Natasha Chestney is a Talent Acquisition Partner, leading the strategic talent acquisition for Endeavour Group’s innovation hub, endeavourX.

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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?

I’ve been working in People and Culture teams for predominantly start-up and scale-up organisations over the last 5 years specialising in attracting and hiring talent in the Tech & Digital space.

I’m currently working with endeavourX, the innovation hub comprising Endeavour Group’s digital capability, loyalty propositions and ecommerce & incubator businesses to empower memorable moments for our customers and team. Our brands include; Dan Murphy’s, BWS, Jimmy Brings & more.

2) What does a day in your life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?

I like to start my day early with a walk. I’ll usually wake up at around 6:30/7am and head down to the beach at Balmoral with a cappuccino, 1 sugar in-hand. I find that going for a walk and clearing my head first-thing always sets me up for a good day.

I’ll then log on to check my calendar for the day and see whether there are any meetings I can change to walking meetings. During the morning, I’ll also jump on to Slack to see what’s happening within the broader team and say hey in various group chats to keep connected.

As the day progresses, I usually change my work location a couple of times. Sometimes, I’ll sit out on my balcony in the sun, take calls on a walk to my local park or even take my laptop down to my local cafe. 

At endeavourX, we are very agile in our ways of working, a large part of my day is spent using software such as JIRA & Miro boards. I also spend a lot of time on platforms used for social recruiting such as AngelList, Slack, MeetUp and of course, LinkedIn. 

3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?

I’ve been working completely remotely for the last 2 years and I LOVE it! Of course, there are the classic benefits such as having a 10-second “commute” to work (my desk) and being able to watch an episode of squid games in my lunch break.

My role in talent acquisition involves being on the phone to hiring leaders within our business or candidates for a large part of the day. Something I’ve really enjoyed about working remotely is being able to walk and talk. I’ve also loved avoiding the fight for meeting rooms in the office. 

4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?

I think that the last 12 months has really seen us move away from work-life balance as we’ve moved towards work-life integration.

Rather than compartmentalising work and life as two competing elements, I’ve found blending the two has given me the opportunity to work creatively and more productively. I have a lot of trust built between myself and my team, I think this really helps us all feel comfortable working autonomously and flexibly together. 

5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?

Who hasn’t? The last 12 months have been a rollercoaster. We’ve been in and out of lockdowns, with continuous changes to what we can and can not do.

The biggest change to my routine/habits would be the ability to travel. Normally, I would travel to Melbourne once a month. As soon as Dan Andrews opens the borders, I look forward to getting on a plane! 

A habit that I’ve started is taking shorter breaks more frequently during the work day. Being at home, I’d take a break in between meetings and throughout the day to water the plants or check the mail and I’ve found that these micro breaks have really helped with staying productive. 

6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?

My all-time favourite book is actually a children’s book, What Do You Do with an Idea? by Kobi Yamada.

It’s described as a story for anyone, at any age, who’s ever had an idea that seemed a little too big, too odd, too difficult. It’s a story to inspire you to welcome that idea, to give it some space to grow, and to see what happens next.

7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?

As a Gen Z, there are many apps I can’t live without. To name a few: Tiktok, Canva, Jimmy Brings & Medium. 

8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?  

Melanie Perkins – CEO & Founder of Canva.

9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?

Can I leave you with an image? 

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