While “hustle culture” has been celebrated in the mainstream in recent years, one business leader is advocating for the more targeted, deliberated approach of “focus culture” – through which, she says, workers can be passionate about their work without having it become their identity. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with INFIX founder and chief executive Niamh Sullivan about her journey as a Forbes 30 Under 30 semi-finalist and a TEDx speaker, the key differences between “focus culture” and “hustle culture”, the impact of the pandemic on workplace cultural issues, the perpetuating impact of social media, and the consequences of buying into “hustle culture”.

Sullivan also delves into the negative cultural impacts that come from constant hustling by workers, what “focus culture” looks like in practice, the role of HR in working with employees to bring about the right cultural change, the role of business leaders, and how optimistic she is that Australian workplaces can move towards healthier modes of working and productivity.