Unless you are working for a truly enormous organization where all supplier negotiations are handled by a procurement team, you are going to find yourself having to negotiate at some point. Whether it’s with the recruitment agencies you use to fill vacancies, the supplier of your HRIS system, or the company that administers your benefits scheme for you – there are a whole host of occasions when negotiation skills can come in handy, you can add huge value to your organisation from a financial...

‘Culture’ can seem like a vague and woolly concept. You can feel what a culture is like as soon as you start working in an organization but it can be hard to describe it and even harder to know what to do to measure or improve it. But with many HR teams being renamed as ‘People and Culture’ and job titles being changed to reflect this, understanding workplace culture and knowing how to shape and improve it are essential skills for People professionals. This episode of HR Coffee Time is here...

Have you set your sights on a senior HR role but feel like you’re missing out on strategic experience in your current job? Or perhaps you’re not confident enough to operate at board level? Bridging this gap could be more fulfilling than you think. Becoming a trustee for a charity is a smart career move that not only sharpens your strategic skills and gives you board-level exposure, it also offers the rewarding opportunity to do meaningful work by supporting a charity. It’s a unique blend of...

Go behind the scenes of HR Coffee Time and learn what to expect if you’re a guest on the show, and how to set yourself up for a successful interview. In this episode, Fay explains: The benefits of being a guest on HR Coffee TimeOvercoming nervousness and preparing for the interviewThe interview processTips for a successful interviewTechnical aspects of the interviewTips to reduce filler wordsThe importance of keeping the audience in mindHow to become a guest on HR Coffee Time   Useful...

With claims that we’re working in a world designed for extroverts, it’s important we understand how to make our workplaces more inclusive, so that we can all thrive. In this episode of HR Coffee Time, Fay is joined by Tom Cleary, Founder of Introverts & Co. Tom shares how to thrive at work as an introvert, and busts myths you may have heard before about introversion. He also explains practical strategies to help set yourself, your colleagues and your workplaces up for success. Some of the...

Facilitation skills can help you thrive in your HR/People career. In this episode of HR Coffee Time, Fay is joined by Kirsty Lewis, Founder of the School of Facilitation (SOF) who generously shares valuable insights, tips, and resources for honing facilitation skills. Listen to this episode to learn: What facilitation isThe difference between facilitation and trainingHow facilitation skills can help your HR careerPractical tips on facilitating or running an online workshop (to make it as...

Do you have an annual project coming up? A project you only need to do once a year that can feel a bit daunting because it can feel hard to remember everything involved, what you need to do and what order to do it all in? Maybe the end-of-year performance management process is looming, or you’re working towards launching the annual employee engagement survey, or you run a graduate recruitment scheme that starts up in January. In a busy HR/People role, the possibilities for projects you might...

Strategy is a topic we’ve explored before on HR Coffee Time (and we’ll look at again in the future) because it’s an important aspect of HR leadership. Whether you’re a seasoned strategist, or you feel uncomfortable and worried when it comes to strategy, this episode is here to help you build your skills and confidence.   Strategy expert and author of the award-winning book, “The Strategy Book: How to think and act strategically to deliver outstanding results”, Dr Max Mckeown shares:  What...

Have you ever felt like a fraud at work and worried you were about to be found out at any moment? Do you ever hold yourself back from asking for what you want for fear of hearing the word, “no”? Do you ever procrastinate because you’re worried about getting things ‘perfect’ enough? Do you work incredibly hard – perhaps harder than your colleagues and peers because you want to make sure you’re achieving good results at work? If you can answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, you are not alone....

If you have no idea what to post on LinkedIn, or why you should be posting on there, this episode of HR Coffee Time is here to help. Fay explains why it’s so important to be active on LinkedIn to build your professional and employer brands. She then explains 7 types of posts to share on LinkedIn that will help your HR career. Useful LinksConnect with Fay on LinkedInFay’s website: Bright Sky Career Coaching   Other Relevant HR Coffee Time Episodes Episode 11: Networking – the three most...

Although pensions can feel like a boring or complicated topic (especially if you’re not a Reward specialist), HR Coffee Time guest Pete Hykin shows this doesn’t have to be the case. In this episode he helps strip away any worries you might have about choosing a pension provider or talking about pensions at work. He also shares some great tips on how to get everyone engaged with their pensions and focused on their financial wellbeing. Listen to the episode to learn: Why it’s important to...

Gravitas can help you make an impact throughout your HR career, but it can feel hard to define, and even harder to work out how to develop it. Antoinette Dale Henderson is on hand to help. Having made it her life’s work to decode the elements that contribute to gravitas and teach us how to improve our own personal gravitas, she shares some of her key insights and tips in this episode of HR Coffee Time, including: Antoinette’s definition of gravitas, “The ability to command respect, get taken...

Contracting (taking on a role that isn’t a permanent position) can be a great option for your HR career. But how do you know whether it’s the right fit for you? This episode of HR Coffee Time is here to help you answer that question. Experienced HR contractor – Eleanor Minshall, shares her insights and explains: How she made the switch from permanent employment to contracting.The benefits of contractingThe downsides of contracting to be aware ofUseful skills to have as a contractorHow to get...

Build your confidence and knowledge about strategy with this episode of HR Coffee Time. Fay talks you through the key takeaways from Richard Rumelt’s modern business classic, “Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The difference and why it matters.” Not only will this help you create more powerful People and HR strategies, but it will also help you understand how to craft and contribute to the overarching strategy for the whole organisation you work in. This episode will be helpful for you, no matter...

If you’ve heard networking can help your HR/People career but are nervous about it, or you're not sure how to do it well, this episode of HR Coffee Time is here to help. Seasoned networker and HR professional Yvonne Walsh shares her personal experiences when it comes to networking. You’ll hear the fantastic impact networking has had on Yvonne’s career, and she shares invaluable tips to build up your confidence and skills when it comes to networking: How to get started with networking if...

For this special milestone episode of HR Coffee Time, Fay shares three of the lessons she has learnt from creating 100 episodes of the podcast. They’re lessons that can apply to everyone, no matter what point they are at in their career and no matter what job they do: You can make time for what matters, even if you think you can’t.Aim for progress over perfection.People are wonderful and happy to help. Useful LinksConnect with Fay on LinkedInFay’s website: Bright Sky Career CoachingDownload...

Conflict is something you’ll often be asked to help with in your role as a People professional. So, mediation skills are a useful conflict resolution tool to have in your toolbox, ready to put into action when you need them. In this episode of HR Coffee Time, Pete Colby, Director and lead Mediator at Pragmatism joins host, Fay Wallis, to talk through how mediation skills can help you resolve conflict at work. Some of the many things he covers include: Exactly what mediation is and what...

If you’re wrestling with the challenge of crafting an effective People Strategy, this episode of HR Coffee Time is here to help. Kelly Vincent, Head of People & Culture at a thriving edtech company, shares her insights into building a powerful People Strategy from the ground up. Kelly’s key insights, tips and learnings from the experience of creating a powerful People Strategy for an SME include: Get buy-in from the CEO and senior leadership team.Spend time getting to understand the...

If you’d like to build your confidence, influence, impact and credibility at work, then the group programme, Inspiring HR, might be just what you’re looking for. In this episode of HR Coffee Time, Fay talks through the purpose behind creating Inspiring HR and what to expect if you join. Useful LinksConnect with Fay on LinkedInFay’s website: Bright Sky Career CoachingInspiring HR: further information & sign-up details Books Recommended in This Episode(Disclosure: the book links are...

Standalone roles are typically found in start-ups and smaller organizations where the People team consists of only one member – you! It's a challenging yet rewarding role. In this episode of HR Coffee Time, guests Nicola Head and Georgina Wright talk through the positives and challenges they've encountered in their experience of standalone HR/People roles, along with valuable advice on how to thrive in such a position. If you're considering a standalone role for the first time this episode...

As remote and hybrid working have become the new norm, it can be a real challenge to build trust and connections amongst our colleagues. Email has become more critical than ever before, now there aren’t the same opportunities for sharing communication in-person. In this episode of HR Coffee Time, Kim Arnold returns for her second appearance on the show. She shares invaluable on writing impactful emails, to create stronger bonds and trust throughout your organisation. And just as importantly,...

Make the most of the summer by dipping into these 3 fantastic books to help your HR Career. In this episode, Fay shares a book that will help you get the most out of your time; one will empower you to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace; and the other one will improve your ability to create powerful group experiences. Connect With Fay  Connect with Fay on LinkedIn Fay’s website: Bright Sky Career Coaching  Book Recommendations from The Episode (Disclosure: these links are affiliate links...

If you’re passionate about inclusion at work and you want to know how to make an impact to create a more inclusive work culture, this episode is packed full of advice to help. And the advice can be put into action whatever the size of the organisation you’re working in – no matter how big or small it is. Host Fay Wallis is joined by Toby Mildon, the Inclusive Culture Strategist & author of “Inclusion Matters: Future-proof your business by creating a diverse workplace.” Some of the many...

When work and life feel busy, it can feel hard to stay on top of everything. But taking a step back and identifying helpful time management techniques can make a big difference. In this episode of HR Coffee Time, career & executive coach, Fay Wallis chats with Louisa van Vessem about a range of time management tips to help you stay on top of your busy day. Some of the ideas they talk through include: Virtual co-workingScheduling/calendar tools (e.g. Calendly)Time blockingBuffer timeThe...

If you feel like you should be more assertive at work, or you've had other people around you recommend that you start being more assertive, it can be hard to know what to do about it. After all, what does 'being assertive' actually mean and how can you be assertive if it isn't something that feels like it comes naturally to you? This episode of HR Coffee Time is here to help. Professional communication coach Trisha Lewis joins career coach, Fay Wallis, to share her fresh approach to being...