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This is the final episode of 2023 and I'm joined by Jo Mountney, who has spent the entirety of her career so far within hospitality and tourism, working for the largest theme park in the UK for 20 years. Jo initially began in operations before moving into L&D and then ultimately HR. She believes that her background in operations has been one of the most useful aspects for her career, as it has enabled her to understand the position of her stakeholders better. It becomes apparent that Jo has put herself into situations that have been way outside her comfort zone. From studying in France for four months, where all lectures were delivered in French, to making the move firstly into L&D and then into HR. However, she recognises that one of the ways we grow best and develop is by stretching ourselves in such a way.... and it's a concept she's taken into managing teams but as an enabler for her own teams to grow and develop too. Behind all of this, Jo is naturally someone who lacks confidence in herself. It was others who pushed her to apply for roles (that she never thought she'd have a chance of securing) but it was her ability to solve problems, have the vision, and lead that helped her. Overarching it all is that Jo places people at the centre of everything she does and driving every decision she makes. We manage to squeeze quite a lot of different topics into this episode (a Christmas cracker, you could say!) and I hope you enjoy listening. Support the show

The guest this episode is Jane Ayrton who has been working in the L&D space for over 30 years. Her career has incorporated being in both self-employed and employed roles. In her most recent role, Jane was Head of L&D in a financial services business and worked with what she describes as 'the best team she had ever had the pleasure of leading'.  Within that same organisation, they introduced Insights Discovery Profiling and Jane shares the principles of what that is but then explains the amazing results they achieved by using it. The key, as with any learning initiatives, was their focus on embedding what was learned, how the information was being used day-to-day, and then measuring the results. The business were able to see marked improvements in all aspects following the roll-out of this across the organisation from how people communicated with each other to projects delivered quicker and more efficiently. Jane takes great pleasure from watching others grow and succeed and we talk through some principles of how to get the best from your teams. We also discuss the topic of confidence as this is something that Jane coached when self-employed having struggled with confidence herself in her early career. She shares some really useful tips to help boost your confidence when you really need it. I've known Jane a number of years so always knew trhis was going to be a great conversation. However, I also learned a lot through the various topics we explored too.  I hope you enjoy it!   career outplacement, career consulting,  Support the show

My guest this episode is Daniel Balshaw who has built a HR career combining his two interests - technology and people. Dan was working in his local Sainsbury's store when he was approached by the HR team (personnel back then) to help with letter formatting, as simple as that now sounds, due to his IT skills. This was the early days of computers in the workplace so having the ability to work his way around a PC became advantageous. Sainsburys were one of the first large organisations in the UK to open a Shared Service Centre and Dan was one of the first employees to start there. This was the catalyst to his career taking the direction it has. Dan has run large scale technical and systems implementation but he believes it's vitally important in getting the part right of taking people through that journey, to ensure the tech lands successfully. It's effectively change management and we delve into the factors that ensure change and transformation projects go as smoothly as possible. We also tackle the concept of AI and how it might impact the world of HR in the future. Dan clearly loves what he does and has found a niche within the HR universe that enables him to get a buzz out of what he does each day but also what the future might have in store for all of us through the use of technology in the workplace.  I loved chatting with Dan and hope you enjoy listening as much. Support the show

My guest this episode is Natalie Ellis who is the founder of Rebox HR, a multi-award winning HR Consultancy business based in Daventry, Northhamptonshire. Natalie has spent over 17 years in the world of HR, working her way through the corporate world before deciding to start her own business in 2020. Originally starting her career in the travel industry, Natalie believes it was those lessons she learnt about tailoring the service to the needs of each customer that gave her the foundations for how her business operates so successfully. Although Natalie is essentially an outsourced service provider, there are lessons in how she partners with each customer. She wants to learn and understand the intricacies of their culture, identity, and ways of working. The same approach can be applied for internal HR teams as your 'customers' are the internal stakeholders you support so it's about understanding their needs and adapting your delivery accoridngly to achieve the best results. Natalie's first HR role was with Woolworths during the period they went into administration, and she explains what a baptism of fire it was to the world of HR going through such a process. She then joined a little start-up called ASOS to set up their HR function. A couple of years ago, right before launching the business, Natalie suffered with a breakdown due to burning herself out. She is very open and honest about this period of her life and is a huge advocate for HR for HR to try and ensure others don't succumb to what she endoured. On top of all this we also address the question "Is it the responsibility of HR to change the way they are perceived in businesses?" Natalie has been there, done it, and got the t-shirt through her career and this is a great conversation covering so many of the burning topics in HR right now. I hope you enjoy listening. Support the show

This episode I'm joined by Alex Rose who is Group Recruitment & Media Manager for a cake manufacturer called BBF based in Blackburn. I wanted to invite Alex on as a guest as I helped recruit him into this position and it was an interesting brief that his HR Director wanted from the role. Over the past couple of years I've followed what he has been doing and, more importantly, the impact and results the business have benefitted from. Alex started out as an agency recruiter before moving internally. We discuss the key differences from the two sides of the recruitment fence and the transition needed from a sales mindset to a service one when moving internally. It was when working for an organisation in the construction industry who had a fantastic brand that he first became aware of benefits a strong brand (and the subsequent employer brand) had on their recruitment and talent attraction. Alex now works for a company who manufacture cakes on behalf of supermarkets. They aren't able to put their name against any of the products they manufacture as the supermarkets own the product and any licensing. Therefore, this had historically made recruitment very challenging. However, a significant part of Alex's job is to create various content and marketing strategies to enhance the brand as well as shining a spotlight on what it's like to work in the company. After two years of consistently creating content the results speak for themselves in how beneficial this has been to their direct hiring. I personally believe there has been a real morphing between the role of a recruiter and a marketer in recent years and this episode highlights how significant and relevant this concept is. If you have any responsibility for recruitment in your company then this is absolutely an episode you don't want to miss. Support the show

Joining me on this episode is Wendy Macartney who is not only a Senior HRBP but also a coaching Psychologist. This is a fabulous conversation as we really go off-script and barely touch upon Wendy's actual career journey. However, what we do uncover is far more insightful as Wendy is such a fascinating individual. She gave up a position on a fast-track leadership programme, despite incredible pressure from her friends and family all saying she was crazy, because she believed deep down that it wasn't truly the right direction for her. It was a pivotal moment for her as it took her down a path of self-discovery and Wendy states she's had these inflection moments about 4/5 times through her career, where she has had a realisation she's on the wrong path and pivoted against the recommendation of others. Wendy was diagnosed with dyslexia as an adult and around that time she was having to make redundancies. Wendy recognised that the majority of these individuals had psychologic disorders or were experiencing hormonal changes, which were affecting their performance. This led to her decising to retrain as a Psychologist. Wendy works for an organisation who have embraced that everyone is different and they use her psychology expertise to coach line managers into understanding how to get the very best out of people as we're not simply round pegs fitting into round holes. However, in most organisations this isn't the case so Wendy shares ways you can influence business leaders to also look at adopting the principles of individuality but through performance maximisation. She also has a strong interest in bullying and harrassment, why it happens, but how to educate people in how their behaviour is affecting others as well as explaining some tools to deflect these actions if you're on the receiving end. As you can tell there's a heck of a lot that gets unwrapped and debated on within this episode but we have lots of laughs along the way too (there's even a spot of teaching me meditation techniques), so I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Support the show

My guest for this episode is Alison Allen who, following a successful career in internal HR, set up her own HR Consultancy in March 2023. Alison's real passion through her career has been about developing people, so as well as providing generalist HR support to her clients, she also works as a coach and a mentor, an Insights practitioner, she is a trained and accredited mediator, and offers bespoke line management development programmes.  Not wanting to stop at just that, Alison is also a qualified Menopause Workplace Trainer. Originally intending to be a Teacher, Alison realised that wasn't for her and embarked upon a period in L&D before moving into generalist HR. Her first HR role was a standalone position for a multi-site, national business and we discuss how you succeed in a role despite never having worked in it before and, therefore, with very limited knowledge and expertise. She then moved her career forward with a mindset of plugging the gaps in her own skills base to ensure she had as complete a tool kit as she possibly could. There's a pattern within Alison's journey of going back to former employer's but in a new role that aligns with her own wants, needs, and development goals and we discuss how and why sometimes you need to leave a company if opportunities aren't available but why there's also no reason you can't return in the future if circumstances change. When she decided to go self-employed, Alison knew that she wanted to become a specialist in menopause awareness and we talk through why this is such a critical topic.  75% of people going through the menopause have symptoms and, of those, 1 in 4 has serious symptoms. 100 years ago the average age of menopause was 57 and your life expectancy age was 59. Whereas now menopause typically occurs between the ages of 45-55 and average life expectancy is 83. Therefore, where is now appears in life is with women who are in the prime of their careers and often in influential and significant roles.  25% of women are considering leaving their employers due to lack of support and this is why it's so important we recognise the impact the menopause can have and employers do all they can to help. There are so many wonderful aspects we cover in this conversation beyond the menopause but this is certainly a hot topic that needs more awareness and education around so I hope you enjoy listening. Support the show

How do you get to the top of your game? What should you be doing, and more importantly not doing, to be a HR professional who is taken seriously and has a track record of success and impact? Well this is the episode that uncovers all that. I'm joined once again by Rachel Wilson Rugelsjoen who has worked for some of the most high profile, multinational corporations. Rachel was my guest towards the end of Season 3 and we didn't manage to get through all we wanted to that time so the plan was always to bring her back to dive deeper into some of the parts we weren't able to cover off last time. In this episode Rachel explains what it was like returning to Norway the second time, but on this occasion with solid HR career already behind her rather than trying to launch a career as was the case ten years previous. She tells how Norway had changed and become more multicultural and inclusive but how for any person relocating internationally can be a challenge as you leave your reputation behind and almost have to start from scratch. However, my favourite part of our conversation is where we delve into what measures you need to be taking if you want to become a HR professional who is contributing to the strategy and truly adding value and impact.  This will be a game-changer episode for many people and make them look at their careers in a critical manner but in a way to ensure they are on the right track for whichever destination they ultimately want to get to. I hope you enjoy listening as much I enjoyed the conversation with Rachel.   Support the show

My guest for this episode is Gemma Ellison who currently works as a Senior Talent & Leadership Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support. However, Gemma didn't start her career within HR. She had studied Law at university and went on to become a solicitor. An opportunity presented itself when she spoke up about the culture within the law firm she was working at where she was told to 'do something about it'. Gemma subsequently wrote a three year strategy to drive the changes she felt were required. Interestingly, Gemma had always had an interest in Culture, Leadership, and the improving workplaces so this sliding doors moment presented her with an opportunity to follow her passion and she has been helping various businesses since. This is a very candid and fascinating conversation. Gemma shares pivotal periods in her life that contributed to her working career and some of the challenges and obstacles she has had to endure and overcome. I really want to thank Gemma for being so honest during our recording as it enabled some deep conversations that make for a riveting listen. I hope you enjoy it. Support the show

I'm so excited to share this episode as my guest is Nicola Coull who is a Managing Director. What is unique is that Nicola made that move from a HR background, which it seems very rarely occurs. Hence, I asked Nicola if she'd join me as a guest to not only share her story but also to discuss why so few HR professionals make that transition into a business leader role. Nicola has a HR Management degree but through her studies and over the course of her career there has always been a mindfulness of the bigger picture and not just staying in her 'HR lane'. She has always had an appreciation of an organisation in its entirity and the impact each function has. You might assume that you'd need to be 100% career focussed to do this. However, Nicola has two children and even had a 3.5 year career break when her children were both very young and we discuss what it was like when she ultimately did return to work after such a long break. One of the key aspects that is picked up from Nicola's career journey is that she identified it was in SME's where she believes you are generally able to have greater operational focus and influence than you can in larger corporates.  Nicola also tells us what she feels makes an effective HR leader and how to have an impact at that level. It leads us to discussing 'your own personal brand' and what type of HR practitioner you want to be through your 'flavour' of HR. Finally I hit Nicola with the questions around "why don't more HR professionals become business leaders" and "is there a lack of respect given to HR people in believing they have the capability to make the move". So sit back and enjoy the chat to find out what Nicola's replies were.   Support the show

This week's guest is Dan Wilbeck who currently works as a HR Manager for a US Tech Tourism business, based in Liverpool (UK) and covering the UK and Europe in a standalone capacity. Both of Dan's parents are dyslexic and is the youngest of six brothers but none of his siblings were diagnosed with the condition. Dan had struggled with reading and writing but hid it and he himself didn't realise was also dyslexic until a university lecturer suspected it and made a suggestion of reading from green, not white, paper. Dan's initial career journey surprisingly began with him working in a Funeral Director's. Opening up a drawer and seeing the lack of documentation for each employee alarmed him and changed his trajectory to becoming a HR practitioner. Dan has a very clear perspective on what he thinks HR should be and we discuss how he has become quite a prolific poster of HR content on LinkedIn and the benefits of doing so.  Working primarily in manufacturing through the early stages of his HR life, Dan then chose to become a HR Consultant to gain diversification and further breadth of experience. He now works in a standalone role supporting the UK and Europe region for a US tech business and Dan shares with us how he has grown and adapted in this role. This is a great episode where we discuss and debate over a range of topics so there's plenty included for anyone no matter the stage of your HR career.     Support the show

In this episode I'm joined by Roisin Williams who has been in HR for over 30 years and has been a freelancer for the past 3 years.  Roisin's career is a fascinating one as one of her first roles was as Equality and Diversity Adviser for Cheshire Constabulary. This was the late 90's where equality and diversity wasn't as broad a topic and was more about improving equality for women in the workplace.  Apart from a degree in Women Studies, Roisin admits she had no practical skills or experience to do a job like this, however, she 'took a punt' and submitted an application and ultimately got the job. That approach of 'taking a punt' is one which she applied throughout her career and it's a concept we discuss and why more people should adopt it. As well as working in senior in-house HR roles, Roisin has also worked for some large, well-known outsourced HR providers and we discuss the pros and cons of working in outsourced HR. We also cover what life is like as a freelancer, good and bad, for anyone who might be interested in their career taking that route. On top of all that we talk about the amazing work of a charity called Smart Works, where Roisin does some volunteering. They provide work outfits for disadvantaged women for interviews and Roisin offers coaching for CV's and interviews. It's a phenomenal charity and this part of our chat alone is worth listening to raise awareness of the amazing work they do. Support the show