How our tech talent are embracing hybrid working

As we expand our technology hubs across the country, our people have been able to move away from big cities and embrace hybrid working. Discover how some of our tech talent have taken advantage of working from home most days whilst still using the office for collaboration and innovation. 

“The shift to hybrid working has had so many benefits. 

Moving up to Queensland and out of Sydney was about having the life I’d always dreamed about, balanced with working for an organisation that is part of the fabric of Australia.

The change in lifestyle has allowed me to focus more on my health. The time I would’ve spent commuting is now dedicated to increasing my time outdoors and improving my health and wellbeing. I’ve found this has reduced the burnout I’d often felt working and living in the big city.”

Suzi - Senior Manager, Corporate Strategy – Technology

“I recently relocated back to Australia from the US to take up the role of Group Practice Lead for Security Engineering. I feel like I've done my time in big cities and instead fancied a quieter life, so we decided to move to Bowral. 

Working for large international companies like Microsoft and LinkedIn, I've always successfully managed remote teams. I'll be travelling to Sydney at least once a month for a couple of days to collaborate with the team. 

I don't feel like my ability to make connections has suffered in a hybrid environment, one of my consistent morning rituals is to jump onto our chat to say good morning and engage with my team. 

Use humour.  Be trustful. Over communicate at first and ask for instant feedback - these things are key to successfully managing a team in a remote environment.”

Sasha - Group Practice Lead, Security Engineering

“I never felt nervous about asking my leader if I could make the move from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast.  

Leaders in our team care about the work getting done and not where you get it done from.  

There’s a strong level of trust with senior leaders especially now we’re looking to expand our engineering teams to other major cities.  

I plan to fly to Sydney and connect with the team every 6-8 weeks.  I’ll also work from our Brisbane office once in a while so I can remain connected to other tech teams in between visits to Sydney”

Claire - Senior Manager, Engineering Performance

“I moved down to the South Coast fulfilling a lifelong dream of living near the beach and being closer to nature.  I’m an amateur mountain biker and where I live now has some of the best trails in the country. 

Not having to do the long commute has meant I'm around for school drop off and can spend more time with my two kids. I've also been able to start coaching our U8 soccer team and give back to my community.

Every Monday morning, my team and I kick off with a virtual chat about our weekend and our focus for the week. This helps us stay connected and ensures we have time for non-work related catch-ups. Moving forward, I see us continuing with hybrid working, mostly working from home and using the office for co-ordinated opportunities and experiences.”

Dwayne - Group Practice Lead, Data Engineering

 “The shift to hybrid working was the catalyst for my family deciding to move out of Sydney, which we’ve wanted to do for some time. We relocated to the Central Coast where we have so much more space and are lucky enough to be close to the beach. 

I’ve swapped out commuting with having breakfast with my two boys, helping them get ready for school and simply spending quality time with them in the morning.  

The extra time also allows me to practice yoga on a daily basis. When you consider those two things, you can see how much of a positive impact it’s had on my life.”

Andy - Executive Manager, Continuous Delivery Technologies