Australian HR Awards 2021: Panellists reveal hot topics from this year's virtual event

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Australian HR Awards 2021: Panellists reveal hot topics from this year's virtual event

The 2021 Australian HR Awards are going virtual, but this year’s event promises to be more jam-packed than ever. Hosted by HRD and event partner Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors (ABLA), the Australian HR Awards offer a perfect opportunity to pause, reflect and celebrate the achievements of the last 12 months. Undoubtedly, 2021 has been another rollercoaster year, and HR has once again been at the coal face.

As well as a virtual celebration to announce this Australian HR Award winners, we’re introducing a series of interactive panel sessions covering the most important topics facing HR leaders today. Panellists will include excellence awardees from some of the country’s biggest businesses, offering their insight and experience from another turbulent year. In anticipation of the ceremony, our panel sponsors have offered an insight into their sessions.

Panel: Powerful reward and recognition programs

HRD: How has reward and recognition changed or evolved in the last 15 months as a result of the pandemic - both in terms of the importance of saying thank you, but also how it is delivered?

Emma Harvie, manager client services, Achievers: “The last year has been one of extraordinary change in the world of work what with social distancing and remote working, and this has caused companies to innovate, pivot and restructure, in response to fast changing market conditions. It’s a fair bet the average Aussie workplace of 2022 will look vastly different, and operate in a significantly different way from its 2019 counterpart.

 “What with unblurring the line between home and work and surging social engagement, businesses will need to have a renewed focus on wellbeing if they are to achieve a great employee and customer experience. While for many companies, adversity has brought out the best in their teams, other employers need to be taking steps to invest in the physical and mental wellbeing of their teams as part of their recognition and reward strategy. 

“Recognising inclusive behaviours, empowering leaders to recognise and reward, encouraging exercise, mindfulness and taking leave when needed should be leading agendas in the months ahead, all in the goal of supporting people and building more resilient, productive workforces.  This can start with saying a big thanks for the past year and a half, acknowledging continued efforts through lockdowns, to ensure employees feel seen, heard and valued.”

Panel: Innovative Remote Work Strategies

HRD: Why is developing successful remote work practices so key in the world of work many organisations have found themselves in?

Craig Goldblatt, VP partners & alliances, Globalization Partners: “Just two years ago, employers readily accepted the notion that location incubates talent. In the past year and a half however, companies worldwide began to experience - mostly compulsorily - the remote work model. Today's context is punctuated with a more challenging talent war, widening skills gaps, and closing borders. Talent has become the new oil, and we see that companies that separate from the pack and develop meaningful remote work practices are best able to attract and retain talent. 

“When adopted correctly, remote work provides a bounty of opportunities, allowing companies to expand at realistic and sustainable rates while ensuring employees maintain or increase productivity and engagement. A positive double. 

“Another benefit to fully embracing and adopting an effective remote work model is it makes it more seamless and efficient to begin opening jobs to talent located outside of established HQ or regional offices. As companies begin accelerating global recruitment strategies, the ones with an advanced, established brand as a leading remote work employer will attract top international talent and edge out the competition.”

This year’s Australian HR Awards panel sessions will feature excellence awardees from the likes of Telstra, TikTok, EY, PepsiCo, Dyson and Accor. Click here to see the full agenda and register for your spot.

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