In the face of voluminous market and cultural change, the ways in which recruiters and hiring managers operate need to evolve, one professional argues. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with TRC chief executive Geoff Millar about his background in recruitment, why it’s been a meaningful career path, the peaks and troughs he’s seen in the recruitment space, what the current careers landscape looks like, why recruiters need to re-evaluate the ways they do things, and whether approaches with businesses are becoming outdated. Millar also discusses the dangers of falling behind on new-age thinking, questions to ask of a business in order to improve approaches to recruitment, practical steps to be taken, and what is exciting about such change for hiring managers and recruiters.
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22:33
Reflections on the Secure Jobs, Better Pay amendments
Here, a leading employment and labour lawyer reflects on what we’ve learnt in the last year and a half from the Secure Jobs, Better Pay legislative changes and what it all means for the market moving forward. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Norton Rose Fulbright partner Alexandra Shields about her work in employment and labour law, the “human element” of such legal practice, what the recent Secure Jobs, Better Pay amendments are and why they were introduced, the key takeaways from the last 12 to 18 months following the passage of the amendments, and the issues and challenges that have arisen. Shields also delves into how best to respond to those issues and challenges, the more encouraging developments from the last 12 to 18 months, whether developments in the market can be attributed to the amended legislation, why changing the employment and labour market is a longer-term project, going by the “vibes”, how employers should respond to the current climate, considering their reputations, and what is best practice for lawyers in this space moving forward.
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29:47
Leading a politically polarised workforce in 2025
With political polarisation on the rise worldwide and with Australia’s federal election less than a fortnight away, it is fundamental that business leaders find ways to ensure greater connectivity and collegiality for their workforces. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Adelaide-based Moira Were, the mayor of the City of Onkaparinga, co-founder of Collab4good and co-founder of Chooks SA, about her varied work, whether political polarisation at work has gotten worse, the issues and consequences that arise from such workplace tension, and how difficult it might be for HR teams to navigate such matters. Were also delves into the practical steps that business leaders and HR teams must take to mitigate political polarisation, the need to avoid toxic discourse among staff, striking the right balance with healthy debate and allowing individuals to be themselves, and how teams can ensure civil conversations ahead of next week’s federal election.
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24:57
Creating and maintaining thriving workplaces
Here, we discuss SuperFriend’s recently released Indicators of a Thriving Workplace Key Insights report, what it says about the state of affairs in the Australian workforce, and what constitutes best practice moving forward. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with SuperFriend chief mental health adviser Dr Natalie Flatt about the recently released Indicators of a Thriving Workplace Key Insights report, the key takeaways and findings from that report, how much work is still required to ensure that workplaces of all stripes can thrive, and the confusion that business leaders may feel in determining the best path forward. Flatt also discusses the cause of such confusion, tailoring a business’s strategic approach, rethinking leadership and management tactics, other practical steps that must be taken, and leaning into the framework detailed by SuperFriend.
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26:29
Is the ban on non-competes good policy?
In Labor’s pre-election budget, Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced a ban on non-compete clauses for workers earning less than $175,000. Here, we unpack implications for businesses, workers, and the political climate, as well as the consequences not only for employment law but also for M&As and litigation. In this episode of The HR Leader Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks to employment law partner Fay Calderone, from national law firm Hall & Wilcox, to discuss the announced ban on non-compete clauses for non-high-income workers in the 2025 budget, the response from businesses and employment lawyers, and the likely consequences for the M&A market and litigious climate. Calderone also delves into the divide between political impressions of this announcement versus the business reality, striking the right balance between employee freedom and business protections, who employment lawyers will have to collaborate with moving forward, what constitutes best practice for lawyers looking ahead, and her broad guidance to businesses in the wake of the announced ban.
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These conversations will influence, shape and lead change, overcoming HR’s top concerns and roadblocks.
Tune in for the thinking that will shape tomorrow’s workplaces, inspiring and enabling you to engage with your people in new and innovative ways.
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