ENTERPRISE BARGAINING (EB) TOOL 003

Developing an Enterprise Bargaining Strategy
Move from preparation to position, before you enter the room.

Why this tool matters

Most organisations don’t fail in enterprise bargaining because they don’t understand the process. They struggle because they don’t have a clear, aligned strategy going in.

Without this, bargaining becomes:

  • Reactive instead of deliberate

  • Inconsistent across leaders

  • Difficult to hold under pressure

  • Focused on issues (or ‘in the weeds’), not outcomes that have a real enterprise-wide impact

This tool has been developed by Humanify HR to support organisations to define a clear, unified bargaining position before bargaining begins.

What this tool helps you do

This resource supports senior leaders and HR teams to answer the three most critical questions:

  • What do we need from this agreement?

  • What are we willing to trade to get it?

  • What is our clear, aligned position going into bargaining?

It shifts enterprise bargaining from a technical exercise to a strategic organisational lever, with executive ownership and direction.

What’s inside

Part A: Simplified Strategy Framework

A step-by-step process to build your strategy, including:

  • What are we trying to achieve?

  • What’s not working today?

  • What are our non-negotiables?

  • What are we willing to trade?

  • What are our top priorities?

  • What are the risks?

  • Final alignment

(See structured framework across pages 4–6 of the tool)

Part B: Executive Output Template

A clear format to document:

  • Strategic intent

  • Bargaining principles

  • Core terms and salary position

  • Key priorities

  • Non-negotiables

  • Trade-offs and risks

Part C: Example Bargaining Position

A fully worked example showing how to translate strategy into a clear executive bargaining position, including:

  • Bargaining intent and principles

  • Core terms (e.g. agreement term, pay approach)

  • Key objectives (e.g. simplification, flexibility, workforce alignment)

  • Non-negotiables and trade-offs

  • Final position

Download the assessment tool

Access your Enterprise Bargaining Strategy Tool

The reality: strategy is where bargaining is won or lost

By the time you are already at the bargaining table:

  • Your leverage is already set

  • Your risks are already embedded

  • Your success is largely determined

What separates high-performing organisations is simple:
They enter bargaining with a clear, aligned, and defensible position and rock-solid strategy.

Build capability, not just documents that sit on the shelf collecting dust

This tool gives you the structure.

Our Effective Enterprise Bargaining Representative Workshop builds the capability to actually apply it.

In this workshop, you’ll learn how to:

  • Translate organisational priorities into a bargaining strategy

  • Define non-negotiables, trade-offs and settlement ranges

  • Align executive teams before bargaining begins

  • Manage negotiation dynamics and pressure points

  • Lead bargaining with clarity, confidence and credibility

Who this is for

  • Senior executives and leaders responsible for enterprise bargaining

  • HR and workplace relations leaders

  • Enterprise bargaining and IR leads

  • Enterprise bargaining representatives that want to build and refresh knowledge

Upcoming workshop dates

📅 14 April 2026 – SOLD OUT
📅 14 July 2026 – Now open

Secure your place

Register for the Enterprise Bargaining Workshop
Register for the Enterprise Bargaining Workshop

Why Humanify HR

Humanify HR partners with organisations across Australia to support:

  • Enterprise bargaining strategy and preparation

  • Leadership alignment and capability

  • Complex workplace relations challenges

Start with the tool. Lead with strategy.

👉 hello@humanifyhr.com.au