My guest on this episode is Jess Gray who has recently joined a solicitors as part of their outsourced HR team. However, we cover off so many interesting aspects and situations within this episode.

Jess found her way into HR and Training after university and gained her Level 5 CIPD. It was always the plan to do some travelling though so she took a break in her fledgling HR career to go overseas and taught English in Thailand.

When she returned home she found it incredibly challenging to secure a new entry level HR job, despite having adequate experience and the qualification under her belt.

She then joined an organisation and experienced a reduction in the HR team, a change in leadership, investment and growth of the team once again. Jess explains what it was like working through this turbulence and how the priorities changed for the HR function at various stages.

Her next company was an Academy Trust which presented a whole new set of challenges. She was now operating in environments where there had barely been a HR presence before and Jess explains how her much of her work had an emphasis of building and nurturing relationships to get those building blocks in place for her to make an impact.

Very recently her career has taken another twist by moving into outsourced HR. Jess shares what it has been like adapting to this version of HR delivery but what she has found inredibly enjoyable about it too.

This is a highly fascinating conversation shedding light on some aspects of HR that many wouldn't be aware of. I hope you enjoy listening.

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We have a first for the podcast - it's the very first time that I've had two guests feature on one episode.

I'm joined by Gemma Ellison and Lisa LLoyd who are both returning guests from this series.

Since my recording with Gemma in October 2023, the pair have teamed up to create Leadership Labs which provide a truly unique approach to helping leaders tackle issues and drive change.

Both highly passionate about workplace culture they also recognised that the general formats for Leadership development simply didn't go far enough or were too generic. They knew that something better could be achieved.

What they have created are mechanisms for honesty, collaboration, and peer support and learning. At the same time, they are pushing the boundaries by encouraging leaders to tackle 'experiments' that are measured and assessed to help drive positive change in their businesses.

I absolutely love the concept and format they have come up with. Whilst not the traditional format for this podcast, it's still a compelling listen, especially for any HR folk tasked with supporting leadership development in their organisations or even HR leaders themselves.

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My guest this episode is Jane Ferre who is an expert in all things Talent Management.

Jane is such a fun and engaging individual who is prolific on LinkedIn so connect with her on there if you aren't already.

Like many she didn't know what she wanted to do after university but secured a job at Euro Disney in Paris soon after it opened resulting in her dancing in the parade as Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast and having the time of her life!

Eventually she moved to British Airways where she spent almost 20 years working in a range of roles within the HR department but it was Talent Management that she always enjoyed the most. After two redundancies in a short space of time she made the decision to go self-employed and help lots of different companies align their Talent Management strategies with the overall business goals to ensure they had the right people with the right capabilities to achieve those goals.

During the conversation we discuss the importance of building and maintaining your network. Jane effectively sums this up by saying you need to invest the time by developing your network so that it's there and in place for when you need it.

This was an incredibly enjoyable conversation and I'm sure you'll get as much pleasure from listening as I did recording it.

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My guest this episode is Lisa LLoyd who could be considered an unconventional guest for me to have on.

Whilst Lisa hasn't worked in HR per se, the work she does feeds into the HR ecosystem. In the spirit of bring as broad a variety of people from the HR world onto the show then her story definitely warrants a place here.

Lisa studied Psychology at University, not knowing exactly what she wanted to do but feeling it would be something that could help her in whatever vocation she did ultimately choose.

Her career then actually began as a Primary School Teacher but it was through her wanting to help those kids most in need of support that made her leave the profession. However, it took her to working directly with those families who needed help and getting them the support they required. This then led to her first position as a Psychologist but it's fascinating to hear how great Managers and Leaders impacted Lisa at this stage in her early career.

A chance conversation with a HR friend made Lisa see that the work she had been doing in school environments was equally as relative in the commercial world so she made the leap to working as a Consultant.

Where Lisa differs from so many other business coaches out there is that she uses her psychology background but also provides a bespoke, tailored solution to each company she works with. After all no two companies are the same!

Lisa is incredibly engaging and has a unique ability to simply issues, identify the true objective with her clients, and then help them develop plans to reach that destination.

For anybody frustrated at feeling the burden is on them as the HR person to drive organisational culture matters then this is an absolute must listen.

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I'm joined in this episode by Julie Spicher who is Head of People & Culture for energy company Leep Utilities in Manchester.

I've know Julie about 8 years when she was a HR Administrator and have watched her career flourish at quite a rapid rate over that time. Even back then she was someone who stood out so it's not surprising that her career has rocketed.

I wanted to get Julie on to share her story so we could try and discover what it is about her that has enabled such fast-tracked career progression.

Julie is originally from Holland but, at only 17 years old, decided that she wanted to push herself and go off and see the world. She moved to the UK and worked as an au pair before deciding on a career in HR and going to university to study Human Resource Management.

She did a placement year working at Honda and then worked in the Shared Service Centre for Marks & Spencers, so left university with two years HR experience already under her belt. This already indicates some of the characteristics that have made her so successful.

Julie then worked for a tech business before joining Leep Utilities. This provided Julie with the chance to set up a HR function and all the systems and procedures, which again is quite a task for someone with only a few years experience.

Julie was taught early in her career about the importance of asking the 'why' whenever embarking upon an activity or project. This is something that underpins how she operates but she is also someone who has a plan but pushes herself outside her comfort zone.

There are so many discussion points within this episode and it's absolute gold for anyone starting out in their career who wants to understand how to excel and propel their career forward.

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My guest for this episode is Steven Ingram who worked for the bulk of his HR career doing consultancy before launching his own business, Neurodiversity Together, in the summer of 2023.

Steven has ADHD, autism, and a stammer. What I absolutely love about him and what you'll realise from this conversation is that he approaches discussions on neurodiverity in a different way. It's a more holistic and inclusive way for all concerned rather than focussing simply on any singular individual.

Having gone straight into the world of HR Consultancy from university he lifts the lid on that world as I think, for many, it's not a pathway that is considered at the entry level. However, Steven explains how, like in any role, you learn from those around you until you have the tools and knowledge to take on further responsibility so there's absolutely no barriers of entry for those starting off in their careers.

Steven explains why he ultimately set up his own business and we learn how his approach to supporting individuals and organisations regarding neurodiversity puts just as much onus on the person as it does any adjustments that need to be made to assist them.

I find Steven such a refreshing and insightful individual and talking to him raises many lightbulb and 'a-ha' moments. I'm sure you'll enjoy this and gets lots of 'a-ha' moments for yourself too.

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I've often referenced the HR Bingo sheet through various podcast episodes. That's the list of everything you can do in the HR spectrum and ticking off as many as you can.

Well I think this episodes guest is the first person I've ever met who can probably stand up and shout "HR BINGO!"

I was incredibly thrilled to be joined by Simon Shumann-Davies for this 101st episode.

I would class Simon as being in the top percentile of HR professionals, simply based on what his market rate would be if he were looking for permanent work. However, this isn't someone who has had it easy... quite the opposite in fact.

Simon began his HR career in the RAF, which in itself is quite unique. Upon leaving the Forces he then struggled to get a HR job in the private sector as his experience in such a different type of organisation wasn't deemed relevant.

However, despite overcoming that initial difficulty he has gone on to accumulate one of the most comprehensive profiles I've ever come across.

Whilst he says his is an employment law and change specialist, I struggle to think of anything he hasn't done in the HR space. This is combined with him working across an incredible amount of sectors and industries as well as companies from start-up to global giants.

Taking another unique turn, Simon now works as a fractional HR Director and he explains what exactly this type of work entails.

This is THE episode that you cannot miss!

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This is a landmark episode as it's our 100th!!

Therefore a landmark episode requires a guest of equal stature and I'm delighted to be joined by Annette Andrews.

Annette has an incredibly fascinating career story to share. From growing up and moving countries ( and schools) reguarly due to her Dad's job, she strongly considered joining the Army but a significant sporting injury meant that was no longer an option.

Unsure of what she then wanted to do with her life, some summer work at a local hospital put her under the tutelage of the HR Director. He encouraged Annette to apply for HR graduate schemes which led to her joining Ford where she stayed for the next 18 years, gaining an MBA along the way.

She then joined Lloyds Bank right before the global financial crash in 2008 and was on the actual trading floor the day the markets crashed. This led to supporting the huge transition project of bringing together Lloyds and Bank of Scotland as one new banking group.

Annette moved to the US in a Head of HR role for Lloyds but she explains how various things going on in her personal life meant she needed something different from her career during this period and a role that demanded less from her. This is common to so many during their careers and it's encouraging to hear someone with such a stellar career recognise that there may be a time when we need to take our foot of the gas for a while and seek out something more condusive with our personal lives.

Then when she was ready to tackle a larger role and a big challenge once again she moved to Lloyds of London as Chief People Officer.

Annette now has a portfolio career doing HR Consultancy, Coaching, working as a Non-Exec Director, and doing Speaking events.

This is an incredible episode that covers so much, especially about how Annette has pulled on the experiences throughout her life to aid her career but how life also impacts the decisions we make at times too.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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