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Articles by Rosie Cairnes
Saying no thanks to number crunching
Where oh where have all the old accountants gone? And how will businesses and firms find enough new starters to fill their shoes? The dearth of talent continues to have a very real impact here in Australia. Accountants and auditors are in short supply, according to a Chartered Accountants ANZ survey conducted in late 2022. A total of 669 job vacancies were found, with regional roles proving the hardest to fill.
Overhauling intercompany processes? Why it pays to get IT on board first
Is optimising inter-company accounting on the agenda for your conglomerate or group in FY2025? If the answer is yes, it’s likely to prove an excellent move. That’s because there’s a host of benefits associated with maintaining standardised back-end processes, underpinned by an automated intercompany financial management solution.
How to ensure your finance department is there to support not stifle innovation this year
Is your enterprise doing business just as it was five, three, or even one year ago? If the answer is yes, then it’s out of step with the times. And it may also be a prime candidate for being left behind. Dramatic as that statement may be, it’s hardly hyperbolic. Here in Australia and around the world, the pace of innovation continues to increase, as businesses look to transform their products, services and modi operandi to ensure they remain relevant and competitive.
Why keeping on top of cash flow matters more than ever in FY2025
Are you wondering whether FY2025 might bring better times for your business, in the wake of the Covid crisis and the economic aftershocks it’s engendered? While it would be nice to think so, all signs suggest Australian businesses may have more tough times in store over the next 12 months. Insolvencies are on the rise, according to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
Taking the lead: Why digital transformation should be finance first Original
Is your business preparing to embark on a large-scale digital transformation program over the upcoming 12 months? For many mid-sized enterprises, the answer is yes. Less than auspicious economic conditions – rising costs, geo-political uncertainty and lacklustre demand – have increased the impetus to improve efficiency and productivity across the enterprise.
How Australian CFOs can master the modern finance balancing act Original
Remember when heading up a finance department meant making sure the books were balanced and the bills paid on time? Relaxing, wasn’t it – relatively speaking, at least! By contrast, many of today’s CFOs are required to contend with a plethora of pressing operational priorities while still attending to the aforementioned book balancing and bill paying. That they’ll do more with less – and do it far more quickly – has become the expectation in many boardrooms and C-suites around the country.
The 2024 Ultimate Guide to Big Data
Overview Exploding information quantities to the emergence of the term ‘Big Data’ for datasets which can’t be handled by common database and data processing tools. It literally means what it says, but beyond Volume, there are additional characteristics commonly associated with Big Data. These include Velocity – the rate at which the data is generated (and therefore changes) is rapid; and Variety/Variability – multiple data types renders standard tools incapable of handling it.
Four reasons your enterprise should start saying goodbye to spreadsheets in FY2025
Swapping this old school tool for finance automation technology brings with it a host of benefits. Does your accounts team remain wedded to spreadsheets? Or perhaps they’re still using them because they’re the best – or only – tools for performing complex calculations to which they have access? If yours is a typical Australian enterprise in the mid-market then, unfortunately, the answer to the latter question is likely to be ‘yes’.
A must-have for businesses selling to australian public sector
Is your organisation looking to digital transformation to deliver much needed cost savings and efficiency gains this year? If the answer is yes, you’re far from alone. Australia’s total ICT spend is expected to hit a record $133 billion in 2024, up 7.8 per cent on the previous year, according to Gartner.
How to ensure your finance transformation project is an unqualified success Original
Are you planning to kick off a finance automation initiative in the new financial year? If you answered in the affirmative, you’re in good company. In 2024, mid-sized and enterprise organisations alike are alive to the benefits embracing automated accounting can deliver, and rightly so. Unpacking the advantages Being able to reduce manual processing and speed up the quarterly close process while simultaneously slashing error rates equates to a significant productivity and efficiency gain.
Why mentoring others is the most rewarding aspect of my leadership role Original
There’s no better way to inspire female inclusion than by sharing your experience and expertise with others Two decades working in high-pressure enterprise software sales has taught me that success is almost invariably the result of a positive corporate culture – but what does that actually look like? For my money, it’s a setting in which integrity, accountability, effort and drive, clear communication and supportive teamwork are evident from the C-suite down.
How to boost business resilience before trouble strikes
Are you wondering whether 2024 will be the year when everything settles down again? It’s an optimistic thought given the confluence of events that have made succeeding in business in the 2020s such a challenging proposition.
How empowering your credit control team could lead to profitable growth in 2024 Original
Shifting the focus from collecting bad debts to holistic revenue lifecycle management can help your business take advantage of more opportunities. Is expansion on the agenda for your organisation this year? Despite a lacklustre economic outlook – the Reserve Bank has forecast GDP will grow by just 1.75 per cent in the 2024 financial year and business confidence in consumer-facing sectors is at a low ebb – many local businesses are hoping the new year brings with it fresh opportunities for growth.
Why CFOs will need to step up in 2024
Another new year is upon us and all signs suggest it could be a challenging one, economically. High inflation and rising interest rates look set to continue dampening demand – so much so that the RBA has forecast GDP growth of just 1.75 per cent for the 2024 financial year.
Key to new year success Original
Transformation initiatives that take place in silos don’t always go so well. Will 2024 be the year your organisation finally says adieu to old school accounting programs and processes? For many Australian businesses, the answer is ‘yes, hopefully’. For their part, finance leaders, both at home and abroad, are itching for change.
A change for the better: Seven tips for transforming your finance function successfully
If automation is on the agenda for 2024, it pays to do it right. Is overhauling the way your finance and accounting (F&A) department operates a key project for your organisation in the new year? If you answered in the affirmative, join the club. Across the country, businesses of all stripes and sizes are looking to boost the efficiency and reliability of their F&A functions – and they’ve clocked the fact that automation is an excellent way to do it.
Seven red flags of intercompany accounting challenges
In theory, moving funds between related entities should be a pretty simple process. In reality though? For all too many Australian organisations, it’s anything but, with overdue and unsettled intercompany balances causing headaches for finance leaders at the end of the month or period, and on plenty of occasions in between. Not sure if your conglomerate or corporate group is trucking or trailing, when it comes to processing intercompany transactions efficiently and accurately?
How automating your finance department can help your retail business
The cost-of-living crisis has triggered a spending slow down, for consumers and businesses alike. Shopping strips and malls aren’t as busy as once they were and many enterprises are looking to keep a lid on costs by deferring non-essential spending.
Navigating uncertainty: The value of a robust finance unit Original
Business as usual: it’s a status quo that disappeared during the Covid crisis and seems unlikely to return any time soon. Instead, the economy, here in Australia and globally, has been beset by uncertainty. From staff shortages and supply chain disruption to inflation and rising interest rates, businesses of all stripes and sizes have had challenges aplenty to contend with in recent years.
Navigating uncertainty: The value of a robust finance unit
Business as usual: it’s a status quo that disappeared during the Covid crisis and seems unlikely to return any time soon. Instead, the economy, here in Australia and globally, has been beset by uncertainty. From staff shortages and supply chain disruption to inflation and rising interest rates, businesses of all stripes and sizes have had challenges aplenty to contend with in recent years.
Expert: Finance efficiency via automation this financial year
Will it be business as usual in your finance department over the upcoming 12 months, or are you planning a significant overhaul of your personnel and processes? For a growing number of Australian organisations, it’s the latter. Digital transformation is fast becoming an urgent imperative, as leaders look to their finance teams to add value, by providing quality business insights, strategic advice and exceptional customer service.
Tackling cybersecurity talent holistically and proactively
During this pandemic, talent recruitment and retention for cybersecurity are no longer unidimensional challenges: here are some ideas to consider. To thrive and survive in today’s increasingly connected world, organizations in the private and public sector are in hot pursuit of digital transformation but limited by the short supply of suitable cybersecurity professionals. Cybersecurity is consistently rated as one of the most problematic skills shortage areas in the enterprise.
Tackling the cyber skills and talent shortage holistically and proactively
During this pandemic, talent recruitment and retention for cybersecurity are no longer unidimensional challenges: here are some ideas to consider. To thrive and survive in today’s increasingly connected world, organizations in the private and public sector are in hot pursuit of digital transformation but limited by the short supply of suitable cybersecurity professionals. Cybersecurity is consistently rated as one of the most problematic skills shortage areas in the enterprise.
Employers can tackle inequality by helping out working dads
Last month the Grattan Institute called for something that is long overdue in Australia: increased government paid paternity leave as well as maternity leave. Women continue to be held back by a stubborn gender pay gap and fewer opportunities for promotion, and that is largely due to how caregiving is managed within households. Women have also taken on the lion’s share of caregiving and home schooling during the pandemic.
Counselling, collaboration, and virtual coffee chats: Leadership in the post-COVID era | HRM Asia
Skillsoft's Rosie Cairnes examines the role of leadership in the workforce in a post-pandemic era. To say 2020 has shaken up the workplace would be an understatement. The impact COVID-19 has had on the way we work will be felt for years to come. In the early part of the year, many businesses found themselves mobilising and managing a completely remote workplace in a hurry and making do with a ‘this will do’ approach to get the job done.
Blog: The future of learning and the new role of the Chief Learning Officer
In 2020, businesses around the globe, across every industry, faced unparalleled change and disruption. Workforces went remote. Reskilling and upskilling became paramount to fill skills gaps and keep teams employed. New power skills — like agility, communication, resiliency, and adaptability — became essential as everyone adjusted to a new ‘normal’ that was anything but. Digital transformation accelerated practically overnight — even for companies and verticals that were still years away from it.
Diversity in the workplace: How to lead as an ally
How do leaders embed inclusivity into their thinking and behaviour? With diverse companiesmore likely to win top talent, improve customer loyalty and employee satisfaction, the benefits of building inclusive workplaces are endless. But how do leaders embed inclusivity into their thinking and behaviour, and by extension, the thoughts, words and deeds of their organisation as a whole?
Drive learner engagement in a world of unknowns | HRM Asia
Rosie Cairnes, Regional Vice-President, Skillsoft Asia Pacific, details how organisations can drive learner engagement during uncertainty. As a result of COVID-19, companies are exploring technical and non-technical pivots. These may include spending shifts to enable remote work for an extended period, increased focus on cybersecurity, expanded mental health and wellness programs, and enhanced personal safety measures.
Diversity in the workplace: How to lead as an ally
Understanding power and privilege are crucial to enabling inclusion Put simply, power and privilege are the rights, benefits, and advantages exclusively granted to particular people. They manifest themselves in every workplace, and in a wider sense, are part of a much larger system that exists to protect the majority systems and power across society.
Article: How to attract and retain the new ‘autonomous’ employee
Of all the changes that have impacted our workplaces during the pandemic, one of the most significant is that employees have secured autonomy from their jobs. Whether workers or their loved ones have been directly impacted by the health crisis, or they have come to the realisation that there was a better way of working all along, this year has been a wakeup call; that health and families come before all else, and work needs to be on employees’ terms.
Three steps to closing the gender pay gap - Dynamic Business
Thu 28 November 2019 - 8:30 am Workplace By Rosie Cairnes Earlier this month, we heard news from the federal government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) that there has been only a tiny improvement in the gender pay gap – narrowing by 0.5 percentage points from 20.8 per cent from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019. And, on average, men still take home $25,679 a year more than women.
How to safeguard your future job security in an ‘old school’ workplace - Dynamic Business
Mon 18 November 2019 - 10:18 am Featured | Workplace By Rosie Cairnes With digital skills, automation and transformation dominating economic and workplace debate, Australian employees are feeling increased pressure to keep up. Skillsoft’s recent Mind the Gap study of employees across Australia and New Zealand shows a staggering 70 percent of employees believe their jobs are undergoing change due to digital transformation.
How to develop tech skills across your organization
Organisations today face a behemoth task to reskill and upskill their workforces continuously BY Contributor 25 Apr 2019 by Rosie Cairnes, Director at Skillsoft Most progressive leaders are re-thinking their talent strategy by improving the employee experience, embracing diversity as more than a trend, broadening and deepening employee onboarding, and above all, placing learning at the heart of HR; and the technology department is no exception.
How to successfully engage five generations in one workplace
Organisations need to become fully engaged with the whole workforce – spanning five generations – and meet new demands from a new, modern worker, writes Rosie Cairnes For the first time ever, the workforce is made up of five different generations. This includes the Traditionalists (born in or before 1945), the Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), Generation X (born from 1965 to 1976), the Millennials (born between 1977-1995) and Generation Z (born on or after 1996).
Here's why summer is the perfect time to learn new skills
iStock During the summer, life just seems to be a little more relaxed: the kids are out of school, people are on holiday, and even work seems to slow a little with the heat until Australia Day signals the return to business as usual. As things slow down around us, it is the perfect time to focus on things we can’t always get to during our normal daily routine.
5 reasons you why you should hire mature-age workers
Recently I saw the movie The Intern. Robert De Niro plays a restless, technophobe retiree who lands a job as an intern with a young online fashion retailer – seemingly with few relevant skills – but over time the character’s wisdom and experience prove crucial in the company’s success. Look beyond the Hollywood veneer and the film is highly poignant because many Australians today find themselves in retirement despite feeling they still have plenty to contribute to the world of work.
Here’s why you’re better off retraining employees than hiring new staff
According to a TAFE study released last month, almost half (48 per cent) of Australian businesses would rather hire talent than train existing employees. Ironically, 70 per cent of businesses are finding it more difficult to hire workers with the specific skills needed. With skill shortages on the rise, particularly in the IT sector, and almost a third of jobs at risk of disappearing within 12 years thanks to automation, simply turning over staff is not the answer.
GDPR and the role of HR
Earlier this year, the new data breach legislation came into effect in Australia and last week, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was enforced across the European Union, bringing with it mammoth changes to how companies treat employee and customer data. GDPR is not just for European businesses - if you serve customers or operate in Europe, you may also need to comply with this new legislation.
Want to boost company performance? Start by training your managers
We expect more from our managers today because organisations are starting to see the clear and tangible impact they have on key measures like employee engagement to retention . But many organisations are hiding a dirty little secret – managers are often sent out into the business ill-equipped, without the know-how they need to successfully lead people.
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