In this special episode of The HR Leader Podcast, produced in partnership with global law firm Dentons, we explore the allegations of corruption, bullying and lawlessness at the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU), the fallout from recent revelations, and what businesses can and must learn from such workplace relations matters. Host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Dentons partner Persephone Stuckey-Clarke to discuss her employment and safety practice within the global law firm, why such work is so meaningful for her, the recent allegations levelled against the CFMEU and why they are so significant, the professional and political fallout from such revelations, and why all Australians should care about it. Persephone also delves into the professional and political backstory to the recent allegations and revelations, whether the appointment of an independent administrator is a sufficient response, the need for more effective and stringent legislative and regulatory frameworks, the lessons for businesses across the board, the ever-increasing importance of having the right practices and policies in place within the business, why HR professionals need to be paying close attention to this evolving story. To learn more about Dentons and its work in this space, click here.   

Having worked in the hospitality sector for decades, Michelle Pascoe understands what it’s like to lead a workforce with up to half a dozen different generations and the myriad idiosyncrasies of those various workers. Here, she unpacks the importance of identifying optimal approaches to leading such a diverse group of people. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with OOPS founder and chief executive Michelle Pascoe about her background in the hospitality sector, why leadership of different generations is an important conversation at this juncture in the market, whether leaders are cognisant of the need to consider how to best manage different generations, and the ever-increasing need to be proactive in one’s leadership. Pascoe also delves into the questions that leaders should be asking of themselves when managing individuals with different needs and ambitions, navigating conflicting views between workers, how leaders can meaningfully make time to work on their management capabilities, lessons she’s learnt over the course of her career, and thinking more creatively about your approaches.

In the face of global skills shortages, it is essential that businesses of all stripes have a clear understanding of where their workforce currently stands and where it needs to be so as to keep pace with the rapid pace of market change. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with WithYouWithMe chief customer officer Cia Kouparitsas about skills shortages across the market and how this trend is making hiring decisions more pertinent in the current climate, the “harder skills” that might be more urgently needed at present, whether businesses are sufficiently cognisant of the need to upskill on new technologies, and whether addressing the skills lag is a high priority right now. Kouparitsas also delves into the questions that businesses need to be asking at present in identifying requisite skills to develop and still stay true to the business’s mission and purpose, the state of affairs for soft skills, how HR professionals can adopt a “skills-first mindset”, leaning more heavily into a candidate’s skills rather than their experience, and what excites her about skills-based hiring in the future.

Research shows that the number of workers who can be described as “fence-sitters” (i.e. those who are quiet quitting) has increased in recent years. It is incumbent on businesses to figure out not just how to retain staff, but to ensure that those who are not as engaged as they could be can rediscover their passion, motivation and, ultimately, productivity. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with operational excellence strategist, author and mentor Ishan Galapathy about the state of affairs with workplace engagement, why employers and HR professionals need to be so concerned about “fence-sitters” and winning them back, navigating that which is “volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous”, and the questions that businesses and team leaders need to be asking of themselves when it comes to shoring up workplace engagement. Galapathy also delves into whether those employees who are already engaged need to take greater responsibility for bringing the disengaged and “fence-sitting” colleagues along for the ride, recounts some case studies about successful engagement of a workforce, how technology can help better engage those sitting on the fence, and how culture will improve from a more strategic focus on workplace engagement.

Ensuring that workers across the business are up to speed on new software, cyber risks, and AI opportunities is not just about ROI – it’s also about fostering effective and meaningful collaboration between teams so as to better achieve business objectives. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jack Campbell speaks with Domain general manager of product Danielle Harmer about making sure a tech stack is up to scratch, prioritising accordingly, making the right investment in cyber security frameworks, the risk of setting and forgetting, and overcoming budgetary constraints. Harmer also delves into how to make sure teams are across the myriad technological changes being onboarded, the risks inherent with insufficient training, mitigating cyber risks, making sure that employees are on top of cyber concerns, and privacy and compliance considerations.

Until such time as the Fair Work Commission sets precedents from test cases, employers may need to err on the side of caution when it comes to the implementation of the new Right to Disconnect. This does not, however, mean leaders in law should be trepidatious – instead, the new laws are an opportunity for optimal leadership. In this episode of The HR Leader podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with law lecturer Dr Gabrielle Golding from the University of Adelaide to discuss her research into the need for a workplace right to disconnect (which has now become law), what the new laws will look like in practice, the definition of reasonableness, and how employers are broadly feeling about their new obligations. Dr Golding also delves into how leaders can approach their new duties on top of all other competing obligations, the volume of unpaid labour being undertaken in Australia’s workforce, how businesses can react accordingly, the potential for exacerbation of generational differences, the various scenarios in which an employee can or should be contacted, the need to err on the side of caution, and waiting for test cases.

According to Roxanne Calder, the age of COVID-19 blurred the lines between workplace wellness and individual wellbeing, with new expectations for workplace policies creating undue burdens for businesses and their leaders. In this episode of The HR  Leader podcast, host Jack Campbell speaks with EST10 founder Roxanne Calder about revamped policies potentially putting too much pressure on workplaces, the potential flow-on effects for employers, the sweeping impacts of burnout on workers across the board right now, and including more workers in decision making about policy decisions. Calder also delves into the pressure being exerted to solve an individual’s wellbeing versus broader wellness responsibilities, striking the right balance and remaining competitive as an employer, the duty of candidates to align themselves with ideal employers, the utility of options like a four-day working week, and ensuring better understanding of working conditions and expectations.

In this special episode of The HR Leader Podcast, produced in partnership with O.C. Tanner, the global leader in strengthening organisational culture through meaningful employee recognition, Russell Flint and Paul Stratford discuss the challenges of managing change and uncertainty in the workplace during Newmont’s acquisition of Newcrest Mining. Russell, the Director of Business Development APAC at O.C. Tanner, and Paul, Global Head of Talent and Capability and Acting Chief People and Culture Officer, Newcrest Mining, explore the need for effective communication and leadership, prioritising employee engagement, safety and wellbeing, the importance of empathy, practical support and symbolic gestures in creating a positive legacy during organisational change, including acknowledging the organisation’s history and recognising employees’ contributions. The pair also emphasise the need for senior leaders’ mindset and conviction in managing change, the importance of creating a unified leadership team and fostering a positive workplace culture, as well as share insights into Newcrest Mining’s acquisition by Newmont Corporation and how adoption of a people-centred approach was essential in better managing change and uncertainty.

In the wake of voluminous change in the industrial relations space, it is critical to reflect on how such legislative updates will impact workplaces of all stripes and how both employers and employees can navigate such evolutions to working life. In this episode of The HR Leader podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with barrister Ian Neil SC about the “tumultuous” past year in industrial relations reform, the myriad changes that were legislated and are coming into effect, what the response from businesses and employers has been to such change, and whether the net effect of such changes will be to drive up the cost of labour. Neil also delves into how businesses can and should respond to the “tidal wave” of changes, why good governance has never been more essential, what the Closing Loopholes and Right to Disconnect legislation means and what its impacts might be, what might be the headline industrial relations issues to contend with in the future in light of such changes, why prudent employers will see the changes as an opportunity, what will constitute best practice moving forward, and the likely volume of work headed in the direction of legal practitioners and HR professionals.

Learning and development (L&D) is an area that is increasingly seeing more investment from companies across the board. However, in challenging economic times, it can be easy for business decision-makers to push L&D to the side – despite trying times, this will be a mistake. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jack Campbell speaks with Women Rising founder and chief executive Megan Dalla-Camina about the increases being seen in learning and development initiatives, why it is so dangerous for companies to put L&D on the backburner, whether there are fiscally prudent options for L&D, the broader benefits that come from making proper investments, and how critical such training is for the next generation of professionals. Dalla-Camina also delves into the imperative for proper and effective training policies, the place for mentorship in L&D, the “dip” in mentorship opportunities for women in the workplace, how workers can seek out mentors in the current climate, developing women into next-generation leaders, how individuals can take matters into their own hands, and why much more work is needed to better support staff by way of L&D.