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May 21, 2024 | 
lgiu.org | Rebecca McKenzie
In this interview, Rebecca McKenzie, CEO of Glen Eira City Council, reflects on her experience in local government. She discusses the importance of community engagement, managing relationships with elected councillors, and the essential role of values like respect, trust and public purpose in the local government sector. My career has been entirely in the public purpose sector—state and local government and the higher education sector—here in Australia and abroad.
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Feb 15, 2024 | 
hrzone.com | Gethin Nadin |Rebecca McKenzie |Thom Dennis |Garin Rouch
As we settle into 2024, it feels like as a nation, we are recovering from some kind of collective trauma. The significant impact of the pandemic may be behind us and the tail end of the cost-of-living crisis is ever near, but the toll this has taken on the workplace should not be underestimated. Since 2020, the number of days lost to sickness absence has been steadily rising. The average employee now takes almost 8 days off on sick leave every year.
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Feb 14, 2024 | 
hrzone.com | Rebecca McKenzie |Thom Dennis |Garin Rouch
Two words, six syllables – of sheer bureaucracy. The stolid and unwieldy phrase ‘performance management’ reveals the opportunity that many companies and non-profits have to help their people do better work. Our complex world and evolving employee needs require HR teams and managers to move beyond tick boxes and abandon the obsession with task and process.
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Feb 13, 2024 | 
hrzone.com | Ella Overshott |Rebecca McKenzie |Thom Dennis |Garin Rouch
“They’re really annoying, especially in the workplace. They’re like, ‘Nah, I’m not feeling it today, I’m gonna come in at 10:30 am.’” This quote from Jodie Foster’s interview in The Guardian got a lot of media attention, perhaps because it chimed with the unspoken feelings of older generations and their belief that young people today are in some way ‘work-shy’.
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Feb 12, 2024 | 
hrzone.com | Garin Rouch |Rebecca McKenzie |Thom Dennis
Leadership development is big business. Over $60 billion is spent every year on programs globally. Thumb through the many glossy training brochures and you’ll be met with a delicious menu of skill dishes to choose: from coaching skills and feedback to influencing upwards.
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Feb 5, 2024 | 
hrzone.com | Deborah Hartung |Rebecca McKenzie |Thom Dennis |Garin Rouch
The recent ITV drama ‘Mr. Bates vs the Post Office’ has thrust the Post Office Horizon scandal back into the spotlight, underscoring the catastrophic consequences of corporate misconduct. One would have hoped that corporate leaders would have learned by now that ‘ethical lapses’ end up not only damaging their brands (and share prices) but also eclipse any achievements or advances they might make.
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Jan 31, 2024 | 
hrzone.com | Christine Husbands |Rebecca McKenzie |Thom Dennis |Garin Rouch
With NHS services under so much strain, it is easy to understand why employers are keen to offer services such as virtual GPs and EAPs to their employees. Whilst these types of typically short-term support services can give people access to help very quickly, they don’t normally cater for those who need longer-term support such as those suffering from conditions such as cancer, diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease or complex mental health issues.
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Jan 31, 2024 | 
hrzone.com | Kate Palmer |Rebecca McKenzie |Thom Dennis |Garin Rouch
This may seem extreme, but words of affirmation have seen businesses end up in tribunals. So, failure to address this could have serious consequences. HR advice and consultancy director, Kate Palmer, addresses this issue. With the average UK worker spending 19% of their year at work, it’s only natural that friendships are formed amongst colleagues.
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Jan 30, 2024 | 
hrzone.com | Margot Faraci |Rebecca McKenzie |Thom Dennis |Garin Rouch
The UK is experiencing a productivity crisis. While we saw a slight spike in the latest ONS productivity figures, the long-term trend is dire. This is the single most important thing to know about the economy, because low productivity is corrosive to society – it grows inequality and organisations that matter (schools, hospitals and public services) don’t get the resources they need to serve communities.
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Jan 29, 2024 | 
hrzone.com | Garin Rouch |Rebecca McKenzie |Thom Dennis
With the International Monetary Fund reporting subdued growth and persistent inflation in 2024, organisations may be tempted to seek refuge in efficiency seeking. But efficiency does not inherently equate to effectiveness. With the help of organisational development (OD), HR and people teams have an opportunity to demonstrate this, and to instead maximise organisational effectiveness. But how, exactly? And what steps can you take to cultivate these skills within your team? 1.
