Oven-Ready HR

We've reached the end of Season 6 and we've almost reached the end of the year! Rob Moss, the Editor of Personnel Today returns to give his HR review of the year.  Among other topics, we talk about quiet quitting, industrial action, working from home and the 4 day working week.What have been the big HR stories this year? [02:07]Political upheaval in the UK during 2022 has in Rob's opinion made for a quiet year for the HR sector with a very few developments in the world of work.Is Quiet Quitting the HR term of the year? [04:22]Rob isn't keen on the term and explains that people not working hard has always been an issue and is essentially a by-product of poor employee engagement.How important is the cost of living crisis for HR? [07:40]Rob considers the cost of living crisis of huge importance to HR and is intertwined with the current amount of industrial action in the UK where pay has become the major issue.Are we approaching a 'General Strike' in the UK? [10:42]Rob considers recent UK Government to restrict certain sectors of having the ability to withdraw their labour could indeed encourage Trade Unions to more closely co-ordinate their individual actions resulting in a general strike in the UK public sector.Is there anything left to be said about hybrid / working from home? [15:36]Rob agrees that the hybrid / working from home debate is largely focused on organisations in London and the South East of the country. Rob also considers the lack of available talent in the UK as a driver for employees to demand more flexible working practices. Rob though cautions that there may well be long-term consequences for workers being based remotely particularly around learning and career development for new employees.Cancelled Christmas parties a relief for HR? [24:46]Despite the fact that that industrial action by UK train drivers has led to the cancellation of some company Christmas parties, we joke that this might come as welcome relief to the HR community given what historically work's Christmas parties famous for!What does Rob hope for the world of HR in 2023? [25:24]Rob hopes that the lack of available talent in the UK will see fewer redundancies being made than is normal during a recession and that HR professionals will be looking at re-skilling or up-skilling workers instead of letting people go.Resources:https://www.personneltoday.com/

My guest this week puts forward the key principle that employers have a moral obligation to ensure that employees look forward to coming to work. This principle amongst others, is a key tenet of unleashing the power of the human spirit to enable organisations to really prosper in the 21st century. Josh Bersin is one of the world's leading authorities on human resources, talent, leadership and HR technology. During the last 25 years Josh has worked with hundreds of organisations and this experience has led him to publish his new inspirational book Irresistible a book that neatly distills 7 practical yet profound management principles to enable business leaders to create  enduring companies that thrive with improved customer satisfaction, employee retention, and business agility.Josh peppers this interview with numerous real-life examples of organisations who have the secret sauce or irresistability and of course those who've rather lost their way. Why are we all so miserable? [2:49]Despite all of the billions spent on employee wellbeing, I ask Josh why workers are so miserable. He responds citing that many management and HR practices are still rooted in the industrial age and the world of working is constantly changing citing the pandemic in particular as a major change event.What are the characteristics of a successful organisation? [5:21]Joish cites Ikea as an example of organisation who have developed a democratic process whereby individual stores get to have their say on decisions that are made at a corporate level.  He admits this can slow decision making but the decision reached has buy-in from across the business.How easy is it to change a company culture? [11:38]Josh cites the example of an established company who had rather lost its way and the steps they took to establish a new cultural manifesto that both honoured the past but identified and removed issues that were getting in the way of progress.How can organisations become irresistible to potential employees? [19:11]Josh reveals that the labour market is changing so fast that job descriptions are usually irrelevant within a month of a new employee joining. He recommends that organisations constantly review the actual work that needs to be done and re-engineer if required to accommodate changes such as automation.Irresistible HR? [26:26]Josh ask HR professionals to consider their own organisations in terms of the 7 management principles he outlines and 150+ real-life examples. He cautions against trying to copy other organisations but instead use the 7 principles he's identified as a guidebook and framework for change.Resources:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Irresistible-Secrets-Enduring-Employee-Focused-Organizations/dp/1646871103/ref=asc_df_1646871103/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=570351888204&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12895323841890157178&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006801&hvtargid=pla-1667581033821&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

Is 'Quiet Quitting' just a tik tok phenomenon or is it genuinely a coping mechanism for employees to protect themselves from the pressure of work?This week's guest argues that Quiet Quitting is a way for workers to moderate how much cognitively and emotionally they are giving to their working lives in order to remain healthy at work. Dr Maria Kordowicz FRSA is a Chartered Psychologist, Associate Professor in Organisational Behaviour and Director of the Centre for Interprofessional Education and Learning at the University of Nottingham. Dr Maria argues that the pandemic triggered a highly anxious state for many of us by putting us face to face with our own mortality and inevitably leading to us question what in life is most important to us.This is a fascinating and thought provoking interview that really unpacks our relationship with work.Is Quiet Quitting just a Tik Tok phenomenon? [01:27]Partly argues Dr Maria but since the pandemic many of us have been questioning our relationship with work therefore it's not surprising some individuals have decided to devote more time to other areas of their life.Are elements of Quiet Quitting good for the worker? [03:56]Yes says Dr Maria.  Quiet Quitting or reevaluating our relationship with work can be a copping mechanism that protects individuals from work becoming too invasive and all consuming.The link to a 4 day week? [08:13]Despite having her views described as 'snow flakey' in a national newspaper, Dr Maria is in support of initiatives such as the 4 day week as it allows individuals to think differently about  productivity and their contribution to society and not just about income and tax revenues generated.Are command and control cultures for the scrapheap? [12:33]Yes answers Dr Maria, she evidences this by referring to some research she carried out for the Prison and Probation service where a culture that was much more collaborative and egalitarian and focused on human thriving was much more positive than a command and control structure.The relationship between the line manager and the employee explored [16:00]Dr Maria points to her work in management and supervision and what sort of style and behaviours employees want their managers to display. Dr Maria reminds us that managers too  can suffer from burnout and therefore can also quietly quit.How can HR professionals overcome quiet quitting?Dr Maria recommends tending too the building blocks of the relationship and providing employees with the psychological safety to have an open dialogue in order to re-connect.Resources:https://ovenreadyhr.com/https://mariakordowicz.com/  

Workplace wellbeing continues to be a key theme for Oven-Ready.  Increasingly HR practitioners are devoting more of their time tackling a range of complex issues such as mental health provision for employee burnout and additional financial support for workers in financial stress.Recent research findings from financial services giant Legal and General's Group Protection business has revealed some stark results. The majority of UK workers surveyed believe that workplace mental health support should be mandatory, a worrying and distinct disparity between what employers and workers think are the key wellbeing priorities and unsurprisingly perhaps how financial stress is the top issue for workers right now. Joining me to discuss the Wellbeing at Work Barometer research is Jo Elphick the Marketing Director for Legal & General Group Protection and Mike Tyler, the Chairman and co-founder of Fruitful Insights who are experts in helping organisations design, execute and measure wellbeing programmes.Employee benefit programmes are complex and often misunderstood [04:44]Jo agrees and acknowledges that many organisations rate the effectiveness of their benefit and wellbeing provision, and the communication that surrounds it more highly than their workers do.  Jo gives the example around financial wellbeing whereby 86% of employers feel they are doing a good job, whereas only 48% of employees agree.Visibility of mental health programmes are key for younger workers  [06:50]Jo revealed that workers in the 18 - 25 category were far more concerned about visibility of mental health provision than older workers who were much more concerned about their 'relevance' in  an ever changing work landscape.How critical is it that the leadership commit to mental health provision [09:14]Mike argues that it's essential that leadership commit to mental health provision beyond that of just an app. He points to the fact where organisations have a culture of long hours or having a boss who sends emails late in the evening that require a response as situations than an app will not solve. Jo agrees with Mike's analysis and at [10:53] comments on the role of the line manager in overall wellbeing provision.Are Chief Wellness Officers joining the c-suite? [11:51]Mike agrees there is a trend in such a role being created but he says it takes more than a badge or title and references instead the Dame Carol Black report back in 2008 that recommended that organisations report on the health and wellbeing of employers in their annual reports.Wellbeing and hybrid working [17:43]Jo reveals that the research did look at hybrid and remote working and that the majority of workers who are able to have flexibility in their schedule were positive. Jo also reminds us thought that flexible working for most employees is not possible given the type of work they do.How do you measure the success of wellbeing programmes? [23:06]Mike argues that many organisations use the narrow spectrum of reduced absenteeism as a measure of success.  This he argues isn't always a reliable measure as it's difficult to establish absenteeism when many employees are working from home and if you reduce absenteeism you might just be filling up the office with non-productive workers.Resources:https://www.legalandgeneral.com/adviser/workplace-benefits/group-protection/https://www.fruitfulinsights.co.ukhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/joelphick/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockton/

Every Season on Oven-Ready I like to devote an episode that critiques HR.  Think of it as kicking the tyres, looking under the bonnet and occasionally applying the hand break when we look to be driving in the wrong direction.Neil Morrison is the Director of HR for FTSE100 water company, Severn Trent plc, where he is responsible for the HR function as well as the internal and external communications and marketing teams.Considered one of the UK's most influential HR leaders, Neil often delivers withering and scathing assessments of the professions obsession with self-serving and inward-looking debates such as working from home whilst seemingly ignoring the big issues such as maintaining employment, treating employees well and contributing to building successful organisations.Is HR fiddling whilst Rome burns? [08:20]I ask Neil if HR continues to focus on unimportant tasks whilst ignoring the big ticket items and he gives an unequivocal yes!  He said HR is obsessed with how many days people are working from home and gives a withering assessment of many HR practitioners current focus.Is HR right to bemoan a lack of c-suite influence? [11:16]Neil has no sympathy for HR practitioners who moan about not being at the top table.  It is HR's continued focus on process and not strategy that is often the root cause of this.Lancing the working from home boil [14:28]Working from home is largely irrelevant for vast swathes of the workforce as they are unable to perform their roles remotely. Neil believes the debate is largely centred on London and the South East of the UK and should not in his opinion be taken as the definitive answer on the future of work.Is HR too process driven? [19:26]Neil argues the starting point is to decide why the policy is needed in the first place. If it's there to help the employee understand how the business runs and how they the employee can be successful then its useful, otherwise you just end up creating constraints on people's common sense.How can HR be more loved by the organisation [21:44]Neil argues it's all about the mindset of HR and despite what the process might say, does this feel fair to the employee?  HR professionals have to have empathy otherwise we fall in to the 'computer says no' mentality.Resourceshttps://change-effect.com/about/https://ovenreadyhr.com/podcast-episodes/

In this episode I welcome back multi-award winning psychologist and bestselling author Gethin Nadin widely considered as one of the worlds leading employee experience influencers. Gethin has just published his new book titled A Work In Progress written in the long shadow of the pandemic and partly as an andidote to the hundreds of thousands of off-the-self wellbeing apps and services that organisations buy and the majority of which offer no discernible benefit to workers.A Work In Progress meticulously draws upon some 500 research papers and studies neatly bringing us back to the evidence based  fundamentals of wellbeing.  His book. I predict, will become an invaluable resource for organisations withing to understand and improve employee wellbeing.What's the underlying message from a A Work In Progress? [03:31]Wellbeing has become highly commoditised and has moved away from the fundamentals such as how organisations are structured and managers trained. Nadin wanted instead to concentrate on what employers can do in terms of wellbeing as opposed what to what can be purchased off-the shelf.Is there a definition of wellbeing? [05:00]Nadin reveals there isn't a universally agreed definition of wellbeing let alone workplace wellbeing. For him, it's about trying to achieve a balance between say between work pressures, family pressures and money pressures and giving individuals the resource to help manage the inevitable ups and downs life brings.How is job purpose and wellbeing at work linked? [08:20]Linked inextricably to wellbeing at work is the concept of job purpose. Nadin points out that the wellbeing market ignores the importance of purpose and community.Quiet quitting a genuine phenomenon? [13:24]A rejection of the hustle culture and my job is my life is perfectly understandable says Nadin and people should not feel shame for not wanting to work extra hours.I wish I could write a prescription for a better boss [17:00]Nadin says managers get bashed a lot and often unfairly as they tend to be appointed for their technical abilities rather than their coaching or leadership style.  Nadin outlines a different team structure with managers on the same level as other team members which he feels could work better - Managers as a Maitre D.The cost of living crisis and employee wellbeing [25:05]Nadin argues that employers will really need to get their heads around how to support employees with financial wellbeing concerns. At [26:54] Nadin expands further with financial wellbeing often seen as the most 'hidden' of the wellbeing pillars  and how it often affects those most on the margins of society.How should HR professionals use A Work in Progress? [34:14]Nadin hopes that his new book will appeal to HR and non HR people alike.  he has written it in a way that it's accessible to anyone who has an interest in workplace wellbeing and for budgets of all sizes.Resourceshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/gethinnadin/https://www.amazon.co.uk/Work-Progress-Unlocking-Sustainable-Organisations/dp/B0BGN8X8DQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=8IKEGWQ9ICP&keywords=gethin+nadin&qid=1665410258&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjAwIiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&s=books&sprefix=gethin+nadin%2Cstripbooks%2C43&sr=1-1 

What is the future for global city centres in this post-pandemic world?  Cities from Shanghai and New York to Singapore and London are still coming to terms with the fact that a significant % of the knowledge workers who used to commute 5 days a week are now spending part of the working week at home.  This new way of working has had a significant impact on city centre economies. So with the new rhythm of working, what do city centres and those responsible for their vibrancy need to do to ensure knowledge workers do spend money on the days they are in the office?Jace Tyrrell is the outgoing Chief Executive of New West End Company – the business partnership representimg Europe's largest and most prestiogious retail & leisure destination. His brief covered 600 businesses in London's West End with a property portfolio of £3.5 billion and an annual turnover of £10 billion, anchored on the world famous Bond Street, Oxford Street, Regent Street & Mayfair. Jace will be returning to his homeland to head up Australia's first Business Improvement District  known as (BID) as the inaugural Chief Executive of the New Sydney Waterfront Company. Sydney's Western Harbour is undergoing a $10bn (AUD) transformation this decade, and working with partners, his mission it to create the world's best waterfront in the greatest Harbour City. How many workers are back at their desks? [04:15]Jace agrees that the work from home debate has become highly politicised and somewhat split on the age profile of organisational leadership teams and that city centre environments will need to change to reflect this.What do cities have to do to attract workers back? [05:59]Jace says  there is no silver bullet to attracting workers back. Firstly organisations need to think about the office environment and its attractiveness. Secondly the environment in terms of dining, retail and leisure facilities play a big part and thirdly investment in infrastucture such as transport.Will offices have to become almost like an airport lounge or members' club? [10:12]Jace remarks the purpose of the office was being debated before the pandemic and tech companies have been designing offices this way for some time and incporporating gym and lifestyle facilities.Will the cost of living crisis affect city centre environments? [12:13]Relentless crisis management has defined board thinking for the last 3 years. Jace agrees that the energy cost crisis will present a huge problem for businesses and could impact on centres for years.What are business improvement districts? [17:35]Jace explains the purpose of business improvement districts a concept that is used in the US and UK and the role he will undertaking in Sydney's Waterfront transformation project.Which city transformation projects does Jace rate? [19:20]Jace is impressed with Singapore's digitisation and commitment to the environment, San Francisco's work to bring the whole bay area into the city space and London's outstanding cultural offering. He cites New York as having been very innovative in the past but remarks that the city's infrastructure requires investment and finally is impressed with Berlin's collaboration with artists in almost turning buildings inside out.What are the skills gaps in city economies? [22:04]Unsurprisingly Jace cites hospitality and retail as sectors where skills and workers are lacking and of course how Brexit too has impacted. At [22:43], Jace outlines the campaign that Westminster City Council and The Mayor's Office to attract 2000 local workers into the leisure sector.Resources:https://newsydneywaterfront.com.auhttps://www.newwestend.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacetyrrell/

The Brit School for performing arts and technology is perhaps the most creative environment on the planet.  Free to attend, inspiration for the school came from  the 1980's move Fame and the spin-off TV show.Brit School alumni are considered some of the most successful and influential artists of all time. From Adele and Amy Winehouse to Tom Holland and Leona Lewis. But The Brit School is more than just a school for performers.  Of equal importance are students studying film making, TV production, fashion, lighting design, radio and sound engineering – the entire creative industry eco system.Such is its global reputation for developing talent and creativity, organisations from around the world including Tim Cook of Apple have turned up in South London hoping to bottle some of the undoubted magic The Brit School possesses.  The relationship between creativity, talent and commercial success is one that ALL organisations are keen to understand.Stuart Worden has been the Principal of The Brit School for the last 10 years. This is a powerful, purposeful, inspirational and heart warming interview and one that I feel privileged to share with you. The Brit School clearly have created one of the world's finest organisational cultures allowing their students to achieve incredible success. What was the inspiration for the Brit School [02:21]Remember the 80's movie and TV series spin off The Kids from Fame noted for the students dancing on the tables during lunch? Yes, this was the inspiration for The Brit School.How does The Brit School define talent? [04:38]Stuart argues that talent is encouraged and nurtured and success is down to passion and application. After all, he argues no one is born knowing how to write a hit single.Are creative people inherently difficult? [10;17]Yes argues Worden they are but not in the sense of behavioural issues but creative people need to challenge norms and be rebellious to produce great work / lead social change.What can organisations learn from The Brit School? [11:34]Organisations from multiple sectors talk to The Brit School to ask how they too can develop their talent. Stuart explains why.The Brit School Values [15:29]Stuart explains the 5 key values  / pillars that underpins the school's drive for creative success and how if other organisations adopted them, creative success would also follow for them.Is ambition a dirty word? [18:11]Being considered ambitious in the UK can have negative connotations.  Stuart gives his view.Creativity as a super power [24:21]Creativity isn't mysterious Worden declares and he considers creativity as the super power that every organisation wants.Brit for Business [26:40]Stuart explains The Brit for Business concept whereby organisations can work with the school on developing their own creative and talent platforms.What can Adele and Amy Winehouse teach organisations? [38:04]Artists such as Adele and Amy Winehouse were successful because they could be themselves and were given the freedom to do so - working without fear.

Many of us are working at least part of the week remotely. So how do you work remotely and remain effective?  Well HR guru Gemma Dale has just published a book about remote working and here to share her expertise.Gemma is a lecturer in the Business School at Liverpool John Moores University as well as running her own business 'The Work Consultancy' where she focuses on policy development, flexible and hybrid working and wellbeing.  A charted fellow of the CIPD Gemma was one of the 'Most Influential Thinkers in HR' in 2021 and 2022.  Her recently published book “How to Work Remotely” and remain effective wherever you are is a hugely practical guide for those new to remote working as well as those who've been working this way for years. The brilliance of Dale's book is the way she also weaves pragmatic and thoughtful advice for managers and leaders who perhaps are struggling to adapt to this new way of working.Is the standard 8 hour day dead? [2:02]Dale argues that despite the pandemic offering us the opportunity to change the standard 8 hour day, a throwback to the industrial revolution, employees and employers have largely stuck to this routine.Is the hybrid genie out of the bottle? [4.05]Dale believes that we are unlikely to return to being full-time office based but she also argues that the benefits from hybrid working are not yet totally clear for example will it gives us the work-life balance or autonomy we desire or will we end up in a worst of both worlds scenario.Autonomy Thwarting Behaviour [6:05]Policies such as employees must attend the office 3 days a week are Dale argues 'autonomy thwarting behaviour' as essentially the organisation has to see you working to believe you are working and therefore removing autonomy.Overcoming 'proximity bias' [09:35]We have a bias to those who are physically closest to us. We are much more likely for example to defer to someone physically present in a meeting than a colleague on a screen therefore the risk of favouring say people in the office over those working at home is a clear and present danger.What skills do managers need to manage remote teams? [13:18]Dale argues that managers being "intentional " is key to success. Recognising that those water cooler moments are not going to happen so being intentional and making sure you are deliberately checking in and communicating with your team.Where do we get remote or home working wrong? [22:57]Dale argues that remote working is deeply personal. What suits one person may not suit others. Additionally it also wrapped up in whether we're introvert or extrovert and how we work e.g. short sprints. Environment is also key; not setting up a proper working environment is going to make remote working much harder.Resources:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemma-dale/https://www.koganpage.com/product/how-to-work-remotely-9781398606111https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/https://ovenreadyhr.com

If you're a regular listener to Oven-Ready you'll know that we out together a couple of compilation episodes called Oven-Ready Reheated listening again to some of the key moments from the season's episodes.[00:39] William Tincup is the President and Editor at Large for Recruiting Daily, the number 1 site for recruitment news and opinion. I ask William if there is a pressure from employers for a return to the office in the United States.[02:56] In the first of two clips, Professor Sir Cary Cooper CBE , Professor of Psychology at Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester and the Immediate Past President of the CIPD responds to my question about the lack of soft skills training at business schools.[05:17] In this second segment, Professor Cooper reveals how flexibility can be introduced to the benefit of front line workers.[06:22] Staying with the soft skills theme, Dr Alex Young the founder of immersive learning specialist Virti and a former orthopaedic surgeon gives a direct response to the difference between a soft and a power skill. [08:18] Sandi Wassmer is the Chief Executive of the Employer's Network for Equality and Inclusion. In this clip, Sandi reveals what drives her to campaign for a more inclusive world.[10.52] I ask Steven Rothberg the Founder and Chief Visionary officer of College Recruiter how interns should be rewarded for their efforts.[13:01] Emma Burrows, the head of international law firm Trowers & Hamlins' Employment Department came on to the show to discuss the links between HR and a firm's ESG goals.  Here we talk about how employee wellbeing connects to the “S” or social in an ESG framework.

If you're a regular listener to Oven-Ready you'll know that we out together a couple of compilation episodes called Oven-Ready Reheated listening again to some of the key moments from the season's episodes. [00:38] Gethin Nadin is one of the world's top Employee Experience and Wellbeing Influencers. In the first of two clips, Gethin describes how the events of the past few years have had a profound influence on younger workers.[02:22] In this second segment, Gethin reveals how the cost of living crisis is changing the relationship between employer and employee.[03:19] I was discussing hybrid working with HR boardroom veteran, mentor and author Andrew Bartlow and how important it was for HR practitioners to help build a sense of community among disprsed employees.[05:19] I ask Chris Roebuck the honorary Visiting Professor of Transformational leadership at London's Cass Business School if as we're often told, HR should be the guardians of an organisation's culture?[08:43] The big experiment in the 4 day week is under way in the UK and I asked Charlotte Lockhart, co-founder of 4 Day Week global if as well as some employers resisting the concept, some employees find it difficult to accept to?[11:59] Stephen Bevan the head of HR Research Development at the Institute for Employment Studies responds to my question about how poor leadership and toxic work cultures undo wellbeing initiatives[13:58] For lovers of politics, the political scene in the UK continues to offer plenty of entertainment, but if we do change Government in the not too distant future, what will this mean for the world of work? In this clip, Justin Madders MP Labour's Shadow Minister for Employment Rights and Protections gives us his party's view on flexible working. Resources:https://ovenreadyhr.com 

In this episode, I examine the relationship between ESG – environmental, social and governance considerations and HR. Taking note of an organisations ESG factors is now commonplace for the investment community.  Today, it's not enough just to consider financial returns, investors increasingly are concerned a company's impact on the environment, the structure and make up of the leadership team and really since the pandemic, how businesses interact with their workers. Simply are organisations doing the right thing and being good ‘corporate' citizens?Emma Burrows is a partner and head of the Trowers & Hamlins' Employment department and has specialised in employment law for over 30 years. Headquartered in London, Trowers is an international law firm with 160 partners and more than 950 employees.What is ESG? [1:46]ESG is a simple matrix of criteria under 3 broad headings; 1. Environmental, 2. Social and 3. Governance goals, that go beyond the usual financial metrics that investors use when deciding to invest in an organisation.  Doesn't ESG interfere with making money? [3:17]Emma admits there can be at times a conflict between an organisations duty to maximise returns for shareholders and their ESG credentials, ESG after all takes investment in terms of time and resources. But she argues, having a happy workforce in itself helps organisations to make better financial returns.Isn't ESG just fairy dust and 'greenwashing? [4:17]Emma reveals there is evidence of some organisations 'greenwashing' - e.g spending more resources on marketing themselves as environmentally friendly than they really are, but she argues investors are wising up to this.So where does HR come in? [5:36]Employee voice really drives ESG because most employees want to work for organisations who look after their workers, act responsibly and pay taxes whilst minimising their impact on the environment. Therefore, Emma argues that HR has a key role to play from the very start of the ESG journey.ESG and the link to Talent [9:32]Emma explains that ESG is a valuable tool in an organisations armoury when it comes to attracting talent. In particular, GenZ and millennial workers will often evaluate an organisation's ethics and values when job hunting. Leadership should live ESG values [16.16]It's essential that leaders live their ESG values says Emma.  As she say's there is no point in having statements about diversity if for example the board is entirely male and pale!ESG and Employment Law [24:26]Emma believes that legislation to clarify modern employment relationships such as workers in the gig economy is long overdue.  She refers to Lord Hendy's Status of Workers bill (listen to Lord Hendy's Oven Ready episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1545991/9940334)Resources:https://www.trowers.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/https://ovenreadyhr.com

Summer internship programmes are common place and done right they provide valuable work experience to students or recent graduates keen to explore their chosen field.  For organisations, such programmes are an ideal source of potential or future talent and help burnish their employer of choice brand in the marketplace. However, such programmes need to be carefully designed and managed. Organisations must ensure their programmes are diverse and accessible to ensure individuals from less economically privileged backgrounds are given equal opportunities. Interns are also not to be seen as free labour and instead paid appropriately for the contribution they make and given genuine work experience.Steven Rothberg is the Founder and Chief Visionary officer of College Recruiter. College Recruiter is a global job search site connecting students and recent graduates with internships, part-time jobs, seasonal work and entry-level career opportunities.The 3Rs of Internships [01.54]Steven explains what goes into a great internship programme. He explains that employer must see interns as potential hires and failing to hire means the internship has, in his opinion, failed its purpose.The economically privileged Intern [03:56]I put it to Steven that internships in certain sectors such as the 3rd sector are really only open to economically-privileged individuals.  Steven argues that if the work has economic-value then the work should be financially rewarded.How about older grads and interns? [07:26]Steven explains that there is some evidence that older workers are now being more favourably considered for such programmes but there is still plenty of age-discrimination.How can new employees be more visible in the age of hybrid working? [15:16]Steven agreed that concerns around the lack of visibility for new joiners in a hybrid or remote working environment is valid.  However, although difficult it certainly isn't impossible and the measurement of success is outcomes based.Do graduates have developed soft skills? [23:00]Steven is very much of the school of thought that technical skills can be taught but soft or power skills such as critical thinking require intention to improve. He particularly sees this with the large global recruiters he works with who recruit a large % of graduates.The importance of mentors [28:26]Steven explains the importance of mentors to recent graduates and younger employees joining an organisation and gives his own experience of being mentored.Resources:https://www.collegerecruiter.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/https://ovenreadyhr.com

What does feeling safe at work really mean? Being accepted for our ‘whole selves' is a central theme of ED&I. It's a given that when, as employees, we are provided the psychological safety to being our whole selves to work we are more productive, more creative and happier.  We can also reveal our vulnerabilities and fears making us more rounded, understood and accessible to our colleagues. Sandi Wassmer is the Chief Executive of the Employer's Network for Equality and Inclusion or enei for short.Enei supports employers of all shapes and sizes from the Bank of England and Balfour Beatty to Primark and Pfizer, as they embark on their DE&I journey. In this interview, Sandi Wassmer  also describes her own experience of surviving discrimination. She lost her sight in 2008 and suddenly the world saw her and treated her less favourably. However, she credits this devastating blow as giving her renewed energy and enthusiasm to campaign with even greater zeal for a fairer more inclusive and equal workplace. What is enei? [01:47]Sandi Wassmer introduces enei explaining that it's a membership organisation that supports members on their DE&I journey by offering services such as training and consultancy grounded in the Equality Act 2010 and beyond. Isn't DE&I just a box ticking exercise? [02:44]As Sandi says, organisations have to start somewhere and she's comfortable with that. Organisations are at different stages in their evolution and if enei can support organisations move from just compliance with the Equality Act to using it creatively to boost their business that's great.Is there a link between DE&I and employee wellbeing [07:02]Sandi states the link is absolute. Being able to bring your ‘whole self' to work because you are working in a psychologically safe space is critical to emotional wellbeing.What is psychological safety? [08:19]An environment without fear or discrimination is how Sandi describes it. Being able to be who you are and being open with your colleagues. What can organisations do to foster a sense of psychological safety [09:20]It's a leadership thing! Leaders as the top of the business set the culture.  It's not about having policies and procedures. If DE&I is important to the leadership then it will be part of that organisations' culture. What is culture fit? [17:04]We discuss ‘culture fit' during the recruitment process and in particular the rejection of a candidate based upon ‘culture'. Sandi prefers to use the term ‘cultural contribution' which is grounded in diversity of thought and approach.  She considers the term ‘fit' as an almost historical term.What drives Sandi's zeal for equality? [20:40]In 2008, Sandi Wassmer lost her sight and suddenly the world was a very different place. With such a major change, came a period of grief and anger that slowly moved to acceptance.  This acceptance has led Sandi to discover as she describes the ‘person I always was inside'.  She describes this as her ‘integrated self' – the same person inside and out.Resources:https://www.enei.org.ukhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/https://ovenreadyhr.comhttps://buddyboost.co.uk

 A high-level of emotional intelligence (EQ) is increasingly being considered as a 'super power' by organisations. Technical or 'hard skills' are of course important, but if you're  managing others, having the ability to relate, empathise, communicate and understand the impact of your own behaviour on others is what will set you apart.Like technical skills, EQ or 'soft skills' can be developed and improved through learning.  But the problem has always been how do you get that learning to stick?  Meet Dr Alex Young. Dr. Alex Young is a former trauma and orthopaedic surgeon and the founder of Virti. Virti is a cutting edge technology learning business that uses tech like augmented reality to greatly improve employee engagement and EQ by focusing on human skills, such as empathy.What was the problem you were trying to fix? [01:52]Dr Alex reveals that during his time as an NHS surgeon he observed many colleagues who were technically very gifted but lacked what he describes as soft skills including leadership, decision making and communication abilities.  It was this lack of embedded soft skills training that often led to conflict or complaints affecting both the wellbeing of the individual and those around them.The explosion in wellbeing apps [06:10]Dr Alex argues that organisations that select off-the-shelf wellbeing apps for employees are probably wasting their money. He encourages leaders and HR managers to get to know their colleagues better and help design wellbeing interventions best tailored to that individual.Does the corporate wellbeing market need regulation? [08:03]Some national healthcare systems such as the NHS in the UK do have their own recommended ‘app store' whereby some wellbeing apps have been reviewed by medial professionals.  However, the situation is patchy and therefore the corporate wellbeing market does probably need regulation. The line manager / worker relationship [09.34]The thread that runs through much of how we feel about work is the relationship we have with our line manager. Dr Alex agrees and suggests that the pandemic has really had a negative effect on this relationship given many of the interactions have been remote. The advantages of using augmented reality in learning [14:15]Dr Alex explains why technology such as augmented reality is so effective in delivering soft skills training when compared to more traditional methods of learning.  Why do we have such an issue with soft skills in the UK? [15:57]According to Dr Alex, the UK is not alone with having a workforce lacking soft sills such as empathy, communication and leadership.  He suggests that part of this lack of skill can be attributed to the education system that is generally focused on exam results and the social class in which you are born. Are soft skills power skills or something else? [19:36]Dr Alex gives an amusing response to this question and laughs at some of the PR fluff attached to the descriptions. Should leaders reveal vulnerability? [21:50]Yes is the simple answer. Dr Alex argues that the paternalistic and militaristic view of leadership whereby leaders and managers didn't share their vulnerabilities is drawing to a close and there is a strength in sharing problems with your team.Resources:https://www.virti.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-f-young/https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/https://ovenreadyhr.comhttps://buddyboost.co.uk

The world of work has never been so volatile, uncertain and complex.  Seismic changes and trends that would normally take decades to emerge have followed one after the other!To make sense of where we find ourselves I'm joined by  world's preeminent authority on organisational culture and employee wellbeing. Professor Sir Cary Cooper CBE is the 50th Anniversary Professor of Psychology at Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester.  He is a founding President of the British Academy of Management and Immediate Past President of the CIPD. Among his many achievements, Professor Cooper is currently the Chair of the National Forum for Health & Wellbeing at Work.  In 2014 he was awarded a Knighthood by the Queen for his contribution to the social sciences.  I don't like my boss [04:17]Professor Cooper remarks that a significant driver of the so called ‘great resignation' was in part employee's dissatisfaction with their boss.  He think this has led some in HR about whether they have right managers or managers with the right skills in place. Sadly he feels too many organisations recruit solely on technical skills and not soft skills or EQ.What do we do about Millennials and GenZ workers? [06:03]Professor Cooper believes this generation of workers have a very different value set to their parents. Mis-characterised as ‘Snow Flakes' Professor Cooper argues that this ‘generation' don't feel entitled.  They're just not prepared to tolerate what their parents did. Is Jacob Rees-Mogg right about flexible working? [07:53]Not according to Professor Cooper. He goes onto give a withering assessment of the UK's perennial issue with productivity despite working some of the longest hours.  Hybrid working another way [9:20]What is HR's obsession with numbers of days at home or spent in the office? Professor Cooper takes us back to the psychological contract and tells us to look at this in a different way.  He says this isn't a big conversation, so why have we made it one?A new deal for blue-collar workers? [11:18]Many of those in the ‘professional classes' have enjoyed the ability to work flexibly but what about those jobs that cannot be done from home? Professor Cooper recommends that a new deal such as a 4 day week or a variation of created to allow these workers some time off. Employee wellbeing is not about bean bags [15:33]Bean bags, sushi and ping pong is not employee wellbeing. Employee wellbeing is a major strategic shift. Professor Cooper highlights the NHS where every trust now has an non-executive director responsible for health and wellbeing. At [14:25], Professor Cooper argues for an NED responsible for health and wellbeing appointed to the board of every UK company whatever their size. Why don't business schools teach soft skills? [26:26]Business schools contrate far too much on teaching technical skills such as the key theories in HR, marketing and accountancy but in the main ignore more experiential leaning that gets individuals to understand their personality and the effect they have on others. Recruiting on the wrong skills [29:04]Attending a top business school or university isn't a guarantee an individual is going to be any good at managing others. Organisations need to look beyond the technical skills and assess instead an individual's interpersonal or soft skills. Professor Cooper believes the majority of managers/leaders can develop these skills and the ones that can't should not be allowed to manage anyone.Resources:https://www.linkedin.com/in/professor-sir-cary-cooper-4213909/https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/https://ovenreadyhr.comhttps://buddyboost.co.uk

We've had a white-hot recruitment market for some time now and I thought it was right to take the temperature again and see if it's still as hot as we're led to believe  - given the multiple issues we're facing not least the cost of living crisis. William Tincup is the President & Editor at large of Recruiting Daily the world's number 1 online site for recruitment content.  William is at the intersection of work and technology. He's a writer, speaker, advisor, consultant, investor, podcaster & storyteller. William serves on the board of 20+ HR technology startups and he's been writing about HR and Recruiting related issues for longer than he cares to disclose!Do technological innovations in recruitment benefit the candidate? [01:41]On the whole, no they don't says William.  He cites the number of 'chefs' in the recruitment 'kitchen' such as sourcers, hiring managers, employee branding, recruitment marketing etc. all of whom have influence in the hiring process and of course pay the cost of the tech so by and large the candidates are the 'ignored' constituency.The great resignation - lipstick on a pig? [04:10]Is the great resignation all that is seems to be?  William argues that as a society we haven't really understood the reasons why someone chooses now not to work - it needs as he says greater archeology and anthropology to get to real reasons.Are organisations using the cost of living crisis to exploit consumers? [08:56]William isn't convinced that cost of living crisis has been inflated by organisations seeking to recoup losses incurred during the pandemic.  He cites the oil industry who he believes are cynically using the conflict in Ukraine to drive prices up.Will the recruitment market stay white hot? [11:39]Depends entirely on the sector according to William. There are some inherent structural shortages such as there are not enough software developers to handle the software needs of today let alone tomorrow.Should employers help workers with the cost of living crisis? [16.35]Yes is the simple answer.  This is an opportunity for HR to engage on a deeper level with employees and provide solutions to help employees thrive in and out of work.  He reveals the movement towards 'daily pay' and innovative solutions that allows employees to trade holiday days for other benefits such as paying down student debt.Work-life balance is a con! [20:30]Tincup argues that work-life balance does not exist and never has.  He says it's work-life integration.  We discuss at length organisational culture and how some 'cultures' fit or don't fit but there are no bad cultures except those that are illegal.Gen zZ & millennials ask the right questions [24:11]We discuss why Gen Z and millennials are better as asking questions about work-life integration and what has given them the confidence to challenge the norms.The end of working from home? [26:39]The tech giants of Silicon Valley still operate a command and control culture where you have to be seen to be believed to be working. Tincup believes these firms are on the wrong side of history.Get comfortable with being uncomfortable [28:42]Radical Flexibility is going to be the default position and to attract talent and organisations are going to need to raise their game.Resourceshttps://recruitingdaily.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/https://ovenreadyhr.com

There are so many big employment and workplace stories at the moment.  From chaos at UK airports due to staff shortages and the raging work from home debate to planned strikes on the rail network and of course the fallout from 'partygate' at 10 Downing St! Added to that this week's narrowly  won vote of no confidence in the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson all adds to a sense of upheaval and uncertainty - hardly a welcome backdrop for any organisation.The political uncertainty is a timely prompt to start looking at what the world of work would be like under a Labour administration.  Justin Madders MP is Labour's Shadow Minister for Employment Rights and Protections. Justin is a former solicitor who specialised in employment law before being elected as the member of parliament for Ellesmere Port and Neston in 2015.  I start by asking the Shadow Minister his view on the impending National Rail strike.Who's to blame for the chaos at UK airports? [02:30]Justin Madders believes it's very convenient for the UK government to blame airlines and other travel providers for the chaos at UK airports. He believes government support was lifted far too quickly before the sector was back on its feet.Is Boris Johnson's unpopularity a gift to Labour? [04:10]Justin Madders accepts that whilst Boris Johnson's unpopularity is a gift for any opposition party, the national interest will be affected by paralysis and in-fighting amongst Conservative members of parliament, therefore the sooner the Prime Minister is removed the better.What will the Downing St culture be like under Sir Keir Starmer? [05:39]'Partygate' has highlighted the dysfunctional culture at the heart of government.  I ask Justin Madders what sort of workplace culture Sir Keir Starmer would instigate if he were the Prime Minister?What are the key elements of Labour's Future of Work plan? [06:39]Justin Madders explains the key pillars than underpin Labour's future of work plan.  The plan is designed end the precarious nature of employment that many workers face and provide well-paid jobs and a level-playing field for all employers.What's happened to Lord Hendy's Status of Workers bill? [08:35]Justin Madders explains why he isn't confident that the Government will support Lord Hendy's bill.Do we need more collective bargaining in the UK? [11.57]Yes is the simple answer and in Labour's plan there is a desire to move towards more sectorial collective bargaining / fair pay agreements.What's happening with the P&O dismissals? [15:40]Justin Madders is keen that the Government maintains pressure on P&O in light of their sacking of hundreds of workers without consultation and notice.The working from home debate [20:13]I ask Justin Madders for his view on the working from home debate.  Is WFH just a blip?Resourceshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/https://ovenreadyhr.comhttps://labour.org.uk/people/shadow-cabinet/https://www.justinmadders.com

In this episode of Oven-Ready HR I talk to Stephen Bevan who is head of HR Research Development at the Institute for Employment Studies about why many employee wellbeing initiatives on their own fail to have the required impact. Stephen has almost 40 years of experience in the field of HR research with highly sought-after expertise in workforce wellbeing, performance, and productivity. Stephen has numerous publications on health at work to his name. And he was an expert witness to a review of NICE guidance on workplace mental health, which was published in March of this year. He has recently published a book with Professor Sir Cary Cooper, entitled The Healthy Workforce, Enhancing Wellbeing and Productivity In The Workers Of The Future.We're measuring the wrong wellbeing outputs [03.20]Although lots of organisations have created a suite of wellbeing benefits such as healthy meals and subsidised gym memberships, most employers measure the wrong output.  Instead of measuring how many workers take-up the benefits, organisations instead to measure the impact these wellbeing interventions have on issues such as sickness and recovery time from illness. Interventions in isolation don't work [07:08]Stephen argues that interventions such as mental health first aid whilst useful are often used in isolation and therefore have limited overall impact. Instead, employers need to look at more complex issues such as job design, the quality of line management and employee workload.  Without looking at these issues, you'll end up back at square one!Isn't a bit of stress good for performance? [09:11]Well up to a point. Stephen argues that those employees who have a certain amount of control and autonomy over their work will tend to cope better with stressful situations than those who have little or no control and essentially at the mercy of their line manager.How to create high-performance work practices [10:36]Research has shown that managers who trust employees and assist them by securing more people or other resources and provide clarity for the employee together with plenty of autonomy are more likely to create a happy and fulfilled workforce who will perform better. Stephen argues that stress is a very poor motivator of performance despite what some managers believe. So where should you start if you want to create a wellbeing culture? [15:23]Stephen starts by saying don't rely on eye-catching interventions and instead look at systemic changes such overall culture, the quality of line management, job design and the demands placed upon people.  Stephen argues there is a golden triangle of wellbeing, performance and employee retention. Should HR be in charge of employee wellbeing? [20:42]To a point. The biggest influence is the line manager and therefore HR need to be supporting the line manager which in a hybrid working world is a challenge. Additionally Stephen cites Occupational Health professionals. However, Occupational Health is more than simply patching people up and sending them back to work, but instead looking at the ‘preventative' measures such as alleviating workload pressures so that employees aren't overwhelmed in the first instance.Resourceshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/https://ovenreadyhr.comhttps://www.employment-studies.co.ukhttps://www.employment-studies.co.uk/staff/stephen-bevan

In this episode of Oven-Ready HR I take a closer look at an innovative employment model that's growing in popularity around the world.  The 4 Day Week is a reduced-hour working model, which seeks to prioritise working smarter to produce better business productivity and positive employee outcomes such as employee retention, engagement and reduced absence levels.Joining me to discuss this growing work-trend is Charlotte Lockhart, co-founder of 4 Day Week Global – a not-for-profit community for those individuals and organisations keen to explore new ways of working. Charlotte herself is a business advocate, investor and philanthropist. She's on the board of the  Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford University and the advisory boards of the US and Irish campaigns for the 4 Day Week. How does the 4 Day Week Work? [01:15]Charlotte explains the principle behind the 4 Day Week. Workers are paid 100% of their wages for only working 80% of the time whilst providing 100% productivity. The idea is to reduce the amount of work time by focusing on productivity. After all if productivity is maintained why should pay be reduced? How do businesses boost productivity? [02:11]Boosting productivity is notoriously difficult. Charlotte explains that within a business environment, the answers are found in the micro-environment; for example how many widgets are produced, how many meetings are called but most importantly work with your employees as they will help you identify time-saving efficiencies. Are some employees resistant to change? [07:11]Charlotte explains that there are always employees who confuse productivity with being ‘busy' but as she says “busy is not productive” and working 80 hours a week is not a badge of honour. She goes on to explain that millennials and the generations that follow view work in a different way and don't want to work the hours their parents did. Can the 4 Day Week work across all sectors? [20:00]Yes is the simple answer.  Charlotte gives an example of a bus company in New Zealand where one of the routes operated attracts very few passengers but is convenient for the company to use.  Her argument is that if you talk to your workers and your customers efficiencies can be found that won't affect the level of service. At [23:01], Charlotte further explains that it's dangerous to assume that no sector couldn't benefit from revieing the way work is structured or organised. Meetings are the enemy of productivity [24:21]‘No Agenda No Attender' is the mantra Charlotte quotes when it comes to meetings.  She explains the changes she made at her own firm to reduce time spent on these fruitless interactions. She further illustrates how people eating lunch at their desk and the use of open plan offices has a detrimental effect on individual productivity.Resourceshttps://www.4dayweek.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlottelockhartnz/https://ovenreadyhr.com

Why can't managers manage?This week I turn my attention to the quality of management in organisations or perhaps the lack of it.  Are good bosses as rare as hen's teeth? Without fail, poor management is one of the top, if not the top reason we leave organisations.  Why can't managers manage?Chris Roebuck is the honorary Visiting Professor of Transformational leadership at London's Cass Business School. A former serving military officer, Chris is also former global head of Leadership at HSBC Investment Bank and UBS.  Whilst at UBS, the work that Chris and his team delivering success through people became a Harvard Business Review Case Study.Speaking truth to power [5:33]A fundamental element of an open culture is the ability for employees to tell managers the truth.  Workers who are frightened of delivering bad news or news they don't think managers want to hear can lead to catastrophic events such as the Boeing 737 Max disaster and BP's Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010.Changing workplace culture [09:14]Chris argues that even if the c-suite are committed to changing an organisational culture, the message often gets diluted as the message filters down.  Managers are often distracted by their own operational issues. Many people argue this is because communications say in a global business are complex. Chris disagrees and points to a 50 year old communications framework published by the Industrial Society (since rebranded as The Work Foundation) called 'Team Briefing' that provides the fundamentals of good communication that he believes far too many organisations ignore.Should HR be guardians of organisational culture? [13:16]No is the simple answer. The C-Suite are the guardians of the culture along with other leaders in the organisation.  HR are their to facilitate and support.  If leaders and managers abrogate their responsibility to HR, the leader is just passing the buck.  The employee relationship rests with the line manager and it's the line manager who needs to do the talking.Why don't business schools teach leadership skills? [17:20]I ask why business schools seem to be so poor at teaching soft skills. Chris responds saying this sort of training is seen as old fashioned and unimportant and business strategy is the sexy stuff.  Chris provides some startling statistics that underline that managers are ill-equipped to to deal with overwhelming majority having never received any management training in for example effective delegation.What lessons can be learnt from military training? [21:28]Chris is a veteran of the world-famous Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He comments that Sandhurst and other military academies around the world don't even talk about strategy until the officer cadets are skilled in the basics such as time management, prioritisation, communication, giving feedback and delegating to others.  These he feels are valuable lessons managers in the civilian organisations should be taught.Does effective management equal better team productivity? [23:59]Chris suggests that it is basically impossible to draw a direct correlation between management performance and the performance of teams or individuals as its impossible to isolate this one variable.  However, he quotes plenty of statistics that  demonstrates that employees who are managed by an effective and inspirational manager will drive bottom line performance.What's the one thing that defines a good boss? [34.33]Chris reveals the single leadership quality that he says is mentioned time and again when hew asks audiences to describe the best manager they ever had.Resourceshttps://ovenreadyhr.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/https://chrisroebuck.livehttps://www.lancaster.ac.uk/work-foundation/

Regular listeners to the Oven-Ready podcast will know I frequently cover the more 'humanistic' side of HR.  I regularly interview guests on topics such as employee engagement, organisational culture and purpose and wellbeing. These are all of course hugely important to HR practitioners but in this episode I wanted to discover what the executives of the 'C-Suite' are focused on and whether HR as a function is on the same page.Andrew Bartlow, this week's guest suggests in many instances we're not on the same page at all. He argues HR's focus is often on 'HR Stuff' instead of 'Organisational Stuff'. Andrew is a veteran of both HR and of the boardroom.  He's participated in 11 M&A transactions, numerous business scale-ups, countless IPO and Private Equity exits and as HR lead for a real estate start-up business that became a $14 bn listed firm, he certainly knows his 'stuff'.  His expertise is widely sought with Andrew mentoring a number of HR leaders. His 25 years of HR experience  also led him to co-author 'Scaling for Success' a book the provides an HR framework for high-growth companies.HR is a servant [01:39]Andrew argues that HR is really good at giving 'customer service' to the organisation. We're eager to please and at every stakeholders beck and call but is that he states showing leadership?Advocating for the business as a whole [3:35]HR tends to be guilty of navel gazing. We tend to work on HR things that matter to HR as opposed to seeing a bigger picture and working on things that will benefit the organisation as a whole.Employee engagement is all a bit squishy [10:21]I mention to Andrew about how important it is for HR to build a sense of community and focus on employee engagement.  Andrew doesn't really buy that. Employee engagement for example is all a bit squishy, HR is again focusing on the humanistic element as opposed to driving business performance.The wellbeing 'air quotes' [13:34]Andrew suggests that wellbeing may be important to the organisation right now but is HR working on that at the expense of other goals such as role clarity and management training which the company also may require.Merging two cultures [17:20]Andrew discusses at length how you merge two different business culture that have come together because of a merger or takeover and cautions against the 'usual' go to slogan of bringing together the best of both worlds.HR practitioners need to wear their 'business' lenses [23:22]Andrew recommends that HR leaders out away their HR lenses and wear business lenses instead to trust understand what your organisation needs right now.Resourceshttps://ovenreadyhr.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scaling-Success-Priorities-High-Growth-Organizations/dp/0231194447https://www.seriesbconsulting.com/about-us

In this episode of Oven-Ready HR host Chris Taylor talks to author, speaker, psychologist Gethin Nadin.  Gethin is one of the world's top Employee Experience and Wellbeing Influencers.  Gethin' work has been featured in the FT, Forbes, Guardian and The Huffington Post. Gethin is also Chair of the UK Government-backed Engage for Success Wellbeing Thought Action Group and a fellow at the RSA.How many pillars of wellbeing are there? [01:33] Gethin says a lot of organisations struggle with this but he believes s that there are broadly 5 pillars of wellbeing and these are:1.     Physical wellbein2.     Financial wellbeing3.     Emotional wellbeing4.     Community wellbeing5.     Leisure wellbeingGethin recommends that organisations think about wellbeing in these five broad terms and to move away from ‘buying' off the shelf wellbeing products where he believes many organisations get it wrong.Why should organisations be concerned about wellbeing?[03:30]Gethin argues that there is compelling evidence that organisations who commit to employee wellbeing benefit from increased profits and shareholder returns.  When an organisations is seen to care for its employees, employees perform better in terms of improved customer service, their productivity increases and they produce better outcomes.  Gethin states that employee wellbeing is an investment in people.How much of the wellbeing tech is evidenced based?[12:49]Gethin estimates that there are some 400,000 wellbeing apps available for download but warns that the majority of this technology is scientifically unproven despite some of the technology being recommended by healthcare organisations such as the NHS in the UK. Gethin goes on to warn that some of the available apps could actually cause harm by creating a sense of over-reliance and self-diagnosis by the individual.  So he cautions organisations against putting technology based solutions in front of employees that lack the necessary scientific rigour and evidence.What is Psychological Reactance?[19:40]Gethin explains the terms Psychological Reactance the term used to describe human behaviour when we're told something that we feel threatens our freedom.  Gethin explains that messaging surrounding health and financial wellbeing often fail because organisations use ‘negative associations' as opposed to ‘positive' ones.  He gives an example of retirement planning where positive messages such as dining out and holidaying regularly once retired are much more successful. iEmployee Burnout and toxic work cultures[26:19]Gethin states that having work-based friends is effective in employees not feeling isolated or alone at work. Gethin argues that employee ‘burnout' is most likely to be caused by poor organisational design and structure and quotes recent research to back up this claim.  A lack of autonomy, not feeling appreciated, a lack of direction and unrealistic deadlines all contribute to burnout.  How do I start a wellbeing strategy?[38.27]Gethin outlines the very first steps an organisation needs to undertake when embarking on an employee wellbeing journey.  The steps include asking why are we doing it and what do we hope to get out of it whilst at the same time keeping the employee front and centre.Resources:https://www.hellobenefex.com/about-us/our-team-leaders/https://www.linkedin.com/in/gethinnadin/https://buddyboost.co.ukhttps://ovenreadyhr.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/

So if you're a regular listener to Oven-Ready you'll know that at the end of each season we put together a couple compilation episodes called Oven-Ready Reheated looking again at some of the themes and best bits. Season 4 of the show has been hugely popular with some fantastic interviews so thanks again to all of my exceptional guests. Remember all of the seasons shows are available at ovenreadyhr.com or wherever you get your podcasts but here are some tasty appetisers: Radical Candor is the management philosophy developed by Kim Scott based on caring personally but challenging directly. I asked Kim to tell me the inspiration for her approach: David Hieatt, the co-founder of Hiut Denim talked to me organisational purpose and also his approach to finding talent.In the first of two segments, author, entrepreneur and thinker Julia Hobsbawm came on to the show to discuss her new book The Nowhere Office, here she explains why she believes the Monday-Friday working week is history. In this second segment, Julia Hobsbawm reveals why she thinks HR need to kill some ‘darlings'.Andrew Bazeley from the Fawcett Society – the UK's leading charity campaigning for gender equality and women's rights explained why they are asking for the salary history question to be banned.I ask entrepreneur Alex Kruger if he was in anyway proud of ‘Grace' the funeral start up business he founded and later closed.I ask HR advocate and speaker Tracie Sponenberg if she feels that HR leaders have a sit at the board table.It has been 25 years since Professor Dave Ulrich coined the phrased HR Business Partner.  In our interview title is it time kill off the HR business partner role? Author, futurist and Consulting Partner at HR Curator, Dave Millner gives an assessment on why firms seem to be appointing non hr professional to senior HR roles. That's it folks – Season 5 of the show will return in May 2022. If you have themes or stories you'd like me to cover then I'd love to hear from you – get hold of me at ovenreadyhr.com.Resources:https://ovenreadyhr.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/Twitter: @OvenHrhttps://www.personneltoday.com

So if you're a regular listener to Oven-Ready you'll know that at the end of each season we put together a couple compilation episodes called Oven-Ready Reheated looking again at some of Season 4's themes and best bits. Season 4 of the show has been hugely popular with some fantastic interviews so thanks again to all of my exceptional guests. Remember all of the seasons shows are available at ovenreadyhr.com or wherever you get your podcasts from but here are some tasty appetisers: Paul Nowak, Deputy General Secretary of the UK's Trades Unions Congress explains how the media characterisation of a them and us relationship between unions and employers is unhelpful.  Paul also tells me how he started his trades union journey. The jobs market is apparently white hot so I sat down with Nick Croucher the lead UK partner for global HR search and recruitment firm Frazer Jones.  In this segment, I talk to Nick about the trend to appoint non HR practioners to senior HR roles and whether professional HR qualifications are  really worth it. Lord Hendy QC widely acknowledged as one of the UK's leading experts in employment law has recently introduced his own bill called the Status of Workers Bill to simplify the UK's confused position on who is and isn't an employee,  His bill will also extend  employment protections to millions more of the country's most vulnerable workers. In this segment, I put it to Lord Hendy that it's often confusing to establish if an individual is an employee a worker or something else!  In the following segment I ask Lord Hendy if his bill will raise costs for employers and I asked him if he thought this was a price worth paying? Sticking on the legal theme, I talk to Nick Hurley, Divisional Managing Partner in the employment practice at Charles Russell Speechleys about expected developments in UK employment law.  Here Nick explains a little more about the Governments pledge to make a request for flexible working a right from the get go. Thanks to interventions from individuals such as Michele Obama in the US and TV personality Davina McCall in the UK, the menopause at long last has been recognised a major work place issue.  I turned to Anne-Marie Yates and DR Lynne Green from Kooth, the UK's longest established digital mental health provider to share both their own experiences and what enlightened employers should be doing. First up Anne Marie explains why she thinks we're now having a proper conversation about the menopause.  Dr Lynne then explains why she believes employers have a moral duty to consider the impact of the menopause on women in the workplace. If like me you're constantly checking your phone you might benefit from a digital detox. Hector Hughes co-founder of the digital detox business Unplugged explains how his customers feel when they emerge from one of his digital detox cabins having been separated from their devices.A final compilation of the last 7 interviews of Season 4 available next week.Resources:https://ovenreadyhr.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/Twitter: @OvenHrhttps://www.personneltoday.com

In this episode of the Oven-Ready HR with Chris Taylor, our guest is Dave Millner. Dave is an organizational development and design consultant with over 30 years of experience, specializing in employee engagement and experience strategies, workforce frameworks, executive coaching, and HR and digital transformation initiatives. Today, David talks about David Ulrich's HR Model Template, the critical role HR Plays in the company, and how he wants to reinvent the HR Business Partner Structure.  The HR Model Template [04:05]  There are many problems surrounding role design and business expectations, and David Ulrich's HR Model template was never intended to be cut and pasted into an organization. It was a suggestion to assist you in designing the function and role that would serve as the main point of contact for the HR community. As a result, these difficulties are causing a slew of problems. The HR Strategy[05:51] A strategy is a promise given by a company's executives to its stakeholders, including shareholders, customers, employees, regulators, investors, and analysts. The strategy attempts to determine where the organization's budget and funds should be invested to maximize the return on investment and satisfy the organization's targets, growth, KPIs, and scorecard measures. [07:06] Human resource business partners can be extremely beneficial. They can advise and challenge; They should be looking ahead and devise a hybrid model in targeting their objectives. It is a strategic viewpoint in which a manager or leader is removed from day-to-day operational issues and encouraged to think in new ways. HR as a Power Station [11:59] Leaders want HR to be a force to be reckoned with. They want HR to be a part of the decision-making process, advising on which goals to prioritize and a strong future focus on technology, analytics, and design that allows business partners to function as trusted thought leaders in their responses. Finite VS Infinite Resources [13:23] We need to think about technology differently, what it can accomplish for us, and stop focusing solely on cost. In return, the income, profitability, and added value are endless, These are the areas where we should endeavor to make a difference. While it is admirable to aspire to something, we must first have an aspiration or vision to create change. We need to adopt a new paradigm in terms of how we work, interact, and communicate with our internal clients and customers. HR Competencies [15:39] Human resources professionals must have a good understanding of financial management and other related topics. You do not need to be a finance expert to work in this field, but you should know it. Keep an open mind and learn about your competitors' current recruitment practices and career advancement strategies. You must understand the organization's strategy, which means reading the document and understanding the plan's interdependencies. You must be organized and able to finish tasks. You must have an opinion on everything. [23:19] Over the last 25 years, there has been a push to demonstrate the value of what human resources do; you can't just rely on HR to tell you what to do. We'll need to develop business cases to demonstrate why and where we're going. One thing to keep in mind is that this isn't about transforming HR professionals into finance or data scientists; rather, you'll need a better understanding of the company's business and commercial issues, as well as a much more data-driven approach to viewing and dealing with your customers. Dave's Reinvention [31:09] Dave Millner reinvented HR business partners. Withi

Every Season of Oven-Ready I like to talk to an HR leader that's actually doing the job.  Yes it's great to learn about the high level developments and challenges in the profession and in the wider business but for Oven-Ready to remain grounded it's great to talk to individuals on the front line.In this episode of the Oven-Ready HR with Chris Taylor, our guest is Tracie Sponenberg. Tracie is an Executive leader focused on aligning people strategy with business strategy at privately held or private equity backed businesses experiencing growth. She is the Chief People Officer of the Granite Group, an award-winning, third-generation family-owned business, and is a Keynote Speaker on HR, Technology, Leadership, and Branding. Today, Tracie talks with us about the true meaning of being a Business Leader Specializing in People.“A Business Leader Specializing in People”[01:25]Working in HR did not represent Tracie anymore. It diminished the power of HR and her work. Throughout her career, she became a people-specializing business leader. Her work prioritizes advocating for people.Building Confidence[03:31]Confidence just came to Tracie. She was just looking at things around her that she could not be a part of. Seeing those things gave her a conscious shift in her mindset that developed into a growth mindset. She then realized that her world and network were small, and she decided to get intentional about expanding that. Eventually, she became comfortable with reaching out and talking to other people.Is HR a lonely Profession?[06:22]HR doesn't need to be a lonely profession. But by nature, it is. Many HR practitioners are the only HR practitioner in their company. That can be a lonely place, and you're holding a lot of confidential information.Although, with larger organizations, HR can cave better support networks.The 21st Century HR Practitioner[10:04]The modern HR Practitioner combines a deep understanding of business, technology, having that foundational HR knowledge, and making sure you're embracing vulnerability and empathy and a growth mindset. Run everything through a lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and making sure that that's woven into the fabric of your company. Then be bold, courageous, and stand up for yourself and your people.Can you get into HR Positions without prior HR Background?[13:17]Companies filling the Senior HR Positions with people who don't have an HR Background can be seen as a bad thing. You don't need to have a foundational background to lead HR or be a strategic HR leader. If you are leading with empathy, you're leading with vulnerability, and you are a strong people leader. You have some foundational knowledge. It's a wake-up call for those practicing HR in a tactical way and not a strategic way.The Gen Z Expectations[20:06]Everybody wants the same things. People want to feel valued, and they want feedback. The generations coming in now are willing to voice that, and they're not willing to stand for companies. They're demanding and prioritizing change and improvement. That forces companies to design their culture and design their jobs for people instead of expecting people to fit into a box.Tracey's Agenda as an HR Leader[26:24]In addition to balancing everything in the company, Tracie and her company hired new talents in their way. They brought in a manager that took charge of building a learning path for every single position. They also did foundational work that became beneficial for the company.  Learn more about Tracie Sponenberg:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traciesponenbergWebsite: https://traciesponenberg.com/

In this episode of the Oven-Ready HR with Chris Taylor, our guest is Alex Kruger. Alex is the founder of Grace, the $2 Million Funeral startup firm. Grace is believed to be successful with money, but not in terms of its purpose. In my conservation with Alex, he shares the importance of a company's purpose and its role on the employees.Grace as Uber but for Cremations[01:49]At the age of 25, someone approached Alex and encouraged him to start a company  that involved funerals. What attracted him to agree is that he's going to be the CEO of that company.[02:52]Upon establishing the company, they went through a lot of ideas. The first one was closing accounts of those who passed away, basically handling the admin side of death. The most interesting idea that they've encountered is being a one-stop-shop where they will be handling the actual person by body logistics, cremation, and etc.Is it difficult to find hires?[10:13]Alex mentioned that it was difficult to find hires because of what they sell. There is a lot of competition from other businesses. People would rather do something else than what they were doing. They would also prefer work that allows you to separate your personal and professional lives. They can't do that in this industry because they need to fix the dead's papers so that their cremation can take place right away.The Death Knell of the Company[11:19]Towards the end of the company, both Alex and his co-founder realized what they learned while operating the company. They decided to give up and thought it was no longer worth continuing. They were earning, but they were also losing money. Nevertheless, this company brought them a sense of fulfillment.  A Company's Purpose[16:49]Alex has no prior experience working for large corporations. Following Grace, he spent time reflecting on who he is, his motivations, and what brings him joy. He believes that in a small company, there is a better chance of finding people who can put the company's mission, vision, and goals into action. However, large corporations such as Amazon and Facebook are not the same. There will be a low likelihood of having employees who care about the company's goals.[18:59]Alex believes that when you grow into a certain size in a company, you might lose it. Although, there must still be a way to maintain that thinking. When a person is treated better in a company, they would be working for you well.Advice as an Entrepreneur[22:29]Your business shouldn't revolve around money. There are a lot of ideas out there that you can do for your business. Make sure that whatever you're starting connects with something that intrinsically motivates you more than virtually anything else.What is Alex Currently Doing?[24:43]Alex manages an interim CMO agency with only himself and a team of eight contractors. They often conduct zero-to-one marketing. After that, Alex spent around a fourth of my time doing nothing else. Writing is something he could do for hours. But he tries to spend his time on marketing execution and implementation. Learn more about Alex Kruger:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amkruger/Twitter: https://twitter.com/krugersaysInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kroogz/

Andrew Bazeley joins Chris Taylor on this episode of the Oven-Ready HR podcast. Andrew started working at Fawcett in 2016. He works on a variety of issues for which Fawcett advocates, developing research proposals, developing policy based on that evidence, and advocating for change as a leader on our public relations team. Today, he discusses the factors that contribute to unequal pay for women, people of color, disabled people, and people of race.The Fawcett Society[00:34]The Fawcett Society was founded in 1866 by politician Dame Millicent Fawcett to promote women's suffrage. Today, society is defining and leading the debate on crucial workplace problems such as pay fairness, the development of women of color, minimizing the impact of menopause on women's capacity to stay in the workforce and rise to senior leadership posts, and incentivizing companies to refrain from asking about previous and future compensation expectations throughout the recruitment process.[01:43]The Fawcett Society has around 4000 members and is the UK's premier gender equality charity. They collaborate to enhance women's rights at home, school, and work. We can trace the history back to Millison's original petition in 1866 and countless iterations since then. Since then, Andrew has fought for women's rights. Examining Rules[02:47]We must review whether existing rules provide adequate detail regarding business modifications to promote gender equality and how to enforce existing laws. [04:48]Afraid of the financial consequences, employers who have long underpaid women prefer to fight it on every possible technicality or method. Men in jobs like waste collection were paid far more than women in jobs like nursery nurses or adult social workers.The Wage Gap[05:38]Occupational segregation contributes significantly to the wage gap. A career that employs more women than men is often dismissed. These issues arise when a company hires a group of women who perform the same tasks as two males but are paid significantly less.Salary Disclosure[07:15]If questioned during an interview or the negotiating process for compensation proposals, you must mention your former salary or, if appropriate, your salary goals. Women, disabled individuals, and people of color who enter the workforce during recessions will start with lower wages, and they are followed because of their salary history issues.[08:30]Six out of 10 women polled felt it damaged their ability to negotiate. Thus, it lowers women's earnings by offering a lower anchoring point for negotiating. It also inhibits women from dealing, as we know that negotiating disadvantages women of color. As a result, their confidence is affected by their low starting point.The Equal Pay Legislation[09:55]There's the issue of equal pay legislation's influence. If you're an employer and you ask for previous salaries, you're taking a risk. You're setting yourself up for failure unless you're certain that your differences and offers are based on legitimate criteria.Job Discrimination[12:32] There is ample evidence that people of color, particularly women of color, face enormous job discrimination. In the Gen G double M study, people of color need to submit 1.6 times as many CVs as non-people of color to get a callback.[15:14]Pay disparities and the intersection of race and gender reveal significant disparities among women of color groups. Understanding the experiences of women of color is critical. That level of specificity is required to make meaningful statements about women of color. Andrew's team supports disclosing racial wage disparities. It should be informative enough for employees to learn from it.[18:26]Andrew's team distinguishes between the gender pay gap and

In March 2020, Millions of us left the office to begin a new way of working and work has never been the same since.  The debate about hybrid working continues to exercise the minds of many senior execs but is  hybrid working just a mere consequence of something much greater than about where we work but instead how we work, why we work and the culture and purpose of who we work for?My guest this week argues in her new book The Nowhere Office that we have a unique opportunity to reset the world of work and how we work in the future.  Julia Hobsbawm writes extensively about work culture, work-life balance, and the age of overload.  Julia is Chair of The Demos Workshift Commission and Founder and Chair of Editorial Intelligence. In 2021 she was listed in the HR Most Influential List. Her book The Simplicity Principle won Best Business Book of 2020 whilst Fully Connected was shortlisted for Management Book of the Year. In The Nowhere Office, Julia Hobsbawm draws upon history, cutting-edge research and data and extensive interviews with some of the world's leading workplace thinkers and philosophers looking at the social, cultural and political context of the changes in the workplace.  For the HR profession, the challenge is immense and if as Julia describes HR as the 'undernourished bullied child of the c-suite', what future does the profession have if it fails to respond to the world of The Nowhere Office.In this fascinating episode you'll discover:What does working in an office mean today?  The office used to be about the 'place' but now it's about so much more such as how we work and why we work;Julie describes the pandemic as the 'tipping point'.  Workers frustration with the world of work was already there and the pandemic became the agent of change;Some commentators have argued that hybrid working is great for the worker but the benefits are less clear for the organisations.  Julia disputes this view that if hybrid working is good for employees then surely that's good for the organisation;Her view on 'Peloton' Politics' and 'Flex Shaming'- and the media stories surrounding some senior government workers who've found more time for the exercises regime;How time has been called on offices being 'palaces of presenteeism';How existing management and leadership systems are not fit for purpose as evidenced by low productivity, absenteeism and toxic work culture;To be at the vanguard of future organisational life, HR needs to shed some layers and 'kill some darlings';At their worst, HR have been the enablers of 'terrible leadership' but redemption for JR is possible by championing 'social health'How the office of the future is likely to resemble a private members' club or an airline loungeResources:https://ovenreadyhr.comhttps://www.juliahobsbawm.com/https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/julia-hobsbawm/the-nowhere-office/9781529396522/https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/Twitter: @OvenHrhttps://www.personneltoday.comTell me me what YOU thinkTell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at chris@ovenreadyhr.comRate, Review & ShareIf you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!To listen to the full episode and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

The Hiut Denim Company Cardigan is a small town in Wales home to 4000 people.  400 of them used to make jeans. They made 35,000 pairs a week. For three decades. Then one day the factory closed. It left town. But all that skill and knowhow remained but without any way of showing the world what they could do.Meet David Hieatt. David is the co-founder of the Hiut Denim Company.  He started his business to bring denim manufacturing back to Cardigan and to use all that skill on his doorstep and to breathe new life into his town.  It's been a huge success. The firm's laser focus commitment to quality has seen it win legions of fans from rock stars to royalty.About David HieattDavid has always been passionate about building brands.  Aged just 13, David was already sending sports apparel brands marketing critiques; often travelling to London to attend trade shows and meet with marketing executives.  An early brush with bankruptcy, a successful career as a creative for the then leading ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi (despite being dyslexic), David then went on to be the founder of Howies, the outdoor and sports clothing brand that he sold to The Timberland Company.Getting A Town Back To WorkNot particularly motivated to start a new business, David's business plan for a new denim brand was put to one side.  Then one day, David received a call from a friend who asked him about his business plan. David explained that he wasn't motivated to start with the friend replying 'It's not about you David.  It's about getting the town back to work'. In this EpisodeI promise you'll learn more about organisational purpose, employee engagement, wellbeing, teamwork and community than you'll get from a hundred journals, blogs and articles.  How remarkable that it takes a non HR person to effectively communicate the very essence of what HR is about including:The clear business case for looking after your workers;Humble bosses get out of their employee's way;'Hire for hunger' - seek out geekiness and obsession when finding talent;Let employees create their own working patterns;Organisational mission is not just a statement, it's also a question;A job that has meaning is crucial for team success.Resources:https://ovenreadyhr.comhttps://hiutdenim.co.ukhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/Twitter: @OvenHrhttps://www.personneltoday.comTell me me what YOU thinkTell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at chris@ovenreadyhr.comOven-Ready SurveyThe show is a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29Rate, Review & ShareIf you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

When one of the world's most powerful women tells you that you sound stupid it's not going to be feedback that you're likely to ignore.  Whilst most of us would want to curl up and die of shame, Kim Scott took this verbal chastisement directly on the chin and it got her thinking about six of the most dreaded words you'll hear at work - Let me give you some feedback.What's wrong with feedback?Nothing inherently as it's supposed to be about embedding or improving behaviours and in every other part of our lives we readily ask for and accept feedback.  So what is it about feedback at work that get's us all defensive and uptight?  Why does feedback often trigger a fight or flight response?  Even when we say we 'value' direct feedback, we don't really mean it or accept it.  Why do leaders and managers get feedback so wrong?A radical approach to feedbackWelcome to the world of Radical Candor a management philosophy described by NBC News as one of 'techs hottest new management trends'.  Radical Candor at its core is providing guidance and feedback that's both kind and clear and specific and sincere.  So whilst you show that you care personally, you challenge directly.  Think of it as the sweet spot between between being aggressively obnoxious on one hand and ruinously empathetic on the other! Kim Scott is a former senior executive at Google and Apple and a CEO coach at tech firms such as Dropbox and Twitter.  She is the author of two bestselling books 'Just Work, how to root out bias, prejudice and bullying to build a kick-ass culture of inclusivity' and Radical Candor – be a kick ass boss without losing your humanity.In this episode you'll learn:How Sheryl Sandberg's direct feedback changed Kim Scott's life;The reason why most of us screw up when giving feedback and what to do about it;What Kim means about caring personally but challenging directly;Why managers and leaders are often left to work out how to 'manage' by trial and error;The ruinous effects of not challenging and providing direct feedback.A lively, entertaining and thought-provoking episode that will genuinely give you the confidence to provide feedback to get the outcome you want by saying what you mean.Resources:https://ovenreadyhr.comhttps://www.radicalcandor.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kimm4/https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/Twitter: @OvenHrhttps://www.personneltoday.comTell me me what YOU thinkTell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at chris@ovenreadyhr.comOven-Ready SurveyThe show is a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29Rate, Review & ShareIf you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

Why You Should Consider a Digital Detox!Technology to keep us connected has been indispensable in the last two years.  With so few opportunities to be able to meet family, friends and colleagues, technology has literally been a lifeline for both our mental and business health.  But there is a flip side – a dark side even.   Who hasn't become exhausted and disillusioned by endless Teams or Zoom meetings?  Who didn't feign a headache to avoid that family zoom quiz?  Who among us checks our smartphone as the very first thing we do when we wake up?I'm increasingly wondering if instead of technology being our servant, the relationship has switched and it's really us that's the servant, jumping to attention everytime we receive yet another notification and I thought I would so some research leading to my discovery that I suffer from Nomophobia!  What is Nomophobia?Nomophobia is a genuine anxiety disorder caused by separation from a mobile phone.  My symptoms include an increased heart rate, feelings of panic and an in inability to focus until I'm reunited with my device.  Maybe I need a digital detox? My guest this week knows all about a digital detox – in fact he's made it his business.  Hector Hughes is the co-founder of Unplugged. A start-up providing a digital detox at off-grid cabins an hour from city life.Journey alongside my guest and discover:The events leading up Hector's own burn out and the inspiration that led to Unplugged;What actually happens during an Unplugged experience!  Are you really separated from your phone?How important a digital detox is for our personal wellbeing;Why being connected 24/7 is fundamentally bad for our mental healthHow Unplugged offers a unique employee wellbeing experience that we could all benefit from.Resources:https://unplugged.rest/https://www.linkedin.com/in/hector-hughes-10082195/?originalSubdomain=ukhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/Twitter: @OvenHrhttps://www.personneltoday.comTell me me what YOU thinkTell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at chris@ovenreadyhr.comOven-Ready SurveyThe show is a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29Rate, Review & ShareIf you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

The menopause  - a workplace issueWho can be in any doubt that the Menopause is now being recognised as a major workplace issue?  Numerous reports and studies have been published looking not only at the financial cost of the Menopause caused by absenteeism and women having to leave the workforce early but more importantly the emotional cost paid by women who feel unsupported by their employer.  What is, after all, a natural part of ageing process has until now been largely ignored by employers and what has previously been described as 'women's issues' needs to be urgently recategorised.  The statistics are startling:More than 1 million women could be forced to leave their jobs due to the lack of support offered by their employer when experiencing Menopausal symptoms;A quarter of those women surveyed were unhappy in their jobs due to the lack of supportAlmost two thirds of women surveyed worked for an organisation without a formal Menopause HR policy.  Currently there isn't a law that requires employers to have a Menopause policy in the same way for example as required for maternity.Koru Kids / Research Without BarriersThankfully the intervention of public figures such as Michelle Obama in the US and TV personality Davina McCall here in the UK has provoked a national conversation.  The issue is also being debated at the heart of government with the creation of the UK Menopause Taskforce a body made up of ministers and clinicians from across the UK to increase access to treatment and ending the taboos and stigmas that still surround conversations about the menopause, including in the workplace.But as well as looking at the big picture, I wanted to listen and understand from individuals who have themselves been affected by the Menopause so I teamed with the folks from Kooth who are the UK's longest established digital mental health provider to provide real-life experience and context. Dr Lynne Green is Kooth's Chief Clinical Officer and a consultant clinical psychologist with 20 years NHS experience.   Anne-Marie Yates is Kooth's deputy safeguarding lead ensuring appropriate safeguarding processes across the business and is also leading on the suicide preventions strategy for the organisation.Journey with my two guests as they tell their own very personal stories on how the menopause affected both their physical and mental wellbeing and why they believe organisations have an overwhelming moral duty to have policies and support in place to provide compassionate leadership on this issue that affects so many women. Resources:https://work.kooth.comhttps://committees.parliament.uk/work/1416/menopause-and-the-workplace/publications/https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/Twitter: @OvenHrhttps://www.personneltoday.comTell me me what YOU thinkTell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at chris@ovenreadyhr.comOven-Ready SurveyThe show is a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29Rate, Review & ShareIf you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

Keeping up to date with UK employment law is a must for many HR professionals.  The events of the last couple of years have seen many organisations race to catch up with the new norms of flexible or hybrid working, toying with issues such as mandatory vaccinations and whether employees who are based at home and no longer visible, are actually being productive!  Put it this way, the situation has certainly kept employment lawyers busy!Joining me to dicusss the legal landscape is one of the UK's leading employment law experts.  Nick Hurley is a Divisional Managing Partner in the employment practice of leading international law firm Charles Russell Speechlys.   Nick is a prolific contributor to newspapers and journals, regularly lectures on employment law issues, has appeared on radio and TV and has contributed chapters to a number of books. He is a non-executive Director of the City HR Association and is recognised as a world leading practitioner in Who's Who Legal. In this episode you 'll discover:What organisations need to consider when encouraging workers back to the office;Some of the legal trends that have emerged since workers have been based from home;The thorny issue of whether organisations can mandate vaccinations for their employees;The 2022 employment law landscape including a law to prevent sexual harassment and changing the law surrounding flexible working making it the default position from day 1;Nick's opinion on the various employment law private member's bills in circulation including Lord Hendy's Status of Workers bill and Barry Gardiner MP ban the fire and rehire bill;The evergreen issue surrounding social media posts and how these can end up with employees in very hot water.Resources:https://www.charlesrussellspeechlys.com/en/https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-hurley-1b70111/https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2876https://ovenreadyhr.com/confused-about-uk-employment-status-lord-hendy-qc-has-the-answer/https://ovenreadyhr.com/stop-exploitation-of-gig-economy-workers-change-the-tax-system/https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/Twitter: @OvenHrhttps://www.personneltoday.comTell me me what YOU thinkTell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at chris@ovenreadyhr.comOven-Ready SurveyThe show is a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29Rate, Review & ShareIf you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

Employment Status in the UKAre you an employee, a worker, self-employed or something else?  Confusion surrounding the status of individuals at work has reigned for decades.  HR professionals  who have studied UK employment law will be very familiar with the judgement made in the case of Ready Mixed Concrete Ltd v Minister of Pensions [1968]; a case that continues to have huge influence in defining how individuals at work are treated today.  Matthew Taylor's review of modern working practices was published in 2017 and successive administrations have promised to bring forward an Employment Bill but the mood music on that has fallen eerily silent.  You can listen to Oven Ready's interview with Matthew Taylor here: https://ovenreadyhr.com/stop-exploitation-of-gig-economy-workers-change-the-tax-system/The Status of Workers BillWidely acknowledged as one of the country's leading experts in UK employment law, Lord Hendy QC intends to end this confusion once and for all with the introduction of his Status of Workers private member's bill currently on its 3rd reading in the House of Lords before making its way to the House of Commons.  Lord Hendy's bill seeks to create a universal status of 'worker' giving everyone in employment the same rights and protections and end the exploitation of the current system by organisations (many operating in the gig economy) keen to avoid both paying tax and their employment law obligations.This is a wide ranging interview with one of the UK's leading employment law experts and amongst other areas we cover:A detailed overview of the current UK employment status legislation and why the system is broken;How unscrupulous organisations have exploited the current system leading to the rise of bogus self-employment; in other words, individuals who have been stripped of the most basic of employment protections for financial gain;Lord Hendy's view on the conclusions and remedies in Matthew Taylor's report and why they don't go far enough;A passionate explanation of how employment legislation should operate in a wealthy and civilised country;Why the ban on 'fire and rehire' bill should be supported and his disappointment that the Government defeated it;Resources:https://oldsquare.co.uk/people/lord-hendy-qc/https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2876https://ovenreadyhr.com/stop-exploitation-of-gig-economy-workers-change-the-tax-system/https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/Twitter: @OvenHrhttps://www.personneltoday.comTell me me what YOU thinkTell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at chris@ovenreadyhr.comOven-Ready SurveyThe show is a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29Rate, Review & ShareIf you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

The Great ResignationReport after report (many authored of course by recruitment firms) suggest there is a considerable % of workers looking to change employers in the next few months.  But what about the HR and Talent profession?  Are we also resigning in droves and joining the great exodus?  And if we are, what HR roles are in big demand right now?Nick Croucher is the Lead UK Partner for global HR search and recruitment firm Frazer Jones.  Nick is very much an expert in HR recruitment having been recruiting in the sector since 2007.  His focus today is largely on executive and senior HR positions.We cover a fair amount of ground in this interview and if you're looking for a new gig, you'll want to listen to the full episode.In this interview you'll discover:Nick Croucher's predictions for the jobs market for those in HR and Talent and in particular how the reliance on 'domestic' HR talent has been a real challenge for recruiters operating in a global environment;How and why HR talent may have benefited more from this global crisis as opposed to previous crises such as global financial crisis of 2008.  Has HR finally got its seat at the table?How social movements such as Black Lives Matter and others societal changes have encouraged CEO's to lean in closer to their HR teams;How hybrid working has moved from being a 'desire' to being 'essential' for candidates seeking a new role;What HR roles are really in demand right now and what makes a great candidate;What really makes a good recruiter and how recruitment has changed and is much more community focused;Nick's opinion on the trend to appoint non HR professionals to senior HR positions;Is there value anymore in having professional HR qualifications such as those from the CIPD considering the significant cost involved?Resources:https://www.frazerjones.comhttps://www.frazerjones.com/consultants/nick-croucherhttps://ovenreadyhr.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/Twitter: @OvenHrhttps://www.personneltoday.comTell me me what YOU thinkTell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at chris@ovenreadyhr.comOven-Ready SurveyThe show is a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29Rate, Review & ShareIf you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

In the opening episode of the Oven-Ready HR podcast, I talk exclusively to Paul Nowak, the Deputy General Secretary of the UK's Trades Union Council or TUC, the organisation that represents 48 of the UK's largest unions who combined, look after the interests of some 5.5million UK workers.Union membership in the UK for last few years has been on the rise (albeit modestly).  Trade Unions remain an important 'Actor' in how the UK employment market is regulated and their influence has been particularly prominent during the Covid 19 Pandemic in terms of their campaign to provide a decent level of statutory sick pay for all workers.  On a more macro level, the TUC has also been extremely vocal about structural issues within the UK employment market and in particular how certain employers within the 'Gig Economy' have been seen to avoid their responsibilities by offering what he describes as 'bogus self-employment'.In this episode you'll discover:Why the  image of Unions often portrayed by certain sections of the UK media when reporting on disputes between employers and unions is not a true representation of the work they do;How unions are working hard to explain their relevance to GenZ workers and the cohorts that follow who, we are told,  place great importance on the employers values, purpose and culture;What can be done to fix the UK's woeful statutory sick pay provision highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic;The benefits that can be achieved when employers representatives and unions work together such as the furlough scheme and the self-employed income support scheme launched during the pandemic and why the Government should do more to encourage this type of collaboration;The benefits of collective bargaining and how rumours of its death in the UK are greatly exaggerated and how international organisations such as the OECD and IMF see collective bargaining in a more positive light;The positive developments since the Supreme Court judgement in the Uber BV v Aslam landmark employment case;Paul Nowak's deep concern surrounding the delay of the long-awaited 'Employment Bill' following Matthew Taylor's report and how consultation with the TUC and other stakeholders in advance of publishing a White Paper would make his year.Resources:https://www.tuc.org.uk/campaignshttps://ovenreadyhr.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/Twitter: @OvenHrhttps://www.personneltoday.comTell me me what YOU thinkTell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at chris@ovenreadyhr.comOven-Ready SurveyThe show is almost a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29Rate, Review & ShareIf you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

As we've reached the end of Season 3 of the show, I've taken the opportunity to offer up some of the best bits for you to enjoy again.  This Oven-Ready Reheated episode looks at the final eight interviews of Season 3 including:Romanie Thomas The founder of Juggle the community of senior female talent came onto the show to discuss the barriers that prevent gender equality in senior positions and I start by asking Romanie for her opinion on a newspaper profile piece on the female CEO of GlaxoSmithKline.Robert TanseyI ask Robert Tansey the co-founder of BuddyBoost the workplace wellbeing specialists and former Chairman of British professional cycling team, Team Sky if the great resignation is prompting organisations to take employee wellbeing more seriously.Dr Fiona JamisonI ask Dr Fiona Jamison, CEO of specialist research business Spring International to distill what we mean by employee engagement.Lawrence HughesLawrence Hughes, Senior Vice President of People and Culture at Canadian regional carrier Porter Airlines talks about the dividend that a supportive leadership team and an engaged workforce provides.Jacqueline Hopkins Jacqueline Hopkins from SEPTA the regional transportation authority for Philadelphia explains how the organisation launched a DE&I research project to an already diverse and hard to reach audience.Lars SchmidtLars Schmidt Author of Redefining HR talks to me about how important successful onboarding of employees is particularly those joining remotely.Rob MossPersonnel Today's Editor Rob Moss questions whether the trend to appoint non-hr professionals to senior HR posts is a good thing.Jon Thurmond & Wendy DaileyLastly Jon Thurmond and Wendy Dailey, hosts of the The HR Social Hour Half Hour Podcast explain why HR podcasts are growing in popularity amongst the profession.Resources:https://ovenreadyhr.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/Twitter: @OvenHrhttps://www.personneltoday.comTell me me what YOU thinkTell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at chris@ovenreadyhr.comOven-Ready SurveyThe show is almost a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29Rate, Review & ShareIf you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

As we've reached the end of Season 3 of the show, I've taken the opportunity to offer up some of the best bits for you to enjoy again.  This Oven-Ready Reheated episode looks at the first seven interviews of Season 3 including:Chad SowashPodcaster and Recruiter Chad Sowash and I give a withering assessment of some of the characters and practices within HR and Recruitment.Olly OlsenCo-founder and Co-CEO of flexible working giant The Office Group talks about the future of the office and how activity based working and agile environments are the future.Benjamin CohenPink News Founder and former Channel 4 Business & Technology Correspondent and I talk about our experiences of coming out at work.Oliver ShahAssociate Editor of The Sunday Times gives a warning to those organisations who opine on political or societal matters.  As he says 'matters that aren't really your bailiwick!Dr Sam FriedmanProfessor of Sociology at the London School of Economics busts the myth that the reason for the deficit of people from less privileged backgrounds is because they don't 'aspire' and goes on to warn HR that senior executives often circumvent HR policies when it comes to diversity and inclusion.Jon SimmondsFounder of Social Media marketing agency Rocket Science Digital explains how certain LinkedIn posts do well and others well sink without trace.Elan DivonHarvard-trained Author Elan Divon suggests that Gen Z and the cohorts that follow haven't enjoyed the 'rites of passage' that the generations of before have and they are the poorer for it when it comes to joining the workplace.Resources:https://ovenreadyhr.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/Twitter: @OvenHrhttps://www.personneltoday.comTell me me what YOU thinkTell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at chris@ovenreadyhr.comOven-Ready SurveyThe show is almost a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29Rate, Review & ShareIf you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

It has been another ‘interesting' year for the HR profession.  The last two years have seen seismic changes in the world of work that would normally take years to evolve such as the move to hybrid working, the great resignation, labour shortages in key sectors and the enormous impact technology is having.  Also there have been opportunities!  HR has seemingly earned its place at the board table and organisations are perhaps at last seeing the impact the profession can have on organisational performance.So what can HR professionals expect from 2022 and what can we take away from 2021?  Rob Moss is the Editor of Personnel Today, the UK's leading independent HR website.  Rob is passionate about the opportunities the past two years have created and believes that the HR profession is in a unique position to make the world of work fairer, more equitable and fundamentally more trusting. Personnel Today.com frequently attracts more than 500,000 people per month, mainly from the UK but with a significant international audience as well making Rob uniquely placed to give us his review of the year.In this episode you'll learn:Why Covid-19 has largely been positive for the HR professionRob's HR highlights of the year The employment law cases that continue to impact upon the UK's HR sceneRob's opinion of the 'Fire and Rehire' private members' billHis frustration with the trend to appoint non HR professionals into senior HR positions The UK's continued pay inequality in terms of frontline and key workersWhy flexible working is now right up there as a key benefit for employeesHis fears for how learning and development for new joiners is going to be affected by the adoption of hybrid workingResources:https://www.personneltoday.comhttps://ovenreadyhr.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/Twitter: @OvenHrhttps://blog.feedspot.com/hr_podcasts/Tell me me what YOU thinkTell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at chris@ovenreadyhr.comOven-Ready SurveyThe show is almost a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29Rate, Review & ShareIf you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

Podcasting is growing at a phenomenal pace with the market expected to reach almost $95 Billion by 2028.  Within this huge market from sports and entertainment shows to true crime and comedy is an increasing amount of 'professional' podcasts with shows featuring HR themes amongst them.One of the attractions of podcasts is that they can be consumed by the listener in all manner of settings; walking the dog; the commute to work; the school run and working out at the gym.  HR podcasts provide the listener a learning experience that can be consumed whenever the listener chooses to play the episode meaning they are not an interruption in an already busy day.  Think learning on demand.Internal organisation podcast shows are also increasing in popularity with a number of firms using them to communicate to their internal stakeholders.  Again, the benefit of being able to communicate purpose, values and training in a way that doesn't interrupt a worker's day is proving very effective.The HR podcasting sector is very broad with shows focused on training, recruitment, reward, leadership and organisational culture meaning listeners can subscribe to any number of shows featuring content that is relevant to the listener.As HR Podcasts continue to grow in popularity and as this particular podcast is is almost a year old, I thought I'd turn the tables on one of HR's most popular podcasts and ask hosts Jon Thurmond and Wendy Dailey of the hugely popular HR Social Hour Half Hour Podcast about why they started their show. This episode is a bit of a delve behind the scenes of how a podcast is created and some of the challenges involved in producing a show focused on HR and why HR professionals should be consuming podcasts as part of their regular learning.As full-time working HR professionals themselves, Jon and Wendy were keen to talk about some of the key HR issues they are facing at the moment in the US.  Interestingly.  As Jon says the labour laws might be different in the country where you live but the people issues are much the same wherever you are.In this episode you'll learn:How HR Social Hour Half Hour was conceivedThe popularity of podcasts as a medium to communicate to a wide range of stakeholdersThe importance of original content in HR podcastsHow successful HR podcasts interact with their listeners and build a communityResources:https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyrhdailey/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonthurmond/https://hrsocialhourpodcast.podbean.comhttps://www.researchandmarkets.comhttps://ovenreadyhr.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/Twitter: @OvenHrhttps://blog.feedspot.com/hr_podcasts/Tell me me what YOU thinkTell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at chris@ovenreadyhr.comOven-Ready SurveyThe show is almost a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29Rate, Review & ShareIf you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com