Three years ago, Fraser Coast Regional Council was facing familiar challenges: rising workloads, patchy engagement, and growing psychosocial risks. Today, it’s a different story. Staff engagement has doubled, psychological injuries have dropped, and turnover is down by nearly a third.
At the heart of that transformation is Holly McBride, Executive Manager of People, Safety & Wellbeing, who will share Fraser Coast’s journey at an upcoming webinar on July 22.
McBride and her team partnered with Gallup in 2022 to reboot their people strategy using the Q12 engagement tool, a strengths-based coaching model, and a new emphasis on listening at all levels.
“We didn’t need a dozen new policies,” she says.
“We needed trust, better conversations, and leadership that people could believe in.”
The approach was practical and people-focused. Managers received support to hold regular one-on-one conversations, use feedback effectively, and model the council’s TRAITS values – Trust, Respect, Accountability, Initiative, Teamwork and Service. A peer learning group helped managers share challenges and successes.
By embedding psychosocial safety training within broader engagement efforts, Fraser Coast avoided siloed or compliance-only approaches. Instead, culture became the frame for all other work.
Engagement has soared from 24 to 48 per cent. Actively disengaged staff have dropped significantly. Sick leave, compensation claims and psychological injury rates have all improved.
“We focused on simple, sustainable changes that fit our people,” McBride says.
“That’s what makes them stick.”
Joining McBride in the webinar are Woollahra GM Craig Swift-McNair, Gallup APAC MD Claire de Carteret, and moderator Tim Hall from Council Magazine. Together, they will unpack what it takes to strengthen culture in local government – and how to get started.
Register here to learn how Fraser Coast made it happen – and what you can do next.
