Data#3's recognition as an Australian Employer of Choice is more of a by-product of our continuous efforts to improve our employee experience than an achievement we set out to win. We are proud to create and maintain an environment where our employees feel supported and included, and this recognition only spurs us on to continue our efforts.

Data#3's positive work culture has evolved as our business has matured. While we have never been in a position of needing to "fix" our culture, there is always room for improvement. As a result, we seek to enhance our corporate culture continually; tweaking things all the time. To do this in recent years, we have adopted a more targeted approach.

Every year during our strategy planning process, the business sets specific, people-focused goals to ensure that our employees stay at the forefront of our decisions. When setting the direction for the company, the strategy team aims to balance the needs of people and business, ensuring the two sets of goals align and complement each other. These objectives are placed directly into the performance plans for our executive team to maintain momentum on our strategic goals. They are then cascaded down throughout the rest of the management team to ensure that everyone's individual and team goals align to drive both our business and people performance.

Data#3 has a long history of listening to and acting on the thoughts of its people, and we try to make data-driven decisions that address the issues that matter to them most. To do this, we ask staff to participate in an annual engagement survey, seeking their constructive feedback on the organisation. This survey assesses various elements across organisational culture, work environment and resources, commercial solutions, company communication and teamwork, management, and overall satisfaction. The feedback provided through this platform is taken seriously with various employee-focused programs being borne from the commentary including our Health and Wellbeing program (shortlisted for the best program category at the 2019 Australian HR Awards), our Corporate Social Responsibility (SOUL) program, and our Leadership Development program, Lead with HEART. We don't just listen to our staff; we also draw upon the advice of our customers and vendor partners throughout the year via multiple feedback mechanisms.

One thing we believe sets Data#3 apart is our commitment to our organisational values: Honesty, Excellence, Agility, Respect and Teamwork. These values are visible and tangible to our people and our customers. We are a company with HEART; we work and lead with HEART. Whether in our open, transparent communication, our ongoing individual and organisational investment or the tenacity of our people to continuously go above-and-beyond, our values are pervasive, and they're the lynchpin of our continued success.

It's easy to see the results of our team's endless efforts to maintain and enhance a positive work culture. We see reductions in our annual turnover, continually improving employee engagement and customer satisfaction, as well as ever-increasing commercial success. Our employees are the heart and soul of our business and creating a leading working environment ensures positive outcomes for all involved. These initiatives enable Data#3 to live and breathe the company's vision, which is to harness the power of people and technology for a better future.