HR Leader Podcast Network

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.

Dr Dominic McLoughlin is a people management specialist with a keen interest in trust in organisations. He spoke with The HR Leader about his transition from industrial relations to HR, his academic research, and knowledge sharing in the workplace. Dr McLoughlin shared how his experience working in industrial relations revealed the reactive side of HR, and that his later work ‘on the other side’ has been more proactive HR. He explained how trust and knowledge sharing intersect, with trust being essential to employees feeling like they can try things, learn from them, and grow – even if those things aren’t always a success. The conversation covered some ideas that HR leaders can use to promote both trust and knowledge sharing in their workplaces, as well as tips for those wanting to make virtual working a success.  Dr McLoughlin highlighted some of the pitfalls of virtual work environments, including missing out on casual ‘over the desk’ conversations and a lack of human connection when people don’t use the video function for team video calls. He explained that being mindful of only inviting those who need to be at a meeting might help improve meeting engagement and success, musing that the virtual meeting of the future might well include the use of holograms. Dr McLoughlin kindly provided the following references: Dirks and Ferrin (2002): https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2002-15406-001 Mcloughlin (2014): https://www.amazon.com/Knowledge-Worker-Trust-Within-Organisations-ebook/dp/B00TQE7WMA  McLoughlin (2022): https://www.amazon.com.au/Better-Manager-Five-Minutes-Day-ebook/dp/B0BHBW589B/

Justine Figo is an HR director, author and executive coach. She spoke with The HR Leader about how HR has changed over her career, the exciting network of senior HR professionals that she’s created, and what she’d love to see from HR in the future. Ms Figo related anecdotes about being part of the family business as a child and how she learnt very early about the important role people play in an organisation’s success. Sharing her experience as a law graduate and then moving into the HR field, Ms Figo commented on how important those early career experiences were. As an HR director working with a variety of clients, Ms Figo discussed some of the common concerns she’s seeing in the market, with talent shortages top of the list. The conversation also delved into the role of tech in modern HR and how she’d like to see HR progress in the workplace transformation arena. Ms Figo shared with The HR Leader information about the HR network she started pre-COVID-19, how everyone was able to support each other as the pandemic changed how people work, and why the network has been a success. To find out if you're eligible for membership of the network, you can email hello@justinefigo.com And you can find Ms Figo’s books at: https://justinefigo.com/books/

Kellie-Ann McDade, partner at Baker McKenzie, spoke with The HR Leader about what employers should be mindful of following the return to work after COVID-19 lockdowns, including considerations around letting employees work out of the employer's home state.  Ms McDade touched on some of the WH&S concerns that employers should be aware of, including obligations they still need to fulfil, regardless of where the worker ‘works’, and why psychological safety is top of the priority list. The conversation also delved into work/life balance and some of the biggest challenges right now regarding written and unwritten reward obligations. For example, misuse of annualised salaries and the risks involved in not paying enough to avoid minimum award requirements. Note from the editor: Please note that this article and podcast has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not to be construed as advice (legal or otherwise).