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In this episode of the HR Insights podcast, Stuart Elliott is joined by Claire Gray, founder of NeuroTalent at Work Limited, to explore why growing awareness of neurodiversity has not always translated into better workplace experiences for neurodivergent employees. The conversation looks at where barriers can still emerge across the employee journey, from recruitment and workplace adjustments to performance management. Claire discusses the difference between awareness and operational neuroinclusion, why traditional interview processes can unintentionally disadvantage neurodivergent candidates and how organisations can create fairer processes without lowering expectations. With line managers often responsible for turning policy into practice, Stuart and Claire also explore the support managers need to respond confidently when an employee discloses, requests an adjustment or begins to struggle. From psychological safety and early intervention to practical changes in ways of working, the episode considers what organisations can do to move from good intentions towards meaningful inclusion. Key timestamps 00:00 – Introduction to Claire Gray and her journey into neurodiversity00:22 – Understanding neurodiversity in the workplace01:24 – Challenges in neuroinclusion and practical solutions03:09 – The difference between awareness and true inclusion06:23 – The manager gap in neurodiversity support08:21 – Operational neuroinclusion explained09:48 – The importance of early support and psychological safety11:04 – Demonstrating ROI in neurodiversity initiatives14:23 – Common mistakes when interviewing neurodivergent candidates16:46 – Making recruitment more inclusive without lowering standards23:44 – Workplace adjustments and overcoming barriers36:09 – Performance management and fair evaluation for neurodivergent employees40:56 – Supporting managers in neuroinclusion practices44:16 – Final advice for managers and closing thoughtsView Transcript here You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

In this episode of the HR Insights podcast, Stuart Elliott is joined by Paul Burton, employment solicitor at ViewHR, to explore the employment law changes that have already come into effect under the Employment Rights Act 2025. The conversation breaks down some of the most significant developments affecting UK employers, including changes to statutory sick pay, day-one rights for paternity and unpaid parental leave, new whistleblowing protections relating to sexual harassment and increased penalties for failures in collective consultation. Paul also explains the introduction of the Fair Work Agency and what its expanded enforcement powers could mean for organisations. From updating policies and procedures to strengthening manager training and absence management, the episode highlights why employers should treat these reforms as an organisational and people-management issue rather than simply a legal update. This is the first of a two-part conversation. In part two, Stuart and Paul will look ahead at the further employment law changes expected to come into effect and what organisations can do now to prepare. Key timestamps: 04:47 - Summary of the Employment Rights Act 202505:43 - Trade union reforms and industrial action changes07:07 - Updates to sick pay and family rights08:08 - Collective consultation and penalties for non-compliance09:41 - Sector impact of new employment laws10:14 - Details on the removal of the sick pay waiting period11:18 - Importance of absence management and return-to-work interviews13:25 - Paternity leave and parental rights from day one18:04 - Sexual harassment protections under whistleblowing laws27:21 - Introduction to the Fair Work Agency and its functions30:20 - Implications of the Fair Work Agency for enforcement31:09 - Advice for HR professionals and managers on legislative changes32:37 - Training, support, and ongoing compliance strategies33:36 - Conclusion and next steps for employersView Transcript here You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

In this episode of the HR Insights podcast, Stuart Elliott is joined by Keith Pritchard, Chief People Officer and transformation leader, to explore what global organisations need to understand about working, leading and building teams in India. Drawing on more than three years living and working in Hyderabad, alongside over two decades of international leadership experience, Keith shares his perspective on how India has evolved from a traditional outsourcing destination into one of the world's most important hubs for innovation, technology and business growth. Together, Stuart and Keith discuss the realities of India's talent market, the rapid rise of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and why organisations need to move beyond outdated perceptions of the country. From cultural differences in communication and decision-making to leadership, talent attraction, employee retention and the pace of change across India's economy, this episode offers practical insights for HR and business leaders looking to build stronger relationships and more successful organisations in one of the world's fastest-growing markets. Key timestamps: 03:09 – Moving to India and leading within an Indian-headquartered organisation07:26 – First impressions of India and the realities of living and working there11:41 – Why Hyderabad has become a major technology and Global Capability Centre hub14:00 – India's evolution from cost arbitrage to capability, innovation and strategic value18:56 – Common misconceptions about India's talent market and leadership pipeline21:46 – Cultural differences in communication, hierarchy and decision-making26:36 – Diversity, gender representation and changing workplace dynamics29:18 – Navigating cultural differences in hiring and recruitment33:28 – Building psychological safety and encouraging open communication38:16 – The continued growth of Global Capability Centres (GCCs)43:41 – Attrition, employee retention and the rise of boomerang hiring49:58 – Leadership lessons Keith brought back from India to the UK51:39 – Comparing workplace culture and work ethic between India and the UKClick here for transcript. You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

As people live longer, work longer and redefine what later life looks like, businesses are facing a challenge that many have yet to fully recognise. While organisations continue to invest heavily in attracting early-career talent, many are overlooking one of the fastest-growing and most experienced talent pools available: workers over 50. In this episode of HR Insights: The Podcast, Stuart Elliott is joined by Lyndsey Simpson, Founder and CEO of 55/Redefined and author of the Sunday Times bestselling book The Age Rebellion. One of the leading voices on age intelligence, Lyndsey works with organisations around the world to rethink how they attract, retain and develop over-50s talent, helping businesses turn demographic change into a competitive advantage. Together, Stuart and Lyndsey explore why the traditional view of retirement is rapidly becoming outdated, what the "100-year life" means for employers and employees alike, and why many of the assumptions organisations still hold about older workers simply don't stand up to the data. From the myths surrounding ambition and technology to the commercial case for age strategy, the conversation challenges businesses to rethink how they view experience, careers and workforce planning. The discussion also looks at the rise of multi-generational workforces, the importance of intentionally creating intergenerational teams, and why age should be viewed as a strategic business issue rather than simply another diversity initiative. Whether you're an HR leader, business leader or someone thinking about your own career, this episode offers practical insights into one of the biggest workforce shifts of our time. Key timestamps 00:30 – What the "100-year life" means and why it changes everything05:50 – Debunking the biggest myths surrounding older workers12:05 – Why our perception of age and work needs to evolve17:59 – How ambition, purpose and motivation change later in life24:01 – Why "overqualified" is one of the most damaging labels in recruitment26:04 – Why organisations focus on younger generations and what they're missing27:28 – The commercial value older workers bring to today's businesses29:47 – Why age has become the overlooked element of DE&I strategies30:54 – How demographic change is reshaping the workforce33:37 – The realities of managing a multi-generational workforce37:32 – Building intergenerational teams that drive better performance40:19 – Why storytelling helps bridge generational divides at work43:40 – Where businesses should start when developing an age strategyView Transcript here You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

In this episode of the HR Insights Podcast, Stuart Elliott is joined by Alex Atherton, leadership coach, speaker and author of The Snowflake Myth: Explaining Gen Z in the Workplace and Beyond, to explore the realities of managing an increasingly multigenerational workforce. The conversation challenges some of the most common misconceptions surrounding Gen Z, from assumptions around resilience and work ethic to changing expectations around feedback, career development and workplace culture. Alex shares why understanding the experiences that have shaped younger generations is essential for organisations looking to attract, engage and retain the best talent. From age diversity and authentic employer branding to social collaboration, leadership and the arrival of Gen Alpha, this episode offers practical insight for HR and business leaders navigating a workforce where four, and soon five, generations are working side by side. Key timestamps: 00:22 – Introduction to career and background03:10 – Generational perspectives on work05:57 – Misconceptions about younger generations10:11 – The changing landscape of business12:48 – Managing multi-generational workforces16:11 – Attracting and retaining Gen Z talent18:55 – Feedback and performance management21:11 – Social collaboration in the workplace24:32 – Future generations and trends in HRYou can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

In this episode of the HR Insights Podcast, Stuart Elliott is joined by Marc Ramos, Chief Learning Officer, Harvard Learning Innovation Lab Fellow and MIT-trained AI strategist, to explore how organisations can approach AI adoption without losing sight of the people behind the technology. The conversation looks at the growing tension between AI-driven efficiency and employee trust, why some businesses may be moving too quickly into implementation, and how leadership communication can shape whether employees feel included or threatened by change. From trust and transparency to cognitive overload, workplace culture and the future of human connection, this episode offers practical insight for HR, talent and learning leaders navigating AI transformation inside their organisations. Key timestamps: 01:06 - Introduction to AI and Learning Development03:58 - The Current State of AI in Business07:02 - Leadership and AI Implementation09:49 - The Spectrum of AI Adoption13:08 - Risk and Reward in AI Investments15:55 - Communication Strategies for AI Adoption18:56 - Change Management and AI22:00 - The Role of Trust in AI Acceptance25:34 - Trust and Society's Insular State29:19 - The Leadership Gap in Trust33:10 - Human Agency and Cognitive Traps37:27 - AI's Impact on Human Connection42:41 - A Human-Centric AI StrategyYou can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

In this episode of the HR Insights Podcast, Stuart Elliott is joined by Will Spencer, Founder & CEO of Rest Easier, and Chris Laughlin, Global Reward Director at Croda, to explore how reward and benefits strategies are evolving beyond traditional perks and toward something far more meaningful: protection, financial wellbeing, and long-term employee support. The conversation looks at why financial wellbeing has historically lagged behind physical and mental wellbeing, how employee expectations around benefits are changing, and why a one-size-fits-all approach no longer works across today’s multigenerational workforce. From personalised benefits to the hidden risks of cost-cutting, this episode offers practical insight for HR leaders rethinking how reward strategies can better support employees in today’s workplace. Key timestamps: 07:18 — How employee benefits have evolved12:48 — Why financial wellbeing is often overlooked16:47 — Understanding what employees actually value21:40 — The rise of personalised benefits32:49 — Inside the Rest Easier platform34:01 — Estate planning, inheritance & protecting families39:05 — Financial stress and workplace performance42:37 — The hidden risks of cutting benefitsYou can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

Employee engagement continues to be one of the most talked-about topics in HR, but also one of the most misunderstood. While many organisations measure it, far fewer truly understand what drives it or how to improve it in a meaningful way.  In this episode of the HR Insights Podcast, Stuart Elliott sits down with industry experts Paul Knight, Group Chief People Officer at PA Media, and Rebecca Saunders Jones, Managing Director of Loopin, to explore what employee engagement really looks like today, why it may be stalling in many organisations, and what HR and business leaders can do differently.  From leadership accountability to real-time data and shifting workforce expectations, the conversation offers a practical and honest view of where engagement stands today, and where it needs to go next.  Key timestamps 03:52 – What does employee engagement actually mean? 05:20 – Where is engagement today? 08:05 – What’s ‘job hugging’? 10:29 – Why traditional engagement surveys fall short 16:36 – Who really owns engagement?24:42 – Transparency vs psychological safety28:28 – The biggest risk to engagement35:12 – Can you over-measure engagement?41:43 – Embedding engagement into culture You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

73% of women leaders say they would change companies for menopause-related benefits. Earlier this year, in our episode with Maggie Lester, we explored how menopause is beginning to take its place on the benefits agenda, but with a lot of work still to do. To continue this conversation, Stuart welcomes back Fiona McKay, CEO of Lightbulb and Founder of The Menopause Maze, to unpack how menopause impacts leadership retention and the loss of female talent. Together, Stuart and Fiona discuss the critical point at which organisations lose their most experienced female leaders, often without even realising it. They explore what HR frequently overlooks in leadership pipeline gaps, and how HR leaders can start connecting menopause to the silent derailments that disrupt careers behind the scenes. The conversation also touches on the long-term value chain of addressing menopause in the workplace, covering governance, the great wealth transfer and the implications for HR and corporate services leaders. Finally, Fiona introduces the NOPAUSE™ Workplace Diagnostic, the world’s only data-driven tool designed to reveal where menopause is costing organisations their leadership layer, and what can be done to change that. For a limited time, you can access a personalised NOPAUSE™ diagnostic report in just five minutes, complimentary until 8th September 2025. Who is our guest? Fiona McKay is the CEO of Lightbulb Leadership Solutions, a strategic C-suite value creation advisory company that supports high-growth businesses, portfolio companies and private equity investors navigating critical moments of leadership, performance, and value creation. She’s also the founder of The Menopause Maze, a specialist firm within the Lightbulb group that focuses on retaining and accelerating the top 1% of female leaders navigating menopause.  Key timestamps: 02:03: Introducing Fiona McKay and The Menopause Maze10:06: When companies start to lose their most seasoned talent13:30: Showing up, even when you’re not visible17:04: Finding a good physician18:38: What HR commonly misses in the leadership layer gaps22:06: Approaching the topic of menopause23:38: Connecting the dots between menopause and the silent career derailment27:43: Benefits of medical plans and paying privately 29:33: Moving to a competitor if they offer menopause related benefits31:43: The great wealth transfer36:25: The NOPAUSE™ Workplace DiagnosticYou can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

In this special episode of HR insights, Stuart Elliott is joined by Ilona Jurkiewicz and Roshan Jayawardena to draw on insights from their recently published white paper, ‘Evolving skillsets of HR leaders’, which combines qualitative interviews with 80+ HR leaders and quantitative data. They explore how the HR function is rapidly evolving in response to significant external forces and how the expectations of HR professionals have expanded far beyond traditional responsibilities; today’s HR leaders are increasingly expected to drive commercial outcomes, lead AI initiatives, and navigate complex, people-centred challenges across global organisations. They also address the growing difficulty of creating psychologically safe and inclusive environments, especially amid political polarisation and evolving definitions of inclusion.  Who are our guests?  Ilona Jurkiewicz is the President, Americas at Cappfinity. She has over 16 years of executive experience driving HR strategy, culture evolution, and organisational growth and specialises in leading people-centred transformations that drive measurable business outcomes Throughout her career, she has successfully scaled organisations globally, built world-class leadership ecosystems, navigated major acquisitions and divestitures, and architected cultures that empower innovation and performance.  Roshan Jayawardena is the Managing Director for Elliott Scott in North America, partnering with HR leaders across a range of sectors to deliver specialist HR search and recruitment solutions.  With 15 years of experience in HR and executive search, Roshan brings a strategic, consultative, and relationship-driven approach to senior HR hiring. He specialises in retained searches for senior HR appointments and his background as an HRBP at General Electric gives him a unique understanding of the HR function, allowing him to advise on both immediate hiring needs and long-term talent strategies.  Key timestamps:  - 02:04 – Intro into Ilona  - 04:16 – Intro into Rosh - 07:32 – The inspiration for the report  - 12:00 – The standout impacts of the research  - 18:53 – Hybrid working  - 21:50 – The evolving role of a CPO  - 30:25 – The struggle of implementing empathy, psychological safety and inclusion  - 35:50 – The impact of the political agenda in the US - 39:20 – Is HR ready and prepared to lead on digital transformation? - 48:50 – The potential dangers of AI  - 52:40 – Advice for mid career HR professionals becoming CPOs Please download the whitepaper here for more data insights and the ever-chaging skills of HR leaders.  You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

We’re back again this week with another new episode! If you have been following HR Insights, you would have seen, we are currently running our HR Resilience Survey to better understand how resilient the function truly is and what HR professionals most need to focus on right now. So far, one of the clearest themes that emerged was the challenge of managing worry and finding calm, highlighting the widespread sense of burnout across the profession. Today, we are joined by Rebecca Reed, Founder of Siendo and Creator of MentalFlex to help us unpack the shift in HR and offer some practical tools for burnout. During the episode, Stuart and Rebecca chat about the reason she started her business and her own personal struggles with poor mental health and post-weaning depression. They speak through the importance of having a mental health first aider and how this can make a positive change to company culture. The conversation then pivoted to discuss burnout within HR, the signs to look for when someone is experiencing burnout and how to manage this. Lastly, Stuart asks Rebecca about the science of joy and her development of MentalFlex.   Who is our guest? Rebecca Reed is the Founder of Siendo and Creator of MentalFlex®, with nearly a decade of experience in mental health and wellbeing. Her career began in corporate banking, but a passion for prevention led her to launch Siendo, a company helping people and workplaces take a proactive approach to mental health. She's trained thousands in Mental Health First Aid and worked with brands like Nike, Oxford University, and the NHS. Following her own journey through postnatal depression, she created MentalFlex® to support parents in managing stress, resetting their nervous systems, and showing up with calm and clarity.    Key timestamps 01:53 – Introducing Rebecca Reed05:40 – Rebecca’s personal journey with mental fitness12:25 – The shift in wellbeing practices14:50 – Mental health first aiders20:21 – Legislation for mental health in the UK22:53 – Dealing with stress as a mental health first aider24:49 – Changing company culture27:45 – Signs of burnout31:06 – Managing burnout in HR40:26 – The science of joy44:19 – MentalFlex48:57 – Building mental fitness There is still time to get your free personalised resilience report by completing the survey here.  You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

In this episode of HR Insights, we sit down with Friska Wirya, founder of Future Fit and a globally recognised change management thought leader, to unpack what real change leadership looks like in today’s ever-evolving business landscape. With more than a decade of experience transforming some of the world’s most conservative organisations, Friska brings raw honesty, strategic insight, and a touch of humanity to the prominent topic of change. From managing layoffs with empathy to future-proofing leadership in the age of AI, this conversation dives deep into how we lead, adapt, and evolve in complex times. Friska offers practical tools, tough truths, and inspiring ideas for executives navigating transformation and employees grappling with continuous change.  Who is our guest?  Friska Wirya is a multi-award-winning change management expert, TED speaker, and best-selling author recognised as a top 50 Global Change Leader. She partners with leaders and organisations worldwide to drive impactful transformation. Her books have gained international acclaim, with her latest becoming a #1 bestseller in Indonesia. Friska’s work has been featured in Vogue, The Financial Review, The CEO Magazine, and more. Key timestamps 01:49 – Intro into Friska  05:05 – Downsizing done right: honesty, empathy, and patience06:55 – Profit vs people: what most companies get wrong08:00 – Common leadership fails 11:34 – What positive change actually looks like14:13 – Is change within business perpetual? 15:31 – Cultural contexts: why change feels different across the globe19:42 – The five roles leaders must play to become change management experts21:12 – Fear of AI at work24:10 – Helping leaders embrace AI 29:38 – Effective examples of adapting to change 30:40 – Shifting the boardroom mindset 32:33 – How employees can open themselves to change35:50 – Advice for CPOs managing change 36:54 – Advice for employees This episode is sponsored by our partners at Cappfinity. Cappfinity believes in a world where skills and potential create opportunity for all. They are global leaders in measuring and developing potential in Talent Acquisition & Talent Management with a focus on skills and strengths. Through the Cappfinity Skills Suite® they provide skills-based Talent Acquisition and Management solutions across all levels and industries. Their Talent Acquisition solutions range from pre-skilling to seamless onboarding - all the while delivering immersive, brand aligned and insightful experiences to their clients and their candidates. Interested in their services? Please reach out to [email protected] to book your demo today. You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

Welcome back to another episode of the HR insights: podcast! In this episode, our CEO and host, Stuart Elliott, chats to International Benefits Strategy Leader Maggie Lester at Merck Group, to discuss the evolution of employee benefits and how they mould the brand and culture of the organisation.  Maggie shares insights spanning her 20 years of international experience, highlighting the shift from pensions to more inclusive benefits. She notes the impact that cultural differences have on benefit structures, discussing the implementation of fertility, menopause, carers’ leave and trans health benefits. Who is our guest? Maggie Lester is a remuneration specialist with over 20 years’ international experience working for both consultancies and multinationals, in the UK, France, Switzerland, Japan and Hong Kong.  She currently heads up employee benefits for Merck Group KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, covering over 60,000 employees across 65 jurisdictions.  Previous roles include Meta, HSBC (Asia Pacific) and Reuters.   Maggie has always been passionate about designing and delivering innovative solutions that deliver both employee value and fiscal benefits for organisations.  She believes that DE&I is a business case, and that a company’s benefits define their position.  She holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Bristol in the UK, and an MBA for Executives from INSEAD. Key timestamps 00:40: Introducing Maggie Lester06:02: How benefits have evolved12:05: Benefits linked to brand and culture17:00: Time off/ quality of life20:40: DEI as part of the benefits package26:27: Fertility benefits30:02: Has the shift in DEI impacted the benefits space35:30: Global vs local benefits40:00: Newest trends within benefits46:32: Advice for renewing your benefit structure48:24: Wellness benefits  This episode is sponsored by our partners at Cappfinity. Cappfinity believes in a world where skills and potential create opportunity for all. They are global leaders in measuring and developing potential in Talent Acquisition & Talent Management with a focus on skills and strengths. Through the Cappfinity Skills Suite® they provide skills-based Talent Acquisition and Management solutions across all levels and industries. Their Talent Acquisition solutions range from pre-skilling to seamless onboarding - all the while delivering immersive, brand aligned and insightful experiences to their clients and their candidates. Interested in their services? Please reach out to [email protected] to book your demo today. You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

In this episode, we explore the shifting landscape of DEI with Nikki Davies, a globally recognised DEI strategist, coach, and entrepreneur based in Hong Kong. Drawing from our recent UK HR Trends Report, which revealed a shift in DEI's priority amongst organisations, Stuart Elliott asks: why is this happening—and what does it mean for the future? Nikki shares insights from her 30-year career in coaching and consulting, and how organisations are facing a "day of reckoning"—separating those truly committed to DEI from those who have simply followed trends. We dive into the global trends, the importance of psychological safety, and why sustainable, authentic inclusion efforts—not reactionary ones—will define successful businesses moving forward. We also explore how factors like the US election, demographic shifts, and the rise of AI are impacting DEI conversations, and why resilience and leadership authenticity are more crucial than ever. Nikki offers advice for HR leaders on how to keep DEI embedded within business strategy and how small, consistent actions can lead to real, lasting progress. Who is our guest?  Nikki Davies is a former HR executive with MNCs including Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, and Prudential plc. She is now the founder of coNEXTion, her consulting and ICF ACC accredited coaching business, serving clients from start-ups to global organisations and is also the Senior Consultant for Pixel Alchemy Collective.  A recognised global DEIB strategist, Nikki has over 20 years' experience crafting strategies to drive inclusion, equity, and belonging. She supports executives as a coach and advises organisations on adapting global initiatives to local markets, always aligning DEIB outcomes with strategic business goals. Nikki’s approach uses human-centred design to identify systemic challenges and create action-based plans with measurable results, helping leaders build thriving, inclusive organisations. Her impactful initiatives include Diverse Talent Sponsorship Programmes, Inclusive Recruiting, Global DEIB e-learning, Employee Resource Group frameworks, and Inclusive Marketing strategies. Key Timestamps: 04:00 - Intro into Nikki Davies 06:20 - Results from our survey11:00 - The shift in the prioritisation of DEI17:39 - Is the shift being seen globally? 22:56 - The emergence of other aspects of DEI30:40 - Impactful DEI initiatives 37:17 - The importance of keeping DEI on the agenda and advice for HR leaders You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

You may have noticed a brief pause in our HR Insights: Podcast episodes. This break was part of our broader initiative to elevate the Elliott Scott brand. We're excited to return with enhanced content and a renewed focus on delivering insightful, topical discussions that support and inspire your career growth. We recently partnered with Cappfinity on a whitepaper focused on gathering the trends in the UK HR world at the beginning of 2025. Cappfinity is the world leader in measuring and developing potential in talent acquisition & talent management. Today we are joined by their Chief Skills Officer, Celine Floyd, to discuss our findings.  Our CEO and host, Stuart Elliott, sat down with Celine to examine emerging trends, unexpected insights, the rise of skills-based hiring, change management, the integration of AI in HR, essential HR leadership capabilities  and what the HR community is most excited about in the year ahead.  To download the full report please visit: UK HR trends 2025 Who is our guest? Celine is the Chief Skills Officer at Cappfinity. She is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and a featured author in Wired, Readers Digest, HR.com, Work Magazine and the Institute of Leadership and Management. Celine is a regular advisor to CEOs, CPOs and CHROs, typically of international corporations. She is passionate about authenticity, agility, inclusion, technology, social mobility and modernity. At Cappfinity Celine is responsible for their skills agenda and its global go-to-market strategy. Key Timestamps 00:45 – Where have we been?02:01 – Intro to Celine Floyd and Cappfinity05:49 – Celine's key takeaways from the whitepaper07:20 – The trends that came to light14:38 – The skills-based movement19:39 – Change management22:02 – How we use AI29:34 – The shift in EDI35:21 – HR leadership skills40:42 – What HR is excited about in 2025 You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!