A career at the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman

1. This week's employment opportunities

The TIO is not currently recruiting.

2. Do I need a law degree to work at the TIO?

No you don't! What we value are communication and analytical skills, and there are many ways of developing these.

Our investigations staff at all levels have a mix of qualifications and experience, including arts and cultural studies, cognitive science, community mediation, counselling and human services, customer care and telecommunications, journalism and professional writing, and working for different levels of Government.

3. Overview of investigation roles

The TIO has a 4-tier complaint resolution process, classifying complaints from Level 1 to 4. In general, different staff members handle different levels of complaint, depending on their complexity. More detailed descriptions and first hand-accounts of each role follow:

Enquiry Officers

Enquiry Officers (EOs) are the TIO's "front-of-house" staff, as they are generally a complainant’s first point of contact at the TIO. An EO's main role is to record the details of a complaint and give complainants advice about how to proceed with their complaint, e.g. by referring complainants to their service provider's senior complaint-handling department. This is an important role that requires good communication, analytical and decision-making skills.

Enquiry Officers spend a lot of their day taking calls or processing first-time correspondence from complainants. They handle basic enquiries and Level 1 complaints, and hand over unresolved complaints to Investigations Officers for further action.

• Enquiry Officer: web version
• Enquiry Officer: PDF version - 3 pages / 49.52KB

Read Christina's account of her experience as an Enquiry Officer

Investigations Officers

Investigations Officers (IOs) take an active role in helping to resolve complaints that have not been resolved after an Enquiry Officer referred the complainant to their service provider's senior complaint handling department.

This involves talking in detail with the complainant about their complaint, drafting initial correspondence to the service provider, discussing the complaint with service provider representatives, collecting all relevant information, and forming an independent assessment of the complaint. Analysis and decision making will involve comparing all available information and deciding whether law, telecommunications industry codes of practice and TIO Position Statements apply to the circumstances of a complaint. Investigation Officers handle Level 2 and 3 complaints, and hand over unresolved Level 3 complaints to Senior Investigation Officers.

• Investigations Officer: web version
• Investigations Officer - PDF - 3 pages / 49.49KB

Read Ajay and Amanda's accounts of their experience as Investigations Officers

Senior Investigations Officers

Senior Investigations Officers handle complex unresolved complaints. These are generally Level 4 complaints, but may also be Level 2 and 3 complaints.

• Senior Investigations Officer position description (web version)
• Senior Investigations Officer position description (PDF 41.76KB)

Read Nick's account of his experience as a Senior Investigation Officer

4. About the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) is a national alternative dispute resolution scheme that provides a free service to people from all over Australia who have been unable to resolve a complaint directly with their telephone company or internet provider.

We are a medium-sized not-for-profit business. Most employment opportunities are in the Core Business area, which is made up of Enquiry Officers, Investigations Officers and Senior Investigations Officers.

The TIO office is located in the city of Melbourne, Australia, at 595 Collins Street. We are well supported by public transport, just 2 minutes walk from Southern Cross Station and with a tram stop right outside our door.

5. The TIO's values

The TIO is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to being a diverse workplace which represents a wide range of backgrounds and experience. We promote a harassment-free workplace.

We also promote a set of core values, which guide our approach to all of the TIO's stakeholders — complainants, member companies, regulators and the general public.

Our core values

1. Delivering mission statement
   
   
   TIO staff members are committed to the TIO’s mission of providing independent, just, informal, speedy resolution of complaints.
   
   
2. Striving for excellence
   
   TIO staff members:
   • produce work of the highest quality
   • contribute to the quality and efficiency of complaint resolution
   • are committed to the Benchmarks for Industry-Based Customer Dispute Resolution Schemes of accessibility, independence, fairness, accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness
   • understand the regulatory environment and the changing nature of the telecommunications industry, and
   • continually look for new ways to improve individual, team and business performance and actively support change.
3. Taking personal responsibility
   
   TIO staff members:
• accept responsibility for their own actions and behaviours and ensure that the work they perform meets agreed performance levels, policies, procedures and standards
• act in an ethical, fair and responsible manner, and
• show integrity in all dealings with their colleagues, complainants and members.
  
  
4. Cultivating a supportive and collaborative workplace
   
   TIO staff members:
• value diversity in the workplace and respect each other’s differences
• respect their colleagues’ opinions, ideas and contributions, and
• support their colleagues and pro-actively participate in and enhance the culture of the TIO.

6. Benefits at the TIO

Staff benefits only apply to individuals directly employed by the TIO and are not relevant to people employed as casual agency staff.

Standard working hours		Full-time TIO staff work a 37.5 hour week either from 8.30am to 5pm or from 9am to 5.30pm, with an hour for lunch. Enquiry Officers also have 15-minute rostered morning and afternoon tea breaks.
Flexible working hours		The TIO will consider flexible working hours to cater for caring and study commitments, provided that the TIO's business needs can still be met.
Public holidays		Because the TIO is a national office, we stay open on Victorian public holidays that are not observed in other States and Territories. Staff who work on these days are compensated accordingly.
Annual leave		28 days each year
Personal Leave		10 days each year
Parental leave		52 weeks, including up to 16 weeks paid leave depending on the employee's length of service
Exam leave		Either a half or full day's paid leave depending on the time of the exam, and if the employee is studying an approved course.
Employment Assistance Program (EAP)		The TIO pays for up to 6 appointments a year with a counsellor under its Employment Assistance Program (EAP). The counsellors retained by the TIO are experienced clinical psychologists.
Learning & Development		The TIO offers its staff members regular ongoing opportunities to develop their specialist knowledge, skills and career. These include: in-house workshops on various topics subsidisation of fees for staff with legal qualifications to attend professional development days to maintain their CPD points, and payment towards fees for approved courses of study for eligible staff. Amounts vary depending on the relevance of the course to the TIO's core work.
Subsidised financial advice		As it is a not-for-profit organisation, the TIO has rebatable Fringe Benefits Taxation (FBT) status. The TIO has secured the services of a company that offers salary packaging administration services, and will subsidise the cost of staff obtaining these services. In addition, the TIO subsidises the cost of visits to a financial planning service which develops individualised financial plans.
Staff discount scheme		The TIO gives staff free access to a state-wide scheme which offers its members: a box office service for tickets to major shows, concerts & theatre events discount vouchers to cinemas, public transport and shops shopping services through an online shop exclusive offers with key suppliers including dining, travel and accommodation services.
Stress management services		The TIO offers staff the option of: attending weekly subsidised yoga classes, and receiving a monthly subsidised head and neck massage The TIO also holds sessions on stress management and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Health and medical		The TIO offers staff the option of having a free yearly flu injection.
Social Club		The TIO's employee-run social club organises regular social gatherings for staff. Past events have included karaoke, Twilight at the Zoo, 10-Pin bowling and lawn bowling, and end of year functions.

Individual staff profiles

Christina - Enquiry Officer at the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman

I started working at the TIO as an Enquiry Officer in 2008, when I finished high school. I applied for work here because I was looking for a job that was challenging and stimulating, where I could use the communication and mediation skills I had developed in leadership roles at school.

As an Enquiry Officer, I am a first point of reference for consumers who need help with unresolved complaints. I spend most of my day answering calls and speaking with consumers, and part of my day responding to emails and letters. On average, I take about 28 calls a day.

When I talk with consumers about their complaints, I draw on my knowledge of the telecommunications industry and the TIO’s policies and procedures to provide them with the most accurate information possible. I received a lot of training to help me with this, and can check the TIO’s intranet for information and updates.

I record complaints in the TIO’s complaint database and usually refer consumers to a specific resolution department at the relevant telephone or internet company. Our referral process gives companies a final opportunity to negotiate a fair and reasonable resolution directly with their customer. Sometimes, with particularly complex or long-term complaints, I will contact the relevant company’s resolution department and liaise with them directly about a complaint.

If a consumer comes back after the referral and tells me that their complaint is still not resolved, I consider the complaint, and decide whether it is something we have the power to investigate and whether we should take it further.

If I decide that a complaint is not within the TIO’s power to investigate or that the company’s resolution department has offered a fair and reasonable outcome, I will need to clearly explain my decision to the consumer. Because of this, it is crucial that I have a good knowledge of the TIO’s powers and position on various matters.

I really love my job at the TIO and enjoy the diversity of each day. It is a very supportive and creative environment that fosters not only the professional progress of its staff, but also their personal development. On this point, the TIO is providing me with some financial assistance in my studies towards a Bachelor of Arts, so I am able both to pursue my academic interests and further my career at the TIO.

Ajay and Amanda - Investigations Officers at the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman

Ajay's account

When I first started at the TIO almost a year ago, the first thing I noticed was the pride staff take in their work and the organisation. Near enough is not good enough at the TIO and there is a real emphasis on quality. On top of this, there is a strong focus on our customers (both consumers and company representatives), and an understanding among staff that the way we treat our customers will determine how successful our business will be.

Before I worked for the TIO I was employed as an Immigration Officer in New Zealand. I enjoy working with people and being of service to them and the TIO has helped me through my transition from serving people according to Government policies and directives to helping to resolve issues by using Alternative Dispute Resolution and considering what is fair and reasonable.

As an Investigations Officer, I have been given a good deal of autonomy and accountability, but at the same time been provided with strong guidance and support.

One of the things I enjoy about my job is working with talented people. The TIO is very good at attracting and keeping the best people, and this makes for a great working environment. I am always learning from, and being challenged by, the people I work with, which has been very useful for my self-development.

There are many career paths available to the TIO employees, in a wide variety of disciplines. One of the great things is that there is a genuine commitment to career advancement. If you want to advance and have the right values and attitude, the TIO will support you by helping you plan your career and giving you the training you need to reach your goals. Clear performance expectations are set and a comprehensive development programme is available to staff, so it’s easy to work out where you want to go and how to get there.

I always say to friends, I have not previously worked for a company that has such a strong and ingrained customer-focussed culture of quality and integrity.

Amanda's account

I have studied and worked in Australia and the USA. My degrees are in Sociology and Counselling and I have completed specific training in dispute resolution (mediation). I’ve worked in a variety of roles in the private, community, local government and education sectors, including administration, counselling and dispute resolution.

As an Investigations Officer, I facilitate fair and reasonable resolutions based on the particular circumstances of each individual complaint. Communication, analytical, time management and computer skills are all very important in this role.

A typical day as an Investigations Officer includes telephone conversations with consumers and service providers, and time spent writing letters and assessing responses from service providers.

In my telephone conversations with consumers, I confirm their complaint issues and their preferred outcome, advise whether the issues they’ve raised are within our power to investigate, provide information about the investigation process and timeframes, and discuss offers of resolution from the telephone or internet company. The letters I write to consumers may be to present a company’s response to a complaint and advise my assessment of that response.

I write letters to company representatives to summarise and discuss unresolved complaints from customers or to ask for further information after they have responded to a complaint. In these letters I may refer a company to information that will help them to resolve a complaint, including telecommunications industry codes of practice and TIO Position Statements.

The TIO is a great place to work for many reasons.  I am very pleased to work for an organisation whose values (accessibility, independence, fairness, accountability, efficiency and effectiveness) fit well with mine.  I was provided with comprehensive training when I commenced in the role, and continue to receive ongoing training and development opportunities. My manager exemplifies the TIO’s culture of accessibility, approachability and  supportiveness.

I am never bored and I am continually challenged because the environment is fast-paced with a large volume of complaints with varying issues and complexity."

The TIO also has a pleasant physical environment, is conveniently located in the CDB close to public transport and is full of friendly and interesting colleagues from diverse backgrounds.

Nick - Senior Investigations Officer at the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman

Nick's account

After studying law I spent a couple of years working as a Civil Litigation lawyer. I started at the TIO as an Investigations Officer (IO), and after eight months was made a Senior Investigations Officer (SIO).

I have found that many of the analytical skills I learned in legal practice apply to the roles of both IO and SIO. While I still practice law voluntarily, I prefer being an SIO for a number of reasons, including:

• In working toward the resolution of a dispute, I consider not just legal principles, but also what is fair and reasonable in all the circumstances.
• Because of the TIO’s independence, I neither champion consumers nor “toe a company line." I will always form my own view of a dispute, communicate it to both parties, and either investigate further, or end the TIO’s involvement.
• I am able to deal with a high volume of disputes, thanks to the TIO’s relatively flexible and informal procedures.

Essentially, my role as an SIO is to step in to disputes that have become particularly complex, and resolve them in a way that is fair and reasonable. Where agreement cannot be reached, SIOs can use the powers of the TIO (in consultation with the Deputy Ombudsman) to compel service providers to offer a specific outcome; for example, to pay compensation, waive charges, or remove a default listing.

There is also a leadership component to the role of SIO: we provide specialised advice and feedback to other investigations staff.

I genuinely enjoy the role of Senior Investigations Officer, and while there is enough sustained pressure to provide an intellectual challenge, the culture of the organisation makes the job feel comparatively idyllic.

Last updated: 3 September 2009