In this special episode of The HR Leader Podcast, produced in partnership with Avature, we unpack the revolutionary impact of artificial intelligence on the daily operations of human resources teams and how such professionals can and should take advantage. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Avature founder and chief executive officer Dimitri Boylan about the volume of change he has witnessed in the market in recent decades, how disruptive and transformative AI will be relative to past technological shifts such as the “dot-com boom” and the lessons to be gleaned, how HR teams can leverage it to address their unique challenges and tips for navigating setbacks when integrating AI. Boylan also delves into “being on the leading edge versus the bleeding edge”, keeping pace with rapid advancements, ticking the right boxes when triaging urgent priorities, what’s working and not working out in the market, the regulatory state of affairs, and the questions HR needs to ask of itself at this critical juncture. To learn more about Avature, click here.

When it comes to creating thriving workplaces, a more idiosyncratic approach to gendered needs may well be what businesses have long been missing. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Dr Michelle McQuaid, an honorary fellow at Melbourne University’s Centre for Wellbeing Science, about the importance of speaking about gender in the workplace in non-traditional ways, why it is so difficult to have such conversations in the current climate, her two components to best practice when it comes to gender equality at work, and ensuring that such conversations are prioritised by the business and C-suite. McQuaid also delves into the practical ways that HR teams can implement new frameworks, the commercial incentive for doing so, the first steps that HR must take, empowering the workforce to make such changes (against the backdrop of the rising tech oligarchs and sociocultural shifts), and why mental health is front and centre of this broader discussion.

In this episode of the HR Leader podcast, host Kace O’Neill sits down with Rachel Voysey, founding director and principal psychologist of the Relationship Room, to unpack the complexities of workplace relationships – from platonic bonds to office romances. With over a decade of expertise in relationship dynamics, Voysey unpacks HR’s delicate role: addressing these dynamics without moral judgment, spotting subtle red flags like dips in team trust or favouritism, and navigating power imbalances that erode cohesion. From discreetly managing fallout to understanding how secrecy breeds “intuitive distrust”, Voysey emphasises policies that balance empathy with accountability. While workplace relationships are inevitable, Voysey stresses that education on professional versus personal connections – and compassionate, transparent leadership – can mitigate risks without stifling the human connections that drive engagement.

Remuneration and incentives have always been a Pandora’s box for business leaders. In the post-pandemic climate, however, in which employee values have shifted, the equation has become trickier. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with TalentCode HR founder and managing director Trudy MacDonald about the difficulties business leaders have long had with implementing successful remuneration and incentive strategies, how COVID-19 spawned a shift in employee thinking around work/life balance, the Great Exhaustion and its implications, the impact of resenteeism, and how difficult it is for employers to cater to idiosyncratic needs of all staff. MacDonald also reflects on whether employees are staying put right now (following the Great Resignation), employee disgruntlement amid high inflation and a cost-of-living crisis, how the latest WGEA data might impact employee thinking, the steps that HR professionals and C-suite executives need to take, measuring success, and the folly of viewing remuneration as an isolated issue.

“Nothing sharpens the mind,” a leading barrister says, like the threat of serious financial penalties or imprisonment. Under the newly legislated wage theft laws, businesses need to ensure their payroll and other administrative processes meet the requisite standard. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Sydney-based barrister Ian Neil SC to discuss why employment and industrial relations law is such a meaningful vocational path for him, what the new wage theft laws are and how they came about, the most common reasons why employers will fail to comply with existing law, and why old excuses will no longer fly. Neil also delves into the consequences of non-compliance with the new legislative landscape, community perceptions about the new laws, the questions businesses must ask of themselves in getting their systems up to scratch, the role of HR in ensuring compliance, how HR can balance such duties against other priorities, and he also fleshes out other key aspects of the new Closing Loopholes legislation.

Donald Trump’s presidency has already begun reshaping the corporate and political landscape in the US, with executive orders rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and clean energy efforts. What impact does this have on organisational culture globally? In this episode of the Relative Return Unplugged Podcast – produced by the wealth portfolio at HR Leader’s parent company, Momentum Media – Associate Professor Nathan Eva from Monash Business School discusses the global implications of Trump’s “me-first agenda” on business and workplace culture, including within Australia. He explores the risks of deprioritising diversity, how Australian leaders can resist these trends, what organisations can do to stay committed to fairness, equity, and sustainability amid political and social upheaval, and the leadership qualities needed to navigate this challenging new era.

The year 2024 was eventful for industrial relations (IR) disputes, with major Australian organisations facing off against disgruntled workers and unions in standoffs that caused a media frenzy. Here, one IR expert breaks down these major disputes and offers an outlook on why employers can’t afford to ignore the 2025 IR wave. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Kace O’Neill speaks with Workvergent founder and managing industrial relations consultant Troy Gread to unpack the most polarising disputes – from the Woolworths’ Christmas showdown to Sydney’s train strike chaos – and what they reveal about the battles ahead. On the eve of a federal election, with IR battles and multi-employer bargaining on the rise, Gread reveals why 2025 could be a tipping point for employers and HR teams. Whether it’s navigating union tactics, Gen Z worker activism, or the hidden costs of lost productivity – the rapidly changing industrial landscape continues to evolve.

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.

Here, a senior corporate lawyer reflects on the three-year career break she took to be a full-time carer and what businesses need to do to ensure that the idiosyncratic family needs of workers are accounted for. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with ANZ senior procurement lawyer Porscia Lam about her legal career and decision to take a three-year break to care for her son, balancing work against family needs, what the response was like to her move, and how her perceptions of Australian workplaces have evolved in recent years. Lam also delves into the need for businesses to better accommodating parenting needs, identifying the business case for increased support, what works and doesn’t work when supporting parents with neurodiverse children, ingraining such support in the workplace’s culture, the role of HR departments in driving such change, and making sure such support remains, even against the pushback against DEI measures.

In the face of myriad market changes, not only do HR professionals need to work differently – they also need to be perceived differently in the workplace. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Ignite Purpose founder and chief executive Christina Foxwell about the key takeaways and lessons for HR professionals from 2024 and what the implications are for such professionals, increasing concerns around exhaustion, and why self-care needs to be front and centre for HR in the new year. Foxwell also discusses the questions HR teams need to ask of themselves in 2025, the trends she is most excited about for this year, how difficult it will be for HR to navigate such trends, and her guidance to HR in order to thrive.