nbn’s goal is simple: to design, build, and help deliver fast internet access to millions of homes and businesses across Australia. It’s one of Australia’s largest-ever technology infrastructure projects – but it’s about far more than speedy broadband! It’s about connecting people and creating new opportunities for growth – from education, healthcare, innovation, and entertainment to opening new possibilities for under-represented communities.
And where better to start promoting these aims than in the nbn workplace itself?
We spoke with Christina Hall, who has been with nbn for almost a decade and is now the General Manager for Data and Analytics. She shared the ways nbn has helped her expand her own network, grow her career, and how nbn is celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Q: Tell us about your role, Christina!
A: As a Business Partner for the Corporate Portfolio within the Chief Data Office, my team provides data, analytics, and reporting services to areas right across nbn – including Finance, People and Culture, Corporate Affairs, and Strategic Services.
I am also proud to be the co-chair of nbn Equals. The group harnesses the power of the nbn employee network to champion Gender Equality through advocacy, events, and community partnerships. (More on that later!)
Q: You’ve been with nbn for an impressive nine years. In that time, how do you feel nbn has supported you in your career growth to your current role?
A: One of the best things about working at nbn is the range of roles and opportunities across the company. There is ample opportunity to move across business units, and as a result, I have held a variety of positions. I’ve also had some fantastic training in areas such as inclusive leadership, strategic thinking, and enterprise agility.
When I joined nbn, my first impressions were that it would be a dynamic company with significant opportunity to grow and develop – and it has been!
Q: Are there any other additional ways that you feel nbn has helped you, personally, shape the career you want?
A: As a parent, the flexibility at nbn has meant a great deal to me. Not only do I have a flexible working agreement, but I can tailor my hours when needed so I don’t miss important milestones and the children’s school sport.
Through gender targets, mentoring, and networking, nbn is fully committed to gender balance so that everyone can have the opportunity to thrive.
Find out more about this and their other impressive benefits and policies.
Q: Can you think of a specific moment you knew you’d made the right decision to join the team at nbn?
A: Just two months into my role, I was given the opportunity to be part of a cross-functional project that took me out of my core role for six weeks. My immediate thought was that I wouldn’t have enough experience, but I soon realized that it was diversity of thought that was being asked for – and I knew right then that I wanted to work for people with that mindset. The project really stretched me from a development point of view and I also made some great connections, which I still keep in contact with today.
Q: It can be difficult for some people – especially under-represented groups – to feel like their voice is being heard. How does nbn encourage diversity of thought day-to-day?
A: At nbn, our core company values are We Care, We are Fearless, We are One Team, and We Deliver. They are the same values that I hold myself to. These values help create an environment where people can feel safe to be fearless in their approach, and where they feel that their differences are appreciated in the workplace.
Q: It sounds as though nbn is really championing inclusivity. Circling back to your role as the co-chair of Equals, can you tell us about some other ways nbn promotes DEI?
A: nbn’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is outstanding. We have strong executive sponsorship and an action-orientated volunteer committee and network dedicated to gender equity, First Peoples, LGBQT+, accessibility, and cultural diversity.
I love the sharing of ideas that occurs across the different networks, looking for points of intersectionality, and supporting each other’s plans to raise awareness and support inclusivity.
As well as the official groups, we also celebrate our milestones and diversity more informally too. Recently, many people celebrated Diwali with some amazing traditional cuisine and dishes. I love that people at nbn are open to sharing their culture, milestones, and family moments so that we can celebrate alongside them.
Q: How does nbn’s mission to make fast internet more accessible tie-in to the company values around inclusivity?
A: Improved connectivity for metro, regional, and rural Australia will provide a more equal playing field for businesses, education, and healthcare, making such a difference to millions of people’s lives.
When I joined the company, while I understood that nbn was embarking on the nation’s biggest infrastructure project, what I didn’t realize was how passionate everyone would be about the task ahead, and the impact it would have on communities.
Our purpose of lifting the digital capability of Australia makes everything we do here feel meaningful. Being at the nbn you know your work is fundamentally supporting the future of how we work and live in Australia, and it all starts with the ways nbn is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
If you want to play a part in building one of Australia’s biggest technical infrastructure projects, and help open up opportunities to rural and underrepresented communities, start your connection with nbn today.
