On behalf of all the past leaders that have contributed to Millar Merrigan’s business culture, making this a special place to work, I am proud to accept The Employer of Choice Awards for 2021. This is dedicated to our fantastic team, and we will continue to work hard to inspire better living for ourselves, our clients and the communities that we work with.
– Simon Merrigan, Millar Merrigan Managing Director
Every year, The Australian Business Awards recognises those organisations who develop their workplaces to maximise their workforce potential. It’s for those who take care to implement effective policies and practices for recruitment, engagement, and retention; and who demonstrate achievements in performance management, leadership & culture, safety & satisfaction, recognition & remuneration, training & development, as well as employee health and education.
This year, Millar Merrigan is both proud and humbled to announce it has been awarded the Employer of Choice Award for 2021. As a company that is committed to putting people first, we are delighted by our team’s willingness and motivation to build better lives for the customers we serve. This is our greatest success factor – and gaining the official recognition of the Australian Business Awards is simply a product of that.
Accepting the award this year was Simon Merrigan, Millar Merrigan Managing Director, in honour of his father Peter Merrigan, who founded the company in 1966.
Dedicating the award to his team, Simon wishes to acknowledge the hard work of all managers and employees over the past years – especially the resilience shown throughout COVID-19, as they continued to produce work to the highest degree. This, despite facing significant and unprecedented challenges brought on by an exceptionally volatile property market.
Special recognition must be given to Frances Makris-Baker, Millar Merrigan’s Human Resources Manager – and a key pioneer of the culture we have built.
What a time to be acknowledged as an Employer of Choice! Our culture is built on relationships and teamwork. The past 18 months have been a challenge and we can’t wait to be reunited for work and play.
- Frances Makris-Baker, Millar Merrigan’s Human Resources Manager
What does it mean to be an Employer of Choice?
Hosted on a yearly basis and part of The Australian Business Awards program, The Employer of Choice Awards recognises leading Australian organisations who promote a positive workplace and focus on nurturing their workforce through meaningful relationships, professional development, and competitive remuneration.
Employers from a variety of sectors and sizes can participate; and they are evaluated against a specific framework developed to measure management, performance, as well as stimulation and support within the workplace. This allows businesses to benchmark their work against those from other industries. This year, Millar Merrigan received the Award alongside ALDI Australia, Bank Australia, EY and the Carlton Football Club.
In other words, The Employer of Choice Awards is for industry-leading organisations who appreciate and invest in their staff – which is exactly what we aim to do at Millar Merrigan.
What is it like, working for and with Millar Merrigan?
Since its inception, Millar Merrigan has – and continues to be – a family business. We still pride ourselves on carrying the same family values today.
We value people; and we take great care in selecting those we choose to do business with – whether they be our staff, our partners, or our clients. As consultants, our success depends on the quality of our relationships, which is why we’ve worked hard to establish and nurture meaningful relationships over the course of 50-plus years.
It’s also one of the reasons we are committed to fostering a culture that rewards the work people do, and the outcomes they create. Just a few of those initiatives include:
- Wellbeing programs such as R U OK? Day presentations on the importance of speaking up, checking in, and being kind to yourself and others. In 2021, it was facilitated by Mitch McPherson, founder of Speak Up Stay ChatTY.
- Social events. As an example of our very busy social calendar, in 2021 we launched Millar Merrigan Virtual Olympics to celebrate the 2020 Tokyo Olympics debut and watch it together despite the Melbourne lockdown.
- An Employment Engagement Calendar, offering consistent and extensive professional development opportunities throughout the year such as the Emotional Intelligence and Influencing workshop. In 2021, it was facilitated by Ernie Schwartz, founder of a leadership development consultancy, Red Sky.
- Flexible working hours and locations, along with all the setup necessary to facilitate remote working.
- Profit-sharing and bonus schemes, with the possibility of acquiring holdings for long-tenure employees.
We know our staff are our greatest asset. And that by building a better life for our employees, we give them the tools to build better lives for our customers.
At the end of the day, that’s why we all show up to work. It’s why, at Millar Merrigan, we do what we do: to drive better living for more people.
Would you like to join the team? You can check out all openings on our career page or get in touch by submitting an enquiry.
