Recent Articles
Does promising a future of less reliable employment pass the pub test?
Jenny Brice / January 16, 2018
“What lies between most people and destitution is their job” Irrespective of Age
Jenny Brice / July 3, 2017
Career planning to begin in kindergarten
At the rate jobs and professions are disappearing, the adults of the future will have to start planning their careers in kindergarten.
If this is beyond the realms of possibility, think again. The speed of change, the level of technological disrupters and the competition for employment is unprecedented.
Forty per cent of Australians employed in cities today, will have a moderate to high likelihood of their job disappearing within the next 10 to 15 years. That is five million jobs. For those in rural Australia this number increases to sixty per cent according to a CEDA report.
Interview: Age prejudice ‘epidemic’ in corporate Australia target of Sunshine Coast woman’s battle
On Wednesday Jenny Brice was interviewed regarding her new article on Ageism. ABC News’ Jon Coghill interviewed Jenny about her article and gained her perspective on the discrimination people face on account of their age, without knowing the skills and possible contributions those people could make.
A Sunshine Coast business coach is combating ageism in the Australian workplace and wants the corporate world to do the same.
Jenny Brice, a former high-flying human resources (HR) professional, said corporate Australia needs to have a conversation about how older workers can be an asset.
“The skills we have learned going through the tough times [of recession in the 1990s], and understanding what they are, can be unbelievable knowledge for corporations,” Ms Brice said.
Read the news report here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-03/age-prejudice-epidemic-in-corporate-australia-target-of-battle/7136190
The diversity debate we need to have now
In the 1990’s there were very few women in senior positions in corporate Australia. As one of those corporate executive women, I wanted to understand why? I decided to do my own anecdotal research, which is not academically valid however has served me well during my career.
I asked one question to men, repeated in various ways, over the last 20 years. It was not a question you asked cold but a question that could be asked once rapport was built. It was “what men feared most about women in business?” What was amazing was that the themes were the same though expressed in different ways.
The Weakest Link a case study in overt ageism
The Weakest Link was a TV show that also provided a unique laboratory highlighting overt age discrimination, with contestants greying or wrinkled far more likely to be sent packaging than any other cohort, according to Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner’s book in the book Freakonomics.
The study when applied to the workplace should have every policy maker and employer shuddering with fear at the wasted opportunities, but this serious impediment to productivity is near invisible, just like the so-called oldies themselves.
What is a multi-million dollar question for a board?
A passenger was booking his bags in at an airport and gave the person checking in his bags, a lot of unnecessary abuse. The baggage handler did not seem at all concerned. When the next person in line said to the baggage handler you seemed very calm about the abuse, he said he may be going to France but his bags are going to Brazil.
How often do we in our own small way “try and even up the score” or “justify our actions” if we believe we have been treated unfairly or unjustly either as individuals or as a collective? How often is the response to inequity often actioned by individuals and sanctioned by the collective yet never named?
In corporate Australia inequities are no more stark; on one hand, many employees’ jobs disappear with the never ending rounds of restructures; those left behind often have increasingly large workloads, reduced work space and often smaller salary increases for expected increased efforts. Australian salaries are stagnating up only 1.3% in two years and the combined unemployment and underemployment rate in Australia is now approximately 18%, a combined figure that is rarely highlighted.
Have you had a conversation with Jane?
I recently went on a short holiday to western Queensland and as a part of my travels I went and visited a lake. I remember it was a glorious winter’s day and as I was wandering along the shoreline, I, by chance, had a conversation with a middle age local woman; let’s say her name was Jane. We exchanged the normal pleasantries, and as a part of our exchange we discussed a lot about her work. Like many conversations between strangers, anonymity provided the basis for an honest conversation. Almost like reverse road rage in some ways. This brief connection provided more insight into an average Australian’s view of work than any employee survey could provide. Let me explain by sharing the conversation and unpacking some of those insights.
Jane, I discovered, worked for a supermarket chain and had done so for 27 years as a full time employee. She was one of the few remaining “full timers” as almost all new employees were predominately employed on casual or part time hours. She reflected that in the beginning everyone was employed on a permanent basis, managers stayed in their positions and she described it like working together as a family. Everyone used to help each other out. If one person’s department was running late or customers were lined up at the check out, every one would pitch in to help each other.
Ageism
I am a white Australian, relatively intelligent female with average looks and being born into humble beginnings.
Have known what it is like to have only $300 and limited prospects.
Worked my way from nurse, midwife to HR Directive. First went to University at 28.
Been regarded as “the experiment” when I was the first female executive recruited externally in a large company for the first 18 months.
Did not want to have children. Considered selfish and asked if I was a lesbian when my husband and I parted by a neighbour and others.
Have managed fair share of opportunities and challenges like most people.
Nothing however prepared me for the impact of being considered old in our society.
Bang. It happened so suddenly, so unexpectedly, so shockingly, that I was taken totally by surprise. It was like I was driving along a road and suddenly I hit an invisible brick wall and in the process everything changed forever.
Employee Engagement has passed its used by date?
Introduction.
I have spent hours writing an article on employee engagement and at the end of it I realised that Employee Engagement is passing its use by date. The world of work is changing dramatically. There should be no expectations by employers that employees will be so absorbed by their work, that they will use discretionary effort for the benefit of the company. Those days are going, if not gone.
When I was researching the area, I was looking for information that supported investing in employee engagement. What became apparent to me was with the advent of redundancies, restructures, and endless cost cutting measures, trust has been predominately lost between the employee and employer, with little chance of reconciliation.
Irrespective of this there was no “evidence” that employee engagement leads to better company performance. There are only studies that show a correlation. Some research suggests that the best performers in companies are actually those who are less engaged, suggesting at least that the construct is wrong.
Yet interestingly 78% of business leaders believe engagement is an urgent or important issue. They spend huge amounts of money identifying how engaged people are. What they seemingly fail to recognise is that employees are so sceptical or fearful of the confidentiality of such surveys; much of the information gathered within companies is potentially flawed.
Achilles Heal Syndrome
A consequence of a secret fear of failure.
Achilles Heel Syndrome (AHS) is a consequence of a secret fear of failure and due to modern day circumstances I believe it is becoming more prevalent.
AHS, although it is not a new concept, I don’t believe it is well understood. My aim therefore is to explain the concept, understand why it is becoming more prevalent and explore actions that organisations can take to reduce the incidence of AHS.
What is Achilles Heel Syndrome? (AHS)
I first discovered AHS when reading Petruska Clarkson’s book Achilles Heel Syndrome. The term Achilles’ heel is used when referring to one’s vulnerability and it is spawned from Greek Mythology.
It’s just the “Little Things” And the Big A Word
Acknowledgement. The big “A” word is one of the most significant things we can do when managing people, yet how often do we consider its importance, forget about it or stuff it up completely? How often do we think about acknowledgement as the “big things”, like the awards night rather than all the “little things” that make up the tapestry of being valued? How often do we here people say, “It is just the little things”?
Why should this be important? It contributes to employee engagement. Aon Hewitt has completed a number of global studies and in 2014 results showed that 39% of employees are disengaged and that percentage is the same in the Asia Pacific region. Some experts are saying we are experiencing an epidemic of employee disengagement. Reasons outlined for employee disengagement are many. However poor communication, lack of feedback and poor HR practices are significant contributing factors. Employees being disengaged are high;
“Gallup estimates that these actively disengaged employees cost the U.S. between $450 billion to $550 billion each year in lost productivity. They are more likely to steal from their companies, negatively influence their coworkers, miss workdays, and drive customers away.”Sep 23, 2013
Recent Articles
Does promising a future of less reliable employment pass the pub test?
Jenny Brice / January 16, 2018
“What lies between most people and destitution is their job” Irrespective of Age
Jenny Brice / July 3, 2017