Ellie Cole's Couch - Red transcript

Red: The broader the spectrum of people that you get to work with, you learn so much more. It's just invigorating and it's enriching.

I'm Red and I have worked for Compass Group Australia for, going on to four months now. I am the unit manager for Air New Zealand Lounge at the Perth International Airport.

Ellie: Tell me about the relationship between the Compass Group and APM. Do you know when that journey and that partnership began?

Red: I know when it started for me, obviously. I have a fantastic key accounts manager and Elizabeth is her name, and she spoke incredibly highly of Austin.

Ellie: Austin at APM - the famous Austin!

Red: He definitely is famous! And Elizabeth is quite a dynamic and energetic individual and really positive. And so when she recommended meeting Austin, I was like, “OK, I want a piece of that action.”

Ellie: So back when Elizabeth spoke to you about Austin at APM, what was the, I suppose the trigger for that conversation to happen? Were you looking for people with disabilities to join your team? Were you looking to, I suppose, capitalise on the value of diversity and inclusion that you already of within your organisation? What was the trigger that made you speak to Elizabeth about APM?

Red: APM was another avenue that Elizabeth just couldn't stop raving about. We just talked about what APM can do, how it can reach out, how it can support the people industry that I'm in and how we could help each other. It's fantastic to be able to have options and really embrace diversity because I think that if you can do that, sometimes it can be challenging, but I think that you get a better outcome. It's a more rewarding outcome.

So, we were really looking to increase the pool of recruitment, for recruitment. I just could see the benefits straight away and instantly, within a couple of hours after getting off the telephone, he started sending me through a couple of really fantastic candidates. Instantly I landed three individuals that help me within the Lounge and also with our new hosting contract.

Ellie: You mentioned before that you had to navigate when you were a little bit younger territory around disability or language. A lot of people feel really uncomfortable around language with disability or saying or doing the wrong thing, so afraid to offend. But, you've been very fortunate to have the support of APM to help you navigate yourself through that journey.

Has there ever been a moment throughout this process where you have been afraid to say or do the wrong thing when employing someone with a disability? And what advice would you give to other organisations who are thinking about stepping into the space of employing someone with a disability?

Red: Keep it honest, transparent and clear so that if there's ever a point that you're not sure about, the door is always open, we need to have a conversation, clear the air, and make sure that we get back on track really quickly.

I think you also need to be tolerant as well. You need to sometimes stop and remember that not everyone is the same. And most people that you employ, if you employ them the right way and you do your due diligence and you ask the right questions at the beginning, you're going to hire people that have good hearts. I always think that people that have good hearts are the right people for your team.

Ellie: For other organisations that would like to employ people with disabilities, I'm sure you have some advice for them.

Red: I think it's absolutely open your doors. I don't think there's anything to lose at all. I think there's everything to gain. The broader the spectrum of people that you get to work with, you learn so much more. It's just invigorating and it's enriching. I can't advocate it enough.