TAFE SA

TAFE is a government-funded system in Australia that helps people gain practical, job-ready skills. As South Australia's largest vocational education and training provider, TAFE SA plays a leading role in that effort. 

For Christine Inkster, Manager of Student Engagement and Customer Service, her focus has been on building stronger teams and better leaders across the organisation.  Let’s hear what she has to say in her own words. 

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Before Teamgage 

We’ve got 22 campuses across the state, with a mix of full-time, part-time, casual and temporary staff. That can make it hard to really keep your finger on the pulse of how people are feeling at any one time. 

That became even more challenging during a period of significant change. I knew it hadn’t been easy for our people to find ways to give open, unprompted feedback when they needed to. 

And while we had an annual survey, by the time the results were gathered, analysed and shared, there was always a concern that the feedback was already out of date. That made it hard to take meaningful action with full confidence. 

So I was looking for a solution where staff:

• knew their insights were welcome at any time 
• could respond safely, securely and anonymously 
• would offer insights into areas they could actually influence 
• help shape solutions and action plans alongside management 

All of this was about moving beyond the usual survey frustrations and creating something that truly worked. 

Choosing Teamgage 

It quickly became clear that a pulse survey would be a great fit for us. I’d used Teamgage in a previous role and found the platform incredibly useful, especially the real-time visibility it gave us while staff were working remotely during the pandemic. 

As it turned out, others at TAFE SA were thinking the same thing, as a Teamgage pilot was already about to begin! With the decision made and knowing first-hand the impact it could have, I was able to take a leading role in building positive energy around our pilot.  

I framed it as a chance for us to shape how Teamgage would work in our organisation and to help our team leaders gain real insights from their staff, so they could have those courageous conversations, in a safe and constructive way. 

Our question set 

Across TAFE SA we decided to use the same question set and there’s actually a few questions that stand out for me. 

The first is a question I love around Collaboration, which was already a big strategic focus for my own team leader group, as I was brought in to create a centralised service delivery model.  

My goal was to reduce siloed teams and encourage more cross-skilling, for example, getting our Hub staff trained to take calls. So getting regular data and feedback on how we’re collaborating together has been incredibly helpful. 

Another question I love is around Energy and this one’s been especially insightful. Although we expect our energy scores to dip during peak periods, recently our Teamgage results have shown more staff reporting low energy for reasons outside of work.  

It’s opened the door to some really valuable conversations about wellbeing, that I might not have had otherwise. It’s also given me the opportunity to step in as a leader and offer support using the tools and resources we have available here at TAFE SA. 

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Taking action 

We know that feedback without follow-up goes nowhere. That’s why we’ve made it a priority at TAFE SA to act on what we hear through Teamgage and it’s made a real difference. 

Sometimes those actions are simple. One idea from the team was to create QR-coded info cards for the student hub. It was quick to implement and sent a clear message that we listen and act. 

Other times, it’s more complex. After a leadership change, one team’s results in Teamgage showed they were disengaged. I asked their new leader to rebuild trust, but first we needed to understand what was holding them back. For example, one big issue was they couldn’t all meet together at the same time because they had to cover the phones. The leader found a way to fix this, helping the team feel heard and supported. 

This practical, action-focused approach works so well and our team leaders have been able to turn around challenging cultures by saying  “Let’s look at our results, break them down and fix it.” 

Sharing best practice 

At TAFE SA we’re always looking to improve. With that in mind, we’ve been eager to share best practice whenever we can. For example, one Team Leader recently presented to the leadership group how they’re using Teamgage in a positive way with their team, passing on valuable experience and insights.  

We know it’s important to build some initial buzz around Teamgage, but keeping that energy going is just as crucial. This is just one way we make sure Teamgage stays front and centre for everyone. 

Helping senior leaders 

As a senior leader, I use Teamgage regularly within my own leadership team and love to keep an eye on our real-time results. With a lot of change happening across the organisation right now, I need my team leaders on board to help communicate and support their teams. 

With that in mind, I expected to see a dip in this month’s results and I did. That confirmed my intuition on how the change was affecting people, but having the data gave me a clear way to start honest conversations with my team. 

The data can also be used to open up conversations in other ways too. Sometimes you can sense that a team or a team leader might be struggling, but bringing it up directly can feel awkward or accusatory. With the data from Teamgage, you have concrete feedback to guide the conversation enabling you to say, “Here’s what the employee insights are telling us, how can I help?” 

This makes the conversation less emotional and much more open, comfortable and productive. 

Helping staff 

I think overall, using Teamgage shows that we genuinely value our staff, their experience and their knowledge.  

They’re the ones hearing directly from our customers, so it’s about giving them a safe way to speak up, showing that we’re listening and opening up conversations to improve. 

Of course there are times when, even with staff feedback, we still have to go in a certain direction because it’s what the customer needs. That’s not always easy. But it’s about providing context and showing that we care about what staff have to say. 

Testimonial 

“It’s hard to put into words just how much I value Teamgage. 

With other tools, I either wasn’t hearing much at all, or I was only hearing from the same voices. But with Teamgage, I get visibility into how staff are going, how our changes are landing and the impact our investment into leadership is having on our team culture. 

At TAFE SA, we’ve got a strong focus on building up our leadership groups to better support our people and Teamgage has been a big part of making that happen.  

I honestly can’t speak more highly of it.” 

Christine Inkster 

Manager of Student Engagement and Customer Service

TAFE SA 

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