fire #2 Dec-Feb 2017

Diversity
issue
#2 DEC - FEB 2017
fi remagazine.com.au
On the Record
USING THE
MEDIA TO YOUR
ADVANTAGE
+
Workplace Diversity
REFLECTING ON
UNCONSCIOUS BIAS
GROWING
FAMILIES,
LIFE AS A
MULTI-MILLION
DOLLAR CAPTAIN
Rosemary
Auricchio
GROWING
STRAIN
WHY
REAL
ESTATE COULD
BE THE CURE

REVEALING THE TRUE VALUE OF
REAL ESTATE PROPERTIES
Property
Photography
Floor
Plans
Virtual
Furniture
Drone
Photography
Commercial
Photography
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contents
ISSUE #2 // DEC - FEB 2017
REGULARS
REGULARS
2 FOREWORD
Sarah Dickson, Chief Illumine of FIRE, LJ Hooker
3 A DAY IN THE LIFE
Join Captain Nadine Edwards on a typical 24-hours
4 TWO OF A KIND
Ann Owen and Janelle Owen
COVER STORY
Produced by:
8 GROWING FAMILIES, GROWING STRAIN
How real estate can be the key to having it all
In partnership with:
Managing Editor:
Sarah Dickson
Editors:
Trish Riley
Samantha Regan
Graphic Design:
Laura Scott
Contributors:
Marina Mitchell,
Stacey Moseley, Ryan Ellem,
Karina Da Silva, Kylie Davis,
Jennifer Duke
Printed by: Printforce
OPINION
6 ON THE RECORD
Jennifer Duke explains using the media to your advantage
12 WORKPLACE DIVERSITY
Shai Shaq takes a closer look at diversity in the workplace
To contribute to fire email:
fire@ljhooker.com
1

foreword
In the premiere issue of FIRE magazine, our CEO,
Grant Harrod said that we are committed to
supporting both women and men in a practical and
pragmatic way, and it is our responsibility to pave
the way for generations to come.
LJ Hooker has always thrived and grown through
the deep sense of camaraderie we all feel. Creating
a collaborative and supportive community is what
sets us apart and is the cornerstone to how we see
ourselves now and in the future – as a family.
FIRE, or Females in Real Estate, stands for
providing this support and to communicate through
real connections so that we can inspire and empower
each other.
The reality is, not everyone’s career progression is
smooth sailing all the time. Some encounter barriers
and hurdles along the way and, particularly for
women, balancing work with parenting and health can
be overwhelming.
Learning new ways to create our own successes
and overcoming set-backs are valuable life lessons.
We all know that no one’s perspective is better than
another’s; however, what we can do is share our
experiences, tell our stories and give ourselves and
others the opportunity to learn and be inspired.
In this edition, hear how Life Member of our
Multi-Million Dollar Captains Club, Sales Partner at
LJ Hooker West Lakes and new parent, Rosemary
Auricchio, is managing priorities while staying at the
top of her game. Also don’t miss a great insight in to
how we define diversity within the LJ Hooker family
from our Head of People and Culture, Shai Ishaq.
We hope you enjoy the second issue of FIRE and
continue to support us via our social media channels
and website. LJ Hooker is now positioned to lead the
industry towards greater gender parity at a leadership
level and we hope that you’re as excited as we are.
Sarah Dickson
Chief Illumine of FIRE, LJ Hooker
Please join us at facebook.com/FIREmagazine.au
“BRINGING THE MAGAZINE
EXCLUSIVELY TO THE
LJ HOOKER NETWORK
ALLOWS US TO FOCUS
ON THE AMAZING
ACHIEVEMENTS WITHIN
OUR TEAM.”
Why does FIRE look different now?
Based on feedback and massive support received following the inaugural issue
of FIRE we decided to share the success and expand our strategy to encompass
all that LJ Hooker is doing by creating inhouse, a magazine that’s bursting with
information, inspiration and ideas. You can now enjoy two exclusive LJ Hooker
magazines in one. Happy reading!
2 FIRE MAGAZINE // DEC - FEB 2017

A day in the life
CAPTAIN
NADINE EDWARDS
LIFE MEMBER OF THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR CAPTAINS CLUB
Captain Nadine Edwards is the Sales
Director at LJ Hooker Cairns Edge
Hill. She was a lawyer for eight years
at two national law firms before
entering real estate to successfully
run the family business at the start
of 2004. Since then Nadine hasn’t
looked back!
She is a single mother of two
girls, aged four and eight, and
keeps mentally and physically fit
by participating in half ironman
triathlons. Next year, Nadine is
taking on the Cairns Ironman which
will be the first time she races the
full, gruelling distance. Here is what
an average working day looks like
for Nadine…
BEFORE 9AM
5am: I like to train while my girls
sleep. My day starts with a swim,
bike ride or run.
7.15am: Home from my training
session to have breakfast and banter
with my girls. Then race off to get
dressed for work.
8.10am: In the car with the girls for
drop off - the car ride usually is Miss
8 reading her current reader to Miss
4 and I or all of us participating in a
medley of Katie Perry sing-a-longs!
AFTER 9AM
9.30-11.15am: Meeting with other
staff and finalising administrative
matters like marketing drafts and
appraisal letters.
11.15am onwards: Usually a
healthy mixt of appraisals, listings,
property viewings, negotiations and
vendor catch-ups.
AFTER 5PM
6.15pm: Usually home to cook for
the girls - I like to cook and have
recently embraced Hello Fresh!
which eliminates the question
“what should I cook tonight?” from
my day! This has been awesome and
makes me look like a fantastic chef!
7.15pm: Catch up with the girls
about their day and check through
homework and reading.
7.45pm: Girls bedtime. I like to
read them a story and then there
is usually five minutes of delay
“cuddle” tactics and then lights out.
8.00pm: My time! This time
could be filled with catching up
on any outstanding emails from
the afternoon, quiet time to think
about properties I may have
appraised for the day, ideas for text
for new listings, reviewing photos
of properties and advert proofs,
reading triathlon magazines/books
or a quick Netflix session.
10.00pm: Bed! I would love to
get into bed earlier but it never
happens, there is always so much to
do. Needless to say, it does not take
long to fall asleep!
On work life balance:
Finding the work/life balance
is definitely a work-in-progress!
What allows me to attempt
this achievement is having
excellent support.
Finding the perfect sales
associate was highly important. I
needed someone to be my extra
limb when required and anticipate
my needs and actions at work.
At home, I have an au pair and
supportive parents who live next
door - luckily we live on big blocks
of land!
Triathlons have allowed me to
have something for myself, which
is important to me post having
children. It instils a confidence and
a sense of achievement that has
allowed me to be more efficient
and confident. It also allows my
daughters to see me set goals and
achieve them. I do encourage
women to pursue a personal
interest outside of work, whatever
that may be, to allow them to
maintain a sense of identity that can
sometimes be lost after children.
My work mantra:
I try to utilise every minute in my
day so I can be there for my family.
Being in sales we are constantly
appraising, listing and selling so
to avoid any downtime. I live by
the saying “you are only as good
as your last sale” - this keeps me
focused, humble and passionate.
Transparency and
professionalism are also very
important to me in the competitive
world of real estate. Amongst staff,
being a team player is critical,
as is believing in “what goes
around comes around” and that
every dollar counts when sharing
listings and sales to create a
supportive environment.
3

Two of a kind
ANN OWEN AND JANELLE OWEN
FROM ANN
I started my career in real
estate about a year after a very
disappointing experience when
dealing with an agent who was
selling our property. He had poor
customer service skills and didn’t
live up to everything he said he
would do to obtain a sale. I said to
my husband: “I could do a much
better job than him”, and David
said: “Go and do it then”.
I started with L J Hooker
Strathalbyn in 1991 and was the
first female sales agent in the town.
It was a bit of a shock I think, but it
only took a few months to persuade
everyone that I was just as capable.
I bought the business at a time
in which the introduction of
computers was mandatory. This
meant I had to throw most of the
THE TWO OF US:
LJ HOOKER STRATHALBYN
FROM JANELLE
I suppose if I think back, real
estate was always in the back of my
mind as a career. I was 11 when
Ann started in real estate and I
remember being in the car with
her when she used to take calls on
her Nokia car phone / brick and
thinking how cool it would be to do
that. But ultimately, it was watching
how hard Ann worked and how
much she enjoyed her job that made
me interested. I have always wanted
to love what I do.
I moved to the UK in 1999 and
lived there for just over four years
with a great job working as an Event
Manager for a pharmaceutical
company. I realised I was missing
Australia when Ann came for a
holiday in my fourth year and we
started talking about home. The
prospect of me going to work with
Ann came up during one of our
long phone conversations once she
4 FIRE MAGAZINE // DEC - FEB 2017

existing equipment away and start
again. Within 12 months, I had the
biggest market share and I’m still
here a quarter of a century later. I
realise that this makes me sound
very old!
Janelle is my niece and has
been in my life since she was two
months old. Unable to have my own
children; my sister shared Janelle
with me for which I will be forever
grateful. Janelle and I were joined at
the hip from a young age as we have
a mutual interest in horses and I was
devastated when she moved to the
UK when she was only 19.
I spent time with Janelle in
the UK and sensed that she may
be ready to return to Australia. I
mentioned that there would always
be a job for her at the office and a
few months later, she came back
all grown up with lots of work
experience from her fabulous job
and I was thrilled when she joined
the company.
Janelle is an absolute team player
and only ever wants the best results
for our office. She also has an
admirable balance in her home and
work life. When I first purchased
the business, I worked what felt
like eight days a week and I did this
for probably the first two years.
Fortunately, I started to have a life
out of the office and it has stayed
that way. Janelle has always made
sure that I take holidays and have
a break.
We have a deep respect for
each other and appreciate our
differences. We will never ask
anyone else in the team to do
anything that we wouldn’t do
ourselves because we have the
same work ethic and a great team
of people who work hard in their
positions. Most importantly,
we have built a happy work
environment with lots of laughter
and great productivity.
Janelle makes me proud
every day because she wants to
be successful and follow in my
footsteps. Janelle is now a part
owner in the business. We have
discussed a succession plan over
the last couple of years and now
that it is in place, she is our Sales
Manager and I know she is going
to be a wonderful successor. We
are a country office on the Fleurieu
Peninsula and I know that as the
town grows bigger, she will facilitate
this in growing the business. Most
importantly, I know that Janelle will
bring to the business new ideas but
will never forget how we started.
After an unprofessional agent delivered poor service to her and her husband, Captain Ann Owen decided
to become the first female real estate agent in Strathalbyn. Her niece, Janelle Owen was just 11 years old
admiring her hard working aunt’s nifty Nokia Car Phone when she first considered real estate as a career.
Now, the two women run a successful business in South Australia and are in an exciting transitioning
phase for the next big step in their lives and business.
had returned and after that, it all
happened pretty quickly - within a
couple of months I was packed up,
saying goodbye to my friends in
England and on the plane back to
Strathalbyn. I completed my sales
license and then Agents license and
started working, first as Ann’s PA, in
the real estate industry.
Initially, it was challenge trying
to adapt to a working relationship
with my aunty. As I had been
calling Ann, “Aunty Ann” since I
started talking, it took a little while
to differentiate between our work
and home lives. Real estate is a
career that can take up evenings
and weekends, but it is also one that
allows me to pick up my son from
school a few days a week, attend the
local garden club meetings and be
involved in committees and groups
locally. I am still trying to perfect
a healthy work and home life
balance in that sense but I’m lucky
in that I live and work in the same
community so my travel time is only
two minutes in the car.
With 25 years of real estate
experience, I think Ann could say
that she has almost “seen it all”.
She is a quick decision maker and
absolutely fearless. She was the first
female real estate agent in Strathalbyn
and one of the first female franchise
owners in South Australia. To have
achieved that 25 years ago, she
impresses me immensely with her
bravery, focus and drive.
We have always been very close
and Ann is like my second Mum. I
think it helps our relationship that
we can have very different views
about things but can normally
find a compromise. We are both
happy to jump in, get it done and
support each other or take over
dealing with something if the other
person is feeling overwhelmed or
uncomfortable.
Retrospectively, Ann has made
me so incredibly proud. On a day
to day basis, she is so adaptable
and moves with the times. Even if
something is quite challenging, for
example making the decision to put
a succession plan, embracing new
technology in the office or travelling
to interesting countries such as Iran
or India.
We are now in a new phase of
the business with Ann transitioning
out over the next five years. As we
find a steady pace in our new roles,
I think it will operate a bit like a set
of scales –slowly taking the weight
off Ann’s work load and then adding
it to mine. It is a big learning curve
for me, but very exciting at the same
time. Luckily we have a plan in
place that isn’t rushed and will work
well as I constantly remember the
blood, sweat and tears that Ann has
invested in this business.
5

Opinion
JENNIFER DUKE
On the Record…
FAIRFAX’S DOMAIN EDITOR, JENNIFER
DUKE EXPLAINS HOW AGENTS CAN USE
THE MEDIA TO THEIR ADVANTAGE
Real estate is at the core of our
national identity, the idea
of the Australian dream and
owning our own piece of land is still
relevant. We love talking about it.
This means the media loves to write
about it.
Whether it’s a home selling
at auction for far more than
anticipated, or a quirky seller with
an intriguing personal situation,
journalists are hungry for stories
about the housing market.
There’s rarely a better source for
property reporters than real estate
agents, who are at the coalface of
the industry every day. And it’s
likely at some point in your career,
you’ll get a call from a journalist
looking for a quick comment, or
hunting for a case study. While this
can be stressful, the majority of
the time this is a great opportunity
to build your brand, share your
expertise, and get your name,
and the name of your agency,
recognised by the public.
So how can you make the most
of the media?
Most importantly, don’t wait for
a reporter to call you. Establish a
relationship with property writers
by sending them emails with your
details and the topics you’re happy
to speak about. Usually, the details
of any reporter are easy to find
online and they’re happy to receive
news tips and suggested story ideas.
When you’ve established your
position as a local real estate expert,
it’s more likely they’ll call you when
something comes up. If you’re
wondering whether the idea you
have is newsworthy, consider the
‘OMG’ factor. In a nutshell, tell
someone you know about the story
and the situation - if their response
is “oh my gosh”, then we want to
know about it.
And don’t forget you know your
local news better than anyone else.
If there’s a new development that’s
likely to push up property prices,
you’ve broken an area record or you
have an interesting vendor who is
happy to be featured in the news,
you could consider sending a quick
email to a trusted reporter. Not
every story will be given a run, but
you might strike lucky.
If a journalist does get in touch
with you first, don’t let go of the
chance to have your say. And have
confidence in yourself. So often, I
call real estate agents - particularly
women - who clearly have
in-depth knowledge about the
industry and their suburbs but are
uncertain on the phone. They’ll
often speak off the record, pass
the call onto a colleague, or they
won’t talk at all. Don’t feel like you
have to speak to someone if you’re
uncomfortable, but do make the
most of these opportunities.
Jennifer Duke is
the Review Editor
at Domain. You can
contact her at jennifer.
duke@domain.com.au
or Twitter @jennieduke
6 FIRE MAGAZINE // DEC - FEB 2017

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Feature
growing families,
growing strain
WHY REAL
ESTATE COULD
BE THE CURE
Words by: Samantha Regan
Paid parental leave is once
again at the forefront of our
nightly news bulletins after
the government introduced plans to
restrict entitlements to parents who
receive benefits from both their
employer and the state.
At present, working parents are
offered a total of 18 weeks of taxpayer
funded leave (means tested)
paid at the current minimum wage
of $672.60 per week before tax, plus
any additional entitlements paid for
by their employer.
This is just the most recent in
a series of changes and suggested
alterations to the
parental leave
scheme with
the government
wanting to end
the practice of
so-called “doubledipping”.
At the same
time, Australia is well behind
the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development’s
(OCED) average for Fathers’ leave
entitlements, at just two weeks.
Three-quarters of OECD
countries now provide at least a few
days of paid leave that can be used
only by the father or other partner,
either through paid paternity leave
or paid father-specific parental
leave. In 12 OECD countries, paid
father-specific leave lasts for two
COUPLES NEED TO
DISCUSS WHO WILL BE
THE NURTURER AND
WHO WILL CARRY ON
IN THEIR CAREER.
months or more, while in Japan and
Korea dads can take up to a year.
However Christopher Mourd,
Head of Real Estate at LJ Hooker,
said while financial support and
government assistance are crucial
to those families that are juggling
young children and working full or
part time, more needs to be done,
particularly when recognising the
sacrifices made by working parents.
“At LJ Hooker, we talk a lot
about our family members. We are
family at home and in the office
so it is important to recognise that
everyone needs help and support
when raising their
little ones”, he said.
“As an industry,
we need to offer
more support
to recognise
the efforts and
pressure put on
both working
mums and dads. One partner
generally needs to make sacrifices
at the expense of their own career.
The joy of working in real estate is
that you can make those sacrifices,
but not sacrifice your place in a
flourishing and diverse industry.”
Mr Mourd has his own growing
family; with four children aged two
to 23 years along with his partner
Samantha who is a real estate agent.
“If it wasn’t for Sam supporting
me, I couldn’t do my job,” he said.
8 FIRE MAGAZINE // DEC - FEB 2017

“I have the overarching
view that in a traditional family
dynamic, someone has to take on
the primary nurturing role and the
other must be the breadwinner.
Couples need to discuss who
will be the nurturer and who will
carry on in their career. This could
change as time goes on depending
on your family unit’s needs or
changing goals and desires.”
Often overlooked by some bosses
working mums and dads can make
some of the best employees Mr
Mourd said.
“I have always found that the
best employees are those ‘maternal
types’ such as those that work hard
at work so that they can get home to
their families – there aren’t any long
coffees or lunch breaks!”
Mr Mourd said the real estate
industry is streaks ahead of other
sectors when it comes to equity in
the workplace.
“What I love about real estate is
the fact that whether you’re selling
or in property management, the
industry is so fair and equitable that
you can come in and out as you
please,” Mr Mourd said.
“If you come out of the industry,
the truth is that it is entirely possible
to leave the industry for a while to
raise a family and come back in, you
just have to work hard to get back
the momentum you had. Whether
you are male or female, if you want
to step out and spend 100 per cent
of your time nurturing a young
family you can come back, and
there will always be a place for you.”
“If you want to raise a family and
continue in your career, real estate
also allows you that flexibility and
provided that you are efficient and
productive, you could certainly
generate the same amount of
money in less hours or a schedule
provided that your employer is
happy with that.
“The thing that I love most about
our industry is that we have moved
far ahead of others.
At LJ Hooker we have always
believed in the person, their skills,
their productivity and what they
bring to the table, and always
prioritise that ahead of their
personal circumstances. For that
reason, real estate is a fantastic
industry to be in.”
And the benefits of having
family-friendly, flexible working
arrangements are well documented.
According to a 2015 study by the
OECD a flexible office can promote:
• Lower turnover of staff and
therefore, lower recruiting
and training costs
• Greater employee satisfaction
and commitment
• Recognition
• The ability to attract a
wider and more diverse
range of employees.
GLOBAL CORPORATES WITH THE MOST
OUTSTANDING PARENTAL LEAVE POLICIES:
NETFLIX. The entertainment streaming mogul has made headlines of late after it
announced that they are offering unlimited paid parental leave in the first year after
a baby is born or adopted.
AMAZON. This giant of industry offers mothers four weeks of paid leave before giving
birth and ten weeks after in addition to six weeks for any new parents, totalling 20 weeks.
APPLE. Despite the controversy surrounding their products in recent months, Apple is
offering four weeks leave before birth and 14 after. Fathers and other non-birth parents
can take six weeks paid leave. In addition to this, employees who wish to wait are even
offering egg-freezing services.
GOOGLE. The infamous tech titan recently conducted research into why so many
women weren’t returning to work after giving birth. They lengthened maternity leave to
five months from three and changed their policy from partial pay to full pay. The number
of women who didn’t come back after maternity leave dropped by 50%.
9

Feature
how to
have
ROSEMARY’S ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE:
2013 - 2014 and 2015 - 2016 World Champion
Top Salesperson – Number of Transactions
2014 -2015 and 2015 - 2016 Winner of SA / NT LJ Hooker
Top Salesperson – Number of Transactions
2014 - 2015 and 2015 - 2016
LJ Hooker Captains Club 500 Club Member
2014 - 2015 and 2015 - 2016
LJ Hooker Diamond Multi-Million Dollar Club Member
2015 - 2016 Gold Medal Winner
2014 - 2015 Silver Medal Winner
Runner Up Top Office SA/NT 2014 - 2015 and 2015 - 2016
10 FIRE MAGAZINE // DEC - FEB 2017

it all AN
INTERVIEW WITH
CAPTAIN ROSEMARY AURICCHIO
Captain Rosemary Auricchio
of LJ Hooker West Lakes has
been practising in real estate
since 1998. After the recent birth
of her first daughter, Rosemary has
been continuing to drive forward
and go from strength-to-strength
in the industry. Unstoppable in her
enthusiasm, Rosemary even took
her young daughter to Summit16.
As a woman and a mother, how
do you ensure that you balance
both your professional and
personal life?
“I’ve found that it’s incredibly
important to be as organised as
possible. Try and plan your day
and structure it specifically to deal
with the tasks ahead. One thing I
have found is that it is the quality of
what you do that truly matters, as
opposed to the quantity. I try not to
waste any time and always actively
seek out to use it as effectively as
possible, be
that through
face-to-face
meetings
with clients
or spending
time at home
with my family.
Women need
to know that
while it might seem daunting,
having a family and growing
professional career is entirely
possible. I would never say that it
is easy, but with the right support
network and drive, you can achieve
everything you could ever want.”
“THE TASK AHEAD OF
YOU IS NEVER GREATER
THAN THE STRENGTH
WITHIN YOU.”
How does your day play out
regarding balancing your baby
and your business?
“I try to keep a pretty strict
schedule, but depending on the day’s
commitments I endeavour to use my
time as best I can. I generally start
my day as soon as my little girl wakes
up, which is around 6-6.30am. After
she’s been fed and put down, I have
a quick 30 minutes to get myself
ready for my day. I drop my little girl
off and by around 9am I’m in the
office ready for a quick catch up on
all my calls and emails. I have a daily
meeting with my team and PA in
order to plan out the rest of my day
which consists of prospecting calls
and connecting with clients, with the
majority of my appointments from
1pm onwards. Very occasionally, my
appointments can stretch until 8pm
whereupon I then get to transform
back into ‘family mode’ for the rest
of the evening.”
What advice do
you have for
other mothers
or mothersto-be
in the
industry?
“I think it’s
really important
to not have wild
expectations of what you’re capable
of immediately prior or after having
a baby. Having an excellent support
network in place is incredibly
important. I’m fortunate enough
to have a wonderfully supportive
husband, a sister who is also in
the industry and a team who I
can always bounce ideas, worries
and frustrations off. I’d say that if
you truly want to have it all, you
need to be determined, driven
and thoroughly organised. You
almost certainly can continue to
professionally build your brand and
identity so long as you maintain a
positive attitude and outlook.”
Do you think that the industry
you work in has allowed you
to have professional and
personal flexibility?
“Absolutely. The industry is
very flexible in terms of being
responsible for your own time
and allowing a great work / life
balance and is a great opportunity
for young women. You gain as
much as you put in. One thing that
I am incredibly grateful for is the
support that my team offer. It’s very
comforting to know that there is
always someone who is either going
through the same thing or has been
there and done it before. Knowing
that I never have to be afraid to
put my hand up and ask for help
because someone is always willing,
is incredibly comforting, and I hope
that such support is available to all
women in the industry.”
Rosemary’s feels that the key to
her success comes from self-belief,
an unrelenting drive to succeed and
an unwavering positive outlook.
Tell us your thoughts
FIRE are passionate about increasing diversity in the
workplace and supporting families in the industry.
Let us know your thoughts at fire@ljhooker.com
11

Opinion
SHAI ISHAQ
WORKPLACE
diversity
SHAI ISHAQ, HEAD OF PEOPLE & CULTURE
AT LJ HOOKER TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT
DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE.
At our Summit Conference this year David
Morrison started his session by asking us what we
pictured when we heard the term ‘Aussie digger’.
The reality was that whether we liked it or not, most of
us had a picture in our minds of a white Caucasian male.
Why didn’t we think of an Indigenous Australian? Or
a female? I’m not sure what David called this but I call
it an unconscious bias. I thought about asking similar
questions in the context of the workplace – what do we
picture when we think of a leader, a business owner,
or the type of person that fits specific roles in our
business? Reflecting on this I realised we come across
many unconscious biases, and until we understand and
address these, we won’t truly be tackling the issue of
workplace diversity.
So what do we mean when we talk about diversity in
the workplace?
The Diversity Council of Australia lists some key areas
of diversity as gender, culture, multi-faith, disabilities,
generation / mature age, Indigenous, LGBTI and work
life / flexibility. I consider some other areas to cover
mental health, leadership styles and work styles.
I’m sure we all have the same goal of having a
workplace that’s free from discrimination. But further
than that, we want our workplace to thrive. We want
engagement and energy. We want employees to come
to work free to be themselves without fear, because if
our employees are happy we will get the best we can
out of them. As the nature of work changes so must our
attitudes and perceptions to the differences between
our employees. If we want to maintain their trust and
engagement, we must show that we understand and can
work with diverse teams.
How do unconscious biases come into play
when we examine diversity in the workplace?
Let me preface this by saying that at LJ Hooker
Corporate I’m proud to say that we are a diverse
workplace and biases (conscious or unconscious) do not
govern how we operate. Like many businesses, it has
taken some work to get to
this point, and I believe that
the introduction of clear
people systems has helped
us evolve.
In my career I have
primarily seen unconscious
biases in the workplace
impact decision making
and management of people,
starting with the hiring
process. I can’t tell you how
many times I have seen
Hiring Managers cast aside
WE COME ACROSS
MANY UNCONSCIOUS
BIASES, AND UNTIL
WE UNDERSTAND
AND ADDRESS THESE,
WE WON’T TRULY BE
TACKLING THE ISSUE
OF WORKPLACE
DIVERSITY
resumes because of a person’s ethnicity, age, gender
or even address. Or how many times I’ve seen internal
applicants assumed not to be suitable for a role because
12 FIRE MAGAZINE // DEC - FEB 2017

THINGS YOU & YOUR TEAM CAN DO
today!
• Adhere to a fair recruitment process for every role
you hire – clear criteria and a process that is applied
to all candidates means they will be judged on their
merits above all else
• Create clear processes for performance
management, review and career progression –
having key performance indicators for each role
and an organisation-wide review process means all
employees can be judged and rewarded on their
work performance rather than other perceptions.
Adding in a career development component to
your reviews means that all employees get an
opportunity to share their ideas on progression and
work with their Manager on how to get there
• Create an annual remuneration review process that
is applied to all employees – one of the biggest
issues with the gender pay gap is that in many
organisations the absence of a standard process
means only those who ‘push’ get rewarded.
• Create policies to support working parents – things
like paid parental leave and flexible work practices
help retain talent and allow employees to give their
best effort to the organisation
• Review your social events and encourage them
to be inclusive of the diverse workforce so that
everyone can attend
they don’t display characteristics that are considered the
norm – for example a ‘dominant’ leadership style. Other
outcomes of unconscious biases can be women and men
who are working parents missing out on management
roles due to the assumption they
will need too much flexibility, or
employees being managed out of
businesses because their work style
isn’t what’s considered standard.
Sometimes this is impacted by
issues such as their mental health
or conditions such as dyslexia or
attention deficit disorder. Managers
need to be good listeners and
communicators to their employees,
and have high levels of EQ to be
able to manage a diverse team.
MANAGERS NEEDS TO BE
GOOD LISTENERS AND
COMMUNICATORS TO
THEIR EMPLOYEES AND
HAVE HIGH LEVELS OF EQ
TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE A
DIVERSE TEAM
in sales roles (currently 32 per cent) and franchise
ownership (21 per cent). How do we work on this? We
can take the same approach to developing in all areas
of diversity and focus on people systems. We need to
remove unconscious biases around
what people in these roles should
look like, and focus on making the
opportunities to move into these
roles accessible and fair. 80 per
cent of our property managers are
female – there is a great opportunity
here to create a career development
pathway into sales.
What about gender diversity?
This is always a hot topic in our industry and a very
important one. Overall we’re doing well – 57 per cent
of our network are women. Where we can develop is
increasing the percentage of women in our network
Shai Ishaq, LJ Hooker
Head of People & Culture
13

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your local property report
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Benefits
How
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Captain
Susan
Weaver
The last word
Captain Susan Weaver has been
a senior member of the Property
Management team at LJ Hooker
Canberra City for just over seven
years. Eight months ago, she
began a new role as executive
property manager for LJ Hooker
Canberra City and, as a Life
Member of multimillion dollar
Captains Club, is an experienced
and talented property manager.
What was your last listing/win?
Since starting my new role as
executive property manager,
I’ve had a number of memorable
moments that have made me
proud. We’ve had some great
listings recently and topped our
competitors, last week alone,
picking up nine new managements
coming out of a very quiet period.
When was the last time you
were truly inspired?
I received the Director’s award
last year at Night of the Stars and
receiving that truly inspired me in
a lot of ways. We work hard every
day and just getting that recognition
motivated me to be even better in
all that I do. Also, having my team
around me; they inspire me every day.
What was the last training
session you did?
Last week we ran a really successful
PIM chapter with 40 attendees
and it was great! We received a
lot of positive feedback and being
surrounded by so many passionate
people who were excited to learn
and improve their skillset is always
refreshing and rewarding.
What was the last film you saw?
Dirty Dancing on TV the other
night! I had never seen it and I can
understand now what all the hype
would have been about!
What was your last splurge?
Going skiing in Thredbo – I didn’t
really want to do it but when I got
there I spent more time skiing than
anyone else!
What was the last book you read?
This is embarrassing…but Harry
Potter! I read the whole lot in about
two weeks…maybe I should have
said a more adult answer.
What was the last app
you downloaded?
It was the Uber app – which is now
legal in ACT.
When was your last moment
of bliss?
The first morning after Night of the
Stars, I got up really early and went
for a swim at the hotel’s infinity
pool. It was really relaxing and just
what I needed.
What was the last holiday
you went on?
That was my mini break to the snow
with my husband.
What was the last piece of
advice some has given you?
I got a lot from a PIM training
session last week – but I think my
favourite piece of advice from the
day was “thought plus belief equals
behaviour”. It is so true - what you
think and what you believe cuts in
to how you act. I love that.
15