Teachers Credit Union

Teachers Credit Union (TCU) is one of the largest financial institutions within the Australian Mutual Banking sector and has been awarded ‘Employer of Choice for Women’ status by the EOWA consecutively since 2008.

In addition to this prestigious accolade, the Credit Union was also recognised in 2008 by Hewitt and Associates as one of nine ‘Best Employers in Australia and New Zealand’ and as ‘Employer of Choice’ (fewer than 1000 employees category) in the Australian HR Awards.

Also as part of the HR Awards, TCU was named a finalist for the ‘Best Health and Well-Being Strategy’ in 2009 due to their extensive work in offering their staff access to a range of programs to enhance work/life balance.

TCU’s strategies and programs aim to attract, develop, support and retain high performing employees by providing them with opportunities to achieve both personal and business success - particularly focusing on programs to engage their 70% strong female workforce. TCU is proud to boast one of the highest staff satisfaction and engagement scores in the country, averaging 86% for the past three years running.

Some of the key programs and initiatives on offer to TCU employees include access to a range of work/life balance options such as paid parental leave, flexible working hours, rostered days off, job sharing, part-time hours and working from home arrangements.

The Credit Union is also committed to the ongoing professional and career development of its current and future leaders through formal coaching/mentoring and stretch opportunities as part of an in-house Talent Management Program, as well as access to broad-based external training and networking opportunities such as WLA’s annual Women’s Leadership Symposium.

TCU’s success has not been without its challenges, as up until just a few short years ago it was not well known in the broader Financial Services industry, had turnover figures in the double digits and was struggling to fill certain specialist positions in an increasingly competitive marketplace. To overcome these hurdles, TCU recognised the need to formalise its Employee Value Proposition as well as develop an Employment Brand Strategy with the ultimate goal of becoming a recognised ‘Employer of Choice’.

To ensure its success, the branding strategy was aligned to the organisation’s corporate strategic plan and fully endorsed by TCU’s Board and progressive and visionary CEO – Steve James. This has further ensured that HR initiatives are taken seriously and are highly valued and supported throughout the organisation. Since embarking on the EOC journey, TCU has reaped the benefits of this rewarding and positive experience and continues to grow from strength to strength. Currently, turnover is less than 8% (industry average is 17%) and retention rates are at record highs with almost a third of the workforce having more than 10 years’ service.

TCU continues to evolve as an Employer of Choice by continuing to implement new and innovative practices, having clear and structured HR policies in place and by genuinely valuing its people.

www.teacherscreditunion.com.au

Carolyn Murphy
WA Regional Manager

Carolyn commenced employment as a Business Analyst with Teachers Credit Union in 2005 at the NSW head office to undertake the conversion to a new banking system. Following the conversion, she was appointed as a Projects Manager but left in 2007 to return to Western Australia. In 2008, when a new office was opened in WA, Carolyn was fortunate to be appointed the WA Regional Manager, which is her current position today. Carolyn is committed to building the business in WA, and providing the education community in her region with the products and services Teachers Credit Union is renowned for. Carolyn has credentials in Training and Assessing, ITIL and Prince 2, and is currently completing a Masters of Business & Technology (MBT) from the Australian School of Business, University of New South Wales.

Proudest experience
I am proud to work for an organisation who value their staff and know that happy staff = happy members. Further I am privileged to lead a team who pride themselves on delivering a high level of service to our members and uphold our promise of being More than a Bank.

Finding inspiration
My mother is my inspiration, and largely shaped who I am today. She taught me to look for the positive in everyone and everything.

Biggest challenge
Building our brand and member base in WA, whilst overcoming the obstacles of distance and time zones between us and our head office.

On the horizon
Moving from being operational to strategic and delivering the results our board are looking for in the WA market.