Rober Half’s partnership with North Melbourne Football Club
Robert Half’s partnership with North Melbourne Football Club is all about talent: discovering it, developing it, and driving it to perform. From the playing field to the back office, Robert Half is helping North Melbourne Football Club build better hiring systems, showing how structure and inclusion can strengthen decision-making across the whole club. Through exclusive events and behind-the-scenes insights, the partnership aims to foster a winning culture built on innovation, inclusion, and sustained success.
Accelerating Action on International Women’s Day with the Kangaroos
Our partnership began with a shared belief and commitment to leadership and inclusion. To mark International Women’s Day, Robert Half hosted a conversation with Dr Sonja Hood AM, President of North Melbourne Football Club, and 2024 AFLW premiership captain Emma Kearney. Moderated by Lauren Haxby, Practice Director at Robert Half, the discussion explored women in leadership, gender equality, and the power of mutual support on and off the field.0:20
would love to get both of your opening thoughts on the significance of International Women's Day and whether you see it really driving change towards gender equality.0:30
I think days like International Women's Day and frankly for me it's become International Women's Week. I think if we stop and just have the conversation once a year and it makes us think that is incredibly important.0:48
It would be great to know from yourselves some of the biggest benefits that you feel of having women in senior leadership um positions.0:55
We all bring a different personality and a different skill set to that conversation. Some of that's about gender, some of that's about life experience, but frankly, we have different life experiences because we're different genders.1:11
I I think one thing that um women are quite good at is is having empathy. And I think it's a really good quality as a leader.1:19
The thing that probably annoys me most though is um working at a football club, it's always the men at the club that how can I help the women? Um they never get it from the other perspective.1:32
A lot of us are working full-time jobs, so we've we've had life experiences. We deal with different people on a day-to-day basis. And I think those sorts of qualities can make really good leaders.1:42
So, I think we've just got to change the narrative a little bit. And it's how can we work together rather than it's the men helping the women.1:48
[Music]1:51
And so for you personally, um, do you feel a sense of pressure and responsibility to not only perform yourself, but to help change the the perception of women's sports?2:06
I think as athletes we we play a really important role in in ensuring that we're great role models for not and this is not just young girls, this is young boys, too. Because we see after the games that it's the the younger generation of boys that are coming through that they don't know any different.2:25
So the gender pay gap report, the WIA report just published um their latest results um this week um continues to highlight disparities across all industries um not just sport. What what are your thoughts around what what more can be done to help bridge the gap?2:42
Don't take a look at your headline figure. Take a look at what sits underneath it. We looked at every line across our business to work out where the gaps were that we could fix. You can't fix the pay gap between male players and female players. That's beyond us. But we could hide behind that gap and plenty of clubs have. Uh it means you're not looking at the rest of your data. So we've looked at every line in our business and where there is a inexplicable gap, we have fixed3:08
[Music]3:10
it. Emma, you've stepped into a coaching role um within the men's program. Um so really keen to get your thoughts around how that experience has been for you. Um and whether you feel that your coaching is met with the same level of respect and receptiveness as it would in um in the women's game.3:33
It's been relatively positive, but it it does have its challenges. I think when I first came into the role, I felt like I was the work experience kid and I thought, "What what am I doing here?" Yeah. I I don't deserve to be here. And so that self-doubt um really played on my mind a little bit.3:54
And then I had to reflect on my own experiences. I was a teacher for 6 years. I'm able to educate. I'm able to communicate. And then my footy knowledge from from playing um obviously translates really well in terms of the level of respect.4:09
Whether it's true or not, I do feel like uh I do get treated differently. I'm probably reluctant to speak up in in coaches meetings because of fear of being wrong or fear of being judged by by my gender.4:27
I'm really keen to get your thoughts around quotas. um and whether you feel that they are necessary to promote equality or whether they're undermining what we're really trying to achieve.4:39
So with all due respect to all of you in the recruitment industry, anyone who thinks that this world is a meritocracy, bless you. I mean genuinely bless you. It's just not. I don't know that quotas are the answer, but I don't know that they're not. But I do know that forcing organizations to take a good hard look at themselves is a really good starting point.5:01
We need to set up women for success. We know that women can do certain roles. Um whether it's a male-dominated space or not, uh we just need to make sure that these uh unconscious biases are something that we keep in check.5:20
It's great if a male leader stops for a minute and thinks about whether or not he should use his voice. I like that. We aren't going to fix this problem on our own. We aren't going to fix this problem if the half of society that has the wealth and the power doesn't get on board. I guess it's as simple as that.5:36
I think the advice for you as a young person, if you are approached to do something, throw your hand at it. Even if you do not think that you are qualified. I think that's the biggest thing is women feel like they have to tick every single box to do something. You don't. Trust me, you will learn those skills along the way.Read about the event
Case study – Hiring a Finance Manager at short notice for North Melbourne Football Club
That commitment to leadership and inclusion came to life in real hiring scenarios. When North Melbourne Football Club urgently needed a Finance Manager, they turned to Robert Half. We quickly delivered a strong shortlist of qualified candidates, applying an inclusive, values-driven approach to ensure both technical expertise and cultural fit. The result: a fast hire who could step in immediately and make a lasting impact. The process not only filled a critical role fast, it showed how structured and bias free hiring builds trust, alignment, and stronger culture inside elite organisations.0:03
We had a long-term finance manager who decided to pursue a different direction from football and so we engaged with Robert Half to try and find a suitable candidate at probably reasonably short notice.0:16
They listened to us in terms of who our ideal candidate was going to be. We outlined the criteria and the skills and attributes that we were looking in the potential candidate and they presented a short list of candidates that fit those skills and attributes that we were looking for.0:32
Speed was a big factor in our recruitment because we had a short amount of time to Christmas. Generally, when we go out for candidates for the roles that we have, we get a huge volume of candidates and it takes a long time to sift through. So using Robert Half to do that shortlisting process and get us some excellent candidates to consider was hugely beneficial.0:55
We really want to find good people that fit in to what we're trying to do at North Melbourne and particularly from a team point of view, we're always looking for someone who's going to be the right fit with our existing staff. So whilst the technical capability was really important, someone who was going to live the values of North Melbourne was extremely important.1:15
You know, I think the thing that surprised me the most was just how Robert Half were able to work to the timelines. I think realistically we didn't think we would be able to get it done in such a short timeline.1:25
The blind short list was something that was new to me in recruitment. I've probably done a reasonable amount of recruitment over the last few years and using the blind CV was something that was different and something that I really quite liked cuz it takes out that unconscious bias.1:43
I think also the recommendation from Robert Half to uh have a diversified panel really helped us. We for the second round of interviews uh invited some executives from across the business to be a part of it and I think that really helped us get a more broader perspective on the candidates we were interviewing.1:58
So I think really the three key strategies that we've taken away from this is where we can to uh adopt a blind application process. So we're really not seeing uh you know any of the unique characteristics of a of a candidate except for their experience and suitability for the role. And then really implementing that uh selection criteria that is going to take a lot of the bias out of the recruitment process. And thirdly implementing that diverse hiring panel.2:28
The recruitment process was pretty fast-paced given the time of the year. Um we're heading towards Christmas break. But in saying that, I didn't feel like I was overly rushed throughout the process, Robert Half gave me the opportunity to really sit back and reflect as well if this role was the right role for me um and consider what my future career goals are around, you know, accounting and sport in general.2:53
I really appreciated the availability of Robert Half to talk through any questions. Um, also being kept up to date on the process of where things were at with the stages in the interview as well as a candidate that's always really appreciated.3:12
The process began with taking a really thorough job brief with the key stakeholders involved which was Chris the CFO and Meg the GM of people and culture. And this meeting was really crucial to not only get an understanding of the technical requirements of the role, but also more of the softer attributes and the great cultural fit for somebody who's going to fit into a professional sporting organization.3:38
So, in the initial briefing, we spoke through a range of candidates with different backgrounds and levels of experience and also challenged the brief slightly to um have Meg and Chris consider candidates perhaps coming from a slightly different background that they may not have initially considered just to make sure that we were casting the net really wide to find the best possible candidate for the role.3:59
We mapped out the timeline from start to finish making sure that we had availability for interviews. All of the key stakeholders um were aligned and involved and the process went very smoothly and the number one priority is always quality and getting the right person. But luckily with Robert Har's extensive candidate networks as well, we were able to find quality um really quickly as well, which was great.4:23
So, we combine traditional job advertising as well as proactively tapping into the passive network of candidates in the market as well. Um, as well as referrals from people within our network as well.4:35
Each candidate that we represent, we meet with to not only assess their technical capabilities, but also to make sure that their values and motivations really align with the job opportunity to make sure we're finding the best fit for the role.4:50
So for the finance manager recruitment at North Melbourne, we implemented a blind short list. So essentially there were no reference to candidate names or pronouns um on the CVs or the candidate summaries. So it really made sure that every candidate was assessed purely on their skill set and their background and experience and we were making sure that we were removing any unconscious bias from the process.Contact us today for your hiring needs
Unconscious bias
And the commitment to leadership and inclusion continues through structured, evidence-based hiring. Unconscious bias can shape recruitment more than many realise. To address this, Robert Half hosted a workshop with North Melbourne Football Club hiring managers to share best practices on how to implement inclusive practices such as blind CVs, structured rubrics, and diverse panels.0:03
Today’s session was about unconscious bias and inclusive hiring.0:04
We had a large proportion of the leadership group here at North Melbourne attending and listening.0:12
We’re really excited to be partnering with Robert Half, and particularly to be able to use the partnership to help us enhance our recruitment practices.0:18
It was great to hear some of the processes the expert team at Robert Half use — processes that we think we can implement here at North Melbourne.0:26
I think it’s given us some really great tools to re-evaluate our approach and consider diversity from a broader lens.0:33
I see Robert Half as really different to a lot of our competitors — primarily because I’m very passionate, as are members of my team, about helping people make the right decision.0:44
For us, it reinforces that we’re doing a lot of things right, but there’s also an opportunity — with some added expertise — to sharpen our focus and improve the way we do certain things, ensuring we’re getting the best candidate.0:55
My main takeaway would be to slow down our approach. We like to move forward fairly quickly, but slowing down and giving ourselves time and space to think things through will really help.1:05
Today’s session will really help us with the work we’re doing in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) space — particularly around identifying unconscious bias in the recruitment phase and ensuring we have more inclusive hiring practices.Contact us to discuss your talent needs
Unconscious bias in recruitment
Following the unconscious bias workshop, the team applied the techniques they learned when hiring their next Finance Manager. The result was a fairer, skills-based hiring process that uncovered exceptional talent and strengthened the team, aligning with the organisation’s values and long-term goals.0:04
The answer is it happens a lot more than people think it does and not just in obvious ways. Bias is fast. U good decisions are made deliberately and it creeps in in weird places. It comes in a short list presentation, happens in interviews and even when we think about what a good hire would be, what a good cultural fit would be, it happens there as well.0:23
We don't train for bias because people are bad. We train because people are human. And the payoff is better hires, stronger teams, and attracting better quality talent.0:31
We design the process really around the role, not around opinions. We introduce rubrics that are going to structure how we operate. Rubrics don't kill intuition, they protect it from overconfidence. And when everyone has the same map, we don't get lost in opinions.0:49
We give them tools and we give them language. Uh we give them the confidence to challenge their own defaults. Most importantly, we don't impose, we co-design. And that's what we did with North Melbourne. We didn't just run a training session. We also ran through a process with them. We embedded a structure and hopefully something that can be repeated, not just remembered.1:11
I think the first three things are really start blind. Um, remove names and remove backgrounds of people that we're presenting certainly in the first round of interviews.1:20
The second thing is to introduce a rubric and stick to it. Don't deviate into uh questions that don't relate to what success looks like in the role.1:31
And the third part is really diversifying your interview panel. You know, having different opinions on that panel who are going to give you different assumptions around the right person.1:39
I'd say this is not about being politically correct. It's actually about being correct. Every decision that you make compounds over time. That's true in footy and it's true in hiring.Contact us to discuss your talent needs
AFLW Day in Footy: A great day of shared learning at Arden Street
Leadership and inclusion were at the heart of the “Day in Footy” experience with the successful North Melbourne AFLW team. The Robert Half team gained a behind-the-scenes look at how a professional sporting program operates across culture, performance, leadership, and teamwork. The session explored shared themes of marginal gains, continuous improvement, and strong human connection, highlighting how the same principles that drive success in football also build high-performing teams in business through humility, trust, and a shared purpose.0:00
I'm Clinton Marx. I work for Robert Half. Um today we're at a day in footy with North Melbourne. Lauren Hackby and I get to spend some time with the team and listen into some meetings and get out on the track as well.0:12
Favorite part of the day was definitely getting involved. Took part in a couple of sprints, gave it a couple of kicks and uh it was good fun.0:21
I think one of the main takeaways that I got from today is the focus on such little parts of the game. For us, it's been about, you know, the larger purpose. Like you can get caught up in, you know, the winning and the losing if that becomes your sole focus. I think it takes away from your ability to actually really delve into the connection piece and the chemistry.0:42
It’s the same as us working in recruitment — thinking less about the end goal and thinking more about how we can grow and improve day by day.0:48
I was certainly very impressed by how coachable all of the players were and how they sought feedback, coming in and having their own ideas about how they should play their role.1:00
I think that our biggest mantra has been: you come in here and you've got to be driven to drive your own career. Want to set the standard and even drive the standards. When you've actually got that, then you've got a pretty strong program.1:14
I feel like if you're ticking that — a learning environment, we're educating, we're getting better every day. A well-connected, happy environment where they actually want to come to — like that's half the battle.1:25
The language that I heard from Croc with each individual player was quite unique. Really varying the feedback that you're giving each person. You create forums where they feel psychologically safe to be themselves and speak their minds, and then you know what — I think they just become the best versions of themselves naturally.1:44
Listening to him and the advice he's giving, he definitely knows his team and how to get the best results out of them.Follow us on LinkedIn
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