Revolutionising workplace culture: Shireburn’s Happiness Advantage
Shireburn Software, the leading HR solutions provider, successfully hosted "The Happiness Advantage" event on 6 March at the Corinthia St George's Bay. The event brought together a diverse group of business leaders, HR professionals, and enthusiasts eager to explore the intersection of happiness and productivity in the workplace.
The event featured a lineup of esteemed speakers, both international and local, who shared their insights and expertise on fostering a culture of happiness and its impact on organisational success. René Carayol, who coaches some of the top leaders and companies in the world , delivered a captivating keynote speech, inspiring attendees to rethink traditional approaches to HR. “Usually we focus on the things that our team are not good at, what if we turned it on its head and put our attention to the 3 things that people are great at?”
Yasmin de Giorgio, CEO at Shireburn Software, highlighted the importance of a happy work environment. She shared the data that has made it clear that ‘Happiness is the new productivity’, through showing the link between turnover, sick leave, and overall productivity with company performance. One such statistic she shared showed that a toxic work culture is more than 10 times more accurate than compensation in predicting company attrition rates.
Simon P. Sutton followed Yasmin’s thread of the importance of safety in a workplace by telling his personal story of his journey towards speaking more transparently. After making the case for authenticity he left attendees to ponder the question, “which courageous conversation are you not having as a leader?”
The event also allowed attendees to engage with the Shireburn team and learn more about recently launched and upcoming HR features, including Indigo People Plus, Indigo Performance, and Indigo Hiring.
In addition to thought-provoking sessions, the agenda included a fireside chat on curating the right environment featuring Mikela Fenech Pace, Vinny Piscopo, and Andrew Borg Wirth. The discussion explored various aspects of creating a harmonious workspace conducive to joy, productivity, and creativity.
Both Andrew and Vinny touched the audience with their authenticity in sharing their own journeys and left us with some key takeaways on how we can curate an environment where people feel safe to give and receive feedback.
In the last session Helen Chorley encouraged leaders to take happiness seriously and invest in their own capabilities of listening. Her and Yasmin also discussed the importance of creating an inclusive leadership team where women can feel empowered to give their contributions.
Yasmin de Giorgio closed the conference by saying, “We feel deeply passionate about being part of the journey towards the future of HR and see ourselves as a support system. Our software gives us an incredible base, but we have always been more than just software providers, we have always taken our clients’ challenges personally. We aim to make our passion for happy workplaces have ripple effects through the entire ecosystem of local corporate culture.”