Mark Souter

If you’re leading HR in Australia, 2026 is going to reward teams who can answer the basics fast (and with confidence), not teams with “more dashboards". We’ve just published a free playbook: Top 10 HR Metrics for Australian Organisations in 2026. It’s practical and meant to help you: - pick the right 10 metrics (not 50) - define them consistently (so HR, Finance, and the CEO see the same numbers) - move from reporting to decisions The 10 metrics we cover: - Voluntary turnover - Time to hire - Quality of hire - Employee engagement - Absenteeism - Cost per hire - Upskilling & reskilling - Workforce productivity - Diversity & inclusion - HR technology ROI Thanks to Dr Philip Gibbs and Andrew McColl from AHA! (Agile HR Analytics) https://lnkd.in/eYR3yn2P

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The CHRO is one of the most enterprise-shaping roles in the C-suite. Yet only 1% of Australian board directors have a background in HR management or change management. Why aren't CHRO's getting a seat at the board table? And what skills do they need in 2025 to elevate their role? Learn more on the blog 👉 https://bit.ly/4oEjLge

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As we automate the "noise," we’re inadvertently creating a new set of risks that HR practitioners can’t afford to ignore, such as: The authenticity gap: We risk trading spontaneous, peer-to-peer connection for polished, AI-filtered interactions. Strategic burnout: If we automate all the "easy" tasks, we’re left in high-intensity "strategic mode" all day. Humans aren't built for 8 hours of peak cognitive load. Skill atrophy: If the tech vanished tomorrow, would your team still have the muscle memory to execute? Read the full article for more unintended consequences and the strategic prompts HR practitioners can use to lead these critical conversations: https://lnkd.in/g-Rsxth9

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AI isn’t just changing HR processes, it’s redefining the role of HR leaders and how they shape the future of work. In conversation with LinkedIn News Australia, Oracle's Yvette Cameron shares how AI can: ✅ Give leaders a real-time view of workforce skills today and the ones they’ll need tomorrow ✅ Empower more agile, connected, and human-centered workplaces ✅ Turn vision into action with a think big, start small, move fast approach For CHROs, it’s a reminder that the human element of HR is more important than ever and AI is becoming a powerful ally in making better, faster, more informed decisions. 🎥 Watch the interview here: https://lnkd.in/giMrkvnA

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People Analytics in #APAC is evolving fast - and we’ve got a front-row seat. 👀 We spoke with 50+ senior #HR & #PeopleAnalytics leaders across Australia, NZ & Singapore to find out what’s working, what’s slowing things down, and where the next opportunities are. Not surprisingly, a major finding is that #AI is on the map: about 47% have adopted it in some form; 36% are actively considering it. Trust, ethics, transparency are top of mind. How does that line up with YOUR people data strategy? Read the blogpost to see what else we learned about APAC analytics.>>https://lnkd.in/gCDjc2aQ #PeopleAnalytics #HRTech #APAC #DataDrivenHR

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HRIS tracks roles. BI tracks revenue. CRMs track conversations. But most platforms don’t track how people experience the organisation. That’s where ATP Reflect (https://lnkd.in/gfBkdmYS) changes everything. At Emergent, we’re seeing how real-time experience insights help us align strategy, culture, and client outcomes—something traditional systems just weren’t built to do. Quoting Anish Singh, founder of ATP: “Staff experience is the client experience. You can’t separate the two.”

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There’s a smarter way to manage your external workforce. Discover how MSP can bring clarity, control and confidence to your talent strategy. 🎥 Watch the video 👇 #Hays #MSP #WorkforceSolutions

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Are you a CHRO looking to make a bigger impact?   There's a growing recognition of the influence that CHROs have on organisations. Yet only 1% of board directors in Australia have a background in HR management or change management.   In my latest blog, I discuss the skills that I believe CHROs need to demonstrate in 2025 to get a seat at the board table. The key takeaways:   🔹 Gain commercial and P&L exposure: Partner with finance and lead cross-functional initiatives to understand the financial side of the business. 🔹 Master technology and data: Use real-time HR metrics and analytics to inform decisions and demonstrate the financial impact of your programs. 🔹 Hone human-centric skills: Leverage emotional intelligence, ethical decision-making, and conflict resolution to build trust and navigate an AI-driven future.   By developing these capabilities, HR leaders can drive both people and business goals, proving their essential role in shaping the future of their organisations. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gpKJb_t6

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I'd like to share something important with you...my interview of Rachael Sandel, Group Chief Information Officer at Orica. She recently won a ServiceNow 2025 Pacesetter Award. Her insights will shift your perspective on what strategic AI leadership can look like. 🙌 What sets Orica apart? They're not just asking "how can AI make us 10% more efficient?" They're also exploring "what can we do with AI that was never possible before?" And they're organizing around both... Please read to explore the AI paradox: why most companies are going backwards while pacesetters surge ahead and share your stories in the comments! 🙏 👉 https://lnkd.in/gsaSSrJm Key takeaways from Rachael and the Orica team:  Embed AI strategy within existing innovation roadmaps (across the enterprise). Establish both an AI Center of Excellence AND an AI council for governance  Prepare for hybrid teams where humans and AI agents collaborate as peers  Focus on reimagining work, not just automation             #AI #businesstransformation #leadership

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AI is moving faster than most organisations are ready for- and the real challenges now go well beyond the tech itself. This AHRI article on the downstream risks of AI really resonated with me. In my recent piece Staying Relevant in the Age of AI, I spoke about how relevance today isn’t just about adopting new tools, but about strengthening human judgement, continuously building capability, and being intentional about the impact on people and culture. What I like here is the focus on the ripple effects- things like skill erosion, wellbeing, and over-reliance on automation. These are the areas HR and leaders need to lean into, not avoid the conversation. AI will absolutely unlock productivity. But the organisations that thrive will be the ones that balance speed with thoughtful leadership and strong human foundations. A great read for anyone thinking seriously about the future of work. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gsmwN4zK

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Gartner HR Symposium 2025, Sydney. Day 1 was great and reinforced and validated TQSolutions point of view on so many topics. I thought the first keynote by Katie Sutherland and Neal Woolrich was top notch and provided sound insights and advice for business and HR leaders as we grapple with an AI infused transformation of work. ⚡83% of CEO's signed off on higher investment on AI in Q325 ⚡CFO's are planning for 7.5% revenue growth with 0% headcount growth ⚡Organisations that redesign work are 2X more likely to exceed revenue growth objectives (just saying!) ⚡But we hand out powerful tools to workers , without a clear playbook ⚡Beware the 'ripple-effects' of AI implementation, the unforeseen consequences 💡HR's focus has been the workforce, not it must turn its attention to 'Work' (that's work analysis, work redesign) 💡HR Leaders expect they will be spending their time augmenting work (45%), re-engineering work (30%) and re-inventing work (25%). 💡The CHRO and CIO will together build the future of work 💡We are about to enter the world's largest ever 'Talent Remix' - internal hiring and redeployment capabilities are going to be key. Honestly, I could have written their script, it was so on message. Looking forward to seeing what day 2 has in store. #transformation #futureofwork #futureofHR #talentmanagement

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The Australian labour market is shifting in ways that will significantly impact how organisations hire and retain talent in FY25 / 26. Our latest State of the Market Report unpacks the forces shaping recruitment from unexpected regional growth and AI-driven workforce transformation, to the rising non-negotiables of top candidates and the sectors driving wage growth despite economic pressure. If you want to stay competitive in the year ahead, having the right insights is essential. 👉 Download the report here: https://lnkd.in/gjKd-V3U

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