Retail Drinks Australia appoints HR advisor

Retail Drinks Australia has announced the appointment of Rachel Coghlan to the newly created role of HR Adviser.

Commencing this week, Rachel will be responsible for assisting Retail Drinks members with all relevant staff and HR-related matters including wage rate information, recruitment, employment contracts, managing high performing and low performing employees, staff entitlements and occupational health and safety.

Prior to joining Retail Drinks, Rachel was employed for six years at Accolade Wines where she worked as an HR Business Partner for the business’ commercial arm in the Asia-Pacific region.

Retail Drinks CEO Julie Ryan said that the creation of the role and Rachel’s appointment was an important step in expanding Retail Drinks’ member services offering and would greatly assist members in managing their staff more effectively.

“The creation of a dedicated, in-house HR service is a critical component of Retail Drinks’ expanded member services offering and we are delighted to confirm Rachel’s appointment to the HR Adviser role.

“This service will be of enormous value and benefit to our members who will now be able to access tailored, on-demand advice on the full range of staffing and HR-related issues affecting their businesses.”

Ryan also stated that the new HR service would not only provide members with specific advice on common staffing-related enquiries but would also help members in formulating wider HR strategies within their businesses.

“Retail Drinks is acutely aware of the importance of equipping members with the information and tools they need to manage specific staffing-related issues as they arise but also ensuring that their workplace environment is one where HR issues are less likely to arise in the first place.

“Whilst having effective HR and staff management strategies in place is a fundamental aspect in the success of any business, this is particularly the case for liquor retailers given the face-to-face nature of transactions and the role of staff in ensuring a positive customer experience.

“The cost of having poorly managed staff can be crippling for businesses, with higher staff turnover, lost productivity, lower staff morale and higher levels of absenteeism all potential consequences for business owners with ineffective HR strategies in place.

“It has been previously estimated that absenteeism alone costs the Australian economy $22 billion a year, with the cost of presenteeism estimated to be even greater at almost $26 billion.

“Whilst there are huge costs to having poorly managed staff, conversely, there are significant benefits for business owners who do put in the right amount of time and effort into managing their staff.

“One of the key benefits of having effective staff management and HR strategies in place is fostering a positive and productive work environment where everyone is motivated to put in the maximum amount of effort to help a business achieve its goals.

“Ensuring that Retail Drinks members have the ability to achieve this is the exact purpose of our new HR service,” Ryan said.

Retail Drinks members can access the HR service from today by calling the dedicated hotline on 1300 451 213.