Human Resources Director 15.05

HR

SP E

TE CIAL CH RE NO POR LO T GY

HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR HCAMAG.COM ISSUE 15.05

BEST OF THE BEST Employees have their say on Australia’s most desirable employers

457 SHAKE-UP How to prepare your business

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NEUROSCIENCE IN ACTION How socially intelligent are you?

REWRITING THE HR RULEBOOK IPOs and innovative perks at HubSpot

11/05/2017 1:43:14 PM

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MAY 2017

CONNECT WITH US Got a story, suggestion or just want to find out some more information?

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CONTENTS

+Hcamag HumanResourcesDirector

UPFRONT 02 Editorial

Becoming a data steward

04 News analysis

How will the government’s changes to the skilled 457 visa program impact on your organisation?

06 Upfront: Technology update How to get your CEO to invest in HR tech

08 Upfront: Rewards/benefits update All roles flex – and that’s good

10 Expert insight

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FEATURES

HOW SOCIALLY INTELLIGENT ARE YOU?

Interpersonal effectiveness can have a significant impact on your success – or failure – as a leader

Social media, smartphones and the workplace

PEOPLE 62 Career path

Throughout her career, Allyson Carlile has found that success lies in following your passions

64 Other life

HR consultant Amanda Prenty is seeing the world from the back of a bike

38 FEATURES

MYTH-BUSTING: NOVATED LEASES

A novated lease is a benefit that you can offer your employees at little to no cost to your business – here’s how

47 FEATURES

TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL REPORT HCAMAG.COM CHECK IT OUT ONLINE

From onboarding to performance management, technology is helping HR professionals do their jobs more effectively. Find out the latest developments in our annual report

16 COVER STORY

EMPLOYER OF CHOICE 2017

HRD’s third annual Employer of Choice Awards have been voted on by the people who matter most: employees.

Find out who’s leading the pack PEOPLE

REWRITING THE HR RULEBOOK

HubSpot is shaking up traditional notions of HR – and it has the IPO success and innovative perks to prove its approach works

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UPFRONT

EDITORIAL www.hcamag.com MAY 2O17

BECOMING A DATA STEWARD

“W

hen I come back in my next life, I’ll be a data scientist,” said possibly no one, ever. But this may soon change. Back in 2012, the Harvard Business Review proclaimed the data scientist to be the sexiest job of the 21st century. Five years on, it appears that data scientists are hotter and in more demand than ever before. In a world that is driven by data, in which decisions seemingly cannot be made without the rigour provided by data, it seems the fresh STEM-subject-equipped graduates of today might be wise to move towards job roles that are either dedicated to data collection and analysis or have this as a key component.

The Harvard Business Review proclaimed the data scientist to be the sexiest job of the 21st century This immersion in data is a foreign concept to many HR professionals and one they may not be comfortable with – yet this reticence is also changing. At the National HR Summit, Kate McCormack, group executive director, people, learning and culture, at Mercy Health, told me that her HR team now has dedicated data analysts, and these people are helping her perform her role more effectively. “I’m not an analyst, and my background has never been in finance, but I think as an HR practitioner you must have the ability to understand your business drivers, and first and foremost you need to understand your business,” she said.

HR’s role, she added, was to be the driver of the information provided to other business leaders. Instead of overdosing on too much information, McCormack’s motto is “We scare because we care”. She extracts the most relevant and impactful data and passes it to senior colleagues.

A successful data scientist is a jack of all trades. Not only can they identify and solve complex problems but they can effectively communicate their findings in a digestible and relatable way. HR also needs to be able to do this.

“I say to my executive colleagues, ‘I’ll give you the information that is important and we can do deep dives later’,” McCormack said. “If I let my analysts just produce HR data, we’d have volumes and volumes of it. We have to make it meaningful for the business and make sure the leaders have the information they need to run the business. That’s my job to deliver.”

Iain Hopkins, editor

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EDITORIAL

SALES & MARKETING

Editor Iain Hopkins

Marketing & Communications Manager Lisa Narroway

Journalist John Hilton Editorial Assistant Hannah Go Production Editors Roslyn Meredith Bruce Pitchers

Business Development Managers Steven McDonald Clive Thomas

CORPORATE

ART & PRODUCTION

Chief Executive Officer Mike Shipley

Design Manager Daniel Williams

Chief Operating Officer George Walmsley

Designer Marla Morelos Traffic Coordinator Freya Demegilio

Managing Director Justin Kennedy Chief Information Officer Colin Chan Human Resources Manager Julia Bookallil

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Copyright is reserved throughout. No part of this publication can be reproduced in whole or part without the express permission of the editor. Contributions are invited, but copies of work should be kept, as HRD Magazine can accept no responsibility for loss.

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UPFRONT

NEWS ANALYSIS

457s UNDER FIRE How will the government’s changes to the skilled 457 visa program impact on your organisation?

THE APRIL announcement by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that Australia’s skilled 457 visa program would be overhauled, with the overarching intention of “giving Australians top priority for jobs”, was met with surprise by many observers.

The government has indicated that a new Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa will replace the existing 457 visa program

by March 2018. The draft legislation with details of the new visa has yet to be revealed, but migration specialists like Sarah Thapa, managing director of the Migration Agency, understand there will be two streams: • The short-term stream visa valid for two years, for occupations on the new

This means companies have to advertise a role to show that the position could not be filled locally. »» Only one onshore renewal permitted for the short-term TSS visa. »» Short-term TSS visa holders will not be able to apply for permanent residence – only those occupations on MLTSSL will be eligible to apply. »» A greater focus on tax and salary compliance through data-matching with the ATO. The department also started implementing the new visa validity periods from 19 April 2017, meaning that all new 457 visas are granted for two years or four years depending

“The overall benefits of skilled migration for business and Australia’s prosperity have been a little lost” Sarah Thapa Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL); and • The medium-term stream visa valid for four years, for occupations on the Medium- and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) Some of the features of the new TSS visa include: »» Minimum of two years’ relevant work experience for the visa applicant. »» Labour market testing, except where an international trade agreement applies.

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on whether the occupation is listed on the STSOL or the MLTSSL. Thapa says the subclass 457 visa had been flagged for reform for some time, not least due to the visa’s poor public perception issues, thanks to instances of misuse and abuse, such as those seen in the 7-Eleven and Domino’s cases.

Existing visa holders The government has confirmed that there will be a grandfathering arrangement to ensure that all current 457 visa holders

will continue under the conditions of their current visas.

Employers and 457 visa holders whose occupations have been cut from the skill list should be aware that any new nomination or 457 visa application will only be granted if the occupation is on the new STSOL or MLTSSL. For example, a 457 visa holder whose occupation is no longer on the skill list will be precluded from changing employer where a new nomination application is required, and the visa holder will be unable to renew their temporary visa upon its expiry.

Where a current 457 visa holder has worked in their nominated occupation for two years or more, employers may also consider supporting a permanent residence application while the temporary residence transition stream pathway is still open.

Next steps Thapa’s advice to her clients is that the 457 visa program is “business as usual”, although with some modifications.

“The new skill lists came into effect on 19 April 2017,” she explains. “Overall, 216

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VISA ALTERNATIVES On a short-term basis, Migration Agency MD Sarah Thapa says there are other work visa options for employers to meet business requirements for skilled workers. »»The subclass 400 visa can be used for highly specialised roles of three to six months’ duration. »»The working holiday visa is still a good option for companies to employ young workers, and due to the recent changes to the six-month work restriction, employers can now employ a working holiday visa holder for up to 12 months, provided the employee works in a different location for the second six-month period. »»The subclass 485 visa, for students who graduate from a course in Australia, allows them to work in Australia for up to four years, depending on the academic degree they have completed.

“A recruitment difficulty is not the same thing as a skills shortage” Chris F Wright occupations have been made ineligible for 457 visas and 56 occupations have new caveats. These caveats will mean that the applicant and sponsor will be required to satisfy additional requirements in order to be eligible for the 457 visa.”

As a first step, employers will need to review the list of removed occupations on the department’s website (border.gov.au) and identify which occupations can no longer be filled through skilled migration.

Employers should also check for pending applications lodged for an occupation that is now ineligible or subject to a caveat and, if possible, remediate the application or withdraw it.

Employers can also ensure that they are categorising employees correctly for immigration purposes. For example, a technology company may refer to employees

as web developers, but if on closer review the employee uses full stack development skills, then developer programmer or software engineer would be a more appropriate – and eligible – classification.

Criticism Thapa applauded the government’s intentions of weeding out employers who have abused the 457 program in the past, but hastened to add that the industries and occupations targeted in the CSOL review are not the industries or occupations that are most susceptible to misuse or abuse.

“I think this is a missed opportunity for the government to undertake a more holistic review of the skill list to ensure it meets the future skill needs of employers, emerging industries and the Australian economy and, at the same time, addresses issues of misuse

of certain occupations,” she says. “The overall benefits of skilled migration for business and Australia’s prosperity have been a little lost in the discussion about the 457 visa changes, when only about 1% of Australia’s workforce holds a 457 visa.”

Her words echo those of Chris F Wright, an expert from the University of Sydney Business School, who has published research on immigration and labour market regulation.

He said the 457 visa placed far too much power in the hands of employers and used employer demand as the basis for identifying skills shortages, which was “highly problematic”.

“The Turnbull government should establish an independent mechanism to verify the existence of genuine skills shortages before employers can employ workers on temporary visas,” he said.

“My research into the scheme showed that the vast majority of employers who used the 457 visa claimed to experience challenges recruiting workers from the local labour market. But a recruitment difficulty is not the same thing as a skills shortage.”

In this respect, Wright said it was questionable whether the 457 visa was effective in meeting its stated objective of addressing skills shortages.

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UPFRONT

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE NEWS BRIEFS Artificial intelligence to help ease hiring bias

Science technology company Gooroo Ventures is utilising big data, machine learning and sociometrics to introduce blind recruitment to the IT industry. “IT skills and talents and ability to deliver are not predicated on gender, geography or culture. IT has its own universal language,” said Gooroo Ventures CEO and founder Greg Muller. The platform uses artifcial intelligence and hard data to generate an anonymous shortlist of qualified and verified IT talent. “As a data and science driven platform, it made absolute sense to us to remove some of the known human barriers and biases in recruitment,” said Muller.

‘Offensive’ social media post not valid reason for termination

A salesman at Melbournebased LED Technologies has won an unfair dismissal case after making an “offensive and vulgar” Facebook post at work. The Fair Work Commission ordered LED to pay the worker $6,238 in compensation after taking into consideration that he was hired for a job that wasn’t paying as much per week after being terminated. Despite the offensive post allegedly breaching the business’s ban on social media in the workplace, the FWC found that LED had failed to ensure staff were aware of the policy.

Could augmented reality replace staff training?

A US company has found an innovative way to train factory floor staff without them having to undertake engineering education. Paul Sweeney, general manager of augmented reality firm Daqri, claimed that when this

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technology became mainstream it would have the potential to make engineering education redundant. “In the next five years or so we will probably not have classroom training; they will just have training on their head, on the job,” he said.

Daqri’s ‘smart glasses’ overlay a hologram of a machine’s internal information in a worker’s actual line of sight. Daqri’s ultimate aim is to help manufacturers keep their workers.

APAC employees unprepared for digital age

Most employees in the Asia-Pacific do not feel empowered to embrace the demands of the digital workplace. Microsoft’s Asia Workplace 2020 Study found that while 66% of learners surveyed considered themselves to be mobile workers, only 45% felt empowered by their organisation’s culture and management to work together productively and collaboratively.

The survey involved nearly 4,200 employees in the Asia-Pacific. The report also found that only 32% of employees agreed their organisation was committed at a leadership level to ensuring every employee was included in closing the digital skills gaps within the workforce.

Aviva offers retraining to those losing jobs to robots

A global insurer is offering employees retraining for another role in the company, should they admit that their respective jobs could be done better by robots. Aviva has extended the said offer to some 16,000 of its employees in Britain. The offer is considered the world’s first, as other employers have introduced automation without consultation. Aviva’s staff who work in call centres, assess customers’ credit ratings, and calculate the price of insurance policies are most likely to have to retrain.

HOW TO GET YOUR CEO TO INVEST IN HR TECH The senior VP of HR at NexJ Systems offers her advice on how HR professionals can prove the value of tech to their senior leaders Over the last few years, HR technology has pushed the industry to new heights, and organisations now leverage a myriad of modern tools to get the most out of their workforces – but it seems that some HR professionals still face an uphill battle when it comes to securing senior-level buy-in.

“Unfortunately, many HR professionals do not have the experience or tools to express the value organisations would realise from implementing HR technology,” says Jennifer Bouyoukos, senior VP of HR at NexJ Systems.

According to Bouyoukos, one obstacle that often stands in the way of securing top-level investment is HR’s inability to show how technology can solve major organisational challenges and avoid costly problems down the road.

“Data is key here,” Bouyoukos tells HRD. “Show where the key bottlenecks are in measures like delays in hiring and productivity, add up the employee hours it takes to work collectively on one process, turn that number into dollars, and show a cost savings. Then show the same scenario if you don’t do anything. The data creates a compelling argument.”

Another hurdle that often trips HR professionals up is the failure to secure internal sponsorship, says

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Bouyoukos – if others are on board, the CEO is more likely to see HR tech as a company-wide benefit, rather than just an improvement for one department.

“As the HR leader at an organisation, you instinctively know when it’s time for technology – whether it’s moving manual processes towards modernisation or introducing new ones,” she says.

“What you don’t know, however, is whether others share your pain and see the same opportunities.”

In order to close that knowledge gap, Toronto-based Bouyoukos says HR professionals should be proactive and conduct some preliminary research.

“Understand how HR technology would alleviate pressures in the organisation and who would benefit most” “Get out there and talk to people,” she urges. “Understand how HR technology would alleviate pressures in the organisation and who would benefit most. Describe to these groups what life would be like after HR technology and ask those senior executives to help champion it.”

Bouyoukos also says it’s important to remember that CEOs will have seen many tools come and go, start and fail, or become policed and made into a necessary evil.

“They worry whether the HR team has the necessary selection and change management skills to ensure the right product was chosen and that users will adopt,” she says. “Collecting internal and external research to help present your decision will be critical.”

Q&A

PREPARING FOR FUTURE TECH Jenny Dearborn Chief learning officer SAP

Fast fact SAP touches more than 70% of the world’s business transactions.

It is helping with the decision-making component of these transactions with its own machine-learning intelligence – known as SAP Clea – which is embedded into its cloud platform and all applications.

What are some of the key driving forces of the workplace of the future?

There is a shift in the skills that we are looking for in the future, and this is coming from changes in technology. We are seeing companies like Uber, which are replacing the global taxi.

How do we get our workforce ready to see what’s coming so that [disruption] doesn’t happen to them? That’s probably one of the biggest challenges: to be ready to adapt to the future.

I think a lot of companies are eager to do that, but they just don’t know how to get started. They say they are ready to start learning something new, but what to learn? What do I teach people to do differently?

A great place to start is around a learning culture. It’s the concept of continuous learning, to be ready when we have to be, so that when we eventually do know exactly the content that’s needed we will be ready to learn it. We will be ready to absorb it because we have got ourselves into a habit and a pattern of always learning, always changing.

We don’t know exactly what that new technology is yet, but we all know that something is coming and the best thing we can do right now to prepare ourselves is for everyone to get comfortable with a culture of continuous learning.

How can we prepare for the increasing influence of technology in the future?

I think that what we need to reinforce right now is that anything that can be automated will be automated. For instance, being a software programmer is not a ticket to job security, because we have software that writes software.

So really it’s about understanding what are the skills that are uniquely human moving forward that will not be replaced by artificial intelligence, and getting our future citizens ready for uniquely human roles and responsibilities.

And that involves looking at STEM and then marrying that with traditional liberal arts education around problem-solving, innovation, creativity, cultural sensitivity and emotional intelligence.

What we really need to come to terms with moving forward is the way that we best learn is through experiences and is through relationships. It’s informal learning.

So informal learning, experiential-based learning, is the best way that humans learn, with the highest amount of retention. Consider the forgetting curve – that research where you look at people who remember content over a period of time. The way that they were instructed so that they had the best chance of remembering was through paced learning, learning that happens in little bits over time.

The best way to remember something is to experience it and have it built into a relationship of some kind like a coach or a mentor.

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UPFRONT

REWARDS/BENEFITS UPDATE

ALL ROLES FLEX – AND THAT’S GOOD

can have on staff performance. Flexible working arrangements for both men and women can result in more gender equality in the workplace and boost corporate profits through productivity gains, Cooper says.

This is particularly significant given that, despite decades of talk, women’s careers are still hampered by glass ceilings, glass walls that separate men and women into genderdetermined roles, and sticky floors that restrict women to dead-end jobs.

“Flexibility means that women are not forced to make a choice between having a good

family life and having a good career,” she says.

Cooper’s research indicates that, while many employers are wary of the cost, a policy like all roles flex can pay for itself through talent retention and productivity gains.

“If you look at any measure, organisations that perform well on flexibility perform very well financially,” she says.

“They retain top female talent rather than lose their skills. Employees are more engaged, more committed and more productive.”

Even though flexibility in Australia usually means working fewer hours, Cooper believes that employers can offer much more.

“Flexibility can also mean working from home one day a week, or managing hours across the year to accommodate school holidays.”

However, she emphasises that flexibility doesn’t always have to be around care: “There is a strong case to be made for mainstreaming flexibility and making it accessible for all people, not just mothers with young children.”

Indeed, she says that, to work effectively, men must also have the same access as women to flexible working arrangements.

“We know that men are less likely to request flexibility at work but, disturbingly, we also know that they are more likely to be refused when they request it,” Cooper says.

“This not only limits what men can do in their family, but also constrains what their female partners can do.

“The more that we say ‘what men do is work and what women do is care’, the more we entrench those inequalities and those genderbased norms.”

Lack of flexibility a turn-off

Health benefits on the rise

Employers are not adopting flexible policies ‘out of the goodness of their hearts’, says an academic

A policy known as ‘all roles flex’ has now been adopted by a number of large employers as a means of removing the residual barriers to gender equality in the workplace, according to a leading researcher at the University of Sydney Business School.

Under this policy, any worker for any reason can access flexibility, says associate professor Rae Cooper.

She adds that companies are not adopting this approach out of the “goodness of their hearts”. They are largely doing it because they see the business benefit and the impact that it

NEWS BRIEFS

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Australian employees will resign from organisations that don’t offer flexible working conditions, according to CEB. Moreover, the latest research reveals it’s also a key driver of attrition, meaning that workers will actively leave an organisation if it does not fit their work-life balance needs. A combination of long commutes, unachievable housing prices and expensive childcare costs are forcing a rethink. “In fact, work-life balance is so important to Australians that they would willingly trade it over money, holidays and development opportunities offered by any prospective or current employer,” said Aaron McEwan, HR advisory leader, CEB.

MetLife’s Employee Benefit Trends Study shows an encouraging trend towards increasing support for the physical, social, and emotional needs of employees: 78% of Australian employers now offer benefits that aim to improve health and wellness, second only to increasing productivity (80%). In terms of the most popular benefits offered, 61% of employers nominated flexible working arrangements, followed by wellness programs (56%) and medical benefits or health insurance (55%). Some 70% of employers cited a better work-life balance for employees as the key outcome of better benefits packages.

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Q&A

Jeremy Salter Employee engagement lead GRASS ROOTS

Fast fact According to research

by Aberdeen Group, only 14% of organisations provide managers with the necessary tools for rewards and recognition.

RECOGNITION IN THE FLOW OF WORK What is recognition in the flow of work?

Ultimately, it is the way employee recognition should be delivered. It is about allowing recognition to happen where the work gets done.

Where work gets done has changed. Most organisations now use anywhere between 10 and 16 different software systems to run their business, and online employees spend at least 30 hours of their work week on their email and other collaboration tools.

For most employees, recognition does not happen in the flow of work – it interrupts it. We want to make it easier for employees to recognise and be recognised, regardless of the work they do or the technology they use.

Open APIs [application programming interfaces] make this possible. An API is essentially a way for two different software systems to communicate with each other via predefined, well-understood and agreed-upon standards.

We have built an open recognition API that allows us to connect our award-winning recognition and reward platform with any workplace application. Recognition can now also be delivered via the workplace systems employees already use.

Can you provide some examples of what recognition in the flow of work looks like?

For some of our clients, recognising in the flow of work is about sending and receiving recognitions via Workday, SuccessFactors, SharePoint, Yammer, Tibbr and Jive.

For others, it is about ways we can integrate our recognition and reward platform with point-of-sale terminals so that customer feedback can also be

Microsoft boosts family friendly benefits

Microsoft has enhanced its family leave benefits in Australia. Specifically, Microsoft has increased primary parental leave to 20 weeks paid at 100% and partner parental leave to six weeks paid at 100% for all new parents. This will ensure that both mothers and fathers have time to bond with a new child, whether through birth, adoption or foster placement.

Additionally, the company introduced a new time-away benefit: four weeks of paid leave at 100% to take care of an immediate family member with a serious health condition.

captured in the flow of work. For an increasing number of clients, recognising in the flow of work is more than giving employees the ability to recognise from any workplace application. It is also about using any workplace application to automatically recognise an employee’s achievements.

As an example, when an employee successfully completes an online learning course delivered by a learning management system such as Cornerstone or Saba, we can automatically trigger a recognition that makes their learning achievement visible to their manager and peers.

The public recognition of learning achievements improves learning participation and outcomes. The same principles are being successfully applied to improve the performance of employee referral, wellbeing and innovation programs and applications.

What do you see as the future of the recognition program?

The future of the recognition program is bright.

Recognition remains a key driver of engagement. Allowing recognition to happen in the flow of work will keep it relevant for new generations of employees, regardless of their role, working environment or workplace technology.

It will also increase the scope of recognition.

Integrating recognition into the way people work will allow it to improve the performance of other employee programs, systems and initiatives. In turn, this will also increase the amount of data that employee recognition programs collect.

Getting staff up to speed

Deloitte has introduced a program to help those who have taken a prolonged career break to re-enter the workforce.

The 20-week program was piloted at the end of 2016, offering 12 part-time paid positions based out of Melbourne and Sydney for experienced individuals who have had a career break of two or more years. Return to Work is designed to help professionals achieve a permanent or contract role at the end of the program.

In addition to working on client projects, applicants receive tailored training to help them readjust to work while balancing their life priorities.

Older workers overlooked for promotion

More than 30% of Australians have experienced age discrimination while employed or seeking work in the past 12 months, claims new research by the University of South Australia. The most common form of discrimination involved negative views about the skills and learning abilities of older workers, according to the national survey of 2,100 men and women aged 45 years and over. The consequences are that older workers are struggling with limited employment, training and promotion opportunities, said study author Justine Irving. www.hcamag.com

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EXPERT INSIGHT

Brought to you by

WORKPLACE RELATIONS

SOCIAL MEDIA, SMARTPHONES AND THE WORKPLACE Are you doing enough to protect your company’s IP in the social media age?

Luis Izzo outlines what’s at stake FIRST THE way we communicated changed (‘like’, ‘share’, ‘regram’). Then the way we socialised changed (‘swipe right’). Now the workplace has changed.

The emergence of social media has changed the way in which employees build networks.

Any employee seeking to establish a brand identity is using platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter as a primary means of connecting with the marketplace.

Who owns contacts on a social media platform?

Determining who owns contacts gathered on a social media platform is a difficult task and one that has received very little judicial consideration in Australia.

The best guidance comes from overseas.

In the US Federal Court case of Eagle v Morgan, an employee used her LinkedIn account to connect with over 4,000 people while employed by a company she co-founded, Edcomm. When the employee left her employment, EdComm changed the password, profile picture and other details on the LinkedIn account and continued to use it.

The employee successfully sued the employer for invasion of privacy and misappropriation of identity, and obtained findings that the LinkedIn account belonged to her.

By contrast, UK precedents have been more generous to employers: • In the UK High Court case of Hays v Ions, an employee was accused of merging confidential business contacts onto his LinkedIn account and then using the contacts for his own rival business. The employee alleged that once the contacts were in the public domain on his LinkedIn account, they were no longer confidential.

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Not convinced by this argument, the Court granted orders to Hays for the return of the client information.

• In another UK High Court case, Whitmar Publications Limited v Gamage, Whitmar obtained orders compelling an employee to hand over control of LinkedIn groups the employee managed during his employment.

Crucial to the Court’s ruling was the fact that the employee was responsible for operating the groups for Whitmar’s benefit as part of her employment and that the employee used Whitmar’s computers to maintain the groups.

which will certainly improve their ability to protect their own IP:

Having regard to the above cases, it is apparent that if a personal LinkedIn account or a Twitter or Instagram account is opened by an employee, it will be very difficult for an employer to assert ownership over the actual account. This is because the employee personally owns and registers the account in their own name. In the case of LinkedIn, it is in fact impossible to register a LinkedIn account in the name of a company.

However, the question regarding whether the contacts collated on a social media platform belong to the employee or can be deleted/ returned to the employer will be highly dependent on the circumstances under which the contacts have been gathered. The more the contacts relate to work, or are collected during work time or using work resources, the greater the employer’s ability to assert some type of ownership over the contacts at some point in the future.

Wherever possible, ensure accounts are created in the company name, with company branding.

So what should employers do to protect their IP? Despite the infancy of this area of law, there are simple steps that employers can take

Have a clear social media policy. Where social media is to be used for business purposes, the policy should set out the company’s ownership of the information collated in the accounts and provide directions regarding the transfer of login details on termination of employment. The employee should be asked to acknowledge their agreement with any such policy. The social media policy should also address behavioural standards in relation to social media usage.

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Where an account cannot be set up in the company name, require employees to use their company email addresses and company branding when setting up accounts for the benefit of the business, making it clear that any such accounts are for business purposes only.

Require employees to execute appropriately drafted post-employment, noncompetition and non-solicitation restraints to prevent employees using their employer’s contacts to compete against the employer in future.

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Luis Izzo is a Director at Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors (ABLA). Serving business and only business, this legal and advisory firm is trusted by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and is the leading voice for industry in the Fair Work Commission.

Contact Luis on 02 9458 7640 or luis.izzo@ablawyers.com.au if you have any questions about matters raised in this article.

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PEOPLE

GLOBAL HR LEADER

REWRITING THE HR RULEBOOK HubSpot is shaking up traditional notions of HR – and it has the IPO success and innovative perks to prove its approach works. HRD sat down with HubSpot’s global VP of culture and experience, Katie Burke, to find out how THE WORD ‘unconventional’ applies not only to HubSpot’s approach to people management but also to the career of its global VP of culture and experience, Katie Burke. Prior to HubSpot, Burke was the director of marketing and corporate partnerships at Athletes’ Performance and Core Performance (now known as EXOS).

This unique mix of communications and marketing skills, combined with HR expertise, has positioned Burke well to tackle her current employer’s challenges.

HR and IPOs Established just over a decade ago, HubSpot develops and markets software products for inbound marketing, including tools for social media marketing, content management, web analytics and search engine optimisation. In short, the company knows something about marketing. It’s perhaps the perfect match for Burke, who was handed the responsibility of running the company’s internal and external communications for its IPO early in her tenure.

In October 2014, the Boston-based company launched on the New York Stock Exchange with an IPO listing of US$125m in fresh capital, leaving HubSpot with a market valuation of US$880m.

“There’s a very traditional recipe going into

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an IPO that people want you to follow,” Burke says. “You’re working with your bankers and your lawyers, and you say, ‘OK, here are the financials, here are our growth numbers, here is our projected revenue, and so on’. We had all of that. Then we kept adding in flags about our culture: our employees, our talent brand, our community, and the net worth effect all this was creating.”

the employer brand; it’s your shareholders, the public market and potential candidates down the line,” says Burke, who adds that HubSpot was wary of falling into the trap of other similarly sized businesses that had gone down the IPO path while claiming that culture was critically important, only to fail dismally.

Another of Burke’s key takeaways from

“It’s not just employees who care about the employer brand; it’s your shareholders, the public market and potential candidates” Part of the reason for this focus, she adds, was the number of investors who asked about and deeply cared about the company’s commitment to culture. “They told our founders how a culture of innovation is really what distinguishes outstanding companies from average companies in terms of overall performance. That’s why we knew we had to get the culture piece right.”

Indeed, Gallup reports that organisations with above-average levels of employee engagement reap 147% higher earnings per share. “It’s not just employees who care about

the IPO experience occurred on the morning of the IPO. “You have this amazing morning – you walk in [to the stock market floor], and your banner is up, and everyone is excited. You feel energised. And at 11am, they walk you out, they say congratulations, and then another company does their IPO. It’s a very visceral reminder that the world goes on – your party is not everlasting, and you can’t take anything for granted. I think you have to say your IPO is the beginning of your journey as a company, rather than the end. You have to show that to employees.”

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11/05/2017 1:21:33 PM

PROFILE Name: Katie Burke Company: HubSpot Title: Global VP of culture and experience HR experience: Two years Previous roles: »»Director, media and analyst relations, HubSpot »»Director of marketing and corporate partnerships, Athletes’ Performance and Core Performance »»Brand manager, EXOS »»Director, Glover Park Group »»Researcher, Booz Allen Hamilton First HR role: Director, talent and culture, HubSpot Qualifications: MBA, Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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11/05/2017 1:21:39 PM

PEOPLE

GLOBAL HR LEADER Transparency and autonomy Today, HubSpot employs more than 1,500 people in six locations around the world: at its headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and its offices in New Hampshire, Sydney, Dublin, Singapore and Tokyo. A new office will open in Berlin this year.

The unconventional nature of HubSpot’s approach to HR comes down to its two underlying principles: transparency and autonomy.

On the former, Burke says that anyone who works at HubSpot, from intern to executive, has access to all of the company’s documents. For example, all staff have access to management team meeting minutes, board meeting outcomes, and even the

who has wanted to be micromanaged; instead, they want latitude to do great work on their own with the support of management. “We set our company goals and directives, but we don’t give people an exact map on how to get there,” she says.

While some business leaders might cringe at the thought of training people to think like entrepreneurs, Burke says this mindset is actually helpful to HubSpot. “You feel more accountable to other divisions and to the company. You don’t get that feeling if you’re sitting in the corner with your head down.”

If and when ‘HubSpotters’ do leave, it’s not unusual to find the company’s founders and executives acting as angel investors for the new ventures. An active alumni

“I think the next few years will see a convergence between HR, marketing and IT. I’m excited by what those changes will bring” random musings of the CEO answering off-the-cuff questions from employees.

Burke says being “radically transparent” allows the company to do two things.

“One, it prevents people from [problem]solving for themselves or for their team,” she says. “Having to share things and having a bias to share information ensures people are truly ‘solving’ for the company. Second, we believe people do better when they know better. For example, if you’re working on a data project for the data team, and you’re working on something for the marketing team, the bias to share everything prevents people from putting their guard up and saying, ‘That’s my project or my data’. It encourages collaboration.”

She adds that the company’s “super talented” employees likely have career aspirations beyond HubSpot – they may want to start their own company or become a CEO some day. “The idea of learning from other parts of the business just by checking with our company wiki, for example, is really important for us.”

As for autonomy, Burke says she’s never met a talented professional in any division

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program also gives a boost to these start-up companies.

Borrowing from the best How can traditionally risk-averse HR functions learn from companies such as HubSpot, which appears to be rewriting the HR rulebook?

For Burke, who says that often the best opportunities in business emerge from a willingness to think differently, there are two initial steps.

For HR professionals within large organisations who don’t know where to start and are unsure of what the appetite for change is, she suggests simply asking people what they think. “Don’t ask via a lengthy survey,” she says. “Ask, on a scale of one to 10, how likely you’d be to recommend your company to a friend or colleague. You’ll be surprised by what you get back.”

As part of this process, it’s critical to also ask what the company can do better. “I’m constantly amazed at the number of companies who are unwilling to take that step,” Burke says. “Own the accountability coming out of it, and ensure you’ll actually take action on it.”

THREE INNOVATIVE STAFF PERKS AT HUBSPOT 1. Unlimited vacation policy.

“Unlimited vacations get a lot of attention for the days on versus the days off, but from my perspective it’s about other things, such as working parents who can do their work without asking for exceptions. Or if you’re someone training for a marathon, you can build your work schedule around what you’re personally passionate about without having to ask for permission.”

2. Free books: “For the last eight years, the company has had a program where you can request a business book. I’m a lifelong learner and avid reader myself, so I love it. Our employees are busy; they have a lot going on. Any friction you create between their ability to learn more and actually doing it can prevent them from taking that leap.

So we make it easy for people to learn on their own and learn from other people.”

3. Mystery Dinners: “Three times a year, groups of eight to 10 people sign up for a Mystery Dinner. They have no idea what restaurant or what group of people will be attending until 4pm that day. What we’ve found is that evening of spending quality time over a nice meal goes a long way toward our employees building meaningful connections with people on other teams.”

The second step is to ask people to write down what matters most to them about work. Burke often finds that leaders assume that people know what a culture stands for because they have company mission statements or values. But if your newest employee can’t recite what it means or how they feel about it, you’ve failed.

Finally, Burke maintains that a culture like HubSpot’s depends on trust. “You can’t fake trust,” she says. “For example, companies that try to launch unlimited vacation policies without a true commitment to autonomy always fail because it’s not about a policy; it’s about the dynamic of trusting employees to do their best at work.”

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11/05/2017 1:21:43 PM

COVER STORY

HRD EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

HRD’s third annual Employer of Choice Awards have been voted on by the people who matter most: employees.

Find out who’s leading the pack over the following pages

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Sponsored by

WHEN A fresh high-performing graduate emerges bright-eyed into the business world and is presented with three employment offers, all from reputable organisations, what makes them pick one over the other? Or in a related but different scenario, why do some organisations benefit from consistently high engagement rates year after year? There is, of course, no one answer – but a reputation as an Employer of Choice can help.

The relationship between employee and employer is undergoing more change today than it has since perhaps the Industrial Revolution. Business models and sociodemographics are being forced to shift, and sadly many organisations are not keeping up. As Mercer’s 2017 Global Talent Trends Study suggests, “organisations are still taking an evolutionary approach to their talent strategies in the face of revolutionary changes”.

The survey found that “while job responsibilities, pay, and promotion are fundamentals” it’s how we work that needs to keep pace – and that means access to the right technology and workplace flexibility.

Over the following pages, HRD, supported by our partner Maxxia, proudly presents a handful of companies that are leading the way.

We’ve posed a range of questions to employees (see ‘Methodology’, p18), asking about everything from their satisfaction with current remuneration through to L&D opportunities within their organisations. Importantly, these awards were voted on not by HR professionals themselves but by the people within their organisations.

Those companies that achieved the highest average scores from employees are acknowledged as ‘top performers’ in each subcategory. The cream of the crop are the Employer of Choice winners. Gold, Silver and Bronze awards have been given to those employers in our three size categories who are truly going above and beyond. This year it was great to see some stars returning from previous years, as well as many new entries to the list. Read on to see why they came out on top.

A NOTE FROM OUR SPONSOR Maxxia is proud to again partner with HRD for the 2017 Employer of Choice Awards.

We are privileged at Maxxia to work with more than 1,000 organisations across all sectors and all sizes, providing salary packaging, novated leasing and other benefits to their employees.

As a leading provider of best-in-class employee benefits programs, we understand the importance of attracting and retaining staff in today’s competitive employment environment.

It is increasingly clear that employee engagement is a key element of business success, and being an Employer of Choice is critical. The best organisations go above and beyond for their people to develop progressive cultures, environments and relationships.

With the volume of information out there these days, people are in a better position than ever to compare organisations and have the highest expectations of their employers. Without a doubt those organisations with employee accolades have an advantage, but people won’t accept just a recommendation.

The HRD Employer of Choice Awards is a cut above, thanks to being based on the nominations of your own employees. Receiving a nomination is an honour in itself, as it positions you alongside other outstanding organisations that have proven themselves to genuinely prioritise their staff.

Winning a commendation as significant as an HRD Employer of Choice Award is truly prestigious, but any organisation that is recognised with a nomination can be assured that they have truly established their excellence as an employer. It’s the ultimate affirmation that you’re among the very best.

Ron Steiner Group executive customer relations, Maxxia

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COVER STORY

HRD EMPLOYER OF CHOICE OVERALL RESPONDENT SNAPSHOT

Company size 60 50

HOW MANY HOURS DO YOU WORK EACH WEEK?

40

Less than 10 hours 2% 10–27 hours 5% 28–47 hours 65% 48–59 hours 25% Over 60 hours 3%

53%

30 20 10

23%

24%

1–99 employees

100–499 employees

0

500+ employees

Gender

Male

45%

How many days of annual leave have you taken in the last 12 months?

Female

55%

12%

Less than 3 days METHODOLOGY Date of survey: March–April 2017 Method: Online survey Number of respondents: 2,526 employees from 188 companies Employer of Choice status was determined by averaging employee scores given to a range of statements. Scores ranged from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) for the following questions/statements: • My employer provides satisfactory remuneration • My employer provides sufficient opportunities for training and professional development • My employer offers a clear career progression path for all employees • My employer has a strong commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace • My employer provides access to the technology and resources I need to do my job effectively • My employer encourages effective communication at all levels of the organisation • My employer demonstrates effective leadership • My employer offers flexible work practices to help me achieve work-life balance • My employer supports my health and wellbeing • My employer offers sufficient reward and recognition initiatives

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20%

4–10 days

39%

11–20 days

26%

3%

21+ days

Other

8%

92%

How long have you worked for your current employer?

2 years or less 51% 3–5 years 19% 6–10 years 18% 10+ years 12%

Are you likely to change employers in the next 12 months?

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Sponsored by

EMPLOYERS OF CHOICE: OVERALL WINNERS 500+ EMPLOYEES

Mantra Group Data#3 ALDI

“Given it was our team members who voted and helped us realise our vision of becoming a recognised Employer of Choice, I see this award win as the ultimate salute from our loyal and highly engaged employees” Cherie McGill

HRD CHATS to Gold winner (500+ employees) Mantra Group’s executive director, human resources, Cherie McGill HRD: Congratulations on your Gold award in the 500+ employees category. How does it feel to win?

We’re thrilled to receive the Gold medal. This win provides great recognition to Mantra Group and our team of dedicated and experienced professionals.

HRD: What does this award mean to you personally, and to the company as a whole?

For me, this achievement is a career highlight. Having been with Mantra Group for close to 13 years, it is so rewarding to have worked our way to such recognition. From a group perspective, the win is a great validation of our team’s passion and hard work. It is also a testament to our recent employee engagement score of 86% and our lower-than-industry staff turnover. Time and time again, our team members have advised that their fellow colleagues are what they value the most about our company. So, while it might not be a surprise to them, it is certainly an honour for us to achieve this award.

HRD: What do you put your success in these awards down to? Is there anything you can highlight that you believe might have connected particularly well with employees?

Given it was our team members who voted and helped us realise

our vision of becoming a recognised Employer of Choice, I see this award win as the ultimate salute from our loyal and highly engaged employees. They’re extremely proud of whom they work for, and we’re extremely honoured to have them as part of our team.

HRD: How would you describe the corporate culture at Mantra Group?

In a recent team member survey, our team members summed up our corporate culture perfectly in three words – fun, friendly and challenging. We believe our core values and philosophy are a key attribute to our success.

HRD: The hospitality industry has its unique people-related challenges. What’s at the top of your list and how are you navigating that challenge?

Not too different to most businesses, communication is one of our biggest people-related challenges. We have 125-plus properties across Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Hawaii, so trying to communicate with such a broad cross section of team members presents some challenges at times.

A large portion of our workforce isn’t on a business email, so we often have to get creative in how we connect with our team members. Traditional newsletters, social media and our intranet, MyMantra, are all key to this. We don’t have a one-solution-fitsall approach.

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COVER STORY

HRD EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

EMPLOYERS OF CHOICE: OVERALL WINNERS 100-499 EMPLOYEES

“We are extremely Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers pleased to be recognised as a Gold Employer of Choice 1300apprentice award winner. This is particularly pleasing as it is voted for by our MGM Group own team, and pitches us against other impressive organisations” Neil Baker

HRD CHATS to three representatives from Gold winner (100–499 employees) Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers: Neil Baker, director – people and culture; Janet Wilson, CEO; and Chris Ward, managing partner HRD: Congratulations on your Gold award in the 100–499 employees category. How does it feel to win?

We are extremely pleased to be recognised in the 100–499 employee category as a Gold Employer of Choice award winner.

This is particularly pleasing as it is voted for by our own team and pitches us against other impressive organisations. So, to be considered as an Employer of Choice with such peers and by our own team, is extremely pleasing.

HRD: What does this award mean to you personally, Neil, and to the company as a whole?

Neil Baker: As an HR director who is responsible for putting some of the settings in place to achieve status as an Employer of Choice, it is extremely gratifying to see that effort vindicated. It’s also extremely pleasing for our whole leadership team, who have been part of making this happen; and for them this is also great recognition for their effort.

HRD: What do you put your success in these awards down to?

Cooper Grace Ward embarked on the journey to become an Employer of Choice/best employer quite a number of years ago and has in fact been recognised in this space by a number of

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external parties, including AON Hewitt as Best Employer. More recently, however, the firm has renewed its vigour around developing a strong employee proposition. While team members always participate in our business planning and strategic planning sessions, more recently we have involved them to an even greater degree by explaining greater background to the decisions and objectives that the firm is pursuing. Along with that, we have set up task forces around the key business imperatives and invited our team to participate in those task forces (which they personally find of greatest interest). This personal involvement and engagement with the firm’s business strategy, and developing particular actions to help achieve that business strategy, has, I think, gone a long way in assisting Cooper Grace Ward in achieving this accolade.

HRD: What would you classify as your biggest people-related challenge, and how are you navigating that challenge?

The biggest people challenge is the pace of change: what is required culturally to maintain the ability to handle continuous change; having the flexibility required to be innovative and yet still provide great service; to have the leadership skills to inspire and lead teams facing that change; to have the client relationship skills to make sure that we continue to service our clients and win new business; and to be capable of utilising the technology as it becomes available, rather than being fearful. The key things are to balance the increasing demands of clients against the flexibility, and balance needs of team members to protect family lives and mental health.

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Sponsored by

EMPLOYERS OF CHOICE: OVERALL WINNERS 1-99 EMPLOYEES

Xref Workplace Law Halcyon Knights

HRD CHATS to Gold winner (1–99 employees) Xref ’s CEO and co-founder, Lee-Martin Seymour HRD: Congratulations on your Gold award in the 1–99 employee category. How does it feel to win?

It feels fantastic. As co-founders of Xref, Tim Griffiths and I love what we do and the benefits we offer clients, but having a staff that is also motivated, driven and enjoys coming to work is so much more important. We’ve had remarkable success since launching in 2011, and there have been some standout milestones along the way, but I get more joy from seeing the team grow, watching people come on board the Xref journey, and witnessing the achievement and satisfaction they get from the work we do.

HRD: What do you put your success in these awards down to? Is there anything you can highlight that you believe might have connected particularly well with employees?

We recognise all our employees as individual people. We appreciate that the value some might see in one form of reward will not be reflected across the board. So we are careful to ensure that we know the personal preferences as well as the individual professional journey of each staff member. With that in mind, we can encourage them to progress at the rate and trajectory that suits them. We know that employees will be more productive if they feel happy and motivated as individuals, rather than just another member of the team.

“We already know how talented and successful our team is, but this award validates our belief that they are also very happy with what they do” Lee-Martin Seymour

HRD: How would you describe the corporate culture at Xref?

Open, honest, hard-working and fun. Our team is made up of 50 very like-minded individuals that each want to work hard but enjoy the satisfaction that comes from making clients happy, as well as the reward of helping to grow our business. We may be geographically dispersed across five countries in three continents but, in terms of the level of communication and support we offer each other, we are very close. We also utilise technology wherever possible to make our working lives efficient and consistent across each of the markets we operate in.

HRD: What would you classify as your biggest people-related challenge, and how are you navigating that challenge?

We are scaling globally, and with this rapid growth comes new peoplerelated challenges. Time is not on our side, and to grab market share quickly and efficiently we need the right staff. The danger, when time is tight, is that the level of focus on new hires falters, but we’ve been careful to make sure this is not the case at Xref, applying the same level of due diligence every time we bring on someone new. However, the reality is that no organisation is going to get it right every time, when it comes to recruitment. As a fast-growth company it’s reasonable to expect 10–15% of hires to fail. At Xref we embrace this. We have an open door to those that feel they simply cannot add value, and proactively help those that wish to move out of the business. When it comes to performance issues, it’s crucial that the business does not hold on to people that cannot find a way to add value or align with our organisational culture.

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COVER STORY

HRD EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

REMUNERATION TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES

ALDI Data#3 Edwards Lifesciences MGM Group “ALDI believes in rewarding employees for their hard work, and a way to recognise their effort is by offering salaries above market rate as well as job-specific benefits. We offer this to every employee. For example, our graduate program is an industry-leading scheme with successful candidates receiving a starting salary package of $85,000 per year as well as a company car and phone” James Buonopane, corporate finance and administration director – personnel, ALDI

LET’S NOT beat around the bush: competitive, industry- and role-based salary benchmarking remains a critical component of any organisation’s EVP. To attract and retain top talent, employees need to be awarded appropriately. Fortunately, just over 71% of participants in this year’s Employer of Choice survey either agreed or strongly agreed that their employer paid satisfactory remuneration.

One of our top performers in this category, Data#3, takes pride in how its remuneration strategy is structured and applied. Indeed, Tash Macknish, the company’s national manager – OD and HR, says it’s key to the execution of Data#3’s strategy and to the alignment of stakeholder goals.

“It is a vital component of successful people management, and so we put careful consideration and planning into the remuneration process. Our remuneration structure is designed to acknowledge the capability of our people, drive and reward their performance, and recognise behaviours that support our culture, in line with our core values,” Macknish explains.

And while HR consultants may downplay the importance of financial reward, clearly employees value what they are being paid above almost everything else. As one reader put it: “Our organisation has the best of the best people in the industry.

This is not only because it is the best company to work for; it’s because they look after their workers through salary and a wide range of other benefits and perks.”

That’s not to say there are no challenges for employers, particularly in certain sectors like hospitality and not-for-profits. One business development manager commented: “In comparison to other hotels, my employer provides adequate salary, [but] the industry as a whole – below average!”

A not-unexpected recipe for disgruntled employees also occurs when pay does not reflect tenure or changes to role/responsibilities. The tricky topic of pay transparency also raises its head, as does the expectation that pay will constantly improve – perhaps in spite of other factors impacting an employer.

“My achievements in the job got me a pay raise in my first year, yet all my achievements since then amounted to no pay raise, so I feel like my first year of trying hard has worked against me,” wrote one mid-level manager.

‘MY EMPLOYER PROVIDES SATISFACTORY REMUNERATION’

35.95% 41.25%

Strongly agree Agree

14.81%

Neutral

4.12% 3.88%

Disagree Strongly disagree

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Sponsored by

CAREER PROGRESSION NEARLY 72% of employees agree or strongly agree that their employer clearly communicates career path opportunities and the steps to be taken in order to be considered for promotion, though of all the categories this received the lowest rating relatively speaking (4 out of 5) – indicating that even for Employers of Choice, providing career progression is a challenge.

In this space, Employers of Choice are crafting individually tailored career development plans with related training. For example, alongside extensive L&D options, Gold winner Mantra Group has worked with employees to develop ‘MyPlan’ with direct managers and an HR partner. These plans are personalised and tailored to enable employees to develop themselves in either their current roles or to take on new positions at Mantra Group. “All of our team members are on their own journey, and we strive to encourage and support our team members in any way we can to achieve their goals,” says Cherie McGill, executive director, human resources, at Mantra Group. “The company can boast a statistic of promoting or transferring our one in five team members each year.”

While it’s up to individual employees to define their future progression, for many it’s the managers who help make this a reality: “My manager had one-on-one time with me to discuss my career progression path, listen to my professional and personal training needs, provide feedback ... to help me make progress towards my goal,” wrote one mid-level manager.

Talent and career mapping – identifying key roles and suitable successors, and the development they require to move forward – is also gaining traction.

One employee says progression is properly incorporated into roles at their company, as “one role provides natural training to take on the next level”.

Other employers, especially those with limited hierarchies, are getting creative with what they can offer employees who have hit the ceiling in terms of their career paths. They offer horizontal moves and project-based development opportunities.

One manager noted: “Cross-functional projects are starting to add value to employees who are subject matter experts and may not have a career pathway [leading] upwards, but can extend their professional skills to other areas.”

TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES

Cooper Grace Ward Community Enterprise Halcyon Knights Mantra Group “Halcyon Knights has always had the philosophy to back someone who’s willing to have a go. As an employee, you own your career and you’ve got choices that you can make. Our job is to give you the tools, training, guidance, tutelage, and show you what’s possible, but the onus is on the individual employee to be in the driver’s seat” Harley McLean, HR manager, Halcyon Knights

‘MY EMPLOYER OFFERS A CLEAR CAREER PROGRESSION PATH FOR ALL EMPLOYEES’

37.21% 34.76%

Strongly agree agree

18.69%

Neutral

6.10% 3.25%

Disagree Strongly disagree

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COVER STORY

HRD EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES

ALDI Mantra Group MGM Group Workplace Law “Training is a strong focus for us at MGM. We have a commitment to maintain a minimum of 10% of our workforce in traineeships or other formal training, such as operator upskilling, first aid training, or formalised trade certification arrangements”

FROM NEW graduates through to seasoned executives, the HRD Employers of Choice recognise the power of L&D at all levels. It’s getting cut-through too: 84% of respondents agreed that their employers were providing sufficient opportunities for career development.

It is also something well understood by ALDI’s James Buonopane, corporate finance and administration director – personnel: “From day one, every employee’s professional growth and development is nurtured, encouraged and supported, regardless of whether they are a Retail Assistant, Store Manager or Director. We provide specialised on-the-job training and induction to help develop the professional, technical and interpersonal skills of our employees.”

ALDI also offers various educational and training programs to its frontline staff, including retail traineeships and leadership qualifications. Further demonstrating the supermarket giant’s commitment to L&D is a dedicated department known as ALDI Academy, which focuses on providing training opportunities to ALDI staff.

This respondent sums up the long-term retention power of L&D: “Training, progressions, development and opportunity are the main reason I am with the company.”

Another wrote: “Throughout my 11 years with the company, I’ve been given extensive training and have advanced my career significantly.”

Some responses also show that L&D programs are inevitably linked to career and leadership development: “We have over 30 internal face-to-face sessions run nationally and on regular intervals, as well as online training and webinars. On-the-job training is also ongoing and there are many opportunities for growth and development through our varied leadership programs,” said one L&D facilitator.

“Paid training, free online courses, career development – I finally found a company that I can build my career with,” added a senior consultant.

Niomi Higgs, QSE/human resource manager, MGM Bulk

‘MY EMPLOYER PROVIDES SUFFICIENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT’

53.92%

Strongly agree

30.48%

Agree

9.34% 4.04% 2.22%

Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

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Sponsored by

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION OF ALL the subcategories, D&I received the highest score, at 4.49. Eightynine per cent of the employees surveyed agreed that their employers showed a strong commitment to promoting D&I, which is a sign that many employers now consider this a top priority.

Employees from our top performers in this category enthusiastically listed the D&I initiatives their employers have in place, such as company-wide events to celebrate multiculturalism, committees and employee groups that promote awareness through various activities, and specific programs – training on unconscious bias, leadership development, and diversity programs for women and other minorities.

Gender equality remains a D&I focus for many of our Employers of Choice.

Cooper Grace Ward has over 70% females, so the firm does all it can to attract and retain this talent pool. To this end, the firm has used the Workplace Gender Equality Agency requirements to drive its gender strategy, and has been recognised as an Employer of Choice for gender equality.

However, others voiced concern that D&I must be wider than just gender.

“Sometimes it feels like we are overly active in this area. Being the norm is not normal anymore when everyone should be treated the same.”

Others voiced concerns about hiring and promoting solely to hit a target.

“We employ the right person for the job, not for a gender target,” wrote one respondent.

TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES

Cooper Grace Ward Mantra Group Right Management The Star Entertainment Group

“The firm has had a diversity committee since 2009, which has been charged with the responsibility of promoting awareness around diversity and inclusion across the organisation, as well as identifying issues and solutions that can improve our position on D&I. Some of these initiatives include increasing awareness of career opportunities in particular cultural groups, and organising speakers from organisations that are very strong in particular aspects of D&I, including membership of the Diversity Council” Neil Baker, director – people and culture, Cooper Grace Ward

‘MY EMPLOYER HAS A STRONG COMMITMENT TO PROMOTING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THE WORKPLACE’

67.06%

Strongly agree

21.85% 6.18% 2.53% 2.38%

Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

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COVER STORY

HRD EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

TECHNOLOGY TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES

1300apprentice NSW Business Chamber Workplace Law Xref “We have a mantra... ‘if we touch it three times, we automate it’. What that means is that we are committed to making every business process as efficient as possible – introducing automation whenever the opportunity arises” Lee-Martin Seymour, CEO and co-founder, Xref

FROM FREE smartphones to video content management systems – which manage videos much like the more familiar document management systems – through to induction and onboarding programs delivered via augmented reality, Employers of Choice recognise that investing in technology can enhance employee productivity.

As one employee put it, “We have access to incredible resources and support, including IT, industry databases, precedent documents and procedural manuals. This definitely makes it incredibly easy to perform my job well and in an efficient manner.” Another employee spoke enthusiastically of software “to help automate the tedious data entry associated with our role, so we can be more effective and strategic”.

Increasingly, work is about what you do, rather than where you do it, and with that in mind mobile technology remains a running theme for this year’s respondents.

“No matter where you are globally, through internet connection you can be connected to the network and do your work. This allows employees to be mobile and have the flexibility they need to integrate both work and home life,” a senior marketing manager suggested in the survey.

A property manager chimed in: “I work from home a lot and my employer has been fantastic in arranging remote access and extremely responsive the few times I have experienced difficulty logging in.”

And one project specialist said: “We are capable of working from anywhere.

Online payroll, learning and recruitment platforms are all available.”

Employers of Choice know that, when their employees are assured proper technical support, they feel empowered and motivated to perform well.

“All tools and software are made available right away, and anything that I feel will help the process is usually looked after if I ask,” wrote one respondent.

Another said: “I have everything I need – internal support, resources on hand, and ICT support is a quick phone call away.”

‘MY EMPLOYER PROVIDES ACCESS TO THE TECHNOLOGY AND RESOURCES I NEED TO DO MY WORK EFFECTIVELY’

57.80%

Strongly agree

28.35%

Agree

8.63% 3.40% 1.82%

Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

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COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION FROM the top down – and the bottom up – is what sets Employers of Choice apart from the competition. Louise Campbell, director of human resources at one of our top-performing companies, Colin Biggers & Paisley, said, “We believe that our employees value understanding what is happening within the company and being made part of the journey and decision-making process. We think it is critical that our employees know what is happening in different areas of the legal practice.”

Indeed, regular and clear communication from leaders was referred to by a number of survey respondents, with some mentioning how important it was to have direct access to CEOs: “Not many companies would have their CEO make you a cup of coffee and ask how you are feeling,” one wrote.

The notion of an ‘open-door policy’ was echoed by several readers, who viewed it as a manifestation of an open and transparent culture. Others went on to list more specific topics they regularly communicated about, which ranged from weekly updates on ongoing activities to company strategy and key results, including colleagues’ achievements, which “gives the company a buzz and helps build positive energy”.

And yes, some even have fun with their communication, as this respondent said: “They let me speak my mind, they listen, and they take action. We all communicate regularly. Family photos and funny pictures are sent around regularly; we all send postcards to work when we are away, and our CEO joins in on the fun.”

TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES

Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors Colin Biggers & Paisley Employment Hero Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation NSW Business Chamber

“We have an open communication policy, where unless something is confidential, we communicate it to all employees. We are currently using a combination of our intranet, emails and our legal practice-wide ‘Around the Grounds’ series to communicate to our employees. This takes place a number of times each year. Employees are invited to a presentation to hear about current affairs of interest around our legal practice, updates on new initiatives, how our finances are tracking and get answers to any questions they may have” Louise Campbell, director of human resources, Colin Biggers & Paisley

‘MY EMPLOYER ENCOURAGES EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AT ALL LEVELS OF THE ORGANISATION’

56.22%

Strongly agree

29.30%

Agree

8.63% 3.33% 2.53%

Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

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COVER STORY

LEADERSHIP ‘THE FISH rots from the head down’. It’s an old saying and sadly it’s true. It’s the leaders who provide the vision and set the bar in all respects – organisational culture, work ethic and performance. As a respondent said of one of HRD’s Employers of Choice: “We have great drive from the top of the business and a good way of delivering thoughts and dreams about where the business will go.”

It’s clear that employees value transparency and openness from their leaders, even during tough times. One respondent described how their leaders handled a potentially damaging court case in a way that demonstrated authenticity and integrity: “The leadership team put out their position to all employees, explaining their reasons for it. There was no whitewashing, and while it would have been easier for the company to let it go, their stance showed me that there was considerable leadership and values in the decision… In other cases, I might side with an employee who’s against a company that oftentimes has more power, but in this case, I admired the company’s leadership and the way they handled the situation with their employees.”

It’s apparent that great leaders also know when to delegate. Lee-Martin Seymour, CEO and co-founder of Xref, explains his approach to leadership: “Small business life is often determined by daily decisions – some hard and business-critical and some that are not so hard but are absolutely necessary. [Co-founder] Tim Griffiths and I cannot oversee everything all the time, so we must be able to rely on our leadership team to handle the easier decisions with their impact on the business in mind at all times.”

TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES

1300apprentice Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation Skillsoft Xref

“Our leadership team is made up of like-minded, driven and ambitious individuals. They – like us – recognise the growth opportunity for Xref in international markets and are hungry to see first-hand how the solution is adapted and used in different countries. We give individuals the opportunity to explore new areas of their job and build their own role.

The beauty of joining a small business in a leadership role is that the position will often be new to the company, which gives future leaders the opportunity to demonstrate their value to the business as soon as they walk in the door. These autonomous and accountable traits are the mark of a good leader in my eyes” Lee-Martin Seymour, CEO and co-founder, Xref

‘MY EMPLOYER DEMONSTRATES EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP’

57.40%

Strongly agree

29.45%

Agree

7.44% 3.17% 2.53%

Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

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WORK-LIFE BALANCE EMPLOYERS OF Choice don’t believe in work-life balance; they prefer ‘worklife integration’ – such is the increasing understanding that work and home life often seep into each other. Over 50% of employees ‘strongly agreed’ that their employers help them achieve a better work-life balance. Readers were keen to define what flexibility looked like to them, and how it worked: “Flexibility goes beyond being able to work at home. It’s the flexibility in how we work, the tools we use, and so on,” one said.

Employers of Choice also provide the tools required to work flexibly, as this respondent suggested: “Wherever the inherent needs of the job allows for flexibility, employees have been given all IT and network connection and softphone capabilities to encourage a balance between work and life.”

Trust that the job will still be done is critical to flexibility taking off, as this reader understands: “Good guidance is provided, and there is an outcomesbased approach here, not micro-managing.”

At law firm Cooper Grace Ward, almost half of the team have some form of flexible work arrangements, and the flexible work arrangements are rolemodelled at senior levels in the organisation, including by the managing partner, CEO and director of people and culture.

The range of flexible arrangements in place at Cooper Grace Ward is wide, and includes altered start/finish times; altered lunchtimes; job-share arrangements; working from home; purchased annual leave; combinations of arrangements; compressed work week arrangements; and more.

Neil Baker, director – people and culture, at the firm, says the answer to a flexibility request is yes, followed by ‘how can we make it work in everyone’s interest’? “Obviously there are times when flexibility just can’t work in the way requested for a particular role,” he says. However, there is “firm-level commitment and support for flexibility”, which is implemented at the team and individual level. Once in place, Baker says the most successful arrangements are based on trust and recognition that compromise is required by all involved to ensure the best client outcomes.

TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES

Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors Cooper Grace Ward NSW Business Chamber UQ Sport “The firm’s culture is that when the work is there it should be completed efficiently and the team should not spend time unnecessarily in the office. The firm has a very strong focus on flexibility, driven in part by a very high female ratio within the firm but available to all team members irrespective of gender” Neil Baker, director – people and culture, Cooper Grace Ward

‘MY EMPLOYER OFFERS FLEXIBLE WORK PRACTICES TO HELP ME ACHIEVE WORK-LIFE BALANCE’

64.61%

Strongly agree

22.41%

Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

6.57% 2.77% 3.64% 0

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COVER STORY

Sponsored by

HRD EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

HEALTH & WELLBEING TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES

Data#3 INS Career Management Luxe Property Xref “To support our employees’ wellbeing we run a number of different initiatives throughout the year. Each February we hold a health and wellbeing month and use this time to provide information and activities to help our employees focus on themselves and improve their physical, mental and emotional health”

IT’S NOT surprising that the overall rating for this category is the second highest, at 4.48 out of 5, with 89% of respondents agreeing that their employers are doing well in this area. Today, there’s general agreement that a healthy employee is a happier and more productive employee.

Lee-Martin Seymour, CEO and co-founder of Xref, says he can “reel off the usual suspects” – fruit deliveries, filtered water, in-house fitness groups, charity sporting events – but adds that while these are available at Xref, they don’t set the company apart from any other well-meaning corporate.

“We all know that a healthy body starts with a healthy mind,” he says. “So, at Xref, we challenge the way people think, we nurture creativity and have a huge appetite for ideation. We help people achieve things they never thought they could and encourage celebration. We recognise that if our people are excited and energised by the Xref journey, it’s natural for them to want to feel ready, physically and mentally, to take on the next challenge.”

There is also greater understanding that wellbeing extends beyond just physical wellbeing to mental and financial wellbeing as well. Resilience training, stress-relieving activities like yoga and meditation, even sleep pods, are some of the options available from our Employers of Choice. Most of all, it comes down to an understanding that work is not the be-all and end-all.

“We have a good balance of work and play which is great for mental health,” wrote one respondent.

The subject of health and wellbeing inevitably leads to mentions of work-life balance and flexible work arrangements: “Employees are encouraged to work flexibly to have a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Balance is encouraged – [meaning] no excessive work hours,” one employee said.

Tash Macknish, national manager – OD and HR, Data#3

‘MY EMPLOYER SUPPORTS MY HEALTH & WELLBEING’

64.69%

Strongly agree

24.07%

Agree

7.13% 1.82% 2.30%

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COVER STORY

HRD EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

REWARD & RECOGNITION TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES

Community Enterprise Data#3 Halcyon Knights Insight “Our people are our business and recruitment is a highly competitive industry, and as such our team work hard, and as we grow we are committed to not only enabling their success but we have a responsibility to be mindful of their wellbeing. We launched a company-wide wellbeing initiative last year, called #HKMYDAY. Every single member of the team gets a paid long weekend every month, to do something that’s important to them, whether that’s giving back to the community, spending time with their family or friends, or picking their kids up from school. It gives them the opportunity to spend a well-earned day of rest, doing something that’s important to them. It comes back to our EVP again. This is one of the ways that we can demonstrate to the team that we care about them personally, and are committed to their wellbeing” Harley McLean, HR manager, Halcyon Knights

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“WE ARE regularly rewarded, and this makes us feel valued. We are most often awarded as a team, and are taken out to enjoy our success together as a team.”

These words, from one of our survey participants, neatly sum up the power of an effective reward and recognition strategy. Such a strategy can be used to reinforce behaviours, foster collaboration, praise high performers, shine a light on overlooked or neglected quiet achievers, and, of course, have fun.

Another respondent writes: “I am constantly provided with constructive feedback and praise from management and recognised for my work.”

In organisations/industries that don’t offer the highest remuneration, rewards and recognition matter even more – especially with the knowledge that while a ‘thank you’ doesn’t cost a dollar, the impact on the recipient can be amazingly positive. “Within the framework of a not-for-profit, recognition plays a greater role that says ‘rewards’, particularly financial rewards. The staff understand this and are motivated to achieve business outcomes,” wrote one respondent.

It’s not just contributions to business outcomes that deserve praise – it’s also appropriate to reward and recognise those who embody ‘organisational spirit’.

Data#3, for example, has a number of national and state-based reward and recognition programs running across the business. Each is underpinned by the company’s core values of Honesty, Excellence, Agility, Respect and Teamwork.

“Our awards are designed to give all employees at all levels of the business the opportunity to be recognised for demonstrating outstanding and inspiring actions at work,” says Tash Macknish, national manager – OD and HR, at Data#3.

Of course, technology is also shaping this space, with tools now available to provide social and peer-to-peer recognition. The ability to ‘like’ and ‘share’ means recognition has never been more transparent. Technology is also helping to make instant rewards possible – usually borrowing some elements of gamification in the form of points that are accumulated, which can be exchanged for certain benefits. Moreover, the use of software means that tracking employee preferences and tailoring their rewards based on order history and points redemption is easier than ever.

“We have our own reward portal where colleagues can grant recognition and points to each other for various things… Recognition also comes with points that can be redeemed for various goods,” said one employee.

Another wrote: “My employer gives us the option of choosing our own reward from a pool of products and services. It means I can choose something that resonates well with my personal preferences.”

Employers of Choice have done away with ad hoc reward and recognition programs, replacing them with more structured programs that factor in individual performance and even development plans.

“We have structured rewards such as the quarterly GEM award, but there are other incentives such as 100% club that involves an overseas trip. Structured bonus and variable rewards incentives are implemented and managed well via our Talent and Performance Plans,” wrote one employee. The alternative – a more ad hoc approach – is less desirable. One employee described a monthly initiative whereby “the winner is randomly selected out of a hat … [which] makes it feel less rewarding and more [based on] luck”.

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Sponsored by

‘MY EMPLOYER OFFERS SUFFICIENT REWARD & RECOGNITION INITIATIVES’

48.06%

Strongly agree

31.67%

Agree

11.64%

Neutral

5.15% 3.48%

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New hires are expensive.

Make sure they stay, engage and thrive.

The Ultimate Guide to Onboarding & Employee Transitions E End the paper chase E Transform your onboarding processes Free white paper at SilkRoad.com/UG-Onboarding

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11/05/2017 1:23:17 PM

FEATURES

SECTOR FOCUS: LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

HOW SOCIALLY INTELLIGENT ARE YOU?

Interpersonal effectiveness can have a significant impact on an individual’s success – or failure – as a leader. Neuroscience is proving that many of these skills can be taught, as HRD discovers

DOES THIS sound familiar? Your CEO corners you in the meeting room and says, “Let’s have a chat”. Your mind jumps to the conclusion that the upcoming conversation is going to be bad.

Or this scenario: You get along with most people but there are some people who just really annoy you – you just don’t click.

Why is it that in certain circumstances we either assume the worst or don’t work at our peak?

concept of social intelligence is embedded in everything it does. Luke Ross, Director of the Social Intelligence Group, says social intelligence is the ability to create cooperative relationships with others. It’s important to note that it is not a stable trait but something we learn and decide to use or not use on a daily basis.

“Intelligence and personality don’t account for much of your success, but your daily behavioural decisions do,” he says.

“Intelligence and personality don’t account for much of your success, but your ability to work effectively with others does” Luke Ross, Social Intelligence Group Neuroscience is providing insights into brain function and cognitive biases – and it’s these insights that form the foundation for the Social Intelligence Group’s range of programs that have been created to help leaders cope with the business challenges of today. As the company name suggests, the

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“Additionally, you can’t really change your intelligence and personality traits, but you can change your social intelligence.”

What follows is an outline of four popular social intelligence programs, all of which have been developed by a team of registered psychologists. They are evidence-based

and specifically designed for the corporate workplace. Each course combines an online multi-rater assessment with a practical training program to teach individuals how to be more agile, resilient, emotionally intelligent or behaviourally versatile. The assessments are psychometrically valid and meet the reliability and validity standards set out by the various psychological associations across the globe. The Social Intelligence Group delivers the programs or certifies your L&D professionals to deliver them.

Adaptive Mindset for Resiliency The word resilience is thrown around with abandon in many businesses today, and while the sentiment behind a desire to build more resilient employees to cope with constant change is often well intended, the execution can leave something to be desired – many programs create awareness of resilience factors but don’t show people exactly how to be resilient at work. For Ross, it’s no surprise that resilience is so talked about in business today. He says it has been shown to be connected to success and life satisfaction.

However, there are a number of myths that surround resilience. For example, most people believe they are either resilient or not. In truth, sometimes we are resilient and sometimes we are not.

“If you look over your own career you will see times when you have been resilient and times when you have not,” says Ross.

“The difference is that your mindset and behavioural response at the time determined if you thrived or not in those situations. We all have filters and ways that we act that determine if we are resilient or not.”

Importantly, Ross says it’s possible to teach people to overcome these filters or barriers, and thus rapidly increase their resilience in the workplace.

“I’ve seen it happen instantly – it is about adapting your thinking and behaviours,” Ross says.

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Brought to you by

BEHAVIOURAL EQ The Adaptive Mindset for Resiliency program teaches people to have an adaptive mindset to change and counteract the brain’s natural way of dealing with stress. It is the only program of its kind that uses a multirater assessment to determine an individual’s resilience strengths, followed by a pragmatic skills program to help them become more resilient at work – many people are unaware of their resilience strengths and do not know how to be resilient more often. Participants leave the Adaptive Mindset for Resiliency program more motivated and more skilled in being resilient more frequently. The majority of participants find the program increases their workplace productivity, company engagement and overall life satisfaction.

Adaptive Mindset for Agility Aside from resilience, other key terms

EQ, or emotional intelligence, is a critical part of a leader’s ability to lead others. The Social Intelligence Group’s Behavioural EQ program teaches participants how to perceive the emotions in themselves and, most importantly, what to do with that understanding. The program is called Behavioural EQ because the majority of the focus is on what you need to do with your EQ. “It is based on a validated model of EQ that is connected to workplace success – as opposed to what someone thought would be good to include in the model,” says Ross, who adds that many of the EQ programs on the market do not predict success, and high scores on the assessments do not relate to high work performance.

in business circles today are innovation and agility. “We define personal and organisational agility as the capacity to recognise, create and exploit opportunities in a changing environment,” says Ross, who adds that while the benefits of being agile and innovative are well established, there remains a problem.

As adults, many of us have suppressed the ability to be agile. One longitudinal study conducted on kindergarteners showed that 98% of them scored at genius level in their ability to generate many solutions

to problems. But, over the course of time, this capacity dwindled such that, by age 10, only 30% scored at genius level and, by adulthood, only 2% scored at genius level.

“We develop a range of cognitive biases that stop us being innovative,” Ross says.

“This course helps to unlock this agility at the individual level, thereby creating agile organisations. It shows people how to undo the barriers and biases that stop them being agile, because close to 80% of agility is learned.”

The Social Intelligence Group uses a simple but effective model with the acronym

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SECTOR FOCUS: LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Brought to you by

BARRIERS TO AGILITY Luke Ross outlines three hurdles: Self-perception bias “Many people have an overinflated view of their skills, and understanding that you are not as agile as you think you are is the first barrier to overcome. People need to know what to work on to become more agile, which is why we use a multi-rater of agility.”

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Tunnel-vision bias “Many people are so focused on solving the problem at hand that they just invent new solutions to old problems. They don’t investigate as much as they should; they are very anchored in their mindset. The most agile teams and individuals find unexpected opportunities because they look widely.”

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Past-experience bias “Our brains look at the world and compare new experiences to old experiences, and then we decide what to do. But our brain tricks us and makes us focus on the similar aspects, not the different aspects which would lead us to think in different ways.”

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THE SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE GROUP The Social Intelligence Group is the authorised master trainer and distributor for Tracom in Australia and New Zealand. They provide trainer certification and delivery of the Tracom Social Intelligence Programs: Social Style and Versatility, Behavioural EQ, Adaptive Mindset for Resiliency and Adaptive Mindset for Agility.

Tracom is the original creator of the Social Style and Versatility model and has also recently created the Adaptive Mindset for Resiliency, Agility and Behavioural EQ programs and assessments.

Visit www.socialintelligence.com. au or phone 1300 471 765.

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IDEA to ensure that fresh ideas and innovative thinking move beyond just the ideation stage and instead result in tangible business outcomes.

“When most people think of creativity and innovation, they just focus on idea generation,” Ross says. “However, an idea without implementation is just a good idea.”

The key aspects of agility are: I – Investigate new opportunities D – Design new solutions E – Energise support for the ideas A – Apply the ideas in the real world “Without all parts agility does not exist.

Agility is actually seeing an idea from creation to implementation,” Ross says.

Many people believe that they cannot

respect by teaching them how to profile their direct reports so that they know how to manage their relationships most effectively.

It shows them how to create mutually productive relationships. Social Style is the consistent pattern of behaviours one uses with others; Versatility is how effective one is interpersonally; for example, whether you earn or lose the support and respect of others.

“Social Style and Versatility has an assessment as part of the program. It is not a self-awareness program; rather, it is a practical skills program to teach people how to profile others so that they know what to do to be more effective,” Ross says.

He adds that a great benefit of the

“When most people think of creativity and innovation, they just focus on idea generation, However, an idea without implementation is just a good idea” Luke Ross, Social Intelligence Group be agile, but this not true. Everyone has the ability to be agile, and in the Adaptive Mindset for Agility program we show them their barriers by using a multi-rater assessment of IDEA, and then teach them simple strategies to overcome these barriers.

Social Style and Versatility It’s critical for leaders to earn the support and respect of those who work for them. Leaders who do not have support and respect find it difficult to achieve organisational objectives or create sustainable team performance.

However, many leaders do not have an accurate understanding of the support and respect they have earned.

This is where the Social Style and Versatility course adds value. The program shows leaders how to earn support and

program is that the resulting performance improvements are observable, measurable and immediate. It’s not uncommon during the one-day program that participants will behaviourally profile an individual they are having trouble with, and then use the tools to develop a different way to deal with that person. Additionally, 63–70% of participants use the tools within one day of the program without reminders or reinforcement. Ross says the program has been used by 3,508,403 individuals globally and is in place at most global consulting firms and many iconic global organisations, yet “Australian corporates just don’t know much about it”.

Much like social intelligence in general, it appears the potential benefits are just starting to be realised.

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FEATURES

SECTOR FOCUS: NOVATED LEASING

MYTH-BUSTING: NOVATED LEASES

A novated lease is a benefit that you can offer your employees at little to no cost to your business – here’s how

MOST HR professionals have dealt at some point with novated leasing – perhaps they’ve taken out a novated lease themselves. Yet, despite being widely used and the concept being quite well understood, a spate of myths has developed around this critical employee benefit. To mention just a few: in order to take on a novated lease, employees need to be on the highest marginal tax rate, travel a certain number of kilometres, or require

employees above the highest marginal tax rate.

“In theory, the more tax you pay, the more you can save; however, if someone who is on $45,000 per year saves around $3,500 per year in tax, this is a substantial amount for that person,” he says.

Another common myth is that the employee needs to travel a certain number of kilometres in order for the novated lease to be worthwhile. Again this is not true, says Moss.

“The best part about novated lease savings is that they are available for any full-time employee drawing a taxable salary, even if they only use their car for private use” Anthony Moss, sgfleet some sort of business usage for the novated lease to be worthwhile. While everyone’s situation is uniquely different, these myths are simply not true.

Myth – and reality Anthony Moss, business development manager, novated, at sgfleet, has heard most of these myths, and he’s keen to bust them.

Moss outlines one commonly held myth: that a novated lease is only suited to

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“Historically, FBT [fringe benefits tax] calculations were made based on the amount of kilometres you travelled. Simply put, the further you travelled, the less FBT you had to pay, and therefore the more benefit was received by the employee. Thankfully, in recent years the government has eradicated this rule, meaning that there is no longer a kilometre target or threshold for employees to receive, and employees travelling shorter distances stand to benefit the most.”

Another myth is that some employers believe that a novated lease is only for employees with business usage, or who receive a car allowance. While these employees can potentially receive large amounts of tax savings through the program, realistically the vast majority of novated lease drivers are applying for 100% private use. “This means that you can package a vehicle tax effectively for others in the family and still stand to receive significant savings,” Moss says.

FAQs When asked about what the most frequently asked question from HR and business leaders is, Moss says it typically comes back to cost – specifically whether the novated lease program incurs a cost for the employer.

“There isn’t a cost for the employer as the lease is borne by the employee, although it makes sense why an employer would want this question cleared first,” he says.

Following this, Moss is frequently asked about whether there would be FBT payable for the employer. “Usually there isn’t, depending on how the employer wants the program managed,” he says.

Moss is also typically asked about potential savings. Sometimes numbers speak more than words. Moss cites a worked example of the savings that can potentially be made with a novated lease. This employee earns $85,000 per year and is packaging a 2017 Mitsubishi Pajero GLS travelling 15,000km per year on a three-year term with 100% private usage. They would stand to save: 1. Around $10,300 in fleet discount 2. Around $15,784 in tax savings over the term “The best part about novated lease savings is that they are available for any full-time employee drawing a taxable salary, even if they only use their car for private use,” says Moss.

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NOVATED LEASES IN A NUTSHELL

The pitch to HR With HR teams overstretched and underresourced, the last thing they want to commit to is something that results in more administrative burden. Should they be wary?

Moss says this was a legitimate concern with traditional methods of managing novated leases. However, this has changed. sgfleet, for example, ensures the program is entirely outsourced, meaning all employee enquiries, employee education and reporting for the employer are taken care of. Apart from some basic documentation and payment automation, the finance company and employee will do most of the work.

“Quite simply, the only additional

Novated leasing enables businesses to offer a leased car, and associated tax benefits, as part of salary packaging to both new and existing employees. Novated leases involve businesses leasing a vehicle from a finance company on behalf of an employee. This can be an enticing addition to an employee’s salary package, as the employer pays the monthly lease amount directly from the employee’s pre-tax income as a form of salary sacrifice. Lease terms can range from one to five years, and this, plus the residual amount (within certain guidelines), is the choice of the employee. When the term expires, it is up to the employee to decide whether to refinance the loan, pay out the residual value and take ownership of the car, or sell the vehicle.

Two lease types are typically offered: non-maintained and fully maintained. While a nonmaintained novated lease includes only the cost of the vehicle financing, the option of a fully maintained novated lease provides employees with the benefit of paying certain vehicle running costs – such as insurance, petrol, and servicing – as part of the lease, and therefore also from their pre-tax income.

administration required is for the payroll manager to enter the initial lease deduction for the employee, although even this is a ‘set and forget’ system so all future deductions can be automated and remain constant,” Moss explains.

Indeed, much of the hard work is done up front. When a customer partners with sgfleet, the relationship management team will sit down with them to customise an employee education plan that suits the geographical and operational needs of

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FEATURES

SECTOR FOCUS: NOVATED LEASING Brought to you by

EMPLOYER BENEFITS Anthony Moss outlines four key benefits to employers who implement a novated leasing plan.

Attraction and retention of key staff Reduction in payroll tax and workers’ compensation No financial risk; when the employee leaves the car goes with them Ease of administration – this is entirely outsourced with a ‘tied to payroll’ solution

the business. The marketing activities are typically funded by sgfleet and can encompass all locations for the customer, including anything from launch events to personal one-on-one visits with the employees. The company has also developed some unique electronic methods of promotion which have helped to raise awareness of the program among employees.

Technology is also helping to streamline traditionally time-consuming tasks. Moss says the days of manual logbooks are a thing of the past, with logbook apps and plug-andplay GPS devices becoming the norm.

sgfleet is one of Australia’s leading specialist providers of fleet management, vehicle leasing, and salary packaging services. We also provide heavy commercial fleet management and leasing services. sgfleet is in a unique position to provide a variety of services and innovation across Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

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the lease amount for the GST-exclusive price of the vehicle ÎÎ GST savings on all of the pre-tax running costs ÎÎ Income tax savings on all of the pre-tax running costs. This depends on what tax bracket the employee is in ÎÎ Tax-free profit on resale at lease end ÎÎ Convenience – having all the running costs packaged and managed on behalf of the employee makes life so much easier, with access to a fuel card, pre-paid maintenance, and so forth

Manual logbooks are a thing of the past, with logbook apps and plug-and-play GPS devices becoming the norm The pitch to employees

SGFLEET

ÎÎ GST savings off the purchase price –

HR is often the first point of contact for employees who are interested in taking on a novated lease, so it’s important that the fundamentals are understood in the context of a wider employee benefits program.

Indeed, Moss recommends making the novated lease program the focal point within a wider program.

“The novated lease program can commonly be supported by other salary packaging items such as airline lounge memberships, superannuation and laptops/PDAs,” he says.

“Communication to employees about the novated lease program is often coupled with the other benefits, and sgfleet can help tailor a marketing/education program specific for the particular organisation.”

HR will want to be clear on the benefits to employees. These can include: ÎÎ Fleet discounts off the purchase price of the vehicle

“Most HR and finance professionals are aware that a novated lease program attracts some sort of benefit, but we find that the full scope of benefits available is not necessarily comprehended,” Moss says.

For example, as the car is the responsibility of the employee, they can decide whether or not to keep the lease going if they change employers. A novated lease also provides the employee with a greater level of flexibility and choice in regard to the vehicle. This includes the ability to choose a specific vehicle (new or old – subject to eligibility criteria).

An appealing benefit to employees; an increase in the value of your company’s salary packaging without actually increasing costs; almost no time or resources burden on HR. It’s no surprise that novated leasing has retained its popularity in the face of an ever-changing world of employee perks and benefits.

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FEATURES

SECTOR FOCUS: HEALTH & WELLBEING

LINKING HEALTH TO PERFORMANCE Instead of believing health and wellbeing initiatives have a minimal impact on business performance, it’s time to build a bridge between the two. Here’s how to start WHEN WAS the last time you considered the health and wellbeing of your employees as an integral part of your business strategy?

If it’s been a while, or perhaps you’ve never considered one having any impact on the other, it’s time to reconsider.

Amanda McMillan, co-founder, Wellineux, says it’s “essential” to link the business strategy to the wellbeing strategy. Without this link, she says it can feel like the wellbeing initiatives are really just singular interventions that

usually this is the HR manager.

“We’ll gain an understanding of the overall company strategic plan, and gather statistics around workers’ compensation claims and absenteeism, for example,” McMillan says. “An assessment via an online survey or face-to-face for employees and also at leadership level, at team level, and at the organisational level is an incredible tool that allows us to gauge where the business is at with regard to their wellbeing, what is

“Currently employers are doing a good job looking at people’s nutrition and movement but they are not often paying attention to the remaining wellbeing pillars” Amanda McMillan, Wellineux don’t support the greater strategy of the business as a whole.

Wellineux is on a mission to change how organisations approach the wellbeing of their employees.

The company starts by gathering as much information from their point of contact within the client business as possible –

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important to them, what is front of mind. We also look at the EAP and HR strategy and then link this information with the creation of a wellbeing strategy that actually delivers on overall business outcomes.”

Once the link between wellness and business success is clarified, McMillan says it’s “fascinating” to view how managers shift

their view of their team’s wellbeing. “You’ll find colleagues placing increased importance on the wellbeing of their team members because they understand that wellness is paramount to the business strategy actually being delivered. For many organisations, employees are their greatest asset, so if that asset is not functioning at peak performance, the business as a whole is not going to be able to successfully deliver on their strategic business plan.”

McMillan cites an example of how the wellbeing strategy can be tied to business strategy. It’s an example many organisations can relate to: disruption and change caused by technology. She suggests that organisations should put in place a ‘values’ based intervention, which gives everyone the opportunity to feel aligned to organisational values. They might also look at resilience, because over a long period of change people need to be able to adapt with positivity. Mindful conversations can also help in times of change. “By simply setting up these conversations and allowing people to talk about the change and what might be affecting them at that moment can be very powerful,” McMillan says.

What happens if the wellbeing strategy is not aligned to the business and HR strategy?

It’s simple, says McMillan: the wellbeing strategy can come across as feeling sloppy, not integrated, or disconnected from the business. Hence, the Wellineux team aim to create a very strong link to show how the wellbeing strategy can help deliver on the strategic plan.

Eight pillars of wellness The benefits of healthier employees are well documented, but one-off initiatives or ‘set and forget’ benefits like gym discounts may be missing the mark.

“Employers need to pay attention to the health and wellbeing of their team members

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WELLNESS AND INNOVATION across all of the eight pillars of wellness.

Currently, employers are doing a good job looking at people’s nutrition and movement, but they are not often paying attention to the remaining wellbeing pillars,” McMillan says.

Wellineux defines wellness as the sum of eight integrated pillars: discovery, nutrition, movement, connection, resources, growth, rest, mind.

“With the increase in mental health challenges within the workplace, we are finding that a focus on the mind is particularly important,” McMillan adds.

Today’s VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) business world means employees have almost no down time away from work. Indeed, Deloitte’s 2014 Global Human Capital Trends survey of 2,500 business and HR leaders showed that the “overwhelmed employee phenomenon”

Can a wellbeing strategy impact on innovation? It can, provided it harnesses the creative power of our brains. Amanda McMillan explains: “We are not able to access our gamma waves – the brain waves responsible for moments of breakthrough and exceptional ideas – unless we are already in alpha – a state of relax & calm. However, most of us traverse life in beta, which is associated with logical thoughts and a heightened state of awareness and mental function. Beta waves are all about productivity, pushing us to go faster and do more, and we find it quite difficult to get to the alpha wave, let alone give ourselves mental space.”

A series of mindfulness workshops such as Wellineux’s series of eight lunchtime Mindfulness in the Workplace workshops, accompanied by support tools, such as Wellineux’s Mindful Minutes, can give employees the tools they need to tap into the creative and innovative gamma waves that lie within their brains.

is a global business concern. According to Deloitte, today’s worker actually initiates interruptions themselves 41% of the time because of their need to check in, be “in the loop” and constantly “on.”

“By addressing all eight pillars and looking at their employees’ wellbeing from a holistic point of view, an employer ensures that their employees are given the tools to foster resilience, to manage stress, to stay well, and thus operate at peak performance.

Therefore their organisation can also operate at peak performance,” McMillan says.

The cost of inaction The cost of unhealthy employees for the employer manifests itself financially and, in time, in their inability to solve problems quickly and, most importantly, achieve their strategic goals. When employees are not operating at their peak the business goals begin to crumble.

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s of CEO succession

FEATURES

SECTOR FOCUS: HEALTH & WELLBEING Brought to you by

THE STATE OF CORPORATE WELLBEING A white paper by Robert Walters* found that 88% of professionals surveyed believed that employers had a responsibility to support and enhance employee wellbeing.

However, 56% believed their employers did not do enough.

Other key findings included: 35% said a wellness program was offered but was partially implemented, ineffective and/or poorly utilised 29% said a wellness program was offered and was fully implemented, effective and/or highly utilised 27% said no wellness program was offered and the organisation had no plans to introduce one 9% said no wellness program was offered but the organisation had plans to introduce one *The Value of Promoting Employee Health and Wellbeing

WELLINEUX “Wellineux exists to ignite wellbeing within you and your organisation to ensure you thrive” – Amanda McMillan, Co-founder.

Developed by a group of positive psychology and mindfulness experts, Wellineux offers a range of dynamic, interactive and fully customisable wellbeing interventions that address the root cause of common workplace ‘problems’ to ignite inspired wellness, and support peak performance and business success. When you think of wellbeing in the workplace, what problem are you trying to solve?

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McMillan cites a multitude of research pointing to the cost to business: • 70% of leaders report regularly being unable to be attentive in meetings • 59% of workers feel unsatisfied, physically depleted, emotionally drained and lacking in meaning and purpose • 20% of Australians have taken time off in the past 12 months due to feeling mentally unwell • Untreated mental health conditions cost workplaces an estimated $10.9bn per year “Organisations that embrace wellbeing and really support their employees are able to be at

these all have an immense impact on delivering to the strategic plan,” McMillan says.

A new era Where health and wellbeing was traditionally a personal matter solely up to each individual to manage, today there is a subtle shift occurring. “Millennials do have an expectation that employers share in their health and wellbeing,” McMillan says. “However, older generations potentially are more private about their health and wellbeing. They may not fully understand the link between their own performance and business success, and they may well hold a stigma around mental health.”

“Organisations that embrace wellbeing and really support their employees are able to be at peak performance for longer periods of time” Amanda McMillan, Wellineux peak performance for longer periods of time,” McMillan says.

For example, a PwC study in 2014 showed that organisations that successfully implemented programs to support a happy workplace could, on average, expect a positive ROI of 2.3. So, for every $1 spent, $2.30 would be returned in benefits gained.

However, the ROI is in the intangible as well as the tangible dollar figure. Absenteeism, presenteeism, retention, and on-time strategic delivery are all elements that can be measured.

However, it is often the intangible benefits that come from implementing a wellbeing strategy that can be most powerful.

“Intangible improvements in motivation, a sense of community, feeling connected, feeling comfortable to communicate, feeling courageous to have difficult conversations, and boosts to physical energy and mental stamina –

Increasingly, however, all employees are starting to understand that a holistic approach to health is required – and ultimately every employee wants to show up as their ‘whole self ’ in the workplace.

“If the employees are not comfortable showing up as their whole self then the business is actually missing out on a whole chunk of what they have to bring to the role,” McMillan says. “By creating an environment where people are encouraged and supported to bring their whole self to work, then people really thrive.

Free Wellness Strategy Session Interested in becoming the Workplace Wellbeing Champion of your workplace?

Receive a complimentary 1-hour Workplace Wellness Strategy Session with Amanda McMillan to get you started.

Email info@wellineux.com.

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TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL REPORT 48 REMUNERATION

Paul Adams outlines how the latest technology can transform your pay-setting processes

50 ENGAGEMENT

James Edwards says it’s time to ease back on the engagement research and start taking action – with a helping hand from the latest technology

52 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Businesses that fail to access and leverage their ‘people data’ in real time will be left behind and exposed to risk, writes Rob Bromage

54 WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT

Workforce management technology is crucial to boosting productivity and enhancing customer care, so Deane Hornsby asks why so many organisations suffer with outmoded solutions

56 TALENT ACQUISITION

To win candidates, employers must focus on talent activation through recruiting and onboarding experiences, writes Michael Lloyd

58 HR SYSTEMS

Today, systems need to be seamlessly integrated and intuitive. Paul MacRae outlines how the ‘human experience’ is shifting the ROI for HR systems

60 PAYROLL

Smart payroll technology in 2017 is about more than just compliance – it can add real value to your business operations

The HR technology market is undergoing one of the most disruptive eras it has ever witnessed. As Josh Bersin, principal of Bersin by Deloitte, puts it, the industry is on the precipice of a total reinvention. Over the following pages, HRD outlines what’s at stake and why your organisation needs to keep up with rapidly changing times

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TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL REPORT

REMUNERATION

TECHNOLOGY – THE KEY TO GETTING PAY RIGHT Manual pay-setting processes are often the cause of poor decisions that lead to wasted resources, the loss of talent, and employee disengagement.

Paul Adams outlines how the latest technology can transform these processes in your organisation FAIR PAY, in the sense of equal pay for work of equal value and performance, has become a hot topic in recent years, especially in regard to gender pay differentials. Yet the perception of being paid fairly has long been a crucial component of employee engagement.

Unfortunately, the manual processes that many companies use make it difficult to ensure fair and representative pay; there are too many opportunities for error and bias to contaminate the process.

Imagine two employees, Mary and Jane, who perform almost identical roles within an organisation – Organisation A – but in different divisions. Mary receives 25% more pay than Jane, despite having the same level of experience and an equivalent performance rating. When Jane finds out Mary receives more, she becomes angry and disengaged.

Mary, meanwhile, worries that she is overpaid and won’t be able to get another job elsewhere that pays equivalent rates.

How did this happen? The managers followed the same process in establishing the roles. They created a position description,

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had it evaluated, and then set a pay level within the appropriate band. Yet the significant difference in pay hasn’t gone unnoticed by the incumbents.

A number of compounding factors across the position creation and pay-setting cycle caused this pay anomaly.

The creation of position descriptions was paper-based and had been devolved to line managers, with little or no support or guidance to ensure consistency or quality. Mary’s division consistently ‘gilded the lily’ when describing positions, inflating the accountabilities and scope of roles.

For job evaluations, manager rhetoric and overstated position descriptions led to inflated grades within Mary’s division. This was in part enabled by Organisation A’s paper-based evaluation methodology: at peak times, job evaluation panels could inadvertently overlook consistency checks.

Organisation A could have identified this anomaly using an organisation-wide analysis of remuneration, but never had the time, because this would have involved the manual

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combination of data from multiple spreadsheets stored across the organisation.

Position descriptions

Job evaluation

Pay analytics

In 2017, when we’re talking about blockchain transactions and governments conducting more of their citizen services online, the use of paper-based processes in HR is as archaic as using a chequebook at the supermarket.

Indeed, many HR processes are now available in the cloud, including remuneration reviews, performance planning and review, learning management, recruitment and onboarding.

But other processes, such as job design and evaluation, are still often carried out using old-school paper-based techniques that should have gone the way of the typewriter.

Organisation-wide pay analysis, meanwhile, becomes an exercise that risks death by Excel.

It seems incredible that organisations invest so little in ensuring jobs are correctly designed, documented, graded and priced when each job may end up costing more than $1m over its lifetime. Not to mention the thousands of man hours wasted on manual processes, and the impact on employees of not getting it right.

Software-as-a-Service provides a great basis for documenting, justifying, storing and ranking roles, as well as analysing pay across the organisation. Cloud-based software Workforce & Governance, designed in collaboration with remuneration consultant Egan Associates, does just that.

If Mary’s division had been using the software, they would have been able to view

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BENEFITS OF GETTING POSITION DOCUMENTATION AND PAY-SETTING RIGHT USING SAAS • More effective processes • Jobs are designed to meet the organisation’s needs, are accurately described in detail, and are easily accessed via an online database • Job evaluation is easier and more user-friendly • More accurate job advertisements lead to more relevant applications and better hiring decisions • Jobs are graded accurately and people are paid appropriately from the outset • Analysing pay is made simple, and pay anomalies can be quickly recognised • Staff and managers share clear expectations, so management or recognition of performance is more objective and easier to measure • Career paths and development opportunities are made clearer • Staff effectiveness and engagement improves

Other processes, such as job design and evaluation, are still often carried out using old-school paper-based techniques that should have gone the way of the typewriter and print existing position descriptions for similar roles across the organisation from the software’s database. This database of position descriptions would act as a single source of truth, discouraging varied position descriptions for equivalent roles and encouraging consistency in the way jobs are documented across the organisation. If Organisation A wanted to create a new role, managers would be able to access a database of customisable template roles, helping to ensure thorough, consistent position descriptions.

For job evaluation, rather than manual quality checks, real-time checks would be made as evaluations were completed, with each evaluation stored for easy review at a later date.

While the company’s old job evaluation system was static and became more dated with each

year, Workforce’s software-based job evaluation system has evolved and can continue to evolve in sync with the world of work. Emerging job families can be added easily and enhancements made seamlessly.

Instead of putting off pay analysis because of the amount of time it would take, Organisation A would be able to upload pay data and immediately view dashboards that show pay across the organisation or broken down into employee subsets such as division or gender. Organisation A could identify hotspots of excess remuneration expenditure, such as in Mary’s division, potentially saving millions. HR could then return to the position descriptions and job evaluation database to understand such anomalies.

Unfortunately, Organisation A is not an

isolated case. Manual processes are often the cause of poor decisions that lead to wasted resources, the loss of talent, and employee disengagement.

Companies that are serious about remunerating their employees appropriately should think about whether any part of their pay-determining process is subject to human error, potentially affecting the consistency and quality of salary setting. Utilising technology to mitigate these risks enables HR to devolve more responsibility to line managers without sacrificing the ability to oversee the quality of decisions and reduce differentiation caused by silos or unconscious bias within the organisation. Pay will be fairer and employees will be more engaged, regardless of their gender, specialty, work location, ethnicity, length of service or age.

Contact Paul Adams at Workforce & Governance today on (02) 9225 3220 or workforce@ewag.com.au for a no-obligation demonstration, or visit www.workforceandgovernance.com for more information.

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TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL REPORT

ENGAGEMENT

IS EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT FINALLY COMING OF AGE? James Edwards says it’s time to ease back on the engagement research and start taking action – with a helping hand from the latest technology FIRST IT was motivational theory, then employee satisfaction, then organisational health. Then it was (and in many ways still is) employee engagement. More recently, writers like Jacob Morgan think it’s employee experience. We’ve been talking about how to create better workplaces for decades, but have we really made any progress in making the world a better place to work?

Polling experts Gallup have been researching how people feel about work for over 30 years. They alone have more than 30 million data points – that’s 30 million people giving feedback on how they feel about the environment and culture they work in. And do you know what? Despite all the talk, all the books, all the conferences and all the TED talks, employee engagement has stayed pretty static. Globally, it’s around 30% – that means nearly three quarters of Australians aren’t particularly concerned about the success of their companies or organisations; the job at hand is just a means to an end, a way to get a pay cheque. Depending on which data you believe, employee engagement may, just may, be increasing at about one percentage point per year.

And it’s not as if leaders don’t get the value.

A Harvard Business Review report found that 74% of CEOs thought that employee engagement was critical to the success of

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their organisations. But only 25% of the same CEOs stated that their workforces were highly engaged.

But there are signs that things are changing, at least for a few select companies who get the point that action is needed, and not more research. They are making the changes to leadership style, employee

And technology is, at least in part, helping to fuel the actions of these few employers.

The role of technology For the first time new technology is making it easy for HR departments to bring things together under one roof that help influence employee engagement. Technology is enabling

With recent research showing that Gen Y has a low tolerance for antiquated technology in the workplace, this focus on delivering through mobile and tablet is key communications, management policy and practice, promotion systems, recognition, annual reviews and even pay policies that cause culture change and influence levels of employee engagement inside an organisation.

And the signs are that it’s working.

Data from Great Places to Work Australia found that comparative, cumulative stock market returns for companies in their Great Workplaces list were twice those of the general market. The hundred best companies in their survey had lower levels of voluntary employee turnover – in some sectors by a staggering 65%.

HR leaders to build engagement hubs that bring together employee information, benefits programs, education on culture and values, peer-to-peer and manager recognition, CEO and leadership communications and, yes, even more employee feedback – all in a single platform. And the results can be dramatic.

Since I started at Reward Gateway, we’ve seen clients with a number of employee engagement challenges, which can range from the headache of too many system logins, to little or no awareness of the things that make their company a great place to work, and a lack of insight into what’s

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really motivating their people.

We’ve partnered with more than 1,400 of these organisations to overcome their specific challenges by helping them build customised and branded engagement hubs to bring a new sense of connection to their workforces. These hubs let staff know about promotions and things they need to do to deliver great service to their customers, plus give insight into company strategy through regular leadership-driven blogs and videos. Staff can recognise and thank each other through eCards celebrating demonstrations of core company values; feedback can quickly and easily be gathered from staff; people moves and promotions are widely discussed; and even company news is shared. Staff even get access to hundreds of exclusive benefits – like 10% off at Myer, 35% off Hoyts cinema tickets, 25% off AFL reserved tickets, and 10% off Expedia – which helps their disposable income to go further.

Why it works One of Australia’s leading retail restaurants recently went through this journey, with 800 employees working between 21 stores across the country. With a strong brand and a vision to be a real leader investing in people, this company’s success and the connections between its people and stores was a priority. But up until last year, executing on that was a disjointed and only partially successful initiative. By centralising all HR information, benefits, and employee recognition into a branded hub aligned to its unique employer brand, the company was able to get 73% of employees engaged with the platform in the first seven months after launch.

And it’s not just limited to one kind of industry – a client of ours in the financial industry is most proud of their social recognition wall, where staff can interact with real-time peer-to-peer moments of recognition.

Olivia Hyde, Head of Implementation at Reward Gateway, is in charge of launching engagement programs for some of Australia’s biggest brands. She outlines why these programs are so successful.

“What we’ve done is help clients bring

3 TIPS TO BUILD A SUCCESSFUL ENGAGEMENT PLATFORM Adopting engagement technology is a great first step in driving change in your business and your people, but it’s important to do it the right way. Here are a few things to keep in mind: 1. Start with ‘why’. Before you choose a platform provider, know your ‘why’ – why do you need a platform, and what are you hoping to accomplish with it? Whether it’s to showcase company culture, improve collaboration among teams, or increase awareness of key HR initiatives, each and every platform will have a different ‘why’ that’s unique to the business needs.

2. Make it yours. Work with a provider who can customise the platform so there’s no hesitation from your employees in feeling like they’re visiting a natural extension of your brand, from platform colours and fonts to smart visual themes that will resonate with your people.

3. Think of the user journey. Each time a user has to click through to a new page to get somewhere, there’s a chance they will abandon that journey. If you want more people to read or action something, keep the journey short and simple. They should be able to get the information they’re expecting from one click, no more. Customise content dependent on your audience for greater understanding, and engagement.

For the first time new technology is making it easy for HR departments to bring things together under one roof that help influence employee engagement a whole host of engagement tools, HR information, and company news together in one place, under one login, and with really strong branding throughout. So it feels really coherent and staff feel at home there. We focus hard on useability, especially on mobile and tablet, and that makes a huge impact across all our user demographics.”

With recent research showing that Gen Y has a low tolerance for antiquated technology in the workplace, this focus on delivering through mobile and tablet is key.

And there are key benefits for employers, too, as access to rich data through Reward Gateway’s SmartInsights™ tools helps them further understand what’s driving employee engagement. Managers can now even track and view data while on the move since SmartInsights™ was launched as an iPhone and Android app. This is perfect for regional managers in industries like manufacturing, who can now check on local engagement stats from the car park before entering a regional office.

We need a world in which employees and employers are better connected to their organisations, understand the challenges and are excited to innovate to overcome them, together. And the right technology can help us get there, if we don’t lose focus on what really matters: Helping our people.

Motivating your people.

And as we continue to prove the success of employee engagement, maybe it’s time to stop renaming it. Maybe it’s time to take a break from researching it so much, and instead, let’s start taking action. It seems that the tools are there now to make a real impact, and all that’s standing in the way is that brave first step.

James Edwards is Client Success Director at Reward Gateway Australia. He and his team run employee benefits, recognition, communication and engagement programs for hundreds of Australia’s top companies, including Suncorp, IBM, KPMG, McDonald’s, Fortescue Metals and Cochlear. Visit www.rewardgateway.com, email engage@rewardgateway.com or call (02) 9112 0100 to learn how we can help you boost your employee engagement.

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TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL REPORT

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

TECHNOLOGY: AN ENABLER OF PERFORMANCE In today’s fast-paced world, information is a valuable commodity and is available instantaneously.

Businesses that fail to access and leverage their ‘people data’ in real time will be left behind and exposed to risk, writes Rob Bromage ONE OF the key pieces of advice I often give to business executives is that companies must bring greater focus to people management. Executives often talk about ‘human capital’ and their people being the company’s greatest priority, but they are still searching for the best way to execute on that. The intention is good-willed but it’s rarely an effectively implemented business strategy.

understanding of the framework from which to view that data.

Technology has changed the way we live and interact with one another and, as part of that, businesses are now having to move faster and faster to keep up. While the creation of three- or five-year strategic plans is still necessary, times have changed and businesses

Through improved useability, data can be put in a context where people can understand it and add value to business Many companies are still transitioning from traditional compliance-based HR to performance-based models that bring greater emphasis to people management.

It’s not always an easy change to make, and often the barrier to success is the lack of meaningful data available to the business. To improve performance through better people management, executives need timely data, the right tools to access that data, and an

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now need to operate with greater agility.

Executives have additional responsibility to have their finger on the pulse 24/7. They need information and analytics at the touch of a button, and this is where technology has become a non-negotiable. If you have an HR director in Sydney, how can they possibly keep their finger on the pulse of what’s happening in Perth without the right tools to assist them?

From HR systems to people management systems By failing to embrace technology, a company fails to embrace growth, and it also fails its people. With this mindset, it will quickly become redundant. Businesses must apply creative thinking to what workforces will look like in the future. When we first started developing the intelliHR platform, we were setting out to develop what we thought was largely an HR system. We realised as part of our journey that it was actually all about people management. As part of this learning we came to see that tools shouldn’t just be about the business but about the people as knowledge workers, their empowerment, and improving the holistic employee experience.

I think it’s fair to say that many HR professionals typically rely on one-to-one ‘people’ conversations. But where the HR industry lets itself down is in its ability to aptly record and capture the information from these exchanges. Finance teams are known for their love of spreadsheets, and often marketing teams for their reliance

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mitigate them. Problems like very large attrition rates are often hidden right down in figures that aren’t easily accessed or regularly analysed. This is where technology and what it can unlock becomes very interesting.

I continue to see many businesses overinvesting in resourcing and underinvesting in technology and support tools.

Looking ahead

on CRM systems. But the problem we identified was that often nobody within the business had all the information in the same place. The biggest issue with such disparate information is that the business has no way of properly understanding its collective data. Its capability to therefore understand

cannot maintain meaningful control and can neither prevent nor react quickly due to the lack of data about employees in the business. It’s a situation that quite frankly is a little unfair to HR. There are often hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in employer branding campaigns and the

Disruption is constant, and now is the time to take advantage of it detailed information about its people is slim to none. This is dangerous because it exposes the business to an immense amount of risk.

Businesses need to start investing in and leveraging their people data because an organisation’s performance is driven by its people. People and culture strategies that are aligned to business strategy and executed well are proven to increase financial performance. HR departments are often responsible for this, but many struggle to contribute strategically. HR

attraction and recruitment systems of the business. But, unfortunately, this is often to the detriment of actual investment in the people they employ. A lot of CEOs can often talk the talk about investing, but if you look at the actual tools they are investing in to allow leaders to execute, there’s often not a lot there. Having the right tools available to your leaders is an absolute non-negotiable.

In my experience, the two biggest costs to a business are attrition, followed by unplanned leave. But the business often does not fully understand these issues or at least how to

People have asked me whether I think technology will take over from people, and I certainly don’t think it ever will, nor should it. Technology should never take over human interaction – it should complement it.

Technology is the track we need to run on, a place where we can leverage opportunities and develop our paths. Keeping us connected, it will not replace but help to inform better conversations: meaningful conversations that are real-time and based on real information.

It’s what a business should be using to shape its culture and performance.

Technology will provide a framework for business leaders to identify aspects of their people and performance to operate at a level they have not been able to. Through improved useability, data can be put in a context where people can understand it and add value to business.

I believe that the time for intelligent people management is now. There is currently a massive opportunity for businesses and HR professionals to expand and innovate through technology. Disruption is constant, and now is the time to take advantage of it.

Rob Bromage is an HR technology specialist with more than 20 years’ experience in the industry. He is the co-founder and managing director of intelliHR, an innovative cloud-based people management platform that allows organisations to maintain a real-time handle on performance and create a culture that contributes to strategic decision-making with data-driven insights.

Rob’s entrepreneurial flair and forward-thinking attitude are fuelled by his passion for people management and goal to empower more executives to embrace technology to bring out the best in their people and improve business performance.

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11/05/2017 1:28:24 PM

TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL REPORT

WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT

TIME, ATTENDANCE AND SMOOTHER WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT Your workforce management technology is crucial to boosting productivity and enhancing customer care – so Deane Hornsby asks why so many organisations suffer with outmoded solutions increase workforce productivity, business profitability and the quality of customer care provided.

A dilemma many businesses face is how to manage employees’ time and attendance to ensure accuracy, reduce payroll errors common to manual processes, and free up time to innovate.

By empowering employees with the right tools, the dilemma becomes about how best to turn technology into an advantage to improve business outcomes and sustain competitive advantage.

What is Kronos frequently asked about by businesses?

TODAY’S BUSINESS leaders are challenged to do more with less, while balancing costs and customer care.

Achieving key business imperatives of driving operational efficiencies and agility, while continuously improving employee engagement and the customer experience,

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is further complicated by having to build, lead and manage an increasingly mobile and multigenerational workforce.

Employees comprise a business’s most valuable asset and largest expense – typically, 70% of total expenses. Improving workforce management is vital to help businesses

Common issues we are asked about are the managing of increasingly complex awards and enterprise agreements and the removal of manual processes for capturing, approving and processing working time.

From a productivity perspective, questions are often raised about how to reduce the time managers spend on administrative tasks in order to increase their time spent focused on innovation and customers.

Scheduling employees to meet customer demands is becoming a time-consuming and complicated process. A growing team can also mean an increase in time spent dealing with administrative tasks: planning staff rosters, answering staff work queries, dealing with sickness, managing overtime, handling holiday requests, signing off timesheets.

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Managers want to be more focused on delivering great products and services, instead of being weighed down with manual workforce management processes.

We are increasingly asked about improving visibility – giving managers the ability to know who is present and on what jobs they are working, and making adjustments on the fly based on demand.

Employees may no longer be working in the same physical location; they could be working remotely. The need to improve visibility of business and utilise analytics to improve outcomes is increasing.

Most questions are around improving productivity, reducing compliance risks, improving employee engagement and attracting the right talent to deliver an exceptional customer experience.

What workforce management problems or issues are businesses facing?

Most often, outdated systems are putting businesses at risk. For example, paying staff accurately and on time is fundamental to all businesses – get it wrong and you risk damaging the business’s reputation and losing the respect of the employee. Running old systems puts the business at risk in terms of software and hardware failure, as well as compliance and credibility.

From an HR perspective, as a business grows, more people are hired. Manual systems make it harder to manage core HR tasks: recruitment, onboarding, compensation, performance reviews, skills and certification.

In addition, having employment-related data often held in multiple files and locations makes it hard to process, raising the risk of failing compliance audits.

Manual systems are also causing errors in payroll and making it hard for employees and managers to gain access to core workforcerelated information such as holiday balances, flexi-time accruals, timecards, planned work schedules and overtime worked. This results in line managers and

HR/payroll departments answering queries – which could be avoided – and spending less time engaging with employees and driving innovation to improve the customer’s experience.

What should businesses be thinking about to address the issues?

Given an ageing population, an increasing millennial workforce and scarce resources, the next workforce revolution will be a race for

smartphones have, in terms of mobility of application usage. A barrier to overcome here is the complexity of and cost of data collection, analysis and usage. It’s the data that has value.

The value of data lies in a business’s ability to utilise it as actionable insights, which is key.

While we can talk futures such as wearable, what’s important is for businesses to take advantage of the workforce management technologies available today, such as mobility and analytics, and to

Running old systems puts the business at risk in terms of software and hardware failure, as well as compliance and credibility talent. Businesses that adapt to this change first will win.

Our advice to business and HR leaders is to rethink their entire workforce management strategy in order to create and manage tomorrow’s workforce today.

FROM THE FRONTLINE “To instil innovative thinking businesses need to develop an innovative culture. HR leaders have a role to play in nurturing an open and relaxed environment to ensure creativity and risk-taking is encouraged. Hiring individuals with varying backgrounds will build a diverse workforce, bringing different perspectives and concepts to the table.

Once the right people are in place and empowered to speak up, processes need to be implemented to ensure ideas are followed through to execution. In many ways an HR leader’s role is to remove cultural barriers to innovation, and continue to create and maintain an innovative ‘culture of care’.”

Belinda Newman, Senior HR Manager, Kronos ANZ What might the future hold?

More than half of Australians are using wearable devices, and wearables are already starting to play a role in risk management and injury prevention. While uptake in business is slow, it is likely to accelerate, just like

leverage the convenience and saving afforded via cloud-based application and services to improve outcomes.

How can Kronos solutions help?

Kronos is a global leader in workforce management and human capital management cloud solutions. Guided by decades of experience and innovation, we offer the industry’s most powerful suite of tools and services to manage and engage an entire workforce, from pre-hire to retire. And because workforce needs are constantly changing, Kronos solutions are designed to meet the challenges that our customers face every day, regardless of their industry or where they do business. We offer two solution suites based on complexity and company size. Workforce Ready® is a cloud, multi-tenant human capital management suite. Workforce Central® provides deep functionality, is optimised for vertical industries, and can be scaled globally and deployed in the cloud.

Deane Hornsby is the marketing director, Kronos International. Great businesses are powered by great people. Kronos workforce management solutions are purpose-built for your industry and employees.

Explore www.kronos.com.au.

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11/05/2017 1:28:49 PM

TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL REPORT

TALENT ACQUISITION & ONBOARDING

RECRUITING & ONBOARDING IN THE DIGITAL AGE To win candidates, employers must focus on talent activation through recruiting and onboarding experiences, writes Michael Lloyd BUILDING A powerful workforce offers a tremendous strategic advantage, but companies face huge challenges in attracting and keeping top talent. Today’s HR teams are rethinking their approaches, emphasising online interactions and engaging candidate and employee experiences, and taking a strategic approach to onboarding. This article explores what successful recruiting – and the onboarding that follows – looks like for the modern workforce.

• Online recruiting sources like job boards and social media are the most beneficial applicant resources, according to 42% of respondents While employee referrals remain a top source for recruiting, it’s clear that online recruiting plays a major role in company strategies.

DID YOU KNOW?

48% of vacancies are advertised on the internet

Survey says: Recruiting goes online To find out how recruiters are competing for talent, SilkRoad conducted a January 2017 Annual Recruiting Survey, taking snapshots of the current recruiting landscape. Here are some of the research highlights: • 78% of those polled recruited for open positions through employee referrals • 79% surveyed used online recruiting in their overall recruiting strategy • The company website is the top location for posting jobs, say 80% of survey takers

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Source: Department of Employment, Australian Government

Five keys to online recruiting success Every online job search begins with two simple words: ‘what’ and ‘where’. Companies which excel provide answers that motivate candidates to apply by following these five golden rules: Master the science and art of job content.

The title and position description greatly impacts on converting candidates from lurker to applicant. Test different copies and monitor what works best.

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Don’t let a bad application process filter out the best candidates. A job search should be simple – enter, search, view and apply.

Review the application process to reduce complexity, paying close attention to the mobile user experience.

Grow the company’s brand online. The company brand heavily influences a candidate’s decision to apply. The best companies’ pages present a dynamic presence, including reviews, day-in-the-life examples, meaningful charity outreach initiatives, and more.

Use social media. SilkRoad research shows that candidates – especially millennials – view companies leveraging social media to be more desirable. Today, in the age of the ‘knowledge worker’, candidates seek companies taking an interest in talent and helping the world.

Focus on the candidate’s mobile experience.

Use a ‘responsive’ design that adapts easily to different devices, from phones to tablets. Create a career site that is equally user-friendly on mobile and on a desktop.

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Survey says: Create a great onboarding experience The Boston Consulting Group recently found that onboarding had the second-highest business impact of 22 different HR practices; also, that 69% of new hires participating in onboarding were likely to remain with a company for longer than three years.

To find out how companies were addressing this critical need, SilkRoad conducted the CLO Innovations in Onboarding Survey in 2016 and uncovered these key findings: • Onboarding has become a longer process, expanding beyond new hires and lasting beyond an employee’s first few days.

• It is more holistic, moving beyond simply finishing compliance paperwork and encompassing the instilling of mission, values and workplace culture.

• Onboarding practices are becoming more engaging and technology is being used more than ever before.

• Successful onboarding outcomes include increasing engagement, improving culture and reducing time to productivity.

• The top three goals for onboarding new hires are increasing time to competency, employee engagement and retention.

• Some organisations have begun to onboard those employees who are transitioning to new roles.

Create strategic onboarding It’s clear that onboarding plays a key role in workforce success, reinforcing the need for a strategic approach. That strategy must include a special emphasis on the candidate experience, to truly engage the new hire from day one and reinforce the company’s interest in their success.

To accomplish that engagement, consider these key questions: • How will you inspire new hires to embrace the company mission and brand?

• What two to three core ideas do you want employees to remember throughout their employment?

• Is there an emotional or brand personality message that will help new hires connect

RACT CASE STUDY The challenge: The Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania (RACT) is an organisation providing Tasmanian motorists with a wide range of motoring services, insurance, tourism and travel products. When RACT acquired the hospitality arm of its business there was a massive recruitment, onboarding and re-employment initiative.

The company initially became overwhelmed by the Jane Thiessen, People Services sheer volume of applications and manual onboarding activities it was required Business Partner, Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania to perform through paper-based processes.

RACT needed an automated, customised, more engaging, candidate-experience-based solution to help it manage its large volumes of seasonal staff and reduce turnover, particularly during peak season.

The solution: RACT implemented SilkRoad’s Recruiting and Onboarding to meet its needs and was able to reduce its previous season’s turnover rate from 42% to 20%.

Using SilkRoad, RACT automated the application process through custom workflows and easy-to-use online applications. The company created dynamic Careers, Onboarding, Offboarding/Re-hire portals to showcase its vision, mission and culture to not only attract candidates but build a community of hospitality workers ready to easily integrate back into a new assignment with RACT. The solution was also developed to accommodate a broad range of business areas, including payroll, IT and finance, to ensure business process excellence.

The end result: RACT now successfully manages the high volume of applicants and seasonal workers.

As the company grows, the technology is scalable to respond to new requirements.

The solution has strengthened the candidate-to-employee connection by educating new hires about the company in advance of day one, and has allowed RACT to build ongoing relationships with its employees and community of seasonal workers.

RACT has reduced physical costs alone by tens of thousands of dollars per annum on its recruitment and onboarding processes, not including the other benefits, such as reduced admin time, higher retention and better-performing, more engaged employees. with the company?

• What’s special about your culture?

• How will you measure success?

• What types of workers will use your onboarding portal?

• What demographics does the portal need to serve?

• What locations, geographic regions and/or countries need to be supported?

• Are there distinct job functions that require proof of certification for safety or other compliance issues?

Ultimately, creating an engaging new hire and candidate experience revolves around the successful use of technology to create an experience similar to shopping online today. By using technology and approaches aligned with the modern workforce, savvy

organisations create engagement from the first point of contact throughout the entire onboarding process and beyond to inspire passion and loyalty.

SilkRoad is the leading provider of talent activation, enabling forward-thinking HR organisations to go beyond today’s talent management offerings to deliver modern, personalised talent journeys across a unified talent acquisition, onboarding and development process. SilkRoad activates the workforce, empowers HR and informs business leaders to drive better business outcomes.

Michael Lloyd is the APAC Director for SilkRoad and is passionate about helping organisations achieve their HR goals. He has over 10 years’ experience working in the technology and HR industries, specialising in Software as a Service (SAAS) platforms and talent management. For more information, visit www.silkroad.com, follow on Twitter @ SilkRoadTweets or call +61 2 8005 3465.

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11/05/2017 1:29:19 PM

TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL REPORT

HR SYSTEMS

FROM UX TO HX Paul MacRae outlines how the ‘human experience’ is shifting the ROI for HR systems DOES THE prospect of losing your smartphone send you into an existential crisis? You’re not alone. In fact the phenomenon has a name: nomophobia – the fear of being without your phone or a mobile signal. Phones, tablets and apps have become so instrumental in our personal lives that we find it hard to imagine life without them. In the workplace, however, many HR teams are still contending with outdated stand-alone technology that feels clunky and even unuseable.

businesses: from hard-to-integrate software, siloed data, time-consuming and error-prone manual data reconciliations, costly training and poor adoption rates to patchy, out-ofdate or non-existent business intelligence.

Inevitably, this creates frustration not just for HR team members but also for the executive teams they report to.

The better alternative to an ad hoc approach is a strategically sound userexperience (UX) mentality.

Many HR departments find themselves with a mishmash of HR software systems.

One for recruitment. One for payroll. One for performance management…

Too many systems, not enough focus on useability

How a UX approach can improve HR processes and outcomes

Even in the most strategically acute organisations, business management and HR software systems tend to be implemented – usually at great expense – in an ad hoc fashion.

The result is that HR staff must wrestle with a mishmash of HR software systems. There will be one for recruitment, one for training, another for payroll, and separate ones again for managers, staff and executives.

Too many mismatched HR systems create a range of problems for HR staff and their

There’s a reason all those apps on your phone feel so seamless. Whether we’re reading, watching, listening, shopping, banking, navigating, socialising or gaming online, the best digital experiences are seamlessly integrated and intuitive.

The ideal software for HR teams is not only useful but feels natural. No training required. No frustration. Just software that performs, saves time and encourages engagement and adoption.

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In short, the easier and more familiar software is, the more likely it is to be used.

In businesses across the board, universal adoption of software is the key to higherquality data that’s more useful and useable. It provides game-changing business intelligence and insights. It drives employee engagement, collaboration and innovation, which not only delivers a better ROI on your systems but also contributes to a stronger bottom line.

Adoption of software is critical. Outside work, employees have come to expect userfriendly software. If an app or software platform doesn’t work for them, they’ll ditch it and find one that does. At work, however, employees don’t get to choose. They just get frustrated. But as HR professionals thinking like UX experts, we can focus on software that enables improved productivity.

Put the user first and make best practice second nature Our experience in enterprise software

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CASE STUDY: ‘OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE FOUND IT SO EASY TO LEARN’ “Our performance reviews had always been manual and paper-based, but with a dispersed 3,500-strong workforce that operates largely in the field, the results were not ideal. That’s changed now. We use TechnologyOne’s Performance Management solution, and our employees, at all levels of technological experience, have found it so easy to learn. They just need a phone, iPad or laptop and an internet connection, and they’re ready to go.

It has transformed the planning and success of our performance reviews.”

Lisa Grainger HRIS Systems Consultant, BaptistCare key criteria to ensure that the vendor selection process finds the best partner for you:

development tells us that what employees want and need is software that makes life simple.

Employees want one integrated system with one intuitive interface that works for everyone, anywhere, anytime, on any device.

For HR teams, a single, easy-to-use, any-device system, with an interface and functionality that have been tailored specifically for HR, has flow-on benefits for the entire business.

With performance management, employee self-service, payroll, everything on the same platform, everyone wins – from team members accessing payslips, completing timesheets and requesting leave, through to CEOs generating real-time reports so they can make informed strategic decisions.

Instead of learning different systems and wasting time collating and reconciling data from disparate sources, your HR team can focus on their work, tapping into accurate data to guide improved decision-making that benefits the whole business.

The flow-on effects for your business are significant. By applying the same userexperience-led principle – the same intuitive software system – to all areas of your business, the benefits grow exponentially. These benefits include lower software training costs, reduced barriers to career progression, enhanced collaboration using real-time data, lower total cost of ownership, and a higher ROI on the software itself – software that is easier to manage and upgrade, as well as use.

The bottom line is improved performance, productivity and profitability across the board.

Finding a solution that works for users, and your HR team The benefits of an HR system built on UX principles are clear. But with so many technical considerations to bear in mind, which software platform is right for your team and your business?

The answer lies in asking prospective providers the right questions. So here are some

Do you have an integrated solution designed specifically for HR? If not, then they don’t understand your priorities and requirements.

Do you have a dedicated UX department? All software companies claim their software is ‘user-friendly’, but unless they’ve invested in UX talent and research it’s an empty claim.

Is your software built for the cloud and smart mobile devices? This is essential.

It’s the key to empowering your people to access up-to-date data and work any time, anywhere.

Do you understand the local market?

From the nuances of local regulatory requirements, through to timely local support, you need a supplier based in Australia who understands the Australian market.

Paul MacRae is General Manager – HR and Payroll at TechnologyOne. TechnologyOne has developed the ideal SaaS HR and Payroll solution for Australian enterprise.

For more information visit www.technologyonecorp.com/hrp.

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11/05/2017 1:29:44 PM

TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL REPORT

PAYROLL

OVERCOMING 6 HR PROBLEMS WITH PAYROLL TECHNOLOGY Smart payroll technology in 2017 is about more than just compliance – it can add real value to your business operations IN THIS competitive age of big data and agile teams, progressive payroll technology companies have stepped up and taken the lead in HR innovation.

Affinity’s Technology Director, Bruce Sullivan, has been at the forefront of payroll software development for over 30 years and highlights how the value of payroll technology extends well beyond the payroll department.

strategic change, but the reality is that HR professionals are swamped by paperwork.

As highlighted in Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends 2015 report, the HR function is often associated with bureaucracy and low-level administrative tasks, with a limited capacity for driving innovation.1 The result is that HR has little time to focus on improving the employee experience while meeting business goals.

“Payroll is the most accurate database in the business, and has the most up-to-date information in regard to new employees or terminated employees” Bruce Sullivan, Affinity “Payroll technology not only seamlessly integrates with HR; it supports all internal approval processes and workflow even under complex conditions,” Sullivan says.

This article outlines how payroll technology can help solve common problems faced by HR professionals.

1. Gain more time for strategic HR activities HR should be a key player in driving

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The good news is that more companies are recognising HR as a strategic function, with 56% of businesses looking to redesign their HR programs leveraging digital and mobile tools in 2017,2 and rightly so. Companies that automate see an average 14% increase in productivity.3

2. Improve workflow and processes through a single platform The days of multiple disparate systems are

over. Modern workplaces have already begun looking for opportunities to consolidate processes in the cloud. HR is no exception.

Forms in particular tend to make up the bulk of the paperwork. Manually onboarding a new hire alone requires forms for employee details, superannuation, the employment contract, equipment provision and more.

Technology that automates paper forms electronically can hence be a real lifesaver.

Forms only need to be created once and can be automatically sent to employees or managers to complete or action online, leading to improved governance.

The assurance of data integrity is another

PAYROLL TECHNOLOGY MUST-HAVES »»Single sign-on access to a range of HR tools »»One platform for all Payroll and HR needs »»Self-service dashboards »»Workflow automation and escalation notifications »»Configurable set-up options for complex business needs »»Cloud-enabled for access on any device at any time »»Secure encryption in the cloud »»Artificial intelligence for automatic error trapping »»Real-time reporting to influence decision-making

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“One of the challenges HR faces in regard to compliance is that people have to be paid according to negotiated agreements, and HR is often called upon when people have been paid wrong,” Sullivan explains.

The use of payroll technology not only affords a consistent process and format for capturing information but also handles complexity. This is especially true in agile organisations where employees may fulfil multiple positions with varying pay rates and conditions.

With payroll technology, the right compliance requirements are configured up front. Awards and EBA are configured at set-up, and so is the automation of certificate and training notifications.

Having full visibility of important employee information allows HR to either intercede earlier or ensure that people are paid correctly from the start. major added benefit of having a single point of data entry, allowing decisions to be made based on trusted information.

3. Smooth relationships with the line The relationship between HR and line managers is fraught with frustration.4 HR is often inundated with transactional requests from line managers, while line managers get frustrated with HR for taking too long to process such requests.

Modern payroll technology offers selfservice dashboards that empower employees to take ownership of updating their personal details, as well as submitting timesheets and leave requests, without HR intervention.

“Transactions that require HR involvement, such as position and remuneration changes, are captured in the same self-service portal and can be efficiently workflowed to HR for action. This helps with accuracy and approval timeframes,” Sullivan explains.

Your payroll system should also be robust, leaving you to dictate when HR intervention is required.

4. Influence top-level decisions A common problem faced by HR managers spearheading change is the difficulty in getting buy-in from senior management. Often this stems from an inability to present information in a way that excites key decision-makers.

The deep insights offered by payroll reporting can bridge this gap.

“Payroll is the most accurate database in the business, and has the most up-to-date information in regard to new employees or terminated employees, so it makes sense to base your data flow around payroll,” Sullivan says.

The high-level reports generated by an integrated system can be a real bargaining chip in the HR professional’s toolkit. Armed with accurate real-time views of labour costs against ROI, HR can easily present meaningful data to the upper echelons of the organisation to gain funding approvals or support.

5. Manage compliance Often regarded as the domain of payroll professionals, compliance is an HR issue too.

6. Embrace artificial intelligence As technology becomes further embedded in our lives, we must adapt to the assimilation of artificial intelligence in everyday tasks too. This might sound far-fetched, but machine learning AI has already been programmed into the Affinity system to automatically trap errors, safeguarding against the risk of fraud or non-compliance.

While change might be scary to some, there is no denying that businesses poised to embrace the rise of an augmented workforce stand to get ahead of the competition. One thing is for certain − HR has much to gain as payroll technology continues to make great strides in this reimagined world.

Sources: 1

Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends 2015, “Reinventing HR: An Extreme Makeover”, p61 2 3

Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends 2017, “Digital HR”, p87

Aberdeen Innovate with Business-Driven Workflow Automation 2015 report, p10 4

2014 Hay Group Report: Reinventing the relationship between HR and the Line

Affinity is a leading HR and payroll software provider for medium to large organisations. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter, or visit us at www.affinityteam.com.au.

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PEOPLE

CAREER PATH

A CREDIBLE ACTIVIST Throughout her career, Allyson Carlile has found that success lies in following your passions

In her final year at university, Carlile took a role at Rothschild Asset Management, initially in reception. Upon finishing her degree she quickly moved into a client services role.

“Having a client-facing role during the first few years of my career gave me a fundamental understanding of asset management products and client needs. The role ignited my passion for people, and while I always knew I wanted to move into HR, it prompted me to take an HR coordinator role.”

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PASSION FOR PEOPLE IGNITED

2003

DEEPENS INTEREST IN FINANCE Having relocated to Perth with her husband, Carlile immersed herself in roles at Westpac and Bankwest, and discovered a keen interest in the financial services sector.

“It’s the people in the financial services industry that have kept me there – they are a highly talented, professional and dynamic group. Coming from a financial services family, I’ve always had a genuine interest in the sector. I enjoy linking HR initiatives to business strategic goals to drive change and strengthen credibility in the HR function.”

2013

REJOINS WESTPAC Carlile was lured back to Westpac and the role of co-head of HR for the Australian financial services support division, and partnered in launching the ‘Reach’ leadership program focused on leadership, diversity and wellbeing.

“This was when I really started to see the HR discipline shift – businesses began to seriously invest in wellbeing and health to get the employee offer right. It’s no longer a nice-to-have but should be a central pillar in every business strategy.”

2016

MOVES TO METLIFE Determined to challenge herself, Carlile tackled a new industry as head of people and culture at MetLife Australia.

“It’s exciting to join such a dynamic sector that has a real and meaningful impact on the lives of everyday Australians.

“As a leading global life insurer, creating a world-class working environment focused on mental health and wellbeing is a high priority for MetLife. I look forward to expanding on MetLife’s great work and contributing to the firm’s strong people-focused culture.”

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2002

FINDS HER NICHE Armed with a passion for financial services, Carlile spent her early years honing her craft, quickly gaining credibility and respect in a fast-paced, highly technical industry.

“My biggest achievement has been gaining trust with leadership. I call myself a credible activist. Credible because I understand the business and add to its overall agenda, but an activist on the HR side. I can challenge constructively without damaging relationships, to help businesses shift the dial.”

2006

TAKES ON CAREER-DEFINING ROLE Carlile assumed the role of head of HR Australia at Barclays Global Investors in Sydney, managing the transition to ownership by BlackRock.

“This was a defining, milestone position. Running the HR function end to end within a highly successful global business during a period of enormous growth was very rewarding. Within three years, employee numbers more than doubled, requiring new recruitment and team management processes. Despite this, the Australian team was the most engaged globally, and annual staff turnover was very low.”

2015

RETURNS TO ROOTS Carlile moved back into the asset management space when she rejoined NAB Asset Management as head of people. In this position she significantly contributed to doubling the division’s engagement score, and delivered the new people strategy with a focus on leadership development, diversity and inclusion, and health and wellbeing.

“It’s encouraging to see a big move in the financial services industry towards employee health and wellbeing. Businesses are definitely starting to see the value in a holistic approach to engagement”

www.hcamag.com

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PEOPLE

OTHER LIFE

TELL US ABOUT YOUR OTHER LIFE Email hrdeditor@keymedia.com

ON TWO WHEELS

Consultant Amanda Prenty is seeing the world from the seat of a bike

FITTINGLY FOR such dyed-in-the-wool travellers, the idea for a global multi-year adventure by bike came in a cafe in Paris. When observing her devastation that a six-week vacation was coming to an end, Prenty’s husband said, “Let’s not go back.”

The plans born that night took three years to implement until, finally, in August of 2014, the couple “pulled the plug, left our corporate jobs, sold the house” and hit the road on the first leg of a planned 10-year journey.

As well as other accomplishments, such as picking up Spanish, learning to play the guitar, and writing a book specifically for cyclists exploring Cuba, Prenty has maintained her HR consulting career during her travels, with the help of technology.

The one aspect of travelling that has left the greatest impression on her has been the human connections that proved so elusive in the corporate world.

“At first I wanted to see the world, but now I’m more intrigued by the kindness of people. The countries I’m visiting are beautiful, but at the end of the day most of my memorable stories are about the people.”

This latest journey, the leg that began at Inuvik – the northernmost tip of North America by road – is scheduled to wind up at the southernmost tip of South America, poetically known as the End of the World, early next year.

7

Number of times the couple has crossed the continental divide

64

218,000m Distance climbed (the equivalent of Mt Everest 24 times)

17

Number of flat tyres on the trip so far

www.hcamag.com

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BOOK YOUR TABLE NOW TRA AUS

LIAN

2017

Alana Penny AccorHotels Australian HR Manager of the Year 2016 Friday 8 September 2017 • The Star Sydney hrawards.com.au

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