Motorola Solutions Australia designs, builds, and connects safety and security technologies in pursuit of a single, powerful mission: to help keep people safer everywhere. The company believes that individuals and communities thrive when they feel secure — and it is this belief that drives their innovation and partnerships globally.
They provide managed and support services across critical communications, command centre software, and video security. These technologies work together to ensure fast, coordinated, and reliable responses during critical moments — from frontline emergency services to enterprise and public safety operations.
Being in the technology and engineering sectors, Motorola Solutions leads in a space that is traditionally male dominated. Recognising this dynamic, they are actively working to create a more inclusive culture where all employees feel safe, supported, and empowered to thrive.
Barrett Communications Young Professionals Team
celebrating the Solving for Safer Blitz watch party
Launching the Young Professionals Group to retain early-career talent
At Motorola Solutions Australia, keeping early-career talent engaged and supported is a clear priority—especially when it comes to recent grads and Gen Y and Z employees, who now make up 30% of the workforce. These team members value connection, meaningful feedback, and feeling heard. With over a third of employees in their first three years at the company—many in entry-level roles across high-demand areas like software and systems engineering—Motorola is actively investing in their growth and long-term success.
To support retaining talent, Motorola Solutions launched the Young Professional Group. This initiative has successfully created a platform for graduates and younger generations to connect, expand their professional networks, and re-engage with the workplace environment — something many missed post-COVID.
The Young Professional Group’s focus aligns with four clear themes: professional development, knowledge sharing, community involvement, and networking. These pillars not only support employee growth but also resonate with the Motorola Solutions Foundation’s philanthropic mission. By fostering collaboration across its 13 Australian offices, the Young Professional Group has significantly boosted morale and engagement throughout the business.
YPG celebrating their
Kick off in February of 2024
At its core, Motorola Solutions knows that supporting people’s growth, wellbeing, and sense of belonging—like through the Young Professional Group—is key to keeping great talent and driving future innovation.
Identifying the need
A survey they conducted, revealed that 71.9% of their Gen Y employees were eager for cross-functional training, signalling a strong desire to expand their skills beyond their day-to-day roles. Just as striking, the same proportion said that embedding Gen Y and Z values into leadership would bring benefits for the entire organisation — a clear call for more future-focused, inclusive leadership.
The top three work-based values for Gen Y employees were also identified:
- Work-life balance: While Motorola offers hybrid work, the Young Professional Group actively encourages in-office engagement for social, learning, and developmental benefits.
- Growth within the organisation: Young Professional Group initiatives provide invaluable visibility with senior management, cultivates leadership opportunities, and hone presentation skills.
- Values alignment: A strong 87.5% of Gen Y participants felt their personal values aligned with Motorola’s six core values.
The Young Professional Group has become a key connector, driving messages of engagement through events like ‘How I Got Here’, where senior leaders share real stories—including their challenges. This extends the reach of Motorola’s inclusion vision and spotlights emerging talent. Employees who lead visibly within the group gain recognition and build influence, helping shape the company’s inclusive future.
Building Capability and Measuring Success
The Young Professional Group is instrumental in building employee capability for inclusion and change management. Committee members gain crucial skills in project management, event organisation, stakeholder engagement, and public speaking—all vital for navigating and leading change. Learning from senior leaders’ diverse experiences and being empowered to construct business cases further enhances their abilities.
Melbourne YPG celebrating the Solving for Safer Blitz
Motorola Solutions measures the Young Professional Group’s impact through numbers and feedback. In 2024, event attendance jumped 160% and committee membership grew by 77%. Ongoing input shapes future planning, with strong endorsement from the Senior Leadership Team.
Critical Success Factors and Key Achievements
The Young Professional Group’s achievements are rooted in several critical factors:
- A data-driven approach: Tailoring initiatives directly to the 2022 survey insights on Gen Y needs, such as a 71.9% desire for cross-functional training and strong alignment with core values, ensured relevance and uptake.
- Employee ownership and empowerment: Making the Young Professional Group employee-led fostered accountability and engagement.
- Active senior leadership engagement: Their direct involvement, including sharing personal stories, validated the Young Professional Group’s importance.
- Alignment with employee values: Addressing desires for work-life balance and growth opportunities resonated deeply.
- Focus on tangible development: Providing clear growth paths, evidenced by promotions, motivated participation.
- Building a strong community: This directly addressed the desire for greater professional and personal connection.
- Strong internal branding: This enhanced the Young Professional Group’s profile, attracting members and increasing event attendance.
The Young Professional Group effectively showcases Motorola Solutions Australia’s commitment to empowering its people to drive inclusion, fostering a more connected and capable workforce.
YPG’s infamous “How I Got Here” Sessions with
Ian Waddel, Vice President, International Services and Support
To drive the initiative and inspire real behavioural and organisational change, deliberate steps were taken to provide the Young Professional Group with the strong support it needed for success.
- Community engagement: The first step was to understand what the Motorola Solutions community wanted, allowing events to be tailored for impact and early engagement.
- Strategic expansion of the Organising Committee: As momentum grew, leadership capacity was expanded by growing the committee from two to dedicated teams across growth, social engagement, and volunteering—ensuring focus and sustained impact.
- Leadership sponsorship: As events were aligned with the identified needs of the group as outlined in the 2022 survey, funding and sponsorship was sought from leadership and was made available for the proposed activities.
- Building trust and credibility: Trust was built within the organisation through consistent delivery, effective communication, and through demonstrating the ability to drive initiatives to completion.
- Multi-platform communication: The initiative gained strong momentum through the well-attended Inspiring Inclusiveness events open to all Australia/New Zealand employees, supported by regular internal emails and LinkedIn posts. Promotion was amplified via word-of-mouth, senior leadership buy-in, and internal channels, themed meeting backgrounds, and a dedicated intranet page.
YPG’s building connections and networking event featuring recent graduates
Throughout 2024, Young Professional Group leaders developed their competencies aligned to Motorola Solutions company values—Drive, Innovation, Partner, Customer, Accountable and Inclusive—as they expanded their connections and learnt new engagement skills to enhance their own personal development.