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 — not outcomes

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 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.

Build capability — not just documents

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 SES leaders

  • HR and workplace relations leaders

  • Enterprise bargaining leads

  • Strategy and workforce planning teams

Upcoming workshop dates

📅 14 April 2026 – Almost full
📅 14 July 2026 – Now open

Secure your place

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