National Workforce’s safety Head of Safety, Employee Relations & Governance, Samantha Novak, has had an exciting career that has taken many twists and turns. But there has been one constant – her desire to have an impact. We had a chat with Samantha to learn more about her journey and how she became the head of National Workforce’s busy safety department.
How did your career begin?
I began working straight out of school at Westpac Bank coding cheques in the back office, then worked my way to being a teller operator in a branch. From there, I moved into IT with a pharmaceutical software company writing system manuals and training Clients in the system operations. Both these positions gave me a good grounding in dealing with people, following processes, and developing systems.
After spending almost a year at home after my youngest son was born I was looking to return to the workforce, it was here that I reassessed what direction I may want to take. I decided to take on an administration role with Coles Group (at the time, later Wesfarmers) in their NSW Safety Division – which was the start of what has become my nineteen years so far of working in safety.
So now you work in safety. What happened next?
After a year as admin assistant in the safety team, I was promoted to a safety advisor role and I spent 4 years learning all I could from those around me, but I really wanted to broaden my industry experience beyond the retail sector. I went on to work in a range of roles with some of Australia’s best companies, including ABB and UGL in their maintenance division, working within a diverse range of industries such as mining, rail, offshore oil platforms, Australian Navy, oil refineries, roadways and busways. My last role prior to National Workforce was with a SME business that installs, services and upgrades the NSW power distribution network.
Did you always know you wanted to work in safety?
Honestly, no. But I’ve always felt passionate about Workplace Health and Safety having had loved ones suffer life changing injuries in the workplace. My health and safety career path has progressed from what I can best describe as steppingstones, one opportunity leading to the next. I have been so fortunate to have seen the insides of workplaces I could never dream of entering and have made some valuable lifelong friends.
The best part of my career is I have been challenged every day, not just professionally but also personally to step outside of my comfort zone.
Workplace Health and Safety is such an interesting profession because it combines two very different skill sets, analytics, and people skills. You genuinely must care about the wellbeing of people while also having the ability to assess, question and review in a very methodical way.
Have you done a lot of study?
Yes, mainly because I love to learn. I am currently working my way through a master’s Research Thesis that I hope will one day, in some small way, influence change to Health and Safety in the Workplace.
Tell us how you became an employee at National Workforce?
I was looking for a new challenge, and labour hire is definitely that. When I met with the CEO, Jacqui Russell, for an interview, we chatted very openly about my long-term aspirations. I was ready to take on a role where I could grow and evolve and ultimately fulfil my dream of making a difference daily. At National Workforce, I found an organisation that is built on the values of caring for people which certainly is what I always strive to represent in my role. What me and my team do each day matters – not just to the business – but to each employee and as a value add to our clients.
What is your advice for anyone wanting to explore a career in safety?
If you have a passion for people and influencing change, it is definitely a great career. You must be analytical by nature and be prepared to challenge existing systems as there may be a better way of doing things. There are some difficult days, but these are far outweighed by the rewarding days for sure.
If you’re thinking of a career in Safety, my advice is to join your business’s Safety Committee if you have one, find yourself a great mentor because so much of what you do is achieved by standing on the shoulders of giants.
