StellarCast The Podcast Boss

During this episode, Stellar Recruitment’s Managing Director, Shaun McCambridge, sits down with John Holland Group’s Pre-Contracts Manager and multiple award-winning leader, Loren Hickey.

Stellar’s Managing Director, Shaun McCambridge, sits down with Dan Hunt, former professional rugby league player and founder of The Mental Health Movement. They discuss how The Mental Health Movement has created mentally healthy workplaces and the necessary steps to achieve this. Dan draws on past experiences and shares a wealth of knowledge on navigating towards a better mental head space.

Dan’s Highlights

1.00 - What partnerships with large scale organisations like BHP, Qantas, Glencore and many more generally entail
7:31 - How we can identify and understand mental health to the same capacity as physical fitness
12:12 - A proactive vs reactive organisation when it comes to achieving a mentally healthy workplace
18:10 - Dan’s best practices and tips for staying mentally well
24:15 - How to find the right person to help you on your journey
27:45 - The vision for The Mental Health Movement and the exciting plans ahead
31.35 - How to find The Mental Health Movement


What partnerships with large scale organisations like BHP, Qantas, Glencore and many more generally entail

Through collaborating with these organisations, ongoing relationships have been established. Through the different steps integrated throughout the Mental Health Movement’ s blueprint, many employees are now able to identify and understand how to reach out to someone who may be struggling with their mental health, ask the right questions and provide them with the support they require.


How we can identify and understand mental health to the same capacity as physical fitness.

It is important to recognise that it is not a diagnostic tool, it is a self-awareness tool that is not tangible. The Mental Health Movement have created the ‘Mental Health Continuum’ which integrates the traffic light system. We all have mental health; thus, we are on that continuum that can increase or decline at any hour, minute or second of the day. Having the continuum as a self- awareness tool will give some indication of what you need to put in place, and the support you may need to access to help you shift up in the continuum. It is important to take a proactive approach and use the continuum as a check-in tool. You do not have to do it on your own or suffer in silence.



A proactive vs reactive organisation when it comes to achieving a mentally healthy workplace.

An example of a proactive organisation is one who follows the guidelines in place by the Mental Health Movement, who has completed a mental health workplace audit, and formed a mental health committee that comprises of a mixture of individuals across all units. With the global pandemic and transition to work from home, we have seen the EAP uptake increase in 14%. Leaders who take part in the awareness and education training feel more confident in providing support to their crew. In turn, the crew members feel more confident to express how they are feeling because they are aware their leaders have had the training to provide valuable support. Some organisations take ADHOC approach, however from a business perspective, by taking a proactive approach, you will effectively retain staff members.


Dan’s best practices and tips for staying mentally well

Dan is Bipolar which means he is dealing with extremes. However, Dan states that it is all about balance and maintaining a structure and routine. There is no control over how you wake up on the continuum, but you can control the actions put in place for yourself. Some of the best practices Dan has followed are:

The recipe of 5 out of 7 days a week. Do specific actions 5 out of 7 days a week that can make Dan think or feel at least 5% better.
Saltwater therapy
Writing down three intentions at the start of the day and write three things you were grateful for the previous day
Connect with colleagues or your support network to check if they have noticed any particular changes or can provide some honest feedback
If you feel yourself disconnecting,

Stellar’s Managing Director, Shaun McCambridge, sits down with Dan Hunt, former professional rugby league player and founder of The Mental Health Movement. They discuss how The Mental Health Movement has created mentally healthy workplaces and the necessary steps to achieve this. Dan draws on past experiences and shares a wealth of knowledge on navigating towards a better mental head space.

Dan’s Highlights:

1:55 - Views on “Absenteeism” and “Presenteeism” and what needs to change to address this phenomenon
7:22 - How drug and alcohol abuse is used as escapism and the big reluctance of seeking help
12:50 - The reality lived during the height of Dan’s mental illness and how to navigate your way to a better head space.
23:05 - What a mentally healthy sustainable workplace looks like and the blueprint to achieve this.


Views on “Absenteeism” and “Presenteeism” and what needs to change to address this phenomenon

When looking at absenteeism and presenteeism in the workplace, it is not only about the psychosocial hazards in the workplace. There are external contributors like finances, pressures, upbringing, and expectations which affect a human being and will be brought into the workplace. There is no one answer to better manage absenteeism and presenteeism, but the findings from the commission have elements which can help create and develop a mentally healthy workplace. Assess your individual workplace and align to the best standard or practice for that workplace. If you are thinking better, feeling better and being better, you will want to come into the workplace.


How drug and alcohol abuse is used as escapism and the big reluctance of seeking help.

There are nine Australians who take their life each day. 76% of these individuals are male. Thus, 7 men are taking their life every day. Drug and substance usage can coexist with anxiety or depressive orders and can be used for escapism or as a coping strategy. However, these are not positive coping strategies. What defines a substance use disorder is when it starts to affect the law, health, work, relationships and can’t be cut back. People will self-medicate to numb the pain; however, it can only amplify situations.





The reality lived during the height of Dan’s mental illness and how to navigate your way to a better head space.

Leading into the struggle, Dan was a product of his own environment; full of anger, hated the world and everything in it. Professional rugby league gave a sense of identity, purpose and belonging to help get back on the straight and narrow. When that identity was taken away before the pinnacle of Dan’s career, it hit like a tonne of bricks. After reaching out to his support network, Dan realised it was okay to struggle and show vulnerability; you didn’t have to suffer in silence and do it on your own. Find your network to confide in and prepare to be vulnerable. People need to go through their own catalyst to get them to a point where the perception shifts. By adhering to the following three steps, you will be able to navigate your way to a better head space.

1. Knowing you don’t have to do it on your own.
2. Have a level of awareness to understand that what goes on in your life can affect the way you think, act, and feel.
3. Have awareness on how it affects how you think, act, and feel
4. Once the above steps are considered, you can then build out to better manage and cope.

This can be through exercise, mindfulness or even challenging your mindset.

What a mentally healthy sustainable workplace looks like and the blueprint to achieve this

Mental health it is not ADHOC. The best practice for creating a mentally healthy sustainable environment is measuring where the workplace is at. Having surveys which can help you understand the contributing factors, leadership capabilities and psychosocial hazards, will enable you to build your mental health framework or strategy.

If you have a brain in your he

During this podcast, Stellar Recruitment’s Managing Director, Shaun McCambridge, sits down with Specialist Fatigue Consultant, Naomi Rogers. They discuss the importance of sleep, particularly how it can impact on performance, along with tips on healthy sleeping habits. Naomi also shares valuable insights on measuring the quality of sleep, the science behind sleep and the benefits of meditation and mindfulness.
Naomi’s Highlights:
2:57 - How much is enough sleep?
4:33 - The downside of poor sleep
5:55 - Upside of taking time to get quality sleep
7:12 - Recommendations on measuring the quality of sleep
8:15 - The tangible impacts of sleep on our ability to operate machinery safely
13:08 - Circadian rhythms and whether sleep personalities are fixed
16:28 - Infrared light and its impact on circadian rhythm
20:12 - The impact of exercise, diet, alcohol, smoking, caffeine and sugar on sleep
22:14 - The best tips for a good sleep
24:06 - The science behind breaking the sleep pattern
28:05 - View or benefits of a power nap
30:27 - The power of meditation and mindfulness on sleep


How much is enough sleep?
Studies on performance have shown that in order to keep performing at high levels, a minimum of 8 hours of sleep is required. In addition, the study also indicated that having 6.5 hours of sleep can have long and short-term implications on health.

The downside of poor sleep
The short-term impacts derived from low quality sleep include an individual being lethargic and slow. The immune system is typically lower, particularly in winter. The long-term impacts include weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and various heart conditions.

Upside of taking time to get quality sleep
When you have had a long, fulfilling sleep, it can help with embracing the day and increasing overall performance. This includes memory retention, longer concentration levels, and quicker reflexes. If you are studying the night before a test, a good night’s sleep can help with retaining the information and performing better during the test.

Recommendations on measuring the quality of sleep
The best quality of sleep is one with routine. If you are going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time, you will have drive and energy to operate at your best capacity during the day.

The tangible impacts of sleep on our ability to operate machinery safely
When operating heavy vehicles or cars on the road with sleep deprivation, a range of performance is impacted. With limited sleep, micro-sleep tends to take over where the brain needs to shut off to make up for the lost sleep. This leads to decreased concentration and focus, resulting in high-impact fatigue accidents.

Circadian rhythms and whether sleep personalities are fixed
We generally have a 24-hour circadian rhythm. There are a variety of sleep personalities and individual sleep needs; some are morning people, and some are night people. 5% of the population are true short sleepers, 5% are true long sleepers and the rest fall within the average 8-hour rhythm. However, waking up when your body wants to rather than waking up to an alarm is the most beneficial for your circadian rhythm.

Infrared light and its impact on circadian rhythm
Early morning light is important for alerting the brain that it is time to start the day. The brain knows what time of day it is from light level. However, having heavy lights or screens on at the end of the day can trick the brain into thinking it is still daytime, limiting the ability to fall asleep easily.

The impact of exercise, diet, alcohol, smoking, caffeine and sugar on sleep
The more you exercise, the better-quality sleep you will get and the more you will have energy to exercise further throughout the day. Exercise, nutrition, and sleep are the three main pillars for a healthy lifestyle. Where possible, refrain from drinking caffeine as it will limit your ability to fall asleep easily. It is recommended to turn off devices 1 hour before

During this podcast we hear from Organisational Psychologist, Frank O’Connor, who played a major part in the development of the standard, and registered psychologist, Naomi Armitage. We learn about ISO 45003 and unpack this standard to better understand and manage how psychological health and safety can be improved within a working environment.

Frank & Naomi’s Highlights

2:45 - Identifying a Psychosocial Hazard
3:55 - Why the ISO Standard Developed
6.48 - How Boards and Executives Should Look at Managing Psychological Safety Risk
9.05 - How the Standard was Developed
11.44 - How the Standard will Assist Organisations in Responding to Managing Psychosocial Risks
14.04 - The Challenges and most Efficient ways to Implement the Standard
19.00 - The Three Things Organisations Could Do Tomorrow to Start to Work Through the Standard
22.30 - The Key Factors that will Lead to the Successful Management of Psychological Health and Safety at Work
24.05 - The Benefits of Creating a Psychologically Safe Organisation
25.12 - What do Organisations who are Successful at Managing Psychosocial Risks Look Like?


Identifying a Psychosocial Hazard

Psychosocial hazards are things that reduce or decrease the mental healthiness of workers (or managers). In a work environment, you must look at the things that make you feel better about what you are doing. Focussing your thoughts to question what you do and whether you are doing a good job can impact your mental health. Identifying these psychosocial hazards and finding ways to manage them are crucial to any workplace.

Why the ISO Standard Developed

Work capacity loss of more than 4% of GDP is caused by burnout, stress, depression, and other psychosocial sources. Depression is a major health problem which already exists in the workplace. This standard was developed as guidance in the mental and psychological space because health and safety has tended to be physical.

How Boards and Executives Should Look at Managing Psychological Safety Risk

Companies are already expressing interest. Some have made a good start. Queries are coming through from others. A systematic approach will be adapted to suit different situations as boards invest more into how they can successfully manage and improve psychological health and safety in the workplace.

How the Standard was Developed

Standards have grown in the different countries that are interested in them. As a timeline, the standard was proposed in June of 2018 and development was approved in August of 2018. Drafting of the standard started in January 2020 and finished in January 2021. It was published by the 8th of June 2021. The ISO 45003 is the work of hundreds of people in industry and academia, including the input of many Australians.






How the Standard will Assist Organisations in Responding to Managing Psychosocial Risks

Brings an organisational focus into managing psychosocial risks — it was predominately individually focussed.
Feeds innovation - adaptation gets better because collaboration is easy where friction is lower. Working well together means thinking well together.
ISO 45 003 gives examples and principles, but it doesn’t give solutions. It depends on the risk to the particular people and the work situation. Just like the risk of flooding at work depends of where you are and what work is done.

The Challenges and most Efficient ways to Implement the Standard

The most efficient way to implement the standard is by taking a systematic
Approach: work through the standard and see what the company is already succeeding in, then identify any high-priority gaps. One of the main challenges of using the standard is that it could become a compliance exercise. At present, companies are light on the first step of hazard identification as they don’t know what to look for or what the common ones are. The standard helps here.

The Three Things Organisations Could Do Tomorrow to Start to Work Through the Standard

Look at Sect

1:20: Inspiration Behind Choosing a Career in Mining
From growing up in a small town in North Colombia with one of the largest mine sites, Cerrejon, Diana was inspired by the impact of the community to not only study mining engineering but also complete a graduate program for that company.

2:30- The Career Journey- by Design or Guided by a Vision?
Diana looked at every career or lifestyle change she wanted to make and had the tenacity and perseverance to go after them. After applying for a particular role over 15 times, there was a clear vision for the direction she wanted to take and took the necessary steps to achieve this.

6:55- The Difference Between Working in Colombia as An Engineer Compared to Australia and the Inspiration Behind Moving to Australia.
Working within Col0mbia’s mining environment was evidently different 20 years ago. There is a significant difference in both the market and culture of the Australian and Colombian mining sector. In Colombia, there is no celebration of success whereby you will get replaced if you do not do your job well enough. The different employment environment and landscape coupled with the better quality of living were just some of the inspirations behind Diana’s decision to come to Australia.

10:30- Advice for Those Seeking to Take Their Careers from Engineering to a Managerial Position
Diana’s best advice for those seeking to progress their career from engineering to a managerial position is having a good mentor. It is critical to have people in your team who can back you up. Additionally, surround yourself with people who hold different opinions and viewpoints and provide you with the opportunity to continuously learn and have a growth mindset.

The Leadership and Career Philosophies Admired by Diana

Receiving feedback from subordinates and understanding what can be improved has been Diana’s favourite career philosophy. Diana admires the ability to embrace openness and inclusivity alongside promoting diversity. Leadership is a social influence, and it should move more towards that.









The Best Career Advice Received, and the Best Career Move Made in Retrospect
The best career advice Diana received was “If you value what you have and what you have done, you will start seeing all the good things in life.” It is important to talk about the challenges you encounter both mentally and physically and break that stigma. The best career move for Diana was moving to Australia. The opportunities presented through this career move created immense gratitude.

A Message to Year 10-12 Students Who Might Be Considering a Career In Mining
It is immensely rewarding when you see something you have worked on come to life. Those coming into the mining industry are entering something like never before. These students will have the capability to innovate, design and explore. Mining companies like BHP are heavily involved with the community, supporting diversity, inclusivity and recognising the first nations. The mining industry wouldn’t exist unless society needed it.

How a Career in Mining Changed Diana’s Life for the Better
A career in mining has given Diana the chance to change other people life. Now that she is in a leader, she has been given the opportunity to develop both her team and herself.