May 24, 2018 Leadership, Productivity

Confucius has a message for leaders who want to succeed: reflect

One of the most admirable and arguably underrated qualities of leadership is the capacity for reflection. Confucius called it the most noble way to learn wisdom.

But when we talk about what makes someone a successful leader, we typically describe attributes like the ability to innovate, make strategic decisions or manage uncertainty. We rarely mention reflection among the core traits of a great leader.

But the ability to reflect is actually among the most important traits that will determine a leader’s success.

May 21, 2018 Culture and Values, Leadership, Organisational Strategy

What Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, has to teach NFP leaders about high standards

“High standards are contagious. Bring a new person onto a high standards team, and they’ll quickly adapt. The opposite is also true. If low standards prevail, those too will quickly spread. And though exposure works well to teach high standards, I believe you can accelerate that rate of learning by articulating a few core principles of high standards.”

That’s Jeff Bezos – founder and CEO of Amazon, and also the wealthiest person in the world.

While you might wonder about how much a billionaire has to teach leaders in Australia’s NFP sector, the lessons from Bezos’ annual letter to his shareholders are hugely relevant for leaders in any organisation, of any size.

May 1, 2018 Human Resources, People Analytics, Professional Development

A free course on People Analytics for purpose-driven organisations, from the experts at Google

Does your organisation sometimes base HR decisions on emotions, instincts or politics rather than data?

Every day, reams of data are created by your organisation that could help you make better people decisions. Decisions like: Who to hire? Who to promote? How to manage great staff or struggling staff? How to build high-performing teams?

But how do you turn all that data you’ve got – whether through CVs, staff surveys, or staff pay and performance data – into actionable insights? Here’s how.

March 7, 2018 Legal Issues, Remuneration

New Fair Work ruling sends warning about “award-free” employees

Lawyers are warning that a recent decision by the Fair Work Commission should make employers “very cautious when attempting to classify their junior or low-paid employees as ‘award free’”.

While most employees in the NFP sector are covered by a Modern Award, if your organisation has previously assumed that some junior employees aren’t covered by an award, you’ll now need to reassess that – or potentially be faced with future underpayment claims.

February 14, 2018 Recruitment

How to write a job ad that connects with your perfect candidate

Good staff are an NFP’s most important asset. And that means hiring them is one of the single most important functions of your organisation. But without a compelling and targeted job ad, you’re unlikely to find them.

So how do make your job ad really connect with your perfect candidate? Here are the three key things you need to consider.

February 5, 2018 Productivity

How to get more done when you’re juggling multiple roles in your NFP

If you work in HR or recruitment for an Australian NFP, chances are that you’re juggling a lot more than HR. According to EthicalJobs.com.au’s most recent survey of NFP employers, for organisations with an HR person, almost half (48%) of those staff have additional responsibilities on top of their HR responsibilities!

So how can you manage the diverse responsibilities of your roles when you need to be making an impact in so many areas?

January 31, 2018 Recruitment, Recruitment & HR Technology

Three Ways to Get More Value from Your Recruitment Processes

Traditional, manual hiring approaches – the status quo – are causing delays and pitfalls that add risk and inefficiency to the recruiting process. For an industry reliant on the integrity of its people and bound by the restrictions of a limited budget, risk and inefficiency are two things NFP HR professionals cannot afford to ignore.

There are a number of ways recruitment can be improved in order to deliver greater value to both the recruiting team and your overall organisation. Here are three key steps.

January 29, 2018 Managing People Well

Why coaching, not gadgets, is key to getting the most out of your employees

Forget the gadgets and “lifehacks” to increase productivity – managers need to become coaches to get the best out of their employees. In practice there are four things managers should do during coaching.

January 24, 2018 Human Resources

How to write clear and effective HR policies for your organisation

HR policies may not be glamorous – and they are definitely the butt of endless jokes – but that doesn’t make them any less essential to a well-fuctioning organisation.

It does mean that writing or updating your organisation’s HR policies and procedures can easily slip to the bottom of your to-do list.

But not making time to look at your policies can cost you and your organisation, in both dollars and hours. So here are five tips to help you write more effective HR policies in your NFP.

January 15, 2018 Health & Wellbeing

Three reasons you need more plants in your office

Office buildings, where many Australians spend most of their waking hours, can cause real health issues. Cubicles in offices usually consist of partitions made of particle board and vinyl carpet, synthetic flooring, a particle board desk and plastic or synthetic office chair, mostly lit by artificial lighting.

One excellent way to combat both sick days and stress is by filling your office with plants. Ideally, you want plants that will “scrub” the air of pathogens, improve the office’s mix of bacteria, and survive in low light with little care.

Author's Posts