We’ve reached the end of Season 6 and we’ve almost reached the end of the year!  Rob Moss, the Editor of Personnel Today returns to give his HR review of the year.  Among other topics, we talk about quiet quitting, industrial action, working from home and the 4 day working week. What have been the big HR stories this year? [02:07] Political upheaval in the UK during 2022 has in Rob's opinion made for a quiet year for the HR sector with a very few developments in the world of work. Is Quiet...

My guest this week puts forward the key principle that employers have a moral obligation to ensure that employees look forward to coming to work. This principle amongst others, is a key tenet of unleashing the power of the human spirit to enable organisations to really prosper in the 21st century.  Josh Bersin is one of the world’s leading authorities on human resources, talent, leadership and HR technology. During the last 25 years Josh has worked with hundreds of organisations and this...

Is 'Quiet Quitting' just a tik tok phenomenon or is it genuinely a coping mechanism for employees to protect themselves from the pressure of work? This week’s guest argues that Quiet Quitting is a way for workers to moderate how much cognitively and emotionally they are giving to their working lives in order to remain healthy at work.  Dr Maria Kordowicz FRSA is a Chartered Psychologist, Associate Professor in Organisational Behaviour and Director of the Centre for Interprofessional Education...

Workplace wellbeing continues to be a key theme for Oven-Ready.  Increasingly HR practitioners are devoting more of their time tackling a range of complex issues such as mental health provision for employee burnout and additional financial support for workers in financial stress. Recent research findings from financial services giant Legal and General’s Group Protection business has revealed some stark results. The majority of UK workers surveyed believe that workplace mental health support...

Every Season on Oven-Ready I like to devote an episode that critiques HR.  Think of it as kicking the tyres, looking under the bonnet and occasionally applying the hand break when we look to be driving in the wrong direction. Neil Morrison is the Director of HR for FTSE100 water company, Severn Trent plc, where he is responsible for the HR function as well as the internal and external communications and marketing teams. Considered one of the UK’s most influential HR leaders, Neil often...

In this episode I welcome back multi-award winning psychologist and bestselling author Gethin Nadin widely considered as one of the worlds leading employee experience influencers.  Gethin has just published his new book titled A Work In Progress written in the long shadow of the pandemic and partly as an andidote to the hundreds of thousands of off-the-self wellbeing apps and services that organisations buy and the majority of which offer no discernible benefit to workers. A Work In Progress...

What is the future for global city centres in this post-pandemic world?  Cities from Shanghai and New York to Singapore and London are still coming to terms with the fact that a significant % of the knowledge workers who used to commute 5 days a week are now spending part of the working week at home.   This new way of working has had a significant impact on city centre economies. So with the new rhythm of working, what do city centres and those responsible for their vibrancy need to do to...

The Brit School for performing arts and technology is perhaps the most creative environment on the planet.  Free to attend, inspiration for the school came from  the 1980’s move Fame and the spin-off TV show. Brit School alumni are considered some of the most successful and influential artists of all time. From Adele and Amy Winehouse to Tom Holland and Leona Lewis. But The Brit School is more than just a school for performers.  Of equal importance are students studying film making, TV...

Many of us are working at least part of the week remotely. So how do you work remotely and remain effective?  Well HR guru Gemma Dale has just published a book about remote working and here to share her expertise. Gemma is a lecturer in the Business School at Liverpool John Moores University as well as running her own business 'The Work Consultancy' where she focuses on policy development, flexible and hybrid working and wellbeing.  A charted fellow of the CIPD Gemma was one of the 'Most...

If you’re a regular listener to Oven-Ready you’ll know that we out together a couple of compilation episodes called Oven-Ready Reheated listening again to some of the key moments from the season’s episodes. [00:39] William Tincup is the President and Editor at Large for Recruiting Daily, the number 1 site for recruitment news and opinion. I ask William if there is a pressure from employers for a return to the office in the United States. [02:56] In the first of two clips, Professor Sir Cary...

If you’re a regular listener to Oven-Ready you’ll know that we out together a couple of compilation episodes called Oven-Ready Reheated listening again to some of the key moments from the season’s episodes.  [00:38] Gethin Nadin is one of the world’s top Employee Experience and Wellbeing Influencers. In the first of two clips, Gethin describes how the events of the past few years have had a profound influence on younger workers. [02:22] In this second segment, Gethin reveals how the cost of...

In this episode, I examine the relationship between ESG – environmental, social and governance considerations and HR.  Taking note of an organisations ESG factors is now commonplace for the investment community.  Today, it’s not enough just to consider financial returns, investors increasingly are concerned a company’s impact on the environment, the structure and make up of the leadership team and really since the pandemic, how businesses interact with their workers. Simply are organisations...

Summer internship programmes are common place and done right they provide valuable work experience to students or recent graduates keen to explore their chosen field.  For organisations, such programmes are an ideal source of potential or future talent and help burnish their employer of choice brand in the marketplace.  However, such programmes need to be carefully designed and managed. Organisations must ensure their programmes are diverse and accessible to ensure individuals from less...

What does feeling safe at work really mean? Being accepted for our ‘whole selves’ is a central theme of ED&I. It’s a given that when, as employees, we are provided the psychological safety to being our whole selves to work we are more productive, more creative and happier.  We can also reveal our vulnerabilities and fears making us more rounded, understood and accessible to our colleagues.  Sandi Wassmer is the Chief Executive of the Employer's Network for Equality and Inclusion or enei...

 A high-level of emotional intelligence (EQ) is increasingly being considered as a 'super power' by organisations. Technical or 'hard skills' are of course important, but if you're  managing others, having the ability to relate, empathise, communicate and understand the impact of your own behaviour on others is what will set you apart. Like technical skills, EQ or 'soft skills' can be developed and improved through learning.  But the problem has always been how do you get that learning to...

The world of work has never been so volatile, uncertain and complex.  Seismic changes and trends that would normally take decades to emerge have followed one after the other! To make sense of where we find ourselves I'm joined by  world’s preeminent authority on organisational culture and employee wellbeing.  Professor Sir Cary Cooper CBE is the 50th Anniversary Professor of Psychology at Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester.  He is a founding President of the British...

We’ve had a white-hot recruitment market for some time now and I thought it was right to take the temperature again and see if it’s still as hot as we’re led to believe  - given the multiple issues we’re facing not least the cost of living crisis.  William Tincup is the President & Editor at large of Recruiting Daily the world’s number 1 online site for recruitment content.  William is at the intersection of work and technology. He's a writer, speaker, advisor, consultant, investor,...

There are so many big employment and workplace stories at the moment.  From chaos at UK airports due to staff shortages and the raging work from home debate to planned strikes on the rail network and of course the fallout from 'partygate' at 10 Downing St! Added to that this week's narrowly  won vote of no confidence in the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson all adds to a sense of upheaval and uncertainty - hardly a welcome backdrop for any organisation. The political uncertainty is a timely...

In this episode of Oven-Ready HR I talk to Stephen Bevan who is head of HR Research Development at the Institute for Employment Studies about why many employee wellbeing initiatives on their own fail to have the required impact.   Stephen has almost 40 years of experience in the field of HR research with highly sought-after expertise in workforce wellbeing, performance, and productivity. Stephen has numerous publications on health at work to his name. And he was an expert witness to a review...

In this episode of Oven-Ready HR I take a closer look at an innovative employment model that’s growing in popularity around the world.  The 4 Day Week is a reduced-hour working model, which seeks to prioritise working smarter to produce better business productivity and positive employee outcomes such as employee retention, engagement and reduced absence levels. Joining me to discuss this growing work-trend is Charlotte Lockhart, co-founder of 4 Day Week Global – a not-for-profit community for...

Why can't managers manage? This week I turn my attention to the quality of management in organisations or perhaps the lack of it.  Are good bosses as rare as hen’s teeth? Without fail, poor management is one of the top, if not the top reason we leave organisations.  Why can’t managers manage? Chris Roebuck is the honorary Visiting Professor of Transformational leadership at London’s Cass Business School. A former serving military officer, Chris is also former global head of Leadership at...

Regular listeners to the Oven-Ready podcast will know I frequently cover the more 'humanistic' side of HR.  I regularly interview guests on topics such as employee engagement, organisational culture and purpose and wellbeing. These are all of course hugely important to HR practitioners but in this episode I wanted to discover what the executives of the 'C-Suite' are focused on and whether HR as a function is on the same page. Andrew Bartlow, this week's guest suggests in many instances we're...

In this episode of Oven-Ready HR host Chris Taylor talks to author, speaker, psychologist Gethin Nadin.  Gethin is one of the world’s top Employee Experience and Wellbeing Influencers.  Gethin’ work has been featured in the FT, Forbes, Guardian and The Huffington Post. Gethin is also Chair of the UK Government-backed Engage for Success Wellbeing Thought Action Group and a fellow at the RSA. How many pillars of wellbeing are there? [01:33] Gethin says a lot of organisations struggle with this...

So if you’re a regular listener to Oven-Ready you’ll know that at the end of each season we put together a couple compilation episodes called Oven-Ready Reheated looking again at some of the themes and best bits.  Season 4 of the show has been hugely popular with some fantastic interviews so thanks again to all of my exceptional guests.  Remember all of the seasons shows are available at ovenreadyhr.com or wherever you get your podcasts but here are some tasty appetisers:  Radical Candor is...