Elyssa Goodman (nee Berney)

One of the biggest problems that we have been helping our clients solve recently is improving the gender diversity of their engineering teams. The statistics below indicate why. Scroll through to view 3 tips to help you attract female leaders into your tech teams.

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"Culture Clash: Is Flexibility the New Office?"  I’m wondering....… with the push for full-time office work versus flexible models, how do you find the right balance for your team? With the recent mandate from the New South Wales government requiring all public employees to return to the office full-time, the debate over remote work is heating up. The Premier’s decision emphasises the importance of physical presence to strengthen public institutions and workplace culture. However, this moves contrasts sharply with other states like Victoria, which continue to support flexible work models. From my perspective, this decision raises important questions about the future of work.  I believe that physical presence is crucial for rebuilding strong bonds and enhancing workplace culture. Returning to the office can help rekindle connections and foster collaboration that’s harder to achieve remotely. 🏢 However, I also see the benefits of flexible work arrangements in terms of employee satisfaction and productivity. The pandemic has shown us that remote work can be effective, allowing employees to maintain productivity while achieving a better work-life balance. 🏠 Do you believe a set number of office days is necessary, or is there room for flexibility in how we work?  I’d love to hear your thoughts on what models are working best for you. 🧐  

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That’s a wrap on Day 1 of Gartner Australia. A few random things I’ve taken away over the day that might also make you stop and think: - The positive correlation between employee satisfaction with collaboration, and employee performance - seems logical, but a great reminder that we have to get back into the business of really working together again post Pandemic if we want to unlock employee performance. - AI all over the place - dynamic capacity (terrible name, great idea), and re-thinking about the workforces’ ability (or willingness might be a better question!) to adapt. - Proactive vs reactive wellness - not a new concept, but why are checking in on teams in annual or pulse surveys, to really make an impact we need to ask about this in our weekly 1:1s. - Emma Harvie scores big again with her ability to share compelling, personal stories. She delivered a masterclass on how critical it is to support your employees through change. She’s on the forefront of helping a local retailer create 4M recognition moments over the last 2 years, incredible culture can happen with frequent recognition. - Dylan Alcott. If you don’t know this guy yet, you need to. He’s a no hold back, no bull (he’d insert the real word here), advocate for rethinking disability. Can’t wait for Day 2!

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Had a great time at Talent X down in Melbourne last week with the team Alchemy Recruitment Consulting! Here are my top takeaways: 1. Tech stack is key! Companies need to reassess to best leverage AI, keep up or be left behind by competitors. This has been a key focus for our organisation over the past year, improving our engagement with both our candidates and clients 2. Storytelling is important. We have three stories to tell in our work - the story of ourselves, our business, and the industry we operate in. 3. Respect trumps harmony. Build a culture where people are not afraid to speak out of turn and go against the grain provided they do it respectfully, this is something we strive for at Alchemy. Harmony kills innovation. 4. 'No triangles' - tackle the root of the problem head-on first, escalate only when necessary. What were your top takeaways from the event? #TalentX #AlchemyRecruitment #innovation #storytelling #problemsolving #leadership #management #recruitment #techstack

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Kia ora LinkedIn network, Long time scroller and yet an infrequent poster, so I thought I would provide some insight based on my knowledge of the current market (government focus)   A common topic of conversation (both with clients and candidates) has been "when will things start to pick up"? At last we are starting to see a little movement! We had all waited with baited breath for the new financial year and government funding to come through thinking July may be the month, but things seem to have spilled over to August and likely September as sign-off is finalized and priority roles are decided on. We are now seeing the wheels start to turn and some contract roles come through, particularly in pre-determined programmes of work, as organisations ramp up for delivery. Timeframe wise as some processes can take over 4 weeks to land a preferred candidate, Managers will be looking to try and get this done sooner rather than later as this will lead to onboarding in September/October leaving some time for delivery for Christmas. Any later and that window shortens meaning that with generally quiet months in December and January, delivery will become tougher February through June 30th.   From the permanent job market side, a number of organisations have almost finished their restructure and Expression of Internal interest phase, which will mean the remaining positions identified in the new structure will hopefully be advertised in the next 1-2 months. This will provide more opportunity to those affected by these processes who didn't necessarily have suitable roles internally to transition across to.   If you are actively seeking a role, preparing now so that when a role comes across is crucial!   - Formatting your CV - Updating your LinkedIn with your recent roles AND SKILLS! - Updating your Seek account   The above will make it easier for recruiters to reach you with suitable opportunities as well as make things smoother for your own direct applications. If you have questions about your job search PLEASE reach out to myself or one of the team as we understand it is tough out there and want to help set you up as best we can for success.   If you managed to stay engaged this long thank you for reading and let me know if these types of updates are valuable or suggest other questions we can possibly ask our clients to provide further outlook as we barrel towards the end of the year. Natasha Keith l Justin Purdie l Anna Johnston l Ben Skilton l Amie Lyver l Henry Deans l Tom Mulvey

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What I learned at Culture Con Sydney: We need to understand and embrace our “Humanness” in a Gen AI world. Almost two weeks ago, I was at Culture Con in Sydney, and wow… this wasn’t just another conference. It made me ponder what makes us *uniquely human* in a world where Gen AI is becoming ever more... useful/capable/prolific 🤖 Matt Kuperholz - pointed out that the rise of Gen AI "is forcing us discover how we as humans think." It's presence is swiftly nudging us to re-evaluate our unique value as humans. If the machines are freeing up our capacity- then what is left for us to do? From the speakers I took note of three unique values for humans: Empathy: not just “being nice” but our instinct to connect, to understand each other, and to hold space. AI can’t replicate that (yet). Curiosity: our natural drive to ask “What if?” and explore ideas in all their messy and beautiful complexity. Adaptability: when change hits (and it will), our ability to pivot, adjust, and just keep going. Afterall we are wired to adapt and evolve. And while being aware of our human value is a great first step, on the day we also explored some of our current workplace challenges: - 90% of Gen X don’t feel prepared for AI yet they write the strategy. - Many people are using AI constantly, but they don't understand how it works or why it makes the choices it does (or more scary, nor do the people who made the tools in the first place). - The technology that we engage with has been designed and manipulated with goal to steal our focus. Johann Hari shared it takes us 23 minutes to get back on track after we've been distracted. It's frightful to think that some people would never have a period of deep concentration in their whole week. So, what can we do about it?  - Be proactive to change: Andrea Clarke's advice is to be perceptive to the signals of change and then dive into “what if” scenarios. - Walk through the AI woods: instead of fearing AI, engage with it, test its limits and know exactly where it works well (and where it doesn't). - Reclaim your attention: Johann Hari recommends getting a “K box” a tech timeout tool to break your doom scrolling habits. Culture Con reminded me that our human value is in our empathy, curiosity and adaptability. If only we can keep some of our attention, then we might be ok 🤖 Thanks The Culture Institute of Australia and Growth Faculty for a thought provoking day! 🤓

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10 months ago I started at Kota so it’s too early for the big 1 year post sharing what a buzz it has been and all the great learnings to date. That will have to wait. For today the news is definitely more interesting and exciting. Kota X Remote embed is now LIVE. This means Kota will power Remote’s Global Benefits which will be a game-changer for distributed teams. Remote’s Global Benefits Report highlighted the importance of offering great benefits for teams: 📊 60% of employees consider benefits a deciding factor in job offers. 📊 Nearly 80% of companies report improved retention after enhancing benefits packages. By teaming up we’re making global benefits management easier, faster, and more effective. A massive congrats to the teams that contributed to the launch. An insane achievement. Onwards and Upwards.

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Q&A had a topic on last night about the future of remote work in Australia. There was a really interesting debate around the Right to Disconnect legislation, do we need it, what impact will it have? Carman's Kitchen founder, Carolyn Creswell, was on the panel advocating for a remote future. They have a cool ‘work from holiday’ policy meaning employees are able to go on holidays, work if and when they need to, but have access to an extra 5 days leave during that time as well. With this policy, employees have been able to embrace (rather than completely dread) school holiday periods with their kids. We at Invisible Partners love hearing companies embrace different ways of working to ensure the company's needs are met and the employee is balancing life (goes hand in hand with retention!). Check out the full discussion from last night's episode here > https://lnkd.in/gcw6bE2R #QandA #remotework

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🌟Gender pay gap in Australia: Women aren't 'choosing' to work less; they have no choice. Recent revelations of the gap in nearly 5000 Aussie employers sparked debates about why men and women 'choose' different work paths. But let's be real: Aussie women's choices are heavily influenced by outdated norms. Our culture still pushes 'mum as caregiver' and 'dad as breadwinner' stereotypes, limiting genuine choice in work and care. To truly empower parents, we need policy reform. Look at childcare: Aussie families shell out 24% of earnings on average, compared to 5% in Sweden and 1% in Germany. No wonder Aussie mums face higher barriers to workforce participation. It's time to break free from these norms and give families real choices. Read more: https://ow.ly/B3QE50R8Wew #GenderEquality #PolicyReform #WorkLifeBalance

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🤔I've been reflecting on Employee Value Propositions lately. Sure, offering a gym membership is fantastic, and a day off for birthdays is a nice touch. But what if the employee is moving from overseas, knows nothing about NZ, and has no contacts here? ❤️Support to succeed is what is truly needed: ✔️Help to find a place to live ✔️Advice on how to set up a bank account and IRD number ✔️Someone to show them around their new hometown ✔️A dedicated person to answer their questions and offer advice ➡️What do you think? #relocation #resettlement #NZexpatsupportservices

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https://zurl.co/ldUC You heard it here first folks, the average Australian will change their job every 2 years & 9 months. Ok so I'm defiantly not the first person to raise this, otherwise I wouldn't be sharing the article, but WOW, the average tenure of an employee is under 3 years, that's crazy. If you thought it was hard now to find the right person, trust me you'll go through it all again in under 3 years, so what do you do ease the pain & be ready for your workforce transition? You build & implement a robust Workforce Plan with a solid succession plan included within, that's how. Employee turnover is part of workforce culture today and rather than hide from it, embrace it & make plans to be ready for it & successfully navigate it now. Planning for the future is something your business does now, right? You have a 5 to 10 year business plan in place, so compliment that with a workforce plan and be creating your workforce future and not reacting to it. Do you have a WFP in place, do you even know where to start developing one? Let me know what yours looks like & what's working for you right now?

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My face when I touch down in Brissie for a big day of all things #EmployerBrand with TQSolutions So excited for this Masterclass and a room full of switched on Talent Leaders who get how important a strong Employer Brand strategy is going to be for success in the coming years. Sydney/Melbourne if you've got a bit of FOMO we've still got 1 or 2 spots left for those sessions next week. Drop me a DM 👉📩 #recruitment #talentacquisition #recruitmentmarketing #talentstrategy

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Hands down, the best quote on ‘Feedback’ I’ve heard all year 👇🏼👇🏼 The 2024 Australian Association of Graduate Employers (AAGE) conference was a fabulous three days of speakers and events. Huge shoutout to the organizers for pulling it all together! 👏🏼👏🏼 One standout for me was the insightful and very entertaining Georgia Murch (GAICD) who didn’t hold back as she unpacked a few home truths about sharing feedback. This quote really hit home: “𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁” If you're the one leading a feedback conversation, how you show up and the vibe you bring truly sets the tone for the whole conversation. I think I'm half mouse / half monkey – IYKYK 😉! 💡💡💡💡💡💡💡 CareerReels has three fantastic videos on this very topic, and for a limited time, we’re offering them at no cost - packaged up in a neat little campaign to get everyone talking. ✅ Awareness Sparks Change! Send me a message if you’re interested in the details!

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Together with the Tech Council of Australia and Dr. Ivonne Ranisch (DBA), affix will be hosting the talent leaders network over lunch and a meaningful discussion about embracing neurodiversity in the tech workforce. How can organisations create a more inclusive environment? How can you attract and retain great talent? If you'd like to join leaders in the tech industry ask the tricky questions and go beyond the surface level of such an important topic, register and come along.

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It was a pleasure to spend time with Sarah Carney (Microsoft), Kate Booth (MinterEllison), Georgina O'Brien and Dan Ektem last week as we hosted a webinar panel for ~550 HR and Tech leaders across Australia and New Zealand. We had such a rich discussion about the opportunities and challenges associated with developing a more AI-proficient workforce. Thank you, Sarah and Kate, for sharing your insights on how to best navigate this potent yet new(ish) world so many organisations are currently embarking on. I loved learning from you throughout the process. Three key takeaways:  1. Cross-functional collaboration is essential in fostering an AI-literate workforce. Integrating project teams and leaders from different disciplines within the organisation will promote awareness, adoption, and alignment of AI initiatives with critical organisational goals. 2. When connecting AI initiatives to business outcomes, consider the following:  - The Value it can create   - The Barriers we face  Doing this will help steer away from superficial AI projects (shiny new thing that distracts rather than creates impact), to those that make a real difference across areas like productivity and strategic decision making. 3. Scaling AI literacy across a business is very different than any conventional IT-adoption project. Achieving org-wide adoption requires big behaviour change across many people. Prioritising this as a human-centric project rather than a purely technological one will lead to greater impact.

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Just had a candidate tell me I'm the only recruiter she's met in the last few months since moving to Melbourne (of which there were several) who asked for our meeting to be held in person. Maybe I'm old fashioned but just because we can meet someone virtually, I don't necessarily think that should be the automatic approach in the first instance. In recruitment, fees aren't small. I think we're doing both our candidates and our clients a disjustice by having an automatic virtual first meeting as the standard way of operating. We're charging clients because we're supposed to be identifying cultural, technical and capability fit. It might be quicker, more convenient and less invasive but you lose such a huge part of the interaction when meeting for the first time through a video call. You can only make that first impression once. Recruitment is a people driven industry - lose too much of your humanity and you'll be easily forgotten and obviously replaced. If you don't believe me, think back to the first five candidates (or clients) you ever met in person. Then try to remember the first five you met virtually and then try to tell me that both ways of meeting with people are equal. We've evolved to be social beings (yes, even you, the introvert) and so much of how we understand one another comes from our ability to physically interact. In essence that's what you're charging your client for; for your assessment on that individual in relation to their need, culture and work environment. Let's not race to the bottom on how quickly we can expedite that process and lean back into the human touch which cannot and will not ever be automated. #recruitment #candidateexperience

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I always feel so re-energised and motivated after attending TA events, and it was so great to hear from the likes of Mark Armstrong Mhairi Kerr Jamie Holder and Krish Paulpillai at last night's Melbourne Talent Meetup on the hot topic of Employee Retention, Development and Reward 🏆 🔑 Takeaways for me: • Employees seek to be incentivised on their job at least 3 times a month (and it's not always monetary) • Focus your EVP on the why. This will help you understand, grow and retain your employees. • Onboarding is crucial. It starts with TA, and the experience will carry through the life-cycle of an employment journey. • Celebrate the successes, moves, progression in Internal Mobility 🥳 • An obvious one, but it doesn't get done well in most places. Use the data gained from your candidate, onboarding, employee engagement, exit interview surveys and improve! Thanks again to the #MTM team for bringing it and us all together Matt Woodard Stefan Welack Natalie Badawy 💻 #Retention #Reward #remunerationandbenefits #TalentAcquisition #CareerDevelopment #Culture

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Here's how this will go: 1. Slowly the employed will look for more flexible employment. 2. The council will struggle to replace said staff due to the four day mandate. 3. The mandate will have to change either to 2 or 3 days to attract staff in line with the rest of the market. Some organisations can get away with four-day mandates but probably have generous packages. Strong arming the rest is an interesting approach. https://lnkd.in/gzAT-yeq

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Today marks my 5th year Anniversary since joining the team here at SLR Consulting. Not long before that first day five years ago, I met Paul Gardiner in a small little cafe outside the North Sydney train station between his flights for the day. We spent a good hour talking about his background and goals for SLR and what I wanted to do/get out of my career if I joined the team. I found we were both naturally very competitive people who were driven by results. I remember telling him I thought I could help achieve very high growth numbers in a sustainable way and gradually build a team around myself to deliver on that. Some highlights so far that have stood out to me have seen establishing a TA function to partner with the business to a team of 4 Talent Acquisition specialists. We have grown in APAC from 250 staff to 850+ during that time. The early years were tough on my own trying to keep up with the business demands to scaling to a more sustainable load for the business to continue growing and not burning out. A unique situation was also then being tasked with finding my Manager (Leonie Kerley still current) at the time who has allowed me to do my thing and support along the way. Working through lockdowns and fully virtual interviews on reduced hours work with family in a small rental was probably the most challenging time, yet still we grew as a business and myself as a person through those challenging times. Some great acquisitions have been part of the journey too and helping these companies transition and find them talented people to then integrate into SLR has been challenging and fulfilling. I have also enjoyed connecting with global TA members and sharing ideas, helping candidates through global mobility to secure a career and new life in APAC and also being part of colleagues transferring overseas (hope to see you come back here) - this has been awesome. Being in 3 different Wollongong offices as we continue to grow and recently in our new spot to accommodate more space has also been fun. We have such a great bunch of people here locally that keep things light and fun from coffee around the lake, Table Tennis battles, community work out in the local reserves, birthday and social celebrations, this is what keeps me engaged here - just a bunch of legends to be surrounded by. I could probably go on but I will stop here. I am sure there will be many more highlights to come in the future. This is the longest I have stayed put before at a company, so for someone who enjoys frequent change - it is a big deal. #onwards #oneteam #slrconsulting #pieceofthefurniture

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