Meet Kylie and Stephanie: Helping Shape a Better IVF Workplace
By Lola, Business Development Manager
At No.1 Fertility, we’re always thinking about ways to improve the experience for our patients, but we’re equally passionate about making No.1 a great place for our people to work. After all, the people caring for our patients deserve to feel supported and appreciated themselves.
Two people making a real difference are Kylie, our Director of Clinical Operations, and Stephanie, our People and Culture Manager. They bring different strengths and experiences to the organisation, but share a genuine commitment to looking after our teams and creating a workplace where people enjoy what they do.
Experience That Makes a Difference
One of the things I love about No.1 Fertility is the calibre of people we’ve attracted. Many of our doctors, scientists, nurses and senior team members have worked across different fertility clinics, bringing years of experience, different perspectives and fresh ideas about how things can be done better.
Kylie is a wonderful example. With extensive experience in the fertility industry, she understands the complexities of running a clinic, the pressures our teams face and the importance of having good systems and processes in place. But she also knows that successful clinical operations depend on having people who feel confident, supported and comfortable contributing their ideas.
As we’ve grown across Melbourne and Sydney, Kylie’s practical approach and leadership have been invaluable. She understands that every department plays an important part in the patient experience and that good communication between teams can make an enormous difference to how smoothly things operate.
We want to keep improving what we do without losing the personal, collaborative atmosphere that makes working at No.1 enjoyable. Having experienced people like Kylie helping guide that growth is something we really value.
Steph: Putting People and Culture First
Then there’s Steph, and we really do love Steph!
As our People and Culture Manager, Steph has made an enormous contribution to the way we support our employees and think about workplace culture. She brings considerable HR experience, but what stands out most is the care, enthusiasm and personal approach she brings to her role.
HR is sometimes seen as being about recruitment, policies and compliance, but Steph understands that looking after people goes well beyond those responsibilities. It’s about listening, recognising individual circumstances and creating an environment where employees feel comfortable asking for support.
She’s also helped us recognise that as our organisation grows, the way we look after our people needs to evolve too. What works for a smaller team doesn’t always work for a larger organisation, and having someone who understands both the practical and personal sides of HR makes a real difference.
Steph has been instrumental in turning our ideas about employee wellbeing into meaningful workplace changes. It’s easy for businesses to say they value their people, but what’s important is demonstrating that through the way they operate, and Steph has helped us do exactly that.
Making No.1 a Better Place to Work
Working in IVF is incredibly rewarding, but it also comes with emotional demands and responsibility. Our teams support patients through some of the most personal moments of their lives, and we believe they deserve that same consideration and understanding from their employer.
Steph has also been leading the development of No.1 Fertility’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP), helping define what it means to be part of the No.1 team. At its heart is a simple but powerful ethos: being part of life-changing moments every day. The EVP brings together five key elements of the employee experience: finding meaning and purpose in our work, feeling a sense of belonging, working in a positive and supportive environment, having opportunities to learn and grow, and feeling genuinely cared for through wellbeing and support. It’s about recognising that while our people make an incredible difference in the lives of our patients, we also have a responsibility to make a positive difference in theirs.
One initiative we’re particularly proud of is introducing five days of reproductive leave, recognising that fertility treatment and reproductive health challenges can affect our own people too.
We’ve also introduced an annual Celebrating You day, giving employees an additional day to spend doing something important to them. Whether that’s being with family, enjoying a personal interest or simply taking time for themselves, it’s a way of acknowledging that everyone has a life outside work.
Steph has played a major role in developing and implementing these initiatives alongside Kylie and our leadership team. They’re practical examples of how we’re trying to make No.1 a better place to work by recognising what matters to people beyond their day-to-day responsibilities.
These policies are also part of a broader commitment to creating a workplace where people want to stay and build their careers. We know there will always be opportunities to improve, and we’re fortunate to have people who are genuinely interested in finding better ways of doing things.
Learning From Each Other
Something I really admire about Kylie and Steph is their willingness to listen. Some of the best ideas come from the people working directly with patients, in our laboratories, nursing teams and administration areas. They’re often the first to recognise what works well, what could be improved and where small changes might make everyone’s day easier.
Our recent No.1 Fertility Education Day was a wonderful example of the value of bringing people together. It gave our teams the opportunity to learn more about each other’s roles, understand the responsibilities and challenges across different departments, and appreciate how everyone’s contribution fits into the patient journey.
In a busy clinic, it’s easy to become focused on your own responsibilities without always seeing what happens before or after your part of the process. Education Day helped bridge those gaps, encouraging cross-team learning, opening up conversations and giving people a better understanding of how their colleagues work.
It was also a reminder of just how much knowledge and experience we have within No.1. Bringing that knowledge together helps build stronger relationships between departments and encourages people to see themselves as part of one team, rather than simply the area they work in.
As we continue growing in Melbourne and Sydney, maintaining those connections will become even more important. We want people to feel comfortable sharing ideas, asking questions and learning from one another, regardless of their role.