Unleashed magazine

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ISSUE / ONE FEBRUARY 2017 A COLLECTION OF INSIGHTS AND STORIES TO ENHANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD OF WORK

BY CHANDLER MACLEOD GROUP

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COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE Our team of organisational psychologists delve into the latest research to support the phenomenon of a group intelligence that emerges from the collaboration, collective efforts, and competition of many individuals.

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What is the C Factor?

The start of a new year comes with fresh ideas and new opportunities. Our Unleashed magazine offers advice for HR executives and business managers on how you can make the most of your year. Every article is an opportunity to learn something new.

For more insight visit our blog at chandlermacleod.com/blog Follow us

/ChandlerMacleod /ChandlerMacleod @ChandlerMacleod

Unleashing potential in high performing teams

Working with diversity and inclusion

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6 Tips to building team diversity

Social sensitivity trumps IQ

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Insights from the top Michelle Loader, Chandler Macleod Group

What makes an effective leader?

A look at the qualities that best demonstrate effective and inclusive leadership

Maximising talent potential We reveal how the demand for more flexible work options is shaping the workforce of tomorrow

Trend Update An industry specialist’s look at offering the highest job growth 2017

Insights from the top Tania Sinabaldi, Chandler Macleod Staffing Services

The Future of Work Insights gained from Chandler Macleod Group research into workplace diversity

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Are you sure? Best fit vs. best guess Real life lessons learned from a CEO

Developing a growth mindset Practical advice on how to ensure a positive, forward-thinking mindset

Intergenerational leadership How four generations of leaders are balancing the skills of successful management

Happy people, happy business Does staff happiness matter?

Work/life balance How to master this modern day dilemma

Why workplace flexibility matters Ways for employers and employees to consider working outside the 9-5 office

Mind-FULL The importance of mindfulness in driving productivity and personal wellbeing

How to retain quality employees Surprisingly simple tips to retain your top talent

potential pə(ʊ)ˈtɛnʃ(ə)l/

adjective 1. having or showing the capacity to develop into something in the future. noun 1. latent qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to future success or usefulness.

Unleashing potential in a working world No matter where we have come from, or what we have experienced, it is our potential that is driving us towards our next destination. Potential is something within all us, just waiting for the right situation to provide the directions for the next part of our work journey. To achieve this potential, and follow the path to lead us to a a bigger, better, brighter ‘self’ we look for insight and guidance from sources we trust.

At the Chandler Macleod Group, we believe there is no greater reward than seeing someone reach their full potential and that is why our group of businesses has a shared purpose to unleash the potential of individuals, teams, organisations and communities at work.

CHECK OUT OUR LATEST INSIGHTS AT UNLEASHINGPOTENTIAL.COM.AU

We caught up with CMG CEO Michelle Loader at the start of this year and asked...

What is the biggest challenge facing business leaders in 2017?

in many ways. Our services at CMG run 24/7, and so does my responsibility as a mum. I realise now the effect my mother has had on me, the pivotal tricks and lessons engrained over the years; that help me lead an integrated life as a full-time mum and CEO.

I recently read a study that stated 65% of the jobs the next generation will have when they finish school don’t exist yet. In the business of people, this means the impacts of globalisation, automation, and mobilisation combine to make our world move figuratively faster than ever before. In short, we have to innovate to be ahead of the game; the ability to be agile and adapt to these new situations is vital to the success of modern businesses.

What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader?

What are you doing differently this year to (incrementally) improve your productivity?

At the Chandler Macleod Group, we connect with 7% of the Australian working population each year. I’m fortunate to work with team members from hundreds of different roles, across dozens of industries, at the same time working with some of the most talented executives and experienced specialists in their field.

With all this experience from every possible walk of life, every day provides a new lesson learned.

Finding the right balance of quality delivery and positive commercial outcomes is a constant challenge for all businesses. With a purpose as clear as “Unleashing Potential”, we look to find the best fit talent to bring our mission to life. Something truly amazing happens when the head and heart align for the same purpose; you can find the motivation and ability to achieve incredible things.

From a more personal outlook, I’ve found that digital media has become my preferred method of consuming and sharing information. I’ve been loving podcasts, and they have proven to be an incredible personal development tool as I can be on the move and learning at the same time.

Just last week as I was telling my daughter to “get moving, we’re in a hurry!” My daughter responded “If you’re in such a rush then why don’t we get ready earlier”. The reality checks I receive from my two young daughters almost daily are a constant reminder that we have something to learn from everyone.

What advice would you give to your ‘younger self’ who was just joining the workforce?

Set-backs are what make us stronger and better. It’s not how hard you fall, but how high you bounce back.

There are times when the fall is going to be harder than others, but don’t let yourself be defeated - use it as momentum to bounce back better than ever.

Who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader?

My mum, even ten years after her death, is still having a positive impact on me. When I was growing up, my mum’s work was raising her children at home, working on the family farm, and all but running the local community. She didn’t think of this as work, it was a part of who she was. Now, I mirror her life

Michelle Loader, CEO Chandler Macleod Group

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he job landscape is changing.

As robots take over human sectors and many people face uncertainty in their careers, understanding which industries to train for is increasingly important.

As specialists in Human Resources, following these trends is both interesting for us and part of our job.

Here we’ve put together our key industry growth forecasts for 2017 to help you make informed choices in your career development. While no prediction can claim 100% accuracy, these insights do align with major industry players and government bodies, including Deloitte and the Australian government.

Cyber security Now that most data is stored digitally, cyber-attacks can cost businesses – and individuals – lots of money.

Australia’s cyber security industry lags behind other developed nations, and we don’t have enough experts in the field to meet an increasing demand.

The Australian government is investing more than $30 million through to 2020 to establish the Cyber Security Growth Centre. They’ve also identified key skills that will be in high demand, including:

technical skills in intrusion detection technical skills in software development technical skills in attack mitigation.

While Australia has a larger gap between supply and demand for cyber security professionals than the rest of the world does, other nations are in a similar situation. The information security field is expected to see a worldwide deficit of 1.5 million professionals by 2020.

Health The health industry is typically resistant to economic fluctuations, and it will likely continue growing steadily in 2017. With a deficit of more than 100,000 registered nurses forecasted to affect health services by 2025, the high demand for professionals in health sciences will continue throughout 2017 and beyond.

Digital Digital is becoming big business as our economy starts to shift from mining to technology. With a forecasted growth of more than 75% (from $79 billion in 2014 to an estimated $139 billion in 2020), the workforce will need more people with strong ICT skills in place to ensure businesses and individuals can get the most from this growth industry. In 2015, there were around 628,000 ICT workers employed in Australia, which already exceeded the expectations forecasted in 2014 (605,000).

Education Projections show that we’ll need 158,300 primary UNLEASHED | ONE 7 school teachers nationwide by 2020, which is up from the 143,800 figure from 2015. Australia will also be looking for more secondary educators, with an extra 6,000 or so teachers required in high schools around the country by 2020.

Why are careers in education such a reliable option?

Because when you combine steady population growth with the shift to industries that require specialist knowledge (like the ones mentioned above), you see more children entering and staying in school. This naturally leads to a constant increase in demand for qualified teachers and tutors.

Mitigating the risk associated with automation It’s interesting to note the common traits of the industries expected to experience high growth rates in 2017. High degrees of knowledge and training are required for each sector, but a more interesting similarity to note is the level of human touch.

Automation threatens thousands of jobs across a variety of industries. And this means roles that require human reasoning, innovation or sensitivity are likely to make promising careers that shouldn’t leave you redundant over the next decade.

While these are some of the key industries likely to experience growth throughout 2017, this isn’t an exhaustive list. With many opportunities to capitalise in almost every industry, the main takeaway is not to abandon your current career. Rather, stay on top of the news in your industry and take advantage of opportunities to expand your skillset. And if you are new to the workforce, the industries discussed may be worth your consideration.

Stay up to date with your sector by checking in with our skill profiles, where you’ll find in-depth analyses of talent market conditions. This includes salary data, trends and forecasts, and top hiring criteria for employers.

Tania Sinibaldi Chief Operating Officer Chandler Macleod Staffing Services

WHAT MAKES AN EFFECTIVE LEADER?

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ach year, millions of dollars are spent on increasing the capabilities of business leaders through training. But does this training really build effective and inclusive leaders? What qualities can we teach to leaders to allow them to truly harness the collective intelligence of their teams?

Furthermore, does this training help them improve performance at a rate that consistently surpasses the competition? ­­­­­­ Across Australia in 2016, Chandler Macleod People Insights hosted a number of intimate lunches that brought together a number of HR and operational leaders to share our recent research on collective intelligence. We discussed the

qualities that best demonstrate effective and inclusive leadership, and how leaders could use this research to build high performing teams.

Social Sensitivity Inclusive leadership is built on selfreflection, transparency, openness to feedback, curiosity, humility and integrity. Trust is built on integrity; integrity is built on humility.

Ask your leaders what legacy do they want to leave? Get them to think about how they can have an impact on others. Developing insight requires a safe environment where the leader can be vulnerable without fear of diminishing their sense of self-worth. Once leaders have undergone a process of selfreflection and feedback, generally

through a 360-degree survey or an emotional intelligence course, changes can be seen in their team’s willingness to provide and receive feedback. This openness and communication will enable teams to be agile and adaptable where others will stagnate and perish.

Communication and collaboration A consistent discussion across our Business Leader Lunches surrounded how workplaces can create an environment of open communication and collaboration whilst maintaining focus and productivity. Guests highlighted that strong leaders take the time to understand and that it is important for leaders to show an interest in their people and the issues they face at work. This openness and

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Phil Bayne-Jardine State Manager Queensland Chandler Macleod People Insights communication can be key to closing the gap between leaders and individuals.

When this curiosity is demonstrated by leaders, it paves the way for effective two-way communication and allows for an environment where continuous improvement is the norm, and where team members can flourish.

When changes or improvements in behaviour or approaches were being made, it was clear that actions needed to be quantifiable, and are just as important as clear communication. People should see the difference, not have to be told that something has changed or that someone is behaving differently. Wherever possible it is recommended to build togetherness; ensure people

understand that they are there to make a positive difference together. This clarity of purpose and its ability to enhance performance was recognised around the table as critical to attracting and retaining the right talent.

Cognitive diversity If you can pool together employees with different backgrounds, experiences and capabilities, and combine this with a sense of determination over complacency; and empowerment over direction, you will create a coalition of the willing, and an environment that cultivates consistent improvement.

It was emphasised that selfleadership is very important to foster and support, and not just at leadership levels. Self-leadership

can develop rapidly in teams where employees see their leaders taking their own professional development seriously, by constantly seeking ways to improve their skills and abilities.

When team members see these behaviours, they are more likely to onboard it themselves, which in turn leads to increased responsibility, accountability, and productivity.

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Every incident carries a message

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s the GM of the Occupational Health and Safety team here at CMG, every morning the first email waiting for me contains the incident log from the previous 24hrs.

Due to our large number of employees working across most industries in Australia, there is usually a variety of incidents. Fortunately the vast majority are not serious; however, this does not make the list any easier to read.

On that day, a workmate concerned about the mental well-being of our employee discussed her concerns with a client site supervisor. The affected employee was going through difficult times personally and appeared very distressed. On this occasion, the supervisor did what he believed was the right thing and reduced the affected employee’s workload in an attempt to reduce stress. During the morning shift, our employee succumbed to her mental state.

Every now and then one incident jumps out of the screen, its message delivered with such clarity that it pushes all other distractions aside. This story is about one such incident.

The message is clear and unequivocal. Just like a serious physical injury, recognising distress linked to poor mental health is a ‘stop work’ moment.

There is no room for doubt or hesitation. Be proactive and protect the distressed individual from the passing storm.

A CMG employee, who was concerned about the mental wellbeing of a workmate, discussed his concerns with the client site supervisor. The affected employee was going through a difficult time in his private life and appeared very distressed. The client supervisor acted immediately and asked the affected employee to leave the workshop floor, finding a quiet place where both could talk freely. During this conversation the supervisor learned of the difficulties faced by the employee and the alarming state of his mental health. This discussion lead to the supervisor contacting the employee’s father, who drove to the workplace and took over care of his son. The supervisor also arranged an EAP (Employee Assistance Program) professional to visit the father’s home the same day to work with the affected employee. This intervention worked, with the employee returning to work after treatment.

RUOK? Is not just a day, but a question we should be asking friends, family, and co-workers when we sense that something is off. The holiday season can amplify smaller issues from throughout the year such as financial pressure, workplace stress and relationship issues, so reach out to those around you this Christmas.

This article is RUOK and workplace safety in action, and a great example of how people can help each other to make it through difficult times, and come out the other side for the better.

If you are troubled by mental illness, either within you or someone you care for, speak up and seek help.

Lifeline Australia – 131 114 BeyondBlue – 1300 22 4636

Metaphorically, the workmate and supervisor put their arms around the unwell employee and protected him from the passing storm.

Sounds straight forward with a positive outcome, so why did this particular incident impact me more than others?

Approximately three months earlier, Chandler Macleod lost one of our employees when a self-harm incident at a client site resulted in her passing away.

It was one of those moments in time that sucks the oxygen out of any room, devastating the loved ones of the deceased and those who were close to the incident (from both the physical and operational perspectives). One moment in time, one sudden decision made while overwhelmed by private issues lead to an irreversible tragedy.

Quentin Hearn Group Manager, OHS Chandler Macleod Group

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If you give a good idea to a But, if you give a mediocre idea to

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mediocre team, they’ll screw it up. a great team, they’ll make it work.

– Ed Catmull, computer scientist

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What is the C Factor?

Psychologists and experts in the field of organisational behaviour have long sought to understand the dynamics at play when individuals come together and work as a group. What makes certain teams more successful than others?

What individual abilities work well in a group scenario? Do higher IQs matter the most? As part of this movement, a spotlight has been shone on collective intelligence or the ‘C factor.’

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ust as an individual can be assessed in order to predict their ability to perform certain tasks (taking into account their capacity to untangle complex ideas, adapt, learn from mistakes and engage in critical reasoning), a group’s

ability to complete a variety of tasks can also be evaluated.

That is, a group’s collective intelligence or ‘C factor’ can be used to predict success. This factor is not defined by individual intelligence levels rather, it involves a unique mixture of qualities.

Indeed, while many may believe team motivation, cohesion and satisfaction are the driving forces behind a successful group, a 2010 MIT study found differently.

Members of the MIT Collective Centre for Intelligence concluded that social sensitivity and the ability to take turns were the most significant predictors of a group’s C factor.

Social sensitivity Closely related to emotional intelligence, social sensitivity involves being perceptive in social situations. People are more likely to have higher levels of social sensitivity if they can cue into others’ thinking and body language, and recognise that other people’s ideas, desires, or intentions may be different to their own.

Social sensitivity is in action when a person can recognise:

If someone is genuinely interested in what they are saying.

The social context of the situation and how this frames what they should say and how they say it.

What another person’s verbal and non-verbal cues are really communicating

Taking turns Meanwhile, the more that a variety of group members are given the opportunity to speak and contribute, the better. Groups where one or a few individuals take a dominant leadership role will fare worse. This doesn’t mean certain group members should be actively suppressed; instead, an emphasis should be placed on drawing out participation from more passive members.

Enhancing collective intelligence To promote higher levels of collective intelligence in teams or organisations, managers and those in leadership roles should focus on creating a culture of respectful collaboration. A culture of respect emphasises the need for employees to be professional and tactful when dealing with others’ points of views and to ensure they are not dominating brainstorming sessions, meeting or discussions.

Collaboration in an organisation goes beyond having meetings or public spaces; the types of structures and programs used should also reflect a commitment to hearing everyone’s voices.

Want to learn more? Check out Chandler Macleod’s e-book on collective intelligence at chandlermacleod.com and discover additional tips and insight. To understand how collective intelligence can help your organisation unleash its potential, speak with one of the many qualified psychologists in our People Insights team.

unleashingpotential.com.au

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Unleashing potential in

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n the article entitled “How Pixar Fosters Collective Creativity”, Ed Catmull outlines the journey Pixar undertook to achieve excellence in their field.

The underlying theme of this bold journey was Pixar’s willingness to create a culture that allowed individuals to collaborate, communicate across boundaries and to feel psychologically safe to express their views and opinions.

While the intelligence of the individual team members at Pixar no doubt contributed, interestingly Catmull attributed the incredible success of the organisation to be Pixar’s ability to harness its

people’s collective potential.

Given this formula for success clearly worked at Pixar, could other organisations also benefit from focussing less on individual talent, and more on the collective potential of the people within the business?

What is it that makes one team of highly intelligent individuals outperform a team of equal talent?

This study sets out to explore the concept of collective intelligence and how a well-constructed team can deliver beyond the outputs of individuals alone. In presenting the concept of collective intelligence we are able to explore the

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high performing teams foundations for high performance: social sensitivity, collaboration, and cognitive diversity.

Research today indicates that when all three are present, teams can deliver exceptional results.

Our aim is to provide you with a checklist of ideas and concepts to help you pull together and support team performance in your business.

Building collective intelligence Are two heads better than one?

Can we work more intelligently as a team than as individuals?

Group performance remains an

increasingly valuable human activity, even as computers learn to read facial nuance and detect feelings. The simple reason is that we, not computers, decide what our problems are and ultimately choose the best solutions. Groups can be far better at choosing solutions than a single individual can.

“Can” is the operative word. As the world becomes more complex, more tasks are being handled by groups, but groups aren’t always better. Our own Experience (and plenty of research) shows that some groups are utterly dysfunctional and achieve nothing.

Yet, when groups ‘work’, they are superior.

Read the full white paper on unleashingpotential.com.au

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written by Michelle Loader

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he real potential of Chandler Macleod as a company is tied to our ability to unleash the potential of our people through diversity.

By ‘our people’ I mean the Chandler Macleod community: our employees, candidates, clients, our prospective customers, and our industry. As CEO of a leadership team that truly represents a dynamic range of cultures, generations, ability, gender balance and sexual orientation, I am determined to lead inclusion from within. I am lucky enough to witness every day just how much value diversity brings to the table when every person at that table is empowered to speak honestly.

By focusing unique perspectives on a shared purpose, we facilitate outcomes that go beyond ‘group think’ and leverage the innovation required to thrive in our fast-changing world. Within our leadership team, we have a gender balance of 40/60 and an age range that spans 32-65 years young.

As a business leader, I have an obligation to encourage disruption, which can be scary! But is absolutely necessary. Unleashing potential will not happen without courage and collaboration. It will not happen when people are scared to put themselves out there and take that risk.

We recently launched our five-point commitment to diversity as well as a new domestic violence policy. It is imperative to us that our employees

do not have to ‘switch on’ or ‘switch off’ parts of themselves as they enter our office. An internal push to communicate how essential inclusion is to sustainable business resulted recently in a wonderful response from employees coming forward with their own stories of cultural difference, gender stereotyping and sexual orientation. It was a moment of true realisation to hear their pride and relief in being able to speak openly without fear of judgement or bias. We are committed to fostering a culture that encourages employees at every level to bring their whole self to work.

As a leading human resources services organisation, diversity is a natural part of our DNA. Last year we connected with around 7% of Australia’s working population and the CMG community constantly extends further into metro, regional and international areas. In WA, we held 35 roadshows in 2016 across remote places for a multinational client with a diversity-sourcing mandate. Our own diverse local workforce, which includes a 10% indigenous population, was the enabler of our success.

Cultivating an inclusive and diverse workplace is not only a social responsibility we take very seriously but also an edge that delivers us a measurable advantage.

The benefits of diversity become actualised when we review our performance improvement year-on-year.

Our ability to embrace an inclusive workforce and bring out the best in everyone is showing tangible outcomes in our teams’ results.

We are committed to inclusion at Chandler Macleod.

Not just because it is the right thing to do. Not just because it feels amazing to see our people come to work empowered and confident. But because it means Chandler Macleod is able to increase its productivity and deliver new opportunities for our clients, candidates, and our community. And that, in turn, ensures our mandate to unleash potential in terms of growth, jobs, purpose and impact for our people – our community – for the exciting future ahead.

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orkplace team diversity and inclusion is a topic on the ‘to do’ list of every Australian business, but how does this translate into real actions that yield real results?

Organisations of all sizes and industry sectors have long realised that team diversity means good business— that embracing a multi-plicity of viewpoints and cultures drives innovation, improves decisionmaking, increases employee productivity and retention, and leads to better-served customers.

However, our recent research with 391 senior managers, leaders and specialists, and 387 employees across Australia identified that almost 50% of respondents believe that in their organisation’s diversity was not reflective of the country’s population.

So how can we begin to close this gap? The six practices outlined here provide a good start. They allow enterprises to look beyond the visible differences of gender, sexual identity, age, religion and race to arrive at a definition of diversity that encompasses much more

from the cultural differences of an increasingly global workforce to variations in everything from personal values to work style.

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Look beyond compliance The first step towards building performance through a truly inclusive workforce is to understand that diversity is about more than filling quotas and complying with affirmative action initiatives. Research released earlier this year supports what smart managers already knew: that by cultivating ‘diversity of thought’ businesses can boost their collective intelligence and drive innovation, improve decision making and make teams more productive.

Put simply: when you bring together groups of people from different cultures, backgrounds and belief structures, you build a work environment with a range of work styles, thought processes and perspectives. Taking advantage of these differences allows teams to spark creativity, develop more efficient approaches and more important, get closer to your customers.

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Expand your recruiting strategy As we move into a period of increasing shortages of talent with the competencies businesses need, managers need to start thinking outside the box to recruit new employees. Looking for new talent pools to leverage, both internally and externally, will allow

organisations to extend their reach for ‘new hires’. Refugees, veterans and the semi-retired “silver tsunami” can all provide rich sources of relevant competencies that could be harnessed with just a few adjustments to your standard onboarding processes.

Investigating different approaches to training and support could allow for the swift transfer of knowledge, whilst all the time enriching diversity.

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Consider the bigger talent management picture The opportunities to build workplace diversity don’t just sit in the HR or recruitment team. No matter how much effort you put into building a diverse workforce, you will struggle to retain – and benefit from – that diversity if you don’t look at supporting the inherent differences of your employees throughout their lifecycle with your company. HR programs around professional development, performance management, workforce planning, and leadership training need to be structured to meet varying needs of the diverse employee base.

Retention is more important than ever and diversity initiatives need to be extended to reach deep into the workforce.

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Embed agility: performance not ‘presenteeism’ To attract and retain diversity we need to embrace the changing work patterns of today’s multicultural, multi-generational workforce. Women have led the

charge in building acceptance around flexible working hours, and in doing so demonstrated productivity improvements with reduced overheads, sick days and attrition. Most jobs can be designed beyond traditional working patterns to enable employees with outside responsibilities or interests to commit fully. Look for where this is possible in your team and encourage all employees to participate – not just working mothers. And consider how to introduce training initiatives to support managers with collaboration and communication between remote team members.

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Support connections with creative communication tools With diversity comes the opportunity to celebrate and leverage the differences in our employees, but no one wants to feel so unique that they are isolated from their peers and disconnected from the workplace. To build a truly inclusive organisation we need to ensure that no one feels left out. Providing technology and venues to support networking, mentoring and socialising will support a company’s commitment to inclusion and demonstrate that the enterprise is willing to help them succeed.

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Branded diversity When it comes down to the fundamental values of an organisation, it’s not enough to just walk the walk. You need to let the world know that your company embraces difference and welcomes all. Most often the best way to do this is to make diversity part of your brand. Promoting volunteer efforts, raising funds and awareness, offering internships and scholarships to underrepresented groups can all be actively shared in social media conversations. Take pride in what you are doing to support your workforce, your community and your customers and share this online with passion and commitment.

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f you are a manager looking to hire someone to work in a group setting, you might want to stop looking for the smartest candidate with the longest academic title.

Research has shown that group or collective intelligence is less dependent on how intelligent individuals are, and more on their social sensitivity, their ability to take turns speaking, and the number of women in the group.

This is the finding of Anita Woolley and her colleagues from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

To measure the intelligence of a group, Woolley placed 699 people into two teams of 2-5 people and asked them to carry out simple tasks around idea generation, moral reasoning, typing, puzzlesolving and negotiating. The groups were then evaluated an overall score for collective intelligence was formed.

Just like individual intelligence tests can be used to predict how well a person will do in more complex situations, Woolley’s team found a similar ‘general’ intelligence in groups that was also a successful predictor of how well that group would perform at subsequent, more difficult and complex tests.

What this research now suggests is that versatile, highperforming teams aren’t always driven by the highest or lowest-IQ member, but by team processes.

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To find out who, or what, was making the biggest contribution to the group’s overall performance, Woolley then measured factors such as individual IQ, personality, social sensitivity, and motivation using various psychometric tests.

The surprising result was that neither the overall average IQ of group members, nor the intelligence of the smartest member played much of a role in the group’s collective intelligence.

Social sensitivity – that was measured using a test in which participants had to identify another person’s feelings by looking at photographs of their eyes – was by far the most important factor.

The research also showed that groups containing a majority of

women were more collectively intelligent. Woolly thinks this may be because the women had naturally higher levels of social sensitivity than the men.

“What it suggests is that if you don’t know the social sensitivity of a group, it is a better bet to include females than not,” says Woolley.

For many of us, this finding around gender is surprising, because it goes against previous research showing that women in mixedgender groups often feel unheard.

What this research now suggests is that versatile, high-performing teams aren’t always driven by the highest or lowest-IQ member, but by team processes.

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Accurate psychometric assessment during the recruitment process allows employers to not just recognise high performing talent, but to identify candidates with social sensitivity, enabling businesses to hire with confidence and develop their teams to enhance business.

Chandler Macleod People Insights are pioneers in the fields of human and organisational behavior and have been for almost 60 years. Talk to us today about how our rich but simple insights can reduce risk, identify top talent, and achieve real commercial outcomes.

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Harnessing the collective Cognitive diversity has been found to be a stark indicator of how well a group will perform. At Chandler Macleod we deliberately embrace a diverse mix of people, and just as importantly, empower these people to really be true to themselves. The skills, personality attributes and learning styles of people all influence the output of the collective. Striking a balance between commonality and difference is essential.

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n order to harness the collective potential of our people, it is imperative that we nurture a working environment in which people feel psychologically safe.

The role of social sensitivity is gaining recognition as a founding element in high performing teams.

The facilitator of social sensitivity is empathy – the ability to put oneself in another’s shoes and read cues like body language, tone of voice or more subtle indicators of another’s state of being – what do you hear in the silence of another? If a group is empathetic toward each other, the value of synergy is likely to be harnessed.

People understand when it is their turn to speak and when choosing their words, will contextualise the message to sit well within the group dynamic. When a group is really humming, the potential of the collective far outweighs the performance potential of the individuals involved.

When I think about collective intelligence at Chandler Macleod, I am immediately taken back to our workshop in February 2016 in which we communicated and collaborated across borders and businesses to realign our company future.

down the boundaries allowed us a way into each other; a journey of discovery as much about ourselves as our colleagues.

As we sliced, diced and prepped, the conversation flowed. As we shelled prawns and tossed salads we heard stories from each other that surprised and bonded us. We navigated the collaborative kitchen with surgically sharp knives and sizzling hot plates. As the time critical nature of bringing all the separate elements of the meal together ticked closer, natural leadership skills emerged. Was it the nurturers who grabbed the plates and cutlery and went off to set the tables? Perhaps it was the more decisive among us that plated up hard and fast? Who was drawn to the finishing touches with garnish and finely grated zest? We all found our part to play in the greater purpose.

Yes, in the running of a busy and successful portfolio business we must each fulfil our separate roles, be accountable for our team’s transactions and overcome some very different challenges. Yet as the sun goes down, at the end of each and every day, we know that together we have created something unique and that ‘something’ is more than the sum of its parts.

Through outside-the-box interactions such as drumming and cooking, we moved beyond our routine interactions to another level of trust. The drumming workshop gave us a new understanding of the power of contributing to a single, united beat. And how, within that beat, there was room for each member to contribute their own moments of flair and brilliance, supported by the steady rhythm of the group’s forward movement.

Likewise, coming together to create a three-course meal connected our most basic needs and allowed us to contribute in a tangible way to each other’s wellbeing. Breaking

Michelle Loader, CEO Chandler Macleod Group

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Our Staffing Services teams have been providing specialised recruitment and human resources solutions to Australian businesses for more than 55 years. So it’s fair to say, we know talent when we see it.

Contact us to discuss your temporary, contract and permanent staffing requirements and let us help you find the best talent for your business.

STAFFING SERVICES

We caught up with CM Staffing Services COO Tania Sinibaldi at the start of this year and asked...

What is the biggest challenge facing business leaders in 2017?

In my opinion managing growth expectations is the biggest challenge we are facing. We need to actively watch for signs of market weakness and forecasts, and at the same time remain aware of potential new profit pools. These new sources of revenue can have a very slow transition and require patience, it can be difficult to know how well the plan is working during the early stages. The purpose and the strategy are difficult to communicate in early development, but doing more with less is something we are all challenged by at times.

What are you doing differently this year to (incrementally) improve your productivity?

I am a great believer in the saying “If it aint broke, don’t fix it”, so I will continue my obsession with colouring-in. It gives me clarity and allows me to use the influence of colour as I tackle the challenges of the day. Simply put, it just makes me feel happy. And as research shared in our last blog story reports, happy people are productive people.

remind me always (as I fear we can often forget) that we are finding someone a job that can give them a purpose in life, and an opportunity to better themselves and those around them. What we do has a direct and meaningful impact on each candidate’s life, and I feel very proud of that.

What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader?

I am investing in my own self-development.

As an example last year I attended the TED Women’s Conference in San Francisco. The theme of the conference was “it’s about time”. I had the opportunity to experience more than 60 TED talks, the key themes of which were self-development, equality, creativity, innovation and leadership. The opportunity to attend such an esteemed, world class event, meet professionals on a global scale, and witness their stories had a significant impact on me. It reaffirmed that I own my self-development and must actively invest in it always.

What advice would you give to your ‘younger self’ who was just joining the workforce?

There will be times when you hesitate.

Don’t. Be brave, and create opportunity always.

Who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader?

The 26,000-people placed by Staffing Services throughout the year. I get the opportunity to interact with many of our candidates and clients when I visit sites, or even when they are waiting for an interview in our reception areas. They

Tania Sinibaldi, Chief Operating Officer Chandler Macleod Staffing Services

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The composition of the workforce is changing. We reveal how the demand for more flexible work options from employees is shaping the workforce of tomorrow – and how HR can prepare.

Originally published in HRD Magazine

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f business leaders were asked to pick just one pressing issue that has featured highly on their agenda over the past five years, labour productivity would feature prominently. As far back as 2012, Chandler Macleod’s, whitepaper. ‘The Five Faces of Productivity’, found that many organisations were not focusing on the right productivity initiatives. For example, while organisations concentrated on people management, training and process innovation, this was often at the expense of increased employee mobilisation (across sites, teams, projects and countries), workforce planning, product innovation and skills utilisation – the things that will truly drive productivity.

What do employees want?

Coinciding with the changing business definition of talent is a new view of work from employees. Contrary to popular belief, it is not so much the different demographic groups in the workplace that are shifting their conceptualisation of work; instead it’s technology that is opening up the opportunity to think differently about workplaces.

Australia is not alone in this push for greater labour productivity – every business across the globe needs to review the productivity and efficiencies of their talent. However, due to the significant cost of labour in Australia, the need is more acute.

Bennetts cites 2014 research from the University of South Australia, which found that just 15% of respondents (of a sample of nearly 3,000) said flexible arrangements were not available or possible in their current position. “We are no longer being anchored to a physical location, which enables individuals to create the most productive environment to work in,” he says.

“As a workforce, we need to be focused and strategic around talent decisions,” says Steve Bennetts, GM Innovation and Client Services, Chandler Macleod People Insights. “What this means is that Australia is the epicentre for leading the world in the most productive and efficient talent models, to create and maintain a productive and engaged workforce.”

Engaging rather than acquiring talent Talent strategies are not static; they must move with the times. “It’s imperative that talent strategies are agile and future driven,” says Bennetts. “In reality, the high potential employees of today want mobility; they want to move project to project and focus on outcomes. As a result, our conceptualisation of talent and how to retain it is changing at rapid pace.”

Jamie Devitt, GM Client Development at Chandler Macleod Staffing Services, says this focus on productivity has another far-reaching impact on talent management. Instead of acquiring talent, organisations must become more adept at ‘engaging talent’ to get the job done in the most efficient manner possible.

“This is challenging how and where they source talent and ultimately the model of engaging talent,” he says. “The traditional model of full-time, permanent employment that is restricted to an office or workplace is shifting and changing the workforce dynamics.”

He adds that this has major repercussions not just for employers but for the Australian government and the community as a whole as they adapt to this rising contingent labour market.

“We should no longer be thinking of flexible work at an individual level, but at the organisational level,” says Bennetts. “We’re seeing the shifts from all age groups. They are moving away from full-time, permanent roles being 9am–5pm.”

The composition of the flexible workforce is also changing and Bennetts says the idea of the “blended workforce” is already a reality: part-time working arrangements have increased by a factor of three; fulltime jobs are down by 10%; and one in three people are working casually.

“We observe leading organisations as truly embracing flexible work practices and improving how they define high performance from ‘doing their hours’ to ‘delivering an outcome’, which is opening up a variety of possibilities as to how to get the job done,” says Devitt.

A helping hand Fortunately, there is help at hand. Outsource talent providers can help with developing and engaging the flexible workforce of the future, enabling the focus to be on outcomes and productivity which mitigates risk and reduces costs.

For this to happen, it’s critical to ensure that from a culture perspective, all workers are still seen as part of the organisation. A disengaged group will have an

Steve Bennetts GM, Innovation & Client Services Chandler Macleod People Insights

impact on productivity, performance and then indirect costs for the organisation. Bennetts cites an example of embedded outsourced workers: most people would not know that the many housekeepers working in hotels around Australia have been sourced from AHS Hospitality (part of Chandler Macleod), because they are embedded within the culture of their workplace.

“This is the ultimate aim for outsourcing companies,” he says.

“In reality, the high potential employees of today want mobility; they want to move project to project and focus on outcomes.”

There are other benefits to employers. For example, CM People Insights (CMPI) Consultants partner with businesses to ensure that talent decisions are informed and support the company through various aspects of the employee experience. From the candidate’s perspective, they see CMPI consultants as a part of the business that they may work for (recruitment) in the future or may already work for (development).

“From our research, the outsourcing model works the best when the two companies are aligned on their cultures, values and beliefs,” Bennetts says.

Specialist outsource providers are typically managing large net-works or pools of talent that enables them to access that talent quickly, identify the best matched talent in the market to the job to be done and go further to evaluate the best mode of engagement in order to meet the risk, cost and efficiency objectives for an organisation.

Indeed, as workforce management is their stock in trade, this translates into benefits to the host employer such as more effective and efficient management in the areas of safety, risk, legal, Industrial and Employee Relations, rostering, and performance mana-gement.

Specialist providers typically also have access to best in market technology application, trends, and the ability to advise employers on general market trends.

That includes insights around where to source talent and at what cost or salary level.

“Where organisations need the flexibility to scale back or ramp up quickly, outsourced organisations are well placed to deliver to that and the strategic outcomes,” says Devitt. “We have one recent example where a particularly large project involved a number

– Steve Bennetts

of strategic imperatives in the diversity space. Through a targeted and relationship-based sourcing approach, we were able to source over 160 Indigenous workers and deliver a workforce with over a 20% Indigenous representation.”

Redefining traditional HR processes With the opportunity for day-to-day management to be handled by the expert outsourcing company, HR is able to look more strategically to shape company culture, use predictive workforce planning and work with technology to determine the best workforce for the future.

“Ultimately HR teams need to redefine their definition of what the future workforce will look like, and adapt accordingly. Our classic processes of succession planning, development, and engagement – to name a few – will need to be adapted to a new shared definition,” says Bennetts.

“For many years, HR leaders have fought for a seat at the strategic table; this is the time to fight to keep the seat.”

Jamie Devitt GM, Client Development Chandler Macleod Staffing Services

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t’s the ultimate modern-day dilemma – how can you fully invest in your career without neglecting your home or social life? Regardless of the industry you’re employed in, each profession comes with its own unique challenges in terms of time management. Rather than having to choose between enjoying the company of your family and friends and performing well at work, there are ways you can do both without getting burnt out. Here are a few tips to help you master your work-life balance.

a huge motivator when it comes to getting on top of your deadlines. Learning how to harness your stress and use it as a motivator in the workplace will allow you to perform more efficiently, leaving you with a greater amount of time for family and friends.

However, trying to differentiate between a healthy amount of stress and career burnout can be tricky; if you’re constantly worried about meeting targets and can’t stop thinking about your job even outside of business hours, you may need to renegotiate the expectations that are being placed on you at work.

1. Learn to Say No Learning how to say no is one of the greatest skills you can have. If you’re already swamped, agreeing to take on more tasks will only make things worse, leaving you with an unrealistic amount of work and impending deadline anxiety.

Not only can saying yes to everything lead to an unhealthy work/life balance, it may also impair your capacity to consistently produce satisfactory results, affecting your overall performance at work and potentially limiting your career success.

It’s essential to take a firm stance when saying no to something at work; instead of using phrases such as “I don’t think I’ll have time,” or “I’m not sure if I can,” explicitly declining work will make it much easier for you to negotiate a more practical schedule.

2. Use Stress to Your Advantage Despite often being regarded as a roadblock to happiness, stress doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. In fact, in the right amounts, stress can be

3. Manage Your Time Do you ever feel so overwhelmed with your work and home life responsibilities that you don’t think you could ever develop any kind of balance between the two? Creating a schedule is one of the most effective ways to overcome the chaos. Begin by dividing your day into clearly defined work related and non-work related blocks of time.

This will allow you to fully commit to both your job and your life outside of work independently instead of trying to concentrate on both at the same time. Of course,

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mapping out your day down to the minute often isn’t practical or sustainable, so use trial and error to figure out how to best manage your schedule.

4. Work Outside of the Office When you become burnt-out, and struggling to find work-life balance, setting up a home office could be the solution you’ve been looking for. Even if it’s on a temporary basis, by working from home, you’ll have more access to your family and social life, making it easier to divide time between work and personal commitments.

Worried about the logistics involved with working remotely? It’s not as difficult as you might think. Depending on your profession, you may need as little as a computer and internet access to get the job done. Talk to your employer about flexible work arrangements and the potential to work from home where possible.

5. Don’t Take Your Work Home Separating your work and home life is essential to finding balance. It can be hard to switch off and relax at the end of a long day, but in order to truly escape the stresses of work and be fully present at

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home, it is absolutely necessary.

With technology enabling greater accessibility, truly disengaging from work is easier said than done these days. It may require a little discipline but try not to answer emails out of hours or on weekends, and keep work-related calls to a minimum.

6. Change Careers Perfecting your worklife balance can take time, potentially requiring significant changes to your career. If you’re unhappy with the amount of time you’re currently spending at work, switching professions may be your best option. Changing the direction of your career isn’t limited to changing

jobs or employers. If you’ve worked full-time for years perhaps a temporary or part-time work arrangement could be a nice change-up and enable you to manage your worklife balance more effectively.

For more advice on how to balance your life evenly between work and other commitments, see our blog post on mindfulness at chandlermacleod.com/blog

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was supplemented with insights from a range of publications, research reports and articles, including Chandler Macleod’s Talent Management: the next wave and Coming of age: the impacts of an ageing workforce on Australian business.

Today’s workforce is the most diverse we’ve ever seen with Baby Boomers delaying retirement, Generation Z entering the workforce, gender and sexual identity discrimination on the public agenda and support for Indigenous training programs increasing. Despite this, unemployment remains highest among older Australians, Indigenous and Torres Strait Islanders and the disabled. However, the issue is not the availability of talent of diverse ages, abilities, sexual identities, cultures and gender; it seems that the barriers to inclusive workplaces are self-made.

Unsurprisingly, our research identified that almost 50% of Australian employers and employees believe their organisation’s diversity was not reflective of the Australian population – the surprise is that many of us don’t expect workplace diversity to improve in the next five years. So the real question is: what do our business leaders need to do to move beyond diversity intentions, and start building tangible pathways to workplace inclusion?

s the Australian workforce continues to diversify, employers are beginning to acknowledge that working to basic diversity quotas and ensuring a surface degree of diversity ultimately impedes the workplace inclusion they are striving for.

For ‘The Future of Work – unleashing the untapped potential of diversity’ we surveyed 391 senior managers, leaders and specialists, and 387 employees across Australia to gain their insights into workplace diversity in May 2016. This research

Diversity – It’s who we are

Australia’s national identity is closely linked to being a multicultural society – a nation of opportunity and champions of the ‘fair go’. Cultural and linguistic diversity is, quite literally, in our genes, with more than 75% of Australians identifying with ancestry other than Australian in the 2011 Census.2 This will

increase as migration numbers rise over the next decade and non-Australian ancestry becomes the new norm.

But of course diversity is about more than just culture, and leading businesses are now seeking to achieve more than just a diverse workplace, reflective of the backgrounds and skills of the wider population. The goal is to look beyond diversity to inclusion, where people of different ages, genders, sexual identities, culture, abilities and beliefs are valued and respected, and given equal opportunities to unleash their potential.

The idea of a diverse and inclusive workplace is not a concept that is foreign to Australian businesses.

The business case for diversity and inclusion in the workplace is widely accepted: improved productivity and profitability, connection with a broader customer base, greater creativity and innovation, improved employee attraction, wellbeing and engagement, and reduced turnover.

How do we stack up?

Australia is performing well on a global scale, ranking fourth behind Norway, New Zealand and Iceland for workplace diversity across gender, language, age, employment and education status. The United States ranked ninth, while the United Kingdom came in at a disappointing 17th, according to the latest Forbes Global Diversity report.4 Despite this ranking, is there evidence that Australian businesses are actually realising measurable, bottomline benefits from their diversity and inclusion efforts, or are they only meeting the basic expectations of employees, shareholders and customers?

It has been more than four decades since AntiDiscrimination, Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action legislation have been introduced, and while significant progress has been made in increasing Australian workplace diversity and inclusion, we still have a long way to go.

Read the full white paper on unleashingpotential.com.au

Success through insight Founded in 1959, Chandler Macleod People Insights has earned its place as a market leader in behavioural insight solutions. Experts in leveraging the art and science of human behaviour, our consulting team works with you to reduce your risk and accelerate performance.

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Lessons learned from a CEO n a recent coaching session with a CEO I was reminded of the relevance of the BestFit™ formula for behaviour. The formula states that the behaviour you see in any given situation, is always a result of the interaction a person has with their environment, or, B = ᶠ(P,E).

The CEO was in the midst of what he called a ‘massive mistake’ regarding a recent hire he had made, John.

John was placed in a senior management role three months ago. While the CEO had not worked with John previously, he was known to the business, as he had been contracting on specific projects on and off for a number of years. When the senior management role

became available, John’s resume was put in front of the CEO with a firm recommendation for hire by his CFO (who had worked directly with John in the past whilst contracting).

John completed psychometric testing as part of his application. I remember debriefing John’s results at the time with the CEO and flagging a number of concerns regarding John’s willingness to comply with organisational policies, his behavioural flexibility and a fair whack of ego that would see him struggle to accept feedback and thrive in a culture that was more collaborative and less hierarchical. This was the first time I had provided psychometric support to the CEO

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so in this instance he dismissed these flags because he believed he had done his due diligence by checking in with his CFO. After being in the role just three months, John had a bullying claim lodged against him and two long standing and high performing team members had handed in their resignation as a result.

In reviewing this situation, the CEO was able to identify three critical points of failure in the selection process: 1. The CEO acknowledged that he had a number of minor concerns about John’s ‘fit’ after interviewing him. He described more of a feeling, than anything he could pin point, but discounted these concerns.

2. The CEO had not given enough consideration to the psychometric information and the red flags that had been identified in relation to John’s suitability for the role.

3. He also over-emphasised the recommendation of his CFO, who had only worked with John on a contracting basis. Instead, he should have considered John’s potential ‘fit’ to the specific requirements and success factors of the permanent role, and not just his performance as a contractor.

have shown that at senior levels the likely cost is around 1.5 times the salary*. When you add in bullying claims and two resignations, the net negative impact of hiring John was enormous.

The key lesson learned from the CEO was to think more extensively about the environmental requirements of a particular role, and how these may influence the behaviour of a person. This, in combination with the information gained from the psychometric testing, would have safe guarded him from making this ‘nightmare hire’.

If your people are your greatest asset then consistently using reliable, valid psychometrics in your selection process will provide you with the insight you need to make smart decisions and ensure you are protecting your organisation from unnecessary risk. *Tracey, J. B., & Hinkin, T. R. (2008). Contextual factors and cost profiles associated with employee turnover, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 49(1), 12-27, ; Gordon,K.(2008) Poor recruitment decisions – What is the cost impact to the Organisation? * PwC “Adapt to Survive – How better alignment between talent and opportunity can drive economic growth” highlights mismatched talent exiting the company sooner are costing companies in Australia AUS$385 million in avoidable recruitment costs.

John was not a bad person, however his personal drivers and attributes were better suited to independent project work where he could operate autonomously. Once the environment conditions changed for John (e.g. he was required to adapt and collaborate more, to deal with other team members questioning his decisions, to manage the performance of others) he became frustrated, felt stifled and as a result he was not able to excel in the role.

Understanding B = ᶠ(P,E) is critical to reducing the risk of a bad hire. We did not quantify at the time the negative monetary impact of hiring John, but studies

Jamie Greer GM, Assessment Chandler Macleod People Insights

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t’s Monday morning and you’ve overslept because you forgot to set an alarm.

You miss your bus and are late for work as a

result. To make matters worse, your latest piece of work has been torn to shreds by management. How do you react? Do you blame your perpetual forgetfulness? Do you doubt your ability and feel less motivated than ever? Or do you set an alarm on your phone ASAP? And do you take on board the constructive feedback and feel determined to learn from your failure?

There are many steps you can take to develop your growth mindset: Be gentle with yourself – Treat yourself with the same care and tact you would a friend. No one is perfect, after all.

Put things in perspective – When you spill your coffee or delete a document, it can feel like the world is ending and it’s all thanks to your shortcomings. Ask yourself: will this matter in one year’s time?

Alter your inner dialogue – When your mind spouts negative thoughts, talk back to it. Tell it that it’s wrong, instead of automatically agreeing with it.

Replace ‘failure’ with ‘learning’ – Don’t give yourself permission to say the ‘f’ word, ever. Instead, frame any setbacks or disappointment as opportunities for growth and learning.

Banish ‘never’ and ‘always’ – These are go-to words for adept players of the blame game and are a sure-fire way to blow anything out of proportion.

Slow it down – Many things in life don’t come without time and effort, so stop equating speed with success.

Set goals constantly – Don’t stop growing or learning.

When you accomplish one goal, set another. These

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don’t have to be life-changing either; when you slow down, you will realise the power of taking small steps.

Celebrate strength – If you’ve shown great resilience and determination in completing something, whether it be a report or a 5km run, give yourself a huge pat on the back and reflect on how grit helped you succeed.

Forget keeping up appearances – Learn to take risks in the company of others by letting go of your ego.

Recognise you have a choice – When things go wrong, tell yourself, that although some things are out of your control, how you react is completely within your power.

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n a society where work/ life balance is often seen as the Holy Grail of achievements and connectivity knows no limits, workplace flexibility is fast becoming a popular trend.

Employers and employees are coming together to create solutions that are mutually beneficial and differ from the standard Monday to Friday, 9-5 arrangement. Do you think it’s time your organisation jumped on the bandwagon? Or are you interested in setting up a flexible working arrangement with your employer?

In this article find information on what the current working landscape looks like, the benefits of implementing flexible arrangements and how to successfully put workplace flexibility into action.

The current landscape Thanks to the advent of smartphone technology, cloud computing and global connectivity, the way in which we conduct business has vastly changed.

Along with outsourcing jobs to countries with lower labour costs, freelancing is the new way to make money and get tasks done.

According to SmartCompany, there are approximately 3.7 million Australians working as freelancers.

In the U.S, 30% of the workforce is made up of freelancers, and by 2020, the number of freelancers is expected to surpass that of fulltime employees.

Part-time work is another increasingly popular option for Australians. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the proportion of workers who were employed in a part-time capacity increased from 16% in 1979 to 29% in 2009.

What can we take from this?

‘Unconventional’ working arrangements are here to stay, and individuals are clearly committed to finding solutions that suit their lifestyles.

The benefits The good news about flexible working arrangements is that they can benefit both employers and employees alike. Employees can enjoy a better work/life balance, lower stress levels, and reduced travel costs. For employers it may result in increased productivity, cost savings, higher employee retention, boosted morale and better workforce planning.

As many managers and senior executives know, having the right people in the right roles is crucial. Recruiting and retaining talent is one of the key benefits of flexible working arrangements.

This is especially true of today’s Millennial generation, which is

marked by a need for constant learning, feedback and variety, as well as a willingness to move on if expectations are not met. A report from PwC summed it up best when it noted that companies like Google and Apple have attracted Millennial talent becaus e they are not held back by ‘how things used to be done’.

Tips for employees

Tips for employers

Consider how the arrangement will affect other aspects of the business Set clear guidelines and define expectations and KPIs up front in writing Ensure there is enough time and resources to monitor employee performance Have regular contact with employee (including in- person) Ensure that the relevant technology is available

Maintain all documentation in relation to the arrangement Set a review date to assess success of arrangement

When approaching your employer, be prepared with an in-depth plan of how the arrangement will work Identify reasons for requesting the arrangement Help establish how you will be accountable for your work Maintain regular contact and visibility with colleagues Ensure all requests are put in writing

...flexible working arrangements can benefit both employers and employees alike.

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eing a manager in 2017 is no easy feat.

Thanks to the legacy of globalisation, the workforce is as culturally diverse as it has ever been. Add to that technological advancements and an evolving array of must-have skills, and you need to stay on your toes now more than ever. Finally, consider the fact that four generations of employees are currently present in the one workforce, and you’ll realise successful management requires a balanced skillset and approach to leadership.

Setting the age-diverse scene In March 2016, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released findings which showed that more Australians aged 45 years or older are intending to work longer. In 2004/2005, 8% of respondents intended

to retire at 70 years or over, while in 2014/2015, this rose to 23%. The previous year, an Intergenerational Report found that Australians will live and work longer over the next 40 years.

In addition to this, as of 1 July 2017, the qualifying age for Age Pension will be rising from 65 years to 65 years and six months. The qualifying age will continue to rise every two years, so that by 2023, Australians will only be eligible for Age Pension at the age of 67 years.

The bottom line? The workforce is and will continue to be age-diverse.

The players – While the defining features of different generations are debatable, below is a general guide to understanding the different age groups.

Baby Boomers (1946-64): Born following the end of World War II, Baby Boomers were raised by parents who wanted the very best for them. They are associated with a culture of consumerism and spending.

regardless of your age and the age of people you manage.

UNLEASHED | ONE 47 If you are empathetic, confident, fair and have a genuine desire to get the best out of others, you are off to a great start.

Gen X (1965-1979): Growing up in an age of social & economic transitions, Gen X are considered to be more peer-orientated, adaptable, financially conservative & self-reliant.

Create a culture of respect – Take your winning qualities and develop it in others. Lead by example, maintain a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and ensure everyone’s opinions are heard and valued equally.

Gen Y/Millennials (1980-1994): The children of Baby Boomers, Millennials have never known the world without technology such as mobile phones and video games. They are ambitious and are more likely to change careers or jobs than previous generations.

Showcase the skills of everyone – Help your employees see how valuable their colleagues are by running a regular professional development segment, in which different employees present their knowledge and skills. This could involve everything from effective social media use and work/life balance tips to public speaking advice and a how-to on communicating professionally with clients.

Gen Z (1995 – ongoing): The latest group to enter the workforce, Gen Z is filled with digital natives, independent thinkers and those with an entrepreneurial drive.

Leveraging intergenerational leadership skills Imagine if you could fully tap into the power of your age-diverse workplace. Imagine balancing enthusiasm and innovation with wisdom and experience. With the right leadership traits and approaches, this could be a reality.

Start with being a good leader. There are certain qualities which make any individual a good leader,

Develop a mentoring program – Give employees the chance to get to know and learn from each other on a deeper level. Be open-minded with who mentors can be – younger generations have as much to offer as older generations.

Get the commonalities right – A strong company mission, clear roles, and pathways to success, opportunities and challenges, and transparency around decision-making are all highly valued by employees of all ages.

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The importance of mindfulness

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Mindfulness is more important than ever. Life has become busy. The average adult these days’ juggles work life, home life, bills, physical health, mental health, social pressures and everything else that comes with living in 2017.

obile working arrangements have increased and technology has improved to help keep up with this, meaning most people can be now ‘plugged in’ at all hours and multitasking like never before. But at what point do we become less efficient by trying to be more efficient?

Our minds have become FULL. Thoughts, “to do” lists and tasks are all competing for space and causing us to slow down in productivity rather than increase it. What is the cost of striving for this ‘efficiency’ to ourselves, our families and our work?

At times, we have all been guilty of wishing for the

future and looking forward to the next weekend, event, or stage in our lives, wishing time would pass more quickly. Even worse, we may find that we spend too much time thinking or worrying about things that have happened in the past, a place in time we can do nothing about. All the while we might be missing (and forgetting to appreciate) what is happening in the present.

What if we all slowed down and re-focused?

Given the speed at which we all barrel forwards through life, however, surely this is counter productive? But it isn’t counterproductive, it’s the opposite. Slowing down allows us to enjoy life,

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prioritise and be more productive both at home and at work. By slowing down we can produce a higher quality of work, be more efficient and take the time to notice the amazing things, experiences, the life that is happening right now, in the present.

No, I don’t mean take ten steps back and do nothing, miss deadlines or sit on the couch for hours. I mean work smart, take rests, balance life and breathe. This is what mindfulness is all about. In one respect, it’s about meditation, peace and gratitude. In another, it’s about focusing your mind on what’s important.

For others, mindfulness is:

Our brain, while capable, needs to rest and recharge.

When we do this we are better people, making better decisions. There is even research to support this.

Mindfulness studies In 2015, Harvard Business Review published an article showing that eight weeks of mindfulness significantly increased brain density in participants, impacting resilience, emotional regulation, and well-being.

(Congleton, Holzel & Lazar, HBR, 2015).

Further to this, results from the 100 or so research articles published on mindfulness at work have shown the following:

58 studies link mindfulness to factors that improve employee wellbeing 46 studies link mindfulness to factors that improve leadership capability 38 studies link mindfulness to factors that improve employee performance 33 studies link mindfulness to factors that improve safety in high-reliability organisations (Mindfulnet.org)

How I practise mindfulness My choice of mindfulness is 12 minutes of meditation every day and regular yoga. I also keep a gratitude diary – a way to remind myself of the amazing things that are happening right in front of me every day like great coffee, beautiful weather, or a giant hug from my daughter.

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looking out the window on the train instead of checking emails taking a ten-minute walk outside or not eating lunch at your desk going to bed 30 minutes earlier at night leaving your phone at the front door when at home spending time when you get home with your pet, kids, or partner rather than jumping straight back into word

The key is to focus on the present and enjoy it. To unclutter the mind.

How to unclutter your mind When walking outside, don’t think about your shopping list or the meeting you just had – that’s not giving your mind a break. Those things will still be waiting for you when you get back. Instead, notice what’s going on around you, listen, smell, breathe and most importantly, be present.

Rita Slogrove Principal Consultant Psychologist Chandler Macleod People Insights

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Mindfulness has proven to allow people to:

Reduce stress and anxiety

Get more focus and energy

Have a greater sense of ease and perspective

Sleep better

Relax more

Generate greater self-awareness and wisdom

Have deeper levels of self-acceptance

Have a richer and deeper experience of day-to-day life

1 MINUTE MINDFULNESS

Mindful breathing. Close your eyes and pay attention to the breath. Do this for 10 slow breaths

Pay close attention when doing daily activities e.g. brushing your teeth, making a cup of tea

Do a mental body scan. Start at your head and notice aspects of your body all whilst consciously trying to relax each part

Do a check in at your desk multiple times a day e.g ask yourself how are you sitting?

How are you feeling?

Stretch - walk to the water cooler to fill up your glass

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Mindfulness in 1, 10 and 60 minutes 10 MINUTE MINDFULNESS

Walk outside without your phone

Colour or draw for ten minutes

Turn off the radio in the car and pay attention to where you are going

Adopt a gratitude journal or app for daily gratitude

Sit in a quiet room with your eyes closed and clear your mind

Spend ten mins with your pet

Listen to your favourite songs, with no interruptions. Focus on the lyrics, the rhythm

Ask someone about their day and really listen

60 MINUTE MINDFULNESS

Take a walk for an hour and observe the environment around you

Download a mindfulness app (e.g. Buddhify, Head Space, Simple Minds)

Attend a yoga class

Attend any exercise class

Play a video game without multitasking

Read a book

W

hat does your version of an ‘ideal’ employee look like? Take a minute to name some traits you value highly when hiring.

If you’re like many managers, you’ve just thought of words like:

Motivated Professional Skilled Friendly Emotionally intelligent Punctual Productive

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this list, and there are probably plenty of role-specific words you could add to it. How about this one: happy.

If this was already on your list (without being clued in by the title of this article!) then congratulations. If not, you may want to consider the importance of happiness for your business.

Does staff happiness matter?

You pay them money to do a job. As long as the job gets done to the standard you require, does it really matter how personally happy your staff are?

The short answer is yes, it matters.

Studies have shown that happy workers are more efficient and productive than people who have a negative – or even neutral – mindset. Employees who are happy are able to solve problems better, cope with

stress more easily, and even think more creatively.

The human brain is wired to be the most effective when it is geared for positivity. And effective employees who are motivated and engaged are likely to:

Complete more tasks Add more value to your business through new ideas Positively influence company culture The reality is, investing in happy people makes good business sense.

How to increase the happiness of employees With the evidence supporting the necessity of a positive mindset, the question then becomes, “how can managers encourage and support happiness within the workplace?”

Work has a bad reputation. Everything from ‘Mondayitis’ to ‘TGIF’ supports the popular perception: work is bad, work is stressful, work is an unfortunate way of life.

It’s time to start changing the discourse when it comes to employment. Employers of choice have already worked this out. Make sure your people are happy and you will reap the rewards. Think about it – why would companies throw large amounts of money into developing programs that cater for their employees if they weren’t seeing returns on those investments?

Here are some strategies to implement on fostering a workplace that inspires workers instead of crushing their spirits.

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1. Support individual needs Forcing a nightowl to arrive perfectly presented at 8am every day isn’t just silly – it’s bad for your business.

Healthy sleep habits are key to good mental health, and implementing policies that show understanding and acceptance of different lifestyles makes your workplace accessible for a wider range of talent. Your next sales gun might be a late riser, but that won’t stop them from closing deals over evening drinks.

2. Foster a culture that allows balance and freedom Consider your company culture. How acceptable is it for workers to take leave they are entitled to?

Do people push through sickness to ensure they are seen in the office every day? Is overtime seen as the standard? These are all shortcuts to stressed employees who are likely to burn out. This doesn’t just reduce happiness – it also increases turnover, which in turn increases recruitment and training costs.

3. Reward learning, not just success Identifying success is important. Equally important is recognising development. Having systems in place where personal development is rewarded ensures all team members have opportunities to be recognised within the business, which can help reduce feelings of competitiveness and resentment, as well as incentivising upskilling.

4. Pull together as a team When the going gets tough, the tough get going – often to the nearest isolated corner where they can knuckle down and try to work even harder. This may not be the best idea for some people, though. While introverts may indeed de-stress best by taking solitary moments, many people will benefit from engaging with social support networks. Encouraging friendships within

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the workplace can be a valuable resource in times of trouble. Friendly workplaces facilitate problem solving and collaboration, reducing stress and providing valuable support to individuals.

5. Teach positive psychology theories What comes first, happiness or success? In a society that is seen as a meritocracy, popular wisdom says all you need is that promotion, that pay rise, that accolade, that house, that car, we will be happy and life will get better. However, with the evidence saying that happiness is a key factor to success, this thinking is backwards.

Positive psychology strategies and methods can be learned, so in a workforce that seems overwhelmingly unhappy, it may be worth investigating programs that help people learn the value of positive thinking – and how to change their mindset.

The key takeaways here are:

Happy workers are more productive Happy workers are more creative Happy workers can add real value to your business.

So if you haven’t made any managerial resolutions this year, now is the time. Pick one of our strategies listed above, commit to implementing it within your workplace, and see what sort of impact it has for your employees.

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I

t can be worrying when a quality employee starts seeming less engaged with their work. Whether their productivity is declining or the quality of their work has started to slip, seeing these changes can be stressful for any manager.

So what can be done?

The solution to winning their loyalty and attention back could be simpler than you think: Show gratitude, sincerely and often.

Research released by American company Appirio has shed light on what workers are really looking for from their management team – and it’s often not a bigger pay packet.

When interviewing for a position, 60% of potential employees said they would care most about whether people felt appreciated, while only 4% placed the highest value on knowing how often they could expect a pay rise.

In addition, when asked what made their worst bosses so bad, the answers lined up – 32% stated those bosses never gave credit where credit was due and 28% said their worst boss rarely gave verbal praise or support.

So when you see a downturn in output from valued staff members, you may need to assess whether you’re truly giving them the

recognition they both need and deserve in order to feel like their efforts are appreciated.

Here are some other tips on how to improve staff retention.

Don’t feel limited to providing verbal recognition for a job well done While the research shows that a sincere thank you can work wonders, don’t get in the habit of saying thanks and walking off, while your employees go from project to project. When appropriate, take it a step further and offer your staff a more tangible expression of your gratitude – something as simple as an extra paid personal day after resolving a difficult issue with a client or writing a thoughtful note in a card can show that you’re not just saying the words – you’re genuinely appreciative.

Manage, don’t micromanage Enabling your team to make decisions based on their skills isn’t just a good way to help them stay accountable for their results – it also makes business sense because it frees up your time, which is better spent doing your own tasks.

Once employees know what they’re supposed to do, how to do it, and how they’ll be measured on their performance, leave the rest up to

them! As long as they know you’re accessible in case they have any questions, you should trust your hiring process. After all, they made it into your team for a reason.

Provide career-enriching opportunities Management worried about their staff departing for greener pastures may tighten the reins – after all, the less skilled they are, the harder it will be for them to get another job.

It’s important to realise, though, that it’s far easier (and cheaper) to simply make your own pastures greener. Provide your staff with the chance to attend conferences, enrol in courses and use work time to expand their skillset. When you do this, you not only get a workforce that feels like they get as much value from their job as they give – you’re also more likely to have happier, more productive team members.

High turnover doesn’t just cost you time and money – it can impact heavily on remaining team members and drain the energy of people responsible for hiring and on-boarding. It may be worth selfevaluating just how often you show your appreciation to your team, and if you think it could be better, add it to your 2017 resolutions so you can truly unleash the power of your team this year.

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S

earch for ‘innovation quotes’ or ‘creativity quotes’ on Google and you’ll be inundated with inspiring results from a host of successful figures, including Steve Jobs (“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower”), Bob Iger (“The heart and soul of the company is creativity and innovation”) and even Thomas Edison (“There’s a way to do it better – find it”). These esteemed individuals champion a quality that is vital to business success, yet often very elusive. With a little effort, however, it is possible to harness the power of creativity and unleash your employees’ potential.

Develop innovative thinking by changing attitudes ‘I’m not really a creative person’.

This simple statement can really restrict a person’s (and business’) potential. With a lack of self-belief, staff members are less likely to try to innovate or believe their ideas are worth sharing. Reverse this attitude by explaining that our brains are wired for change and exploration. We just need to flex our brain power beyond our everyday routine. That means daydreaming instead of focusing on the problem, writing by hand instead of typing, mind mapping instead of being systematic, and using ambient noise instead of silence (there are many

apps available that provide background noises such as flowing water, rain and sounds of a café).

Develop innovative thinking by creating conducive spaces Encouraging innovation in a business requires a solid foundation of trust, open communication, and the ability to take on feedback and push forward.

Help your employees feel as though all their ideas are welcome and reinforce the belief that constructive criticism is always positive. Everyone’s heard the age-old response of “There’s no such thing as a stupid question” but you can take this a step further by telling employees that the wackier the idea, the better. This ensures nothing is off the table.

Reframing failure as success is also key for innovation.

If you’re serious about developing innovative thinking in your workplace, then you need everyone to become risk takers. Repeated encouragement is essential and you can even highlight famous success stories that were built on years of failure. There are so many examples of this, including J.K. Rowling, Walt Disney, and Henry Ford.

Have fun!

Finally, innovation should be fun! Don’t put pressure on yourself or your team to suddenly come up with a hundred game-changing ideas.

Instead, think about implementing small daily practices, such as having short stand-up meetings, free thinking times and frequent breaks. Laughter and lightness should also be a regular feature of your brainstorming sessions, as this will only encourage everyone to participate.

Develop innovative thinking by embracing rules and deadlines While it may seem counterintuitive, having rules and deadlines for innovative projects and brainstorming sessions can be very impactful. Going off the beaten path is important for creativity; however, without some structure, you and your employees could find yourselves on a long road to nowhere.

Start by agreeing on objectives and due dates. Then decide on a few key rules, whether it be ‘question everything’, ‘one person speaks at a time’ or ‘enjoy the funny moments but keep moving’.

Steve Bennetts GM Innovation & Client Services Chandler Macleod People Insights

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Editor Tracey Ferreria Content and Digital team Damien Doonan Brodie McIntyre Design Joanna Lim Photography sourced from Shutterstock and other sources

© Copyright 2017.

Chandler Macleod Group Limited.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without the written permission of CMG is prohibited

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Founded in 1960 and based in Tokyo, Japan, Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd. is currently the largest staffing company in Japan, and with the recent acquisition of Netherlands based company USG People, has become the 4th largest staffing company globally (SIA results 2016 - including USG People).

Recruit is about more than just recruitment: they are a global HR, staffing, marketing, media and technology leader with more than approximately 38,000 permanent employees and operations in nearly 900 locations in 20 countries and markets.

Recruit Holdings acquired the Chandler Macleod Group in April of 2015. As Chandler Macleod aspires to be the best provider of integrated HR Services, Products & Technologies in the markets in which we operate, partnering with Recruit enables us to achieve our shared vision of growth, innovation, and quality of service. This partnership is consistent with Recruit’s long term strategic objective of becoming the world’s No. 1 global integrated HR service provider.

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