How a leading health service provider is making its pitch to Gen Z workers
Recruiting and retaining staff is not easy for any organisation and in Australia's booming health services sector, high demand for staff can make it tough for employers.
It's a challenge well known to one of Australia's largest home care providers, Calvary Care, who say they have had to work had to stand out from the crowd, particularly when it come to to recruiting Gen Z employees.
“We’re no longer just against other healthcare providers to try and attract talent – we’re also against the private sector, as well as faith-based organisations. People are spoilt for choice where they can work," Adrian Spadafora, National Manager of Learning and Organisational Development at Calvary Care, told HRD.
Spadafora says they've had to particularly focus on appealing to Generation Z workers because of their voice is now more important than ever on what makes a good employer.
The organisation's efforts have been rewarded, being named as the top employer in Randstad's 2025 Employer Brand Research, in which seven of the top ten companies were ranked highest by Gen Z, opposed to just one last year.
“Gen Z isn’t just redefining what makes an employer attractive, they’re accelerating the pace at which the workforce moves to find what they want,” the findings state.
The research noted Calvary Care's commitment to equity, strong reputations and opportunities for career progression – all things deemed important by Gen Z.
Preferences in what workers now expect from their employer point to a broader generational pivot: employees want their workplaces to reflect their values, not just reward their output.
“The bells and whistles of what you think employees want are great, but I think the most important thing is making people feel welcome. Gen Z want to feel like they have a purpose,” Spadafora said.
“It’s so important to ensure you have a strong cultural foundation,” he added, “Treating it more than something that just sticks on the wall or looks good in adverts – you need to show that caring nature through the entire lifecycle.”
Ensuring value sits at the forefront of an organization like Calvary Care, Spadafora outlined, is key in grounding employees in their goals - creating a strong EVP.
As a charitable, catholic, not-for-profit organisation, Spadafora highlighted how important it is to make sure the business and workers are aligned in their mission, especially working in the care sector.
“The work we do is grounded in attracting people based on the value of hospitality, healing, stewardship and respect – our four key values. It’s important to stay grounded in those missions and not dilute that.”
“You attract those that have the same fundamental beliefs as you – so you don’t need to change that [EVP] to fit in or try and recruit better, your EVP is unique to you. Keep it simple and make sure you live and breathe it,” Spadafora added.
