This Week in Talent (16th February)

Gong Hei Fatt Choy! As you can see, we’re right in the middle of the Lunar New Year celebrations. There’s still loads of merry-making for some of us.

That being said though, what I originally wanted to write this week was completely dashed with the recent storms that were experienced here in Victoria. Like many hundreds of thousands, my home lost power and access to communication for about 12-15 hours. We have been fortunate to be back online, but many are still without power.

So that brings me to this week’s topic. What strategies do you have in place when a crisis emerges? What practicable steps can you follow as a leader or as an individual within the People & Culture landscape to offer employees?

How do we go about as leaders of our organisations to look after our employee’s well-being, and offer the care and time they need to get back on track?

What are some of the support to employee well-being you’ve seen great organisations (or where you’ve worked yourself) do in times of need? This doesn’t have to be monetary in value, but even a simple message from a manager to an impacted team member to do what they need to, and that their work will be taken care of might be enough. Helps take the stress away.

I love this guide and practicable steps written by Jeena Murphy post a natural disaster event in New Zealand. And this article via Insperity – about putting the ‘H’ in Human Resources.

Speaking about humans and humanity, last week was also the very first Adaptive Diversity Meet-Up hosted by the great cohort at Jobs For Humanity by Jo Ioannidis, Michael Delaney and Pavi Iyer. It was so lovely reconnecting back to a charity organisation that is so dear and near to my heart (I’ll come back to volunteer one day folks!).

Back to some key discussions that we had centred around this question – “What is one thing you have seen that you liked when it comes to improving diversity?”

Such a simple question, but riddled with so much complexity. That didn’t stop the group of us who gathered. We shared about our different approaches to diversity and inclusion, practicable steps we introduced to the hiring processes, interview training for employees, and quick wins.

If you’d like to learn more about Jobs For Humanity, or participate  at the next Meet-Up – sign up here.

Employee wellbeing is now a ‘positive legal obligation’ – and one that needs to be met

At the start of my post, I wrote about how organisations can support their workforce during times of crises, however, we should always be looking after our employees well-being. It’s no surprise that in March 2023, it was reported that 90% of the Australian workforce was reportedly overwhelmed. So what can we do?

The job-seeking dream team helping to navigate the 2024 hiring market

This LinkedIn News article made its way to my ‘trending news’ and I just had to share it. In the article, it’s sharing some tips and advice to candidates on how they can grow a successful career. Only fair that we know what’s being dished out to candidates, so that we’re prepared for it when they ask us lovely folks in TA!

All brains belong: The Digital Picnic backs neuro-inclusivity with employee support initiative

See how a Melbourne-based company is supporting their neuro-diverse workforce by offering support to ensure they get the correct diagnoses, and how they can help, much like an L&D budget.

We’re Working Moms!

We know the struggle is real for working mums, and single parents who are juggling life, work, children, and so much. So can technology and emerging platforms help link more women to full/part-time job opportunities? This viral Tik-Tok post about Working Moms sums it up!

Here’s a take on some much needed industry-wide changes to help more women, Indigenous Australians, and migrants thrive in STEM related jobs in Australia.