HR Leader Podcast Network

Belinda Leon shared with The HR Leader her experience being diagnosed as an adult with ADHD, her tips for employers on supporting a neurodivergent workforce, and DEI at Bendigo Bank. Ms Leon looks after employer branding at Bendigo Bank. She spoke with The HR Leader about her career trajectory, how it’s helped to have a variety of experiences, and what being diagnosed with ADHD has meant for her in terms of her work. Talking about how Bendigo Bank has supported her, Ms Leon also related how the bank’s EVP captures their commitment to DEI. Understanding neurodiversity is an important element of DEI, and Ms Leon provided some tips for how organisations can best help those who are neurodivergent.  Ms Leon stated to HR Leader (for those who are curious if they have undiagnosed ADHD): “I recommend reading (reputable) articles, speaking to their doctor and asking for a referral to a psychiatrist to be assessed. That can take a while – I had a five-month wait and I think the times have only gotten longer since then.” Ms Leon has kindly provided the below links in relation to this podcast episode: https://www.additudemag.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/howtoadhd Information about ADHD symptoms in adults: https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-symptoms-test-adults/ Note from the editor: If you’re currently experiencing any of the issues we’ve discussed above and would like to reach out for help, you may wish to contact Lifeline: www.lifeline.org.au

Anu Villarosa, the HR Director at Pitcher Partners and parent of four, shared how she balances work and her personal life without sacrificing career goals or time with family. Ms Villarosa spoke about her path to the role of HR Director and how she unapologetically moved forward in her career while also building her family. She shared tips for women to achieve equality in the workplace, looking at behaviours like over-apologising and over-explaining, and suggesting alternative ways to communicate that are more gender neutral. The conversation also included insights into different learning paths for women at work, as well as who Ms Villarosa herself looks to for inspiration now that she’s in a senior HR role.  In the discussion, Ms Villarosa referenced Justine Figo’s networking group of senior HR practitioners who have been supporting each other through the challenges of COVID-19, and Ms Figo’s new book: On the same page.

Sally McKibbin from Indeed sat down with The HR Leader to talk about recruitment in relation to automation, inclusion and hiring graduates. The conversation explored the impact of automation on recruitment. Ms McKibbin also talked about what can be done to make recruitment a more inclusive process, including understanding the impact of job ad language and placement. Rounding out the episode, Ms McKibbin spoke about why organisations should pay attention to graduate hiring, and provided some insights for any graduates listening who would like to purse a role in the HR or recruitment industry.

Jo Mason, the co-founder and CEO of WorkHaven, spoke with The HR Leader about the work her organisation is doing to support those affected by domestic and family violence (DFV). Please note that this episode may be triggering for some listeners. Ms Mason talked about how organisations can support employees affected by DFV, highlighting the importance of understanding the stages people go through from when they first identify that they’re experiencing DFV to being a survivor of DFV. If you’re currently experiencing any of the issues related to this podcast episode and would like to reach out for help, you may wish to contact Lifeline: https://www.lifeline.org.au/ or 1800RESPECT: https://www.1800respect.org.au/. If you would like to learn more about addressing domestic and family violence in your workplace, please visit www.workhaven.com.au or email hello@workhaven.com.au Note from the editor: We have endeavoured to provide reference links to all statistics mentioned in this episode, you will find them at this link: https://www.hrleader.com.au/tech/23331-trigger-warning-how-organisations-can-support-those-affected-by-domestic-and-family-violence or email the editor at editor@hrleader.com.au

Sapia.ai’s CEO and founder, Barb Hyman, spoke with The HR Leader about business transformation, data and tech in HR, why Saipa.ai is part of The Circle Back Initiative, and much more. Ms Hyman shared how Sapia.ai is changing how feedback is given to candidates, using tech to provide a level of feedback that would have been hard to match in the past.  The conversation also delved into why having the right sort of leaders behind business transformation is imperative, and Ms Hyman’s views on HR policymaking.

Mercer Career Australia country managing director, Cynthia Cottrell, spoke with The HR Leader for a special 2-part podcast on AI and automation in HR, work design and how data complements redesigns. The conversation examined how employers can use automation to facilitate ‘sustainable and enjoyable’ work for all employees. And Ms Cottrell talked about what AI really means as it’s a concept that’s often misunderstood in the HR world. Ms Cottrell discussed flexible working in the context of work design and why it’s important to consider them hand in hand. The podcast also touched on how data can be used to facilitate work redesigns. Listen to part one of this two-part special below.

Nicole Mason heads up change management at Blackmores Group. She joined The HR Leader to share her journey getting into change management, the challenges of the discipline, and how change management and HR teams can work well together. Ms Mason explained some of the change management work involved in implementing a new HRIS, as well as imparting three tips for those looking after change management projects. For people new to the working world, she also shared why change management is an exciting career to consider. One of the themes of the discussion was to be aware of context when implementing change: look around the business to see what other projects are impacting people, and look outside the organisation to understand external influences that might impact a change project’s success. For more, listen to the full podcast below. You can find out more about the Prosci Methodology for Change Management here.

Lance Scoular, fondly known online as ‘The Savvy Navigator’, spoke with The HR Leader about how he developed his social media marketing acumen and in turn becamea mentor to others looking to build their social media presence and following. Mr Scoular shared what he finds most rewarding about mentoring and the creative ways he’s mentored people via social media. He provided insights into working with a mentor outside your immediate industry, including mentoring HR Leader’s editor, Shandel McAuliffe, when she was in a previous role.

Andrea Kirby, Talent Table’s founder and director, spoke with The HR Leader about all things related to talent acquisition (TA). The discussion looked at both internal and external TA, the skills difference between the two disciplines, and the hurdles professionals need to overcome when moving from agency to internal recruitment. Ms Kirby also spoke with our editor, Shandel McAuliffe, about what talent professionals can do to better support returning Australian expats or migrants, to overcome the stigma of not having recent (or any) ‘local experience’. Ms Kirby highlighted that the Australian market can benefit from those who’ve lived abroad as they bring new and innovative ideas to their Australian workplaces. Ms Kirby has kindly provided the below link for Talent Table’s upcoming event: #tru, 14 September https://talent-table.swoogo.com/truaustralia

CEO of Hoban Recruitment, Alison Watts, spoke with The HR Leader about the insights the company discovered via its recent Workforce Trends Survey, 2022–23. Ms Watts shared why the report is valuable for the market and some of the top findings. The podcast discussion also included what roles are particularly difficult to recruit for at the moment, and three tips for mitigating those challenges. Hoban Recruitment has a strong interest in innovation and DEI. Ms Watts concluded the conversation with The HR Leader by explaining Hoban's work in these focus areas.