EMEA Recruitment Podcast

Thank you to Marco Plattner, Group CFO at Cerdia in Basel, Switzerland, for joining us on the EMEA Recruitment podcast.

"You need to have the right teams around you – without that, it's not possible."

Marco moved to Basel five years ago, but actually changed roles during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Cerdia has a small headquarters in Switzerland, he realised that he needed to communicate more consciously when working remotely. Ensuring informal conversation between colleagues still took place was also essential.

Marco found himself changing roles during the pandemic as a result of remaining open to new opportunities. Interviewing remotely, he feels it takes longer to see whether there's a match between the candidate and the company.

Although he's now a CFO, Marco has always put 100% into his work to come up with new ideas and solve problems, regardless of his position. He has always worked on complex change management projects; his ability to navigate through ambiguity is something he attributes to his successes.

Marco first met Paul Toms, our Founder, shortly before the birth of his second child. He was also going through a major transformation project at work, studying for an MBA and had recently relocated. He debriefs with himself every week and tries to have a longer-term plan in place to allow him to focus, although he appreciates that we need to remain flexible for times when plans change.

Marco highlights his wife, teams at work and fellow students on his MBA course for providing the necessary support. It's the reason that he spends so long talking to candidates during the recruitment process; Marco is always looking for the right cultural fit, as well as diversity in the team.

In fact, Marco is always looking for ways to decrease the time spent on data-gathering in Finance, to free up more time for discussing and implementing solutions. He believes we need to put more resources in place to change the current imbalance.

Marco offers key advice for those considering a career in Finance – it's not the typical answer!

If you're looking for a particular part of the episode, you can use the timestamps below:

01:18: Back to the office in Basel02:44: Communicating more consciously during COVID05:04: Taking positives from the pandemic06:15: Changing jobs during COVID08:35: Becoming a CFO10:28: How Marco has ensured success15:25: The importance of focus in project management18:45: Having the right people around you22:34: Finding a cultural fit with candidates25:32: How BI & data can change the imbalance in Finance29:26: How Marco got into Finance32:37: Advice for aspiring Finance professionals34:33: What's next for Marco 25:58: The last thing that made Marco smile37:38: How to reach out to Marco

If you'd like to connect with Marco, find him on LinkedIn.

The EMEA Recruitment podcast is brought to you in partnership with Operation Smile. We're hoping to create 100 new smiles through this partnership – if you can support this cause, please visit our website: https://www.emearecruitment.com/operation-smile

This episode is hosted by Paul Toms and Rose Jinks.

If you'd like to find out more about our professional services recruitment, information can be found on our website: https://www.emearecruitment.com/

You can also follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emea-recruitment-limited/

Connect with Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paultoms/

Or follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/paul_toms

If you have any feedback on the EMEA Recruitment podcast, please get in touch with Rose: [email protected]

#emearecruitment #emearecruitmentpodcast #marcoplattnet #paultoms #operationsmile #finance #recruitment

We were pleased to welcome Michaela Dedic, Global Diversity and Inclusion Leader at Novartis, onto the EMEA Recruitment podcast.

"The simplest way for HR to influence is to take an active lead in developing the culture with the executive teams."

To kick off the episode, Michaela shares the last thing that made her smile with Paul Toms; she's been battling a bird that keeps pecking at her plants. It's a hobby that Michaela has invested in since working from home more during the pandemic. She compares tending to her plants to the way she helps people grow and develop within the organisation.

Michaela explains the role Human Resources plays in culture change within a business. While we are often taught to provide solutions quickly, Michaela believes in the power of listening to your partners to enact change.

She had to set clear boundaries for herself when working virtually over the past two years. Part of Michaela's approach was to set time aside for herself and to reach out to colleagues to talk (not just about work).

Michaela has worked for Novartis since 2016. She credits the company for its investment in Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) and recognising how D&I can drive innovation. For her personally, it's an interesting and rewarding role, but not something that will change overnight.

We discuss the impact of business intelligence and data on the HR function. Talent Acquisition, in particular, is seeing "great innovation" in identifying talent and driving productivity. Nevertheless, Michaela finds some aspects "a bit scary"!

Paul explores the key steps to an effective and efficient recruitment process. Michaela offers her advice on writing the perfect job description, ensuring strong communication with candidates, and streamlining the interview process. She is also a firm believer in building talent pipelines for the future – and the need for candidates to prepare.

Michaela didn't fall into HR by accident; she realised at university that she was curious about people. It was more of an administrative role when Michaela joined the industry, but has since expanded and grown.

In the future, Michaela sees developing the next generation of corporate leaders as a challenge for HR, as well as working on cultural diversity, inclusion and equity, and wellbeing. Following the return to the office post-pandemic, companies also need to retain their best talent.

We end the episode by finding out Michaela's one piece of advice for her 18-year-old self, along with the business leader who made an "enormous impact" on her career.

If you're looking for a particular part of the episode, please use the timestamps below:

00:59: The latest thing that made Michaela smile02:32: Helping people grow05:15: The power of listening07:18: How Michaela adapted to the pandemic10:35: Finding the balance when WFH13:07: What it feels like to work in D&I18:18: Essential characteristics for success22:40: How data is changing the way we work26:21: Streamlining the recruitment process33:31: Finding the right people for the company35:20: How Michaela got into HR39:08: The biggest challenges facing HR44:31: Advice for Michaela's 18-year-old self46:06: The biggest influence in Michaela's career49:15: How to connect with Michaela

If you'd like to connect with Michaela, send her a message on LinkedIn.

EMEA Recruitment is proud to support Operation Smile through the podcast. We hope to create 100 new smiles through our partnership. If you can help us reach our goal, please donate: emearecruitment.com/operation-smile

This episode is hosted by Paul Toms, our Founder, and Rose Jinks, Senior Marketing Executive.

More information on our specialist recruitment services can be found through our website: https://www.emearecruitment.com/

You can also follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emea-recruitment-limited/

If you'd like to connect with Paul, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paultoms/

Or follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/paul_toms

If you have any feedback on the EMEA Recruitment podcast, please get in touch with Rose: [email protected]

#emearecruitment #emearecruitmentpodcast #michealadedic #paultoms #operationsmile #hr #humanresources #recruitment

In this episode of the EMEA Recruitment podcast, we're joined by Marco Dirren, the CFO at Implenia in Switzerland.

"No matter what your area of expertise is, you need to fit the culture of the company."

Marco speaks to Paul Toms after a "challenging" two years, in which Implenia went through a transformation, at the same time the world was dealing with the pandemic and developments in Eastern Europe. Marco feels the whole company learnt a lot on how to cope with these situations, which he believes you can't learn by reading textbooks.

By using the "brainpower" of his team, Marco has managed to find the best solutions for the business, while finding a release in his private life through family and sport. He also values time alone, in order to reflect.

Marco compares his current role with Implenia to sports; when you're in the zone, he explains, everything falls into place. He's proud to have gone through a transformation in a difficult market, but understands that not everyone in his team handles pressure in the same way – part of his job is to be aware of the soft factors, as well.

Marco feels his emotional stability is a gift, which not only gives him a clear mind during crisis situations, but also motivates the team. During the early part of his career, Marco felt he spoke too much, always trying to get his ideas across. After some personal development, he values listening to others' opinions and getting a new aspect on problems.

Something else he invests in is the early stages of the recruitment process. He not only tries to match the current market, but also works with recruiters to tap into a wider pool of candidates (although he insists that partners must understand the culture of the company).

We find out a top tip from one of Marco's previous managers on how to prioritise your work day. He also discusses the power of sleep in forming a resilient attitude.

Digitalisation and data are two challenges currently facing Chief Financial Officers, Marco believes, as older members of the team must let go of old methods and try to have some flexibility. By being adaptable, companies will be able to attract and retain talent, he explains. For example, Implenia values diversity of mindset in the recruitment process.

We end the episode by finding out how Marco recovers after a frustrating day.

If you'd like to connect with Marco, he is active on LinkedIn, although he typically only accepts connection requests that are personalised: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marco-dirren/

If you're looking for a particular part of the episode, use these timestamps:

01:03: Managing a transformation during a crisis02:18: The strength within a team04:49: Handling stressful situations07:53: Marco's emotional strength11:29: How Marco learned to listen18:36: Investing in the recruitment process22:29: How Marco structures his day29:42: Challenges for the future CFO33:54: The importance of diversity36:11: How Marco recovers after a bad day41:23: How to reach out to Marco

Operation Smile is the official partner of the EMEA Recruitment podcast. By raising vital funds and awareness for this cause, we hope to create 100 new smiles through this partnership. If you can donate anything to support us, please visit emearecruitment.com/operation-smile

The EMEA Recruitment podcast is hosted by Paul Toms, our Founder, and Rose Jinks, our Senior Marketing Executive.

Find out more about our specialist recruitment services through our website: https://www.emearecruitment.com/

Or stay up to date via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emea-recruitment-limited/

If you'd like to message Paul, connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paultoms/

You can also follow Paul on Twitter: https://twitter.com/paul_toms

If there are any topics you'd like us to discuss in future episodes of the EMEA Recruitment podcast, please contact Rose: [email protected]

#emearecruitment #emearecruitmentpodcast #marcodirren #paultoms #operationsmile #finance #recruitment

We were honoured to welcome Greg Vlasek, Group SVP Head of ABB Way Finance Transformation at ABB in Switzerland, onto the EMEA Recruitment podcast.

"I'm going to take this risk, I'm going to jump, but I'm always going to make sure I have one solid leg to stand on, because when you jump – if not – you fall."

Greg tells Paul Toms how ABB started its transformation programme during COVID-19. Although it was difficult not seeing people face-to-face, Greg found that, on the flip side, executives had a lot more time to make decisions, precisely because they weren't travelling.

Greg is used to working remotely; he hired 600 people in just 18 months for ABB's Centers of Excellence team, meeting not one of them in person. In fact, Greg has a special place in his heart for recruitment, having previously worked at Adecco for six years. He feels an essential part of the process is screening, which should focus on the culture of the business, as well as the technical skills of the candidate.

We explore Greg's rather traditional background, from qualifying in the "finishing school" of the Big 4, to moving into Audit, before spring-boarding into Commercial roles. He believes in building "one strong leg" that you can always stand on as a pillar in your career. Greg also reveals the "sweet spot" length of time that one should say in a role. Personally, he has always expanded his breadth of content knowledge in the area of change.

We find out Greg's original career plan – it's a world away from Finance & Accountancy!

In his current role at ABB, Greg feels the importance of work-life balance. He splits his life into four quadrants - work, family, himself and friends – and explains which areas suffer most when he overworks. Greg insists that we all have a choice when it comes to looking after ourselves, we just have to be courageous enough to set limits.

As an example, Greg blocks his calendar between 12pm and 1pm every day for himself, not picking up the phone, regardless of how urgent it is. His team is also aware of this commitment, which helps him stick to it.

Greg explains which companies he would never work for, as well as the mistakes he made earlier in his career.

We end the episode by discussing business intelligence and data in the Finance function. He describes it as a "revolution that is becoming reality", comparing data and reporting to the dotcom bubble. Despite these huge changes, Greg doesn't feel he would change his career path if he could – he believes in the courage to let life take you.

You can listen to this episode below or search for the EMEA Recruitment podcast on your favourite app:

If you're looking for a particular part of the episode, please use the timestamps below:

01:15: The last thing that made Greg smile01:55: Why working remotely made decision-making easier04:02: Hiring 600 people in 18 months – remotely!05:28: The key to successful recruitment08:57: Building a strong pillar in your career18:04: Balancing work, life, family and yourself19:56: How Greg manages his work-life balance23:07: Learning from other people26:21: Allowing yourself to make mistakes28:50: Revolution in the Finance function34:32: Reading the signs and going with the flow38:02: How to reach out to Greg

If you'd like to connect with Greg, you can find him on LinkedIn.

The EMEA Recruitment podcast is brought to you in partnership with Operation Smile. We're committed to creating 100 new smiles by raising vital funds for Operation Smile's medical missions. If you would like to support this cause, please donate: https://www.emearecruitment.com/operation-smile

This episode is hosted by Paul Toms, our Founder, and Rose Jinks, our Senior Marketing Executive.

Find out more about our specialist professional services recruitment through our website: https://www.emearecruitment.com/

You can also keep up to date with us via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emea-recruitment-limited/

Connect with Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paultoms/

Or follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/paul_toms

If you have any feedback, please contact Rose: [email protected]

#emearecruitment #emearecruitmentpodcast #gregvlasek #paultoms #operationsmile #finance

Thank you to Markus Graf, VP HR, Global Head of Talent at Novartis, for joining us as a guest on the EMEA Recruitment podcast.

"Listening, to me, is a superpower."

Markus spoke to Paul Toms from his home office in Switzerland, where he's spent more time with his family due to working from home during the pandemic. He feels he's been "gifted" with a positive attitude, always reflecting on what life offers him and acknowledging any setbacks.

As a teenager, Markus owned a start-up business, but he had dreams of working in a large corporation, to learn how multi-national organisations operate. He completed a rotational programme, before a leader took him under his wing and gave Markus opportunities to grow in the Human Resources function.

He reveals the one skill that HR leaders need to learn, build trust and make people in the business feel valued. It's a trait that is important for all our professional lives, as well as personal relationships.

With the rise of business intelligence and data in HR, Markus believes that intuition and empathy must complement market trends. At Novartis, the entire Talent strategy is now built around more transparency and data-driven decisions.

Markus has witnessed a shift in professional mobility; the willingness of workers to relocate has dropped significantly in major markets, accelerated by the pandemic.

So, how does Novartis find success in attracting and retaining its people? Markus understands that purpose is becoming more important to job seekers. As Novartis is committed to reimaging medicine, its culture is very appealing. It also offers flexibility in how its people work. The company has seen a 10% increase in employees' abilities to manage work-related stress as a result.

Markus feels privileged to be in his current role. He summarises it in four Ps: purpose, people, position and place. In fact, Switzerland is top of his list of countries to live and work in (or travel to).

Nevertheless, Markus grew up in a humble environment, only leaving his homeland of Germany when he was 12-years-old. He still remembers his first holiday abroad to Italy, fascinated by the language, food and drinks. It inspired him to look for jobs with exposure to different cultures; his first role after university was a global IT project, bringing new processes to other countries.

However, Markus still has one regret. His start-up company, selling radio-controlled toys on the internet in the early 2000s, could have been "pretty successful", he believes. Every once in a while, he wonders why he gave it up for the prospect of working for a large multi-national.

Paul ends the episode by asking about Markus' many professional accolades, such as Top 100 HR Influencers and Top 50 Leaders Reinventing the World. Markus claims these are reflections of the people he's learned from, but encourages other professionals to be bold and share their points of view online.

You can connect with Markus via his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markus-graf-profile/

If you're looking for a particular part of the episode, use the timestamps below:

01:38: The last thing that made Markus smile03:38: Feeling grateful in life06:00: Why Markus went into HR08:51: The most important skill for leaders11:50: How HR will change through data17:17: Why flexibility is here to stay18:54: How Novartis attracts and retains its people22:24: Implementing flexible working28:31: What it feels like to be VP HR at Novartis32:28: Why you should work and live abroad37:02: Markus' 1 regret in his professional life40:53: Markus' many accolades45:55: Connecting with Markus

EMEA Recruitment is proud to work with Operation Smile, an international medical charity that provides life-changing surgery to children and adults with cleft lip and palate. Find out how you can support this cause at: emearecruitment.com/operation-smile

The EMEA Recruitment podcast is hosted by Paul Toms, our Founder, and Rose Jinks, Senior Marketing Executive.

Learn about our professional services recruitment, including HR, through our website: https://www.emearecruitment.com/

You can also find us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emea-recruitment-limited/

If you'd like to connect with Paul, visit his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paultoms/

Or follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/paul_toms

To suggest topics for future episodes of the podcast, please reach out to Rose: [email protected]

#emearecruitment #emearecruitmentpodcast #markusgraf #paultoms #operationsmile #hr #humanresources

Thank you to Lou Corapi, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Gulf Cryo based in Dubai, for joining us on the EMEA Recruitment podcast.

"I love that it's not simple, that the challenges are changing – it keeps me very engaged."

Lou spoke to Paul Toms from his "second home" in Barcelona, where he met his wife and where their first daughter was born while he was on an assignment with GE. When he's away from his friends and family, Lou likes to stay connected through technology, such as playing virtual games of Scrabble against his dad.

In fact, staying connected was his New Year's resolution this year; having lived and worked across Asia, Europe and the USA, Lou has always found it a challenge. The pandemic, however, made him appreciate quick calls and messages – he had assumed that everyone was simply too busy in the past.

Experiencing different cultures and working with different people in his career has taught Lou that there is not really one best way to get something done. He's learned how to be empathetic and be more patient, expressing himself more clearly to colleagues.

Lou tells Paul how he got into Finance in the first place; it was more a process of elimination than a true passion for the discipline. Nevertheless, thanks to his strong beginnings at GE, Lou feels "pretty lucky" to have ended up in Finance.

Lou spent over 12 years at GE, starting on its "gold standard" rotation programme straight out of university. It was a challenge, but Lou felt that he was making a difference. He was also exposed to different areas of the business, as well as senior leaders, which helped him when he moved to Xylem in 2010.

Joining such a big company, Lou enjoyed the fact that there was always something going well, always something inspirational happening, but also that there were always challenges. He's also proud of Xylem's mission to make the world a better place, through bringing safe water to people.

With the rise of data and artificial intelligence in the Finance discipline, Lou has advice for anyone early in their career. He is adamant that Finance should be seen for more than just hard skills and that employees should be clear about what would make a difference to them in their work lives.

Regarding his own career journey, Lou likes to stay open-minded. He explains that he'd never have picked the path he's been on, so he won't try to guess what the future will look like.

If you're looking for a particular part of the episode, you can use the timestamps below:

01:55: The last thing that made Lou smile03:46: The importance of staying connected05:54: What Lou has learned from working around the world08:09: Staying open to new opportunities10:14: How Lou "ended up" in Finance16:12: Starting his career at GE21:35: Does Lou feel like he's made it in his career?24:44: How the Finance function has evolved28:42: Advice for young Finance professionals32:18: Focusing on the soft skills36:41: Developing a culture that people thrive in39:07: Lou's future career path41:37: How to connect with Lou

If you'd like to contact Lou, you can connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loucorapi/

The EMEA Recruitment podcast is brought to you in partnership with Operation Smile. We're proud to raise awareness and funds for Operation Smile to continue its work providing free surgery to children born with cleft lip and palate. To find out more, please visit our website: https://www.emearecruitment.com/operation-smile

This episode was hosted by Paul Toms, Founder of EMEA Recruitment, and Rose Jinks, our Senior Marketing Executive.

Read about our specialist professional services recruitment, including Finance & Accountancy, through our website: https://www.emearecruitment.com/

You can also keep up to date with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emea-recruitment-limited/

Connect with Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paultoms/

Or follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/paul_toms

To share your thoughts about the EMEA Recruitment podcast, please contact Rose: [email protected]

#emearecruitment #emearecruitmentpodcast #loucorapi #paultoms #operationsmile #finance

"If you work with great people and have a job that you love, and privately things are in order, that helps to remain calm."

Markus explains to Paul Toms how he learned the importance of maintaining relationships, particularly with family members, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Markus is entering his 24th year with Barry Callebaut, a company that has given him "different opportunities" over the years to get to know the business from multiple angles. He feels that his current role in Internal Audit would be much more difficult had he not held various positions previously.

Although he admits that the company isn't always perfectly organised, he has built friendships over the years that help him in these difficult moments and enable him to help others integrate when they join the business.

In Audit, Markus feels that he can look much broader at the business than his prior Finance roles. With this new perspective, Markus finds himself speaking to board members one minute and someone on the shop floor the next. Despite data analytics automating many traditional processes, Markus still believes that the ability to convey messages to the business is more important than ever.

Although Markus himself has a very calm and consultative style, he looks for diversity in his team. When working with internal HR or recruitment partners, Markus is happy to be challenged with a range of candidates, who he tries to get to know on a personal level during the hiring process.

We find out whether Markus has any hidden talents and one of his personal passions, as well as the "tonnes" of podcasts he's been listening to recently. One of his favourites is How I Built This on NPR, which is hosted by Guy Raz and explores the successes and failures that founders go through when setting up their businesses.

If you're looking for a particular part of the episode, please use the timestamps below:

01:18: The last thing that made Markus smile02:44: Prioritising relationships due to COVID04:29: The advantages of staying with a company06:35: What has kept Markus at Barry Callebaut?08:26: His new role in Audit10:15: Moving from Finance to Audit 15:34: The impact of BI & data on Finance17:40: Why softer skills are more important now19:18: Having a mix of personalities within a team21:40: Investing time in the recruitment process23:54: Standing out as a job seeker27:01: What Markus does outside of work28:09: The podcasts that Markus enjoys31:22: Dreams for the future33:29: How to reach out to Markus

Markus is on LinkedIn for those who wish to connect with him.

We're proud to support Operation Smile, the official partner of the EMEA Recruitment podcast. Operation Smile provides free surgery to children and adults with cleft lip and palate. Find out more about their mission at emearecruitment.com/operation-smile

This episode is hosted by Paul Toms, our Founder, and Rose Jinks, our Senior Marketing Executive.

Learn more about our professional services recruitment through our website: https://www.emearecruitment.com/

Or you can find us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emea-recruitment-limited/

You can connect with Paul through LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paultoms/

And follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/paul_toms

To provide feedback on the EMEA Recruitment podcast, please email Rose: [email protected]

#emearecruitment #emearecruitmentpodcast #markusstudhalter #paultoms #operationsmile #finance

"The things that you did really well that made you a great Financial Analyst are not going to make you a great manager."

Tal explains to Paul Toms how he's taken many positives from the COVID-19 pandemic – one being his role with Evalueserve. When the world went into lockdown in 2020, Tal was working for SITA, an IT provider for the air transport industry, and had never worked a day from home in his career. Although he enjoyed spending more time with his children, the business was in crisis mode, so Tal found himself working at all hours.

Evalueserve, on the other hand, is headquartered in Switzerland, but runs as a virtual company; it's something Tal couldn't imagine before COVID.

A lesson that Tal has learned in the last few years is to take time to think, which he believes can add a lot of value and bring new thoughts to the company. He has also made time for networking through EMEA Recruitment's events.

Despite spending the longest time he's ever had in one role at SITA, Tal came to a point where he needed new challenges. His foundations in General Electric's rotational programme have forced him to always "disrupt" himself. Tal feels that growth comes from uncomfortable situations, especially as you move to more senior roles.

Tal's attitude towards stepping out of your comfort zone came from his mentors, who helped him learn how to energise himself and move onto the next challenge. He takes the same approach to business; a company cannot go on for 20 years using the same model if it wants to progress.

We explore how business intelligence (BI) and data is affecting the Finance function. Although Tal believes that people still need to make their own decisions, he does see the benefit of "failing fast" and moving on from a bad idea more quickly.

We also find out Tal's key advice for hiring the right personality and skillset into your team – he has a useful exercise for anyone looking to build a strong team.

Finally, Tal reveals his plans for the next five years (at least) of his career.

If you're looking for a particular part of the episode, use the timestamps below:

01:26: Taking the positives from the pandemic04:42: Opening up to new opportunities06:02: Spending more time with his kids06:36: Prioritising thinking time09:31: The last thing that made Tal smile11:46: Starting a new position during COVID19:56: Where Tal's growth attitude comes from24:17: Tal's education at GE27:49: The impact of BI & Data on Finance33:02: The lesson Tal learned when hiring people38:54: Tal's greatest mentors42:16: The next 5 years of Tal's career45:09: How to reach Tal

If you'd like to connect with Tal, you can find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tvolok/

We support Operation Smile through the EMEA Recruitment podcast, by raising vital funds and awareness. If you're interested in ways you can help, you can find out more through our website: https://www.emearecruitment.com/operation-smile

The EMEA Recruitment podcast is hosted by Paul Toms, our Founder, and Rose Jinks, our Senior Marketing Executive.

Find out about our unique approach to recruitment, including Finance & Accountancy roles, on our website: https://www.emearecruitment.com/

We also post regular updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emea-recruitment-limited/

Or you can connect with Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paultoms/

And follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/paul_toms

If there are any topics you'd like us to cover in future episodes of the podcast, please get in touch with Rose: [email protected]

#emearecruitment #emearecruitmentpodcast #talvolok #paultoms #operationsmile #finance

We were proud to welcome Angela White, aka The Running Granny, to the EMEA Recruitment podcast.

"If this body can do that, what else can it do?"

Angela joined Paul Toms, our Founder, at the end of January, a time when people typically set their goals and targets for the coming year. Angela's prime target for 2022 is to "get strong again". Due to recent COVID-19 restrictions, she didn't get out into the hills for training as much as she'd like to recently.

After running the 875 miles from John O'Groats to Land's End, Angela took some time out to recover, but she's hoping to complete one or two challenges this year; having run from the east to west coast of the UK previously, she'd now like to see how quickly she can run it.

We explore the difficulties that led to Angela feeling overworked, unfit and unhappy in her late 40s. She started by taking small steps, initially going for a 10-15-minute walk each evening. Although she felt guilty for taking this time to herself and found herself short of breath, Angela pushed through and started to feel better, lose weight and make social connections.

Angela references the "20 ways to kill an idea", which we can all have when stepping out of our comfort zone. After seeing an advert for a mature lady's running group, Angela took three weeks to make the call, but she found "the most inspirational lady" when she did. Angela met Sandra, who was 67 at the time and had only started running when she was 62. Through their friendship, Angela discovered her passion for long-distance running.

Angela has advice for anyone wanting to make changes to their life; set goals that are achievable within your daily routine and do something that you like doing. Walking not only helped with Angela's physical fitness, but also gave her time to speak to people she'd lost touch with and put things into perspective. Although she was out of the house and away for her children for 30 minutes, Angela felt she was a better person when she got home.

But how do build up to becoming a Guinness World Record holder, running 875 miles at the age of 60? Angela developed a love for the mountains, meeting people along the way who supported her in entering a number of events. She found a 50-mile challenge in 2014 difficult, so ran it again the following year.

But it was a personal reason, yet again, that opened up "all sorts of ideas" for Angela. In June 2015, her first grandchild was born. Angela's husband, however, had died of a brain tumour in 2007 and would never meet his granddaughter. She ran a 190-mile, coast-to-coast route to raise money for a brain tumour charity.

Approaching her 60th birthday put age into perspective for Angela. Having worked as a medic in the UK's NHS, Angela was aware of how miserable life can be with ill-health. As a trustee with Age UK and chair of a health and wellbeing forum, Angela is committed to raising awareness of healthy ageing, acknowledging that many long-term health problems are largely preventable.

Angela explains how meticulously she planned for her John O'Groats to Land's End challenge, which ensured she had the answers to deal with unexpected injuries and weather conditions. She learned the depth of human resilience through the pain she experienced, as well as how she overcame it.

Nevertheless, Angela believes her team worked harder than she did. She also didn't want to let down the hundreds of people who came out to support her along the route.

Two years later, when she was 62, Angela took part in a 62-peak challenge in the Lake District. Although the goal is to complete the Steve Parr Round (61 peaks over 2,500 feet) in 48 hours, Angela wanted to raise awareness that you're never too old to "get these things done". A small film was made about the experience, which you can watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvS3HqwnXhw

We look at the steps companies can take to improve their approach to age in the workplace. Angela feels that employees must invest as effectively in their mental and physical health as they do in their financial pensions. Employers also have a huge role to play; between 2018-2037, there will be a 16% increase in the number of people working age people need to support. Organisations must therefore design, develop and deliver employee health assistance programmes to embrace inclusion of all workers for the future, she says.

Older professionals can sometimes face difficulties when searching for new jobs, being told that they won't fit into the culture of the team. Angela herself proves why you should never judge a book by its cover, explaining that the ultra-running world is a hugely diverse and inclusive community.

As such an inspirational person, it's unsurprising that Angela has a few favourite motivational quotes up her sleeve – we end the episode by finding out her favourites.

The timestamps below will help you find the most interesting part of the episode for you:

01:30: The last thing that made Angela smile02:58: Angela's goals for 202204:42: The events that changed Angela's attitude to fitness10:46: How Angela stuck to her new habits18:15: Becoming an ultra-runner25:35: What Angela learned about herself running 875 miles30:26: How people keep Angela motivated33:09: Completing 62 peaks at 6237:03: How companies can improve their approach to ageing44:10: The diversity in the ultra-running community51:57: Angela's favourite motivational quotes54:50: How to reach out to Angela

You can follow Angela on Facebook and Instagram, or visit her website therunninggranny.co.uk

As always, the EMEA Recruitment podcast is brought to you in partnership with Operation Smile. We're hoping to raise enough money to create 100 new smiles – please support us by donating: emearecruitment.com/operation-smile

This episode is hosted by Paul Toms, Founder of EMEA Recruitment, and Rose Jinks, our Senior Marketing Executive.

Find out more about our professional services recruitment through our website: https://www.emearecruitment.com/

You can also find us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emea-recruitment-limited/

To contact Paul, connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paultoms/

Or you can follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/paul_toms

Do you have any suggestions for the EMEA Recruitment podcast? Please send them to Rose: [email protected]

#emearecruitment #emearecruitmentpodcast #angelawhite #therunninggranny #paultoms #operationsmile

In this episode of the EMEA Recruitment podcast, we speak to David Burkus, bestselling author and keynote speaker on how teams can do their best work.

"It's what you do, at a senior level, to help individual team leaders have a positive culture – that's what's going to matter much more."

David tells Paul Toms about the stress experienced at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, as his wife is an ER doctor. Although he was "really freaked out at first", he feels his family has been a lot luckier than most people during this period.

Spending more time with his two sons at the start of the pandemic was an "incredible blessing", which highlighted to David how people used to squeeze family time in around a nine-to-five job. He also realised by summer 2020 that businesses would not be going back to the office the way they did pre-pandemic.

For David, working from home was not new; he'd worked mostly remote since 2016. However, he'd never worked from home with his two children around. He introduced new boundaries that enabled him to be completely focussed on work when he needed to work, and completely focussed on his children when he was with them.

David discusses the difference between balancers and integrators, and how integrators were much more prepared for disruptions caused by the pandemic than balancers, who had previously escaped to the office to focus.

During the pandemic – in just eight weeks – David wrote Leading from Anywhere, which explores working remotely on a team level. He saw that many leaders had become remote managers without asking for it. He is concerned that most leaders still don't grasp the flexible/from anywhere way of working. However, he is clear that managers should work with their teams to come up with a system that works best for them.

We find out two key activities that leaders can introduce to come together and create bonds within their teams, which David believes is still possible in a virtual world.

For David, he's back to working on the project that he was researching before the pandemic, but now with a renewed focus.

We end the episode by finding out the key people David has around him, which he calls his "board of advisors", including some of our previous podcast guests, Daniel Pink, Roger Martin and Whitney Johnson. He also has a charming, yet unusual, answer for his favourite motivational quote.

If you're looking for a particular part of the episode, use the timestamps below:

01:33: How David dealt with COVID-1904:47: Spending more time with the people you love07:24: Setting boundaries when WFH10:03: The difference between balancers and integrators13:24: The last thing that made David smile16:05: Writing a book in 8 weeks25:20: Retaining top talent in a hybrid world32:30: Frank Van Massenhove's approach34:22: 2 key activities leaders can do to bond teams42:29: What's in the pipeline for David?48:47: The people on David's board of advisors53:00: David's favourite motivational quote56:19: How to reach out to David

You can find out more about David and his work at DavidBurkus.com

We're proud to support international medical charity Operation Smile through the EMEA Recruitment podcast. Please help us raise vital funds and awareness for this cause at emearecruitment.com/operation-smile

The EMEA Recruitment podcast is hosted by Paul Toms, our Founder, and Rose Jinks, Senior Marketing Executive.

Find out more about our range of professional services recruitment on our website: https://www.emearecruitment.com/

You can also keep up to date with us via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emea-recruitment-limited/

If you'd like to connect with Paul, you can find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paultoms/

Or Twitter: https://twitter.com/paul_toms

If you have any topics you'd like us to discuss on the EMEA Recruitment podcast, please contact Rose: [email protected]

#emearecruitment #emearecruitmentpodcast #davidburkus #paultoms #leadingfromanywhere #operationsmile