Managing Difficult Conversations with your direct reports - with Eoin Tracy

In the latest episode of All Things HR I talked about how to run a fair and effective disciplinary meeting within your company. Firstly, what is a disciplinary meeting? On occasion, it may be necessary for a company to take disciplinary action against an employee. This could be for a variety of reasons such as behavioural issues (e.g. lateness), performance issues or gross misconduct. If that happens, an employer is required to follow due process when it comes to disciplinary or a dismissal procedure. To learn more, listen to my podcast here or check out my newest blog. All Things HR Details: Website: allthingshr.org Twitter: twitter.com/thehrprof Email: [email protected]

In this jam packed episode of All Things HR, I speak with Michelle Carpenter who is an experienced Diversity & Inclusion leader. Over the course of our 45 minute conversation, Michelle and I talkabout why pro-nouns matter and how diversity & inclusion has evolved over the past decade and how it can positivitly impact engagement and revenue in an organisation. 

In the latest episode of All Things HR, Barry explores why values matter with business leader Nikki McGoohan of Propel2gether. Values are basic and fundamental beliefs that guide or motivate attitudes or actions in life. Our values help us to determine what is important to us. Values describe the personal qualities we choose to embody to guide our actions; the sort of person we want to be; the manner in which we treat ourselves and others, and our interaction with the world around us. They provide the general guidelines for conduct in our everyday lives. All Things HR Contact Details: Website: allthingshr.org Twitter: twitter.com/thehrprof Email: [email protected] Interesting reading: Organisational Values blog by Nikki McGoohan 

In the latest episode of All Things HR, Barry speaks with Donal O'Donoghue (MD of Sanderson & President of the National Recruitment Federation of Ireland) about remote working 1 year on since the Covid-19 panadamic shifted the majority of office workers to working from home.  Over the course of our conversation, Donal shares his experiences and insights on the new normal of remote working. Donal talks about how "It's not work from home but live from work" and how employers will need to nagivate the new hybrid work model when people are returning to the office. Barry and Donal also speak about the importance of people's right to disconnect from work which is set out in the new WRC Code of Practices which was offically signed into law on 1st April 2021.  All Things HR Contact Details: Website: allthingshr.org Twitter: twitter.com/thehrprof Email: [email protected]

In episode two, season 2 of All Things HR, I address the topic of a new employee’s probation period. The probation period is linked to last month's episode of All Things HR where I discussed the topic of onboarding/inducting a new employee onto your team. The subject of a probation period is linked to a new employee’s onboarding experience. The probation period will be outlined in an employee’s contract, however, for additional clarity I would encourage an organisation to have a probation period policy which sets out the role of the manager, the employee and what are the key steps during a probation process. All Things HR Contact Details: Website: allthingshr.org/ Twitter: twitter.com/thehrprof Email: [email protected] Useful Links about the Probation Period: Eversheds Sutherland European legal overview here. For information on the Probation Period in Ireland please see here.  Probation termination during COVID-19 - an insighful High Court case

In the 1st episode of season 2, Barry is talking about the importance of onboarding your new employee. An employee’s first impressions of an organisation have a significant impact on their integration within the team and job satisfaction. Induction or onboarding is an opportunity for an organisation to welcome their new recruit, help them settle in and ensure they have the knowledge and support they need to perform in their role. For an employer, effective induction may also affect turnover, absenteeism and employer brand. All Things HR Contact Details: Website: allthingshr.org/ Twitter: twitter.com/thehrprof Email: [email protected] Useful Articles: CIPD (2020) Resourcing and talent planning survey. HOWLETT, E. (2020) How to get onboarding right. People Management (online). 23 January. ODOM, C.L. (2018) Onboarding in the gig economy. TD: Talent Development. Vol 72, No 9. pp38-42.

In episode 7 of All Things HR, Barry closes out the season by speaking about reviewing your year and setting new goals for the year ahead as a peaple leader. Also, Barry walks us through the previous episodes of season one of All Things HR.  Please note that All Things HR is moving to a monthly cadence in 2021 which will be jam-packed with more HR insights for aspiring leaders.  Finally, thank you to the guests who joined me throughout the season, to you the listener, and to Ciaran Hughes for all his patience with editing the podcast. A special thanks to my partner Paul who has been a great support with All Things HR.  Podcast series editor - Ciaran Hughes All Things HR Contact Details: Website: allthingshr.org/  Twitter: twitter.com/thehrprof  Email: [email protected] Interesting reading: Your Year In Review: 21 Eye-Opening Questions To Explore Before Midnight Tonight Align Your Time Management with Your Goals - HBR Don’t Bog Yourself Down with Too Many Goals - HBR

In episode 6 of All Things HR, Barry tackles the topic of managing difficult conversations with your direct reports. Barry is joined by Eoin Tracy, who gives his insights and tips on approaching difficult coversations in work. Eoin is a Group Financial Controller for a property development company based in Ireland. Eoin has led teams across mutiple organisations and has managed and mentored entry level accountants to senior accountants.  Podcast series editor - Ciaran Hughes All Things HR Contact Details: Website: allthingshr.org/  Twitter: twitter.com/thehrprof  Email: [email protected] Interesting reading:  How to handle difficult conversations at work - HBR

Episode five of All Things HR is all about mental health in the workplace and the role of the manager. One in five people will experience a mental health problem in their life time, such as anxiety or depression. This means that at some point a manager may have a person on their team who is experiencing anxiety or depression which could be impacting on the person's ability to perform their job. In this episode, Barry discusses how best to approach a mental health conversation with an employee and how best to support the person through their challenging time.  Podcast series editor - Ciaran Hughes All Things HR Contact Details: Website: allthingshr.org/  Twitter: twitter.com/thehrprof  Email: [email protected] Interesting reading: Health at a Glance  Mental Health Numbers - Irish Times WHO data 

Episode four of All Things HR is all about tackling the subject of managing your team remotely as a people leader.  In this COVID19 environment, people leaders are working hard to ensure their team is engaged, safe and connected (with each other & the business objectives). Barry Hughes shares his thoughts on how best to manage a remote team.  Podcast series editor - Ciaran Hughes All Things HR Contact Details: Website: allthingshr.org/  Twitter: twitter.com/thehrprof  Email: [email protected] Interesting reading: A Brave New Era of Work & Wellbeing report by Laya Healthcare How to Reassure Your Team When the News Is Scary Primal Leadership: The Hidden Driver of Great Performance What Makes a Leader? by Daniel Goleman