How to drive employee engagement further

Sarah McInerney of Origin Energy to speak at upcoming HR Summit Brisbane

How to drive employee engagement further

One of the keys to implementing a successful HR strategy is understanding not only where the market is, but where your business, customers and workforce are as well, according to Sarah McInerney, general manager of people and culture at Origin Energy.

“It's fantastic if you bring to that process a wealth of HR knowledge and experience of all of the different offerings and areas of expertise that we have,” she told HRD Australia.

“But you really need to know what your diverse workforce needs, what their current state is, and where they're at right now, and what the gaps might be to get to the outcome that the business is going for.”

Another key is to know what the value drivers are in the business, McInerney added.

“What are the things and where are the areas that P&C [people and culture] or HR can get the biggest bang for buck?” she said. “Really support those areas first. And make sure that you are always consulting with your business to showcase how what is happening in the industry and what is happening more broadly in the space that HR is responsible, can impact them.”

HR Summit Brisbane

Origin Energy is one of the event partners at HRD’s upcoming HR Summit Brisbane. The event will be held on November 12-13 at the Westin Brisbane.

With two conference streams (HR & Employment Law) and an expansive industry expo, this summit offers a unique experience on the HR industry calendar. From employee retention and attraction to capability development, the event provides proven strategies to address current workforce challenges.

McInerney will be hosting a session on “How to drive employee engagement further.” She said she is looking forward to the event as it provides an opportunity to hear about the challenges other HR teams are coming up against, how they're solving them and new paths forward that might be possible.

“That opportunity to network and hear from other HR professionals and get that perspective of their stories and their journeys – I just think it's fabulous to have that forum and platform to do that,” she said.  

McInerney’s session will explore the strategic alignment of employee values with corporate engagement initiatives, looking at:   

  • Origin’s approach to a values-led employee engagement strategy    
  • Striking a balance between trends and listening to your people     
  • Utilising employee benefits to their full potential  

Be sure to register for HRD’s upcoming HR Summit Brisbane today!