AHRI research, reports and white papers
AHRI research aims to inform and support its members, the HR profession, government and the wider business community on issues affecting the workplace and organisational performance. AHRI uses research to form best-practice solutions, influence and lobby relevant bodies, and shape the standards relating to managing people for business productivity. Our research also benchmarks the Australian HR position with international HR trends.
If you have any questions about AHRI's research activities, please contact research@ahri.com.au. For Gartner publications and resources, please click here.
2021
The Wellbeing Lab Workplace Report
A significant number of Australian workers (53.1%) reported they were living well despite struggles and were demonstrating notable levels of resilience as Australian workplaces began to prepare for the “new normal” in early May 2021 (prior to the latest Victorian COVID-19 lockdown). Building this resilience, however, appears to have left many Australian workers struggling to sustain their levels of wellbeing motivation, feeling less psychologically safe to talk about the struggles they may now be experiencing, and with significantly lower levels of positive emotions, meaning and physical health. They appear exhausted. This report explores these findings and provides effective ways in which workplaces can improve wellbeing.
The State of Leadership in Australian Workplaces report
A joint AHRI and The Leaders Lab study shows that while nearly 60% of the Australian leaders reported that they felt they were struggling as leaders, only 22.3% of the Australian leaders reported that they were thriving with ease in their workplaces. The report discusses findings relating to the ability of Australian leaders to provide effective leadership and support that will significantly impact on employees’ ongoing wellbeing and performance.
AI and Meaningful work: exploring the challenges for HR Professionals
This research project, conducted in collaboration with leading academics from the University of Newcastle and RMIT, looked to gain a broad understanding of the impact of AI on the future of job design and/or re-design in Australia. The project team focused on the HR challenges that have or are currently being experienced in the quest for meaningful work in relation to artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in the period post 2020 and the peak of the COVID crisis.
Employing Older Workers Report 2021
In partnership with the Australian Human Rights Commission, AHRI's Employing Older Workers Report 2021 aims to understand organisations' strategies to recruit and retain older workers, and how COVID-19 has impacted those strategies. Further, the intention of the study was to compare how these approaches have shifted in Australia over time, utilising data from 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2021.
2020
HR Pulse Survey reports
AHRI has undertaken regular surveys to discover what HR professionals are challenged with, what the impact of the COVID-19 has had on their organisation, and the major pain points HR has had during these times. Released regularly, these surveys take the current 'pulse' of the HR profession.
September 2020
The State of Wellbeing in Australian Workplaces 2020 Report
A joint AHRI and The Wellbeing Lab study, released today, shows that there has been a sharp drop in the proportion of Australian workers who reported they were consistently thriving compared with 2019 – only 7.4% compared with 14.7%. This is not surprising, given what all Australians and Australian workplaces have been going through during COVID-19.
The State of Change in Australian Workplaces Report
What if we updated our view of change to more appropriately reflect the current reality of continuous disruption that comprises our world and workplaces? What if we expanded our view of change to embrace the reality that there are not always clear indicators of success or failure, and instead recognise that change is actually an open-ended development process, often with no clear end point?
This report, in conjunction with The Change Lab and the David L Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry, aims to uncover the disruption that the COVID-19 pandemic is creating for employees, take a closer look at how individuals are truly perceiving change, and how their experience of change is interconnected with their wellbeing.
August 2020
COVID-19's Impact on Culture Report
The Australian HR Institute, in partnership with Dr. Marc Stigter and Sir Cary Cooper, surveyed 233 HR leaders between the 27th July – 2nd August, on their ongoing experiences relating to culture as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
July 2020
COVID-19 and HR's Wellbeing report
COVID-19 has increased the workload of HR professionals, leading to a negative impact on their health and wellbeing. Considering HR is the department in charge of maintaining organisational wellbeing, this is a worrying sign. Unable to maintain their own wellbeing results in an increase in stress, ultimately leading to burnout.
In partnership with Dr. John Molineux FCPHR of Deakin University and Dr. Adam Fraser CSP, we surveyed 150 HR leaders between the 22 June and 1 July 2020, on their ongoing experiences resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
April 2020
Employment Options Report
Business conditions in Australia are subject to increasingly rapid and regular change, driven by global volatility, more dynamic market conditions, populist governments and
digitally enabled competition. Against this background, the Australian HR Institute has conducted a survey to investigate the workforce needs of modern business in this dynamic market. This report investigated the pressures that inform recruitment of workers by different categories, as well as the perception of employers if legislation were to close off options.
The State of Wellbeing in Australian Workplaces
The Wellbeing Lab and AHRI conducted research in 2019 and 2020, investigating Australian worker wellbeing. The 2020 survey saw 1019 workers respond in mid-March, just before the closure of non-essential businesses due to COVID-19. The report discusses findings relating to anxiety and concern due to bushfires, COVID-19 and economic downturn, and provides data, strategies and resources that highlight how to best address worker, team and organisational wellbeing.
2019
HR Industry Benchmark Survey Report
ELMO Cloud HR & Payroll, in partnership with the Australian HR Institute (AHRI), has released the inaugural HR Industry Benchmark Survey Report across Australia and New Zealand. This survey is the first of its kind in the local market and was completed by over 1500 HR & payroll professionals. The research deliberately focused on deriving local, relevant and current data sets to enable you to gain perspective on how your organisation may align with or differ from that of your peers, across the employee life cycle. The data explores the maturity level of the HR & payroll functions in Australia and New Zealand across the entire employee life cycle. This report will help HR & payroll professionals with data-driven decision making.
Diversity and Human Resource Management Report
The Australian HR Institute partnered with the Centre for Workforce Futures at Macquarie Business School to develop a report on Diversity and Inclusion initiatives in Australia. This project was initiated by the OECD, and confirms that diversity and inclusion initiatives are growing in Australia in recent years. This report aims to grow understanding in best practice for diversity and inclusion initiatives, and identifies areas for growth in the space.
September 2019
5 Hard Truths About Workplace Culture
Culture isn't something that you can create or control: it's an environment, one that must be kept clean and healthy. This report conducted by AHRI and Insync has found a disconnect between C-level executives and their wider organisation's culture.
March 2019
The Australian Government overhauled the former 457 Visa Scheme for employing skilled migrants, establishing the Temporary Skills Shortage Visa Scheme (TSS) early in 2018, which prompted AHRI to investigate how the new visa has affected workplaces. This report sets out findings from a survey of members of the Australian HR Institute (AHRI) conducted late in 2018, which found that while respondents strongly support the employment of skilled migrants and believe their skills contribute to Australian businesses, a number of flaws in the operation of new scheme were also identified.
January 2019
The Conference Board, AHRI and a range of international partners surveyed more than 1,400 business leaders, CEOs and C-Suite executives on what organisations will look like in 2025 and beyond, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. What emerges is an archetype of a company that is fully committed to sustainability as a growth driver, puts the customer at the centre, reshapes the way we work, and achieves the elusive balance between short-term goals and long-term vision
2018
November 2018
The University of Sydney Business School Migrants@Work Research Group, Diversity Council Australia (DCA) and AHRI surveyed Australian diversity and inclusion (D&I) practitioners about D&I policies and practices within their organisations. This research reveals a shift in the D&I climate within Australian businesses from the perspective of D&I practitioners themselves.
November 2018
This research survey conducted by the CIPD provides a snapshot of the HR professional associations in Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. In excess of 1300 people professionals in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) were surveyed about their career paths, values, behaviours, and organisational context.
November 2018
This research surveyed just over 1000 Australian employees on the state of their wellbeing in the workplace. This project led was by The Wellbeing Lab and Dr. Peggy Kern from the University of Melbourne, and supported by AHRI. This research reveals a renewed way of understanding wellbeing at the individual, team and organisational level, with core recommendations provided on how to improve workplace wellbeing.
October 2018
Supported by the Australian Human Rights Commission, this is the third research report surveying AHRI members on employing older workers. Research shows that people are now living increasingly longer lives, with purposeful employment one way to ensure they remain connected and energised. Extending peoples’ working lives is also a bipartisan policy imperative of successive governments. However, workplace age discrimination undermines this objective. View infographic
August 2018
This is the fourth research report surveying AHRI members on their view of turnover and retention trends, comparing findings to 2008, 2012 and 2015 survey responses. This year, average turnover is reported at around 18 per cent, roughly identical to the average in a similar survey we conducted in 2008, just prior to the global financial crisis.
2017
October 2017
This research report surveyed AHRI members on their views on the future of work, and in particular their hopes and fears. The questionnaire not only drew on respondents’ reflections on their workplace and current work, it asked them to reflect on the future, and think specifically about the work they expect be doing in the future as HR practitioners under three headings: work, the workplace, and the workforce.
September 2017
This study aims to provide an overview of HR-related policies and practices that support victims of domestic violence in Australian workplaces. In addition, it attempts to identify specific organisational characteristics that predict the extent to which different types of HR policies and practices are adopted to support victims of domestic violence.
July 2017
Ethical leadership works most effectively when it includes the shared responsibility of chief financial officers and chief human resource officers in modelling ethical values and practices. The joint leadership of both these professions can contribute materially to the establishment of a corporate infrastructure that not only encourages and affirms ethical standards, but also enables key mechanisms for the ‘calling out’ of unethical behaviour.
January 2017
Almost nine out of ten employers (88 per cent) offer flexible hours to their employees, according to a survey of HR practitioners. This was one of the findings of a survey of 913 respondents conducted towards the end of 2016 by the Australian HR Institute.
2016
October 2016
In this HR Pulse survey on personal work experiences, the questions sought the views of members not in their professional role as HR practitioners observing and reporting on their workplaces, but as individuals reporting on their own experience of work and, with respect to the student respondents, their expectations of work in the future.
March 2016
The results of AHRI’s HR Pulse survey on Absence Management shines a light on trends in workplace absence levels, the causes of absence, and how the effects of absence are felt in workplaces. The results also reveal some of the areas that employers are exploring to reduce employee absence.
5 tips for HR
January 2016
This report reveals the attributes that senior executives value the most in an HR professional. CEOs, executives and public service agency heads were asked to rank the degree of importance they place on 17 HR attributes and also how well they believe their HR people perform in relation to each one. Comparable questions were asked of the HR respondents to the survey. Based on a survey of 851 executives and HR practitioners, the report pulls out five executive tips for HR to think about.
2015
November 2015
Sponsored by the Ross School at the University of Michigan and The RBL Group along with 22 regional partners around the world (including AHRI), this overview reveals the results of the 7th round of the HR competency study (HRCS). Further information about the study can be found on the HRCS website
November 2015
The University of Sydney Business School Migrants@ Work Research Group, Macquarie University Diversity Council of Australia and the Australian Human Resources Institute surveyed Australian Diversity and Inclusion practitioners about Diversity and Inclusion policy and practice in their organisations.
October 2015
The findings of this report reveal that for many Australian organisations, talent management is still a work-in progress. Of the respondents whose organisations have a talent management strategy, a large majority (79%) report that the strategy has clear goals and objectives, and is strategically aligned to organisational goals and operational objectives (80%) or enjoys strong support from the senior leadership.
October 2015
This is the first HR Pulse survey that AHRI has conducted on HR outsourcing. For many years organisations have engaged third parties to perform business functions on their behalf. That more than half (53 percent) of the respondents to this survey report that their organisations fully or partially outsource some of their HR activities, is an indication of the prevalence of the practice.
October 2015
The findings of this survey reveal an average turnover figure of 16 per cent, a 3 per cent increase on the average reported in AHRI’s previous 2012 survey on turnover and retention. In some ways this finding is not a surprise.
March 2015
This e-book combines perspectives about how HR can "add value" from a cross section of 73 global, thought leaders. It lays out a positive and aspirational view of HR's future, including insights on HR's role in impacting business strategy through outside-in thinking, sourcing and optimising talent, creating winning organization capabilities and cultures, using analytics and information for improved rigor in business decision making, reframing HR governance and defining future HR competencies.
February 2015
The Older Australians at Work summit drew a diverse audience across the age spectrum to discuss the inclusion and promotion of older Australians in the workforce. Speakers and panels explored what mature age workers are looking for and how business can respond. Download the report to read the findings.
2014
October 2014
As a report on a survey of nearly 1000 members of AHRI, this discussion paper amounts to the first stage in a collective view from the inside by HR professionals of the expectations around HR practice and the behaviour of their fellow HR practitioners. The second stage, scheduled for completion in 2015, will look at the question of expectations of HR from the outside perspective of chief executives within business.
October 2014
A day in the life of an HR professional is a roller coaster ride. It can be stressful, hugely demanding and at the same time incredibly rewarding. Adam Fraser and Dr John Molineux (Lecturer in Human Resource Management at Deakin University) set out to understand what helps HR professionals get into FLOW (a high performance state where an individual is completely lost and engaged in what they are doing, driven by intrinsic motivation and experiencing positive emotion) or stress (feeling overwhelmed, lack of clarity, low level of productivity and negative emotion). To do this they studied 821 HR professionals varying in age, role, seniority and years of experience.
September 2014
Around two thirds of respondents to a workplace survey (65%) identify difficulties communicating with colleagues as the main disadvantage of working outside central work locations, according to a study just released. Other disadvantages connected with anytime-anywhere work are cited as loneliness and isolation, and difficulty with communication technologies. These findings are contained in a report by the Australian Human Resources Institute on a survey it conducted with 379 members of the institute earlier this year.
2013
November 2013
Despite escaping the worst effects of the global financial crisis, Australia's youth unemployment rate remains around 17 per cent compared with the national rate of less than 6 per cent. It is imperative that government policy makers, employers and young Australians themselves make joint efforts to redress the recent trends in this area in the interests of our future prosperity as a nation.
October 2013
A number of findings in this research report indicate some progressive thinking has taken place in the area of learning and development since AHRI published a similar report in 2010.
September 2013
The Australian Human Resources Institute and Deloitte's Centre for the Edge have come together to produce this Point of View (PoV) for human resources (HR) practitioners and others interested in driving value from social media and social software, both externally and internally.
2012
August 2012
This AHRI survey report reveals a snapshot of what is happening both in organisations where coaching and mentoring practices operate as well as in organisations where no mentoring practices take place.
August 2012
The project was jointly commissioned by the US Society for Human Resource Management and the Australian Human Resources Institute. This report is an outcome of a project undertaken by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
The outcome of the global index of workplace performance and flexibility report is a tool that measures and compares the data that you will find in the report. AHRI members can download the global index of workplace performance and flexibility tool.
August 2012
The project was jointly commissioned by the US Society for Human Resource Management and the Australian Human Resources Institute. This report is an outcome of a project undertaken by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
The outcome of the global index of workplace performance and flexibility report is a tool that measures and compares the data that you will find in the report. AHRI members can download the global index of workplace performance and flexibility tool.
June 2012
This framework is an outcome of a project funded by the Australian Government through the Innovation Fund. The project was jointly conducted by AHRI and the Innovation Fund panel member, Disability Employment Australia (DEA).
June 2012
A report on the DES Employer Liaison Capability Framework and Training Program. An innovation fund project of the Department of Education, employment and Workplace Relations.
March 2012
An AHRI survey report on how respondents' organisations are thinking about the issue of mature age employment, what is happening in their workplaces.
January 2012
This is AHRI's second study, in association with Deakin University, on the impact for the Fair Work Act in Australian workplaces. The findings provide a first-hand perspective on the operational impact of the Fair Work laws.
2011
September 2011
This report was released by The Boston Consulting Group - a global management consulting firm and the World Federation of People Management Association (WFPMA) - a global network of professionals in people management founded in 1976. AHRI is a member of the WFPMA.
August 2011
In July 2011, AHRI initiated a survey of its members with the general intention of providing a snapshot of quantitative and qualitative data from the ground on how the Federal Government's Disability Employment Services are travelling, with particular reference to informing the deliberations of the Minister's Disability Employment Services Reference Group.
June 2011
Learning and development survey report based on the joined research from AHRI, the Australian Institute of Training and Development and Learning Seat.
March 2011
An AHRI survey report on the state of gender equality in Australian workplaces. The results reveal nearly two-thirds of the sample reporting male majorities of between 70-100 per cent in management and leadership positions in their organisations, and three out of four reporting male majorities of 70-100 per cent on their boards.
2010
November 2010
This AHRI survey reports on the data from 993 HR and business respondents, and was conducted in association with Deakin University.
June 2010
The answers to the AHRI survey that inform the findings of this report reveal how organisations are dealing with workplace flexibility in the early days of The Fair Work Act.
May 2010
Learning and development survey report based on the joined research from AHRI, the Australian Institute of Training and Development and Learning Seat.
May 2010
The future of work and the changing workplace:challenges and issues for Australian HR practitioners. This White Paper focuses on the future role of HR and the forces affecting work towards 2020.
April 2010
AHRI surveyed its member database of public servants during November 2009, in part to inform its submission to the Australian Public Service Inquiry into Reform of Government ministration. AHRI also sought the views of its public sector members from state as well as federal agencies on a number of issues of general relevance to human resource agendas.
2010
An AHRI-supported research report on a survey of 210 multinational enterprises operating in Australia.
2009
July 2009
During late April 2009 AHRI sought the views, opinions and expertise of a limited sample number of executive-level respondents through an online survey on the ramifications of the GFC within Australian business.
August 2009
The aim of this AHRI survey was to determine the level of understanding and organisational preparedness, as well as to gauge the general expectations of the sample groups with respect to the introduction of the Fair Work Act 2009, the first part of which came into effect on 1 July 2009 with the rest of the legislation due to be effective on 1 January 2010.
May 2009
An AHRI survey report identifying practices and exploring opinions on the specialist area of executive remuneration. Executive remuneration is the current hot topic in business, particularly in relation to the global financial crisis. And with a Productivity Commission Inquiry into the Australian regulatory framework, the writing is on the wall for a shift in the way executives are paid.
April 2009
Has skilled migration been used to address skill shortages in your organisation and with what outcome? This AHRI survey report reveals the responses from employers who have, and haven't chosen to use 457 Visas, employees working alongside skilled migrants and skilled migrants themselves.
2008
December 2008
This AHRI survey explored the effectiveness of performance management schemes - especially their role in boosting attraction, retention and productivity - and the merits of linking pay to performance.
September 2008
How many weeks, how many dollars, and who should pay? This AHRI survey sought to identify the perspectives of HR professionals on the parental leave debate.
July 2008
This AHRI survey explored the motivations and expectations of today's multi-generational workforce asking what motivates employees and what are their expectations from the employment experience? Do these motivations and expectations vary depending on age and what can HR do to ensure organisations are meeting the needs of their multigenerational workforce?
March 2008
Previous research has suggested that the average general rate of staff turnover in large Australian companies is 12.6 percent. This AHRI survey report suggests that rate is on the increase, with a calculated average of 17.4 percent for organisations with 1000 employees or more and an average of 18.5 percent across all organisations.
2007
November 2007
An AHRI survey sought to investigate perceptions of the human resources function across Australia. Download the report.
Workchoices: Its impact within Australian workforces
23 August 2007
Late in 2006, the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) commissioned a longitudinal research study into the introduction of the Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Act 2005. The purpose of the research was to determine how the AHRI membership of approximately 11,000 HR professionals were travelling with the legislation in their daily work.
March 2007
Research undertaken by the American-based Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and supported by management associations in Australia, India, China, Canada, Mexico and Brazil looked at what polices and procedures in relation to CSR their organizations implemented to demonstrate corporate social responsibility.
2006 and earlier
2006
Research jointly conducted by AHRI, CCH and the University of Melbourne, which identifies the interface between HR and line management.
2005
Research conducted by Dr Gavin Dagley and supported by AHRI, looked into the experiences and perceptions of HR professionals who have used executive coaching. The practitioners represented both public and private sector institutions, including eight of Australia's largest and most well-known organisations. This paper represents their thoughts on what works and what doesn't.
August 2003
Research jointly undertaken by AHRI and the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA), which reveals that the human resources profession has many opportunities to influence the strategic direction and implementation of business success on behalf of Australian organisations.