Weekly round-up: Annoying bosses, skills gaps and helping the community

This week in HR news, we discuss how to deal with an annoying boss. Meanwhile, we learn how one chief executive is handling skills gaps and how business leaders are doing their part for the community.

Dealing with obnoxious bosses

The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) discussed how to deal with a boss who loves the sound of their own voice.

SMH discussed one employee’s experience: “He shares his views on everything and everyone. There isn’t an issue we haven’t heard his opinion on, and meetings are just agony because he drones on and on.

“He will ask a question and then answer it himself, and everyone in the office rolls their eyes and talks about him behind his back. I don’t think he has any idea.”

To avoid becoming a real-life Michael Scott, leaders should learn to take social cues and observe whether their management technique resonates with staff.

SMH said that things like surveys can gauge how the workforce is feeling. It’s best to sort this issue out before resentment begins, which can affect the culture and performance of workers.

Filling the skills gap

The Australian Financial Review (AFR) published an article exploring how one CEO is dealing with skills shortages at his company.

Graeme Beardsell, CEO of Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand, has been dealing with a lack of skilled workers. The closing of borders through the pandemic played a major role in this, said Mr Beardsell.

Utilising less traditional forms of sourcing talent, Mr Beardsell turned towards underrepresented and culturally diverse candidates to fill these gaps.

“We, like many tech companies, were underrepresented by women employees (at around 23 per cent), and we were certainly underrepresented with diverse cultural employees and in particular Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders,” said Mr Beardsell.

Fujitsu ANZ has also improved upon its flexibility offerings to cater for this diverse workforce.

“We have really opened the door on flexibility, and that has been really well received by women who have caring responsibilities,” Mr Beardsell explained.

‘CEO Sleepout’

As reported by The Courier Mail, business leaders in Brisbane have taken to the streets for the Vinnies CEO Sleepout to raise money for homelessness.

The annual fundraiser falls on 22 June and will see leaders sleep on the streets for the night. The fundraising goal sits at $1.3 million, and according to The Courier Mail, 196 leaders have signed up as of 27 April.

Rowland chairman Geoff Rodgers is in his 13th year of participating in the event, which he said is crucial to helping prevent homelessness.

“I believe it is incumbent on businesses and business leaders to contribute to addressing the issue of homelessness and to assist our brothers and sisters in their times of desperate need,” said Mr Rodgers.

“Now is the time for us to come together as Australians to support those experiencing hardship.”

Disability employer expands

As reported by ABC News, disability employer Bedford is expanding operations to hire more disabled workers.

The company has constructed a large aquaculture shed in Port Lincoln with the aim of hiring more staff with disabilities into the seafood industry.

“We actually maintain all the knots in the ropes that are used in fishing, we have abalone cleaning, we make packaging for mussels, and we make baskets for Coffin Bay Oysters,” said Bedford CEO Myron Mann.

“Just about every variety of seafood, we touch in some way … Port Lincoln is one of our larger regional sites, and at full employment, we would have over 30 employees.”

Paul Dunn is one of Bedford’s disabled employees who has been working with the company in Port Lincoln since 2008.

“I love Bedford because I can help people out, and I just like the people and all the friends I have here at Bedford,” said Mr Dunn.

Darcy Redding, a former employee, said the opportunity helped him to grow as a person.

“I spent about five and a half years here, and the time I spent here really helped me with my mental health,” Mr Redding said.

“It’s a supporting environment where people don’t judge me … You can grow as a leader too, where you can show some of the guys how to do things.”