'Empathy, that is such a key skill in leaders nowadays'

Candice Veasey was appointed as chief people officer at media and communications group Havas last year, following her passion for working in the media agency industry.

“I wanted to make sure that I could join an organisation where I could make a meaningful, purposeful impact,” she told HRD Australia.  “And bringing people in Havas on a journey of creating a caring company, making sure that wellbeing is at the forefront of what we do and also looking at diversity, inclusion and belonging as an area of priority.”

Veasey, who is originally from South Africa, moved to the UK before making her way to Australia four and a half years ago. Her HR career began in the construction industry in the UK before making her way into IT and later the media sector, with previous roles at companies including Dentsu, Daily Mail and Mindshare.

Now at Havas, Veasey has been working on enhancing the people experience for employees across Australia and New Zealand.

“We've been working through our people plan priorities, which has been centred around diversity, equity and inclusion, around health and happiness within the wellbeing space,” she said. “And also looking at growth, which is [around] that career and learning as well.”

A positive work culture

When it comes to the factors that create a positive work culture, Veasey attributes it to a genuine willingness of the company’s leadership and employees to make Havas the best place for everybody to thrive.

“I think we've got a lot of passionate and talented individuals who want to do great work and that also contributes to them contributing towards a positive work culture in the great work that they do,” she said.

Veasey mentioned how Havas operates under a ‘village model’ where its creative, digital, content, PR, media and partnerships work under one roof.

“There’s a lot of collaboration under a village model,” she said. “We are fortunate to be able to leverage that as a company. That's a really sweet spot for us…which undoubtedly contributes to a positive work culture.”

A shifting industry

Having worked in the people and culture industry for more than 20 years, Veasey has seen how much it has advanced over the years.

“If we look at some of those environmental factors such as COVID, it inadvertently contributed to a huge shift in our function,” she said. “And specifically looking at the way of flexibility and the hybrid nature of the workplace. And so that's seen a considerable shift in the function.”

Advancements have also been made across policies and legislation – particularly around parental leave – as well as having a greater focus on CSR and technology such as AI, Veasey said.

“Other areas that I think have advanced over time are the skillsets that are required, particularly when we talk about leadership,” she said. “I talk about empathy, that is such a key skill in leaders nowadays, which has shifted certainly from when I started off my career 20 years ago.”

But what Veasey enjoys the most about working in people and culture is getting to interact with so many different people.

“I thrive off the energy of speaking to people day in and day out,” she said. “And no two days are ever the same in the role that we do but I feel extremely fortunate and very grateful to be in a people role where I get to have so much daily interaction with people across all different levels.”

Veasey added that the people “are the heartbeat of the company”.

“I feel very fortunate to be in that role where you're driving the people agenda and strategy forward,” she said.

Advice for young professionals

Veasey shared her tips for newer professionals hoping to have a successful career in the HR industry.

“Just stay true to yourself, find your purpose, know your why,” she said. “I think there's a lot that can be done in terms of your behaviours, your values, your principles. I've always tried to align my values with the values of an organisation and I think that's where I have felt so incredibly passionate about what I do.”

And for Veasey’s final tip, she highlighted the need to be kind to yourself.

“We live in such a complex world these days, there's so much that goes on,” she said. “Just be kind to yourself.”