Stephanie Holmes: An inspirational team member

Stephanie started with Link Wentworth as a Business Support Coordinator and following her impressive aptitude with customer relations and tenancy, was quickly hired as a Tenancy Manager. Soon after stepping into the role Stephanie had reduced arrears, reduced instances of anti-social behaviour and increased payment plans and successful inspections within her portfolio.

Despite being relatively new to the industry, Stephanie calls her role in housing her ‘calling’. Her decade of experience as a retail manager have given her much-needed transferable skills. Most importantly, she also draws on her experience as a single mother who has escaped domestic and family violence to relate to her tenants on a much deeper level. It is this lived experience that gives Stephanie the drive and passion to do much more than her job description requires.

She is an an empathetic and fierce advocate for her tenants and clients. Her dedication has helped domestic violence survivors to access justice, reconnect with support networks and form lasting friendships. Her approach builds strong tenant relationships and enables a positive community culture.

Stephanie goes beyond the expectation of her daily role by paying close attention to her tenants and their unique struggles and proactively addressing them. When she moved to a minimum of 14 days notice in inspection letters (instead of the usual 7 days) it resulted in 100% of her tenants opening their doors at the agreed time. This encouraged other members on her team to follow suit.

She constantly inspires her team members by setting an example of great efficiency, successful client relations and exemplary collaboration skills. While always putting up her hand to train staff or providing productive feedback, she has also volunteered with Link Wentworth’s Neighbourhood Improvement Program, the Salvos Coffee Cart, the Link Wentworth 40-year anniversary parties, the Granny Smith Festival and numerous other community engagement events to ensure she is a consistent and trustworthy presence for her tenants. While this is all outside the reasonable expectations of her role, she considers it part of her vocation as a Tenancy Manager.

When asked for a comment Stephanie said, “Winning AHIs inspirational team member of the year felt incredibly humbling as well as powerful. To be recognised not for just what I do , but for how I show up for my clients and team every day, means more than I can put into words. It’s reminded me that this industry is about heart, consistency, lifting others and that the impact we make together is always bigger than any one person. This award has only pushed me to create more positive journeys for my tenants and colleagues.”

Stephanie exemplifies what the very best of customer service in community housing can look like and achieve.