Purpose Podcast Sterning Group

In this informative episode, we delve into the critical topic of gender pay equity with Natalie, the founder of equidi, a groundbreaking tech platform designed to empower businesses in closing their gender pay gaps. Natalie brings over 15 years of HR and people and culture expertise, having ascended to the C-suite before embarking on her entrepreneurial journey with equidi.



Key Discussion Points:


Journey from HR Leadership to Tech Entrepreneurship: Natalie shares her inspiring transition from being a Chief People Officer to founding equidi, driven by her passion for DEI, remuneration, and business strategy.


Insights from Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) Data: Natalie provides an overview of the latest findings from WGEA on gender pay gaps in Australia, highlighting key trends and implications for organisations.


Impact and Awareness of Gender Pay Gap Data: We explore the profound impact of this data release on organizational awareness and accountability regarding gender pay gaps, shaping strategies for future equity.


Challenges and Strategies in Addressing Gender Pay Gaps: Natalie discusses common challenges faced by organisations and offers effective strategies to overcome these barriers.


Importance of Gender Pay Equity: Natalie articulates the moral, ethical, and business imperatives for organisations to prioritise gender pay equity, fostering thriving and equitable cultures.


Role of HR Professionals in Driving Change: We delve into the pivotal role of HR professionals and leaders in driving efforts to close gender pay gaps, discussing practical strategies for meaningful progress.


Practical Tips for WGEA Reporting: As organisations gear up for the next wave of WGEA reporting, Natalie shares practical tips and insights to navigate this process effectively.



Join us as Natalie offers invaluable perspectives and actionable insights for HR professionals, leaders, and organisations committed to advancing gender equity and closing the gender pay gap.



About equidi:



equidi is a revolutionary platform that’s putting gender on the agenda. Providing you with real-time visibility over gender pay equity and workforce representation – across every part of your business on a single dashboard. With bespoke recommendations to guide the journey – equidi helps you set goals, track progress and lift performance every day.



About Natalie:



Natalie is the founder of equidi - a revolutionary tech platform that empowers businesses to close their gender pay gaps. Prior to equidi, Natalie crafted a successful career in HR/people and culture for over 15 years where she worked her way up to the c-suite. Natalie has worked in a range of different industries such as mining, oil and gas, and fast-growing tech scale-ups. Natalie is passionate about all things DEI, remuneration and business strategy, and she loves creating thriving, equitable cultures. Natalie’s background is in organisational psychology, and prior to founding equidi, she completed her senior executive MBA from Melbourne Business School.



(02:48) Journey from HR Leadership to Tech Entrepreneurship
(06:14) Insights from WGEA Data
(08:27) Impact and Awareness of Gender Pay Gap Data
(12:41) Challenges and Strategies in Addressing Gender Pay Gaps
(14:28) Importance of Gender Pay Equity
(15:41) Role of HR Professionals in Driving Change
(22:06) Practical Tips for WGEA Reporting

Learn about the benefits of flexibility and how to make it work for your organisation. In this episode, Bianca Clifton speaks with Francine and Ben Balestrieri, co-founders of WE: People Considered Together, a future-of-work HR consultancy. They share their insights on the importance of flexibility, the challenges of returning to the office, and best practices for implementing flexible work arrangements.



Francine is an experienced People and Culture Director, with extensive experience in driving organisational transformation and leading People and Culture teams across the HR spectrum. With experience across various industries and in both international and domestic contexts, Francine possesses a deep understanding of the diversity this brings and is committed to engaging companies with a more human-centric approach to enhance business performance. Francine is known for her pioneering future-of-work solutions, which have garnered recognition for promoting workplace equality and achieving high rankings in Best Places to Work lists. Her mission is to enrich the employee journey, elevate individual and team performance, and change the way we approach overall organisational effectiveness.

 

Ben is a results-oriented professional with a well-established track record of driving organisational growth and transformation. Boasting extensive experience in leadership, strategy, and operational excellence across diverse industries, his core expertise lies in harnessing data-driven insights and championing innovative solutions to tackle complex challenges. As a dynamic and strategic thinker, Ben brings a unique blend of leadership, a human-centric approach, and an unwavering commitment to excellence to every client and assignment. With a clear vision, adaptability, and a passion for continuous improvement, he leads the way in creative approaches to bringing the organisational strategy to life, taking every person on the journey and supporting learning in the process.

 

Together, as Co-Founders and Directors of "WE: People Considered Together," a future-of-work HR consultancy, Ben and Francine combine their distinct expertise to closely collaborate with organisations. They evaluate each company’s People & Culture maturity, and create innovative, aligned strategies through design thinking and genuine partnerships.



Join Bianca, Francine, and Ben as they discuss the following: 

🎙️Defining Flexibility

🎙️Benefits of Flexibility

🎙️Building a Strategy for Flexible Work

🎙️Best Practices for Implementation



This episode is full of rich expertise, thoughtful discussions and key takeaways that we hope will inspire your practice as an HR professional. 



(02:29) How do we define flexibility in today’s rapidly evolving work landscape?

(05:15) What are the benefits of flexible working arrangements for both employees and organisations?

(34:55) How should organisations approach building a strategy for flexible work and what are the best practices for implementing such arrangements?

(49:37) How to contact Francine and Ben

Discover how to handle employee absences and well-being at work in part two of this two-part series with Bianca Clifton and Melodi James. In part one, they explored the complex relationship between these two factors, the challenges faced by HR leaders, and effective strategies for improvement. Listen to the first episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/53QnSC5vDaumnzdl0OwRJY?si=e3a6fe719bea42b6



Melodi is an accredited mediator and experienced leader in Human Resources and Employee Relations and has worked across a wide range of industries including engineering, medical technology, professional services, online services, and healthcare. Melodi has experience supporting Australian and multi-national companies ranging from 100 to over 100,000 employees and has held people leadership roles with responsibility for leading and growing large teams of skilled HR/ER practitioners. 



Melodi’s expertise is in providing support for businesses and leaders to resolve employment issues and disputes, including hands-on experience in managing complex cases involving workplace conflict, performance management, grievance resolution, discipline management, medical capacity issues, and other employee and labour relations matters. 



In this episode, Bianca and Melodi unpack how: 

🎙️Organisations can implement a comprehensive wellbeing program.

🎙️HR leaders can craft customised strategies to address identified absenteeism issues.

🎙️Businesses can utilise flexible work arrangements as part of a wellbeing strategy.

🎙️Business can consider various factors when developing a well-being program.



This episode is full of rich expertise, thoughtful discussions and key takeaways that we hope will inspire your practice as an HR professional. 

 

(03:00) How does a company go about implementing a comprehensive wellbeing program

(12:15) If an HR Leader was looking to tackle an identified absenteeism issue, what would tailored strategies for this look like?

(45:46) How could businesses utilise flexible work arrangements as part of a wellbeing strategy?

(59:49) What other considerations might there be when developing a wellbeing program?

The second episode of the popular ‘Debriefing with the CPO’ series is here and our second guest is Angela Johnston – Chief People Officer at Achieve Australia. Achieve is a for-purpose community organisation that has been providing accommodation and services to people with disability since 1952. Achieve champion social inclusion, focusing on the individual needs and lives of the people they support.

Angela joined Achieve Australia as General Manager People Operations in 2021 and was promoted to lead our People Performance and Culture team in December 2022. 

An innovative and strategic HR leader, Angela started her career in human resources and industrial relations working for the Fair Work Ombudsman where she provided information on awards and employer obligations under the Fair Work Act to small and large businesses. 

During her more than a decade of experience working in the not-for-profit sector in Western Australia and NSW, Angela has held senior HR roles at MercyCare, CatholicCare and Ability Options. She has considerable experience and knowledge across most facets of workforce management including talent acquisition and retention, employee relations, HR strategy and workforce planning, remuneration and benefits, work health and safety, a range of systems and processes and change management.

Angela holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Environmental Studies, which she completed at the University of Notre Dame Australia on scholarship. She also completed post graduate study in employment law at Curtin University.

Listen in as Emma Egan asks Angela Johnston some questions around leading HR functions to foster employee engagement and positive workplace culture, HR technology and transformational change, supporting multi-disciplinary workforces, and her thoughts on the future of work and its impact on HR practices.



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(3:32) In your experience overseeing a broad spectrum of HR functions, what strategies have you found most effective for fostering employee engagement and creating a positive workplace culture? Can you share any specific initiatives or programs that yielded remarkable results?

(8:01) As an innovative HR leader, how do you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and advancements in HR technology? Could you highlight any particular HR tech tools or platforms that have significantly impacted streamlining HR processes or improving employee experience?

(13:12) Transformational change within organisations can be challenging. Could you share a case where you successfully led a cultural or technological change initiative, and what strategies did you employ to ensure smooth adoption and acceptance by employees?

(18:40) With your experience in leading HR functions across diverse industries, what are some key insights or lessons learned that you believe every HR professional should be aware of when effectively managing and supporting a multi-disciplinary workforce?

(21:10) As a strategic thinker and HR leader, what are your thoughts on the future of work and its impact on HR practices? How do you see emerging trends such as remote work, automation, and AI shaping the HR landscape, and what steps should HR professionals take to adapt and thrive in this evolving environment?

Join Bianca Clifton in part one of a two-part series as she sits down with Melodi James to discuss Managing Absenteeism and Wellbeing in the Workplace.

Melodi is an accredited mediator and experienced leader in Human Resources and Employee Relations and has worked across a wide range of industries including engineering, medical technology, professional services, online services, and healthcare.

Melodi has experience supporting Australian and multi-national companies ranging from 100 to over 100,000 employees and has held people leadership roles with responsibility for leading and growing large teams of skilled HR/ER practitioners.Melodi’s expertise is in providing support for businesses and leaders to resolve employment issues and disputes, including hands-on experience in managing complex cases involving workplace conflict, performance management, grievance resolution, discipline management, medical capacity issues, and other employee and labour relations matters.

In this episode, Bianca and Melodi unpack how:

🎙️Absenteeism and wellbeing impact the workplace.

🎙️What the common challenges are for HR leaders in managing it.

🎙️How businesses can define and link absenteeism to employee relations and quantify what the actual cost to the business is - from wellbeing, to team dynamics, to organisational performance.This episode is full of rich expertise, thoughtful discussions and key takeaways that we hope will inspire your practice as an HR professional.

(03:33) Overview of the state of employee relations in terms of absenteeism and wellbeing, and what is impacting this in workplaces.

(12:10) Common challenges faced by HR leaders in managing absenteeism and promoting wellbeing in the workplace.

(33:42) Defining absenteeism in ER and the Main causes of absenteeism, and trends/patterns that have been observed.

(41:02) How does absenteeism impact wellbeing, team dynamics and organisational performance?

As leaders, how often do you reflect and act on the impact you are having on your teams and the people around you?

In a brand new episode of our Purpose Podcast, Emma Egan MRCSA chats with Charlotte V Rose, CPCC. Charlotte is a Professional Coach, NLP Master and Trainer, L&D Specialist & Change Management Practitioner. She has 15 years of experience as a leadership & performance coach across 30 countries.

Pop in your headphones and be ready to find yourself captivated and inspired as Charlotte delivers her expertise on impactful leadership in a post-COVID world, from the positive results of being vulnerable leaders to the impact of intentional leadership.

(02:22) What are the changed expectations and needs of leaders in today’s world (post covid)? How are flexibility, compassion, and genuine care playing a role?

(11:46) How does a whole person view impact leadership effectiveness? Why is it important for leaders to consider the holistic well-being of their team members?

(18:36) Can you discuss the significance of vulnerability and psychological safety in effective leadership, and how can leaders create an environment that encourages open communication and risk taking?

(27:14) How does coaching capability contribute to effective leadership? How can leaders develop their coaching skills to empower and support their team members?

(35:43) How can leaders focus on work/life harmony, purpose and career development for their employees?

(37:35) Why is intentional leadership impact important? How can leaders ensure that their actions and decisions positively and meaningfully impact their teams and organisations?

(44:05) What are some experiential activities that can help nurture future leaders?

(50:35) What unique development strategies can empower women to use their voices in leadership roles effectively? How can organisations support the advancement and growth of female leaders?