An award-winning Australian lender’s triple growth backed by a culture of equity and inclusion
This article is sponsored by Thinktank
Thinktank has maintained its unique culture through rapid growth, an accomplishment that stands out given much of it occurred remotely amidst the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since January 2020, the award-winning lender has tripled in size, growing its workforce from 70 to 210 employees. Its commitment to fostering a sense of community through virtual engagement, consistent communication and a focus on core values is a testament to its ability to create a thriving environment that attracts and retains top talent in an evolving, competitive industry.
MPA recognised Thinktank as a Top Mortgage Employer of 2024, an accolade driven by its employees’ high satisfaction and engagement. The organisation has distinguished itself as a top employer by nurturing employee relationships based on mutual respect, open communication and a shared commitment to its mission.
It provides employees the resources and opportunities to grow personally and professionally while prioritising work-life balance and wellbeing to ensure they are productive, happy and fulfilled in their roles.
“We’re thrilled to be named one of MPA’s Top Mortgage Employers,” says CEO Jonathan Street. “Our mission is to be a financial services company that cares and delivers, so we’re committed to our people, working as one, and doing what’s right by everyone we engage with – from the brokers and aggregators we partner with to the communities where we live and work.”
With the team now working in a hybrid model, Thinktank’s culture has endured and thrived. Its leaders emphasise its supportive and collaborative environment is the key to its success, demonstrated through its employees’ overall satisfaction and the organisation’s diversity and inclusion approach.
Currently, 49% of Thinktank’s workforce are women, including 50% female representation on its sales leadership and relationship management broker-facing teams. This underscores the lender’s belief that different perspectives and experiences are essential for innovation and growth.
Thinktank actively celebrates the strengths of its diverse team, fostering an inclusive workplace where employees can bring their authentic selves to work. Employees’ hard work and achievements are acknowledged, both big and small, ensuring every team member feels appreciated.
In its 2023 DEI survey, 96% of employees believe that Thinktank values diversity, 94% feel respected at work and 93% believe people from all backgrounds have equal opportunity to succeed there.
“We want our employees to feel valued,” says Michelle Anderson, head of people and culture. “We are a relationship-based business, and our success is directly connected to the quality of our relationship with our employees.”
Whether through formal recognition programs or daily expressions of gratitude, an employee-centric approach has cultivated a workplace where teams are motivated to excel and are proud to be part of the Thinktank family.
The organisation’s internal metrics support its industry-leading employee-first philosophy:
- 83% engagement score on its most recent engagement survey
- 90% have confidence in their leaders
- 90% feel the leaders demonstrate that people are essential to the company’s success
- 89% said they think they are part of the team
- 90% feel that their managers care about their wellbeing
- 92% are proud to work at Thinktank
“One of our core values is ‘People first, always,’” says Anderson. “Our leadership team has used this as their guiding principle through our recent growth to ensure our people are looked after and our culture is maintained.”
