Directors Forum Agenda
DAY ONE – Wednesday 28 March 2012
8:00am Registration & Expo Hall opens
8:30am Welcome & opening remarks from the Chair
9:00am KEYNOTE CASE STUDY Unlocking the full potential of your workforce: Hilti’s journey in becoming the ‘Best of the Best’ Employer
This year, Hilti Australia was named ‘Best of the Best’ in Aon Hewitt’s Best Employer accreditation program. This honour was earned through Hilti’s leadership commitment to their people and the development of a compelling business strategy that is reflected in HR practice. In this case study session, hear about how Hilti employees understand their value in organisational strategy. Learn how Hilti has built a high-performance and high-engagement corporate culture that champions other organisations.
Jan Pacas, managing director, Hilti Australia
10:00am INDUSTRY COMMENTARY The future of the HR profession: HR’s evolution from function fulfilment to strategic business partner
The role of the HR professional is evolving. Strides have been made to promote HR from a personnel function to part of overall business strategy but for HR professionals to be viewed as real business partners, they must be able to provide advice that will improve organisational capability. In this session, hear from an experienced HR leader on how the role of HR is changing and how you can add value to your organisation within your role.
Richard Laidlaw, general manager, human resources – commercial property, Stockland
10:45am Refreshments & networking break
11:15am Welcome from the Directors Forum Chair
11:30am CASE STUDY Leading strategies for gaining 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
12:15pm CASE STUDY Creating a compelling, authentic and relevant Employee Value Proposition
• How to define your EVP and make it both authentic and compelling
• Gain executive buy-in for an EVP initiative
• Identify your organisation's point of difference
• Measure the impact of your EVP
• Integrate your EVP throughout the talent management process
Amanda Towe, HR director, Johnson & Johnson Medical
1:00pm Private luncheon reception for Directors Forum delegates
The Deck Restaurant, Luna Park Sydney
2:00pm EXPERT COMMENTARY Talent strategies for driving business growth
This session will cover the transfer of power away from the organisation to the individual and the increase in global competition within the talent space including:
• Changes within the talent marketplace, such as the emergence of truly global talent pools and the growing number of specialised roles which make it more difficult to find the right people
• The key tenets of a talent strategy, such as engagement, customer satisfaction, innovation and retention, and the need to have solid plans in place for each of those core areas
• The growing issue of talent mobility and the need to see it as a continuous process including the importance of instilling it in your culture
• Critical talent pipelines and the need to find the insight that you require in order to identify and develop pipelines where necessary
Laura Butler, vice president, business transformation practice, Taleo Corporation
2:45pm EXPERT COMMENTARY Managing the complexities of phychological workers' compensation claims
Psychological injury claims are now a significant driver or workers' compensation costs. Work factors leading to claims for psychological injury include performance management issues, poor management skills of supervisors, conflict with colleagues/management, high workload and poor job fit. Employers must take a more proactive approach to managing these issues to mitigate the risk of psychological injury. Marsh will discuss pracical strategies that employers should consider in managing this type of risk
TBC, Marsh
3:30pm Refreshments & networking break
4:15pm GENDER DIVERSITY 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
5:00pm Networking drinks function for all attendees in the Expo Hall
DAY TWO – Thursday 29 March 2012
8:00am Registration & Expo Hall opens
9:00am Opening remarks from the Chair
9:15am EXPERT COMMENTARY HR as an ethical compass
Unethical conduct in the workplace is a growing concern for employers and as a number of recent high-profile cases have shown, misconduct can cause significant damage to an organisation’s reputation and public trust. Creating an honest, ethical workplace is at the top of the corporate agenda in 2012 and HR has a crucial role to play. In this session, gain fresh insight into how to set the ethical tone in your workplace. Explore:
• Communicating organisational values clearly and visibly
• Fostering an open working environment where people feel comfortable speaking out
• Gaining power and executive support for HR to push accountability at all levels
Petrina Coventry, chief HR officer, Santos Limited
10:00am CASE STUDY Impact leadership - The role of leadership capability in translating HR strategy to execution
An essential success factor in implementing HR strategies is to have a high degree of leadership capabiligy that can turn abstract concepts into real and actionable outcomes. 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. In this valuable session, learn the Optus strategic approach to leadership development. Focus on:
• Engaging leaders to reinforce corporate values and culture
• Aligning business objectives with talent management
• Identifying top talent and lead initiatives
Vaughan Paul, HR director, Optus
10:45am Refreshments & networking break
11:15am Opening remarks from the Directors Forum Chair
11:30am CASE STUDY Closing the execution gap - The role of HR in driving effective organisational development
The major challenge facing HR departments when implementing strategy is persuading boards and senior management that the organisation’s people management initiatives are adding value. In this case study, hear how Amcor is managing their best asset - their people – to drive innovation and maximising financial revenue.
Lisa Eccleston, group general manager, human resources, Amcor Australasia
12:15pm INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS Negotiating & managing industrial disputes
A lack of industrial relations knowledge has compounded the number of industrial disputes currently. However, many disputes could be resolved before they escalate if HR was properly trained and experienced in these sensitive areas. Reaching compromises that are acceptable to both parties takes expertise, understanding and experience. This session aims to provide solutions to implement toward improving employee relations, planning and implementing workplace reform, preventing, managing and resolving industrial disputes, negotiating enterprise agreements and advocacy.
Professor Paul Gollan, department of business & economics, Macquarie University
1:00pm Networking lunch in the Expo Hall
2:00pm CASE STUDY The change management journey - Unifying corporate processes, systems & cultures post-acquisition
Fifty per cent of executives believe that organisational cultural differences are the main cause of failure during a merger or acquisition. When managing an M&A, a company must put a strategy in place to define the culture and unify the workforce without jeopardising the value of the newly-acquired business. There are a series of steps and strategies the leadership team should take to manage the process and various tools that can be used to define the culture of the company post-acquisition. Explore:
• Assessing the problem and identifying goals
• Communicating effectively across the newly merged workforce
• Maximising assets and building accountability and trust
Steve Reid, general manager HR - specialists & support functions, Vodafone Hutchison Australia
2:45pm EXPERT COMMENTARY Effective social media policies and procedures
• Understanding HR's role in the development and execution of a social media strategy
• Clarifying ownership rights to postings
• The role of social media in employee communication
• Defining the consequences of inappropriate use
• Understanding the risks of confidentiality issues, defamation or data projection
• Best practices on accessing or restricting usage at work
• Leveraging employer branding and employee engagement through an effective social media framework
3:30pm Conference concludes & close of Expo Hall
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