Waltja Tjutangku Palyapayi Aboriginal Corporation on managing staff

Many of Waltja Tjutangku Palyapayi Aboriginal Corporation’s long-term staff members worked and studied their way up from Indigenous traineeships into leadership positions.

Waltja has consistently committed funds and in-kind support for staff professional development since incorporation. All new staff undertake a 3-month probation with induction, training and supervision by a senior worker. This includes:

• self-appraisal
• supervisor appraisal
• probation review meeting between the CEO, supervisor and staff member.

The CEO and Executive Directors also conduct yearly performance appraisals with all staff. In these, staff identify training needs and future aspirations.¹Australian Indigenous Governance Institute and Reconciliation Australia, Voices of Our Success: Sharing the Stories and Analysis from the 2014 Indigenous Governance Awards (Sydney, 2016), 60. These processes make sure Waltja staff are performing at the best level possible, while also identifying any potential areas of improvement or growth in staff performance. This means that the local communities are getting the maximum benefit from staff members and the organisation as a whole.