The EX Factor

Hosted by Crewmojo

Business Management

Website RSS feed

Episodes

Latest episode

May 2026

Language

EN-AU

About the show

The EX Factor Podcast peels back the layers on successful employee experiences, delivering real-world insights from trailblazing HR leaders. Tune in to hear their candid tales of crafting impactful employee experiences within their respective organisations, the hurdles they encountered, and their innovative approaches to overcoming them. The EX Factor Podcast is not about lofty theories or broad-strokes best practices. We spotlight the nitty-gritty, on-the-ground realities of designing, implementing, and managing an exceptional employee experience that creates competitive advantage.

Listen to episodes

5 recent

May 7, 202649 min

The choice to co-create performance changed everything

Russ said the best thing about this approach was the buy-in that came from people seeing their own fingerprints in the final 8 values.What happens when HR stops guessing and starts co-designing with employees?In this episode of The EX Factor, Meg sits down with Russ Heptonstall, Global Manager of Learning & Development at Pixelogic Media, to explore a genuinely iterative approach to building a performance and talent management culture from the ground up.Pixelogic is a global media services company working with Hollywood studios on scripting, subtitling, audio, and mastering — operating across multiple continents and languages. Russ shares how his small-but-mighty L&D team has built something most HR teams only talk about: a co-created, values-led performance experience that employees actually want to use.In this conversation you'll hear:How Pixelogic went from 50 possible values to seven that every employee across the globe genuinely ownsWhy broad, open-ended performance reviews were failing managers (especially new ones) — and what they did about itThe "accidental" conversation that led to their most-adopted tool everWhy taking complexity on yourself as an HR team is actually the secret to adoptionWhat iterative experimentation really looks like in practice, including the failuresWhether you're just starting out on your performance management journey or looking to make what you already have more meaningful, Russ's story is a practical and refreshingly honest look at what it takes to build experiences that land.---The EX Factor is brought to you by Crewmojo — the performance platform built around configurable workflows that create connected employee experiences.

March 22, 2024Episode 441 min

Performance in the Flow of Work: VicHealth's Approach to Achieving Performance AND Engagement

In this episode, we examine VicHealth's approach to employee performance. Padam Chirmuley walks us through how they link employee performance to both strategic and community goals. It covers practical aspects like aligning pay with performance, integrating performance management into daily work, and using one-on-ones to merge health and wellbeing with performance. The episode addresses how VicHealth maintains autonomy while aligning with government standards, challenges perceptions of government being dull, and details the integration of their Culture Charter with Victorian Government values. We also discuss the 'Appreciation Station', an employee-designed recognition initiative that was scaled across the organisation, and the involvement of employees crafting the performance process. -- Where to find Padam Chirmuley: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/padamchirmuley/ Web: https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/ Where to find Mark Lewis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-lewis/ Web: https://www.crewmojo.com/ Podcast: https://www.crewmojo.com/the-ex-factor Newsletter: https://www.crewmojo.com/newsletter -- Chapters: 00:00 - The role VicHealth plays in the community 04:46 - Tangible ways of connecting performance with strategy 11:29 - Clear expectations for how remuneration fits with performance 12:33 - Performance in the flow of work and less surprises 13:35 - Using 1:1s to integrate health and wellbeing with performance 15:22 - Leveraging government while maintaining autonomy to design the performance experience 16:40 - Performance and government aren't dull! 18:47 - Integrating the VicHealth Culture Charter and how it aligns with Vic Government values 21:35 - Bringing Culture Charter Principles to life through a continuous recognition process 24:31 - The 'Appreciation Station': Designed by employees, scaled across the organisation 27:06 - Asking employees for input on the performance process - two key outcomes 28:07 - Top-level components of VicHealth's performance experience 30:21 - Using a 7-question pulse survey to understand the effectiveness of HR initiatives 34:00 - Starting lean and staying agile as an approach to the performance experience 37:03 - Using performance to raise the profile of People & Culture within the organisation 37:56 - Leveraging the platform beyond performance 40:15 - The importance of a partnership approach with a performance experience vendor

October 5, 2023Episode 337 min

M&C Saatchi managerial magic: Streamlining admin for meaningful conversations

Step into M&C Saatchi's world, where everyone from the CEO to the concierge contributes to a unique workplace culture. Aleece Dening, HR Operations Partner, takes you behind the scenes to explore how they unite nine business units under one culture. Learn how employees lead their own performance reviews, while managers shift from paperwork to meaningful conversations. We'll also uncover the real-world challenges and successes of bringing a human-centred performance system to life. Tune in for a story about building a work environment filled with purpose and connection. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 02:07 The challenge of culture with 9 business units 03:02 The purpose of performance at M&C Saatchi 04:46 Getting employee buy-in for company values 06:00 Connecting performance to strategy 08:53 Principles of the M&C Saatchi performance process 09:42 Mapping the employee journey from Day 1 11:09 Employee-led performance review 11:34 Taking away the admin so managers can focus on conversation 15:17 We just want employees to know that we give a shit 16:23 Migrating from a manual process to a digital experience 19:52 Getting employee champions involved in the design process 23:11 The 360 review process 26:33 Separating development plans into core and growth goals 29:29 What was the rollout strategy? 32:16 Trying to please everybody when made up of 9 divisions 33:58 What was surprising?

August 7, 2023Episode 245 min

Boosting Performance and Wellbeing: The Starlight Children's Foundation Approach

Join us for an insightful exploration of Starlight Children's Foundation's innovative people-focused performance model. We delve into the foundation's three-lense view on performance - individual, team, and organisation - and discuss how growth and well-being serve as critical drivers of their success. Listen to how user-centred design influences the employee experience and how People Managers play a key role in ensuring a positive, empowering work culture. Discover the power of language in shaping experiences, the importance of integrating development goals with role responsibilities, and the necessary steps in adopting a feedback-oriented culture. We also explore Starlight's distinct reflection process utilizing their '4+1 Questions' approach and the role of formal training for managers. Understand the metrics Starlight uses to measure the effectiveness of its people practices and how they've achieved an impressive 100% completion rate for reflections. The episode is not just about the 'what' but also provides practical advice on implementing a similar approach in your organisation - from creating a guiding vision document to ensuring a successful launch day. Finally, we discuss the role of accountability and the vision for people managers as impactful coaches. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to understand how to create a thriving organizational culture that empowers employees and fosters continual growth and development. With Ashlee Gunstone and Melissa Barker

July 12, 2023Episode 145 min

Inside the Feedback Machine: The Mantel Group Story

In this episode, we delve into the heart of Mantel Group's unique, feedback-focused approach to performance enhancement. We explore how this trailblazing organisation is pushing boundaries by empowering employees to take ownership of the process, fostering a culture of trust in place of rigid policies, and cultivating an environment for individualised experiences. Our journey explores the simplicity of their system, spotlighting the transformative shift from traditional managerial roles to 'people guides' - a distinct role that influences ‘guidees’ without making pay or performance decisions. We illuminate the 'My Deal' concept, an innovative substitute to conventional performance reviews, centred on the individual employee needs rather than an organisation process. We learn about the significance of a tool that aligns with their culture, principles and style, echoing their core values at every step. Feedback forms the cornerstone of the Mantel Group ethos, becoming the crucial ingredient for powerful coaching conversations and ongoing development. This process is brought to life through a collaborative method, embracing the collective input and experiences of all team members. Join us in exploring the inner workings of Mantel Group's unique approach, and discover how feedback can fuel transformation across an organisation.