Goodman Group 2021 Sustainability Report
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At Goodman, our people are our greatest asset. That’s why we foster a work culture of inclusivity and diversity. It’s why we focus on the wellbeing, health and safety of all our people and contractors, and why we prioritise business ethics and human rights in our global supply chain.

People and culture

To support Goodman’s flexible work culture, our people are equipped with the latest and most efficient technology.

Our retention is high due to programs such as the long-term employee equity plan, which gives our people a stake in the business. We prioritise the rewarding and advancing of our people’s careers, a focus on skills development and the provision of challenging work opportunities.

Our target is to reach 40% female senior management representation by 2030. This is being supported by succession planning, employee development and talent management. A key focus is on expanding the roles of senior women and increasing their direct involvement with large customers and investors.

Globally, more of our developments feature designs that support our customers’ wellbeing such as recreation facilities, breakout spaces, green areas and healthy dining options.

Material drivers of our strategy

Workplace safety
Group and regional leadership 
ESG performance targets 
Diversity and inclusiveness 
Promotion of the Goodman values
Social equity
Customer wellbeing
Target Progress UN SDG alignment
Safe working environment

Put a global safety framework in place that prioritises safety standards and the management of critical risk controls.

Rolled out safety training and contractor management procedures.

In FY21, four fatalities occurred on development projects under the control of our Principal Contractors. While Goodman is not responsible for the day-to-day management of works on these projects, we are committed to positively influencing and actively monitoring safety standards that either meet or exceed local requirements through our contractual arrangements.

Global supply chain ethics policy

Expanded our view of business ethics in our supply chain and we are developing an enforceable Code of Conduct including our commitments to human rights and to preventing modern slavery.

Further reviewed our supply chain in Australia to focus on high-risk sectors.

Gender ratio of 50/50, with 40% female senior executives by 2030

Reached a gender ratio of 44% female and 56% male, with 30% female senior executives.

100% of employees assessed as demonstrating Goodman’s values Concluded that 100% of employees are demonstrating or exceeding Goodman’s values.  

We are what we value

During the year we took time to refresh our values to further align them with our strategy. Some of the words might have changed but the spirit remains the same: Innovation, Determination, Integrity and Sustainability. These four values reflect not only who we are today, but who we want to be, long into the future.

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Health and wellbeing of our people

At Goodman, we embrace flexible work options.

We trust our people know when to collaborate with colleagues at the office and when to work from home or base themselves onsite with a client. Wherever they are, their productivity is facilitated by contemporary technology.

Good health includes good mental health. Through an expert external provider, Goodman offers complimentary coaching and counselling to people in some locations, and to their immediate family, through a confidential, easy-to-access program.

Managers are reminded to check in with their team members regularly and to help them to access the mental health support available through Goodman if it is needed.

An inspiring place to be

Our offices are designed for collaboration and teamwork. Over the past few years, many of Goodman’s global offices have been upgraded to focus on health, wellbeing, collaboration, connectivity and sustainability. Where possible, we encourage natural light and fresh air, natural materials and the visibility of plants or green zones to reduce stress and improve mental clarity. Several of our offices have touchless entry and features such as yoga rooms, gyms, multi-faith rooms and end-of-trip facilities.

Staying connected from home

In Australia, with COVID restrictions preventing onsite work, our teams were offered a health and wellbeing program while working from home. Built around remote working principles, it was centred on health, exercise and education. Activities included virtual cooking classes, circuit and strength training, pilates, guided meditation and yoga. The aim was to keep our people connected and motivated by maintaining crucial networks with colleagues.

Remote team-building activities, virtual events and regular communication ensured a sense of connection was maintained, in particular in Europe and the US where some employees worked remotely for around a year.

Human capital management

Our diversity is our strength 

When we sit at the conference table, collaborate online, or gather in breakout spaces, we each bring unique perspectives, experiences and culture. Our diversity is our strength. Diverse people foster a rich mix of differing views and ideas, all of which make Goodman better.

If team members feel they will not be heard equally because of their gender, race, sexual orientation, religious beliefs or any other reason, our success is undermined. Diversity is about much more than ticking boxes or hitting targets. It’s about genuine inclusion and culture. It’s about all of our people knowing that they belong at Goodman.

We have a collaborative workforce across 30 cities and we are fortunate to have a wealth of cultural diversity.

Our diversity policy supports:

  • Workplaces free of harassment or unlawful discrimination; 
  • Recruitment and promotion based on merit; 
  • Equal access to personal development, management skills and career opportunities; 
  • Cultural differences; 
  • The needs of individuals with family and carer responsibilities; 
  • Customers’ diversity and their expectations; 
  • An inclusive work environment where ideas and opinions are shared; 
  • A range of philanthropic channels for community contributions; and
  • Increased career advancement opportunities for women.

 

Building inclusive leadership 

We foster an environment where our people are confident to share ideas and different ways of thinking. A culture where everyone is empowered to pursue leadership.

Inclusive leadership is important at Goodman. It’s an opportunity to enrich our capabilities and we’re equipping our leaders with the skills to value inclusivity in their teams.

We are committed to lifting the representation of females within the senior executive category to 40% by 2030. In FY21, representation increased from 23% to 30% through targeted recruitment and providing female employees with significant career development where they contributed at a senior level.

With a global workforce of more than 900 employees and a relatively flat organisational structure, the assessment of what constitutes a senior role is subjective.

However, when evaluating if an employee should be categorised as a senior executive, we consider the:

  • Proximity of the employee on the Group’s organisational chart to the Group CEO or regional CEOs;
  • Scope of the role;
  • Potential commercial impact;
  • Accountability for risk factors; and
  • Total remuneration level. 

Goodman made good progress in lifting the representation of females in FY21, particularly in the Australian and Continental European businesses. Several female employees were given significantly more responsibility with major customers, investors or corporate activities, and were remunerated accordingly.

The (good) life

Employees with a greater work life balance are more positive and productive. To promote this balance, Goodman provides a range of activities to employees.

Engagement this year has been about building a sense of togetherness while we’ve all been working from home. In early 2021, more than 80% of employees responded favourably to a survey on alignment, involvement, collaboration, communication and leadership within the Group.

In Australia, employees have access to the (good) life program for structured fitness, health and recreation activities to nourish greater work life balance. The (good) life program focuses on:

the (social) life
the (healthy) life
the (balanced) life
the (energetic) life
the (informed) life
the (beneficial) life

Human capital and skills management 

Due to COVID restrictions, most learning in FY21 was delivered online. A comprehensive catalogue of LinkedIn learning content is available to Goodman employees via our global learning system, Aspire.

Aspire is the gateway to improved compliance, technical and management skills including negotiation and conflict resolution. This content is kept current and is a popular method of self-paced learning among our employees.

During FY21, Goodman’s global workforce completed 5,360 training events, including both internal and external courses. The most popular online modules were digital literacy, communication, personal coaching, business management and leadership.

Developing careers

Goodman backs the developing careers of its people in several ways.

We induct new employees with e-learning modules and one-on-one sessions during their early months at Goodman. During the year, in lieu of face-to-face contact, our team adapted to help new employees to integrate into the organisation as smoothly as possible.

During their careers, our people are offered incentives to do co-curricular studies. We offer education and study support schemes and, in some regions, annual allowances of up to AU$8,000. Meanwhile, employee development plans are reviewed each year with managers focusing on career aspirations and helping team members reach their goals with targeted training.

Leadership training is based on improving management skills, coaching, 360-degree feedback, and networking with peers across the business. Our annual talent reviews help us to understand which people are suitable for role progression, allowing us to identify succession opportunities and boost diverse leadership.

Monitoring our human resources 

Goodman’s human resources team monitors who is working for us, and how; as well as overseeing our global performance management process in place for our workforce.

We look at human capital metrics including gender representation, gender pay equity, remuneration, diversity, learning, turnover and absenteeism. Voluntary turnover across Goodman Group has been just below 6% for several years.

It is a Goodman priority to ensure equal fixed remuneration for employees who do similar work within the same region. Any differences in total remuneration, including long-term and short-term incentives, are based on performance. These performance-based incentives are a large portion of our remuneration. They are available to all Goodman employees and are linked to our business’ shared financial and operational performance.

Managing human capital risks 

Goodman is proactive about managing human capital risks.

We do background checks on all new employees and ongoing checks on employees deemed to be key personnel. Our code of conduct covers all employees and includes regular compliance training. In our regions, Goodman operates with global mandates to provide technical expertise and alignment across the Group. For example, the Group Technical Director, Group Insurance Manager and Group Safety Manager engage with our regional teams.

Pre-COVID, Goodman’s Group Head of HR would visit our key operating regions annually to engage with local teams and executives on performance reviews, recruitment strategies, technical expertise requirements, and local training and development needs.

Goodman’s Group Head of HR reports to the Board on the Group Succession Plan and gives quarterly updates on employee relations and HR to the Risk and Compliance Committee and the Remuneration Committee.

Goodman people go $10 million greener

Our holistic approach to ESG not only reduces our properties’ carbon impact but looks to embed sustainability broadly in our culture.

To help unlock more sustainable transport for our people we offered $10 million worth of electric vehicle (EV) incentives over the next five years. Those who accept will be immediately making a difference. The initiative showcases how our people are encouraged to help Goodman broaden the radius of its impact in the carbon economy.

In addition, we are transitioning our global vehicle fleet to EV with the current Australian fleet of 55 hybrid vehicles due to be 100% EV by 2025. Furthermore, all new Goodman developments globally will feature EV bays with battery charging stations.

Respecting First Nations land

Reconciliation action plans

At Goodman, we care deeply about our teams, our customers and our global communities. We believe in building stronger relationships with the First Nations peoples of the lands where we work and live.

As a business that operates in many locations, it is our responsibility to listen, learn and amplify First Nations voices to ensure our activities support their continuing connection to land, waters, cultures, languages and traditions.

In New Zealand, our business recognises and celebrates Indigenous Maori culture and language. We work alongside Iwi in our investment and community initiatives, acknowledging our heritage while striving for an equitable future.

In Australia today, we pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging. We value their custodianship of 65,000 years. To play our role, Goodman has committed to a Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Our RAP sets out a vision for how we can create and sustain meaningful relationships, enhance respect, and promote opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Indigenous climate action

We're supporting employment opportunities for Aboriginal rangers and the conservation of vital wildlife habitats.

Safe working environment

Goodman’s global safety framework outlines a consistent approach to safety across our business.

The most significant safety risks exist during asset development. While this risk is owned by the Principal Contractors we appoint to construct our properties, Goodman is committed to positively influencing and actively monitoring safety standards to minimise incidents and achieve our objective of zero fatal accidents.

To support this, our minimum construction safety standards are part of our contracts with Principal Contractors. We are doing more inspections of site operations and development activities, particularly in regions where risks are higher, and compensating for COVID travel restrictions by using third party consultants. We believe we can have a positive impact on safety by clearly defining our expectations and closely monitoring safety standards during construction.

Influencing safety standards

We are aiming for consistency across organisational cultures, regions, regulatory environments and varying industry standards. This includes monitoring and responding to regulatory obligations, such as requirements relating to fire safety, materials and aluminium composite panels. Goodman adopts minimum contractual safety standards on construction projects for Principal Contractors where the local standards are not adequate.

For example, in Mainland China, there were zero fatal accidents in development activities from FY17 to FY20. This was achieved by implementing minimum contractual standards for safety and a strong inspection, compliance and enforcement program.

There were four fatal accidents in FY21 on construction projects under the control of Principal Contractors in Spain, Brazil and China. In response, we have commenced a Return to Zero safety program, which in addition to existing programs and measures will focus on height risks; and we’re working with Principal Contractors and other stakeholders to implement Goodman safety standards across those regions.

Height safety 

Achieving Goodman’s solar PV targets requires significant work to happen at height. Our global roof height safety program addresses these risks in a consistent manner.

A height safety design guideline was launched globally which involved the installation of safety infrastructure on Goodman’s stabilised assets. It includes the use of certified vertical and horizontal lifelines, single anchor points, maintenance corridors, and skylight and barrier protection.

From Data to Delivery
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From Data to Delivery