Curious facts on workplace

A survey has found that not enough companies are placing suitable emphasis on curiosity in the workplace.

A survey by cloud-based information technology outfit Rackspace has found not enough companies are placing suitable emphasis on curiosity in the workplace.

Rackspace questioned 1368 Australian and New Zealand white-collar workers and found 44 per cent of respondents agreed their organisation was curious and 84 per cent agreed curiosity played an important role in driving revenue.

In organisations that valued curiosity and inquisitiveness, 84 per cent of workers agreed they were more satisfied with their job, compared with 45 per cent in non-curious organisations, the survey found.

Rackspace director Angus Dorney says Australian businesses need to focus on what people and companies might do to disrupt the business, rather than what they have done previously, and that inquisitiveness is central to that.

“We need to focus on the potential to adapt, to change and to be curious,” Dorney says.

“Our study sets a benchmark for Australian businesses to understand their corporate possibility and the role curiosity can play in helping to increase revenue and job satisfaction.”

The company ranked 11 human values, including a personal sense of curiosity in daily life, professional contexts and how workers feel their organisation would prioritise values.

An MBA first

The University of South Australia’s Business School will this year collaborate with the Australian Institute of Company Directors to see the AICD Company Directors Course embedded in the curriculum of the university’s Masters of Business Administration.

In an Australian first, UniSA MBA graduates who complete the AICD course as part of their MBA will be recognised by the AICD.

Pro vice-chancellor Marie Wilson says the partnership will enable MBA students to gain an insight into the role of boards and the elements of finance, strategy and decision-making that ensures a board is operating according to high standards.

Leading question

A Hudson study of more than 100 human resource leaders has uncovered a gap between intention and action in leadership development among Australia and New Zealand companies.

The recruitment company found 92 per cent of HR leaders found leadership to be important, although only 54 per cent of companies had a clearly articulated leadership strategy in place.

Head of talent management Simon Moylan says the lack of leadership planning is inhibiting companies’ ability to develop efficient business strategies.

“Every organisation needs a process for assessing the leadership team’s strengths, weaknesses and skills gaps, which then maps to the business strategy,” Moylan says.

“It’s impossible to do this successfully without a plan — it’s like heading off on a road trip without a map.”

The survey also discovered a lack of established talent identification processes in Australian and New Zealand companies, with 46 per cent not having one in place and one-third without a process to recruit or promote potential leaders.

Progress needed

A Morgan McKinley survey of more than 1000 professionals has found the main reason people leave their jobs is out of frustration for not progressing up the ladder.

The survey found more than 49 per cent cited lack of career progression as their main motivation for leaving a job.

When it came to what was most important about career progression, 55 per cent were concerned about the overall package they would receive as the most important aspect, and only 23 per cent cited their need for a broader work remit.

The research shows 53 per cent would consider a job opportunity overseas to gain more interesting experiences and progress their careers, and 30 per cent cited the US or Canada as their top destinations ahead of Singapore and Hong Kong.

Joint managing director Louise Langridge says the survey shows professional Australians are highly sophisticated in their ambitions and at the same time, the Australian workforce is characterised by its talent shortages.