The 'Great Resignation' is officially over and what the data says about sexism in the C-suite

Fewer Australians switched jobs last year than the year before, ABS data showed this week.

That won’t surprise regular readers of this newsletter. The Australian Financial Review has been reporting for months that employers have pulled back on hiring.

But the data was nonetheless newsworthy because it appeared to confirm that the post-pandemic jump in job switching – which in Australia was closer to an "uptick" than a "Great Resignation" as some had called it – was over.

The increase in job mobility had been fuelled in part by skilled worker shortages and in part by more employees deciding that they didn’t like their jobs after a period of introspection during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Recruiters said the main reason the trend had turned on its head was weaker demand for labour, with the number of job vacancies in May down 17.7 per cent on the year before. But other factors also played a part, which our lead story explained. (No, increased job satisfaction had nothing to do with it.)

We also looked at new research by employee engagement platform Culture Amp , which found that sexism still stalked women in the C-suite. The survey revealed that all men in C-suite positions felt respected at their company, but 25 per cent of C-suite women did not.

Being interrupted while speaking was a common complaint, as chief executives like Melissa Reader were only too well aware.

Elsewhere, we asked CEOs about their rules for balancing work and life, picked up email management tips from Cranecorp Australia boss Joy Krige , and talked to tech leader David Tudehope about the business lessons he’s learned from Cleopatra.

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Work & Careers

Who are the highest paid ASX 200 CEOs? New research shows that ASX 100 CEOs earn on average 50 times more than the average Australian adult.

What this CEO eats depends how bad the last meeting was Joy Krige, CEO of Cranecorp Australia in Perth, grazes from her snack drawer during the day, rather than eat a formal breakfast or lunch.

Unions hail return of $35m Industrial Court Unions NSW boss Mark Morey says the court will “help moderate the excesses” of the federal system.

Work-free Friday nights ‘unrealistic’ for CEOs British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he tries not to work past 6pm on a Friday. Some of Australia’s top CEOs say that wouldn’t fly in their world.

Why you shouldn’t set a deadline if you want to be more resilient The strongest leaders believe in themselves and don’t try to set timelines for when a difficult period will pass, says Macquarie Technology Group CEO David Tudehope . Read this story here, then listen to 15 Minutes with the Boss now on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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