned to grow, innovate and deliver exceptional results for their clients.”

How feedback is shaping positive employee experience

As part of her role, Kirstin coordinates a range of business initiatives, policies, compliance activities and people programmes that help ensure the business provides a positive employee experience across all locations.

Some examples of initiatives Kirstin has implemented at CGC include the Living the Values recognition programme. This employee recognition programme celebrates team members who consistently demonstrate company values in their work and interactions with others.

Employees can nominate their peers, and nominations are reviewed each quarter, recognising the behaviours that make CGC a great place to work.

Kirstin added: “More recently, I have been involved in developing our Employee Value Proposition, known as The CGC Experience. This project involved extensive employee engagement through surveys, focus groups and leadership workshops to better understand what our people value most about working at CGC and where we could continue to improve.

“One of the most rewarding parts of the project has been seeing employee feedback translated into action. For example, we are now formalising our Benefits and Wellbeing Programme. This has involved us looking at everything from wellbeing offerings, additional leave flexibility, increased focus on learning and development opportunities, and strengthening communication around employee recognition and career development in detail.

“The proposition has helped ensure that employees have a genuine voice in shaping the future employee experience at the business.”