Ray White Corporate go further together

In the midst of lockdowns in 2021, the team at Ray White Corporate made it their mission to bring the team Together.

18 months later and after countless physical and mental health and wellbeing initiatives, the Ray White corporate teams across Australia and New Zealand are feeling more ‘together’ than ever.

The pioneer behind the Together initiative Samantha White believes that it is only the first step.

“We knew we needed to make wellbeing a top priority for the group during the pandemic, taking inspiration from brilliant organisations such as R U OK? and the Black Dog Institute,” she said.

“While we are a big group, we have always been focused on remaining very much a family business with family values, so we needed our people to know that we genuinely care and have avenues for assistance.”

That is how Together was born. The initiative took a three-pronged approach to wellbeing; mental, physical and social.

Mental Health First Aid

Samantha completed mental health first aid training herself with Kim Huckerby at MHFA (Mental Health First Aid®), which became the catalyst for what would eventually become the Together initiative.

“Knowing that we couldn’t take this responsibility lightly, we had to engage the service of experts who are highly qualified and skilled in mental health training.

“We began to roll out the mental health first aid training to our leadership team across the group, and also implemented an Employee Assistance Program,” she said.

There are now more than 90 Ray White corporate employees who are accredited in mental health first aid, and that number continues to grow as new employees join.

The group has also recently been awarded Mental Health First Aid® Skilled Workplace Recognition.

The award celebrates organisations across Australia who invest in developing mental health skills in their people and who show strong commitment to embedding the training in their culture through senior leadership support, relevant policies and continuous improvement.

“The goal of the Together initiative has been to protect, support and create a culture that focuses on the wellbeing of our people, particularly in the wake of the pandemic which was an isolating time,” Samantha said.

“We do this through encouraging team members to take responsibility for their own mental health and wellbeing by providing them with resources to do so. The program, aptly named ‘Together’ aims to join our corporate teams across Australia and New Zealand through initiatives aimed at empowering each other and themselves.”

Online and in-person interaction

Another major driver for the initiative was to move away from teams being ‘siloed’ and get people interacting across Australia and New Zealand, no matter the job type or location or lockdown status.

The first step was introducing an online platform, a comprehensive resource hub, integrating the various communities, and allowing connection and collaboration for the 300+ Ray White corporate team members.

Specific interest groups for employees began to pop up; those interested in travel, food, fitness, dogs, and even ‘plant parents’ all had a place to interact in.

“It was important this program was for our people, by our people and so we asked for volunteers who became our ‘Together Champions’ in each state, who worked on implementing initiatives including Mental Health First Aid, charity drives, social and tenure events and physical challenges,” she said.

Various other initiatives included mental health week activities, morning teas, yoga and pilates, remedial massage therapy in the office, a Red Cross blood donation drive, and recognition events.

Fitness challenges

The initiative became not only about mental health, but also about physical and financial wellbeing, as well as the opportunity for our people to give back to the community.

“We engaged the services of a fitness company who run multiple health and fitness challenges and provide nutritional advice for our entire corporate team,” she said.

“Our fitness challenges focus on the personal physical health of our people and it promotes our social connectedness across our six corporate offices, across both countries. With travel restrictions, lockdowns and state lockouts it was paramount to keep our people connected.

“Fit for Floods and Steptember enabled all of us to engage, keep fit and give back to those in need. It’s a ‘triple’ feel good!”

More than 180 corporate team members participated across Fit for Floods and Steptember, and $10,000 was donated to the national flood appeal.

Fitness sessions are now built into all conferences and team offsites; everything from group walks, breathwork sessions to an 80s themed aerobic workout.

What’s next for Together?

The success of the Together program so far has been measured by the gradual increase in platform engagement and challenge participation, which has grown exponentially and organically.

“Our goal is to roll out a framework and playbook to our Ray White franchises, who can then implement their own version of Together into their workplaces,” Samantha said.

“We are very proud of the progress that has been made this year, and while we still have some way to go, we are not letting perfection get in the way of progress,” she said.

“We’re genuinely thrilled at the difference we have been able to make, and there is nothing more rewarding than seeing people thriving and getting involved in something bigger.”

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​Media Contacts:

Samantha White
Ray White Group
samanthawhite@raywhite.com

Nina Clarke
Ray White Media Team
nclarke@raywhite.com
0448 841 606 - please get in touch for interview requests