National Group gears up for major recruitment campaign

New recruit Paulina Wajda is helping lead the company’s talent acquisition strategy.

Paulina Wajda is drawing on her experience in talent acquisition for some of Australia’s largest employers to help drive the biggest talent acquisition campaign in National Group’s history.

In early 2024, Paulina joined National Group as a Talent Acquisition Partner. Together with Scott Tobin- National Group Recruitment Officer, Paulina is on track to double in size headcount in the next few years.

Paulina was previously Talent Acquisition Lead (Digital & Technology) at Virgin Australia. She also contracted for Woolworths Group – Australia’s largest employer and led their Digital portfolio.

“It’s an exciting time to work in recruitment for National Group,” says Paulina. “The company is rapidly expanding its workforce and streamlining its systems to make it easier and faster for people to apply for jobs here.”

National Group expects to more than double the size of its workforce over the next few years, in response to contract extensions and awards, and because of organic growth within the National Group of companies.

Paulina’s experience of recruitment systems for large employers is an asset. “Big companies with high-volume recruitment programs need exceptional processes and systems,” she says. “Recruitment has to be as efficient and seamless as possible – for job applicants and for employers.”

The mining services sector, in particular, needs robust recruitment systems. “A lot of people who work shift work don’t have time during the day to print off, read and sign long application forms,” says Paulina. “Understandably, they say they’ll look at the form on their weekend. That means lost time and more admin for recruitment.”

A tight labour market in mining services is another challenge. “When you’re competing for top talent, job applications must be as easy as possible,” says Paulina. “If you’re relying on lengthy paper-based applications, you are already at a disadvantage compared to employers who have moved the process online. There is a limited pool of candidates who want to work at remote mine sites.”

Contract automation and simplification are a focus for Paulina. “We’re looking at ways to substantially reduce the length of our employment contracts and enable one-click authorisation for applicants, so that that everything is done online. The goal is shorter employment contracts that are easier and faster to read, but have all the required and important information.”

The goal, says Paulina, is for job applications in mining services to take minutes to complete via a smartphone or other device. “The application process should be simple, enjoyable and completely paperless. That’s what National Group is working towards as we ramp up our recruitment campaign this year.”

Workforce diversity

Diversity and inclusion is another focus for National Group’s recruitment campaign. Under Scott Tobin’s HR leadership, the company has recruited more apprentices, hired more women for roles at head office, workshops and mining sites, and greatly expanded its workforce.

“I want to help take that work to the next level,” says Paulina. “As National Group invests in its recruitment systems and expands its recruitment channels and partners, we expect to attract many more job applications. In such a candidate short market, it is important to focus on proactive search of talent and therefore we need the right tools to be able to compete with the largest companies in the industry.”

Born in Poland, Paulina joined National Group to gain experience in the mining sector. “I started my recruitment career in banking and then worked for a supermarket and an airline,” she says. “I liked the idea of developing skills and experience in mining services recruitment through National Group.”

The company’s position as a leading privately owned Queensland company was another attraction. “Having previously worked at large corporates, the opportunity to be a part of a smaller HR team at a mid-size company was a new challenge,” she says. “There’s a lot less bureaucracy and greater ability to change things.”

National Group’s status as a founder-led firm is an attraction for job candidates, says Paulina. “At National Group, you’re not a number in a giant company. People who join us feel valued and know they can contribute to a successful entrepreneurial company, and grow their career with National Group as it grows.”

• To learn more about career opportunities at National Group, visit www.nationalgroupjobs.com/Vacancies/