AAFCANS operates canteens, cafes, and food outlets across 27 Defence Force bases Australia-wide, employing 280 people. Following a 2022 employee engagement and alignment survey, key areas for improvement were identified across senior leadership, recognition, and job satisfaction. In response, AAFCANS placed people at the centre of its 2023–2026 strategic plan.
By 2025, the results spoke for themselves:
- Employee engagement improved by 17%
- Employee alignment improved by 18%
- Both measures moved from the bottom to the top quartile of Insync’s not-for-profit benchmark
This case study explores the coordinated changes across senior leadership, people practices, and systems and processes that drove the transformation.