our story

Goodwork started as Ford HR in 2016. Before it was a we, it was just a me. When Ford HR was founded by Steve Ford, he was determined to go it alone! Until he wasn't. 

It eventually clicked that there was a whole world of HR superheroes out there who could add an array of diverse experience, skillsets, mindsets and quirks to the exceptional impact that we make on our clients.

Over the years, one incredible Goodworker after another has added to the excellence of our team, and we are now a pretty formidable collective. Side note - we are also incredibly fun to have at your Christmas party. That’s a conversation for another time.

In 2024, we became Goodwork. Our first ever team member, Alice, became a co-owner and Director! We took on a new name and a new brand to really encapsulate what we are all about. We have a shared passion for building relationships with clients and showing them the difference that great HR can make.

We believe that when work is good, it's great. For everyone. Our job (our purpose!) is to work with business leaders to systematically remove the barriers, so that their teams can achieve their potential.

Goodwork!

Your Outsourced HR Department People + Performance Projects Ad Hoc Support Internal HR Team Mentoring In-House Capability Development Workshops

STEVE FORD

DIRECTOR

  • How the rest of the team describe Steve:

    Steve is a funny, fearless and inspiring leader. He is a reliable source of calm to any chaos and deals with even the most dire of circumstances with a smile and strong sense of sarcasm. He is intelligent, highly experienced and a natural relationship builder. He communicates effectively, skilfully explaining complex ideas and providing perspective, often through comical tangents and stories. He doesn’t take himself or life too seriously and is forever supporting and empowering everyone in his path.

    Steve's natural DISC style (IS) reveals that he effortlessly maintains persistence and patience on projects, bringing a tempo that encourages and engages others. He is an empathetic listener, who carefully considers the full scope and acts as a great sounding board for guidance.

    First Ever Job: Changing watch batteries in a jewellery store 

    Guilty Pleasure: Excessive pairs of red sneakers 

    Dad Duties: 2 young (and adorable) daughters

    Favourite thing about Goodwork: “I love asking the right questions to help leaders and teams achieve the clarity they need to be energised and engaged in their work”

Alice Atkins

DIRECTOR

  • How the rest of the team describe Alice:

    Alice is loyal, fierce and capable but also really warm-hearted. She will go to great lengths to make people feel supported and will go in to bat for you with a striking sense of courage. Alice has a passion for understanding the big picture and is dedicated to getting the right outcomes for people. Her extensive experience, strategic mindset and pragmatic approach allows her to diagnose issues and provide insights and solutions. She prioritises building trust and is exceptionally fun and clever to collaborate with. 

    Alice has a DISC style (ICS) that reflects her natural curiosity and patience in learning and doing things the right way. She is friendly and easy-going, often demonstrating a positive sense of humour that can appropriately disarm tense situations. 

    First Ever Job: Customer Service at Blockbuster Video 

    Guilty Pleasure: Quoting random lines from any Jim Carrey movie in normal conversation

    Mum Duties: 3 young (and energetic) boys

    Favourite thing about Goodwork: “I love discovering how businesses operate and what makes them tick. Being entrusted to find opportunities that add value and then seeing the impact is pretty cool. I'm driven by the desire to help people see HR in a new light and that's exactly what we get to do - we make it fun.”

Amie Forsyth

PEOPLE + CULTURE STRATEGIST

  • How the rest of the team describe Amie:

    Amie is an authentically wonderful person who brings a blend of empathy, perspective, and sense of calmness to the team. She has an ability to think about things at the deepest level and handles challenges with careful consideration. Amie’s knack for understanding human behaviour fuels her passion for creating inclusive and supportive work environments. She is forever thinking about what it means to be a really good person! Amie is a true HR professional with a broad arsenal of knowledge, experience and great ideas.

    Amie's DISC style (CSI) indicates that she is an excellent listener, patient with others and leads by doing rather than delegating. She presents high expectations of others in the spirit of "here's how we can work together to get there, and I'll start..."

    First Ever Job: Hotel Functions Assistant in a country town

    Guilty Pleasure: Singing loudly (and terribly) in the car

    Mum Duties: 2 young (adorable) girls

    Favourite thing about Goodwork: “I love being a soft skills tour guide for our clients. It's incredibly rewarding to see the transformation when leaders realise that technical expertise is just one piece of the puzzle.”

Ashleigh Navaratnam

OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

  • How the rest of the team describe Ash:

    Ash is super intuitive, humble and exceptionally helpful. She is the master solver of problems and genuinely wants to make things easier for everyone else. She is quietly confident, incredibly organised and efficient. Ash’s diverse skillset and intricate understanding of systems and processes, enables her to support the countless and often unpredictable needs that appear every day. Ash has a strong team spirit, a brilliant sense of humour and is just an all-round lovely person. She offers great ideas and advice, is kind-hearted and secretly the smartest person in the room. 

    Ash's DISC style (CSI) shows that she has a high interest in quality control and doing things the right way. Her curiosity, sincerity and patience levels, help her to push for high standards and follow through on details of a project.

    First Ever Job: Retail Assistant at a tile shop

    Guilty Pleasure: Browsing and bidding on online auctions

    Mum Duties: 2 young (adorable) kids 

    Favourite thing about Goodwork: “I just love the people, both our team and clients. I feel so, so lucky to work with a great group of people!”

Hannah Greig

PEOPLE + CULTURE STRATEGIST

  • How the rest of the team describe Hannah:

    Hannah is vibrant, kind and effortlessly raises the positive energy of every situation. She is incredibly purposeful in her work and naturally instils confidence that when a problem arises, it will soon be history. She dedicates herself wholeheartedly to the task at hand and offers ongoing encouragement. Her tireless productivity, fun-witted personality and commitment to connecting with people, brings value and fun to the workplace. With an impressive track record and wide-ranging HR background, Hannah delivers expertise and recommendations at all levels.

    Hannah's DISC style (I) confirms that she has the ability to handle problems in a casual manner, even when pressure is running high. She can think quickly on her feet and express herself in a verbally fluent way.

    First Ever Job: Store Attendant in a Chicken Shop

    Guilty Pleasure: Trawling the aisles of Bunnings so that she can flip pieces of furniture

    Mum Duties: 2 young (adorable) girls

    Favourite thing about Goodwork: “I love that we are able to help businesses to solve big, medium, and small problems with a variety of approaches - it's never a one-size fits all with us. I love the variety of sectors we get to work with and the diversity of leadership style too.”

Natalie Field

HR COMPLIANCE + SYSTEMS STRATEGIST

  • How the rest of the team describe Nat:

    Nat is a knowledgeable, reassuring and straight-shooting HR professional. She has exceptional technical expertise and can solve the trickiest and most nitty gritty questions off the top of her head. Nat's background allows her to provide swift and simplified advice, cutting through all the boring or complex detail. 

    She is a great conversationalist who has a habit of helping people feel at ease, regardless of the situation they are facing. Her amazing life stories, playful nature and infectious laugh, brings a sense of light-heartedness to the room.

    Nat's DISC style (ISC) confirms that she is sensitive to people's needs and provides a stable point of view. She has a warmth and comfort to her style, offering careful and considered suggestions with confidence. 

    First Ever Job: Confidential Secretary to Robert Maxwell, owner of Mirror Group Newspapers!

    Guilty Pleasure: Aldi Buckets and Lindt Balls

    Mum Duties: 1 almost 'tween' son

    Favourite thing about Goodwork: “Having positive influence over company culture and humans. We get to problem solve and constantly learn new things.”

Tahnee Boucaut

HR ADVISOR

  • How the rest of the team describe Tahnee:

    Tahnee is approachable, super conscientious and resourceful. Her ability to communicate in a concise and thoughtful way makes her a joy to work with! She is a steady source of support and truly makes you feel like a longtime friend. She is always thinking ahead and kicking goals for both the team and clients. Tahnee jumps head first into every task without hesitation, leading by example and putting in consistent effort to ensure successful outcomes. 

    Tahnee's DISC style (SC) depicts her exceptional attention to detail and ability to decipher facts, data and logic. She sets high performance standards for herself and is able to follow through, ensuring quality control and a high degree of patience. 

    First Ever Job: The paper run!

    Guilty Pleasure: Being still and reading a book when there are so many other things to be done

    Mum Duties: 2 young (adorable) girls

    Favourite thing about Goodwork: “Meeting cool people who are experts in their field and making positive steps to improve things for both them individually and the business, through the work that we do.”

our values

Our values are the DNA of our business and you can expect to see them in action when you work with us!

  • Bet on your expertise, back yourself, hit the nail on the head.

  • Be a good egg, follow through, make things better.

  • Navigate the ups and downs together, embrace team spirit.

  • Know when to zoom in and when to zoom out.

  • Have fun, laugh, experiment, stay curious.

  • Katrina Beasley, COO, The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation

    It has been a pleasure to work with Goodwork for the past eight years. It gives great peace of mind in operating our business to know we are in such capable hands. The service and expertise provided is excellent and very broad, from legislation and award interpretation, advice on employee issues and the expansion of organisational People and Culture frameworks.

  • Susi Bostock, CEO, Lion Support and Care

    We love Goodwork. Our company is labour centric, and we need Goodwork’s expertise given it can be tricky in this politically sensitive world where human issues spill over into the workplace. Steve and his team provide Liorn with clear, straightforward, practical advice on how to navigate our HR matters. We are relieved that all HR matters have always been addressed without issue with Goodwork’s professional guidance.

  • Lauren Siliato, Founder, Moolk

    Goodwork is an invaluable asset to my business. Without them, I wouldn't have hired multiple 'unicorn' employees who have become integral to the operations and growth of my business. Alice and Steve took the time to deeply understand my business values and needs, resulting in finding long-standing team members who are aligned with our brand vision, mission and company culture.

  • Jason Lawrence, Founder, SalesFix

    This month marks SalesFix's 5th anniversary of working with Goodwork. We are thrilled to have witnessed the business' evolution and development over the years. I am excited to continue working with Steve and his exceptional team!

  • Michael Hornby, CEO, Endeavour Veterinary Ecology

    Steve and his team are such a pleasure to deal with, easy to brief, and the understanding they have of our business is exceptional. They just ‘get it’. Not only do they provide advice and guidance, take a common-sense approach and understand risk, they help support our staff and their various styles and personalities.

  • Viv Mellish, Co-Founder, GYROstream

    The Goodwork team are a seamless extension of our internal team. Their inclusive, positive and practical approach has helped us navigate the best way forward across a range of situations. As we expand our team they've also helped to improve our HR knowledge and company culture.

  • Emily Gillett, People and Culture Manager at LPE

    I’ve been lucky enough to work with Steve and the team at Goodwork for the past five years, and I can't recommend their services highly enough. Their expertise in people and culture consulting has been instrumental in shaping my own career development and learning, as well as our workplace environment and enhancing our team dynamics.