HR Leader Podcast Network

While workplace jealousy has always existed in various forms, the trend of “downward envy” – that is, leaders feeling envious of their employees, for myriad reasons – is a relatively new phenomenon, and one that can have deleterious impacts upon staff. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Monash Business School PhD candidate Sabreen Kaur about her research into the phenomenon of downward envy, what it is and how it has come about, how the introduction of more generations into the workforce has exacerbated this trend, and how such envy can manifest. Kaur also delves into the reasons why leaders may be envious of their staff members, the potential for short-sightedness from managers, why businesses and organisations suffer as a result of managers feeling envious, what employers need to do about it, and how optimistic she is that Australian workplaces can overcome this growing trend.

Late last year, the chief people officer for Gilchrist Connell was announced as the national law firm’s new chief executive – a role she assumed in July. Here, she reflects on her vocational experience and details how coming from an HR background and wearing “many, many hats” lends well to leading a large legal practice. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Gilchrist Connell chief executive Belinda Cohen about her career prior to joining the law firm five years ago, the work she did as CPO, balancing the proactive and reactive as an HR professional, and how she came to be the firm’s CEO. Cohen also discusses the firm’s vision as set out by her predecessor, Richard Wood, and how her HR background will assist in furthering that vision, how and why HR professionals are well placed to step into such senior leadership roles, how HR professionals can create such vocational pipelines for themselves, and what excites her moving forward.

A recent Fair Work decision noted that a primary carer doesn’t have to be the sole carer in order to receive primary carer parental leave. Here, a senior lawyer unpacks the decision and what it means for employers and lawyers moving forward. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Meredith Kennedy, a special counsel at national law firm Maddocks, about her work in the firm’s employment, safety, and people practice, the case of Metro Tasmania Pty Ltd v Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Industry Union (including what happened at first instance and then in front of the full bench of the Fair Work Commission), how “primary carer” was defined in the proceedings and relevant enterprise agreement, and how and why the FWC full bench reached its conclusions. Kennedy also delves into why this matter is so significant, the takeaways for employers nationwide, the need to ensure that workplace policies and frameworks account for all circumstances, overcoming collective biases, riding the wave of sociocultural shifts, best practice for lawyers in this space, and what else such lawyers need to be looking out for.

Here, we explore the need for business leaders and workplaces to “earn the commute” of their staff members returning to the office, including by way of imbibing a common purpose of the broader approach. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Canon Oceania director of people and finance David Field about his remit at Canon, how he has found the transition from technical legal specialist to having a bigger picture focus on business, whether businesses are getting it right in bringing staff back to the office, and navigating the disconnect that may exist between generations in the workforce. Field also discusses the questions that businesses need to be asking of themselves when wanting to bring staff back into the office, how he and Canon have looked to answer those questions, the place for trial and error, fostering team collegiality, strengthening common purpose through team building and community involvement, working for the greater good, and the steps that must be taken.

Here, a senior HR adviser reveals the non-negotiables driving Australian candidates, why outdated recruitment tactics backfire, and how to fix hiring in a market where flexibility and respect reign supreme. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Kace O’Neill speaks with Gartner’s senior HR principal, Jasleen Kaur, about why Australian talent prioritises work/life balance over pay, how outdated recruitment tactics drive candidate “ghosting”, and why transparency is key to fixing broken hiring processes. Kaur also delves into whether employers misunderstand flexibility as a trust issue, how HR can shift from “selling roles” to coaching candidates, what data-driven strategies recruiters must use to challenge unrealistic hiring managers, and why job descriptions sabotage talent attraction. She further explores whether DEI’s future lies in process-led inclusion (not performative training), how businesses can pre-empt HR/hiring manager breakdowns, what policy shifts prevent “buyer’s regret”, and whether personal growth and micro-cultures will redefine Australia’s talent landscape.

Almost all Australians know someone who has been diagnosed with cancer or will have been diagnosed themselves. However, our workforce has a long way to go when it comes to having open, supportive conversations about workers who fall ill. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Publicis Groupe chief talent officer in APAC and ANZ, Pauly Grant, about her journey to an executive role, her vision for optimal workplace culture, how and why cancer remains stigmatised in the workplace, what it looks like, whether cancer is getting lost in the shuffle given discussions about other ailments, and what it all means for the employee experience. Grant also delves into whether self-stigma is a factor, whether Australian businesses are doing well at having conversations about cancer, how HR teams can act, the practical steps that business leaders must take, the workplace policy shifts that can be made, and whether she is optimistic that our workforces can move towards destigmatisation.

For many businesses, employing fractional professionals – who are highly committed and engaged – to lead can be the way for those entities to deal with the myriad market challenges they face. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy sits down with The CFO Centre group chief executive Sara Daw to discuss her professional journey and embrace of greater flexibility and variety for professionals, why businesses might see engaging fractional professionals for leadership roles as a good thing, and why fractional leadership is a growing trend. Daw also delves into how businesses are responding to changing leadership models and structures, navigating the challenges that might come from such organisational changes, how the role of HR needs to evolve in conjunction with the rise of fractional leadership, the need to adapt to a changing world, and what HR needs to do to ensure the workplace environment is fit for purpose.

In an age of information overload, bringing things back to basics and ensuring workforces are getting the fundamentals right is essential to ensuring healthy, happy and productive staff. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Rodney Cottam and Chris Paterson from Run Rocket Run about their journeys in the corporate, armed services, and professional sporting worlds, what resilience means to them, why resilience is more essential than ever in workplaces right now, and what workers are most crying out for from their employers. Cottam and Paterson also delve into the importance of being able to bring one’s best self to work, being able to separate one’s self from the office, whether Australian workplaces are headed in the right direction, Run Rocket Run’s unique coaching approaches, bringing things back to basics, and applying basic principles to learning and development.

What did this HR partner do when she walked into her first defence event in her early 20s, wearing a bright pink suit, and realised she was the only woman in the room? In this special episode of The HR Leader Podcast, produced by our sister brand, Defence Connect, we explore this question and much more. In the premiere episode of The Progress Report, produced by HR Leader’s sister brand, Defence Connect, host Natasha Taylor sits down with Olivia Agate – president of Women’s Defence Connection and HR partner at Navantia – to unpack what it really takes to show up, speak up, and stand tall in a still male-dominated industry. From rainbow dresses at 6am breakfasts to the quiet power of allyship, Agate and Taylor trade stories of impostor syndrome, backing yourself (and each other), and how simply saying yes can change the entire trajectory of your career.

Former CEO of an AFL side turned ethical leadership expert Matt Finnis unpacks the habits of inclusive workplaces, strategies for navigating polarising debates, and why transparency is non-negotiable in 2025. Formerly CEO of St Kilda Football Club and corporate lawyer and now CEO at Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership, Matt Finnis spoke to HR Leader journalist Kace O’Neill to discuss key themes around ethical leadership, transparency, and disagreement. Finnis argues that modern inclusion isn’t about erasing discomfort but embracing pluralism. As workplaces become “melting pots of humanity”, leaders must move beyond correcting historical wrongs to actively welcoming conflicting values – transforming tension into growth. From the Israel Folau controversy to modern-day conflict debates, Finnis reveals how organisations can rehearse for inclusion crises. His antidote? Proactive scenario training, purpose-driven dialogue, and empowering employees to shape culture – before headlines force reactive decisions. With whistleblowing fears lingering, Finnis stresses that ethical followership hinges on leaders modelling vulnerability. He shares hard-won lessons from the AFL trenches: closing feedback loops, rewarding uncomfortable truths, and why owning mistakes builds more trust than flawless execution ever could.