With a foundation in HR, Rebecca Woods FCPHR has navigated her way to senior leadership and board roles, proving the value of strategic people skills in driving organisational success and influencing boardroom decisions.
Rebecca Woods FCPHR was on the payroll as soon as she was legally allowed to work at the age of 14.
In those early years, she worked in a deli, sold shoes and delivered pizzas – and loved every opportunity.
“I have a passion for working – both personally and supporting others in their roles. I just love what work has to offer for people of all life stages,” she says.
Business strategy has always been her focus, gleaned from early experiences in business administration – first at an art gallery, then for a manufacturing business, where she rose from executive assistant to team leader, marking her first foray into HR.
“I led a team of four, managing the business administration as well as recruitment, training and development,” says Woods. “I loved it so much, but I had a lot to learn about solving retention, motivation and productivity puzzles. But instead of seeing entry-level turnover as a burden, I saw it as an opportunity to help people love their work and excel.”
Her passion for developing people and enhancing workforce effectiveness led her into the world of vocational education and training at TAFE, based in Canberra, where she progressed from facilitator to general manager.
She credits her ascent to senior leadership to her willingness to learn.
At this level she was finally able to combine her talent management and business strategy skills.
“By saying yes to every meeting, every new task, I moved into leadership roles where I could implement empowering work practices and also achieve business outcomes.”
In 2019, she accepted her “dream job” in an industry that focuses solely on improving the lives of vulnerable people: aged care.
“It’s the most meaningful work I’ve done in my life,” she says. “Our team members do really diverse work to ensure people are supported in their ageing journey. It’s incredible.”
At Access Care Network Australia (ACNA), Woods advanced from Director of Strategic Capability to Chief People Officer (CPO) and is now Executive Director of Aged Care Access.
“We’re building one of Australia’s best and fastest-growing workforces in aged care assessment and case management,” she says. “I collaborate with leaders to enhance team performance, manage risks and seize opportunities, while working in the executive team to ensure the employee journey drives our operating model and outcomes,” she says.
Building workforce strategy with a strong foundation in HR
Woods’ previous role as CPO was her first official HR position, but she believes she has practised the behaviours and skills that form the Australian HR Capability Framework throughout her career.
“I’ve always seen myself more as a business manager, but I’ve been involved in HR since coaching at the shoe shop. Each year, I’ve learned something new about what makes work experiences great and empowers people to excel.
“By developing an individual’s capabilities, creating great teams and fostering a leadership model that enables teams to work together, we achieve organisational goals.”
Woods now leverages her HR skills to oversee aged care assessment across Australia, maintaining her passion for talent management and organisational design.
“I honestly can’t imagine doing what I do without HR as my foundation. The technical expertise I use every day to find high-performance opportunities for our workforces, support their wellbeing and manage risk is through people and culture practices,” says Woods.
But her true passion lies in flexing her workforce effectiveness skills to enable leaders and teams to better guide and develop themselves.
“I honestly can’t imagine doing what I do without HR as my foundation.” – Rebecca Woods FCPHR, Executive Director of Aged Care Access, ACNA
Woods holds two board positions – one voluntary and one remunerated – allowing her to share contemporary people and culture practices across various sectors.
“I want leaders to think about their workforces in 2024 and beyond, so they have engaged employees who align with the organisation’s strategic direction,” she says.
Unfortunately, there’s not always HR expertise at the board level, she adds. Some of the biggest challenges of her career have come from senior leaders who don’t understand or value HR, or people and culture skills.
“Some traditional executives don’t realise that your biggest risk is your workforce. I challenge them to consider: if all your people left tomorrow, could you quickly replace them and still deliver on your contracts? Their answer is no.
“HR practitioners’ role is to challenge them to think differently about what work means to people and how to create roles, teams and organisations that achieve outcomes while managing risk in highly volatile environments.”
This is complex work because it involves human behaviour, she says.
“Even if companies are retaining their employees and supporting them to be their best, turning that into productivity and innovation that benefits the business is still a challenge, and the risks arising from these challenges are not always understood at the board level.”
In conversations around a new strategic relationship, Woods will ask, “Is their way of working aligned to ours, and if so, how?” Or, “What skills gaps exist and how can we fill them for this partnership?”
“It’s less about bringing the answers and more about asking the right questions to inspire creative thinking around how to bring out the best in people and teams. HR experts around the board table should not solve operational issues with operational solutions, but stand back and prompt, nudge and coach the executive team towards operating in a way that manages risk while maximising opportunities.”
Woods believes great leaders not only create proactive and supportive teams, but also identify risks and implement early interventions.
“In senior roles, an organisation’s leadership model requires creativity and contextual understanding, though there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. We certainly need more individuals with experience in building leaders and leadership models around the C-suite and board table.”
Strengthening leadership and boardroom influence
Woods remains a compulsive learner and has studied for most of her life – from vocational education qualifications and industry certifications, to Masters degrees.
She holds a Master of Management, has nearly finished a Master of Philosophy – focusing on public policy and aged care workforce retention – and is a Certified Fellow of AHRI.
Gaining AHRI’s HR Certification status, she says, is pivotal to being taken seriously at the board level.
“[AHRI’s] certification process solidified my identity as a senior HR practitioner because I realised that workforce planning, work design and organisational design are fundamentally strategic HR work.”
“This internationally recognised certification enables me to take my place at the table next to lawyers, accountants, economists and health specialists. I can express my profession in a meaningful way to non-HR peers and elevate recognition of our profession in executive circles.”
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Key areas that became significant for Woods through certification were strategic workforce planning, innovations addressing workforce shortages, and positive change management.
“It was a deep, thoughtful and empowering learning experience,” she adds.
Woods believes gaining certification is “critical” for all HR practitioners.
“It’s a chance to be internationally recognised and stay current. That’s what I expect from my people, to be up-to-date in the people practices of today.”
Woods believes it’s her willingness to give everything a go and absorb every possible learning opportunity that has propelled her career.
“That mix of learning and academia, along with a curiosity-driven approach, has equipped me with a diverse skill set.”
When it comes to exploring creative ideas and diversity of thought, Woods adds that becoming an AHRI network coordinator midway through her career was “a real game changer”, connecting her with people who were passionate about work environments, employee journeys and culture.
“I met extraordinary people who shared their knowledge and passion for people and culture practices. It solidified my love for HR, significantly expanded my network and, most importantly, created valuable friendships.”
“HR experts around the board table should not solve operational issues with operational solutions, but stand back and prompt, nudge and coach the executive team.” – Rebecca Woods FCPHR, Executive Director of Aged Care Access, ACNA
Stepping beyond HR to make a bigger impact
Woods says the joy of HR as a profession is that it provides “unlimited opportunities for work across all sectors”.
For HR practitioners looking to expand their scope and explore new roles beyond people and culture, her advice is simple: say yes.
“Embrace new projects, tasks and teams – [especially] those outside HR – and approach them as ways to learn about the business. You’ll become a trusted practitioner because people appreciate someone who understands their operating model, their business landscape and their challenges.”
Also say yes to any opportunity to lead other people, she adds.
“My most rewarding experiences have been supporting others to grow in their role until they surpass me. This allows me to delve into new opportunities knowing that I am leaving the role to someone ready to achieve great things.”
Leading others is critically important for those wanting to advise organisations on how to build effective leadership models, says Woods.
“You need lived experience in leading others to achieve organisational outcomes. This isn’t easy and requires you to hone your coaching skills and knowledge of human behaviour.
“You will learn from those you lead every day. This will make you a better HR practitioner and put you on the right path to senior executive work.
“Learning can be uncomfortable as our brains crave consistency and certainty. But once we start and cultivate that curiosity, the rewards are phenomenal.”
A version of this article was first published in the December 2024 edition of HRM Magazine.
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