You’re Paying for the Job, Not the Person
Let’s get one thing straight — you’re paying for the job, not the person. If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “They’re not really worth that much,” it’s time for a rethink. Because if someone isn’t worth the going rate for the role, then they probably shouldn’t be in the role. Simple as that. Every job has a […]
Think burnout is just for the high flyers? Think again
When we hear the word burnout, most people picture the corporate high-flyer. Long hours. Suitcases rolling through airports. A diary crammed tighter than my pants on Christmas Day. But here’s the thing: burnout doesn’t discriminate. It’s not just for CEOs and executives. It shows up in teachers, tradies, not-for-profit staff, hospitality workers — anywhere people […]
Why We Don’t Get Bored Anymore – And What That Means for Who We Are at Work
We used to have downtime. Waiting in a doctor’s office. Standing in line. Sitting on the bus. Zoning out at work. Moments where our mind wandered — sometimes to nothing at all, other times to the bigger questions: Am I happy with where my life is heading? Am I living in a way that aligns […]
Five years of Salary Reviews show the shift: pay has climbed, but what people really want now is flexibility, trust, and purpose
The Hays Salary Review has been a mainstay for decades, tracking the pulse of pay and workplace priorities across Australia. But it’s the last five years that tell the most interesting story. From COVID-driven uncertainty to record skills shortages, and now the squeeze of rising living costs, the data reads like a diary of how quickly work […]
Output over hours: what are you really paying for?
Let’s put this on the table. If you’ve got 38 hours in one column and an employee’s outcomes in another—what is their wage actually paying for? To clock in and sit at a desk for 38 hours a week, or to deliver the outcomes tied to their role? If you just said both, let me push […]
Business-First is Out. People-First is Profitable. Let’s Talk Employee Experience
There’s a reason HR professionals are banging the employee experience (EX) drum louder than ever — because it works. Not in a fluffy, warm-and-fuzzy, “yay team” kind of way. In a hard, measurable, bottom-line-impacting kind of way. But to get there, businesses need to undergo one of the biggest mindset shifts of all: from business-first […]
The Real Work: Why Compliance Won’t Save You From Turnover
There’s a belief out there — still very much alive in small business land — that if you hire good people, you’ll get good performance. That if you “treat people fairly,” they’ll stick around. That if you tick the compliance boxes, you’ve done your bit. Let’s be blunt: compliance alone is not a retention strategy. It […]
Getting the Best Out of Your People Isn’t Luck. It’s Intentional.
You know what doesn’t work anymore? Managing people like they need to be managed. Policies written for the lowest common denominator. Performance reviews designed to protect the business instead of grow the individual. Engagement surveys that read like compliance checklists. If you want to build a workplace where people thrive—not just survive—you need to recognise that […]

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