The importance of a sense of belonging

Laila Billberg Director - APSCo Australia, General Manager - Ignite Services.

Emerge 2021 was an inspiring day highlighted by some truly incredible speakers, Laila Billberg writes.

The sessions discussed key trends and issues shaping the recruitment industry, and provided valuable insights and tips to help any recruitment professional succeed.

The first half of the day focused on important topics surrounding legal, compliance and risk. This included practical information about how to stay legally protected while navigating the jungle of labour hire legislation, and key insights about how to manage risks such as remote work (for contractors and employees) from a work health safety (WHS) perspective.

In particular, I found the session hosted by Ian Maas very insightful, as he shared his top tips to win tenders in a very competitive environment.

After lunch, we discussed diversity, inclusion, culture and belonging. All of these topics are very close to my heart and struck a chord with me. It’s inspiring to see how diversity has evolved beyond gender, now encompassing all walks of life.

I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion about language, and how we can better utilise it to be inclusive of all people. Another highlight was meeting Rhonda and Ros, who wrapped up the day by discussing workplace culture and the importance of belonging. Rhonda summed it up beautifully, “we all know what it feels like to not have a sense of belonging!”

All of these sessions were inspiring for me and had numerous key learnings for any current or aspiring business leader.

I’d like to extend a huge congratulations to all the 2020 APSCo Awards winners, who finally got the chance to shine and receive their well-deserved trophies. A special thanks to Lesley, Melissa, Carly and Paul for organising such a fantastic event.

It was great to ‘emerge’ from isolation and engage with peers face-to-face once again. I look forward to Emerge 2022.