S4 Ep12: Reflecting on 2023 and looking ahead to 2024 HR trends

As the year is almost at an end and a new one about to begin...do you take this time to review what you have achieved in your business this year? And make plans for next year?

In this episode of the podcast, we did just that. We reflect on what we have achieved and also talk about the trends coming in to 2024.

Merry Christmas from Angela and Susan at the Work Wonders podcast.

We will back with season 5 in 2024!

You can find the show notes for this episode here

Would you like to submit a question to the show? Let us know on our website or via LinkedIn.

Brought to you by Aster HR, the Work Wonders Podcast is hosted by  Angela Gauci & Susan Rochester and is recorded at Launch Pad at Western Sydney University.

All information or advice included in this podcast is general, has been developed as a starting point for your business, and should be tailored to your specific requirements. It should not be considered legal advice. We have made every attempt to ensure the accuracy and currency of this information at the time of recording. However, references to things like employment laws are subject to change. For specific advice relating to your business, please get in touch with us.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:06

Welcome to the Work Wonders podcast brought to you by AstaHR, where we simplify the human side of business.

Speaker 2 0:12

I'm Angela and I'm Susan. Let's dive into today's episode and find out what you've been wondering about. Today's episode is our last for this season and for this year, so we're going to take the opportunity to reflect on what's happened in 2023, not just for us, but in the wider world of work and think ahead for 2024 and what we've got coming up. This is the Work Wonders podcast. Merry Christmas, susan, oh Sam, to you.

Speaker 1 0:54

Angela. So we're almost there Christmas is upon us. We're nearly ready to go to the beach.

Speaker 2 1:01

I heard someone talking about the November disease.

Speaker 1 1:04

Oh, yeah, tell me.

Speaker 2 1:05

Oh, it's like when you think I fucking just make it to Christmas I'll survive.

Speaker 1 1:11

I've had thoughts like that. Then I can have a break. It's this crazy deadline, isn't it? We all think we'll need to get everything done before Christmas.

Speaker 2 1:19

Yeah, that's like January and February don't exist.

Speaker 1 1:21

Yeah.

Speaker 2 1:23

And in fact they're really good times for getting stuff done. True, True.

Speaker 1 1:28

Talking about getting stuff done. We've got a lot done this year in 2023, haven't we, it feels like it. Yeah, it feels like the time's just flown by, but I know that it's been filled with a lot of things. We started our year with a brand new name and a brand new website, and all that.

Speaker 2 1:44

Exactly.

Speaker 1 1:45

And we are working together under ASTAHR, which is really exciting.

Speaker 2 1:48

And as of the end of June, balance at Work is no more yeah. So here we are at ASTAHR. Quite the difference. Work Wonders podcast brought to you by ASTAHR.

Speaker 1 1:58

That's it, that's it, which is great. Yeah, it's been lots of fun and we've loved working together, so more of that to come.

Speaker 2 2:06

We've had a few exciting events and a few other things that have been happening for ASTAHR. We had we talked about those.

Speaker 1 2:14

We started the year dressing up for a lovely awards event in our Hawkesbury region and we were lucky enough to win the Excellence in Professional Services category in the Hawkesbury Business Awards. We were also finalists in the Australian Women's Small Business Champions Awards in their Professional Services category as well, and just last weekend we were also a finalist in the same Professional Services category in the Altitude Awards as well. So lots of awards that we've been part of.

Speaker 2 2:44

Yeah, keeps things interesting, and there's also a sense of accountability related to that as well, isn't it? Because? It leads you to reflect on the business and what the achievements have been.

Speaker 1 2:56

There's often also an independent judging panel that have a look at all your everything about your business. And it's quite an accomplishment to see that that's a value from eyes that aren't in it every day.

Speaker 2 3:10

And you and I have both been involved in various business community roles. I guess you would call it.

Speaker 1 3:16

That's right. Yeah, we both are involved in the chambers in our relevant areas. A couple of those.

Speaker 2 3:21

So we're talking about Penrith Chamber and Hawkesbury Chamber of Commerce? Yes, we are yes.

Speaker 1 3:26

So I took on a role as the secretary for the Hawkesbury Chamber of Commerce and I know you've continued this year in facilitating.

Speaker 2 3:32

One of the collective groups. That's the one, yeah, the Fort Knightley Mastermind Group.

Speaker 1 3:37

Yes, is it Penrith Chamber? Great to be part of those, and we've also been involved in lots of speaking engagements as well this year. So, as we talked about in one of our last episodes, we were at a conference, the Women with Altitude Conference. This year we also have spoken at the alternative board events. We've been asked to go and speak on their panel Blue Mountain City Council.

Speaker 2 4:00

I think the point about all those mentions is not just to blow out trumpet, but to let you know that we are in touch with businesses and that's where we're getting a lot of our inspiration from Absolutely Both trying to help businesses like yours, but also learning what the challenges are that everyone's facing at the moment. So, talking about AsterHR and the podcast, we've done 21 episodes this year.

Speaker 1 4:31

We have. So I think that takes us over the 50 now in total. Oh, that was like our big milestone it was. It was our big benchmark.

Speaker 2 4:38

Yeah, when we first started, we were told well, once you make 50 episodes, then you can really say it's a thing. It's a thing now. So it's a thing now, everybody. And thank you for listening.

Speaker 1 4:49

And it's going to keep being a thing. Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2 4:53

So we've settled on the two seasons a year, which seems to suit everybody well, including us being able to turn them out. And how many downloads have we had now, Angela?

Speaker 1 5:04

The last time I checked, which was a short while ago, was 450 or over 450 downloads. So I think that's pretty cool yeah.

Speaker 2 5:14

We certainly know it's growing. Yes, Every month there's more and more people coming on board. So if you know anyone who you think should be listening and isn't, please let them know about it.

Speaker 1 5:25

Yeah, please share it, and we do keep track of those stats. We like to listen to what you're listening to and we can see that from the amount of downloads, so we know that you're loving the interview style episodes and things like that.

Speaker 1 5:38

So we'll definitely be bringing you more of what you're looking for, but use that option on our website to let us know if you've got a question or you've got things that you want to. You know a topic or a person you want us to speak to? Let us know and we'll bring it to you.

Speaker 2 5:51

Yeah, because we're making it for you.

Speaker 1 5:54

Maybe we should say well, we're grateful for as well who's come along with us for the ride. Yes, we share. They've been definitely special people, first and foremost, our listeners.

Speaker 2 6:04

Yes, definitely.

Speaker 1 6:05

Thanks so much for being along with us and making the podcast what is.

Speaker 2 6:09

Well, there'd be no point without you. No, but we love all the feedback that we get and it really helps keep us going and inspires us to know that we're providing useful content for our listeners, absolutely. And then you know our broader business networks, who have encouraged us to keep going and keep producing this, and also our networks with Aster HR and our clients there Absolutely, and thanks to those as well that have come with us on the journey as things have transitioned and we're now working together under Aster.

Speaker 1 6:45

Thanks so much for staying with us. Yes, thank you Joining us on that journey, and also the team at Launchpad here as well, that help us with the podcast Absolutely. Did you know that we have lots of free resources available to you on our website, things like templates that you could download or a checklist for a process or even recordings of our previous workshops? If you're looking for help in a particular area or just some inspiration, check out the resources page on our website, asterhrcomau. And now it's back to the episode.

Speaker 2 7:24

This year, lucky for us, there's been a lot of changes in IR legislation. Just a bit yeah.

Speaker 1 7:31

So we've had those secure jobs, better pay. I think there was I don't know over a dozen probably, things that changed over the course of the year.

Speaker 2 7:39

Yeah, and a lot of them seemed like small things, but you need to know and check that you're in line with them and you're compliant with what's happened. Then we have the respect at work, all the changes there that come in.

Speaker 1 7:54

You know it was brought in in around December 2022, but there was a bit of a grace period where you had that time to get used to it and how you were going to handle this positive duty. What? You're going to do about it, but December 2023, it's now compliance you need to be held liable if you're not compliant.

Speaker 2 8:14

And then similarly with psychosocial hazards. So a lot of responsibilities on business owners and managers. We've got the paid family and domestic violence leave that now all employees are entitled to.

Speaker 1 8:28

And there was changes to annual leave in a shutdown as well. You know we experienced that in COVID shutdown. It's something we all well most of us had to do, so they put temporary measures in place across different awards and instruments so that people could do that and do what they needed to. But they've made the decision now that you can't force a person to take unpaid leave over something like a Christmas period where you might shut down If half of what we're talking about, or more, sounds like so much gobbledygook.

Speaker 2 8:57

Yeah, scroll back through the episodes and get yourself some more details and you know, you can find out what we're on about and how it might affect you.

Speaker 1 9:06

We've also got a really handy checklist. So if you'd prefer to have it in a printout, something you can check off and and use or share with people in your business, we've got a freebie on our website. If you go to the resources page on our website, it's a HR compliance checklist. Go and grab that today.

Speaker 2 9:22

So that's at astrahrcomau.

Speaker 1 9:25

We've also just seen a lot of changes in the workplace across this year as well. I think it's safe to say that working from home is not going anywhere. In fact, we're seeing hybrid work becoming the norm, would you say, susan.

Speaker 2 9:38

You know, definitely and I guess that's feeding into what we're seeing in recruitment as well and the expectations. Certainly candidates, as I think we've mentioned previously, are applying for jobs and asking up front Well, I'd be able to work from home at least by the time and we're getting people withdrawing because they're not. They're not getting what they want.

Speaker 1 10:00

Yep, yep, flexibilities definitely up there.

Speaker 2 10:04

What are other changes you've noticed in recruitment?

Speaker 1 10:08

I think, the way of attracting people. So what I'm thinking of there is are you going to the source of where people are? You know? Gone are the days where you could just put out a newspaper advertisement or definitely just something on your website, Actually thinking about where you're placing your job advertisements.

Speaker 2 10:26

And, in some cases, being really proactive about it, absolutely. I know we've talked in an earlier episode about people joining chat groups on Facebook where they know their potential candidates hang out so they can get a feel for who might be good to come and work with them.

Speaker 1 10:42

And the rise of the employee value proposition. I think, we've talked about in a previous episode, which is about doing all those activities of sharing how great your workplace is to work in, even when you're not recruiting.

Speaker 2 10:55

Oh, exactly.

Speaker 1 10:56

You might be doing posts or different things. You know we're celebrating this today with our staff, or here's a day in the life of this role and those sorts of things that people are engaged and listening to your story and wanting to work with you.

Speaker 2 11:09

So building your reputation so that you may find that people are coming to us to work with you rather than you going out to the market to imagine how much money that's going to save you. There's also different ways of selecting. Now we've been involved in a project where there was group interviews. Yeah, that was really interesting, yeah.

Speaker 1 11:31

So being flexible in your approach is a good thing and thinking about, you know, meeting people where they're at, I think, because unfortunately it's still a really tight job market and you know we would encourage you to work quickly and meet people you know, with what they're looking for, where you can, to find that good match, because it's tough, it still is really tough.

Speaker 2 11:51

What about induction? Are there being changes there that you've noticed?

Speaker 1 11:55

As I think about the remote workforce, that's definitely impacted things. So I know of some clients that are using an online version that's bringing across everybody into the same platform. So, yeah, finding different ways for that to work when you've got a hybrid workplace is different, and bringing elements of that into even the recruitment process. You might say you know that really early stage, before someone even starts giving them information at that point to keep them engaged, because often there's that little window where you go, ok, the job's yours and you're starting two weeks.

Speaker 2 12:30

Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 1 12:32

That's that kind of weird period of like OK, but I'm still in the old job, you know, keeping them engaged that way.

Speaker 2 12:38

Yeah, because there's many. What is it? Slip between cup and lip sometimes. You know something more attractive comes along in that two week period and you haven't sold the job well enough. All of this that we're talking about should be taken as a sign that you need to work on your retention as well.

Speaker 1 12:59

Oh, absolutely yes. It's much cheaper to keep those you have than find someone new.

Speaker 2 13:03

So people are really tuned into the organisation, values the culture. You know what's the organisation going to do for me, which is all part of the employee value proposition that you're talking about.

Speaker 1 13:27

So we've looked back on the year that was in 2023,. What's ahead in 2024 season?

Speaker 2 13:33

What is it, can you tell? Hang on, I'll just get up my crystal ball and I'll see if I can tell you. As you know, Angela, we've referred to Gartner a bit in some of her podcasts because they do some great research and they have done a lot of research on what the business priorities are going to be in terms of HR in 2024. I still am having troubles on 2024.

Speaker 1 14:00

You've got to get used to that.

Speaker 2 14:03

So number one on the list reported from thousands of people that they surveyed was leadership and management development, and that is partly because the leaders and managers are going to be required to cope with more and more responsibility, higher and higher expectations from boards and shareholders and customers and everybody else, yeah, and I'll add to that the idea of managing a hybrid workplace we talked about that in one of our earlier episodes and not just learning how to lead a team in the traditional sense, if you want to call it that, but now leading those that are absent from a workplace or virtual, or people that are actually there physically, and all those nuances that go with that.

Speaker 2 14:50

So I'm sure many of our listeners will agree that there needs to be more of a focus on that leadership management development. Piece Number two on the list was organisational culture.

Speaker 1 15:01

Okay. So, that's because of the workforce being spread out. Yeah.

Speaker 2 15:07

There's that and just that need for connection. You know, people, the more connected we are, the less the more disconnected we are. So people needing to feel connected both to each other but to something some higher purpose.

Speaker 1 15:23

Yeah.

Speaker 2 15:24

Which work can provide. The third priority on the Garten and Least was HR tech.

Speaker 1 15:32

Oh, yes, ai.

Speaker 2 15:35

Yeah, and also using technology to do a lot of the grant work in terms of running an organisation on the people side.

Speaker 1 15:48

Yes, actually I was reading a newsletter the other day around the software that we use for recruiting and they're bringing AI into that to find ways that even recruitment can be streamlined using AI.

Speaker 2 16:00

So it's not just AI, Angela, it is the buzzword that the manager has. It is, isn't it? But just the whole technology of trying to manage your staff and making sure everyone's on the same page, everyone's getting the same message. And that relates not just to the human resources side, the policies, procedures, the recruitment, the retention, the performance management, all that sort of thing, so payroll and how that's managed. You know we're seeing more and more apps, people being able to do everything on their phone. You, like me, you can probably see drawbacks with that.

Speaker 1 16:38

Oh yes, but there's some wonderful things too, like the integrations. Absolutely. There's some apps that you can use, for time sheets, for example, that integrate with all the different awards. Now, I mean that takes away the need to calculate yourself or takes away the headaches. You know of trying to figure out all the different nuances with the award.

Speaker 2 16:57

Yeah, so we're talking about introducing new technology and understanding the risks and benefits of that, which leads nicely into priority number four, which is change management.

Speaker 1 17:09

Oh yeah, I guess we could always do better at that. It's not an easy one.

Speaker 2 17:14

Interestingly and this relates back to culture and leadership as well is that one of the things that Gartner is saying that organisations need to take into account is change fatigue. So they found that 50% of employees don't trust their organisations, and part of that is the constant and layered change, or change upon change. Right, and what used to happen in the past was okay, we're going to introduce A and we go through the process of introducing A, and then that's done now, so let's do B.

Speaker 1 17:49

Okay.

Speaker 2 17:50

We may change B, but now we're getting changes A, B, C, D, E all happening at once, so it's a high expectation on people to deal with that. And then the final priority for 2024 that Gartner identified from this survey was the need for career management and internal mobility. So this is, I think, an issue we might do an episode on this next year. For a lot of smaller businesses, because there's that sense of well, I can't really offer a full career plan because we're too small to be able to have that.

Speaker 2 18:30

So that's something to consider about whether that might be a priority for you in terms of retaining stuff.

Speaker 1 18:37

Yes, and what other ways could you do that if you can't do it internally? Yeah, exactly yeah, let's discuss that more in 2024.

Speaker 2 18:46

That'll be the catchphrase let's do more in 2024. So what about us? What's going to happen in 2024?

Speaker 1 18:56

Well, we'll be here. What's the we talking to you? Podcast is still going to happen. We'll still have two seasons next year and during those seasons it'll be every Monday for our episode. We would still love to hear your questions. Definitely so please still send them in via the Aster HR website If you have questions to submit to the show. Likewise, if you have a topic or a suggested person that we should interview.

Speaker 2 19:21

Please. Yeah, we're lining up our interviews now for next year. We've got some great people already in line. Shall we say yeah, because we love the interviews. You know we'll have a show.

Speaker 1 19:34

We will continue to use our experience from our work with our people or that we're working with or people that we have in our business networks that are real life examples and we'll continue to use that as inspiration for the show Definitely and bring that to you and, of course, keeping you informed as things change. We've seen a lot this year.

Speaker 2 19:53

We've brought that all to you Do you think we're going to break or we go? It's going to be that layered change, right, yeah, you talked about change.

Thanksgiving Message for 2023

Speaker 1 20:00

Yeah, look, maybe we get a breath to just make sure it's all implemented. I will say, yeah, maybe. Yeah, you never can tell with this government, but we'll continue bringing that information as it comes up so you're always informed and prepared for what you need to know. So a big thank you again to you, our listeners, for joining us for 2023 on the podcast this year. We hope you've enjoyed it.

Speaker 2 20:22

Yeah, we've enjoyed it, so we hope you have. It's been great to have you on board, and we wish you a happy and safe festive season.

Speaker 1 20:30

Absolutely Merry Christmas and enjoy some time off, hopefully from work. Please A bit of a break and reinvigorate yourselves and get back into it, and we'll see you in 2024. Merry Christmas.