Hyro Blog

Qantas *finally* hires their first CPO!

Qantas has been a leading airline for as long as I can remember. The Flying Kangaroo is one of the oldest continuous airlines in the world.

 

With a workforce of 25,000 strong, you might be surprised that it was announced this week that Qantas has only just hired their first ever Chief People Officer (CPO). Former PwC People Leader Catherine Walsh has been announced as the new CPO to commence in January 2024.

 

It is a pivotal time for Walsh to join, as the airline is rebuilding its tarnished reputation following many controversies, including laying off staff and then outsourcing these jobs during the pandemic (upheld as unlawful by the High Court). Qantas illegally outsourced 1,700 jobs and unlawfully laid off staff at 10 airports, breaching the rights of these employees.

 

It’s no secret that Qantas has had a significant drop in their reputation. I have never seen Qantas appear on the news more than I have over the last 2-3 years. Their staff openly celebrated the early departure of their CEO who had led them for 15 years. They have been riddled with bad reviews regarding their cancelled flights (due to staff strikes and understaffing), lost luggage, terrible call centre experience, lack of customer service, not to mention the woeful claims that they misled customers and have failed to issue refunds for cancelled flights. I mean the list just goes on.

 

Did Qantas think they could run their ‘successful’ company with staff who displayed low morale? It was really starting to show that they had no respect for their workers. It’s not rocket science to understand that your company’s poor performance is a reflection of your employees ability or motivation to successfully complete their duties.

 

Honestly I would love to review their annual people survey over the last few years to see what the trends were at that time, and whether they had any action plan to improve. Maybe that’s why they laid off staff?

 

A few reasons why companies should hire CPOs and how having a seat at the C-Suite table benefits the company:

• Lead the HR department (and other people related shared services) to make strategic changes to drive business success
• Ensure employees have what they need to accomplish their jobs and remain committed to the mission
• Foster a positive company reputation by working with the CEO and other leaders to develop people initiatives
• To analyse and course correct any cracks in the workforce’s practices
• Support the company to ADAPT TO CHANGES IN REAL TIME (In Qantas’ case, make the right decisions on outsourcing and laying off staff members illegally!)

 

Of course it’s not an exhaustive list and dependent on the type of industry/environment being worked in, CPOs will have various accountabilities and responsibilities.

 

The reality is the future of businesses rely on a workforce that is engaged and supported and without a healthy workforce, long term success is unlikely.

A new people journey is unfolding at Qantas, and I hope that it is a successful one for all!

 

What are your thoughts on why its important to have a CPO? Did you know Qantas had never had a CPO before?