HR Leader Podcast Network

Aaron Goonrey is a partner at Lander & Rogers and specialises in workplace relations and safety. He spoke with The HR Leader on 24 November 2022 about some of the DEI issues Australian workplaces should be aware of. Looking at both current and predicted DEI challenges, Mr Goonrey shared his thoughts on the barriers some organisations face in embracing DEI.  The podcast conversation also covered Australia’s seeming preoccupation with only one area of DEI: gender, with Mr Goonrey stating: “I think in some regards, in Australia that is, we’re a little bit behind what diversity, equity and inclusion means broadly. With that said, I think we get fixated on female representation or gender representation, broadly speaking because women represent 50 per cent of the population, so have greater representation and visibility as compared with other minority groups.” He added: “So when you look at gender and women, their representation is going to be critical in discussions about diversity, equity and inclusion. But we do have that preoccupation I think because we’re a little bit behind the game when it comes to that.” Mr Goonrey also shared what he thinks a “truly inclusive organisation” is and why he’s personally very interested in DEI.  “I’ve got a passion around it because I think that everyone, regardless of who you are, or where you come from ... I have a passion that those people, particularly when we’re talking about our minorities, should feel safe and confident to bring their authentic self to work and to be assured that they will be treated equally among their co-workers and by their managers,” said Mr Goonrey.

From aircraft maintenance engineer to HR professional, Adam Hill brings a unique perspective to HR. Mr Hill joined The HR Leader on 22 November 2022 to discuss how his background in aircraft maintenance engineering has been advantageous to his current HR role. Delving into the skills that have translated from his prior work to HR, Mr Hill’s career change is inspiring for those looking for a door into HR in 2023. His story is also relevant for anyone seeking talent and needing to think differently about who’s appropriate in order to open up talent pools. The podcast conversation culminated in Mr Hill’s insights on the top issues facing HR with an eye on the new year.

The co-founder of The Wellbeing Lab, Dr Michelle McQuaid, joined The HR Leader to talk about workplace wellbeing and positive psychology. Dr McQuaid explained why she has a particular interest in wellbeing at work, what wellbeing champions are, and the connection between data and wellbeing to measure success. She also dived into what the phrase ‘positive psychology’ means to her. The podcast conversation concluded with Dr McQuaid sharing insights into her work with business leaders. Dr McQuaid has kindly provided the below reference for podcast listeners: https://www.michellemcquaid.com/research/

The general manager for TQSolutions, Nadine O’Regan, spoke with The HR Leader this week about talent: what to expect in 2023, industries of concern, ideas for nurturing leadership, and more. Making sure they have the right talent down the track is an important consideration for organisations. Ms O’Regan spoke about what businesses might anticipate in terms of talent next year and her thoughts on what the recent federal budget might mean for workers. It was clear from the discussion that some industries are particularly struggling right now. Ms O’Regan discussed areas where skills are really tight, and the knock-on effect this has for realising goals like achieving more childcare to level up female and male participation in the workforce. Ms O’Regan has kindly provided the following references for this podcast episode: https://www.nationalskillscommission.gov.au/publications/skills-priority-list-key-findings https://www.listcorp.com/asx/edu/edu-holdings-limited/news/ceo-address-to-annual-general-meeting-2706679.html https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-18/aged-care-sector-welcomes-pacific-workers-need-35000-more-a-year/101344072 https://www.ceda.com.au/NewsAndResources/MediaReleases/Health-Ageing/Australias-aged-care-crisis-escalates-staff-short https://dartlindsley.com/ https://joshbersin.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/TA-22_04-The-Definitive-Guide-to-Recruiting-ExecSum.pdf

Karen Loon spoke with The HR Leader about cultural diversity and attracting talent to Australia from overseas. Ms Loon shared what it was like for her returning to Australia after working overseas. She talked about her passion for cultural diversity, and ideas for attracting candidates to Australia from other countries. The podcast conversation on 28 October also covered how organisational culture can negatively impact the experience of overseas workers or people with varying cultural backgrounds. Ms Loon kindly shared the following book for reference with The HR Leader listeners: Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: Career Strategies for Asians, Jane Hyun

Jessica Hickman, the author of The Upstander Leader and founder and director of Bullyology, shared with The HR Leader what it’s been like to move to and work in Orange, NSW. She also shared what she’d like leaders to know about bullying in the workplace and what it means to be an ‘upstander’. Ms Hickman talked about what it’s like to work on business culture in regional NSW, noting: “One of the biggest things I found moving to regional New South Wales, and I do a lot of work across the states regionally now, is there seems to be old-school mindsets and behaviours.” She added that she’s “Working with organisations where people have been leaders for 30, even 40 years, and looking at some of the big picture trends that are affecting leaders and workplace culture at the moment.” Explaining to The HR Leader listeners what the ‘bystander effect’ is, Ms Hickman said that it refers to: “As human beings, when things get hard, challenging or quite toxic and difficult, our natural instinct and desire is to diffuse responsibility.” Ms Hickman then shared her thoughts on ‘upstander cultures’ which people can read about more in her book, The Upstander Leader.  The podcast conversation concludes with Ms Hickman’s vision for her work over the next five years, focusing on what she terms ‘the upstanding generation’. For more information about Ms Hickman’s work around bullying in the workplace, you can visit https://bullyology.com/ Note from the editor: If you’re currently experiencing any of the issues discussed in this podcast episode and would like to reach out for help, you may wish to contact Lifeline: www.lifeline.org.au

Fay Calderone, partner at Hall and Wilcox, joined The HR Leader for a special two-part podcast looking at recent news in employment law, from Respect@Work through to proposed changes around pay secrecy. In part one, Ms Calderone talked about the recent Respect@Work bill (https://humanrights.gov.au/about/news/media-releases/commission-commends-introduction-respectwork-bill) that follows the Respect@Work report (https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/sex-discrimination/publications/respectwork-sexual-harassment-national-inquiry-report-2020) in relation to HR and preventing workplace sexual harrassment. The Bill has passed through the lower house and is before the Senate next week. This first conversation also included the potential consequences of home working and hybrid working on women in the workplace, as well as the mental health concerns HR and those leading people should be aware of since the start of COVID-19. In part two, Ms Calderone discussed the proposed Fair Work Legislation Amendment Secure Jobs Better Pay Bill 2022 as well as what her role as a flexible work ambassador means to her. A proposed change to pay secrecy was highlighted, as were new anti-discrimination measures that are being put forward. Ms Calderone provided the below links for listeners who’d like to delve into the legislation and bills further: Fair Work Amendment (Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2022 (https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r6882) – passed Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect at Work) Bill 2022 (https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r6916) – senate committee report on 3/11/22 Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Bill 2022 (https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary%20Business/Bills%20Legislation/Bills%20Search%20Results/Result/Second%20Reading%20Speeches?BillId=r6941) – up to 2nd reading speeches Notes from the editor: This podcast was recorded on 4 November 2022 and all information above is accurate as of 16 November 2022. This article and podcast has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not to be construed as advice (legal or otherwise). If you’re currently experiencing any of the sensitive issues we’ve discussed in this podcast and would like to reach out for help, you may wish to contact Lifeline: www.lifeline.org.au

Fay Calderone, partner at Hall and Wilcox, joined The HR Leader for a special two-part podcast looking at recent news in employment law, from Respect@Work through to proposed changes around pay secrecy. In part one, Ms Calderone talked about the recent Respect@Work bill (https://humanrights.gov.au/about/news/media-releases/commission-commends-introduction-respectwork-bill) that follows the Respect@Work report (https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/sex-discrimination/publications/respectwork-sexual-harassment-national-inquiry-report-2020) in relation to HR and preventing workplace sexual harrassment. The Bill has passed through the lower house and is before the Senate next week. This first conversation also included the potential consequences of home working and hybrid working on women in the workplace, as well as the mental health concerns HR and those leading people should be aware of since the start of COVID-19. In part two, Ms Calderone discussed the proposed Fair Work Legislation Amendment Secure Jobs Better Pay Bill 2022 as well as what her role as a flexible work ambassador means to her. A proposed change to pay secrecy was highlighted, as were new anti-discrimination measures that are being put forward. Ms Calderone provided the below links for listeners who’d like to delve into the legislation and bills further: Fair Work Amendment (Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2022 (https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r6882) – passed Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect at Work) Bill 2022 (https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r6916) – senate committee report on 3/11/22 Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Bill 2022 (https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary%20Business/Bills%20Legislation/Bills%20Search%20Results/Result/Second%20Reading%20Speeches?BillId=r6941) – up to 2nd reading speeches Notes from the editor: This podcast was recorded on 4 November 2022 and all information above is accurate as of 16 November 2022. This article and podcast has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not to be construed as advice (legal or otherwise). If you’re currently experiencing any of the sensitive issues we’ve discussed in this podcast and would like to reach out for help, you may wish to contact Lifeline: www.lifeline.org.au

Following the recent webcast: Career and Talent Mobility Simplified (https://www.hrleader.com.au/webcasts/23341-career-and-talent-mobility-simplified) with LHH and HR Leader, James McIlvena, LHH’s managing director for Australia and New Zealand, sat down with The HR Leader to dive into the topic of measuring the productivity and success of career and talent mobility through different lenses. The podcast conversation covered how organisations can help people engage with learning platforms and how to build internal support, be it from leadership, HR/L&D colleagues, or employees. Mr McIlvena also spoke about the role of pilots when launching new learning programs and how to build productivity measures for learning initiatives to determine ROI. Mr McIlvena stressed that it’s important for technology to be launched properly if organisations want to see positive results.

The HR Leader had the pleasure of speaking with Gabrielle Dolan, speaker, author and the founder of ‘jargon-free Fridays’ alongside Miranda Ratajski, chief information officer for group business units at Westpac about the power of storytelling – when it’s done correctly. The podcast delved into what storytelling is in a business-leadership context, why it works, and what it might look like when it isn’t done well. As a business leader, Ms Ratajski (https://www.linkedin.com/in/miranda-kovacic/) shared how she’s used storytelling and the results she’s witnessed off the back of it. Ms Dolan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielledolan/) commented on the difference between using stories and simply sharing facts and figures. Ms Dolan kindly shared the below with HR Leader: 7 day storytelling starter kit (https://gabrielledolan.com/starterkit/) Strategic Storytelling Virtual Webcast with Gabrielle Dolan (https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/strategic-storytelling-virtual-webcast-with-gabrielle-dolan-tickets-396305038037) – HR Leader listeners receive a 20% discount when using the code: MM20 Note from the editor: Please note that HR Leader has not been paid to promote the above resources. The links are provided for informational purposes only, and do not constitute a recommendation, endorsement or otherwise.