My Ansett Story

Careers of Strength and Spirit!

I have always been passionate about careers. From when l started my first role in Human Resources (HR) l was interested in jobs and recruitment, as well as placement. I remember asking employers why they had hired me, so that l could understand. They said that “Mostly you get a feel for the right person at interview, and despite all the questions and process, intuition, is the most successful way to hire!”

Over my 20 years in corporate HR roles, I got to use a lot of intuition, and mostly l got it right. You don’t go to HR because you love working with people. These days you work in HR because you are good at projects, and can fire people too! I got to learn the hard way, and became known as the Terminator! You know to be honest it was a very powerful position, I knew who’s heads would roll, and often had to make the decision.

One of my worst was having to fire my boss,… that’s right, my boss! He was being superseded, and his replacement hadn’t arrived yet. Head office overseas ordered me to do it. Stupidly l complied, and I have never forgotten the disgust and anguish on his face. It should have never come from his direct report. His wife has never forgiven me, and l suppose that means he hasn’t too!

I spent my early HR years in Personnel, and Industrial Relations. I hired Apprentices and Factory workers who worked on shifts. I became really skilled at hiring the right individuals. I progressed from Personnel Officer to Personnel Manager within manufacturing industry. I chose my jobs based on growth industries, so that l could learn more. I pursued Industries, such as IT. One of my favorite places to work was for a US multinational that was ahead of its market in terms of engagement of employees and customers. It became my benchmark organization, and l have measured other places of work against it ever since. I became part of the family, and really created a start up HR department and team. It was the first organization l truly learnt to do strategic HR work. This work, added value to the company and its brand.

Eventually, outgrowing the role and organization, with options to only relocate to the USA, I moved on. I had just finished my Masters in Organisational Change Training and Development, and wanted to gain more experience. With a qualification like that and others in IR/HR you can guess what type of work l was shortlisted for? I was given big roles within Change Management, which meant l had to be on the forefront of more change, restructure, and something the industry called “process reengineering”.

More mergers, acquisitions, and HR due diligence, redundancies, and hiring, and mostly lots of firing! I knew l was getting good at it, when a seasoned redundancy veteran told me, “Despite feeling physically ill and upset after hearing the news, this was the best way anyone has made me redundant yet!” I knew it was time to move!

Starting at Ansett Airlines, was a step across the career lattice rather than a step up the career ladder. I went into a contract HR role, but had a bigger patch of 5000 people to manage. After 6 months, in the role, Ansett Airlines were bought by Air New Zealand. Air New Zealand /Ansett Airlines commenced a 2 year period of restructures and realignments, of businesses. I was promoted into two further HR roles; HR Manager Ansett International, and Manager for Corporate HR, reporting to the Vice President HR in New Zealand. I located to NZ, for work and did a commute home to Melbourne on most weekends.

Today we know that the organization was in a state of chaos, and flux, however for the majority of employees at the time, it was business as usual. Just prior to the collapse of Ansett, we continued to hire staff, and operate as usual. I remember hearing that some 11 Aircraft Engineers had just arrived under our sponsorship to live in Australia the week of the collapse! I also still have copies of the monthly internal magazine sprooking about our wonderful performance, and achievements as a company, just prior to the closure!

The closure and collapse of the airline changed my life. 17,000 employees had no warning, and no life line. Stranded people around the world, with planes stopping, and long serving employees with specialist skills and knowledge. It also coincided with the same week as the September 11 attacks in the USA. So the whole airline industry shut down around the world.

As a HR person with change skills I was called in to work for the Administrators to assist. My project roles at the time of the collapse included HR Executive in charge of the Ansett Employee Hotline (the only life line back to the organisation, for 17,000 staff) and in the later stages, HR General Manager for the only remaining working departments within Ansett- Engineering/Maintenance. Both these change roles taught me wonderful lessons in relation to having a career of strength and spirit!

Change does happen to us for a reason! After 12 months playing Terminator again, and bad news person on the telephones to staff, who did not get paid, it was time for me to leave. I refused to be known as Human Remains….. I mean Resources any longer.

Starting my own career transition l decided l would work on the other side of change and actually help people who were experiencing career change or job loss. I set up free Ansett Employee job help centre’s, and job coached, many pilots, aircraft engineers, and staff. These people branded me the “Careerguru”, and it has been a brand, l eventually came back to and acquired.

Today l am just as passionate about assisting people with career identity and career crossroads. I provide support programs, workshops, education and coaching, for educational institutions, and their graduates, individual career changers, redundant employees, and senior executives. I am an Educator Speaker, and Coach, and thankfully, no longer go by the title of; Human Remains!

I believe certainly within Australia and the globe that corporations need to do more for their restructured and redundant employees. Corporations need to share information more readily, and freely, with employees, facing transition. I believe that corporate governance fails us in Australia, with continued injustice for employee’s entitlements, and company collapses.

For example, why was it that the Australian Government of the day in 2001 had to put a levy on all Australian flights to pay for a 4 week entitlement to the $17,000 Ansett staff? I believe all staff entitlements should be kept in trust, and paid by the employer.

I also advocate for mandatory career coaching and transition entitlements for all redundant employees, regardless of job, pay, or grade. I see this as a minimum requirement in all industrial agreements, and not a luxury item to be utilised by only senior to middle management positions.

I know that career change equals loss of identity, and is a real problem for those facing job loss, redundancy, or retirement. Everyone can have a career of strength and spirit, and people are entitled to the tools and techniques of career coaching.

Here’s to your career!

Helena Steel – Careerguru.com.au