Sonia Sheppard has a unique way of preparing for her weekly meeting with Internode's General Manager Pat Tapper: She challenges him to an early morning game of squash at the gym before getting down to work.

"It's a great way to start the day", reflects Sonia, who has personally overseen a seven-fold increase in employee numbers in her first four and half years with the company.

This unorthodox way to start the working day is typical of the unique culture at Internode, a company where one of the five core values is 'vibrancy'.

Sonia brought a rich corporate background to the role of HR Manager when she joined the company in the second half of 2002. After roles at major South Australian companies within industries such as aviation and mining, Sonia encountered Internode while working with a recruitment firm used by the company.

"I could see they were struggling to cope with the growth and thought I'd take the opportunity to suggest an internal HR function", Sonia recalls. "Internode really started to grow rapidly after I joined."

Nearly seven years later, Internode is still challenged by its growth rate. Employee numbers topped 100 in early 2005: Two years later, they were nearly three times that level.

Sonia says coping with growth is the most challenging aspect of her role. "A focus for me is to keep up with recruiting enough people with the appropriate skills and values to keep in line with our customer base", she says.

"Internode is a services business, so we strive to have the best people on board and that's something I believe we've done really well to date. Recruiting the right people who foster our values is a major focus for Internode's Human Resources team. That can be very difficult when we often recruit large numbers of people."

While Sonia's challenge is managing the recruitment of new employees, her responsibilities include a more strategic focus covering areas such as organisational development, employee relations and performance and development within the company.

"I enjoy working at Internode because of the diverse people and the dynamic environment", says Sonia. "We have passionate staff and passionate customers - that makes for a positive place to work!"

Away from work, Sonia enjoys catching up with friends over a glass of wine and, when she can, heading to Kangaroo Island to enjoy relaxing beach holidays with family and friends.

Sonia says Internode is a great place to work because its employees are committed to its success.

"It's a fact that the people who work here are the reason for Internode's strong reputation", she says. "It's great to be a part of a company with such a bright and exciting future."