The People Podcast

Hey everyone! It's Alan and Jeremy, the two hosts of the People podcast. After the success of our mid-year roundup (when we went on our summer break), we decided to don our best Christmas outfits and record a very Christmas themed end of year wrap up. Although ChatTalent turned 3 this year, our Udder company (yes, we did chose the name just for the millions of puns) turned 1 last Saturday. So we wanted to take the time during this episode to discuss how our first year in business has gone. These past few months have definitely been a period of discovery, finding out what works best for us and for our clients. We also didn’t want to be unrealistic and not acknowledge how hard this year must have been for some people, with redundancies and layoffs. So we recalled the wonderful analogy that Sam Smith mentioned on her podcast episode. We are all just making our own way through the same storm. But luckily across LinkedIn and other platforms, we are starting to see the tide shift and the market slowly move back (or forward) to the normal-ish life that we all had before. And of course, it wouldn’t be an end of year round-up if we didn’t mention the B-word (Brexit) and what our UK future is going to look like. However, we are confident that 2021 will be unlike any other year, regardless of whatever happens. We also wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the support we received this year. Webinar panellists, podcast guests, #Chatter authors, clients, friends, everyone! We’re really excited for what next year has in store. We’ve got so many projects already planned. After all that there is nothing much left for us to say but - Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄 Make sure to follow us on socials (LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter or Facebook) to stay up to date with when we are back! But until then, enjoy the well-deserved break.  Bye!

Hello, and welcome back to another episode of the #ChatTalentPeoplePodcast where I was joined by the ever-youthful David D’Souza, Membership Director of the CIPD. Throughout the episode, we get to know the man behind the curtain and find out if the CIPD is still as relevant as it was 30 years ago. I started the episode with a few rapid-fire questions to find out more about David, the person, not David, Membership Director. What was his favourite wine, favourite song and who was his role model? While doing my research for this episode, I came across a really interesting article that David wrote a while back called “Chasing the elephants out of the room”, I just had to find out more. “THE CONCEPT BEHIND THIS IS THAT WITHIN BIG ORGANISATIONS, ROOMS ARE OFTEN FILLED WITH ELEPHANTS. IF YOU’RE A SENIOR LEADER YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON BUT YOU FIND YOURSELF AT A DISADVANTAGE IF YOUR PEOPLE ARE NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO OPEN UP – IF YOUR ROOM IS JUST FILLED WITH ELEPHANTS.” Throughout the whole episode, David gave us some really amazing insight into what the future of HR looks like, but one point that really stood out for me was his views on remote working: “IT SHOULDN’T TAKE A GIGANTIC CRISIS TO SHIFT THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT WORK. IT SHOULD BE A CONSTANT PROCESS. AND YET, WE STILL HAVE ORGANISATIONS SAYING ‘WOW, APPARENTLY PEOPLE DON’T SLACK OFF IF THEY ARE SITTING AT HOME’.” I thoroughly enjoyed recording this episode. The time just flew by, I hope it does for you as well. Enjoy! DON’T HAVE TIME TO LISTEN TO THE WHOLE EPISODE? HERE’S AN EASY BREAKDOWN [2.19] David, what’s your favourite song and why? [2.51] What’s your favourite thing to do on the weekend? [3.22] What’s your favourite wine? [4.02] Who is your role model? [4.58] What’s one thing that nobody knows about you? [5.40] You’ve worked in HR for a long time, what would you be doing if you weren’t? [6.23] And how did you get into HR? [7.02] And has your work strategy has changed over the years? [8.07] A while back you wrote a piece about ‘Chasing the elephants out of the rooms’ which is about your professional approach and work style. Tell us a bit about it. [11.07] Is the CIPD still fit for purpose? And are they ready to change with the times? [12.43] What do you think is happening within the HR industry as a whole? [13.50] What sort of things should we be doing within HR to remain relevant and drive the business forward? [15.10] Clearly change management is key in all of this. What do you think we could do better within HR to be the guardians of this change. [16.19] There are a lot of people talking about WFH or return to work, do you think there is a middle ground? [19.57]  From your perspective, apart from WFH, what do you think will be the biggest challenges for HR going forward [21.14] If we are changing the way we think of HR, do you think the skills required and experience for a top HR position should also change? [23.23] And organisations shouldn’t fear these changes, but embrace them? [24.30] Do you think we should go back to the basics to solve our challenges? This episode was sponsored by our buddies over at Frankli. Say hello to Ronan 

Good morning and welcome back to another episode of the #ChatTalentPeoplePodcast! After a few mishaps, including a power cut, we finally managed to welcome Lucy Williams, the new Head of Talent Acquisition for Sennder. Lucy is an incredible breath of fresh air in our industry and has a real passion for delivering value from a TA perspective. After accidentally landing a job in international recruitment, Lucy found herself living in Dubai for just over twelve years. But now she is back in the UK and very interestingly helping out at a hospitality startup, We All Need A Holiday. We, of course, talked about a number of things, around international recruitment, Brexit and the benefits of portfolio careers. Even though, Lucy didn’t even know she had one. What at first was only supposed to be a break from job hunting and personal development courses, Lucy’s role with We All Need A Holiday has developed into a full-time position. “IT’S BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE. I GOT TO TAP INTO SKILLS THAT I DON’T THINK I WOULD HAVE FROM ‘MY NORMAL DAY JOB’.” Lucy’s abilities to use her transferable skills from the world of TA is something that unfortunately a lot of HR and TA people are finding themselves currently trying to do. So I asked Lucy how she did it and what her best piece of advice is: “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO TAKE A STEP BACK. THINK ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT YOU REALLY ENJOY ABOUT BEING A RECRUITER. WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GOOD AT? MY BEST ADVICE FOR ANYBODY IS YOU NEED TO BE RESILIENT, QUITE PERSISTENT AND VERY PASSIONATE. AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE FLEXIBLE. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT’S AROUND THE CORNER.” I thoroughly enjoyed recording this episode with Lucy. Exploring the world of start-ups and finding out more about We All Need A Holiday. Is there maybe a ChatTalent + We All Need A Holiday crossover in the future? I’m sure we’ll soon find out. Enjoy! DON’T HAVE TIME TO LISTEN TO THE WHOLE EPISODE? HERE’S AN EASY BREAKDOWN [1.47] Who is Lucy Williams [4.35] Is there a difference between working for an agency and working in-house? [6.44] What do we mean when we say international recruitment and what are the greatest challenges you faced? [8.38] Do you see Covid changing the face of international recruitment? What with WFH and WFA becoming part of the norm? [9.59] Do you think companies fully understand the benefits of opening up to a more international talent pool? [11.58] Jumping back to you helping out at We All Need A Holiday, the start-up travel company. Tell us a little bit about it. [13.38] Portfolio careers are something that a lot of people are looking at. Do you advise that kind of career style to others? [14.39] As you enter the second stage of your TA career, what are the biggest skills you think you’ll bring from We All Need A Holiday? [17.33] Unfortunately, there are a lot of TA and HR people who are finding themselves without work, what would you say to them? From your experience of jumping headfirst into the start-up world?? [19.27] What is a natural step for anybody working in TA or HR? What sort of roles will our background suit best? [21.37] You clearly have a real knack for helping others find their true calling. Have you ever thought of career consulting yourself? [23.02] Where do you see yourself next? What does your next role look like?

Welcome back to another episode of the #ChatTalentPeoplePodcast! In this episode, I’m joined by the amazing Vern Howard, CEO and Co-founder of Hallo. As per my usual, we talked about a lot. About how Hallo came to be formed. About the importance of data to support targeted student campaigns, which Vern said it best: “Without data, it’s like throwing darts at a board and hoping for the best” And about how Hallo are currently using heat-maps to show companies where great students are... and where their competitors might not be! Allowing a bigger and more importantly divers poll of candidates to apply. It is only through the use of data that a company can fully understand how they are being perceived. Then, from this information, you can easily shift your approach to be able to target more diversely. From there we naturally moved to the importance of candidate experience. Something that Vern is extremely passionate about. “Everyone needs to zoom out of the transactional nature of recruitment and bring it to a more personal level. In this industry, we are all lacking empathy. Relationships matter and actually talking to different people in different communities. That is how you recruit.” I then concluded the episode by asking what Vern's primary manifesto promise would be if he had his own political party, and how his biggest take away from lacrosse is actually patience, not teamwork. It’s an extremely interesting episode with someone who has a brand new take on the industry. Definitely worth a listen. Enjoy! DON’T HAVE TIME TO LISTEN TO THE WHOLE EPISODE? HERE’S AN EASY BREAKDOWN [2.05] Who is Vern Howard [6.49] Why should a TA or HR lead look at Hallo [8.36] Would you still consider your platform an events tool (not a recruiting tool) [9.48] What impact has Covid19 had [11.16] In which demographics do you see Hello working? [12.51] You’ve clearly been inspired by other social platforms, talk us through the ‘upvote’ option. [14.51] What's the best piece of advice you would give someone looking to start their own tech company [16.16] What’s next for Hallo? [19.04] Tell us your opinion about CVs. [21.18] How should the industry positively impact the candidate experience? [22.54] How do we build candidate relationships at scale? [28.36] Imagine you got to create your very own presidential party. What would your 3 key manifesto promises be? [31.34] You’ve praised social media a lot throughout our chat. Do you see one of the positives of social media, being the information access? [33.38] I’ve heard you are passionate about lacrosse. Tell us a bit more about this... [37.26] And finally, where next? Do you have any plans for a global expansion?

I was delighted to have the opportunity to virtually sit down with one of their clients, Kieth Moran from SL Controls. People clearly play a big part in the development of any business. But for SL Controls, the advancements in technology (robotics, virtual reality and data) meant their strategy was constantly changing. So I wanted to find out how they communicated those changes to their people. Without affecting personal development or culture. Implementing a 3-year strategy, and using quarterly reviews, 1-1s conversations have been massive for the overall success of the SL Controls strategy. As Keith beautiful put it: “The real power is giving people purpose. Once people have a purpose and they know what they’re doing, why they’re doing it and what it’s contributing the overall strategy. It’s transformative.” Enjoy! DON’T HAVE TIME TO LISTEN TO THE WHOLE EPISODE? HERE’S AN EASY BREAKDOWN [1.26] How did SL Controls come about? [4.56] A quick insight into the work that you do? [6.22] How has technology (robotics, virtual reality and data) changed your strategy? [8.06] People clearly play a big part in the development of your business. How have you communicated the change in strategies over the years? [11.56] Why do you believe you’ve succeeded so much this year compared to other businesses in the same industry? [14.19] Do you think you need good process management in place before finding the right product? Or is it the other way around? [15.12] Have you been able to measure changes in staff engagement? If so, what has been the biggest thing for you? [17.06] As a leader is your ability to understand the views&opinions of your staff key? [18.10] And seeing that culture shift must be really rewarding for you and your board? [19.03] Do the OKRs allow an employee to trace how they are making an impact within the business? [19.31] With your performance management process, can you identify issues before they become big issues? [20.22] How are you planning to maintain your, what sounds like an amazing culture going forward? [23.20] I loved the videos of you and your family showing how you got through lockdown. Do you think more leaders should do this? Showing openness and honesty?

Hey everyone!  It's Alan and Jeremy, the two hosts of the People podcast. Now, you very rarely ever hear us talking to each other as we're normally talking to some really interesting people (which we're not).  You've probably already noticed that this episode isn't like the other ones. That's because we decided to take the next few weeks during the holiday period and give you a break from our voices. But don't worry, we are planning on coming back sometime around September, bigger, better, and probably between the two of us, a good stone heavier.  Make sure to follow us on socials (LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter or Facebook) to stay up to date with the podcast and to revisit some of our best episodes so far. We are very much looking forward to coming back with more exciting and intellectual content on the podcast come September.  But until then, have a great summer. Bye!

This week, in the second episode of the two-part podcast, co-host Jeremy Russon continues his conversation with YouthGroup CEO, Jack Parsons. Amongst confessing their love for dogs, they discuss the importance of mentors. “Mentors are really important for every single generation. More so for the younger generation” – Jack Parsons As well as the value that recruiters can provide by becoming mentors themselves and offering their knowledge and expertise to youth. Jack Parsons is a 25-year-old award-winning digital entrepreneur and CEO of The Youth Group. He loves dogs with all his heart and believes being kind is one of the most powerful traits you can have in business. His personal mission is to knock down doors for others to walk through after having a tough upbringing himself and lack of any career support from his school. Enjoy! DON’T HAVE TIME TO LISTEN TO THE WHOLE EPISODE? HERE’S AN EASY BREAKDOWN [1:00] The importance of mentors [3:37] Would you allow an organisation to sponsor the YouthGroup mentor programme [5:40] How can we, as part of the recruitment industry help? [7:27] How does someone get involved in being a mentor [9:52] Shout out to who has been a real role model in their support of youth [18:29] Did you take your dog to work on #BringYourDogToWorkDay?

We decided to do something a little different. We’ve made a two-part podcast episode as the topic was just that interesting! When we decided to do this specific podcast episode, co-host Jeremy Russon threw himself into research to find out everything there was to know about youths. What he found was extremely broad, it changed definition based on where he looked. The Cambridge Dictionary defines youth as the period between childhood and adult age. While the United Nations class it as anybody aged between 15to24, The Princes Trust between 13to30 and The Wellcome Trust between 16to30. But what we really want to highlight with this episode is the reason why these groups, however you define them, should be at the front and centre when it comes to opportunity and support. What are the biggest challenges they are facing and what we, as a part of the HR industry, can do more to help. Who better to ask about this topic then Jack Parsons founder and CEO of YouthGroup. Jack Parsons is in his 20's, he loves dogs with all his heart and believes being kind is one of the most powerful traits you can have in business. His personal mission is to knock down doors for others to walk through after having a tough upbringing himself and lack of any career support from his school. Enjoy! DON’T HAVE TIME TO LISTEN TO THE WHOLE EPISODE? HERE’S AN EASY BREAKDOWN [4:24] Who is Jack Parsons [8:00] Tell us about YouthGroup [9:40] Do you work independently or aside other organisations? [11:06] Tell us about a program or individual success that you are particularly proud of [13:15] Is there a specific youth demographic that needs more support [16:58] The ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign [19:27] Salesforce’s commitment to BLM [21:24] Which sectors that aid the youth demographic better? And which sectors should we be focusing on [23:20] If you focus on everything, you focus on nothing [25:05] Choosing the youth audience [29:02] Partnering with recruitment agencies

In today’s episode of the #ChatTalent People Podcast co-host Jeremy Russon was curious to find out what evidence HR actually is so he asked the Director of Customer Success at 7Geese Robert St Jacques, who really knows his stuff. They discuss how an evidence based approach should be used to build credibility with business leaders and how the combination of 4 key elements: The needs and wants of stakeholders The findings of your internal research The findings of your external research Personal professional expertise Will allow you to find a solution to the problems you are facing. Robert St Jacques, after graduating university set himself a mission: “Make HR better for employees, managers, organisations and the community as a whole”. A statement, which looking back, kickstarted his whole HR career. Since then, Robert has attempted to achieve his lofty ambition and worked as as a HR Leader and University Professor as well as a People and Culture Consultant and Director of Customer Success, just to name a few. Enjoy! DON’T HAVE TIME TO LISTEN TO THE WHOLE EPISODE? HERE’S AN EASY BREAKDOWN [1:10] Who is Robert St Jacques [4:50] A quick overview of 7Geese and your role with them [8:25] What evidence based HR [10:47] How widespread is it within the global HR community [12:28] What can we do as HR professionals to make this business model more widespread. [16:06] What does success look like? How would we know we have achieved what we set out to do [21:02] What resources would you recommend that can help us better understand the topic of evidence based HR [25:33] The best way to reach you ​

In this episode of the people podcast Alan Walker interviewed Chris Heron and James Dalton of Visibly, on the topics of culture and engagement. They discuss about how companies can bridge the gap between perceived, actual and desired cultures; organisational sub-cultures; the needs, wants and desires of employees; how organisations can better engage their teams - a whole heap more on this topic. Enjoy!