HR
People worldwide continue to search for the elusive ‘sweet spot’ where their careers do not impinge on life ‘outside the office’, and vice versa. One could argue that while work-life balance may have been possible once, it has become an increasingly unattainable ideal due, in part, to the technologies that pervade the business world. Organisations […]
Motivating a workforce to operate at maximum capacity is no easy task. The ability to produce and maintain thriving human capital is one of the primary factors that differentiates a prospering business from those that struggle. On the flip side, what are signs of complacent staff? 1. Engagement In any workplace, it’s natural for staff […]
When you’re a time-poor business owner whose attention is being pulled in all directions by competing obligations it can be difficult to focus on improving productivity. And while a growing customer base is good for the bottom line, if you’re a ‘one-man band’ you might begin to feel like you’ve bitten off more than you […]
Australia has long been regarded as a country which has been able to attract top international talent to encourage business growth and diversification which has been made possible through the Temporary Work Skilled (subclass 457) visa. But the abolition of the 457 scheme and introduction of a replacement program from March next year has received […]
Employers must pay greater attention to the strengths and skills of their staff – or risk losing talented employees. That was the key take-away message from a national Wellness in the Workplace survey by professional development firm PDT involving 530 employees across the private, government and non-profit sectors. Of the 27% of respondents who didn’t […]
In case you missed it: There’s been turmoil in the news industry over the last week with Fairfax Media announcing its latest round of journalist job cuts in what it’s calling a “major company restructure” to help it face the future. That future includes the ever-increasing impact of technology on traditional media organisations. Not surprisingly, news […]
Boredom is most people’s worst nightmare – and it’s the number one killer of workplace motivation. When it comes to performing the duties of any given job, the doer will have a timeline for boredom. Prolonged repetition will naturally lead their brain to a point where it says ‘thanks, but no thanks’, and then completely […]
In organisations where flexible working is permitted but its parameters are ill-defined, the full benefits won’t be reaped, according to Tony Simonsen, Managing Director of Polycom Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). A global study by the video collaboration company found that Australia is one of the most flexible countries to work in, with nine in ten companies (90%) […]
If you are seeking to foster a high-performing workforce in your organisation, it would be counter-productive (not to mention narrow-minded) to subscribe to the saying “out with the old, in with the new”. Long-held myths about mature age workers (e.g. they are change-averse, they are not tech-savvy, they have a ‘use by date’, etc.) have […]
The sales profession is undergoing a big cull with over 20% of sales roles expected to be cut by 2020 according to some analysts[1]. There are three macro shifts responsible for this rather ominous reality. Firstly, buyers are more discerning than ever before as they turn online for identifying and acquiring products and services without the need […]
Employers often get the most out of their employees at the very beginning of their tenure, when the employee is keen to impress, eager to make a good impression, and excited to learn new things. But the honeymoon period doesn’t last particularly long, with most people becoming comfortable enough to rest on their laurels and […]
The fact that Aussies love the beach is undisputed worldwide. What is concerning, however, are the potential business impacts, with a survey of 2000 adults, undertaken by Finder.com.au, revealing that one in seven (14%) have cashed in their sick leave to get some sun and hit the waves. Every time an employee decides to fake an illness […]
Personal relationships in the office can be expensive for employees and their employers in both a financial and reputational sense. In recent months there have been a series of highly publicised cases where big business has been hauled over the coals for its approach to the issue. But this can be just as costly for small […]
Well, that was a stinking few months! Thankfully, with March bringing summer to an end, we’ve seen a cooler change and hopefully this will be a boon for workplace productivity. What effect do these sweltering few months have on your business? Earlier this month, the Climate Council released their assessment of summer 2016-17 – dubbed “the […]
Workers aged 50 and older face barriers to finding meaningful employment due to stereotypes that suggest they lack competencies employers demand or their skills have a ‘use by date’. Looking at the research, however, these stereotypes are not only harmful to mature-age workers, they’re harmful to businesses. According to Australian Human Rights Commission, while mature-age […]
There were at least 166,000 job vacancies across Australia in December, indicating substantial labour demand from the business community. That said, employers are struggling to fill around 30% of skilled job vacancies. With 720,000 unemployed Australians looking for full- or part-time work, there’s plenty of untapped labour. So, why do so many vacancies remained unfilled? […]
The Fair Work Commission recently ruled that Sunday and public holiday penalty rates will be reduced for full-time and part-time workers in the hospitality, retail, pharmacy and fast-food industries. The Fair Work Commission heard evidence from 143 lay and expert witnesses during a prolonged period of deliberation. In addition 5,900 submissions were received from State […]
The Fair Work Commission has today handed down its decision to reduce Sunday and public holiday penalty rates for hospitality and retail workers from July. The Full Bench decision was based on consideration of evidence that Sunday penalty rates in the Hospitality, Fast Food, Retail and Pharmacy Awards ‘do not provide a fair and relevant […]
With Australia Day falling on Thursday this year, an opportunistic employee might be tempted to ‘chuck a sickie’ on Friday to stretch the public holiday into a four-day weekend. While this course of action might be gratifying for the individual, it can compromise the employer’s bottom line – especially if a sickie culture develops and […]
It’s a seasonal reality that many Australian workers end the year short-fused with their resilience falling and pessimism rising. For corporate and government workers alike, it can be caused by change fatigue. Constant and relentless change challenges the resilience of these workers. They can get worn down and cynical or counter-productive in the face of restructuring […]
