Welcome to the March 2022 PNORS Group Newsletter.

After 2 years of upheaval, I don’t think I would be alone in wondering what 2022 has in store for us?  With many of us now returning to our physical offices around Australia, we are mindful of creating an environment where our staff are excited to come into work to reconnect with their colleagues and work teams.  We are currently undertaking a redesign of work and meeting places at our head office in Port Melbourne to create collaborative spaces where our staff and clients can work and meet in loosely structured work environments that inspire positivity, creativity and teamwork.

Culture and values are important drivers across all businesses in the PNORS Group.  We are guided by our core values of Transparency, Passion, Integrity, Collaboration, Accountability and Responsiveness.  PNORS Group Strategic Advisor, Caroline Kennedy, has contributed a very interesting piece this month on the retention of talent in today’s workplace environment, and the importance of focusing on company values. 

To this end, developing a Growth Mindset was the subject of a recent very successful internal workshop.  We explored beliefs and actions that Hold us Back and those That Power us Forward. 

Our insights and learnings will hold us in good stead leading into the new financial year; keeping focus on our company vision and values and continuing to work productively with our clients across the PNORS Group. 

Warm regards

Paul Gallo

CEO

PNORS Technology Group

Worried about a potential talent loss in 2022? It’s not all about the Great Resignation. The New Year is traditionally a time where people reassess their lives and careers. A report quoting ABS figures tells us around 1 million employees leave their jobs every year. How many of those employees are your most talented individuals?

No company wants to continually cover the cost of talent loss, so here are three overlooked opportunities to reach people from the moment they join you, engage them, and build their loyalty.

Focus On Company Values.

This is not something we used to take much into account when searching for new talent, yet we know many employees will quit their jobs if company values don’t align with their personal values. Since the pandemic, values, purpose and social responsibility have become more important than ever. People want to make a difference. The Edelman Trust Barometer tells us “The most compelling rationale for departure was finding a better values fit (59 percent), nearly two times higher than better compensation or career advancement (31 percent).”

For companies, this means clarifying and clearly expressing their company values and purpose so they can establish a clear connection with prospective employees well before they are recruited. Finding people with the right fit gives you a better chance of retaining them in the company for longer.

Get Personal.

I remember an onboarding experience I had with a large company many years ago. I was met by an HR member who ran through the rules and conditions of employment before handing me over to my new manager. The manager passed me to a supervisor who then took me around the workplace and introduced me to the leaders. It was a blur of names, and I had no idea who did what. I couldn’t work out where I belonged. The next day, my manager couldn’t even remember my name. That doesn’t seem to be an unusual experience, but it has to change.

People aren’t numbers or bodies to fill a desk. They are humans with social needs and a desire for some respect, no matter what job they are doing. Make the first few days a more social event where you get to know each other. Learn more about this new person on your team and encourage team members to chat amongst themselves. You need to give people a place of their own – and that’s much more than a desk space. Human connection gives every workplace a warmth that can’t be beaten. It’s something that is hard to give up.

Growth.

What happens once your new talent has settled happily into the role? It’s time to show them you’re invested in their future. It’s clear people will leave if they can’t see a career path ahead of them. They need opportunities for growth, and they need to know you’re supporting their development. Consider things like formal and informal training, regular feedback, regular career conversations, mentoring, and offering new opportunities.

Now take that a step further. We’re in the world of remote or hybrid work experiences now, so any growth plans will be more impacted by the person’s personal circumstance, more than ever. That means work and personal lives are intertwined and growth plans need to take that into account. If you’re investing in your talent and helping them grow, it needs to be personal. One size does not fit all. If there’s one thing companies have learnt over the last couple of years, it’s the importance of employee health and wellbeing. Today, career and development plans should encourage and support personal as well as professional growth.

In a nutshell, know your company values and share them clearly. Treat your people as individuals – and build a relationship with each. Establish a connection and offer opportunities for personal and professional growth. The human touch matters.

Your leaders will play a critical role in helping you retain talent. Their emotional intelligence is the thing which will make the difference. Their ability to listen, give and accept feedback, and relate to people will influence the results.

Are your leaders ready for their roles? Offer them an opportunity for growth by extending their skills and increasing their impact and influence.

Caroline Kennedy is an experienced CEO, business founder, author, executive coach and business/board advisor with over 25 years’ leadership, mentoring and coaching experience. As an executive coach, Caroline draws on her extensive background in business and leadership, and therefore she brings a multi-dimensional approach combining coaching, mentoring and consulting methodology to break comfort zones and facilitate long term growth and development.

Australia’s largest exhibition for accounting and finance management will shine the spotlight on people, products, services, and trends that are redefining finance and accounting functions within Australian businesses.

As a Silver Sponsor at this year’s event, Pacific Commerce will attend as a stand holder and deliver a panel speaking event at 2pm on Thursday, 28/4. 

Our panel topic is “Improve your cashflow with PEPPOL eInvoicing”.

By the end of 2022, supplier invoices to all levels of Government in Australia will need to be submitted electronically via a Certified PEPPOL Access Point (Pacific Commerce is a Certified Provider).  PEPPOL Access Points will convert documents between the supplier’s preferred format, such as native output from your ERP system, and the PEPPOL Standard.

Operated by the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian PEPPOL Authority for the Government takes advantage of the benefits of eInvoicing in the digital economy whilst complimenting EDI and other electronic means for exchanging business documents.  Businesses only need to connect once to trade with anyone on the PEPPOL network.

• Consider automating your interactions with suppliers or customers by investigating the possibilities of EDI and if you sell into Government, PEPPOL.

• Mark your calendars to visit the Accounting and Business Expo, Sydney ICC, 28-29 April, 2022.  We would love to see you at our panel event at 2pm on Thursday 28/4 or drop in for a chat with the Pacific Commerce team at Stand D08.

• Review your email security and explore the benefits of embedding your digital footprint.  Consider the benefits and value of professional, secure and consistent email signatures across your organisation.