Series 7: Neurodiversity: Transforming Workplace Dynamics

It's our mid-season finale! In this episode, Stuart Elliott sits down with DN Prasad, Executive Coach, transformational HR Leader and founder of Noetic Step to discuss his career. Originally from Bangalore, Prasad’s journey is one of intentionality, growth, and impact. Over his impressive career—including 12 years at Google—he has shaped cultures, built high-performing teams, and led transformative initiatives across India, the US, and Singapore.Prasad shares the defining moments that underpin his career, from building Google India’s employment brand to stepping into global roles that stretched his leadership style. He reflects on what it means to work across borders, emphasisng the importance of embracing diverse cultures, intellectual curiosity, and humility.He also dives into the challenges of leading through transformation, the lessons he’s learned in both private and public sectors, and the intentional approach leaders must take to seek inspiration from those around them. For aspiring HR professionals, Prasad offers timeless advice: explore, challenge yourself, embrace overseas opportunities, and never stop learning.D N Prasad is an Executive Coach (PCC, International Coach Federation) and a transformational HR Leader with expertise in leading scaled transformation, building and scaling Organisations & functions (in-country, region and global) and shaping & nurturing cultures and careers. Prasad was conferred as a Master Professional by the Institute of Human Resource Professionals (IHRP).  DNP, as he is known in professional circles, has held several regional and global Executive roles through his career spanning quarter of a century; in private and Public Service, across India, US and Singapore, and in organisations including Infosys, Google and GovTech (Singapore). He also founded Noetic Step, an Executive Coaching and Talent Advisory practice, in 2018.  DNP is the current President of Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI) and a member of The Professional Practices Committee for IHRP, Singapore. He is an Independent Advisor at GoSports Foundation, India and also an invited member of the Forbes Coaches Council.  Key Timestamps: 01:25 - Intro into D N Prasad04:49 - The defining moments underpinning D N Prasad's career 06:36 - D N Prasad's role at Google 11:57 - The positive impact of working abroad 16:13 - How D N Prasad's experiences have shaped his leadership style 21:52 - Public vs Private sector 31:10 - D N Prasad's toughest work engagements 37:39 - Advice to aspiring HR professionals You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

Today's guest is Thierry Moschetti, Co-Founder and Managing Partner Europe for the Resilience Institute. Thierry is a long-term friend of Elliott Scott HR and has been sharing his insights in the resilience space with our community in past podcast episodes and events. Today, we asked Thierry back on the show to talk through new trends in the resilience space, the idea of top-down imperative, which only works when leaders walk the talk in their capacity to balance performance and care for themselves, others and society. As the conversation develops Stuart and Thierry discuss the Resilience Institutes’ Resilience Assessment; the purpose of which gives you a resilience score and tells you how you are comparing against the global average, the assessment offers a breakdown of this score and advice on how to become more resilient. Thierry also shared insights on typical issues companies face when building resilience across their teams and advice for people struggling with wellbeing.If you would like to complete the Resilience Assessment, you can do so here.Who is our guest?After fifteen years in the service industry, including leadership roles in Europe and Asia, and a period of burnout, Thierry joined the Resilience Institute in 2010, a research and training organisation that measures and improves human resilience in organisations using an innovative assessment tool and a science-based training methodology. He has delivered keynotes, training and consulting projects in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the US. Thierry is currently based in England and now leads the Resilience Institute’s European practice.  Key Timestamps:02:17 – Reintroducing Thierry and the Resilience Institute07:18 – How does the Resilience Institute work?08:21 – Top-down Imperative 11:38 – The Resilience Assessment 22:20 – Celebrating the small wins26:20 – Fitness and wellbeing 31:04 – The connection of wellbeing to the outside32:26 – Typical issues organisations face when approaching resilience work36:19 – Engagement Surveys38:43 – Advice for companies wanting to improve their resilience 40:59 – Advice for anyone strugglingYou can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

In this episode, Stuart Elliott sits down with Ngozi Cadmus, an inspiration in mental health, anti-racism, and leadership research. With 17 years working in mental health, Ngozi shares her journey from social worker to founder of Happiworkers, an anti-racist, culturally sensitive mental health platform designed to support employees—especially those from racialised backgrounds.Ngozi discusses her experiences as an approved mental health professional, her groundbreaking doctoral research on discovering why there is a huge lack of black women at C-suite level, and the systemic barriers they face. Ngozi breaks down what anti-racism looks like in the workplace, why racially informed mental health care matters, and how companies can truly support their staff with inclusivity and psychological safety. She also shares actionable insights for leaders to take risks, embrace discomfort, and create meaningful change in order to actively practice anti-racism. Get to know our guest Ngozi Cadmus is a TEDx speaker, social worker, psychotherapist, and CEO of the leading UK anti-racist, culturally sensitive workplace mental health solution, Happiworkers. Her expertise is in creating anti-racist organisations through a racially informed mental health lens and holding leadership accountable for their commitment to anti-racist practice. Lastly, she is nearing the end of her doctoral research, which focuses on the strategies black women use to reach the top.  Key Timestamps: 00:48 – Intro into Ngozi and her career history03:26 – Ngozi’s experience as a mental health professional 07:33 – Ngozi’s doctoral research 16:45 – The definition of anti-racism and a racialised employee 24:12 – The importance of racially informed mental health care 34:55 – How companies can look after racialised employees 38:42 – The significance of psychological safety 45:00 – How leaders can start creating inclusive workforcesYou can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

In this episode, Stuart Elliott sits down with John Gates, a former recruiter turned internationally bestselling author of Act Your Wage, to uncover the art and strategy of pay negotiation. John shares his journey from humble beginnings, working his way through college, to becoming a trusted advisor for C-suite executives and senior leaders through his business, Salary Coach. Over the years, he’s developed a proven method to help candidates secure better compensation packages without risking job offers or damaging relationships.Drawing from his own experiences, John reveals why fear holds most people back in pay negotiations and how to overcome them. He breaks down common mistakes candidates make, the nuances of pay transparency, and the importance of timing and leverage when asking for what you’re worth. Whether you’re a senior leader navigating high-stakes negotiations or simply looking to better understand your value, John’s refined Salary Coach method offers a roadmap to maximise your compensation while maintaining professionalism and trust.John Gates is an author and founder of Salary Coach, where he helps C-Suite executives and senior leaders negotiate higher compensation packages without risking their job offers or future relationships. John’s unique approach, born from his extensive experience in corporate recruiting, consistently helps his clients secure 10-20% more in their pay packages, even in challenging job markets.John’s journey began when a sudden job loss led him to a low-paying role at a temporary agency, struggling to support his young family. The turning point came when he realised the power of leverage during his own salary negotiation, securing a substantial offer from Capital One despite initial fears. Through his journey, John developed a unique approach to help senior-level professionals navigate salary negotiations with confidence, using what he calls the Salary Coach Method.Key Timestamps: 04:27 - John's background and career history12:50 - The lessons John has learnt about negotiation16:40 - Why Senior Executives struggle to negotiate24:28 - 'Know your worth' tactics36:48 - The Salary Coach method 42:48 - Advice for people who are cynical of recruiterYou can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

The world of HR has changed drastically in recent years and with technology continuing to develop, AI has become a significant part of HR’s tech stack. Today’s guest is Noelle London, Founder and CEO of Illoominus, a people insights platform that integrates and gives context to HR data within and across organisations. Stuart and Noelle sit down to discuss the ever-changing role of HR.  Throughout the episode, Noelle and Stuart discuss how Illoominus was created and the challenges of being an entrepreneur before focusing on how the role of HR has adapted over the years. They take a deeper dive into how leaders can prepare for the changes in HR’s role, how AI could aid HR in being more data-driven and whether leaders are ready for this change. The conversation moved forward to discuss how HR leaders can get started and be ready to take advantage of upcoming technologies, followed by which organisations are doing well within this space.  Get to know NoelleNoelle is the Founder and CEO of Illoominus, living in Atlanta, GA with her husband and dog. Noelle caught the entrepreneurial bug early, starting a jewellery business at 15 years old. During her Peace Corps experience in Nicaragua, Noelle worked with female founders on their new ventures which gave her the idea to start something for herself.Noelle has worked with early and growth stage startups for over a decade, bridging connections to capital, customers and talent. Previously, Noelle led the Atlanta Mayor Office’s startup economic development strategy to connect underrepresented tech talent with career paths to Atlanta’s top startups, she also launched the Crystal City, VA office of 1776, a global startup incubator and venture fund. Whilst leading joint go-to-market opportunities with Accenture’s startup partners and investment portfolio, Noelle was able to help startups scale into Fortune 2000 clients, which allowed her to map the HR tech landscape and found that it’s overflowing with point solutions. Key Timestamps03:33 – Introduction to Noelle and Illoominus07:49 – The hardest part of being an entrepreneur10:47 – How the role of HR is changing18:40 – Are leaders prepared for the changing role of HR22:47 – The AI utopia 32:20 – What are you doing to prepare for AI 33:16 – How can HR leaders take advantage of up-and-coming technologies?39:34 – Companies that are doing well in this space44:27 – Businesses focus on peopleYou can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

In this episode, Stuart Elliott talks to Tania Martin, a neuro-inclusion Consultant and Founder of PegSquared, who has spent years advocating for neurodiversity within organisations. Tania shares her experience at EY, where she was instrumental in establishing a Neurodiverse Centre of Excellence and shifting strategies to support candidates who may not thrive in conventional interview settings.Stuart and Tania explore her own personal journey with an ADHD diagnosis which shifted her understanding of herself and fuelled her commitment to creating more inclusive workspaces. From discussing the changing landscape of neurodiversity awareness and the powerful generational shift in openness, to addressing the stigma and challenges that still exist, Tania provides a compelling overview of why this topic is so crucial today.  Tania outlines the tangible business benefits of fostering an inclusive environment, offers practical support strategies, including individualised adjustments and sensory-friendly practices, and discusses her five key takeaways for embedding neurodiversity into an organisation’s core culture. The conversation finishes with Tania uncovering actionable advice for HR professionals looking to make meaningful changes, emphasising the importance of curiosity, pilot programs, and seeking external expertise. Tania Martin is the founder of PegSquared and an experienced Neuro-inclusion consultant. She helps workplaces navigate neurodiversity at both an organisation and individual level. She leverages real world corporate neurodiversity experience from her time leading the award-winning UK’s Neuro-Diverse Centre of Excellence at EY. This is underpinned by 20+ years’ experience of leading complex transformation programmes across both people and technology in large global organisations.  These skills together enable her to bring a unique perspective to organisations wanting to create neuro-inclusive workplaces. Her journey also includes navigating her own career with ADHD, diagnosed in 2022, providing a distinctive firsthand perspective on neurodiversity at work.  Key Timestamps: 02:20 – Intro into Tania05:30 – The prevalence of this topic 08:08 – Tania’s personal ADHD diagnosis  16:42 – The breadth of the spectrum22:55 – Business benefits of implementing change35:09 – Five takeaways from Tania’s experience of neurodiversity in an organisation43:48 – Changes in the recruitment process47:13 – Where to start as an HR professional You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

In this episode, Stuart dives into the transformative potential of AI in the Learning and Development space with Luis Garcia, President of PETE, an AI-powered learning platform. Luis talks about his journey from product development to launching one of the fastest-growing online universities in the US and how this has shaped his expertise and vision for the future of learning.Luis discusses why translating expertise into effective training is harder than it looks, and how generative AI is set to revolutionise both the creation and evaluation of learning materials. From scaling training for hybrid teams across the globe to designing personalised micro-courses that target specific learning gaps, Luis explores how PETE is helping organisations keep pace with the future of work. We also explore the changing role of facilitators in a tech-driven world, the impact of generative AI vs. the metaverse, and how L&D departments can overcome challenges in AI adoption. Luis Garcia is a seasoned international executive with over 25 years of experience in technology, digital media, and education. He specialises in driving new ventures and products to rapid growth by building effective teams that harness innovation, technology, and creativity to solve complex problems. He is the president of PETE, an Orlando-based tech startup that offers a suite of cost-effective and customisable solutions that enable organisations to deliver personalised workforce learning at scale. The PETE team is dedicated to harnessing the power of AI to help organisations of all sizes optimise their training initiatives, spanning from onboarding to regulatory compliance, product knowledge, technical skills, and more, without hiring additional training resources. Key Timestamps: 01:50 – Intro into Luis10:40 – Trends shaping the workforce 15:45 – How the system delivers the courses 17:40 – Personalising the programmes for organisations 20:58 – Generative AI vs the Metaverse22:44 – How to ensuring workforces remain agile 33:10 – Challenges of implementing generative AI 35:40 – How to overcome the challenges You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

Our Host and CEO, Stuart Elliott, is joined today by Lucinda Reader, Founder of Ravello HR. Ravello HR is an HR consultancy specialising in helping businesses create highly effective and efficient talent teams. Throughout the episode, Stuart and Lucinda focus on talent and succession planning; discussing why she started Ravello HR and giving advice to mums to be as they navigate their career journey. Stuart and Lucinda chat through how to get talent and succession planning right, how small businesses can adapt their talent strategy to continue growth, and how skills mapping and skills pathways can help in talent success. The discussion then moves on to hiring, where they cover the difference between internal and external recruitment partners, hiring people known to the business and how this could incorporate unconscious bias. Finally, they spoke about AI in the interview process, examples of good hiring processes and advice for startups going through a recruitment process.  Get to know our guest:Lucinda Reader is the founder of Ravello HR, she is also the non-executive HR Director for Shoorah, a wellbeing app currently disrupting the market. Lucinda has worked in HR and Recruitment globally, both in house and agency, for almost 20 years across sectors, for some of the most well known brands. She is extremely passionate about creating an excellent and equitable experience for all candidates is a firm believer of equal opportunities for all; this being said, she is part of the charity No Going Back, which helps to rehabilitate offenders. Lucinda is proudly a mum to two young children; Santino and Lucia as well as her proclaimed first baby, Norman the sausage dog! Key Timestamps:02:06 – Introduction to Lucinda Reader06:44 – The birth of Ravello HR09:32 – A special mention to Norman the sausage dog10:09 – Career advice for mums to be13:42 – Getting talent and succession planning right16:50 – Small businesses people strategies20:03 – Skills mapping and skills pathways24:50 – What Lucinda believes falls under the word ‘talent’ in the workplace29:05 – Internal vs external recruitment partners33:00 – Hiring people known to the business37:34 – Examples of good hiring processes 39:49 – Advice for startups going through a recruitment processYou can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

In this instalment of the ‘Latest HR News’, our CEO and Host, Stuart Elliott, is joined by Paul Knight, Senior HR Executive Leader and Consultant and Katy Goldwater, Chief People Officer to discuss topical themes and trending articles across the HR space. Stuart, Katy and Paul start the conversation by discussing a topic that has continued to be prominent post Covid; hybrid working, reflecting on whether this topic needs to be parked and if it has had an effect on those starting their careers. Moving on, they touch on the topic of intergenerational working as the current workforce is navigating the most crossover in generations in the workplace than ever before. As the conversation continues, Stuart, Katy and Paul discuss whether the cover letter is still necessary and if hiring should be left to the HR department, taking diverse hiring into consideration. Finally, they move on to chatting through AI within the HR function and the future of work and whether it is dependent on the future of reward.As a more light-hearted topic, Stuart, Katy and Paul discuss social media’s role in HR and whether the use of it is making HR cool again, through the use of TikTok and influencers in the space.  Articles referenced:Mining Boss Opposes Staff Leaving Office for CoffeeThe Future of Work Navigating Intergenerational DiscordThe Mystery of the Cover LetterStop Leaving Hiring to your HR DepartmentMajority of UK HR Leaders Yet to Make use of Gen AI, Survey SuggestsMost Employers Ditch Diverse Recruitment Amid ‘Anti-Woke’ BacklashWhy the Future of Work Will Depend on the Future of Total RewardsSocial Media is Making HR Cool AgainYou can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

Today, Stuart Elliott is joined by returning guest, work psychologist, Sarah McLellan whose episode from Season 1 was our most popular episode to date. Today, people in workplaces are more unhappy than ever with company cultures cracking, and many harbouring the worst in human behaviour. Feelings of loneliness, exclusion, fear and exhaustion are growing within organisations and people are choosing to leave, searching for something more meaningful, somewhere they feel valued and able to flourish as a human. Sarah launched Make it Human in February 2024 to help leaders create healthier, more human-centred workplace cultures. She has also written a book titled Make It Human, which delves deeply into this topic.In this episode, Sarah explains how workplace culture and talent assessment have evolved significantly since she began in terms of training and administration. However, Sarah points out that we are now at a crossroads between technology and human input, where organisations must find a balance between using data and maintaining fairness and empathy in talent management. She also speaks about the inspiration and vision behind her book and emphasises the importance of creating environments where people can thrive, noting that successful organisations build cultures that make employees feel valued, connected, and supported. Sarah also points out how she sees hybrid work as a chance to balance home productivity with in-office collaboration, leading to better results if managed well. She highlights that small, intentional steps, can build strong, people-focused cultures. Her advice to HR leaders: focus on human growth, use microcultures to drive change, and stay intentional in shaping supportive, thriving workplaces.Sarah McLellan is a people, business and thought leader with over 20 years’ experience in HR, leadership, assessment and talent management consulting. As a Chartered Occupational Psychologist Sarah has partnered with hundreds of companies to help build happy, inclusive and growing workplaces across the globe.  Sarah believes work doesn’t have to be a 9–5 meaningless, lonely grind and this inspired her to launch her company Make it Human, a business dedicated to cultivating happier, healthier, more human workplaces.   Key Timestamps: 02:28 – Intro into Sarah05:20 – Changes in talent assessment11:40 – The inspiration behind the book17:26 – Sarah’s view on 5 days in the office24:00 – The vision for a healthier work-life30:50 – The companies getting it right44:52 – Advice for HR leaders shaping better culturesYou can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!