Interchange Bench Blog
HomeWelcome back to adult conversations
I had a fabulous conversation with a client this week, she was so encouraging, reassuringly telling me that returning to work “is like riding a bike”. To switch your brain back on in a business environment, challenge yourself and test your capabilities is such a...
6 quick facts to bring you up-to-date on the Australian labour market and contract talent
For your interest, we’ve collated a snapshot of current headline employment data. It may help us to all make better sense of some unusual pressures you may be seeing regarding attraction and retention of high performers and why supplementary contract specialists are...
Australians all…
I was in the office on a regular Tuesday afternoon back in August 2017, when a colleague of mine put down the phone, dropped her head and started to cry. The slightly grey Melbourne skies outside the office windows made the moment feel ominous. Catching her breath,...
Not In My Workplace!
With responsibility for three major zoos, 5000 animals, 2.5 million visitors annually and 600 permanent and casual employees, you might think that Jenny Gray, the CEO of Zoos Victoria and the current President of WAZA (World Association of Zoos and Aquariums), has...
It’s on our lips and close to our hearts
This month the Interchange Bench is getting behind Liptember – an initiative that supports and raises awareness for women’s mental health – a cause very close to our team's heart. While we can’t always kiss away the blues, educating the community on women's mental...
Invitation to the Future: We’re ready.
Last year enough was spoken about my 50 years in business to spur me on for another 50 years. Thank you to longstanding colleagues, clients, candidates and industry stalwarts who were in touch and recalled our times together. (Eating carnations from the vases on the...
Why you should listen to podcasts and why we’re a sponsor.
What is it about podcasts that have captured our collective earbuds? Have you noticed how at some point the watercooler chat moved from TV’s Better Call Saul to the LA Times’ Dirty John podcast? Perhaps it’s because podcasts are the better versions of the internet,...
How 100 smart women discovered six unexpected benefits from an unlikely escape.
Ella Stephenson grew up playing netball, but had always loved footy. So in 2016 when the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) announced they were launching a women’s competition, she was keen to get involved. “My older brothers had played footy with Monash...
Myriad differences, multiple benefits: Embracing multiculturalism in the workplace
What an eye opening experience moving from Albania – an Eastern European country where 97% of the population were native born Albanians, to Toronto – one of the most multicultural cities in the world, where over 180 languages are spoken… It was a move that exposed me...
Become a Dementia Friend like us and make a positive difference
We all want to make a positive difference at work, home and in the community. Being part of a supportive and compassionate workplace can make a positive difference and can influence our society. One way is to increase our awareness of other people’s lives and their...
When Temp is the Word: 5 points for a positive experience
Temp. I often hear the word uttered in a mildly objectionable tone – and I get it, there’s some horror stories out there… I’ve heard plenty about snaky recruiters slithering their way through businesses, tarnishing the profession one careless placement at a time....
3 non-business books that will improve your confidence at work
The other day I was having a conversation with someone about confidence in the workplace. I mentioned a book that I read a number of years ago on the subject which really changed the way I think about confidence, and gave me an armful of useful tools that I found...