A group of 20 aged care CEOs from across Australia is currently in Canberra lobbying MPs on the key challenges facing the broad aged services sector ahead of the Federal Budget in May. The campaign, organised by Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA), is meeting with 50 politicians from all sides of politics in a series of meetings that got underway yesterday.

Topping their list is the inconsistent uptake of home care packages – with many providers reporting vacancies in Level 1 and 2 packages, while there is reportedly widespread unmet demand for Level 3 and 4 packages. “We’re reminding them about the inequities in the means testing processes,” chief executive officer of ACSA Adjunct Professor John Kelly told Australian Ageing Agenda.

“We have been pretty insistent and consistent with reporting that, and it needs to be looked at. The way the means testing is working out, with the co-contribution, people are voting with their feet and we’re seeing vacancies in Levels 1 and 2. “Our concern is that if they don’t receive the care they need they might end up in acute care at $1,500 a day. So there are some real consequences that need to be examined.” Adjunct Professor Kelly said that while the government had not shown the peak body its latest data on the uptake of packages, ACSA members nationally were reporting vacancies in Level 1 and 2 packages.

Remote issues “will get worse”

Elsewhere the MPs have been told about the need for new models of care and new funding arrangements for remote, rural and regional aged care. “The sooner we begin that dialogue the better, because it is only going to get worse,” said Adjunct Professor Kelly. The CEOs have also been raising the long-standing issues with the Department of Human Services (DHS) payments system. “We have been as supportive and sympathetic with DHS as possible. We understand the issues with the computer system, and that Cabinet is looking at how they find the money to replace it.

“However, the real issue is that for almost the entire term of this government we have been working patiently with both the government and the department, and yet 18 months later we still have significant cash flow and payment issues. After this length of time, the patience is wearing thing, so either Cabinet makes it a priority and gets on with it, or we’re going to up the ante,” he said.

National housing strategy needed

The fourth issue being raised by the CEOs was the need for a national housing strategy, as proposed in ACSA’s recent position paper. “We have reminded government that we are pragmatic and recognise this is not an easy subject, with three levels of government involved. It’s possible to throw a lot of money at this area and not see great results,” said Adjunct Professor Kelly. “But we have asked the Federal Government to look at taking the lead on it, in terms of developing a national strategy. We have reminded them that there are still more than 2,000 Australians aged over 65 who sleep rough and that’s unacceptable.”

Discussing the response from the politicians to the issues raised, Adjunct Professor Kelly said there was much goodwill and understanding. However, he believed that the political appetite for significant action would only come once there was a groundswell of community pressure, led by the baby boomers. At that point “the politicians will listen to what will be a major community message,” he added.

This article first appeared in Australian Ageing Agenda

Are you a top young executive? If you're a motivated young leader in Australia - with strong management skills, good strategic sense, emotional intelligence and an appreciation for the role of business in the broader community - apply now to be a Young Executive of the Year in 2015.

Andrew Conway, CEO at Institute of Public Accountants and guest speaker at our recent Melbourne Networking Luncheon was one of five 2014 winners. Please find below an excerpt about the process of the awards last year.

In September, 10 young executives, chosen from 85 applicants, were put through a gruelling day-long exercise formulated by talent management agency DDI. Playing the role of chief executive of a fictional company, they were asked to analyse the gaps in the business, devise a strategy to address the weaknesses, present a vision statement and deal with a series of mini-crises. As the day wore on, the pressure intensified.

As the CEO simulation progressed, the demands accumulated, revealing not just the executives’ strong suits, but also the gaps in their capabilities. Ultimately, six Boss Young Executives were selected.

Other participants found the process clarifying: “As a senior executive you operate in a bubble day to day and this process helps burst that bubble, and forces you to ask, ‘Is this really the way you should be operating?’ " says Andrew Conway , Chief Executive of the Institute of Public Accountants.

“It’s taught me to be honest with my team about my weaknesses," says Conway. “When I first became CEO I was 28 and I said to my team, ‘I don’t have all the answers. But I will work with you to get them.’"

To read the full article please click here.

To apply and for more information please click here.

According to a new report, workplaces are still biased when it comes to older workers. Researchers from the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and the Equal Employment Opportunities Trust conducted the report to look into the impact of New Zealand’s ageing workforce.

The study showed that one of the most common ways employers are dealing with skills shortages is by encouraging older workers to continue working past retirement age – but when it came to recruitment, older workers were the most likely to be overlooked. Many HR directors and managers agreed that there was a “tipping point”, typically at around 50 to 60 years of age, at which workers were seen as less attractive.

The survey also revealed that 45% of organisations were facing a skills shortage, and the same proportion of participants believed that the ageing workforce had the potential to strongly impact both their business and their industry within the next five years. In spite of this, just over one in four respondents held the view that their managers were not sufficiently prepared to deal with the ageing workforce.

The report also said that workplaces would soon begin to notice “a decreased labour supply, and with it a sudden loss in skills and experience ... while an ageing population will put increasing pressure on health and welfare systems”. Although workers of retirement age account for just 5% of the workforce, this is expected to increase to 13% by 2036. Just over one in five Kiwi workers are currently aged 55 or older, which is expected to rise to one in four within five years.

Bev Cassidy-Mackenzie, chief executive at the Equal Employment Opportunities Trust, told HRM that employers have an important role to play in debunking some of the myths and negative stereotypes surrounding older workers.

“These days, older workers and their future cohorts are likely to be fitter and healthier than previous generations, technologically savvy – contrary to popular belief, more dedicated, loyal and reliable,” she said. “They come to the role with rich life experiences, and the people skills they have gained in the process can prove invaluable.

Businesses of any size and sector can make the most out of their age diverse workforce through insight and an appreciation of the value each individual brings to the workplace.” Cassidy-Mackenzie also outlined the strategies employers could consider putting in place.

“Organisations must gather information on their employees’ age profile and needs, then move to implement appropriate strategies for recruitment and retention such as reward systems, training and development, flexible working arrangements, job design and wellbeing,” she suggested. “This in turn will enable their wisdom workers to flourish and prosper and see real benefits for the sustainability of the business.”

According to Cassidy-Mackenzie, discrimination based on age is “still very much alive and kicking in many workplaces across New Zealand and beyond”. “More than half of the respondents said that the tipping point was 50 years old! In a country which has one of the highest participation rates in the world for over 65s, this position is simply untenable.”

The reasons for people choosing to work past retirement age included income, job satisfaction, mental stimulation, physical activity and a sense of useful contribution. Many workers’ choices also arose from the increasing availability of part-time work and flexible work arrangements, as well as people remaining in good health for longer, starting families later in life and the superannuation system.

Despite these trends, researchers found that most Kiwi organisations did not have a policy in place to address the issue of ageing workers. The study’s authors encouraged employers to consider implementing such policies in order to reduce the pervasiveness of negative stereotypes around older workers.

This post first appeared here.

If you’re a woman and want to advance your career, it may surprise you to know that the mining and resources industry is second only to the public and not-for-profit sector for putting gender diversity policies in place, according to research by recruiting experts Hays.

In the survey of almost 6,000 people across all industries, the public and not-for-profit sector was named by 50 per cent of its workers as having formal gender diversity policies and practices in place. This was followed by resources and mining (37 per cent) and financial services (36 per cent). At the other end of the scale, just 17 per cent of employers in the advertising/media industry have formal gender diversity policies and practices in place.

Across all industries, 49 per cent of the entire survey pool said their organisation does not have a gender diversity policy in place, and a further 19 per cent were unsure. Alarmingly, even when policies are in place one in five respondents (19 per cent) say they are not adhered to “at all”.

In positive news, the retail industry was voted by its employees as most likely to adhere to these policies (89 per cent of retail employees said their organisation adheres to their policies “well” or “fairly well”). This was followed by advertising/media (88 per cent), transport/distribution (85 per cent) and professional services (82 per cent).

Interestingly, while the resources and mining industry came in second in terms of having gender diversity policies in place, it was near the bottom in terms of adhering to them. 22 per cent of employees working in this industry say formal gender diversity policies are not adhered to at all well.

“The resources and mining sector has done a lot in terms of developing policies and practices that will enable it to attract and retain talented female employees,” says Nick Deligiannis, Managing Director of Hays in Australia & New Zealand. “But it seems the industry is failing at a practical level to implement these policies. Managers on the ground need to action these policies if they are to have any real impact.

“Employers should take notice of the gender diversity leaders in their industry because there are real benefits to be gained from ensuring your female talent is free from inequality and can progress equally to their male counterparts. Of course their own career benefits, but the organisations they work for also benefit from having the best person in the best job – regardless of gender – and retaining them by rewarding both genders equally.”

For more, please see social.hays.com/diversity.

Hays surveyed 5,949 people across 31 countries during December 2014 and January 2015.

Where relevant these results have been weighted for a gender value of 1:1.

The announcements on the 12th March by the Hon Amy Adams, Minister for Communications in regards to the RBI2 and Mobile Blackspots programmes have been welcomed by the Telecommunications Users Association of New Zealand and the Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand. “We support the continued investment in rural infrastructure to ensure that this vitally important part of the New Zealand economy and society is not left behind” said Craig Young, CEO of TUANZ.

To ensure that the voices of rural users of telecommunications services are heard in the process, TUANZ and RHAANZ have entered into an agreement to collaborate on the issue of rural connectivity. “Our organisation represents most of the rural stakeholder groups with our focus on health and we welcome the expertise that TUANZ can bring to our advocacy around the importance of connectivity for the improvement of rural health outcomes.” said Michelle Thompson, CE of RHAANZ.

As a first step, the two organisations are planning to host a Rural Connectivity Symposium in Wellington in late May. The aim of this day will be to develop a joint submission to the RBI2 and Mobile Blackspot requests for information. Ms Thompson says “The ability to gather together a large number of rural stakeholders and to provide a response to the Government's request is a great opportunity for us to provide a strong unified response which reflects the voices of rural users of telecommunications services”

Many of NZ's industries are facing an increasing employee health problem, but what can employers do during the 9-5 period to help? HRM asked Vicki Caisley, Southern Cross Health Society’s Head of People and Talent, just how healthy is the Kiwi workforce?

 

This video originally appeared here.

Keeping businesses relevant in today’s volatile and globally hyper-connected world, where the technology fuelled disruption of entire markets and industries alike, presents a real and ongoing challenge for business leaders.
The simultaneous impacts of factors such as the speed of technology-induced change and globalisation further accelerate these changes.

Established organisations whose business models are predicated on the assumption that a fine tuning of their current strategies, structures and business processes will guarantee future viability may be ill prepared when faced with the inevitability of disruption.

20/20 hindsight is a good thing. The litany of cases where organisations have failed to read the signs of disruption are well known and researched. Kodak and Polaroid are well known such examples.

The question is: What can business leaders do to ensure their organisation thrives and survives in the face of increasing technology-induced volatility?

The inertial organisation meets disruption: Who wins?

All organisations, whether public, private, for-profit, not-for-profit or Government, intrinsically face the same challenges in ensuring their ongoing financial viability and efficiency whilst remaining relevant and valued in the eyes of their stakeholders.

Even though the latest technology offering may be compelling, the acid test is how, if at all, organisations can exploit these technologies and innovations to their advantage with known cost, value and risk. This tests the organisation’s intrinsic ability to truly deliver when it comes to making the necessary changes – not everyone will come out a winner.

Past successes contribute to organisational inertia, and overcoming this inertia presents business owners and executives with a complex set of challenges. For incumbent and mature organisations, the foundations on which the capability for ensuring enterprise-wide resilience and adaptability has often little to do with the latest technology.

This post first appeared on CIO Upfront by Rob Livingstone (CIO New Zealand)

The AuSAE TV platform is jam-packed with interviews of NFP sector leaders and topic experts. The latest episode features Sarah Sladek (Founder & CEO of XYZ University), who joins us all the way from America and shares with us her views of the future of association membership and best ways to engage with Gen Y. She describes in the episode how associations must bridge the generational gap in order to survive, and describes some ways in which to do this [watch now].

AuSAE TV is made possible by Redback Conferencing and is housed within their platform. Click here to watch. Not a member? Visit our membership page to see what else you are missing out on and join today! AuSAE TV is a platform consisting of various insightful interviews and webcasts with sector leaders and topic experts. New episodes are released every month.

(Breaking News) Sam McLean will address the AuSAE Conference & Exhibition (ACE) in an exciting keynote titled "Mobilising members through grassroots campaigns in the NFP landscape." Join us at ACE, to hear Sam share his and GetUp's impressive work in the advocacy field throughout Australia.

Sam McLean is National Director of GetUp, an independent movement of more than 800,000 people working to build a progressive Australia and bring participation back into our democracy. Sam started as a volunteer eight years ago and by 22 had risen to become GetUp's Communications and Campaigns Director. At 24, he succeeded Simon Sheikh as National Director. From his early days as a grassroots campaigner and field manager, including time as international climate change campaigner at Avaaz.org, he has advocated for progressive activism at the local level. He helped to establish CommunityRun, a tool that empowers GetUp members to start and eventually run their own campaigns. Sam is also a Director of Australian Progress and of ControlShift Labs, which provide platforms for local activists to start and run campaigns across the world. Follow Sam on Twitter: @samuelmclean.

To see the full program and more information about ACE please click here.

Recruitment firms are being enlisted not just to find skilled candidates, but to make sure a wider range of people are considered for leadership roles.

Karen Greenbaum knows what it takes to hunt down top talent. For three decades she has been recruiting, advising and managing leaders, in a career that has taken her to the highest echelons of global consulting firm Mercer, top 100 law firm Nixon Peabody and boutique executive search company Pierce Consulting Partners.

But it was recruiting for the head of the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC) that was her toughest assignment - this time she was the one in the hot seat. Before taking the top job at the AESC last year, she was not only shoulder tapped by an executive recruitment firm, but also faced a selection panel made up of leading recruiters.

"It was all search, all the time," she says. It's what you'd expect from the trade organisation that represents the firms that help corporate clients find top-flight talent for executive and boardroom roles.

The Chicago-based Greenbaum says there is a common misconception that by employing an executive search specialist you're getting access to someone with a Rolodex of likely candidates at their fingertips. "That is not at all what we do," she says.

It's about assessing talent, understanding the business environment of the organisation, making sure it will be a good fit for the candidate and helping bring that person successfully into the organisation, she says. "We really do search and it's very specific for the client, for the assignment." Signing on top talent will become increasingly competitive this year, says Greenbaum.

The AESC's annual Executive Job Outlook survey, set for release next week, shows 72 per cent of executives around the world are optimistic about job market opportunities. This is a "huge jump" from 51 per cent last year and 36 per cent in 2013, she says. Greenbaum says as growing economies create more opportunities for those at the top, the war for talent will become a reality for many firms.

"People are also looking around the world to fill top positions, not just locally," she says. New Zealand's quality of life is an advantage in this respect, Greenbaum says, making it an attractive market for local executives and those looking for opportunities in another market. Greenbaum is in New Zealand speaking with government officials and organisations working on board diversity.

Please find full NZ Herald article here.