NewsBite

Euan Black

February

Culture Amp’s Justin Angsuwat says progressive employers recognise that high performance is not a fixed state.

Are you a ‘high performer’? How companies work that out is changing

The pressure to do more with less in a tough economy has sharpened leaders’ focus on high performance and how to achieve it.

Sandie Boswell from Grant Thornton which is using Microsoft Pilot to save time for employees.

How these accountants are using AI to take more time off work

Grant Thornton employees are saving an average of almost 3.5 hours a week using generative AI, enabling more of them to take an extra day off each fortnight.

Senator Katy Gallagher said the Coalition supported the largest public and private sector companies in Australia being required to set equality targets under proposals before the Senate.

As Trump tries to kill DEI, Labor moves to lock it in

Proposed changes before the Senate would force Australian employers to set and meet more gender equality targets, just as their US counterparts abandon them.

Top CEOs are asking gen AI tools for advice on strategic decisions.

How this chairman used AI to rebuff a hostile takeover bid

CEOs aren’t using gen AI just to write speeches. They’re asking it for advice on big decisions and making ‘digital twins’ of themselves to coach others.

Woolworths has told its office-based staff that some of their roles will be made redundant as part of a restructure.

Woolworths to cut some office-based roles

The supermarket giant has told its office-based employees that some of their positions will be made redundant as part of a broader restructure.

Advertisement
CBA is cracking down on working coming in, then heading home to work.

CBA cracks down on ‘coffee badging’, Woolies joins WFH push

The big four bank tells staff they have to spend at least four hours in the office to count for a day’s work, while Woolies joins the back-to-the-office push.

Woolworths orders 10,000 staff back to the office

Supermarket chain Woolworths has told its 10,000 office-based workers they will have to attend the workplace at least three days a week from October. 

Accenture chief executive Julie Sweet said the consulting firm was making the changes to comply with President Trump’s executive orders.

Accenture to end DEI policies to comply with Trump

Accenture CEO Julie Sweet advises staff of a global evolution as the consulting giant abandons DEI programs in response to President Donald Trump’s orders.

Canva’s Charlotte Anderson says goal-setting and face-to-face interactions can help motivate workers.

Stuck in a rut? Here’s how to shake off the post-holiday blues

If you feel like you’ve been wading through treacle since returning to work, you’re not alone. Career coaches say it’s a common feeling at this time of year.

Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg is one of several US business leaders to have retreated from DEI initiatives since Trump’s re-election.

The business case for diversity is not always clear-cut

HR bosses say DEI is good for the bottom line. Critics emboldened by Donald Trump say that’s not backed by evidence. Who’s right?

Kiria McNamara at South of Johnston in Collingwood, Melbourne.

Ask this exec for five minutes, and she’ll probably say ‘no’

Kiria McNamara, director of people and culture at Swisse Wellness and a 2024 BOSS Young Executive, tends to decline impromptu catch-ups.

January

Private Healthcare Australia chief executive Dr Rachel David aims for five to six home workouts each week using the Les Mills workout app.

How these top CEOs stay fit and healthy

Chief executives understand that investing in regular exercise and proper nutrition is good for business. But not everyone likes to tick this box by hiring a personal trainer.

Kath Van Der Merwe from Telstra, Michelle Williams from Lottery,  christine Parker from Westpac, Jane Franks from ASX, Nicole Reid from Xero, Elisa Narone, from REA.

The workforce challenges keeping these HR bosses up at night

BOSS talks to six human resources executives about challenges they face in 2025. Rethinking diversity programs may not be one of them, but there are many others.

UNSW student Alireza Ghaffarian said he swapped economics for accounting after being advised the change would be good for his career.

Why students are shunning economics, ‘the dismal science’

Alireza Ghaffarian enrolled in economics because he thought it would get him a good finance job. But he dropped out of the subject because it’s increasingly not considered the best preparation for work.

Officials say scrutiny of the financial management of universities is legitimate, but a witch-hunt on vice chancellor pay or staff underpayments is unwarranted.

Universities warn against ‘witch-hunt’ governance inquiry

The Labor-dominated committee will focus on financial management, but officials are worried about knee-jerk responses to tension about vice-chancellors’ pay and wage theft.

Advertisement
After the column ran, Microsoft gave Bing a lobotomy, neutralising the chatbot’s outbursts and installing new guardrails to prevent more unhinged behaviour.

Will AI make you dumber?

It’s a question that some HR bosses are pondering, albeit in less dramatic terms. And an academic paper might hold some answers.

Almost 10,000 people took part in over two days of racing in Melbourne last December.

Hyrox is sexy, loud and coming to a sports arena near you

The functional fitness brand is surging in popularity as regular gym-goers embrace a new way to test their overall fitness.

Ten CEOs share their favourite productivity hacks

For many of our CEOs, more useful than apps and computer programs were strategies that helped them zero in on the work that matters most.

BHP estimated in 2023 that the Albanese government’s labour-hire laws could cost the miner an extra $1.3 billion in annual operating costs.

The gap between providing ‘labour’ and ‘services’ could be $49k a year

Workers employed by BHP subsidiaries and labour-hire firms are paid much less to do the same work as its direct workforce, unions argue in a major test case.

Chad Burke, head of online pet speciality retailer Swaggle, says he “killed the PowerPoint culture” to more quickly get to the nub of an issue.

Why this young retail boss ‘killed the PowerPoint culture’

Chad Burke, head of Swaggle, an online pet specialty retailer owned by Coles, cut down on slide decks in meetings to promote better collaboration.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/by/euan-black-p536fx