At the Seville Mercy Conference Centre (Seville) inclusion and diversity are two very important factors that contribute to their success.
Rod Cole-Clarke is the Manager of Seville and has witnessed firsthand the power of having an inclusive and diverse work environment.
For Rod inclusion means everyone being able to have a go. He is passionate about ensuring that his staff come from a wide range of backgrounds, education standards, work experiences and life experiences.
“The benefits are great from having a diverse and inclusive workplace. All of us have great life experiences that we can put into practice in our workplace. In my opinion, the more diverse the workplace is, the more robust and productive the workplace becomes,” said Rod.
It is this enthusiasm for inclusive and diverse hiring that led to Tyrone Rossbach landing a job at Seville.
Tyrone is on the Asperger’s Spectrum and finds it difficult to easily communicate with others. He came to EPIC Assist (EPIC) Cairns to access extra support finding employment and build his skills.
“The wonderful staff at EPIC have been with me from the very beginning. They provided me with academic and work-related support and helped me finish my Cert III in Visual Art at TAFE,” said Tyrone.
“I cannot speak highly enough of Narelle, Trudy and Tracey from the EPIC Cairns office.”
In July 2021, Tyrone succeeded in getting a position at Seville as a Guest Services Officer.
“When I got the job, I was both excited and nervous. I was keen to learn new skills and help them out.”
Although Rod had no reservations about hiring someone with a disability, he did have some questions about the correct process to follow. EPIC Employment Consultant, Trudy, was there to answer all of Rod’s questions, explain the process and offer support in any way she could.
“Working with EPIC is a simple process with great rewards for both the employee and employer. I encourage all other businesses to give it a go. They won’t be disappointed,” said Rod.
Tyrone’s role at the Seville includes a wide range of tasks including welcoming and assisting guests, preparing guest rooms and conference rooms, cleaning bathrooms and food service areas and maintaining the storeroom.
For Tyrone, the best part of working at the Seville is the social interactions.
“I like going to work at Seville because all the staff are friendly and helpful. The guests are also lovely to talk to. Every day is something new. I learn from these experiences and social interactions.” said Tyrone.
Although Tyrone has some short-term cognitive issues, he knows what works best for him to learn a new task.
“If tasks are explained clearly, written down and repeated then I can achieve anything asked of me,” said Tyrone.
Rod developed a checklist for Tyrone to help him remember what he must do to complete his tasks. This checklist ended up being incredibly helpful for all new staff. It is now used in all their onboarding training.
Even though Tyrone is thriving in his role the EPIC Cairns team regularly check-in to ensure both Tyrone and Rod are happy. The team are also helping Tyrone continue to upskill by looking at potential TAFE courses to undertake in 2022.
Tyrone is looking forward to furthering his career. He has a goal to work at a large hotel or as an orderly at a hospital.
If you are looking at making inclusive and diverse hiring a priority, contact EPIC today. We take time to understand your business’s needs and connect you with hardworking employees like Tyrone.
