Appointment of HR Manager, Logistics Organisation

At a Glance

• Sector – Logistics
• Location – Brisbane, QLD
• Workforce – 380 employees
• Service – HR Executive Search
• Engagement – Permanent Recruitment

The Challenge

A logistics organisation with 380 employees across warehousing and distribution had operated for over a year without a dedicated HR Manager, with ER matters handled reactively by operations leaders without HR training.

The immediate risk was accumulating ER exposure, inconsistent disciplinary processes and undocumented performance conversations, the kind of gap that surfaces expensively at the Fair Work Commission rather than day to day.

Our Approach

Civitas screened specifically for logistics or warehousing ER experience, prioritising award and enterprise agreement familiarity relevant to a blue-collar, multi-site workforce over generic corporate HR Manager backgrounds.

The Solution

The appointed HR Manager brought over 8 years of logistics and warehousing HR experience, moving quickly to formalise disciplinary and performance documentation processes across sites.

Measured Impact

• Formal ER case management process implemented within the first quarter
• Reduced unresolved ER matters by an estimated 60% within 6 months
• Standardised onboarding across all distribution sites
• No Fair Work Commission matters recorded in the 12 months following appointment

Client Reflection

Having someone who actually understood warehouse operations made the difference between advice we could use and advice we had to translate ourselves.

Why This Matters

Multi-site logistics operations without dedicated, sector-literate HR leadership accumulate ER risk quietly, this appointment shows how quickly that risk can be brought under control once the right HR Manager is in place.

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