OES is a fast-growing organisation that is evolving to anticipate and innovate the future of edtech. To enable this growth, organisational development is critical, making sure the OES team and culture is positioned to achieve our goals.
Reporting to the Executive Director of Human Resources as part of the OES People Team, Amber oversees the delivery of our organisation design, engagement initiatives, leadership development and talent management. She is a key member of the dynamic team responsible for nurturing our most important asset – our people.
“Organisational development is about how OES feels and functions, for students and partners but most importantly as a place to work. A huge part of leading change is encouraging employee engagement and input,” Amber explains.
Identifying opportunities to improve and evolve
Meaningful change can only happen when feedback is encouraged at every level of the organisation, Amber says. She combines problem solving, design thinking and collaboration to question the status quo and test alternative approaches.
“My most important skill is listening and learning. I need to uncover the real problems that need to be solved and the areas that can be improved,” Amber explains.
“The People Team is so friendly and open. We share insights with a weekly stand-up, and we also have a monthly meeting where we invite different people from OES to share insights about their team and current initiatives. We always celebrate the wins.”
Clever campaigns
OES runs a program of innovative campaigns to ensure all OES team members feel recognised and appreciated, both as team members and individuals. Amber worked on the Grow and Develop program and the Praise your Peers campaign.
To help shape our Vision and Purpose Refresh, Amber implemented the Culture Amp platform to capture contributions from the entire OES team. “This was a major highlight for me and helped OES define its goals. There’s much more to come, which I am so excited about!”
Team goals
While her role is not student-centred, Amber keeps a sharp focus on OES’s end goal of supporting students to succeed.
“Student success starts with motivated, passionate and purpose-driven employees. My role is to support and evolve our experience and culture at OES, so we can continue to attract and retain the best people to drive student success.”
Collaboration and integrity help her execute this task. “Teamwork is key to every aspect of my role, from listening, creating, testing, and delivering,” she says. “Integrity plays out continuously through open and honest communication and feedback.”
Empowered to make an impact, Amber’s passion for her role demonstrates the OES culture.
“I feel lucky to be able to bring so much agility and innovation into this role with a focus on solutions and leading change. I’m super passionate about building an incredible workplace to set up our people for an exciting future at OES.”
