Moving policy away from just a ‘compliance thing’

Policy should be adapted to workplace environments, one HR expert said, as she reflected on how organisations can adapt to the needs of younger workers.

In a recent episode of The HR Leader Podcast, Jodi Paton (pictured), chief people officer at Hoyts Group, delved into the need for proactivity in driving reform, having a bottom-up approach whereby collaboration and communication are embedded, and assuming responsibility for managing a younger workforce.

Moulding legislation to fit workplaces, not the other way around

Paton said workplaces must apply legislation to their organisation by keeping the employee experience in mind when designing policy.

She pointed to respect-at-work legislation as an example. “Shifting [policy] from [just] being a compliance thing that everyone had to do, into this is [just] how we treat each other … [and] this is a part of our values in … respecting each other more broadly in the organisation,” she said.

Further, Paton said HR departments should use their own workplace environment to identify examples of what is and what is not acceptable, as opposed to taking legislation at face value, ensuring that training is designed around the workplace’s needs, so that it can benefit the organisation.

What younger workers want

Paton noted that a large proportion (85 per cent) of Hoyt’s workforce is under the age of 25. She recognised that younger workers seek a sense of belonging in their organisation’s employee value proposition. In addition, she found that younger workers value diversity, inclusion, and the ability to have friends in the workplace to truly enjoy their work.

Paton said she feels a responsibility to the young workers at Hoyts – as it is a first job experience for many – to make their roles a “great first job”.

HR departments in industries that employ many younger workers, like Hoyts, have a responsibility to ensure that their employees gain experiences, skills, and competencies that they can carry throughout their career, Paton said.

In particular, Paton noted the changes teenagers go through in their lives – as they go through HSC or transition to university – and the importance of having wellbeing and health and safety programs targeted towards younger workers.

“From a safety perspective, make sure that when we think about how to keep our employees safe, whether that be physically safe or psychosocially safe, that we’re doing everything that we can in terms of supporting them,” she said.

Carlos Tse

Carlos Tse is a graduate journalist writing for Accountants Daily, HR Leader, Lawyers Weekly.