The 2012 program will be available shortly. Please revisit this website regularly for updates.
Day one - 5 October 2011
8:00am Registration opens
9:00am Welcome & opening remarks from the Chairperson
Talent attraction strategy & assessment
Jeff Thompson, CEO, jobwire
9:30am OPENING COMMENTARY Seat at the table: How HR impacts business strategy
• How HR directors can be recognised and valued as business partners
• How does the HR director implement the CEO's vision?
• Understanding HR’s role in corporate strategy
• How HR can impact long and short-term operational strategy
• How CEOs and HR directors can work together effectively
• How HR can impact bottom-line performance and revenue
Petrina Coventry, chief HR officer, Santos Limited
10:15am CASE STUDY How HR can drive organisational success
The major challenge facing HR departments is persuading boards and senior management that HR is adding value while simultaneously transforming what was traditionally a transactional center into a strategic function that partners across the business. In this case study, hear from Fuji Xerox on how they are managing their best asset, their people, in driving innovation and financial revenue.
Beth Winchester, general manager human resources, Fuji Xerox
11:00am Refreshments & networking break
11:30am CASE STUDY Strategy by design – The QR National transformation
QR National is undergoing an unprecedented workforce transformation. In light of voluntary redundancies and union issues, how will the workforce emerge? In this key session, hear from the head of HR on how his organisation is changing and moving toward the future.
John Stephens, EVP & chief HR officer, QR National
12:15pm LEGAL UPDATE Bullying and harassment in the workplace - Building a zero-tolerance culture
Workplace bullying claims are on the rise. Studies show that bullying can have severe psychological consequences for victims, and, as many recent cases have shown, it can also carry massive fines for employers, organisations and even individual employees. This session provides legal solutions to combat bullying and harassment of any kind. Learn how to:
• Explore legal responsibility and consequences of bullying and harassment in the workplace
• Discuss the potential liability for employers, directors and managers under legislation
• Take lessons from recent cases and some practical guidance to minimise risk
• Implement a workplace policy that includes a process for reporting and investigating complaints and grievances quickly and confidentially
Tracey Jessie, partner, employment law, Flower and Hart Lawyers
1:00pm Luncheon reception for all attendees
2:00pm EXPERT COMMENTARY Understanding, maximising and leveraging social media in recruitment and employer branding
With 9 million Australians using social networks and spending more time on social media than any other country in the world, the importance of forming an online recruitment strategy is essential. Social media has shifted the recruitment landscape by connecting candidates, recruiters and businesses together. Tools such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are allowing us to be more creative in connecting with people, while candidates are increasingly turning to these tools to learn about organisations and the positions they have available. Explore:
• How to build, manage and maintain a niche online talent community
• Fostering a sense of innovation in your employer branding message
• Social media governance: Understanding the boundaries
• iPad, iPhone and Blackberry: Focusing on mobile recruiting
• Talent management case studies
• How to use metrics to evaluate social media recruitment success
Mariah Gillespie, social media strategist, JXT Consulting Ltd
2:45pm CASE STUDY Impact leadership: a Vodafone Hutchison case study
The effectiveness of leaders, their alignment with business strategy and their ability to grow and develop internal talent are critical in today’s competitive telecom industry. Through this case study session, you will learn Vodafone Hutchison’s strategic approach to leadership development and their key components of success by engaging leaders to reinforce their values and culture and align business objectives with talent management.
Steve Reid, general manager HR - specialists & support functions, Vodafone Hutchison Australia
3:30pm Refreshments & networking break
4:00pm CASE STUDY The ROI of workplace diversity & inclusion
• How flexible workplace initiatives can benefit the organisation as well as the individual
• Integrating diversity into the organisation’s attraction and retention strategy
• Capitalising on new markets and global market reach
• Attracting the best and the brightest employees to your organisation
• Increasing creativity and diverse thinking
Belinda Reynolds, diversity & workforce lead, IBM Australia & New Zealand
4:30pm EXPERT COMMENTARY The neuroscience of change leadership
Change is the new certainty. Change can be constructive, for without change, there is no learning. So why do leaders typically face resistance, scepticism and cynicism when challenging others to change? The emerging field of neuroscience is providing powerful insights into cognitive and behavioural processes, how the mind and body inter-relate and is changing the way we think about thinking. In this session learn the implications of change for leadership and optimising workplace talent.
Sylvia Vorhauser-Smith, general manager, integrated talent management, PageUp People
5:15pm Networking drinks for all attendees
An opportunity to share experiences and discuss the day's proceedings with your colleagues
Day two - 6 October 2011
9:00am Welcome & opening remarks from the Chairperson
9:15am CASE STUDY Leading strategies for getting top management support for your HR initiatives
HR directors need the support of senior management to drive people strategies and organisational change that is effective and lasting. So how can HR gain management support for their ideas? This session provides strategies to gain greater credibility with the C-Suite when pitching new initiatives. Explore:
• Understanding the business
• Understanding the drivers of value
• Speaking the language of ROI
• Being strategic across business units
• Thinking like the CEO
• Measuring and reporting performance
Janine Stewart, group executive, people & culture, Perpetual
10:00am EXPERT COMMENTARY UGR's - The secrets behind business performance
Employees operate according to a series of UGRs - unwritten ground rules - a sort of folklore about how the business operates and how things get done. All too often these are negative and work at cross-purposes to what management is trying to achieve. Furthermore, business leaders and senior managers are oftentimes unaware UGR’s even exist, and consequently have a rose-tinted view of the company's culture. The UGR’s will be formed by staff observing managers' words and actions, and whether they live up to the precepts they've laid down. This session will show you how to identify the ground rules at work in your organisation and change negative perceptions into positives that the whole team can endorse and follow.
Steve Simpson, director, Keystone Management Services
11:00am Refreshments & networking break
11:30am CASE STUDY Top leadership strategies for creating high-performance teams
How do you distinguish your next generation of top performers from the rest? How do you quantify the return on investment from selecting the right talent? In this session, hear from a leading HR Director on the top skills needed to grow a pipeline of high-performance leaders.
• Determine the best leadership style for your organisation
• Identify current and potential leaders within the team
• Pinpoint leadership gaps
• Develop succession plans for critical roles
• Set career-planning goals for potential leaders
• Create a skills roadmap for future leaders
• Build a retention program for current and future leaders
Justin Miles, general manager, HR, Fonterra ANZ
12:15pm EXPERT COMMENTARY Online learning – Yesterday, today & tomorrow
In the first decade of this new millennium the world market for e-learning grew over 2600% and if anything growth today is accelerating. Moreover, e-learning is developing and changing as fast as it is growing. As we enter the new decade we see many new technologies emerging; we see changes in the way e-learning is delivered; we see changes in how, when and where people learn. This session will examine the key factors behind the rise of e-learning and provide a futuristic perspective on new technologies that will shape e-learning over the coming decade. Explore:
• The factors behind the explosion in e-learning since 2000
• Mobile learning – What does it mean and how will we use it?
• Social learning – What is it and how might it form part of a learning strategy?
• The emergence of serious gaming – Isn’t that an oxymoron?
Tim Legge, CEO, Learning Seat
1:00pm Luncheon reception for all attendees
2:00pm EXPERT COMMENTARY Skirting the pipeline: The call for women in leadership positions
Despite individual corporate initiatives and guidelines being in place for the ASX Top 200 companies, the federal government has decided not enough is being done – and not enough is being achieved – in terms of advancement of women in the Australian workforce. This session aims to educate organisations in their quest for more diverse and female-friendly work environments. Not because it is the right thing to do - but because it makes economic sense in terms of skill shortages, increased productivity and levels of innovation and customer and client strategies.
Maureen Frank, founder & CEO, Emberin
2:45pm EXPERT COMMENTARY Talent dynamics – Improving performance, productivity and profits
This session will introduce a unique profiling tool called Talent Dynamics and discuss how it is transforming organisations across the United Kingdom and Australia. Find out:
• What is Talent Dynamics?
• The eight Talent Dynamics profiles
• Matching strengths to accountabilities across teams
• The primary purpose of an organisation
Vicky Jennings, CEO, IPS Talent Assessment Services
3:30pm Conference adjourns