On October 3rd, the TALiNT Partners leadership workshop gathered senior executives in Melbourne for an insightful evening of discussions, networking, and knowledge sharing. Hosted by Kris Clelland, Managing Director for APAC & ME, the event highlighted the importance of collaboration and open-mindedness in addressing the evolving challenges within the HR and talent acquisition landscape.
The event featured insightful presentations from partners, starting with Ben Rhone from Expert360, who introduced their Talent Marketplace and how it supports clients in managing talent needs across the region. Following Ben, Adam Walker from Avature presented on their highly customisable ATS, explaining how their solutions assist various clients in streamlining talent acquisition.
Panel discussion on digital transformation and flexible working
The panel discussion featured Olga Barrett, Head of Talent Acquisition at EPAM Systems, and Chris Best, Head of People Operations at Latitude Financial. They discussed the impact of AI on recruitment processes, promising technologies for talent acquisition, and strategies for managing a flexible workforce. Key questions included:
- How is AI currently being utilised in your recruitment processes, and what benefits have you observed?
- What strategies have you implemented to effectively manage a flexible and contingent workforce?
Their insights revealed the transformative potential of technology and the importance of adopting innovative strategies to navigate modern workforce challenges.
Kris Clelland commented that the Melbourne leadership workshop was a testament to the power of collective insight and the forward-thinking ethos that the Talent & HR industry embodies. During the panel discussion on digital transformation and flexible working, the dialogue was candid, invigorating and revealing; Olga Barrett and Chris Best provided a nuanced view of AI’s current role in recruitment, emphasising not only efficiency, but also the improved candidate experience and how both organisations have tackled this from completely different angles. Their discussion on managing a flexible workforce was particularly compelling, as they shared practical strategies that have been successfully implemented in their organizations. This kind of firsthand insight is invaluable, especially as more companies grapple with the complexities of integrating contingent and flexible workers into their teams.
Engaging roundtable discussions
Attendees participated in two roundtable discussions focused on harnessing people data and analytics, as well as developing flexible workforce solutions. Each session provided opportunities for collaborative problem-solving, allowing participants to share experiences and develop actionable strategies.
- Harnessing people data and analytics
- Participants identified key data points to collect during recruitment and discussed methods for analysing data to improve hiring decisions and retention.
The discussion offered a deep dive into the strategic use of data and the integration of flexible workforce solutions. Harnessing people data and analytics was especially insightful, and something that organizations are very much still getting their heads around, with very few in the room having advanced to building People Analytics teams to support talent and employee experience. Participants didn’t just talk about data collection; they explored how to leverage this data to make more informed hiring decisions and improve retention rates. It’s about moving beyond the numbers to truly understand what drives success at a business level, tying it back consistently to Talent Operations.
- Flexible workforce solutions
- The focus was on designing strategies to integrate freelance and contingent workers into recruitment processes, ensuring seamless collaboration and effective performance management.
Conversations on flexible workforce solutions were equally engaging, with gig economy on the rise, integrating freelance and contingent workers has become a necessity rather than a choice, however the means, processes, strategies and technologies to do so, are still in their infancy in ANZ businesses. The strategies shared during this session underscored the importance of seamless collaboration and effective performance management, ensuring that these workers are not just an add-on but a core part of the team, and treated as equally as possible, where awards, legislation and regulations allows it.
Closing remarks and networking
In closing, Kris Clelland’s remarks were a fitting end to the event, encapsulating the evening’s themes of innovation, collaboration, and the relentless pursuit of excellence in talent acquisition, something that Kris and all others in the room, have been trying to conquer for decades. It was a night that not only provided valuable insights but also strengthened the community of leaders ready to tackle the future of work, and as always during the networking sessions post event, these conversations went in many different directions.
