鈥淧eople constantly need new skills and we need to know the direction those skills will take.

鈥淭his involves focusing on taking care of the team and ensuring they are aligned to the purpose, goals and objectives of the company. Then everyone is more inspired and can do a better job.鈥�

So what does Popelka think are the foundations of effective leadership?

Good leaders build trust 鈥� they build human connections, she told聽HRD.

鈥淭hey provide the means for teams to work together cohesively and know what they are working toward. In this virtual world, it鈥檚 imperative to have that clear understanding,鈥� she added.

This includes addressing questions such as: What are the goals and objectives we have? What skills do we need to bring to the workforce? What is the purpose of this team?

According to Popelka, as the impacts of COVID-19 are becoming more apparent, HR is increasingly becoming the epicenter of business.

She added that in this crisis, it鈥檚 never been more important to really listen and understand how our employees doing.

鈥淒uring this time, it is really important that our employees know that we care,鈥� she said.

鈥淚n particular, it鈥檚 essential that HR is aware what employees are dealing with and that they understand the challenges of working from home with kids and what happens when the internet breaks down.

鈥淛ust dealing without that face-to-face human interaction is a major challenge. So listening effectively and understanding what our employees need is the first and most important thing.鈥�

Moreover, she added that it鈥檚 important to provide employees with the resources that they need to do their job effectively every day.

鈥淭hat could be HR, someone to help guide their learning or a life coach for wellbeing,鈥� she said.

鈥淭hese things can be very important to keeping people productive and well in this new environment.

鈥淭here鈥檚 lots of things keeping our HR professionals up at night. I have talked to a lot of CHROs who are incredibly challenged in making sure they are doing everything they possibly can to support their employees.鈥�

Popelka added that 麻豆原创 recently worked with Qualtrics to understand what employees need to be more safe and productive.

鈥淲e have a listening tool from Qualtrics that companies can roll out to all of their employees very quickly,鈥� Popelka added.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very simple survey that checks in on how employees are doing, what can be done to make them more successful, and how the organisation can help.

鈥淗uman experience management is truly at the forefront of where we are today in the workplace because employees expect more, and we need to deliver an incredible experience.鈥�

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As companies strive to be more innovative, they should also encourage employees to be their authentic selves, according to Evan Mantis, Executive General Manager, Consumer & Service Industries at 麻豆原创.

鈥淥ver the last few years, we have seen real improvements in our Great Place to Work position and the work we have done with our LGBTI+ employees has been a significant factor in that,鈥� he told聽HRD.

Mantis added that LGBTI+ people have been under a 鈥渉uge amount of pressure鈥� for too many years. Consequently, 麻豆原创 have engaged broadly in sponsorships and partnerships around the LGBTI+ community.

For example, 麻豆原创 have sponsored World AIDS Day and Wear It Purple, and in New Zealand they are sponsoring Pride at Auckland and Wellington.

鈥淲e also have partnerships with Pride In Diversity and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Business Association in assisting the LGBTI+ community with education options,鈥� said Mantis.

He added that it鈥檚 鈥渁ll well and good having the right HR policies in place鈥�, but progress principally comes down to 鈥渧isibility and authenticity鈥�.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about having truly authentic executive sponsorship for what we do in this area and it鈥檚 something that鈥檚 very close to my heart,鈥� said Mantis.

鈥淏ut the entire executive team at 麻豆原创 locally is very authentic about the benefits of promoting a safe environment for all our staff no matter what their race, religion, sexual orientation, etc is.鈥�

Mantis told聽HRD聽that we live in a global society where people are expected to push the boundaries of innovation. Bringing your best self to work each day by being open and honest about who you are is critical to both organisations and society at large, he added.

鈥淭here is a long way to go but we have made some significant progress over the last few years and I am very proud of the work we are doing at 麻豆原创 in providing a safe, open and authentic workplace for all our employees,鈥� said Mantis.

鈥淥ne of the things we have heard from people who have joined our company is that they chose 麻豆原创 because of the reputation we have in the marketplace for treating people equally.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 a really positive thing from my perspective and hearing that from people who have joined us from the LGBTI+ community fills me with a lot of pleasure.鈥�