Gossip is a common part of most workplaces, but where should an employer draw the line? While we want to build respectful workplaces, we don't want to be the fun police either. To help us understand the risks and benefits of workplace gossip, Thorunn Arnadottir joins the show.

 In this episode we cover:

Whether an employer can ever ban workplace gossip

What's the line between friendly office banter and gossip?

Can gossip be considered a form of workplace bullying?

What are the obligations employers need to be aware of when it comes to gossip in the workplace?

The potential benefits of workplace gossip, and how may actually help your business

 

The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia’s largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 24,000 small businesses.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By now, most businesses have some kind of social media presence, but are you getting maximum return for your efforts?

 

Far from being a luxury, social media is now an essential business tool, one that not only tells the story of your business, but builds your brand, generates leads and helps you connect with an audience - whether it's in your neighbourhood, or around the world.

 

Yet many business owners can get caught in the trap of using it purely as an engagement tool. While everyone loves dog videos and a hilarious meme, this kind of content doesn't always translate into new business.

 

On the other hand, we've all seen businesses who use social media like a billboard, blasting a sales message until we don't pay attention anymore.

 

What is the right balance of content? How do we get the most from our social media, and more importantly, what are the common mistakes we should avoid?

 

In this episode we’re joined by Sonya McIntyre Reid from Kiss Marketing who helps shares her insights into social media marketing, including:

 

How to have conversations on social media, that lead to sales

The things you’re doing that you think are helpful, but are actually wasting your time

Organic vs Paid content, and how they work

Scheduling content, tools and how often you should post

Why 100 followers can be more valuable than 10,000

How great quality content beats frequency

Why you need to act like a human, not a brand

 

Find out more about Sonya:

 

https://www.kissmarketing.com.au/

 

@kiss_marketing

 

https://www.facebook.com/kissmarketingAW/

 

The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia’s largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this month's episode we look at drug and alcohol testing employees, and help employers understand their responsibilities, as well as employee rights. There are certain industries where drug testing is required, other businesses just want to adopt a zero tolerance approach to drugs in the workplace.

But successfully introducing alcohol and drug testing into your workplace means navigating a complex legal framework. What are the factors small business owners must consider?

In this episode we learn:

The legal parameters of alcohol and drug testing in your workplace

The process involved in getting fair, reliable results

What to do if an employee refuses a drug or alcohol test, and if they return a positive result

The role of alcohol and drug testing in workplace health and safety, and risk mitigation

The importance of a proper process so you can protect your business from General Protections and Unfair Dismissal claims

 

The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia’s largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this month's episode of the Better Business Podcast we help you have better meetings with author and coach Donna McGeorge.

Yes, they're unavoidable, and yes they can be super unproductive, but meetings are standard practice in workplaces across Australia. But is there a way to get more from our meetings?

Joining the show this month is renowned author and coach, Donna McGeorge.

Donna is one of Australia's leading business thinkers and coaches, having worked with companies such as Nissan, Ford, JetStar, Telstra and Qantas. She's also the author of 5 books, including The 25 Minute Meeting which teaches us the best practice principles behind powerful and productive workplace meetings.

 

In this episode, we learn:

How to organise better meetings to get better results and save time

Alternatives to the standard sit-down meeting

Why meetings have become a ‘default’ behaviour, and how to break the pattern

Preparedness and Presence and the keys to better meetings

The Scan, Focus, Act process

How you can politely leave a meeting early

 

Find out more about Donna McGeorge here

https://donnamcgeorge.com/

https://www.25minutemeetings.com/

 

The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia's largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it ever ok for an employer to reject a medical certificate? Turns out it is -- under certain circumstances. This month Employment Relations Expert Thorunn Arnadottir joins the show to tell us how a small business owner can legitimately reject a medical certificate, and reveals the valid reasons for doing so.

This month we cover:

Situations when it might be ok for an employer to reject a medical certificate

How to establish valid reasons for rejecting a medical certificate

How to raise concerns around and employee's medical certificate

Ensuring procedural fairness in rejecting a medical certificate

How to request more information and organise an independent medical assessment

Seeking professional advice so you don't deny an employee their basic entitlements

The essential criteria for a valid medical certificate

 

The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia's largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This month we're looking at Social Selling, a new movement in the way business owners can generate leads, build customer relationships and ultimately drive sales online. Joining the show is Australia's Number 1 Social Seller Mark McInnes, who tell us how small businesses can use social media to connect with customers online, build relationships and ultimately drive more revenue.

In this episode we cover:

The basic principles of social selling and how it differs from traditional marketing or social media engagement

Getting the right balance of social content to engage customers, without being too 'salesy'

Connecting with leads online using helpful, interesting content

Having better conversations through social media

Best practice tips on building an effective social media presence that can increase your sales

Using Social Sales to level the playing field with bigger competitors

Learn More about Mark McInnes

https://www.social4sales.com/

The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia's largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses. Find more helpful business resources on our blog.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this month's episode of the Better Business Podcast we help you find your business niche with Marketing guru Richard Toutounji.

Anyone who's run a small business knows that familiar temptation — to think that everyone is your customer, and that you should sell to anyone willing to pay you.

While offering products and services that meet a specific need is the reason we go into business, trying to sell to everyone isn't necessarily the recipe for success.

But when you have a niche business and target a very select group of people, you position your business as a specialist in the field, and reach a subset of customers more willing to choose an expert business over a generic supplier.

In this episode, we learn:

Why focusing on the parts of the business you love could be a great way to find your niche

How to start small and add niches as you grow

Low cost marketing tips, goiung ‘organic’ and having conversations with potential niches

Simple ways to test the market

The niching secrets of top Aussie businesses

Why fear holds us back from niching

You might know Richard from his appearances in the Sydney Morning Herald, Channel 10, The Telegraph — or even from the Australian Amazing race when he and his wife Joey were contestants!

Today Richard works with business owners helping them build an online presence, developing their online marketing. Richard has a long history of turning established organisations into marketing machines.

Find out more about Richard here:

https://commarketing.com.au/

http://www.richardtoutounji.com/

The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia's largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses. Find more helpful business resources on our blog.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this month's episode of the Better Business Podcast Essentials Update we take a look at one of the most vexing issues in the recruitment process - Dodgy CVs.

Our Employment Relations Expert Thorunn Arnadottir stops by to teach us how to spot a dodgy CV, offers common tips for employers to vet candidates, and what you can do if you've hired a candidate you suspect has lied to get the job.

In this episode, we learn:

How to spot inconsistencies in an application form

How to ask the right questions without risking an Adverse Action claim

How discrepancies between job titles and duties can be a tell-tale sign of a dodgy CV

The importance of the job description, interview and reference check process

When it's ok to discipline and terminate an employee who has lied on their CV

The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia's largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses. Find more helpful business resources on our blog.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To mark World Mental Health Day, we speak with Patrice O'Brien, General Manager of Workplace Partnership and Engagement from beyondblue. In this episode we delve into the world of Mental Health and how it applies to small business owners. How do we create workplaces that support mental health - not just for employees, but for small business owners too? Patrice offers some great insights into the importance of self-care, and why when it comes to mental health at work, prevention is the best cure.

Show Notes

To mark World Mental Health Day, we speak with Patrice O'Brien, General Manager of Workplace Partnership and Engagement from beyondblue. In this episode we delve into the world of Mental Health and how it applies to small business owners.

It's an important conversation. 1 in 5 Australians will experience a mental health condition in a given year, and almost 1 in 2 will experience a mental health condition at some point in their lifetime. A recent report on mental health in the workplace by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) looked at the financial cost incurred when employers did not take action to manage mental health conditions in their business. It estimated that the cost to Australian business is approximately $10.9 billion per year.

So how do we create workplaces that support mental health - not just for employees, but for small business owners too?

Patrice offers some great insights into the importance of self-care, and why when it comes to mental health at work, prevention is the best cure.

The Takeaways

Why small business owners need to look after their own mental health, and recognise the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety

How absenteeism and presenteeism is costing your business

Planning ahead for peak times to ease the mental burden of work on your staff

Why civility in the workplace is a key ingredient to a mentally healthy culture

Businesses that thrive are the ones who prioritise mental health in the workplace

The best and most important changes you can make in your workplace are simple and free

Important Small Business Resources

beyondblue https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

HeadsUp https://www.headsup.org.au/

Lifeline https://www.lifeline.org.au/

The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia's largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses. Find more helpful business resources on our blog.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To mark World Mental Health Day, we speak with Michael Morrison, founder of The Black Light Principle and mental wellness coach and consultant. Michael is a former Advertising executive who has also struggled with mental health for most of his life. Michael left advertising to start The Black Light Principle, a platform for him to speak and consult about mental wellness in the workplace, and has become one of Australia's leading authorities on the lived experience of mental illness.

Show Notes

To mark World Mental Health Day, we speak with Michael Morrison, founder of The Black Light Principle and mental wellness coach and consultant.

Michael is a former Advertising executive who has also struggled with mental health for most of his life. Before starting The Black Light Principle, Michael would spend his days flying around the world, pitching ideas and negotiating million-dollar deals with some of the world's biggest brands.

But by night he was wracked with depression and would often spend his time walking around glamorous foreign cities feeling morbid and dreadful. He masked his condition, and realised it was an deeply troubling and exhausting way to live.

Michael left advertising to start The Black Light Principle, a platform for him to speak and consult about mental wellness in the workplace, and has become one of Australia's leading authorities on the lived experience of mental illness.

The Takeaways

How we mask our feelings in unhealthy ways

The exhausting nature of the 'get up, get dressed, show up' mentality

How we're being pressured to adopt and avatar and be inauthentic at work

How small business woners have a unique opportunity to beleaders in workplace mental health culture

The tension between strength and vulnerability

Find out more about Michael Morrison at https://michaelmorrison.com.au/

The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia's largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses. Find more helpful business resources on our blog.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.