The HRIA’s 2025 Young Professional of the Year Believes the Future of the Hire Industry is in Good Hands.
ASK TOM LYNCH WHAT’S been his greatest takeaway from the HRIA’s Young Professionals Development Program and the answer is easy – an increase in self-awareness and the opportunity to tap into a network of people who are destined to lead the hire industry into the future.
Tom’s career in Hire began in 2020 when he was appointed Account Manager at the Coffs Harbour branch of Master Hire. Back then, he’d been living in Melbourne doing a sales role in industrial packaging but due to a change in personal circumstances, Tom was keen to return to Coffs Harbour, where he’d previously lived.
He applied for the role despite knowing nothing about the hire industry.
“I bounced the idea off a friend as I didn’t know what working in hire would be like,” says Tom. “He told me he had a mate in the industry and that he reckoned it was a great place to work.”
Tom also took the opportunity to call into the branch and introduce himself to the branch manager. A few weeks later, he received a phone call from Master Hire’s Managing Director Scott Marchant and after interviewing with Scott and Master Hire’s General Manager, Marketing (and national president of the HRIA), Jeremy Shaw, he was offered the role.
That was August 2020. Five years later, after completing the HRIA’s Young Professionals Development Program, Tom is the HRIA’s 2025 Young Professional of the Year.
The HRIA Young Professional of the Year recognises young professionals who’ve contributed to the Hire industry and thrived within the Young Professionals Development Program.
“This program unlocks the door to the whole of our industry,” says Tom. “It’s fun and engaging, you make new friends and meet people who are destined to have an impact on your life.”
“There’s just no downside to do it.”
“In June last year, Jeremy rang me from HIRE24 (in Brisbane) and said I should come along to the Young Professionals/Women in Hire networking event. That was the first I’d heard of the programs and as I was already in Brisbane, I went along to see what it was all about,” he recalls.
“My first impression was that everyone was so pumped for each other, and I thought that was pretty cool. I realised there must be something special about this program.”
When it came time to register for the 2024/25 intake, Tom jumped at the chance with the support of his management team.
Tom was 38 when his intake commenced, putting him at the higher end of the program’s age requirements. Having been in the industry for a while, he was keen to learn everything he could but was initially unsure how much he’d get out of it.
“I’ve been to a few things like this before and I was looking around the room thinking most of the cohort were at the start of their hire journey and would likely take a lot more from this than I would.”
But that all changed when he had a one-on-one feedback session with program facilitator, Aileen Hiskins of Strategic Alignment Training, giving him his ‘light bulb’ moment.
“Aileen spoke about what she saw in me, in my personality type and how I interact with people,” says Tom. “This was somebody who really understood me.”
At the next session on self-awareness, he wrote down his goal: dig internally and apply externally.
“I’m in a very forward-facing role and I’ve always been quite social,” he says.
“However, I’m also an introvert which doesn’t necessarily mean I’m a quiet shy person. Instead, introverts are people who think about what they say before they say it. We’re more comfortable
taking the time to do something rather than just responding or acting on whatever’s happening.”
It’s one of Tom’s key takeaways from the program. Now, he regularly steps back and reflects on his interactions with customers and coworkers to see where he could do better.
Looking back on the program, he says the use of mentors was a huge benefit. Tom was partnered with Ruairi Mawn, Business Unit Leader from Select Plant Australia.
“These mentors have been in the industry forever and that’s incredibly valuable,” says Tom.
“Ruairi has got a strong business mind so I could share my ideas and thoughts and he’d help me make real business sense of them. As a result of everything we talked about, my business acumen has improved significantly.”
While Tom’s time on the program is now over, he’s in no doubt that the relationship with Ruairi will continue. “I can phone him anytime,” says Tom, “and if he’s in town (Coffs Harbour), we’ll catch up for a coffee or a beer.”
Having clocked up five years in hire, Tom’s now a passionate advocate for the industry.
“It’s such a unique industry in that we supply to our competitors, they supply to us and everyone keeps ticking along. You just don’t hear of that anywhere else.”
That’s highlighted by the opportunities the program affords participants to network outside the facilitated sessions.
“Six months ago, one of my customers required something that we didn’t have, but I knew one of my fellow mentees did,” he says. “I was able to call him, organise the equipment and we got the deal done for my customer.”
As for the future, Tom’s happy to stay at Master Hire and has just been promoted to the position of Regional Manager for Northern NSW.
“We have a fantastic company culture, and I want to stay with the business,” he says.
“Five years ago, when I knew nothing about the hire industry, people took a chance on me, including Scott, Jeremy and my manager Charles. Their passion, drive and ability to get things done is inspirational. They’ve literally taught me everything I now know about the hire industry and are some of the most influential people in my life right now.”
He also believes the Young Professionals Development Program has been a life-changing experience.
“If you’re a manager or business owner and you see potential in someone that you’ve got working in your company, get them involved in this program. It’s creating the future leaders of hire and from what I’ve seen, that means our industry is in good hands.”