Ronel Jacobs - Access | Business-First HR, AI & Leading Through Change

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Ronel Jacobs - Access | Business-First HR, AI & Leading Through Change

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Is there really such a thing as HR best practice? In this episode of HR Unlocked, Lisa Oakley sits down with Ronel Jacobs, Chief People and Safety Officer at Access Partners and Property, for a wide-ranging conversation about what effective People & Culture leadership looks like in the real world. With more than 20 years of experience spanning HR, recruitment, health and safety, environment, quality, acquisitions, and organisational change across South Africa and New Zealand, Ronel has worked across organisations of vastly different sizes and industries. One of her biggest lessons is that there is no single best-practice approach that works everywhere. HR needs to understand the size, industry, culture, strategy, and commercial realities of the organisation before deciding what good looks like. Ronel and Lisa explore this through acquisitions and restructures, discussing why communication is critical, how change champions can help organisations integrate, and why genuine consultation requires leaders to remain open to outcomes they may not have anticipated. Ronel also shares how experiencing redundancy herself changed her approach to restructuring. That lived experience has reinforced the importance of remembering that organisational change isn’t simply a process to complete. Decisions can affect someone’s livelihood, family, and, for migrant workers, potentially their ability to remain in New Zealand. The conversation moves into the realities of employing migrant workers in highly specialised roles, including skills shortages, immigration uncertainty, significant investment in training and relocation, and the operational challenges businesses face when those skills aren’t readily available locally. Lisa and Ronel also unpack employment disputes and representation, including their experiences with employment lawyers and advocates, the incentives that can shape dispute resolution, and why understanding the outcome both parties actually need can help resolve conflict more effectively. AI is another major theme. Ronel describes the current enthusiasm for AI as an “AI sugar rush” and raises an important question for the future of HR: if technology removes entry-level administrative roles, where will future senior HR professionals develop the judgement, critical thinking, and communication skills they traditionally learned through those roles? She also explores how relying too heavily on AI-generated communication could dilute an organisation’s culture. From restructuring documents to employment letters, Ronel believes language needs to reflect not only the organisation, but also the person receiving it. Finally, the conversation brings together Ronel’s responsibility for both People & Culture and health and safety. She discusses why the two disciplines complement each other, the growing importance of psychological health and safety, knowing when an issue requires independent expertise, and why HR professionals need to understand what actually happens operationally rather than making decisions from behind a desk. What You'll Learn Why HR “best practice” needs to be fit for the organisationHow business acumen helps HR professionals adapt their approachWhat Ronel has learned from acquisitions and significant organisational changeWhy communication is fundamental during acquisitionsHow change champions can support successful integrationWhy some acquired organisations need more time before processes and cultures are integratedHow lived experience of redundancy can change the way HR professionals approach restructuresWhy consultation can’t simply become confirmation of a predetermined decisionThe additional human impact restructuring can have on migrant employees and their familiesThe challenges employers face when recruiting highly specialised talent offshoreWhy New Zealand needs to think seriously about developing critical skills locallyThe different dynamics Ronel has experienced with employment lawyers and employment advocatesWhy understanding incentives matters when resolving employment disputesHow AI-generated communication could influence organisational cultureWhy employment communication needs to reflect the audience receiving itWhat Ronel means by the current “AI sugar rush”Why AI could create a future HR capability gapThe importance of continuing to invest in graduates, interns, and entry-level employeesHow People & Culture and health and safety complement one anotherWhy psychological hazards require a different approach from physical safety risksWhen HR should step away and bring in independent investigators or specialist supportWhy HR leaders need to understand operations, customers, finance, and commercial realitiesHow psychological safety at the executive table supports better decision-makingWhy HR professionals need the courage to challenge senior leadersWhy HR should bring options and recommendations to the executive table, not simply problemsWhy adaptability, curiosity...

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