To address potential retention issues, this HR leader rebooted her organisation’s career development system as part of her case study to achieve AHRI’s HR Certification. Around 12 months ago, our data told us we had higher staff turnover than previous years. At the same time, surveys and exit interviews were identifying extremely high engagement scores in most areas, but low scores in relation to career development and professional development. We dug deeper and found several issues relating to the lack of opportunities around career development. Having recently implemented a new HR informatio ..read more

Are younger employees’ expectations of work really that different to the generations before them? Two experts share advice for attracting Gen Z – and keeping them. The clichés about young workers’ demands are familiar: better pay, lighter workloads, and a preference for avoiding phone calls. But much of this is just hearsay that has snowballed out of control. The actual needs and desires of young workers don’t differ that much from other generations; the emphasis is just perhaps a little different in some instances. Research suggests that Generation Z (born 1997-2012) want meaningful careers a ..read more

An employer has been hit with a $17K fine for delayed payment of a terminated employee’s accrued annual leave, plus damages. This case sets an important precedent for employers. A recent Federal Court ruling has shed light on confusion about when employers are required to pay certain entitlements to an employee following their termination, including payment in lieu of notice, accrued but untaken annual leave and redundancy pay.  The Fair Work Act (FW Act) itself does not prescribe a deadline or express time frame, aside from the general provision governing payments and frequency ..read more

To mark this year’s International HR Day, HRM spoke with HR leaders from three different countries about the pressing challenges they are facing and their strategies to navigate the current world of work.  Many of the issues faced by today’s HR practitioners in Australia are being dealt with by HR teams the world over, from managing changing employee expectations to keeping up with digitisation. What insights can Australian HR teams take from their global peers to enhance their own HR strategies?  In celebration of International HR Day 2024, HRM interviewed three international HR lea ..read more

Employees who talk about their workload more than actually working can be a major drain on workplace morale and productivity. How can HR keep this behaviour in check? “I’ve got so much work to do.” “I haven’t had a break since I got here.” “I can’t remember the last time I left on time!” If you’ve been on the receiving end of complaints like this, you’ll know how damaging ‘busy culture’ can be to morale, productivity and teamwork. When a culture of chronic busyness creeps into the workplace, some employees can feel pressure to be somewhat performative about their workload to assure their peers ..read more

The 2024-25 Federal Budget has heralded some significant financial promises, from a boost in skills development in future-critical sectors to financial relief packages. Here are the key items HR should be across. In a bid to relieve the financial pressures that Australian households and businesses have been experiencing of late, Treasurer Jim Chalmers forefronted cost-of-living relief in last night’s budget, which included a $3.5 billion energy relief bill, which would deliver $300 worth of energy rebates for all Australian households, and the return of stage 3 tax cuts from 1 July (see tax cu ..read more

AHRI’s latest Quarterly Work Outlook report reveals that Australia’s skills gap is harming productivity, with high turnover predicted to be a key cause. Amid our nationwide skills shortage, new research from the Australian HR Institute (AHRI) has revealed the scale of this issue at an organisational level. Employers report almost one in five workers are not proficient in their roles, and a majority (57 per cent) believe skills gaps are having a negative impact on their organisation’s productivity, according to AHRI’s June 2024 Quarterly Australian Work Outlook report. The report, based on insi ..read more

Want to become more coach-like? Coaching and leadership expert Michael Bungay Stanier has seven simple questions to make your coaching sessions richer and more impactful. What does it take to run an effective coaching session? Does the coach need to have undergone a comprehensive training program in order to provide value to their mentee? Do they need to develop a 12-step action plan following the session to help put their mentee on the right path? According to coaching expert Michael Bungay Stanier, often it’s just about learning how to ask better questions. “If you can coach somebody in five ..read more

In a recent case, the FWC found that an unsuitable redeployment offer did not justify reducing an employee’s redundancy pay. How can employers ensure their redeployment policies stand up to scrutiny? In times of cutbacks, identifying opportunities for redeployment can be a strategic way to retain valuable talent and prevent job losses. However, when issuing a redeployment offer, failing to consider the suitability of the new role can open employers up to legal challenges, as highlighted by a recent case heard by the Fair Work Commission (FWC).  In this case, a building services company fi ..read more

AHRI’s DEI Champion of the Year Award winner, Katie Wyatt, says the path to inclusion in 2024 remains bumpy and unpredictable, but the challenges only make her more determined. Head of Culture and Inclusion at Coles Group Katie Wyatt says it’s a fascinating time to work in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). In some ways, it’s getting easier, but in other ways harder. The proud Noongar Yamatji woman, from Whadjuk Noongar country around Perth, found the failure of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum “incredibly tough”. “It really made me stop and think about the challenge we have a ..read more