Hatch caught up with Kirsty, Senior Talent Partner at Eucalyptus to get an insight into their people-first approach to employer branding.
What does Eucalyptus do and what markets do you now operate in?
Kirsty: Eucalyptus is a digital platform that connects patients with the right support at the right time through nurses, GPs, and pharmacists. We aim to offer a more accessible, convenient, and patient-centric service through a combination of telehealth, e-commerce, and human-driven interactions.
Our goal is to deliver high-touch, high-quality healthcare by meeting patients where they are—via digital technology. This service includes everything from consultations to medication delivery right to the patient’s home, which really shakes up the traditional healthcare system where patients have to physically visit a doctor for a short consultation.
We started in Australia, but we've since expanded into the UK, Germany, and Japan. We also have an office in the Philippines, though we don’t service patients there. We have ambitions to grow into more markets very soon.
What drew you to join the Eucalyptus team?
Kirsty: I've always enjoyed working in scaling environments, and I’ve had experience in that before, such as at Skyscanner in its early days in the UK. The growth and the excitement of scaling a business really appealed to me. Another factor that drew me in was the purpose behind Eucalyptus.
Being from the UK, where the NHS offers a lot of services for free, I was passionate about what Eucalyptus is trying to do in Australia, where healthcare is more privatised. Eucalyptus empowers patients to take control of their healthcare, and I really saw the potential for impact, particularly for people living outside major cities who don’t have access to easy healthcare.
What does your role involve at Eucalyptus?
Kirsty: I’ve been in my talent acquisition role for about a year and a half. It’s a bit unique at Eucalyptus because we operate a business-led hiring model. Initially, I was the only TA person in Sydney, and I’ve recently hired a partner. In this model, I support a wide range of hiring managers in different ways, depending on the criticality of their roles.
For high-priority roles, I provide end-to-end recruitment support—sourcing, interviewing, etc. For roles that are lower volume or less critical, hiring managers run their own process, and I take on more of an advisory and coaching role. The lean nature of the team has meant that we rely heavily on input from the business, and this approach has worked well as we scale.
How has Euc developed such a strong employer brand in the Australian tech landscape?
Kirsty: There are a few things that really contribute. Firstly, we’ve attracted people who are early in their careers, who want to have a real impact and ownership over their work. That’s been a big draw. Also, Eucalyptus is disrupting a traditional industry, and that’s very appealing to ambitious, career-driven people. We solve complex problems and challenge the status quo, which attracts people who are intellectually curious and want to make a difference.
Another factor is our company’s purpose. Many people relate to what we’re doing, especially in healthcare, because either they or someone they know has faced challenges navigating the system. Preventative healthcare and access to the right care at the right time is something people are passionate about, and they want to be part of that change.
On top of this, I think a lot of our organic growth has been a testament to the passion of the people who work here. We often have team members speaking at events or on panels, sharing their experiences, and representing Eucalyptus in their respective industries. This organic visibility has done a lot for us. When you hire great people and give them meaningful work, they naturally want to tell others about it. That’s been a key factor in growing our employer brand without forcing it.
Lastly, we’ve seen people who join Eucalyptus accelerate their careers because they get exposure to so many different aspects of the business. It’s not often that you get that kind of experience in a company that’s growing at this scale.
Who owns employer brand campaigns at Eucalyptus?
Kirsty: We have a great creative team that handles the employer brand campaigns, and they’ve done an amazing job showcasing who we are and what we do. My focus is more on ensuring candidates have a good experience with us throughout the recruitment process.
The growth team runs most of the employer branding campaigns, I’ve worked closely with them on key projects, especially when we’re targeting specific talent pools like software engineers or healthcare practitioners. We want to communicate the value of working at Eucalyptus in a way that resonates with these different groups.
Do you do any work around building talent pools?
Kirsty: At this stage, we primarily rely on our network, word of mouth, and referrals. As we grow, I definitely see the value in building more structured talent pools. For now, our focus has been on hiring people who fit the early-career, ambitious profile, and we’ve had great success with that. We’re also seeing a lot of referrals from university cohorts, especially those who have had a great experience at Eucalyptus and pass the word along.
What does the hiring process look like at Eucalyptus?
Kirsty: One unique element of our hiring process is that we require a take-home exercise for all roles. This might be something people aren’t expecting, especially in non-technical roles like talent acquisition, however it’s really important to us. After the initial conversation, candidates usually complete a take-home task, followed by a technical interview, a behavioural interview, and then a culture interview. In the culture interview we have someone outside the immediate team assess whether the candidate fits with the Eucalyptus culture. It’s really about making sure they align with our values and our ways of working.
What values are you looking for in a potential new starter?
Kirsty: Eucalyptus has a culture that values intelligence, but more importantly, the ability to simplify complex problems and communicate clearly with the right audience. We also place a strong emphasis on low egos and a growth mindset. Our environment is very feedback-driven; people are expected to both give and receive feedback openly. This means that if someone doesn’t have a growth mindset, they might struggle here. We’re all about continuous improvement, so the ability to accept feedback and learn from it is crucial.
How has Eucalyptus approached hiring in new international markets like Japan, Germany, and the UK?
Kirsty: Expanding into new markets has been challenging, especially in Japan. My first week at Eucalyptus was during our Japan launch, and it was a huge learning curve. For markets like Japan, where we didn’t have an established brand, we had to take a hands-on approach, even involving the founders in sourcing and interviewing candidates.
It was important to have them speak directly with candidates to help build the brand and educate people about what we do. We also rely a lot on building relationships on the ground and leveraging referrals to find the right talent.
What’s next for Eucalyptus in the talent acquisition and employer branding space?
Kirsty: Looking ahead, we’re excited about scaling our team, especially in product and engineering. We’re also continuing to invest in benefits and culture, which plays a big role in our employer brand. For example, we’ve rolled out wellness programs like whoop bands, after-school sports initiatives, and revamped our parental leave policies.
These are things that align with the advice we give to our patients, and we want our employees to experience the same care and support we promote. I’m really excited to see how these initiatives will continue to strengthen our employer brand in the coming years.
There is no doubt that Eucalyptus is one of the leading employer brands in the Australian tech landscape, and it will continue to expand its reach as the company enters new markets with their ‘people-first’ employer brand strategy. Learn more about life at Eucalyptus.
