HR Coffee Time

Apprenticeships are a fantastic way of attracting, developing and retaining people in your organisation. With HR apprenticeships now available for entry-level up to senior-level HR roles, they're also something you may want to consider for yourself or members of your team.

Join Jo Mortimer from Ocean Aspire for this episode of the HR Coffee Time podcast, where she is interviewed by Fay and shares everything you need to know about apprenticeships.

[01:14] Free access to the Power Up Your LinkedIn Profile online course

[06:01] Introduction to Jo Mortimer from Ocean Aspire

[10:32] The Richard Review enabled higher apprenticeships

[12:16] The best route to becoming an apprentice

[14:10] There is a search engine on the apprenticeship.gov.uk website called, 'find an apprentice'

[14:45] Apprenticeships can help businesses recover following the pandemic.

[16:25] Deciding on whether apprenticeships would be right for your organisation.

[17:11] Whether to run the apprenticeship yourself, or use a training provider

[20:57] The different apprenticeship levels explained

[24:41] How apprenticeships have changed

[27:45] Apprenticeship processes are different for different countries in the UK

[29:57] The apprenticeship levy and funding options

[38:22] How Jo can help you with apprenticeships for your organisation

[42:37] Jo's book recommendation: "The Little Book of Lykke" by Meik Wiking

• Review the HR Coffee Time podcast on Apple Podcasts
• Connect with Fay on LinkedIn
• Free access to the Power Up Your LinkedIn Profile course
• The Bright Sky Career Coaching website
• Connect with Jo on LinkedIn
• Ocean Aspire's website
• Ocean Aspire's Facebook page
• Apprenticeships.gov.uk website

If you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts.

If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Fay know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: [email protected].

Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive the free weekly HR Coffee Time email.

If you're swamped with work, there just aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done you and can't see a way of ever getting on top of your workload, this episode of the HR Coffee Time podcast is here to help. In it, Fay shares the 4 main blocks she sees her coaching clients come up against and shares techniques, tips and coaching questions to help you overcome them.

[01:25] Why you might be feeling overwhelmed by work.

[03:26] The four common stumbling blocks when it comes to managing our time and work.

[03:52] The first blocker - people-pleasing.

[05:10] Strategies for pushing back when being given too much work.

[07:55] Figuring out what is important to you in life.

[10:38] Example of how saying 'yes' to something means saying 'no' to something else.

[11:35] The second blocker - being overly ambitious with your time.

[14:38] Using your calendar to schedule your time.

[18:11] Cutting down the length of meetings and/or the number of meetings you go to.

[20:22] Sharing Jacqui Jagger's tip of using a 'to don't' list.

[25:01] The third blocker - needing accountability.

[28:40] Using Focusmate to help you with accountability.

[33:00] The fourth blocker - not being able to let go.

[37:14] Putting things in place to improve the culture and workload of everyone in the organisation.

• Review the HR Coffee Time podcast on Apple Podcasts
• Connect with Fay on LinkedIn
• The Bright Sky Career Coaching website
• Focusmate

If you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts.

If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Fay know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: [email protected].

Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive the free weekly HR Coffee Time email.

The graduates, apprentices and early-career talent are the future leaders of your organisation. Learn how to put the right support in place for them to flourish and grow, with this episode of the HR Coffee Time podcast.

Early Careers Strategist Lọ́lá Béjidé explains why it's so important to nurture the people in your organisation who are at the beginning of their careers. She reminds us of how daunting joining the workplace can be and what some of the many challenges are you have to overcome when starting a career.

[03:12] Introduction to Lọ́lá and her business, Soluman Consultancy.

[09:20] Why it's important to invest time and resources in your early-career talent.

[11:08] Why a holistic approach is key.

[15:00] The Kickstarter scheme.

[17:38] Equitable opportunities for progress - what this means and why it's important to consider this.

[20:22] Key areas to focus on and think about.

[20:28] Engaging your entry talent and creating safe spaces for them.

[23:58] Explaining to entry talent how to use email effectively.

[30:08] Checking your expectations are realistic - assessing and supporting.

[33:53] The role of managers.

[34:47] The role of HR.

[40:41] Cultivating the right culture.

[43:00] Lọ́lá's services explained.

[48:08] Lọ́lá's book recommendation.

B

r

ight Sky Career Coachings' website

Connect with Fay on LinkedIn

Connect with Lọ́lá on LinkedIn

Soluman Consultancy's website

Soluman Consultancy on Instagram

If you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts.

If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Fay know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: [email protected].

Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive the free weekly HR Coffee Time email.

If you're feeling frustrated you aren't progressing your career, or you're bored in your role and don't know what to do about it, this episode of the HR Coffee Time podcast is here to help.

Fay talks through the 3E model - something that can be really helpful at giving you ideas about how to take control of your career and achieve the progress and career success that you're looking for.

[04:03] The first 'E' from the 3E model - Experience.

[05:57] How to ask your manager for more experience.

[06:50] Setting yourself a stretch assignment.

[07:57] Volunteering to help projects in other departments.

[08:27] Volunteering outside of work to gain experience.

[11:01] The second 'E' from the 3E model - Exposure to other people.

[12:24] Mentoring opportunities.

[14:38] Online networking opportunities - the HR Ninjas.

[15:43] Online networking opportunities - LinkedIn.

[16:31] Job shadowing / grown-up work experience.

[21:43] Subscribe to HR Coffee Time emails to receive information about the free LinkedIn course.

[22:03] The third 'E' from the 3E model - Education.

[24:14] Local CIPD branch events.

[25:09] HR events provided by HR Recruiters and local law firms.

[25:33] HR membership groups & HR clubs

• CIPD mentoring scheme
• HR Heads mentoring programme
• Let's Talk Talent future HR leaders mentoring programme
• CMI management mentoring
• The HR Ninjas Facebook group
• Find your local CIPD branch
• The HR Inner Circle
• The Disruptive HR Club
• HRi (HR Independents)
• Review the HR Coffee Time podcast on Apple Podcasts
• Connect with Fay on LinkedIn
• The Bright Sky Career Coaching website

If you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts.

If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Fay know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: [email protected].

Enjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss the Next One!

Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive the free weekly HR Coffee Time email.

Finding a great Recruiter can be the key to getting your next HR role. But how do you find one, when there are so many horror stories flying around of disinterested, pushy or unhelpful Recruiters?

Well, this episode of the HR Coffee Time podcast is here to help. In it, Fay interviews experienced and trusted HR Recruiter Tansel Omer. He shares his key tips and insights on how to find the right Recruiter for you, what to expect from working with them and how to help them help you to find your perfect role.

Key Points From This Episode

[02:38] Introduction to Tansel

[06:21] The problem with HR job titles

[07:21] The challenge of being up against a high volume of other job applicants

[11:45] Why it's a good idea to register with a Recruiter when looking for a new role

[14:32] Why Recruiters are sometimes misunderstood

[16:00] The balancing act of building and maintaining relationships with several Recruiters

[17:38] The importance of being clear about what you want/what you're looking for

[19:42] Why Recruiters don't always post jobs on LinkedIn

[21:31] How Recruiters find the right candidates for the vacancies they're trying to fill

[22:23] How Recruiters use LinkedIn to fill a role

[25:51] Some of the reasons Tansel is able to provide a high-quality Recruitment service

[30:04] How often you should be in touch with a Recruiter

[33:53] The challenge of interviews - being prepared

[36:59] Tansel's top book recommendation

If you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts.

If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Fay know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: [email protected].

Enjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss the Next One!

Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive the free weekly HR Coffee Time email.

• Bright Sky Career Coaching website
• Connect with Fay on LinkedIn
• The Talent Place's website
• Connect with Tansel on LinkedIn

Do you have a person at work who is difficult to get along with, or difficult to work with? It could be anyone - your boss, a colleague, someone who reports into you, or someone on another team who you have to interact with on a regular basis. Perhaps you're hoping that they'll just leave the organisation, so you don't have to deal with them anymore?

Whoever it is you're finding difficult - don't worry; this episode of the HR Coffee Time podcast is here to help. In it, Fay talks through how to understand yourself and the difficult person better, so that you can come up with new ways of working with them.

She explains the different behavioural styles we all have using a model called DiSC. By the end of the episode, you'll have figured out which behavioural style both you and the difficult person has and feel ready to try new ways of building a relationship with them.

Key Points From This Episode

[01:00] Some of the reasons you may be finding a person at work difficult.

[02:39] An example of the first person Fay found difficult.

[04:56] Different tools that can help you to handle difficult people.

[05:30] Examples of different behavioural styles profiling instruments.

[08:25] The D style explained.

[09:16] The behaviour from a D style you may be finding difficult.

[10:26] Tips for working effectively with someone who has a D style.

[11:27] The i style explained.

[13:15] Tips for working effectively with someone who has an i style.

[13:55] The S style explained.

[16:14] Tips for working effectively with someone who has an S style.

[17:42] The C style explained.

[19:30] Tips for working effectively with someone who has a C style.

[21:48] Examples of coaching clients who found DiSC useful.

[25:00] Book recommendation for learning more about DiSC - "Surrounded by Idiots" by Thomas Erikson.

Rate and Review the Podcast

If you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts.

If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Fay know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: [email protected].

Enjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss the Next One!

Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive my free weekly HR Coffee Time email.

Useful Links

• Bright Sky Career Coaching website
• Connect with Fay on Linkedin

Do you ever wish you had an employment lawyer sitting next to you, who you could turn to with any questions?

Well - today you have one! In this episode, Fay speaks to employment lawyer, Julie Jones who answers the top 10 questions she is asked by HR teams about getting redundancies right (where fewer than 20 people are losing their roles).

She shares her advice and 'must know' information for anyone faced with arranging redundancies. And even if you don't have any redundancies looming immediately, it's well worth listening to the episode to store away her tips for the future.

Key Points From This Episode

[00:06] How to make handling redundancies feel easier from an emotional perspective.

[00:08] What to do if more people put themselves forward for voluntary redundancy when you have more volunteers than needed, without upsetting anyone.

[00:11] Why team building activities are a good idea for the employees who 'survive' the redundancy process.

[00:13] Can you have a selection pool of one when making redundancies?

[00:13] The five fair reasons for making redundancies.

[00:17] Helpful ideas to protect the organisation from losing in an employment tribunal.

[00:18] How to determine a criteria for selection.

[00:23] Answering the question, "Can employers avoid making redundancies if their employees are on zero hours contracts?"

[00:26] Dealing with individual consultation for someone who is on maternity leave.

[00:28] Rehiring for the same role (but at a later date).

[00:31] Rules around 'bumping'.

[00:35] Important timings to be aware of when an employee is trialling a new/alternative role.

[00:39] Redundancy payment requirements when ending a fixed term contract.

[00:43] Julie's top book recommendation

Rate & Review the Podcast

If you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, I'd be hugely grateful if you would consider rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts, as this helps encourage Apple to show the podcast to more people.

If you are kind enough to give me a review, please do let me know, so that I can say 'thank you'. You can always reach me at: [email protected]

Enjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss the Next One!

Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive my free weekly HR Coffee Time email.

Useful Links

• Bright Sky Career Coaching website
• Connect with Fay on Linkedin
• Connect with Julie Jones on LinkedIn
• Starford Legal HR’s website
• Julie's book recommendation:"Alchemy - the surprising power of ideas that don't make sense" by Rory Sutherland

Other Bright Sky resources to help with redundancies:

• How to do a great job with collective consultations for redundancies, with Pete Colby
• Getting unstuck after redundancy, with Sarah Archer
• Redundancy – why losing a job feels so hard & how to help, with Emma Tomes

Do you ever wish you felt more confident at work?

We could all do with a bit of a confidence boost from time to time. Maybe you have a constant underlying feeling that you lack confidence, or perhaps you wish you could be more confident about one thing in particular (e.g. speaking up in meetings, delivering presentations, handling a tricky colleague).

Whatever your confidence gremlins are; this episode of the HR Coffee Time podcast is here to help.

Key Points From This Episode

[02:55] Are you putting yourself under too much pressure, or not taking action because you're worried you'll fail? Learn how moving from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset can help.

[06:30] Learn how to figure out your strengths (your highly developed skills that energise you when you use them). You might be surprised! Knowing them can help give your confidence a boost.

[11:56] Recognise your achievements. It can be too easy to get caught up in constantly moving forwards, trying to achieve your next big goal. Taking the time to stop and acknowledge the progress you've made is a powerful way of helping your confidence.

[15:27] Hold onto positive feedback by setting yourself up with a 'praise folder' that you can turn to for a confidence 'pick me up' when times are tough.

[18:02] Learn how to begin tackling one particular area that you don't feel confident about.

[22:13] Understand the difference between your comfort zone, your growth zone and panic zone, to help you build up your confidence step-by-step without becoming overwhelmed or stressed out.

[27:38] Try out these coaching questions to help you come up with your own plan to tackle your confidence gremlins.

[30:43] Real-life examples of personalised confidence-building plans to inspire and reassure you.

Rate & Review the Podcast

If you found this very first episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, I'd be hugely grateful if you would consider rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts, as this helps encourage Apple to show the podcast to more people.

If you are kind enough to give me a review, please do let me know, so that I can say 'thank you'. You can always reach me at: [email protected]

Enjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss the Next One!

Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive my free weekly HR Coffee Time email.

Useful Links

• The Bright Sky Career Coaching website
• "Mindset" by Carol Dweck - the book
• "Mindset" by Carol Dweck - the TED talk
• "StrengthsFinder 2.0" by Tom Rath - the book
• Connect with Fay on LinkedIn

Welcome to the trailer for the HR Coffee Time podcast; a weekly show full of tips and ideas to help you have a successful and fulfilling HR career (without working yourself into the ground). Join host and career coach, Fay Wallis, as she explains what to expect from the podcast.