FEATURES
COVER STORY: HOT LIST KIM NIXON HR manager, Australia and New Zealand NetApp
This year, NetApp celebrated a perfect 10, having been recognised as one Business Review Weekly’s top 10 Best Places to Work for the 10th consecutive year since the inception of the survey in 2008. This is a testament not just to the employees’ dedication, but also to Kim Nixon and her team at NetApp working tirelessly to maintain a work environment
and a culture that helps employees flourish. Nixon attributes this success to their overall “focus on the health of our culture”, which is achieved through authenticity and accountability. Nixon began her career in IT back in 1986, and spent the first decade working in a variety of roles before moving into HR management. For the last 11 years, Nixon has been with NetApp, working closely with the senior management team in an advisory capacity and ensuring they attract and retain the brightest talent and create the best culture possible.
ALEX DIAB Senior HR business partner and general manager, HR NSW Business Chamber
HR Director of the Year finalist Alex Diab says the key to success in HR today is having strong commercial acumen. It’s something Diab applies to all aspects of his role in HR; he always has his eye on the broader picture.“It has brought me into the fold, in terms of discussing and strategising around the business, outside of just HR,” he tells HRD. “I do believe I have a seat at the table, because it’s evident in terms of what we’re doing – our budgeting and planning. It’s not just about staff cost budgets, but it’s about the overall budget, the operational budget of the business.” Diab also sees a need to redefine what leadership means. “We need to move away from the old rank-and-file type of tenure approach to leadership, and apply agile leadership by identifying those people that really have the appetite and skill and natural ability in the leadership space, and help and grow those that struggle in that space.”
BEBEN FERRIER HR director Vertiv
It has been an eventful year for Beben Ferrier at Vertiv, as the company has gone through a major rebrand to come up with a fresh look and more efficient service for their clients. Coming off this major change, Ferrier and her team have focused on bringing in fresh talent to the company. The Vertiv graduate program targets young engineers in Australia and around the world – not as interns or temps, but as actual members of the team. Graduates are assigned real work and exposed to different projects and customer environments; they also take on posts in other countries as part of an all-round experience. Through the program, they receive mentoring from a member of the leadership team in their second year. In the three years since the program was launched, all graduates have stayed with the company following the program, which now serves as a reliable talent pipeline for Ferrier and the HR team at Vertiv.
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LISA SHEEHAN Chief people person Carsales
In order to attract the best talent for a company with a rapidly growing global footprint, Lisa Sheehan and her team first revisited their EVP to determine what attracts high-potential candidates across all functions, and conducted a competitor analysis to come up with a new tagline for their employer brand: ‘An ASX 100 company with the heart of a start-up’. The increase in use of social media for employer branding has led to a 4% decline in reliance on traditional recruitment, and a 400% increase in engagement with the online content; furthermore, turnover has decreased from 23% to 14% in less than 12 months. Another focus for Sheehan has been building the D&I strategy, which has led them to achieve WGEA employer of choice status and a White Ribbon accreditation. In the coming year, Sheehan expects to continue the push for gender equality, with an increased focus on LGBTIQ initiatives.
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