For many people, combining a digital and human workforce sounds like science fiction. But it is a reality that will transform the Australian labour force in the years ahead. As HR leaders, it's up to us to embrace a culture of continuous learning and adaptation, so we can take a human-centric approach that builds trust, transparency and fairness at all times.
Learning to Manage a Hybrid Workforce
The summit also delved into the evolution of flexible working, acknowledging the profound impact of the past five years on collaboration and learning. Sarah McCann-Bartlett, CEO of the Australian HR Institute, stressed that while hybrid working patterns have now stabilised, many organisations still need to actively cultivate a sense of collaboration and community.
Kathryn van der Merwe, Group Executive of People, Culture & Communications at Telstra agreed. She admitted that while Telstra has had a flexible working policy for over a decade, it's still a 'big experiment'. She suggested HR leaders still put effort into becoming great, noting that it can't be a set and forget approach.
While we won't know how Gen Alpha will impact working patterns for another few years, all speakers agreed that the key to designing a great workplace is to be intentional. This includes consideration of each organisation's unique operating rhythms, roles, ways of working and office space. This approach ensures teams can thrive, and support customers in the best way possible.
Driving Success Through Employee Experience
This intrinsic link between employee experience and customer success was underscored in a conversation between The AFR's Anthony Macdonald and Catherine Walsh, Chief People Officer at Qantas Group. As the first people leader to sit on the executive leadership team, Walsh is dedicated to ensuring the voice of Qantas Group's 29,000 employees are front and centre.
Walsh is a strong advocate for visible leadership and believes people leaders must spend time listening to employees and visiting their workplaces, to deeply understand their role and what their experience is like on a day-to-day basis. This direct engagement has been crucial in understanding what truly matters to employees at Qantas, beyond wages.
She also emphasised the importance of visibility at a leadership level, noting that while many people say people are their most important asset, it's not true unless there's a HR leader sitting on the executive leadership team. At Qantas, this ensures she is contributing to every aspect of decision making, while also understanding the commercial realities of the business.
This visibility has been instrumental in rebuilding relationships with customers. "When you talk to customers, they say 'it's the people that I come back for', so if we don't pay attention to that then we're missing that opportunity," Walsh said, highlighting how investments in employee wellbeing can directly impact customer-driven metrics.