HR Leader Podcast Network

In this episode of The HR Leader, Sue Parker, a career strategist and communications expert, discusses the prevalent issue of ageism in the workplace. Ageism, which affects both the younger and older generations, is a form of discrimination that can have detrimental effects on individuals and businesses. Sue emphasises the need for awareness, introspection, and change to combat ageism effectively, as it is often overlooked compared to other forms of discrimination like racism and sexism. Ageism has significant consequences for both individuals and businesses. It can lead to decreased productivity, disengagement, and a loss of self-esteem.  To combat ageism, it is crucial for individuals to examine their own biases and challenge assumptions based on age. To effectively address ageism, it must be given a seat at the table in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.

Ahead of the Women in Finance Summit and Awards 2023, we’re catching up with some of the leading women in the financial services space. Tanya Sale co-founded mortgage aggregation group outsource Financial with Andrea Tassis 13 years ago, with Tanya now one of the very few female chief executives in the mortgage industry. In this episode, Annie Kane sits down with Tanya to find out: How a piggy bank triggered her love of finance. Why she started her own aggregation business. Why she believes support is critical to succeed as a female business leader. And much more!

Leadership burnout is on the rise as the workforce continues to navigate the challenges created by the pandemic. In this episode of The HR Leader, Aaron McEwan, vice-president of research and advisory at Gartner, explains that the burnout experienced by leaders is not surprising given the significant disruption and change, and leaders are at the forefront of navigating their organisations through this uncertainty. Aaron points out that economic instability and volatility also contribute to the high levels of stress experienced by leaders. While organisations have made efforts to provide mental health support to their employees, leaders often put their workforces before themselves. They are dealing with not only the stresses of the workplace but also the changes in the way work is done. The widespread adoption of hybrid and remote work has required leaders to learn new ways of leading their teams. Micromanagement has also become a significant issue during the pandemic. Aaron emphasises the importance of trust in leadership. Leaders who trust their teams and provide autonomy tend to have more engaged and productive workers. Employees with control over where, when, and how they work tend to perform better and have stronger connections to the organisation.

As companies and nations rush to be the first to advance artificial intelligence (AI) and become the next powerhouse, we have to wonder whether everything is moving too quickly. Tony Anscombe, chief security evangelist at ESET, joins the HR Leader to discuss the sudden boom in the general public’s use of AI and how this “AI race” may have got these systems into people’s hands prematurely. Tony addresses the issue of misinformation surrounding AI. He explains that AI, or more specifically, machine learning, has been in use for a long time. However, recent advancements have made it more accessible and understandable to the general public. This accessibility has led to both excitement and fear as people are more aware of its capabilities and potential risks. Meanwhile, Tony touches on regulation and how this is a tricky path to go down, as it could stifle innovation. He believes caution should be taken when operating these systems, as the technology isn’t the danger; it’s who uses it. What the future has in store for AI was also discussed, and Mr Tony believes AI will become integrated into everyday life to the point where people won’t even realise they are using it.

Despite many HR professionals and business leaders understanding that they need tech to survive and thrive, too many are still witnessing high failure rates. So, what’s stopping them from a successful technology journey? In this episode of the HR Leader podcast, host Emma Musgrave is joined by Pinpoint HRM Founder and Managing Director Craig Aunger to discuss where many go wrong in the pre- and post-implementation phases. Backed by over 25 years of experience, Craig takes listeners through his three secrets to HR tech success, sharing how you can effectively evaluate cloud HR solutions, what key points you need to consider prior to rolling them out in your business, and how you can ensure ongoing success beyond go-live. Craig started Pinpoint HRM in the early 2000s, and since then, he and his team of 75 consultants have delivered over 650 HR tech projects, working on over 100 client engagements at any point in time, across the full cloud HR project life cycle. The insights and learnings from these many and varied projects over the years are what Craig brings to this discussion today. We hope you enjoy the episode.

In this episode of the HR Leader podcast, Luli Adeyemo, the executive director at the Tech Diversity Foundation, shines a light on the importance of diversity in the workplace. Luli highlights the need for organisations to go beyond awareness and take meaningful action to create a more diverse and inclusive environment. She discusses the concept of intersectionality, which refers to how different aspects of an individual’s identity, such as gender, race, disability, and culture, intersect and influence their experiences and opportunities. She highlights the importance of considering intersectionality when addressing diversity and inclusion. Luli also emphasises the need to go beyond one data point and understand the intersection of various characteristics within a diverse workforce.

In this episode of the HR Leader podcast, Springfox chief executive and co-founder Peta Sigley shares insights into the importance of addressing resilience and wellbeing at work. The conversation highlights the importance of building resilience, the different levels of listening, and the role of positive psychology in promoting positive mental wellbeing. With a focus on education and practical implementation, Peta emphasises the need for ongoing support and continuous improvement in the workplace. Peta also touched on loneliness and how identifying and addressing this issue is crucial, especially as R U OK? Day approaches. To deal with these heavy themes, she highlighted the need for robust courses, engagements, and programs that provide education. HR leaders play a crucial role in championing resilience and mental health, ensuring its integration into the organisation’s culture. Peta emphasises that building resilience is an ongoing process, not a one-time event.

In this week’s podcast episode, we share a conversation with HR Leader’s sister brand Accountants Daily on the economic pressures businesses are facing at the moment. Mr Fingland walks listeners through the latest figures highlighting the GDP and how our score currently shows that many industries are already in a recession. He also shares how to spot telltale signs of trouble that are important for all leaders to be across.

Megan Dalla-Camina, founder and chief executive of Women Rising, joined the HR Leader to discuss the progress being made towards gender equity in the workplace. With the latest report from Women Rising revealing that just 8 per cent of women are thriving at work, there is a long way to go to empower employees. Megan touches on the role of the male ally and how it’s crucial for men to voice up and help turn stigmas around. She also discusses the importance of vulnerability in leadership and how connections can be strengthened through this approach.

In this episode of The HR Leader, host Jack Campbell is joined by the country manager for Perkbox Australia, Ross McDonald, to discuss the importance of rewards, benefits, and recognition in the modern workplace, especially in the context of remote and hybrid working models. The duo discuss the significance of offering rewards, benefits, and recognition in today’s job market, where attracting and retaining talent is crucial. They explore how organisations need to adapt their strategies to cater to distributed work models, where remote and hybrid work arrangements have become more common. Ross explains that recognition is a vital component of engagement and cites surveys that reveal employees value recognition as much as clear performance expectations. He emphasises that recognition contributes to building a positive organisational culture.