HR news round-up: Cyber attacks, VR training and the best workplaces

In this week’s round-up of HR news, data breaches that have rocked many high-profile Aussie businesses have appeared to have lasting effects on the brands. Meanwhile, virtual reality has made its way to workplace training, and the best workplaces in Australia were revealed.

Data breach impacts

As seen in Accountants Daily, cyber breaches have a lasting impact on organisations.

Optus and Medibank were two Aussie giants that fell victim to data breaches. These incidents have had continued impacts on the organisations by affecting consumers’ perceptions of the brands, said Roy Morgan chief executive Michele Levine.

“Distrust makes a brand fragile and is a powerful driver in the decisions which consumers make. Brands need to be aware of the ongoing dangers that distrust presents, with lingering distrust a significant risk,” Ms Levine said.

“Risk assessments and procedures by executives and company directors across all industries need to formally factor in distrust – indeed distrust should be on the risk register of every board in Australia.”

Roy Morgan released a list of the most distrusted brands in Australia:

1. Optus
2. Facebook
3. Telstra
4. News Corp
5. Amazon
6. Medibank
7. Harvey Norman
8. TikTok
9. Nestle
10. Twitter/X

Meanwhile, the most trusted brands are:

1. Woolworths
2. Coles
3. Bunnings
4. Aldi
5. Kmart
6. Apple
7. Big W
8. Myer
9. Toyota
10. Australia Post

The training of the future

As discussed by BBC News, virtual reality is being used as an effective way to conduct workplace training.

While this might sound like the plot of a Black Mirror episode, workplaces are beginning to use this tech to create engaging training opportunities.

One simulation created by UK firm Jenson8 tasks employees with escaping a planet in a space pod through a variety of challenges. The aim is to get people to work collaboratively and demonstrate problem-solving skills.

“When people are in this immersive experience, it takes away many preconceived notions that they carry with them when they’re in the workplace,” said Bryan Barnes, head of research and development at Jenson8.

“And it allows them to show up as themselves rather than trying to play that work character.”

Afterwards, the results are discussed in a group setting to create time for reflection. Mike Wynn, who runs the VR-based training at the Bank of America, said this technology is an exciting prospect, especially for younger workers.

“We’ve relied on the very same traditional methods of training for the longest of times, but people have changed, and the way that they absorb and digest information has most certainly changed,” said Mr Wynn.

“The attention spans are not the same as they were a decade ago and even longer. Now, we want information quickly, and we want to be able to see things versus just reading it.”

Best places to work

As reported by Nine News, Australia’s best workplaces were revealed. The top 10 large workplaces, as listed by Great Place To Work, are:

1. Cisco
2. Hilton
3. Atlassian
4. DHL Express Australia
5. REA Group
6. Mariott International Australia
7. DHL Supply Chain
8. Specsavers
9. Capgemini
10. Store House Early Learning

According to Nine News: “The emerging trends of the 2023 list shows that when navigating uncertainty, trust matters – and effective leadership is what sets the best apart from the rest.”