Graduate pathway FAQs

Holcim Australia is a leading supplier of aggregates and concrete nationally. The Holcim Group is a world leader in the supply of concrete and cement, with operations in approximately 70 countries across all continents. Holcim Australia operates over 300 sites across the country, including approximately 70 aggregates quarries, and we have a stake in, or operate under a variety of brands, such as Broadway and Frame in Victoria, Excel in south east Queensland. For further information, please visit the About Us section of this website.

Our company's strength is made up by our people: their expertise and skills, their ability to find innovative solutions and their commitment to high performance. We offer careers for those who seek opportunities to grow and excel. We will invest in your growth, providing you with direction, leadership and recognition. We will value your contribution and nurture your personal and professional development. Our company values of Strength. Performance. Passion. are the base of everything we do.

They are reflected in how we work together and the way we deliver on our promises to customers and our communities.

Holcim Ltd is one of the leading companies in sustainability worldwide. The Holcim Group has been confirmed as a member of the DJSI World Index in 2010/2011 in the building materials industry. Holcim has been included in both the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the Dow Jones STOXX Sustainability Index for eight years.

We believe that companies such as ours must meet - and wherever possible exceed - increasing expectations and demands about sustainable business practices. It is a prime corporate responsibility for us to do this. For more information about sustainability and social responsibility please see:
Sustainability

Our process is in three stages, during which we will  get to know you and your skills and experience, and through which you can learn more about who Holcim are and what we do.

1. Applications
2. Assessment: Our assessment process will involve a telephone interview, psychometric assessments, and face to face interviews with a site visit.
3. Offer stage: Before we can make an offer of employment, we will ask you to agree to reference checking and a probity check. We will also require the completion of a medical examination to see whether it is safe for you to perform the tasks required as a Holcim employee.

We are seeking graduates who have a degree in engineering or commerce/business, with any major, or who have studied environmental science, planning and approvals or a related field.

At Holcim we understand that when you start work you want to be in a real role contributing the success of the organisation from day one. As we know this, we have thrown out the old ideas of having fixed rotations across the business and instead we are committing to our Graduates that they can expect to have at least two or three different roles during their first three-to-five years with the organisation. These roles will be determined on an individual basis and according to your strengths and career preferences.  You will be able to get your hands dirty in a real role from day one, developing within that role until you are ready to move when the right opportunity arises for you. Whilst you will be encouraged to move across the business e.g. from a Technical role in Concrete to a Operations role in Aggregates, we also know that some of our Graduates will already know exactly where they want to progress in our business.

To ensure you get to know our business intimately and fully understand the Holcim value chain we will also provide you with short placements of anywhere from one day to two weeks where you will get to see different parts of the business outside of our own business unit. For example you may go out for a day with one of our truck drivers collecting and delivering products or you may spend a couple of weeks in a concrete testing lab, understanding in depth the production side of the business.

Our Graduate Pathway provides flexibility, meeting the needs of you as an individual as well as the needs of the business. At Holcim we look to provide the structure around your development that is essential to your early development in your career.

If you completed your degree on or after December 2009 then you can apply for our graduate program. You should also be eligible to work in Australia.

If you are a permanent resident, or an Australian citizen, you are eligible to apply for our program. Unfortunately, we do not accept temporary visa applicants.

Our graduates are the next generation of leaders within the company, so we look for individuals who can demonstrate leadership skills, communication and negotiation skills, and people who can make decisions that are in the best interest of the business. We value graduates who want to get stuck into their work and who enjoy learning new things.

Our most important aim is to send all employees home safely each night. With this in mind, we look for mature, switched-on graduates who are committed to our Zero Harm philosophy and who can act as an example of safe behaviour to others.

The Graduate Pathway is designed to support and challenge you as you commence your professional career. You will develop a broad understanding of how Holcim functions and achieves its goals to enable you as a leader of the business in the future.

Designated graduate roles will be identified within the business. Graduates will take part in structured development Pathway, moving through 2-3 different roles within a 3-5 year period.

• 0-12 Months - Complete a robust induction process and establish the foundations of being a Holcim Employee. Gain business exposure and get to know core role and business.
• Up to 24 months - All Graduates take part in core development programs and continue to take part in Business Exposure assignments as well as any role specific training required. Involvement in Graduate Networking activity and the Holcim mentoring program.
• 2 to 5 years - Transition out of Graduate development pathway. Actively ensure Graduates have worked in roles in more than 1 part of Holcim Australia with a view to building capability for leadership roles in the future.7

All employees are of course assigned a manager. This is who you will report to on a day to day basis and will work closely with you to ensure you understand what is expected of you and help customise your development plan.  As well as a manager you will also be assigned a ‘buddy’. This will be someone in your local area who is there to support you with the small day to day questions that make a big difference to your working environment.

You will also be part of the Holcim mentoring program. Your mentor will help you with your professional development and support you in building stronger relationships across the business and developing you towards your career goals.

Core development will include influencing and negotiating, relationship building, business etiquette, conflict resolution, time management and effective team work skills.

We have positions for Graduates right across Australia including but not limited to; Brisbane/Sunshine Coast, Central Queensland, South East Queensland, Melbourne, Sydney, Coffs Harbour, Tamworth, Perth, Adelaide and Tasmania.

To understand the scope of our operations and gain experience in a variety of roles, travel may be required. Our operations are frequently in regional centres to support local needs.

We anticipate that our graduates will commence in late January/early February 2012. Before your commencement, we will remain in contact with you, to keep you up to date with things happening within the business and to ensure you have a smooth start with us.