Tamara Charlton’s career at YFS, culminating in her current position as Human Resources Manager, has grown organically from unassuming beginnings.
“I started working at YFS as a reception trainee at Rowan St in 2000. A year passed and I got kept on, moving over to reception at 376 Kingston Road.”
At the time, YFS was in its early stages. Still highly dependent on fluctuating government funding, it lacked the comprehensive organisation and structure it possesses today. It wasn’t long before Tamara found herself at the centre of YFS’ fledgling operation.
“Back then, there was no corporate services team. We [the reception team] kind of did everything: facilities, reception, HR, payroll, finance…even IT.”
Multitasking and getting things done was a way of life for Tamara. Her mother, Linda, and her stepfather, Geoffrey, had begun working at YFS a few years prior to Tamara, as a cleaner and maintenance worker respectively. Even before starting at YFS, Tamara visited the offices frequently and was no stranger to pitching in wherever necessary.
“I’d come in on the weekends and help clean and all that kind of stuff. I got banned from whipper-snippering, but I’d still go and mow Defiance Rd.”
Even after an impulsive exit from YFS in 2005, which she immediately regretted, Tamara’s connections to YFS and commitment to helping out got the better of her.
“So, yes, after leaving my other job I did come back here, and I did work on weekends, in finance mainly, just to get stuff done.”
Nevertheless, Tamara did not return to YFS full-time until she had also gained some experience outside the community service sector.
“I worked in a service department with around thirty technicians for a large security company for about 12 months before I started thinking it wasn’t for me.”
“I realised that I’m not in this world to make money for other people. I’m in this world to help people who are doing it tough.”
So, when the opportunity arose to rejoin YFS, Tamara jumped at the chance.
“I would have tried to get back into community service regardless, but I wanted to come back to YFS because I grew up here.”
Tamara soon fell into a familiar rhythm after returning to YFS in late 2006. She continued covering numerous administrative roles despite the rapid growth of the organisation, until she eventually became personal assistant to the (then) CEO, Cath Bartolo, a long-term goal of Tamara’s.
Her time as Cath’s PA was short-lived, however, as she fell pregnant with her daughter, Abigail, soon after stepping into the role. Her unrelenting dedication to YFS nevertheless shone through as she worked resolutely through her pregnancy.
“When I could no longer work as Cath’s assistant, I threw myself back into HR. I spent the rest of my pregnancy at Rowan St, researching and amending policies and procedures according to legislations…just making myself useful.”
This mentality exemplifies Tamara’s life at YFS.
“Things just happen (in this industry). You get funding, you lose funding, services get reduced. It can be so hard, but you just have to do things and get on with it.”
“I still have a tendency to unintentionally get involved in whatever needs doing because that’s just what you do. That’s the way I was brought up here.”
“Supporting our staff on the ground is not a thing you think about, it’s just something you automatically do. It’s ingrained in me to prioritize our staff; you’ve got to drop everything because they’re the ones doing the work [for our clients].”
Her motivation, however, comes from the relationships that YFS fosters and the people it brings together.
“I don’t like when I can’t be face-to-face with people. I think to be an effective HR manager you need to be having those carpark conversations, and you need to show your face.”
“The teamwork and camaraderie here is so strong. YFS has always been close knit, and I think we’ve maintained that over the years even though we’ve grown quite large.”
“It is just such a great place to work and so family friendly.”
Family has also been a strong theme of Tamara’s career at YFS. From her mother and stepfather’s beginnings, to watching her daughter grow up around the organisation’s offices, Tamara’s family has found a home at YFS.
“Abigail has grown up here and being around the organisation has given her a really grounded perspective on the problems and struggles that some people go through. For me, working at YFS means that she is aware of hardships that exist in the world.”
“She has that community spirit and is so quick to speak up for people and she’s passed that on to her friends. She is who she is, I think, partly because she’s grown up around this atmosphere and it’s humbled her.”
Tamara’s journey — one of dedication, persistence, relationships, and above all else, family — exemplifies the values and history of YFS.
