Let's Talk About EX: Recent Episodes
Ryan McGrory
Let’s Talk About EX is brought to you by exsona, and discusses the exciting ideas and big challenges facing workplace culture and employee experience (EX). Your host Ryan McGrory interviews a series of interesting people who have interesting views, opinions, experiences or ‘stuff’ to say the topic, or topics related to the leadership, recruitment, learning, wellbeing, company culture, values, purpose, design and more!) The purpose of the podcast is to explore specific topics, pose interesting questions, tackle difficult problems and share helpful strategies.
In this episode of "Let's Talk About EX," join your host Ryan McGrory as he dives into an engaging conversation with Kelly Stone, a celebrated writer, trainer, and coach renowned for her innovative approaches to employer branding.
Kelly shares her insights on how businesses can revolutionize their employer brand by empowering their team to be authentic brand ambassadors. From deploying grassroots strategies to leveraging internal subject matter experts, Kelly discusses practical steps to make your Employer Value Proposition (EVP) resonate at every level of your organisation.
Tune in to discover how to transform your company’s culture from the inside out and turn your employees into your most powerful advocates.
For more on Kelly, find her on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stonekelly/
Her Website: https://www.craftmycontent.com.au/the-ultimate-guide-to-recruitment-marketing
What are key issues impacting employee’s wellbeing, and how do we support them?
We tackled this and more in the latest episode of Let’s Talk About EX where we were joined by Dr Natalie Flatt, a psychologist, researcher and business owner with a knack for innovation - especially in the workplace wellbeing and mental health area!
We had an awesome conversation as Natalie shared her insights and experience in working with organisations to improve their response to wellbeing in her role as Co-founder/ CEO of Connect Psych Services.
And, we also touched on some of the research and amazing work that she’s doing in her other role (she must have cloned herself, surely?!) as Chief Innovation Leader at one of Australia’s leading workplace wellbeing research groups at Superfriend.
If you care about workplace wellbeing, your team’s wellbeing or how to support people in your team better - there’s heaps in this episode for you … Enjoy!
If you don’t define your culture, then how can you describe it to others? How do you drive it? How do you grow it? How do you measure it?
We covered this in the latest episode of Let’s Talk About EX where we were joined by Mary Lemonis, the Chief People and Sustainability Officer at REA group.
REA Group are a collection of 16 brands, with 3000 employees operating across three continents. Whether you know REA group or not, you’re probably familiar with and have used their technology and platforms … as they’re the group behind companies like RealEstate.com, Mortgage Choice, Flatmates.com.au, Property.com.au … and more.
So, it made for an interesting conversation as we discussed a range of things that happened to tie back Mary’s experience in establishing and growing strategies that are purpose-driven… and backed by data!
We covered heaps of topics - EVP, Leadership, Talent attraction, people data, future of work … you name it.
Mary was generous in sharing her ideas and stories, so I think you’ll get a lot out of it … have a listen.
LINKS
See what Mary is up to on LinkedIn!
Check out REA Group's Career Page
Learn more about exsona
Millions of Australians are working parents. In fact, 67% of families in Australia have two working parents! It’s amazing that with so many people experiencing what it’s like to work as a parent that our workplaces, the employee experience and even society doesn’t really feel like it’s designed for smooth sailing for parents.
On this episode of Let’s Talk About EX, we’re joined by Nadine O’Regan, General Manager at TQ Solutions.
We discussed the experience or working parents - their needs, frustrations, the importance of flexibility; and, what workplaces are doing (and can do) to create a culture that supports working parents.
Nadine has a great deal of experience in this area, and is passionate about the topic - so it’s great to have her on the podcast to share her insights, tips and ideas.
There’s so much gold in this conversation. Enjoy!
In this episode of Let's Talk About EX, we’re joined by Claudia Barriga-Larriviere - Senior Director, People and Culture at Sendle.
She is seasoned professional in culture and strategy in corporate but also with an emphasis in the startup space. In our conversation, Claudia shared her unique insights on the importance of authentic startup cultures and their impact on well-being and success. There’s so much gold in this conversation - tips, takeaways and insights … so much. Enjoy!
Check out Claudia on LinkedIn here.
And, learn more about Sendle here.
In this episode of Let's Talk About EX, we’re joined by Jonathan Clark the co-founder of The Eighth Mile Consulting, a company that specializes in helping organizations navigate complex challenges and achieve their goals. With over a decade of experience in the Australian Army, Jonathan brings a unique perspective on leadership and change management. In our conversation, we delve into his insights and experiences, discussing the role of leadership in creating a positive employee experience and successful organisational change.
Check out Jonathan on LinkedIn here.
And, learn more about The Eighth Mile Consulting here.
In this episode of "Let's Talk About EX," we sit down with Alisha Murdoch, the Head of People and Culture of Jetts Australia, to discuss what makes the company a great place to work. Jetts Australia is a fitness franchise that operates over 50 gyms throughout the country, and they've built a reputation for valuing their employees and creating a positive work environment.
During our conversation, Alisha shares her insights on the company's culture and how they prioritize employee development and support. She also talks about some of the unique benefits and perks that Jetts offers, such as flexible scheduling, ongoing training opportunities, and a strong sense of community.
If you're interested in learning more about what it's like to work at Jetts Australia, this episode is a must-listen. We hope you enjoy hearing from Alisha and gain some valuable insights into how to create a positive workplace culture. Tune in now!
On this episode, I caught up with Kyla Banks, Group Head of Employee Experience and Internal Communications at nib.
Kyla leads an extraordinary EX team and has done some incredible things at nib - supporting some revolutionary people initiatives to support wellbeing, performance and the overall employee experience.
She has a background in marketing and PR, so it was good to get the chance to discuss what attracted her to EX, learn about her approach - as well as discuss some of the unique EX challenges facing the world of work today.
Kyla was really generous with tips, ideas and sharing her experience so I'm sure there’s a lot of value for you in this episode
We hope you enjoy!
On this episode, I caught up with Oscar Trimboli - author of how to listen, Deep Listening & Breakthroughs.
As well as an author Oscar is also a professional speaker, an apple award winning podcast host and a successful mentor who works with clients to achieve growth within their organisation, for their team and with their leaders.
He’s a true expert on the topic of listening - and I could listen to him all day.
We discussed Oscar’s new book - How to Listen - and he was full of interesting stories, research and boundary-pushing organisations. Have a listen …
To learn more from Oscar (including where to get his book!) check out -
https://www.oscartrimboli.com/howtolisten/
Thanks -
exsona.com
On this episode, I caught up with Tim Fisher, Head of Academy at Tapi Carpets & Floors in the UK.
Tim is one of the most passionate individuals I’ve met - particularly when it comes to Values, Leadership and having fun at work. He is a self-proclaimed 'learning geek' - and I can vouch for that having worked with Tim before. He’s also a leader with a lot of great experience, ideas and perspective - which I’m grateful he was willing to share in this episode of the podcast.
We discussed authenticity in the workplace, employee engagement, technology - and how a learning strategy can and should align with your business strategy.
We hope you enjoy!
On this episode, I catch up with Paul Woods, founder of Adopt & Embrace and General Manager at RapidCircle.
We had a great chat about the recent history and current challenges that workplaces have around hybrid and remote work strategies. Paul was generous in sharing his experience, tips and thoughts on how to merge your tech and culture approach
We also talked about his inspiration, his take on employee experience - and how you might take your leaders and company on a digital confidence journey!
We hope you enjoy!
On this episode I'm joined by Verity Bell, Vibe Manager at the innovative and exciting Dovetail. I’ve known Verity for a few years now - and can say that she is not only a fantastic person but is highly passionate and knowledgable on the topics of Employee Experience, engagement and culture. She’s built wellness programs, led global event strategies and designed excellent experiences in her previous role in EX at Atlassian, where she spent just over a decade at.
I was fortunate enough to have her on the podcast to chat about some big ideas, challenges and opportunities in EX - and Verity was a fantastic guest to listen to and learn from … I hope you enjoy.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/verity-bell/
I’m joined on this episode by Lucy Harrington founder and lead facilitator of The Wholistic Being, a business that specilaises in providing mental health, suicide prevention and wellbeing training as well as consultation services in this space.
Lucy's experience spans over a decade of both personal and professional experience, enabling her to provide high-quality services for organisations big and small.
She is passionate about mental health literacy, education and awareness and this is what we discussed in our 20mins together - as we talked about workplace needs, approaches and strategies around mental health.
You get in touch with Lucy or learn more about what shes does here
Website - www.thewholisticbeing.com.au
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-harrington-69806956/
On this episode, I'm joined by Viren Thakrar. Viren co-founder of In The Game, a culture-building platform to support businesses with hiring, team development and cross-team connection. He's got 15+ years of experience in the people and culture space, supported by his Masters in Sport & Exercise Psychology. He values fun, freedom, adventure, growth, creativity, and achievement and loves to play video/board games, listen to and DJ house music, and watch soccer.
You can find more about his amazing work here - inthegame.com.au
And, be sure to follow him on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/virenthakrar/
On this episode, we're joined by Phil Wolffe of KinexHealth.
Phil is a workplace wellness expert and one of the most experienced practitioners in the country. An exercise physiologist by trade, Phil has completed over 25,000 individual consultations across a wide range of populations and has seen a huge range of health conditions. With over a decade of experience designing and implementing workplace wellness programs, from the head offices of Australia’s largest banks to the gold mines of Papua New Guinea, and everything in between, Phil applies his wealth of knowledge every day to help the companies and people in his care.
If you have any questions for him, or are interested in how to get started on a workplace wellness program, you can do so through his website, kinexhealth.com.au or connect with him on Linkedin at Phil Wolffe.
On this episode, I catch-up with Hannah Blane, Vibe Manager at Immutable.
She talks us through life at a successful tech start-up that is experiencing great growth - and she tells us how her epic role supports the larger team’s passion and purpose as she supports people to do great work.
We also talked about her inspiration, her take on employee experience - and is very generous with advice for ways to improve vibe in your organisation.
We hope you enjoy!
On this episode, I chat to Aaron Williams, CEO of Mindstar on the topic of workplace wellbeing, and how organisations can create a culture that supports their people and leaders. We also speak about the impact that wellbeing has on leaders - and how certain leaders thrive.
Aaron does amazing work with his business Mindstar, supporting organisations to improve their wellbeing via their wellbeing coaches, training and workshops - and more. Check out what they do via - https://www.mindstar.com.au/
On this episode, I'm joined by Dr Karen Sutherland, an award-winning social-media author and educator. We talk about the impact of social media, and how organisations can avoid the pitfalls of poor relationship management. We also talk about how organisations might use social media to boost attraction - and their employer branding in an authentic way.
Check out what Karen does on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenesutherland/
And, learn about her awesome marketing agency Dharana Digital here - https://www.linkedin.com/company/dharanadigital/about/
In this episode of Let's Talk About EX, I catch-up with Russell Robinson, an international expert in engagement. We speak about engagement trends, as well as employee voice (and silence) and where diversity and inclusion is headed.
In this episode, I'm joined by Karl Treacher, CEO of the Culture Institute of Australia. We explore the new world of work and talk about ways to understand how it's impacting workplace culture ... and, more importantly, how we should be adapting.
Karl Treacher is an Associate Professor in the department of Social Science at Griffith Business School and the CEO of The Culture Institute of Australia. He has over 20 years experience working with tier-one brands, boards and business leaders and specialises in brand and culture alignment. Karl has published over 60 articles and has been invited to share his research and advice at TEDx and The Committee for Economic Development in Australia (CEDA).
As an authority in organisational culture evolution, Karl has supported boards and executive teams through the repositioning of many of Australia’s iconic companies. Karl led the rebrand of the ACCC, MYOB, and repositioning of Realestate.com.au, and was heavily involved in the evolution of Bupa (HI Retail), APRA, PwC and RACQ.
In addition, Karl has worked with a range of high profile individuals including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mike Baird (NSW Premier), Guy Leech and Australians of the Year. In his personal life, Karl competed in a variety of endurance sports before retiring into surfing and family life with his wife, daughter and rescue dogs Bernard and Louie.
If you'd like to learn more about Karl and his work, visit cultureinstitute.com.au/