HR Leader Podcast Network

The evolution of the workforce has posed plenty of challenges for recruitment. This episode of The HR Leader discusses these challenges with Ben Townshend, the technology sales recruitment lead at Bluefin Resources. Ben touches on the implications brought about by the pandemic and how to stand out amid a tight labour market. He also outlines the importance of candidate experience and recruitment tech.

CEO confidence in executive leadership teams has seen a deep decline. Now, more than ever, presents an opportunity for HR professionals to prove their worth. On this episode of The HR Leader, host Emma Musgrave is joined by Dee Fitzgerald, executive director at Russell Reynolds Associates, to discuss what’s caused this drop in confidence – and what proactive measures you can take to drive it up again. Dee talks about the big comparisons between traditional and today’s C-suite teams, what characteristics people in exec roles need to exude now, and the questions leaders should ask themselves when setting a business up for success. She also reveals how leaders can effectively develop next-generation leaders in-house and gives HR up-and-comers some key advice on how they can position themselves up for success from the get-go.  

Mitch Wallis is a mental health advocate and founder of Heart On My Sleeve. He joined The HR Leader to discuss the work his organisation does to promote mental health support in the workplace and why it’s so important. Mitch highlighted how people often spend more time at work than they do with loved ones, showing that the workplace is a crucial place to address mental wellbeing. To access Heart On My Sleeve’s workplace programs, visit the link below:https://www.heartonmysleeve.org/

Recent government efforts to better support employees suffering from family and domestic violence are a step in the right direction, but do they go far enough? On this episode of The HR Leader, host Emma Musgrave is joined by Tammy Hewitt for an honest and insightful conversation about addressing the issue in Australian workplaces. Tammy is a mental health advocate and keynote speaker who has a passion for educating business leaders about how they can implement practical measures in-house to support staff who need it most. While she is encouraged by the new Australian legislation, which allows employees 10 days of family and domestic violence leave, she shares how employers can go the extra mile. Tammy also shares the tell-tale signs of family and domestic violence HR can look out for in staff – and the appropriate steps to take in supporting them from the get-go.

While more Australian workplaces are bolstering their efforts in the wellbeing space, there are lessons that can be learnt from overseas counterparts. On this episode of The HR Leader, host Emma Musgrave chats to Aussie-based Cathy McDonald, executive general manager of Vitality Works, and UK-based Dr Adam Huxley, co-founder and COO of Thrive, on the hidden benefits that come with an expanded workplace policy. Cathy and Adam take listeners through the financial and cultural benefits that come with placing greater emphasis on mental health in the workplace, discuss the cost of absenteeism, and give their advice to HR leaders and key decision-makers who are keen to implement greater initiatives going forward. The pair also discuss the partnership their companies have recently embarked on to bring what’s being dubbed the next revolutionary employee assistance program (EAP) solution to the Australian and New Zealand markets.

Nicole Karagiannis is the chief people and culture officer at Harrison.ai. She spoke with The HR Leader about her career as an HR professional, her interest in coaching and executive leadership, and the importance of DEI and belonging in HR’s outlook. Ms Karagiannis shared with listeners how being trilingual has enhanced her HR work, including being able to speak clearly and plainly to a diverse group of people. She commented on the role of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in Harrison.ai’s workplace, including why it’s important to tailor recognition to individual employees. Seeing HR as a “commercial business partner” is key for Ms Karagiannis, who demonstrated in the podcast discussion how HR could be a commercial contributor outside of what’s thought of as the traditional HR role. Listen to the full podcast to also discover Ms Karagiannis’ tips for those in the tech industry currently experiencing workforce challenges. Dave Ulrich is referenced in this podcast discussion. For more information, see the links below:  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/five-hr-competencies-actions-enable-renewal-through-human-dave-ulrich/ https://www.rbl.net/insights/videos/hr-from-the-outside-in

James McIlvena, LHH Australia and New Zealand’s managing director, talked to The HR Leader for this podcast in partnership with LHH. Examining the LHH Global Workforce of the Future Report, the discussion ranged from skills to salary conversations, career development and more. Mr McIlvena spoke about what LHH’s findings revealed regarding skills, employee demand for career progression, and why new tech like AI is driving human workers to maintain relevance. It’s rare for an organisation and its employees to agree that both sides feel salary levels are spot on, but Mr McIlvena shared some of the ways businesses can mitigate this disconnect. Diving into the phenomenon of “quitfluencers”, the podcast also discussed what organisations could do to stem the tide if one employee’s decision to leave sparks others to also consider their options. And the conversation wouldn’t have been complete without delving into worker wellbeing. Mr McIlvena did this through a lens of understanding what businesses can do to encourage their people to take regular breaks. For listeners who’d like to read more about the LHH Global Workforce of the Future Report, please click here: https://info.lhh.com/ANZ/HRL-CTM-global-workforce-of-the-future-2023

The Equinix Foundation is committed to digital inclusion. Sujata Narayan, its director, and Bruce Owen, its president, joined The HR Leader to share what the foundation is all about and examples of some of the great initiatives the team is involved with worldwide. Diversity is a word that comes up a lot when talking about the foundation, and it’s apt with both Equinix employees and people from other organisations supporting the foundation’s work. The foundation is also adamant about being part of the places where they operate, with the focus in each region shifting as required to meet the needs of that area. Ms Narayan shared insight into the work the foundation is doing in India to help women achieve digital parity when it comes to learning, as well as efforts in the US to bridge cultural and racial divides. Mr Owen spoke about a growth area of the foundation, which is to provide more support to ageing workers when it comes to digital inclusion. Any discussion about the foundation’s work would be incomplete without covering the importance of DEI and belonging and why it’s central to what the foundation is doing – a lack of digital inclusion has many knock-on effects for people. Mr Owen concluded that they don’t pretend to have all the answers at the foundation, but they’re committed to being a part of the solution.

Subhashree Das shared with The HR Leader her experience as an HR professional moving from India to Australia, looking for work opportunities. Ms Das is now a client services officer in the contract management team at Konica Minolta, but her journey finding work in Australia was not easy. Ms Das talked through some of the big names she’d worked with in India, organisations that any Australian recruiter would recognise. However, it was still an uphill battle for her to secure a position in Australia due to the common bias for ‘local experience’. Ms Das explained for listeners what recruiters are overlooking when they have a blinkered view valuing ‘local’ above all else. Being more open to a diverse range of backgrounds is an asset for businesses according to Ms Das, pointing out how advantageous it is when organisations have either internal or external (or both) clients from a variety of cultures and countries. She also reminded listeners about all the soft or human skills that overseas applicants bring with them. For anyone new to Australia looking for their first position here, Ms Das shared some tips, including focussing on continual learning, gaining local qualifications where possible. Ms Das was assisted in finding work in Australia by atWork Australia. You can find out more about them here: https://www.atworkaustralia.com.au

Nintex’s vice-president for APAC, Christian Lucarelli, sat down with The HR Leader to share insights into his career that started in HR, moved into HR tech, and up to his current role with Nintex today. He noted that the skills he learnt in HR are now invaluable in managing and leading people. Mr Lucarelli talked about why technology that captures business processes and knowledge is critical for organisations, citing creating ‘centres of excellence’ as one of the ways Nintex helps its customers. Looking at the hurdles HR is facing today and into the future, Mr Lucarelli talked about why HR tech like Nintex needs to be ‘people-centric’, getting people away from spreadsheets and using technology to automate work where possible.