iTWire - Enterprise Staff

Chat-based interview fairer for disabled candidates: study

2024-07-16T14:44:00+10:00

New research from AI-driven chatbot Sapia.ai has found that chat-based interviews are one of the fairest means of evaluating candidates with a disability.

The study canvassed global responses from 595 self-reporting a disability, 595 randomly selected from those not reporting a disability, controlling for similar gender, race, and answer length distributions.

The study -- which was previously presented at the Society for Industrial and Organisational Psychology conference in the United States -- canvassed global responses from 595 self-reporting a disability, 595 randomly selected from those not reporting a disability, controlling for similar gender, race, and answer length distributions.

It revealed a minute difference in the candidate passing rate for those reporting a disability against those without one, recording data for those declaring dyslexia, autism or a stutter.

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Sapia.ai’s technology asks candidates five questions via an AI powered chat platform. There is no time-limit for candidates to complete their responses, allowing for time to edit and think through their responses. Though, most candidates complete the chat within thirty minutes on average. Using these responses, Sapia.ai’s technology then provides the employer with an overall score and ranking of candidates, based on how their results line up with their required traits and skills for the role.

Barb Hyman, CEO and founder of Sapia.ai said: “Our latest research adds yet another argument for the use of chat-based tools in your recruitment process. Not only are they preferred by women candidates, but they level the playing field for those applying with a disability.”

“Candidates with a disability already fight against unconscious bias in the hiring process. Many of the tasks allocated to them during recruitment -- such as video interviewing -- discriminate against them. This data shows that a chat-based interviewing, as an initial means of screening, ensures your second-round candidate pool fairly represents all aspects of the community.”

A pioneer in ethical AI solutions and contributor to the scientific discussion on its use, global brands trust Sapia.ai to accelerate and enhance their recruitment and promotion processes. A conversational, Natural Language Processing (NLP) based chat AI interviews, assesses and screens for the best talent at scale via an easy-to-use platform, generating insights for both candidates and hiring teams.

Its platform is available for use in over 10 languages, aiming to put all talent — even those who do not speak English as a first language — at ease during the hiring process. This process also aims to improve diversity outcomes by helping eliminate unconscious bias in candidate screening.

About Sapia.ai

Founded by a former Chief Human Resources Officer, Sapia.ai is at the forefront of AI-fuelled disruption across all aspects of HR. Trusted by some of the world’s most respected consumer brands, Sapia.ai identifies undiscovered talent in a truly unique way – by looking beyond the resume to the true human potential of every applicant.  

Australian workers who use AI are more positive about it

2024-05-01T12:03:54+10:00

Google launches new course to help put Australians on fast track to AI skills and jobs

Nine out of ten Australians believe AI will change some or most jobs or industries in the next five years, according to research by Ipsos for Google Australia.

Australians also tend to be more optimistic about the positive impacts of AI on their work (42% positive impact vs 22% negative impact on their job over the next five years), outpacing less positive countries including the United States and Japan, where the perceptions are more split.

The research found that positive perceptions towards AI in Australia are being driven by workers who have talked about AI at their jobs (65% positive vs 16% negative) and workers who have used an AI application in the past 12 months (58% positive vs 17% negative).

The shift to AI will create new opportunities for economic impact and mobility, with demand for AI-related professional skills increasing across virtually every sector. Demand for advanced AI and machine learning specialists jobs is expected to grow by 40% over the five years to 2027.

Google has launched AI Essentials — a new self-paced, online course taught by AI experts at Google. This course requires no previous experience with AI, and is designed to help teach people across roles and industries through hands-on experience with a variety of AI tools.

With this course, people will learn how to use generative AI tools to brainstorm ideas and speed up daily work tasks, how to write effective prompts, and use AI responsibly. Graduates earn a skill badge they can show employers.

The course is taught by AI experts at Google. It includes the following study modules:

An introduction to AI
Maximising Productivity With AI Tools
Discovering the Art of Prompt Engineering
Using AI Responsibly
Staying Ahead of the AI Curve

One of the biggest barriers that organisations face to digital and AI transformation is a lack of relevant skills and the ability to maintain them. The Ipsos research found that more than 4 in 10 (43%) workers say they will need to learn how to use AI in the next 5 years, while 1 in 3 (31%) anticipate needing to re-skill or pursue additional coursework to adapt.

“AI will have a transformative impact on how we work,” said Melanie Silva, Managing Director of Google Australia. “It can help people and organisations make decisions, solve problems, and be more productive and creative. Many existing jobs will be complemented by these technologies in different ways, and entirely new jobs and sectors will be created too.”

“Google’s goal is to ensure that everyone can benefit from AI and the opportunities it creates. We want Australians to feel confident about how AI can benefit their future careers - this starts with practical training from industry experts who are innovating with this technology everyday. We are combining our expertise in AI with our proven ability to help people gain the skills they need to grow their careers and businesses.”

Stela Solar, Director of the National Artificial Intelligence Centre (NAIC), coordinated by CSIRO, said: "More individuals, businesses, and industries are recognising the critical need to uplift their AI understanding. Education is vital to take advantage of AI opportunities and establish responsible AI practices, which, in turn, contribute to building a resilient, equitable, and competitive industry in Australia. Through AI education, Australians gain the knowledge and skills needed to harness AI's benefits while proactively addressing associated challenges and risks.”

Google AI Essentials is available via the Coursera platform, can be completed in 15 hours, and costs US$49 (approx AUD$76).

In 2021, Google Australia launched its Digital Future Initiative - a $1 billion investment in Australian infrastructure, research and partnerships, which continues to support many of the AI educational opportunities available to Australian workers today.

ACS declares ‘skills crisis’ in Australia

2023-11-14T12:16:22+11:00

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has declared a skills crisis in Australia and warned that a “staggering” 95% of the Australian workforce needs reskilling, as technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence, are poised to profoundly reshape their roles.

ACS, the peak body representing over 47,000 technology professionals in Australia’s tech sector, today called for a holistic overhaul of the nation’s skills, training, and immigration programs in its annual Digital Pulse report, prepared by Deloitte Access Economics, which will be released tomorrow.

The call comes as the report forecasts a crisis looming for the Australian economy with the rapid pace of change seeing 90% of Australian workers’ jobs changing in the next decade, driven by technologies like AI and robotics across most sectors of the workforce.

Chris Vein, ACS Chief Executive, said “By 2030, we will need 1.3 million additional skills to effectively utilise the technologies reshaping the Australian workforce. Forecasts from Digital Pulse suggests Australia is not on track to achieve the growth in skills we need.

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“This year’s Digital Pulse is not merely a call to action; it's a robust, practical roadmap to build the nationwide tech skills we need. We have developed the most comprehensive projections around tech skills demand through to 2030 to date based on currently available information.

“This year’s report calls for a coalition across industry, education and government to start shaping how our society will respond to the skills challenge this exciting era presents.”

This year’s Digital Pulse is the ninth since the annual survey of Australia’s technology sector was first released in 2015, and key statistics from the report include:

A lack of the right digital skills is currently costing Australian businesses $3.1 billion each year which could top $16bn by 2030.

The pace of technology investment in Australia is projected to skyrocket from $171B in 2023 to $259B by 2030, this rate of growth is three times faster than overall business investment

By the end of the decade, half of Australian businesses will be using AI, data analytics and robotics but technologies like Generative AI mean businesses will need to do more to keep up with their employees shifting skills and demands

75% of working hours for Australian workers will be affected by key technologies, heralding a significant skill shift across industries.

The ACS notes that in the report, it proposes a National Digital Skills Strategy including a skills-first education and training initiative, a national skills platform, more support for career transitions towards a tech orientated career, to boost the diversity in tech skills, programs to boost Women in Tech, and assist skilled migrants utilise their capabilities.

“The stakes are high for Australia. If the nation can get this right, we could be leading the world and guaranteeing our prosperity into the future. If we don’t seize the opportunity, we could well be left behind by the middle of the century,” Chris Vein concluded.

Interview with Splunk CEO Gary Steele

2023-08-16T19:39:36+10:00

At the recent Splunk .conf23, iTWire took the opportunity to chat with Gary Steele, the recently appointed President and CEO of the company.

iTWire. I'm assuming you're not hugely technical. So most of my questions are going to focus more on leadership and management and your role in the company. With that in mind, what do you bring to the role of CEO at Splunk?

Steele. I joined Splunk after 19 years in a company that I co founded that ultimately reached a billion and a half in revenue. So I come with a lot of cyber experience and enterprise experience and understanding of how to run public companies. So I think that the experience capability that I bring is, a helpful responses out of maturity.

iTWire. So with that in mind, what's your leadership style?

Steele. I'm direct, transparent, and I think I'm a good communicator.

It's interesting, one of the things that I've implemented in the company when I joined is, because the company got through a bunch of change, we do a weekly town hall with people every week. My goal is simply make sure that people feel they are connected to what's happening, the decisions that are being made, that there's a level of understanding for why we're doing what we're doing and how they can play part of that. And so in a time of a lot of change, which we have a lot of change prior to me joining the company, it was really important to give people a sense of stability and understanding where it didn't feel that way. So my style is just super-transparent and I'm really clear about priorities. I put the customer first I think the one thing that I observed when I joined was that we had an amazing culture, the company's culture was amazing, but the customer wasn't at the centre of the culture. I think we've made that transition. And I don't think that was hard actually, that feels very natural for the average employee to pick this up. But I think this kind of makes sense.

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iTWire. This kind of loops back to my question from the meet-the-press session yesterday of looking for the company's 'true north'. I probably expected something a bit more philosophical but your whole 'the customer....'

Steele. It helps drive the decisions I make.

iTWire. Can we dig a bit deeper into your background.

Steele. Prior to Splunk, I spent 19 years at Proofpoint so I was part of that that founding team basically grew from zero from concept all the way through to ultimately the sale of the company. We were public since 2012, so I had lots of opportunity running a public company. Prior to that, I had run another private startup company called Forterra. And I did that from basically 98 to 2001. And then we ultimately sold the company to another private company. And then prior to that I was a general manager at a software company, Sybase which is now part of SAP. So that was my first general manager job at Sybase when I was running their data warehousing and middleware teams. Prior to that I had a range of marketing roles at Sun Microsystems in the era where Sun was really relevant and prior to that I started my career at HP primarily in a technical role as a developer.

iTWire. Yeah, I started programming as well. But I realised very quickly I'm a competent programmer, but not a good one.

Steele. Yeah, I made the decision very early on that I didn't want to grow up in R&D, and I felt like [inaudible] there are opportunities to be in other places where you shape product and strategy. I felt like being on the product management / product marketing side was a more strategic spot to be.

iTWire. So having resolved the core of the company onto the customer, what's you major challenge at the moment.

Steele. I think we've made a tremendous amount of progress in the last year but there's still more work to be done. I think our pace of innovation has improved. We still have more work to do there. I think we can continue to strive to do a better job for our customers, but there's still more work to do there. And we're in a markets that's fast moving we need to continue to stay out in front of where the markets headed to be and really meet the market where we can take it.

iTWire. Moving on to the company, what attributes do you admire most in or value highest in a Splunker?

Steele. In hiring a Splunker?

iTWire. Current, or hiring, either, I don't mind.

Steele. I think, the one thing that has been amazing here is just the passion for the product and the technology. We have that inside the company. We see it here at the user conference. Really unique and really amazing... and finding that in future employees as well. And then we obviously need employees that can help us on that journey of continued innovation; people who are super thoughtful and creative. They see things in a unique way that ultimately gives us opportunity to deliver more value for our customers.

iTWire. I see that Splunk is the kind of company that would attract those people. And that's obviously something you need to keep doing. You do attract those people.

So you're not particularly hands on at the product levels. I'm assuming your main focus is more road-map.

Steele. Yeah, I mean, we have 8000 employees, approximately. So we have a little leeway. I spend more of my time thinking about what should we be investing in? Where should the company be headed? How do we ensure that we're delivering our commitments for our shareholders? Thinking about what the financial picture of the company should look like. As we mentioned earlier, really pushing for this balance of growth and profitability, which isn't always easy to achieve, that is not something that company has been focused on prior to me joining. So we're having that opportunity to really shape what the financial should look like over a period of time.

iTWire. Yes, because once you start thinking about a new product line, then that means dollars pouring into it... and eventually, it'll come good but for a little while, it hurts to...

Steele. Yes, you have to figure out to deal with the things that you want to go to.

iTWire. To change direction a little, who do you admire in the business world?

Steele. I think I just take examples from companies that have delivered great innovation over a long period of time. You know, you can see it all over the place where you look at the leadership that Salesforce established for example, and what Benioff did with a great run in the cloud. What Microsoft has done under Satya's leadership, and the focus on the cloud and how they deliver for the customers I think is there's lots to be learned there. And then I admire people that drive innovation, and so CEOs of younger companies that are doing cool things. All that's interesting.

iTWire. So is there anybody in particularly that you derive inspiration from?

Steele. I don't think there's any single person that factors into that. I just look at a broad range of people and how they inspire me to do different things.

iTWire. so you're not an avid reader all the latest business publications.

Steele. I read some of it I don't read all of it. I'm much more of a 'read current news,' what's happening from a tech perspective... stay current that way, versus going back in time reading lots of nonfiction books about people.

iTWire. So you're very internally driven.

Steele. Actually, I wouldn’t say that.

iTWire. That's where I got to in regard to with what you were saying.

Steele. No, I spend tons of my time with customers, with our sales organization, with our investors. So when I joined I meant to meet 100 Customers in my first one hundred days, which is a really big number but that pace is intense, I spend a lot of time... because I think it's really important not to have all that information filtered to you. You look directly at the customer and understand how they're feeling about what you're delivering and how you can improve. So I spend a lot of my time on this.

iTWire. No, I'm thinking more about the motivation rather than the source of information.

Steele. I kinda get motivated by customers too with how they're using the product.

iTWire. So, where do you see Splunk the next five years, 10 years 20 years?

Steele. I think the destination around helping our customers build digital resilience is a long journey. There's lots of work to be done there. I believe we're incredibly well positioned, given our strengths across security and observability to help customers achieve great outcomes. I believe that there's a whole innovation cycle here to help make it simpler to achieve all that - it shouldn't be as hard as it is today. And many of the things that we talked about here [at .conf23], play a role in that, whether it be our AI announcements, because we're going to see the world get a lot more efficient and how they do their jobs, to things like HR where we're giving people visibility into areas they never have visibility into. Those are all factors in how do we ultimately help in this digital resilience journey. The great thing about Splunk is we have an amazing volume customers who want to do more with us. I think there's this opportunity for long term global growth to get us beyond where we are revenue wise to 5 billion to 10 billion and beyond in terms of recurring revenue.

iTWire. So, out of those 5, 10, 20 years, how many of those will you be at Splunk?

Steele. I'm a guy that has long tenure in the companies that I've been at. So you know, I see myself being here for a very long time.

iTWire. At some point, the board will say “we've had enough!”

Steele. Yeah, I think at some point you need to also be self critical. When is the right time to turn the reins over to someone else? Not that age is a big issue, but I'm not the youngest person in the room - maybe that matters at some level.

iTWire. So what do you enjoy most about the role?

Steele. For me, I love all of our customer interaction and the opportunity to match that with innovation. And I love leadership and management, a lot of people don't like; I actually love it.

iTWire. We've seen the bones of that whole simplification process in the keynotes. So I'm guessing there's still a long way to go, because we still have very disparate tools various control panels bringing it together. So I'm assuming you're expecting that to coalesce a lot better.

Steele. Mission Control really that single work surface. There's always more work to be done. Because we gotten into the durability world through a set of acquisitions. We've made tremendous progress really, really great deals. Getting named as a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant all abounds with validation of that.

iTWire. But watching the keynote it looked to me as though there were some joining gaps. It didn't seem as seamless as I would like.

Steele. But I think it really comes down to does the workflow work well? I think that's the critical thing. I think we've really focused on how do we improve that user experience, which I think we've done a really good job of.

iTWire. So, why did you get into hardware? [referring to the Edge device]

Steele. I think it's actually simple. It's really driving a software opportunity for us. So how do we bridge this gap where OT has been its own world of itself? So for a long time it's just a separate thing. And in reality, in this digital resilience world, all these things have to be interconnected. We can't live in a world where all of that separated. There's been a bunch of trends, I think one is Chief Information Security Officer is now responsible for OT and they have to do something and they have to be able to draw that connectivity, but to see the entire environment because you have a threat actor - that that's the way they enter. Separate from that I just think there's there's been so much data that people haven't been able to see that can ultimately improve the economics of businesses or can you field fundamental business outcomes that are different because of that disability? Well, hardware was a vehicle to fix a problem that was complicated, the value that we're deriving from the software.

iTWire. When I was here at .conf19 I did see the beginnings of that. A little tiny stand, off in the corner.

Steele. Know that we did test it for a long time.

iTWire. Yeah, because the OT guys are terrified of IT, when they say, “oh, you've got Windows [whatever version], we need to update it.

"NO!!"

Steele. The rate of updates such as this is a problem.

iTWire. And the worst thing is a lot of the configurations are type-approved. You cannot change it and that's particularly true in health.

Steele. Oh, ‘Health’ is a whole [inaudible]. Just walk around an operating room and see the amount of windows [there]. Scary!

iTWire. Some of the applications have to run 10, 20 30 years and they can't be changed. “...and we need to shut your Windows PC down for a patch and that will stop the plant.

"No!!"

So that's that's the whole challenge. And then it's a major reason why OT are terrified of IT. Of course, IT starts coming in with the attitude, “It's got lights, it must be ours.”

Steele. Right. There've been territorial boundaries for a long time.

iTWire. OT has approached IT to a certain extent moving into things like MES and Historians and that kind of software. So there has been a certain egress of data from from the plant floor, but it's been like pulling teeth.

Steele. Yes, it’s pretty limited and the protocols are different, and there's a whole bunch of things that make it hard.

iTWire. The protocol differences are to a certain extent, quite deliberate.

The guys down on the exhibition floor were telling me that the box is slowly going to support more and more factory protocols. The problem is, there’s lots of them.

Steele. Right.

iTWire. Let’s go to ‘buildings,’ you need BACnet, let’s go to the plant floor, you need Profinet or Modbus.

Steele. Of course.

iTWire. That’s all I’d planned to talk about. So unless you had anything else to say, I’d like to thank you for your time.

Steele. Thank you. It's a pleasure.

The author attended .conf23 as a guest of Splunk.

How technology can be used to alleviate restaurant staff turnover

2023-06-28T20:43:42+10:00

It all starts with effective and engaging onboarding and training

GUEST OPINION: The restaurant industry is one of the most competitive industries out there. Two and a half years after major staffing shortages began to impact day-to-day operations, constant changes in consumer behaviour continue to challenge restaurants across Australia - with an average staff turnover rate at 73%. A percentage that has been steadily increasing since the pandemic.

To combat staff turnover, it’s critical for restaurant businesses to implement effective and engaging onboarding and training to ensure employees have more reason to stay and to set the business up for success. Infact, Employee retention rate grows by 30–50% at companies with a potent training program.

Job training and skills are two of the main reasons people don’t take jobs or don’t stay at jobs. And it’s not just the hard skills of job functionality, it’s also a gap in soft skills such as handling real-life workplace situations like disagreements with colleagues.

When looking at the food sector, franchise brands make up a substantial number of all restaurants in Australia. With operations spread across communities in multiple states around the country, it can be particularly challenging to ensure employees at franchise restaurants are undergoing the needed onboarding and training to deliver a consistent brand experience. Having a streamlined onboarding and training process can be the difference between success and failure for franchise restaurants.

Learning management systems should also be as user-friendly as possible. While most people use their mobile phones these days to browse the internet, it makes sense to meet employees where they are most comfortable engaging. Training software at the tip of your fingers allows employees to have an enjoyable and interactive training experience which can dramatically improve retention rates and result in less turnover. With mobile-friendly and easy single-sign-on options, employees can train anywhere and anytime.

Perhaps easier said than done, but training doesn’t have to be a chore. Instead, having a training program that makes learning fun for employees helps both managers and employees participate.

At the end of the day, the back-of-house and front-line employees are the backbone of a restaurant. Ensuring employees receive proper training from ownership to front-line employees will go a long way in growing a franchise restaurant.

Whether you’re thinking of opening your first restaurant or currently operating a multi-unit franchise, the best way to ensure success and growth is to have a training program in place that is customisable, data-driven, and engaging. As the restaurant industry continues to navigate through recent changes since the global pandemic, employers can avoid turnover by taking this critical first step.

In today’s world of high turnover and job resignation, having a training program that is customizable, data-driven, and engaging for all employees is an absolute necessity to succeed.

In an industry that must ensure workers are complying with food, health, and safety standards, having a way to track company-wide compliance is paramount. When it comes to compliance, data is key. With an effective learning management system in place, managers and executives can keep track of food safety and compliance records in one centralised place, rather than across dozens of spreadsheets and paper records.

With team members around the country and potentially across the globe, it’s important for brands working in the restaurant franchise industry to have access to training results, performance appraisals, surveys, and other KPI tools to measure success in real-time and have actionable insights to drive improvement.

When working with multi-unit brands across the globe, it’s important to have a training program that is customised to a specific industry and job role and this is where technology plays a huge role. Looking solely at the restaurant industry, training a restaurant manager versus front-line staff is going to be different. As is training employees in a 250-seat fine dining establishment versus a quick service restaurant concept that does 80% of its business via the drive-through.

Other ways that technology can play a role in reducing staff turnover includes, efficient scheduling where software solutions can help create fair and efficient schedules that take into account employee preferences, availability, and workload requirements. This can reduce scheduling conflicts and provide better work-life balance, leading to increased job satisfaction and reduced turnover.

Utilising technology for effective communication and feedback within the workplace can improve employee engagement. Instant messaging apps, collaboration tools, and internal communication software enable employees to stay connected, share information, and provide feedback in real-time. Regular communication and feedback channels can enhance job satisfaction and address concerns promptly.

Adopting technology-enabled performance management systems can provide objective evaluations and constructive feedback to employees. These systems can track individual and team performance, set goals, and offer recognition and rewards for outstanding achievements. Transparent performance evaluations can motivate employees and provide a sense of fairness.

Technology solutions such as point-of-sale (POS) systems, inventory management software, and kitchen automation tools can streamline restaurant operations. Automating manual tasks, reducing errors, and improving overall efficiency can alleviate employee stress and enhances job satisfaction.

Employee engagement platforms and mobile apps can help boost staff morale and retention. These platforms provide a space for employees to share achievements, recognise their peers, and participate in gamified activities. By fostering a positive work culture and recognising employee contributions, technology can increase job satisfaction and decrease turnover.

Technology can also help analyze employee data, such as performance metrics, attendance records, and turnover rates. By utilising predictive analytics, employers can identify patterns and potential causes of turnover. This knowledge can enable proactive interventions, such as targeted retention strategies, addressing specific concerns, and creating personalised career development plans.

It all starts with using technology to set the right work culture and spirit through onboarding and training. Restaurants are people-focused businesses and we must not lose track of the fact that technology is the only to enable and support staff, rather than be their master. It’s often believed that the restaurant industry has been slow to fully embrace all that technology can offer it, but we don’t believe this is the case. However the ones that have, are certainly outperforming the organistions that have yet to fully get onboard.

Australia’s “thankless” work culture short-changing employers and their employees

2023-06-08T11:39:59+10:00

New study by Perkbox reveals misalignment in recognition and reward in the workplace. Workers are generally unhappy with rewards while senior managers believing staff are well-rewarded.

Australian workers feel there’s very little incentive to go the extra mile in the workplace, with one third (33%) saying organisation does not reward hard work, or they are unsure if it does. Meanwhile a majority (57%) believe that any incentives they do receive are not very meaningful. However, senior managers seem highly disconnected from the views of their employees, with over 90% believing the work of their staff is rewarded, and 66% saying that the reward is meaningful to their team.

Both employees and managers were aligned on the importance of rewards in the workplace. Roughly two thirds of both employees (67%) and managers (62%) say an effective rewards program would encourage them to go above and beyond in their work responsibilities. Additionally, over half of both employees (55%) and employers (51%) said it would encourage them to stay longer at their organisation.

The findings come from a new study by Perkbox Australia and YouGov examining reward, recognition and motivation in the workplace, surveying over 1,026 employees and 512 managers in Australia, stratified to the population.

“This study shows that Australia is fast becoming a country of thankless work,” said Ross McDonald, country manager of Perkbox Australia.

“There’s a pervasive culture that simply ticking a box is enough, and that’s short-changing both employees and employers. For employers, it's creating a culture of mediocrity but also eroding workplace loyalty among their staff. For employees, on the other hand, it’s giving them little incentive to do their best work and excel in their career.

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“Rewarding your team and recognising milestones should be a key component of any company’s retention toolkit. We’re genuinely surprised by the result of this study, as in a market where unemployment is at a near-generational low, companies should be pulling out all the stops to keep their team motivated and engaged.”

Mona Akiki, chief people officer at Perkbox added: "While these results are focused on the Australian market, we have also observed a shift in employee mindsets globally over the last few years. Another one of our recent global surveys not only showed that rewards were more important to employees, but that 87% of them said they wanted the ability to choose their own rewards.”

“At Perkbox, we work with over 4,000 companies worldwide, and many of them realize the growing importance of recognising and rewarding their people in a consistent, meaningful and personal way. While companies want to do well by their people, they are also quickly realising that achieving their purpose and vision requires specific employee behaviours, which can be celebrated and ultimately influenced by a proper rewards strategy.”

“This has a positive impact on all of the key organizational goals — whether it's attraction, retention, driving revenue, or ensuring employees are motivated to go the extra mile.

Those companies who have a well-planned reward and recognition program are the ones who'll win the hearts and minds of top talent."

The study also examined other factors that motivate employees. In the midst of sharp increases in the cost of living, salary and remuneration ranked as the most important factor for employees in the workplace. In addition, both employees (74%) and managers (63%) said a higher salary would be the most motivating factor for them changing.

For employees, this was followed by flexible work hours (45%), career development (40%), and then reward and recognition for good performance (34%).

Perkbox helps organisations establish a culture of recognition by providing an easy-to-implement, currency-agnostic rewards solution with over 2,500 items for managers and teams to choose from globally.

Kyndryl, Indigenous Technology partner on First Nations career initiative

2023-05-26T00:15:41+10:00

IT infrastructure services provider, Kyndryl and indigenous-owned and operated IT company Indigenous Technology have announced a partnership to widen participation and increase access to STEM careers for First Nations students, creating potential pathways into IT professions.

As part of the partnership, Kyndryl will work with Indigenous Technology to expand its Mirrinj program, with a focus upon creating learning and education opportunities for tertiary-level and adult First Nations students to explore and enter the ICT workforce.

Kyndryl and Indigenous Technology will co-design a series of in-person workshops, launching in September 2023, that will offer professional development, automation education and an insight into working in IT for First Nations students and community members.

Students will be invited to attend from a range of leading universities and attendees who complete the workshops will also be invited to apply for paid work experience at Kyndryl with corporate and government client projects - and in order to increase access to a broad range of ICT careers and attract a broad range of skillsets and vocations, the program will not be limited to only those pursuing traditional STEM degrees.

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As part of the Mirrinj Program, Indigenous Technology delivers a range of initiatives designed for various age groups.

“Currently we are working with primary students in the outback, and are also in planning for later this year when we will be launching the Women’s Digital Literacy program. It is very exciting,” said Indigenous Technology Director Cheryl Bailey, who is a proud Muriwari woman from the Weilmoringle community in far northwest NSW.

“By leveraging Indigenous Technology and Kyndryl’s combined capabilities and experience, we will present a formidable partnership in solving some of the pressing challenges in the sector, which will ultimately enable opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to realise their global potential. What we are developing together will be unique, inspirational and will be the first program of its type in Australia.”

“After collaborating in the past on state and federal government work, Kyndryl is excited to formalise our partnership with Indigenous Technology, with a focus on helping to create a more inclusive economy by reducing barriers to work experience for First Nations students,” said Ashish Kumar, President of Kyndryl Australia and New Zealand.

“We look forward to inviting students and community members into our workplace to share knowledge and meet like-minded individuals, which we hope will lead to more First Nations students pursuing a STEM profession and ideally, building a technology career at Kyndryl.”

International Women's Day 2023: Australian tech leaders final insights

2023-03-08T12:12:09+11:00

As International Women's Day 2023 draws to a close, iTWire is pleased to present a round-up of commentary from tech industry leaders, speaking on how there are still many barriers to equality and accessibility to digital technologies and education is critical in 2023.

Laura Petrucelli, Director of People, APAC at Contino

“Despite the progress the technology environment has made over the past years, it continues to be very male-dominated, with women seldom getting a voice in the space. While innovation has the power to transform lives, we know that there are still many barriers to equality. Ensuring inclusive practices are in place through recruitment, onboarding, assessment and promotions are all a core part of leadership development – building the assessment criteria on attributes rather than experiences.

Representation and participation within a workforce matters. This is also why a comprehensive action plan that targets transparency on performance is crucial – setting up the expectation through leadership KPI that is linked to diversity and inclusivity.

As a community, we must focus on building a future that supports and sponsors the next generation. For example, with a fast-track program for women in leadership, to re-write the stories we tell our children, highlighting the diverse backgrounds and genders as the hero in our stories – normalising different career paths rather than gender norms. If we’re sincere about the desire to bring a gender balance, more needs to be done to increase the number of women in the industry for consideration.

Wendy Komadina Head of Channel APJC, Cloudflare

“Interestingly when we think about jobs in tech, our first thought is roles such as software engineering or programming, but what is often overlooked is the wide array of positions across the sector contributing to a company’s success.

Let’s focus on women in the tech sector, who can contribute immensely in terms of leadership, strategic experience, sales excellence, negotiating power, public relations, marketing and business culture. In all these functions women are achieving success and they have deep competency in how to operate in the tech sector, but they are not technical. But are we actually moving the needle for gender equality in technology? I don’t think we are moving as fast as we need to.

Grassroot programs targeting talent of the future in universities and coding schools are effective in increasing the number of young women. Areas where we can increase focus to attract experienced women into the tech sector, are looking at adjacent sectors where women have strong strategic, sales, operational and consulting skills. For example, we still see women grossly under-represented in enterprise sales roles in tech companies.

When women are given the opportunity to take on these roles, they quickly develop the skills and competencies needed to deliver impactful solutions for customers, work collaboratively with engineers or even take the leap to move into a technical role themselves. This is definitely a career pathway that I am seeing become more accessible for women joining from other sectors.

Advice I would give women looking to break into the tech industry is to broaden your professional network so that you become visible, build your own professional brand by contributing to thought leadership discussions, and have data and facts ready to share that allow you to influence thinking.”

Andreea Parvu Delivery Location Manager, Endava

“While the tech industry faces the challenges of talent shortages, by empowering women to enter the field we can aim to bridge that gap. This can be brought to life during the recruitment stages but also in retaining and progressing talent with tailored growth plans. With digital transformation top of mind for most industries, technical roles are seeing huge demand. To help change the perspective of these roles only being suited to males, organisations should be intentional in the way they undertake initiatives by using inclusive language and ensuring a balance of genders on the shortlist.

“The time is now to better invest in education and training aimed at women to support them into in-demand roles. Personally, I really benefitted from mentorship where I gained knowledge from experienced leaders in the sector but there also needs to be robust Diversity and Inclusion programs designed for women. Locally, across most tech industries in Australia, we’re lagging behind the likes of Central Europe where Endava for example has achieved gender parity across our organisation. It was a noticeable difference I recognised when I first relocated and it’s going to be a mission of mine to balance out.

“Driving cultural change is what makes a company truly healthy, and this includes having the right frameworks to support women to overcome the systemic challenges experienced in STEM. To any woman considering entering tech and feeling unsure, my advice would be to become your own role model. I’ve been very lucky to have discovered my own potential with the help of the extraordinary people around me that have motivated and inspired me to step into my career pathway. Your voice is your best asset, and no more can we allow ourselves to be silenced in acceptance of the status quo.”

Nicole Pearce, Regional Sales Manager, at ThoughtSpot

On the tech industry:

“Being a woman in sales in the tech industry, I still see a void and under-representation of women in sales. Companies say that women currently account for just 29% of those employed in technology in Australia, compared to 47.5% in similar jobs in the professional, scientific, and technical services industry and this is across the sector, not specifically sales. According to a 2019 study only 16% of Sales managers in Tech (including SaaS) are women. This is well below the industry average of 26% across industries.

“The behavioural patterns for top producing salespeople are gender neutral. Both men and women can be top producers. I'd go even further to say that the behavioural traits that come easier to women than to some men mean a distinct advantage for tech companies that want a competitive edge: empathy, interpersonal relationships and social responsibility. We know that there are a number of ways to accelerate change; hiring (job descriptions, going wider than your first connection networks, involving women in the hiring process), equal compensation, giving opportunities for mentorship, peer support and coaching, and probably most importantly, changing the definition or stereotype of what makes a good salesperson or sales leader. While sales is hard and not for the faint hearted, it is so incredibly rewarding.”

On great advice:

“If I truly want something, there is nothing that can stand in my way to accomplish it.

“My dad, who told me I could do and be anything I wanted without restrictions or barriers. That if I set a goal, then it was up to me to achieve it. There was no talk of gender, being 'lesser' because I was a female. Everyone was equal and he believed that I could accomplish anything if I worked hard and committed to my goals.

“My mum, who told me that the power of my mind is an untapped source of power. She would say 'whatever I can perceive and believe I can achieve' (probably not as poetically as the way Napoleon Hill said it, but the message was the same). I can change the outcome of my day if I can change my attitude (for better or for worse), I can accomplish anything if I have the right mindset. This was really what we call mindfulness but back in the late '70's, early '80's (I'm showing my age), we didn't have the word for it. The power of my mind to overcome adversity and challenges has been a foundation that has served me incredibly well over my journey.”

Digital Skills Gap Costing Australian Businesses $3.1 billion annually

2023-03-07T12:53:02+11:00

The digital skills gap is costing Australian businesses $3.1 billion annually, but closing the current digital skills gap would take an investment of $1.5 billion, a new study by RMIT Online and Deloitte Access Economics reveals.

According to the study, the skills shortage impacts companies in several ways, including loss of business, increased outsourcing costs, and reduced productivity - however, despite predictions of slow economic growth and inflation impacts, 80% of business leaders expect to hire at least as many people in 2023 as they did last year.

Claire Hopkins, interim CEO of RMIT Online, says "Now is the time for businesses to invest in skills and development capabilities if we are to grow a resilient and competitive workforce. As the demand for digital skills continues to grow, the cost to businesses will also grow if decisive action is not taken to address these gaps.

“While the upfront cost to solve our upskilling and reskilling crisis may seem high, our research shows investing in training is necessary for Australian businesses to reap substantial and long-lasting benefits, and to mitigate the impact of the digital skills gap," concludes Hopkins.

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The study also found that to address the skills gap, almost half (48%) of surveyed employers prefer upskilling or reskilling existing employees, over hiring externally, as they believe internal solutions generate additional benefits such as increasing retention, strengthening team culture, and raising cost-effectiveness.

It’s reported that employees who received promotions in the past year, on average, spent 50% more time on training than those who did not receive a promotion - and while a third of employers think employees need to refresh their skills at least every three months, employees cited barriers to training such as lack of time, high cost, and lack of support from their employers.

Additionally, the most valuable types of training for employees were mandatory on-the-job training, formal qualifications, and formal certifications.

John O’Mahony, Partner at Deloitte Access Economics, says “If businesses underinvest in digital skills training it can result in a loss of revenue, additional costs of outsourcing work to external staff or contractors and reduced productivity. That’s why training is an investment, not just a cost.”

The study also revealed;

24% of employers consider the frequency of engagement in training, upskilling, or reskilling opportunities when promoting internally
Companies anticipate a continued demand for soft skills, with employees identifying leadership as the most critical skill in the next five years (27%) and employers identifying communication and collaboration (14%)
The top reason cited by employees for being attracted to a company is higher pay (16%), followed by flexible working hours (12%)
Employers report increased pay and remuneration is the most effective tool to attract new staff (21%), followed by offering greater location flexibility (17%) and hours (15%)
Workplace culture (33%) and not feeling valued by management (33%) are among the top reasons employees intend to leave their job.

For more information, read the report here

International Women's Day 2023: Barracuda women in tech share insights

2023-03-06T23:46:28+11:00

FEATURE - INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY: International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day to celebrate the achievements of women. For organisations in the tech industry, it offers an opportunity to pause and reflect on how far we’ve come in terms of inclusivity – and the benefits we’ve gained as a result. At Barracuda, we want to mark the occasion of International Women’s Day 2023 by sharing some stories about how we found our way into tech, what we think of it now we’re here and how to encourage others to follow.

Sheila Hara, Director, Product Management, Application Delivery, Barracuda

I barely made it through the entrance exams for engineering but went on to complete a masters’ degree in Electrical and Electronic engineering. I started to work for Intel and ended up in product management. I love the intersection of technology, business, design, data, experience, and customers.

To encourage more women into technology, we need to cultivate curiosity in little ones, so they are not afraid of technology when they are older. Talk science at home and run experiments (that do not destroy your home, for the most part). Cultivate courage – let girls jump off structures, swing on the monkey bars and bruise their knees so they feel brave and strong.

With women outnumbered in many technology workplaces, training and mentorship programs that focus on the needs of diverse employees can create support and recognition of career goals and potential. We can all play a part in speaking for other women when they are not in the room. Let women know how important their contributions are to the company’s success. Showcase their work and achievements and demonstrate to the entire organization that women are valued. Keep the faith and trust the journey! Be kind to yourself and give yourself permission to excel.

Shani Mahler, Director, Product Management, Barracuda XDR

I have been in cybersecurity for nearly 20 years, but computers have always been a feature of my life. As a toddler in the early 80s, my parents bought me Kids on Keys to provide visual reinforcement for my learning. I majored in Information Science as an undergraduate but left college feeling like a “jack of all trades and a master of none.” I was taught so many things: programming (C, C++, java, opengl, among others), GPS, database design, HCI, and more. I wanted to focus. I joined the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) at Carnegie Mellon University and immediately fell in love with cybersecurity. I received my master’s degree and never looked back.

To encourage more young women to consider a career in cybersecurity, I would appeal to their “vigilante spirit.” From Nancy Drew to Olivia Benson, there are famous fictional female detectives whose main role is to help those who cannot help themselves and stop the “bad guys.” The popularity of these characters suggests many women identify with such a role – and a career in cybersecurity can offer exactly that. Cybersecurity isn’t just about tracking down your local criminals, though. It sends you after attackers found around the world. The impact you can have with a career in cybersecurity could be significant as a result.

It is imperative that woman in cybersecurity continue to support each other. Many of us have had tough experiences so it is important to help other women advance in their careers and to try to provide them with a smoother road to travel. Ask women who are at an earlier stage of their careers if you can mentor them in any way. Mentorship can do wonders.

When I was young, I had visions of myself with an important job, dressed like a business professional every day with a briefcase to boot. If there was something I could tell my younger self it would be that a successful career is not represented by how you dress. Instead, it is represented by what you deliver and how you make people feel.

Merium Khalid, Senior SOC Manager, Offensive Security, Barracuda XDR

I’ve always had a great passion and curiosity for science, technology, and innovation, and I realized early on that technology is core to everything, whether it is medicine or finance. I knew I wanted to go into cybersecurity to help organizations in all industries to protect themselves against ever-evolving cyber threats.

The talent shortage in cybersecurity is higher than ever before. We need to educate young people on the importance of cybersecurity and its significance in protecting national infrastructure – but also show them how their involvement and action can make a difference. Educating women about the impact they can make in the world of technology and seeing other women be successful in the field will be a great driving force to get more women into technology. Having diversity and different perspectives from people from different backgrounds and life experiences is the key to any successful industry.

I’d advise other female professionals to always speak up and share their opinions but also be willing to collaborate and learn from the people around you. Being a team player is essential in the world of technology and cybersecurity.

Currently only just over a quarter of the technology workforce is female – and this may lead many women to move away from it. We need to ensure technology education and opportunity is accessible to everyone. I would advise my younger self to never doubt or underestimate talent and ability. Never stop learning, strive to improve every day and be a better version of yourself. Having confidence and believing in your ability are the key to success and having an impact in any career path.

Sara Custer, Associate Software Engineer, Content Security, Barracuda

I started college in pre-pharmacy. Then, with only about one semester left, I realized I didn't enjoy what I was doing. My parents are both in the technology and security fields, and they recommended that I try an introductory course in programming. I was sceptical, but my parents saw traits that indicated that I might enjoy it: I loved solving intricate puzzles, learning new concepts, and reading just about anything. They were right.

If technology it’s something you’re even remotely interested in or curious about, take an introductory course or a boot camp or pick up a tech book. If it’s programming you’re interested in, there are lots of free resources, such as HackerRank. During my computer science/technology degree I was often just one of a few women, but I wasn’t treated any differently. It was a little intimidating and challenging at times, but you need to be confident and believe in yourself. Every profession and career path will have its challenges.

Conversations around the gender gap in STEM can focus more on fields such as medical, mathematical and research – I never thought of technology as part of STEM. It’s the least talked about. My high school didn’t have a single technology class – and offering technology earlier in education will really help to raise awareness. I also think having a mentor once you start your career is a great idea. Mentors provide support, a resource, and a feeling of community in the workplace. One of the reasons I chose Barracuda is its mentoring program.

I’m still in the very early stages of my career, but if I had to give any advice to my younger self it would be to slow down a bit – I had an overarching fear of my ability to become a software engineer being impacted by not finishing my degree in four years with a plethora of relevant experience. So, I attended conferences such as Black Hat and DEFCON, started portfolio projects, and more. At the end of the day, these fears were largely self-imposed. You can take a breather, you’ll get there.

Joyce Torres, Software Engineer, Content Security, Barracuda

I was training to be a musician and a relative suggested I investigate computer science. I was thrilled to discover that I could remain creative, solving problems through code. To encourage more women into technology and cybersecurity the best thing they can do is try it out – take a programming class and see if you like the problem-solving aspect of it. Women need to see the many possible jobs that can come from having a tech background. Change and advances come so fast in technology that I would tell my younger self to always be in a posture of learning.

Leela Suvada, Manager, Software QA, Engineering, Barracuda

I decided to pursue a career in technology because it is always evolving and has the potential to have a positive impact on society. I am passionate about using technology to make a difference in the world.

One of the most effective ways to inspire more women to pursue tech careers is to show them role models they can relate to. Employers can demonstrate the significant impact made by female professionals to the success of the company, highlighting successful women by showcasing their work, acknowledging their achievements, and increasing the visibility of their accomplishments. All this will be a source of inspiration and motivation for other women.

Training and mentorship programs that focus on the needs of women will also help to support and recognise their potential and career goals – especially if they help women to progress into more senior or managerial roles, where they can become role models for others.

Soma Sinha, Senior Manager Business Application, Engineering, Barracuda

I was fortunate that even though many people still underestimate the potential of women in technology, my parents sent me to study computer science. I joined the tech industry in 2004 and have seen many female leaders who have inspired me. Each of them emphasized the same thing: focus on your priorities, take pride in and enjoy and celebrate every phase of your life. I believe that diversity brings different perspectives and enables every individual to prepare and perform better.

I hope that as leader I can help other women by encouraging them to do the following – to participate in diversity technology fora such as the annual Grace Hopper celebration; share success stories of female leaders, provide equal opportunities and career inclusion for women, and lift those with talent to the next level in their careers. Here at Barracuda, I’m lucky to be surrounded by brilliant, highly qualified women. We raise each other up and enable our world every day with small yet impactful positive changes and actions.

Arati Sethy, Manager, ZNTA Software Engineering, Barracuda

I am an engineer at heart, and I grew up fascinated by automated machines for the mining and metallurgy industry. I learned early on that technology is a great resource for solving many challenges in life. Softer skills such as nurturing skills or the ability to see and assess vulnerability are as suited to technology careers as programming and software engineering skills – because they can help to drive phenomenal positive change. For example, if you feel the internet is unsafe, choosing a career in cybersecurity could enable you to innovate to protect vulnerable people online. The world needs this.