Though the nature of the Human Resources has been evolving for years, the core of its function has remained the same: people. This May 20 marks International HR Day, a day that recognises the dedicated HR professionals who support employees and make organisations better. 

To celebrate the occasion, Acclaimed Workforce invited some of our clients’ Senior HR Leaders – from regional Australia to the cities – to provide insights and experiences from their time working in human resources. We talk to GSK HR Site Leader Michelle Strong, De Bortoli Wines HR Manager Paul Foley and Chief HR Officer at NHP, Mark Skerritt. 

We also gain their perspective on this year’s theme: “Shaping the new future”, a concept that explores how HR has the ability to lead a world of work that will be more inclusive, flexible and participative, benefiting both workers and society. 

Michelle Strong - HR Site Lead, GSK 

After completing a Bachelor of Behavioural Science, Michelle concluded that a career in Human Resources would be a natural fit. Fast forward some 20 years, and Michelle has worked as a senior HR leader across several high-profile companies, and has diverse experience across industrial and employee relations, culture and engagement, change management, talent management, inclusion and diversity, and communication. Acclaimed Workforce has worked in partnership with GSK for 18 years. 

Q: Engaging employees and ensuring they have a sense of purpose seems to be a very important part of a company’s strategy when it comes to attracting and retaining staff currently. In the last 18 months, you’ve helped GSK increase engagement by 15 percent. What were some of the biggest initiatives you implemented that helped you achieve this result? 

A: From my perspective, engagement and culture are always fundamental. They’re not something you think about when it’s time for a survey, and they’re not about free pizza or gym memberships. I believe that ultimately, the foundation of engagement is strong communication between leaders at every level, and their people. It's about making time for genuine connection, listening to what matters to employees and taking action on this. Leaders should consult with employees in a transparent and meaningful way, and ask what they can do to support their career goals. These are the type of conversations that were crucial to what we were doing at GSK. Some of the things we tried didn’t work, so we listened and tried something else. 

Helping employees feel like their work has purpose is also very important. As a team we emphasised that they have made a significant impact on patient’s lives by providing medically essential medicine. 

Q: When it comes to improving organisational diversity and inclusion, where do you think organisations should start? And what are some of the most impactful changes they can make? 

A: This will vary depending on the organisation's starting point, but the first step will always be education: asking yourself what diversity means in your workplace, what does it mean to your employees and how would they feel included. Then you need to identify and meaningfully address any gaps. At GSK, we also make a point of having discussions around current global issues that may be emotionally affecting our workforce, such as the #MeToo Movement and Black Lives Matter. 

You need to make sure employees feel seen and safe to be their authentic selves. But bear in mind, if they don’t, they’ll be unlikely to tell you as much. By looking at turnover data, you’ll be able to see trends in demographics of who’s leaving – this will also tell you how you’re tracking from a diversity and inclusion perspective. But don’t forget to talk to your people and ensure they feel safe to share their perspectives! 

Finally, succession planning is key. When you look at the leaders in your organisation, does everyone have the same characteristics? If so, then there needs to be a big focus on developing employees equally, and prioritising opportunities for those who are less represented. 

Q: The theme of this year’s International HR Day is “shaping the future”. How do you think human resources has the potential to shape the future of work?   

A: I honestly think HR has already been doing this for the last two years, which is why this theme really resonates with me. We now really have a place at the table, because businesses have grown to understand the significant value of the HR function: we can ensure employees thrive, contribute and grow in a way that benefits and enhances businesses - and I’m not sure that was fully understood before the pandemic. 

HR teams have a good understanding of what the future of work could look like, and what employees will want and need. In this way, we can create an environment that really motivates and inspires them to make a meaningful contribution to their employer, while also thriving personally. Moving forward, we need to be a crucial part of developing organisational strategy, so that individuals’ needs are accommodated in the best possible way. Businesses that keep their people at the heart of their decisions will have great opportunities moving forward. 

Paul Foley – Human Resources Manager, De Bortoli Wines 

For 18 years, Paul has worked as the Human Resources Manager at De Bortoli Wines, one of Australia’s most recognisable wine producers. Prior to this, he worked in organisational development and L&D roles, making him passionate about coaching and mentoring, change management and strategic planning. Acclaimed Workforce is now the sole labour hire provider for De Bortoli, which is a long-term, valued partnership. 

Q: You’ve been working as the HR Manager at De Bortoli Wines for over 18 years. How have you seen the role of HR change throughout your time in the industry? 

A: I think the world of work has evolved at a rapid pace, and HR has certainly had to be willing to adapt. HR teams have needed to move quickly to understand the implications of workplace changes and become more agile in supporting employees throughout that change management process. 

The whole definition of work - where that’s undertaken and how it's undertaken - is so different in 2022 compared with 18 years ago. Up until 2020, we thought we were good at change management, but the pandemic stretched us and everyone else. As a result, HR has had to learn to be far more adaptable than I ever imagined, and I think we’re going to see that continue from now on – it's the “new normal”, as they say. In the past, we’ve been able to be much more strategic, but now I feel like we need to be much more responsive and reactive. We're still in very challenging times and, much like many other industries, the wine industry is facing pressures on both a domestic and international level.   

Q: Something a lot of employers are struggling with in the current market is attracting candidates and retaining employees. From an HR perspective, what are some actions employers can take to help them address this? 

A: Employment used to be much more one-dimensional and transactional. Now people have expectations from their employer that there will be an opportunity to progress their career. They want to know where they’ll be in 12-18 months' time. As a result, organisations need to provide employees with a framework for career progression and development. 

But it’s not about offering just one incentive. In this kind of competitive employment market, you need to be doing multiple things to attract and retain employees. Everyone has different career goals, expectations and lifestyles, so different incentives will entice them. We implement lots of things at De Bortoli, such as creating a great culture, holding regular feedback session with employees, staff rewards, offering flexibility in where and when employees work. You also can’t ignore the fact that salary will be a factor in people’s decision-making process in the current economic climate, but most prospective employees will also likely need other incentives or reasons to join your business.   

Q: The theme of this year’s International HR Day is “shaping the future”. How do you think human resources has the potential to shape the future of work? 

A: HR is one of those functions that’s geared to align itself to what's going on in the world – structurally, economically and socially. HR teams are faced with being the conduit and the change agents that bridge the gap between the changing world and the workplace.   

In this way, I expect HR to continue educating and upskilling internal stakeholders, so new processes and flexible systems can be developed that allow for the incoming workforce to thrive. HR will be responsible for taking stakeholders on this dynamic journey of change and providing support, systems and processes that will ultimately benefit the company and, at the same time, benefit its most important resource, its people.   

Mark Skerritt - Chief Human Resources Officer, NHP 

After falling into HR by accident, Mark has since gone on to have an impressive 40-year career within the discipline, working predominantly within service and manufacturing companies. He has been responsible for providing HR leadership across Australia and Asia, and strategically directing strong build-ups, major organisational restructures, change programs and closure of operations. 

Q: One of the areas where you’ve done extensive work is in implementing change management and organisational transformation. What are some of the biggest challenges you experience when it comes to creating change – whether that be cultural or procedural – within an organisation? 

A: The reality is that every change comes with its own set of challenges. So while there’s a basic process, I’ve found there’s no set formula and each project needs to be approached differently. 

There are two major things I’ve learnt about change; firstly, you have to keep an open mind and, secondly, communication is key. Correct communication makes even the most change-resistant individuals understand why the transition is important.

Q: How have you seen the act of aligning a Human Resources strategy to a business strategy change over the years?

A: Quite significantly! When I first started working in HR, I felt like it was all about getting paperwork done. Now, I believe we truly have a seat at the table. Me and my team are usually the first port of call when the CEO wants to talk about change or business initiatives. The pandemic particularly shone a light on the HR function, identifying us as a necessity that can add great value to business decisions. 

Q: The theme of this year’s International HR Day is “shaping the future”. How do you think human resources has the potential to shape the future of work? 

A: I think in order for the Human Resources discipline to truly reach its full potential in shaping the future of work, there needs to be a mindset shift. HR practitioners need to take an individual and personalised approach to every business, rather than being limited to formulaic processes. They need to understand individual business objectives, and work collaboratively with stakeholders to support and achieve these. 

At NHP, we like to call our policies, “policy light”, as it allows leaders to take ownership and determine what works best for their team members. They have a framework to guide them, but ultimately it’s important to understand that no two teams – or employees – are the same. In this way, we’re driving a culture of ownership, empowerment and personalisation – not one of policy.