Work Conversations

2021 has provided significant labour market challenges, including candidate shortages in unexpected areas. Unemployment rates are falling and there are visible signs of economic recovery, however many employers are struggling to fill roles. In this episode of the Work Conversations podcast, founding Director of the Bayside Group John Wilson discusses with colleague Ed Milne, Manager of Workforce Planning and Training Solutions, some of the factors driving this perceived tight labour market, and how employers can effectively respond.If you are experiencing challenges in accessing skilled candidates, follow the link to book a confidential discussion with one of the Bayside Group’s senior leaders: https://connect.baysidegroup.com.au/overview-of-the-australian-labour-market 

In this episode of the Work Conversations podcast, John Wilson sits down with the Bayside Group National Manager of Workplace Relations, Bob Venema. This is an interesting time for employers and employees around the country, as we begin to navigate this new “COVID normal” world, which will see the transition of more employees back to the workplace with the introduction of the coronavirus vaccine. Yet we still live in an environment of pervading uncertainty with the threat of sudden lockdowns and increased restrictions. With many years of experience working in workplace relations, HR and employment law, Bob addresses some of the key considerations for employers wanting to establish a safe and compliant business during these uncertain times.You can find out more about Bob's work at Bayside group Workplace Relations here. 

In this episode of Work Conversations , Gavin Becker delves into the world of Human Resources with CEO of the Australian HR Institute (AHRI), Sarah McCann-Bartlett. Having worked extensively in leadership roles for national and international organisations, Sarah stepped into this position with Australia’s leading professional HR association in January 2020, just six weeks before Australia was forced into lockdown due to the pandemic.While this was definitely a first for Sarah, it gave her a chance to quickly dive into the world of HR and experience how the sector became critical in driving organisations’ strategy throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Throughout this discussion, Sarah shares interesting insights into the increasing influence of HR, how perceptions of the profession have changed, and what leaders can do to really improve organisational culture and get the most from their people.You can find out more about AHRI here. Follow Sarah McCann-Bartlett on LinkedIn here.

In this episode of Work Conversations, Gavin Becker sits down for a conversation with Gus Worland, founder of the Gotcha4Life Mental Health Foundation and former Australian radio and TV personality. After losing a very close friend and life mentor to suicide, Gus found himself co-hosting the 2016 ABC series Man Up, which explored the notion of toxic modern masculinity and men’s mental health issues.Following the show's success, Gus founded Gotcha4Life, a not-for-profit dedicated to taking action and having a positive outcome on men’s mental health. Today, the foundation drives real change and funds educational workshops and innovative training programs throughout Australia that build mental fitness in all individuals, organisations and communities to activate strong, open and binding relationships.Just a trigger warning, this episode does discuss topics such as depression and suicide which may be triggering for some listeners. If you require support, we encourage you to reach out to Lifeline on 13 11 14 for confidential crisis assistance.For more information on Gotcha4Life, visit the website here. Find Gus Worland on LinkedIn here.

In this episode of Work Conversations, we speak with SEEK’s Group Human Resource Director, Kathleen McCudden, whose role is focused on creating a positive work environment for employees while also assisting the company in achieving its growth agenda and purpose. Kathleen shares interesting insights into how the pandemic has impacted the job market, both globally and here in Australia, and the principles SEEK used to assist in guiding the organisation through this challenging time. 

This latest episode of Work Conversations sees Gavin Becker chat with Manager of Lifeline Melbourne, Meredith Dalton. With a background in neuropsychology and over a decade working at Lifeline, Meredith has an incredible breadth of knowledge when it comes to mental health. We discuss how employers and employees can identify mental health issues, offer support in the workplace, and the crucial importance of listening when it comes to helping someone in a crisis. Just a note that in this episode we do discuss anxiety and depression which may be triggering for some listeners.You can find Meredith on LinkedIn here.To access Lifeline’s services, call 13 11 14.

Welcome to this episode of Work Conversations, where host Gavin Becker chats with CEO and Director of UCS, Stephen Ellich. With over 25 years’ experience governing and leading national organisations through establishment, development and transformational change, we talk to Stephen about his approach to leadership, and his focus on customer centricity, innovation, values and operational excellence to drive sustainable change.When discussing the current challenging environment, Stephen offers up many insights that may prove particularly valuable to those in leadership and managerial roles, including approaching change with a positive mentality, focusing on values, and the importance of customer-centricity.Find Stephen on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-ellich-b4b69716/

In this episode of Work Conversations, Gavin Becker chats with Paul Broad, the Australian HR Manager for Engineering Consultancy, Stantec. One of Paul’s greatest professional achievements to date has been assisting in the implementation of the Mental Health Champion program at Stantec. This program sees nominated employees trained to become a Mental Health First Aid Champion in one of the Australian or New Zealand offices. Paul has also played an instrumental role in Stantec's Engineers Australia ‘Most Ambitious Company in Gender Diversity’ award, a huge accomplishment in a male-dominated industry. Paul discusses how the organisation was able to move from performing poorly in this area to significantly improving retention rates and increasing the number of employees returning from parental leave to over 90 percent. You can find Paul on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-broad-90b6b71b/ 

Welcome to this episode of Work Conversations, which sees CozWine & Baytech National Manager Ed Milne speak with Richard Leask, Managing Director at Leask Agri. A third generation farmer, Richard and his family own and operate 50 hectares of vineyards, two wine brands in South Australia and a vineyard management business.After years of working in the industry, Richard found himself driven to understand the ways in which the country's agriculture and viticulture landscapes are being effected by climate change, and what measures could be implemented to create more sustainable farming practices. The result of this, as Richard discusses, is his recently published report detailing how the process of regenerative agriculture shows enormous potential as a farming system to repair damage to soils and set them on a productive path for generations to come.To find out more about regenerative agriculture, download Richard's Nuffield report here. Find Richard on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-leask-7a52039/  

In this episode of Work Conversations, we bring you a conversation with Rhonda Brighton-Hall, founder and CEO of MWAH, or ‘Making Work Absolutely Human’. Rhonda has made it her life mission to better the way we look at leadership, diversity and inclusion, relationships and trust in the workplace. Rhonda delves into some of the strategies used at MWAH that create stronger workplace relationships, culture and communication, and expands on the way in which the company facilitates diversity and inclusion training. This includes the use of VR technology that allows management and employees to “walk in someone else’s shoes.”Rhonda talks about her career trajectory and the impact of the pandemic on Australia’s working environment, which is changing how, we as a society, value and appreciate our jobs.You can find Rhonda Brighton-Hall on LinkedIn here.

In this episode of Work Conversations, we discuss the current and future state of the ecommerce and the retail sector with Scott Tindall, Director of Marketing Solutions at digital marketing agency, SixSix.Scott has been working in consumer marketing within the retail and ecommerce space for more than 15 years, leading and implementing marketing and advertising strategy for some of Australia’s leading brands.This in-depth conversation covers everything from how the current pandemic has altered consumer purchasing behaviour online, to how smaller ecommerce companies are competing with retail giants, and whether brick and mortar stores will become superfluous within our growing digital age.You can find Scott Tindall on LinkedIn here.

In this episode of Work Conversations, Gavin Becker talks to Jamie Getgood, owner and Director of Getgood Consulting. Jamie delves deeply into how he implemented a best practice approach to redundancies during the closure of GM Holden, and how he continues to support global organisations and their employees through times of significant change and restructure.He speaks about his move into HR, beginning his career as a mechanical tradesman before becoming a trainer and eventually transitioning into the industry. We discover that it was through this initial work on the shop floor that he developed his human-centric approach with the notion of “how to be human 101”. To find out more about Getgood Consulting, visit their website: https://www.getgood.com.au/To download their new Guide, click here: https://thepeopleshift.com/guide/ Find Jamie on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-getgood/ 

Welcome to this episode of Work Conversations, where Austra Health National Manager Gavin Becker sits down for a conversation with Yianna Serpanos, CEO and Founder of Coreplus and HealthTechX.Yianni is a passionate digital health innovator, who for a number of years has been building and leading digital health start-ups with the vision of modernising and transforming the healthcare industry through health tech and cultural innovation.In this episode, Yianni talks about his career journey: from his initial struggles in the corporate space to moving into the world of start-ups where he became a “serial entrepreneur” who experienced burn out. He explains what he’s learnt about establishing a work life balance through becoming a “professional lifestylist”, a term he coined that describes how he designs his life so as to have time for family, friends and hobbies while still running two businesses.Yianni takes us through his experience founding the Melbourne-based company HealthTechX, a community that brings together those who seek to transform healthcare services into something that fits into people's lives, schedules and goals. He discusses the importance of understanding consumer expectations when providing healthcare services, and why it takes cultural change - not just a technological one - to bring new innovations to life.Finally, Yianni expands on his business Coreplus, a management software that aims to connect Allied Health providers across Australia with patients using a unique digital health connected network. He explains that providing a quality telehealth service isn’t just about video or voice, it’s about creating a network that allows practitioners to emulate the whole healthcare experience remotely, including privacy, security and, most importantly, human connection.You can follow Yianni, HealthTechX and Coreplus on social media using the handles @yianniserpanos @myhealthtechx and @corepluspmFind Yianni on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yianni-serpanos/Coreplus website: coreplus: An Online Health Practice & Clinic Management Software For Allied Healthcare ProvidersHealthTechX website: HealthTechX | A Digital Health Innovation CommunityYianni’s Podcast: Reimagining Healthcare Podcast:

Welcome to the first episode of Work Conversations. In this episode Austra Health National Manager Gavin Becker sits down for a conversation with Melbourne City Mission’s General Manager of Homelessness and Justice, Wayne Merritt.Wayne has spent almost three years working in his role at Melbourne City Mission (MCM). For those unfamiliar with MCM, it is a Melbourne-based community support organisation that for over 165 years has provided support in areas including Homelessness, Justice, Disability, Palliative Care, and Early Childhood Intervention Services.In this episode, Wayne talks about his career trajectory, which saw him move from managing local youth services in the government sector to pursuing his now current role at MCM. He talks of the struggles he encountered when it came to the barriers of the corporate world, and how he’s found fulfilment in his role at MCM, which allows him to see real difference the NFP makes to those at risk.He goes on to discuss the MCM’s major projects, including the annual Sleep at the ‘G fundraiser, which this year will be channelling donations into the development of a 10-bed youth refuge facility in Werribee. Last year’s sleepover saw thousands flock to the MCG, raising over $1m for the redevelopment of Frontyard Youth Services.Wayne is hopeful that, despite the event not occurring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people will still get on board and support the fundraiser by getting creative with friends and family. He suggests having a sleepover in a tent or on the couch, or for corporates to hold auctions, where their staff nominate tasks, skills or services they would be willing to offer once social distancing restrictions lift. This could include one-on-one mentoring sessions with the CEO, or a month’s access to a parking spot.While Sleep at the ‘G has finished, donations are still being accepted, and you can make a donation through Bayside Group’s corporate page here: https://www.sleepattheg.com.au/corporates/workplace/bayside-group-workplaceTo find out more about Melbourne City Mission’s work, visit their website: https://www.mcm.org.au/Find Wayne on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-merritt-3784497a/