Welcome to the Season 4 finale of HR Director's Cut!

Today you join us for HR Half-Cut - where we grab a drink, reminisce and share our craziest stories.

Content warning: this episode contains swearing, drinking and mentions of sex.

When you catch your manager & district manager in the act... with your HR rep watching...
We ask the question: How does a professional relationship become not so professional?

Amidst the chaos, we have moments of heartfelt reflection as Lisa prepares to bid farewell to HR Director's Cut.

We are lucky to have been joined by Lisa for 48 episodes, countless laughs and many answered letters. We wish her the best and are excited to see what she gets up to!

Don't think we've let her go easy - look out for Lisa in future episodes of HRDC as a guest 👀

To celebrate Lisa's final episode, we invite you to take a listen to her favourite episode of the podcast The One Where International Women's Day Sucks.

We share our funny work stories:

1. Kate once called her boss an inappropriate name, thinking it meant 'idiot' - what could the word have been?
2. At a CIPD meeting, a young boy hijacked the presentation with some.... interesting drawings.
3. One of us may have accidentally emailed our resignation announcement to the entire company before our boss could announce it!

Plus: we go to reddit to read embarrassing work stories like: inappropriate emails sent company-wide, affairs between co-workers, escorts and more.

We get sentimental when we look back on how we met a few years ago and all we've been up to since. We share our excitement for the future and what you can expect in the next season of HR Director's Cut.

If you liked this episode, check out The One Where We All Fail or The One With The Drunken Mistake.

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and join our Facebook Group!

Don't forget to subscribe or follow us on your podcast platform of choice so you don't miss an episode.

Please share and review the show too - we'll plant a tree for every review we receive (see https://moretrees.eco)

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You can submit your questions here Write To Us and the juiciest ones will be read out during each season.

Any actions or risks are your own to take. You should seek legal advice before undertaking anything that may have consequences for yourself, your business, or your employees.

Victoria, Kate and Lisa burst are joined by Jessica Zwaan, a hands-on COO and who finds joy in diverse, kind and world-changing companies of excellent people.

"You will never be able to sustain Employee Engagement if the People Team are the only ones shouldering the burden."

We waste no time delving into a letter from an HR leader hungry for guidance on transforming employee experiences. It's a tale of ambition tinged with just a hint of overwhelm.

Jessica unpacks the concept of HR as a product. She maps out the intricate web connecting consumer-facing, fiscal and employee experiences. It's a revelation that promises to reshape the way HR leaders view their craft.

We discuss 'minimum lovable products', touching on agile HR practices and the wild ride of implementing them. From misconceptions to "Eureka!" moments, Jessica's journey is a rollercoaster of insight and inspiration.

The episode ends with a great conclusion:
Revolutionising HR isn't just a dream—it's a journey worth taking.

If you liked this episode, check out The One Where We Start A People Strategy or The One Where We Lean Into Organisational Development (ft. Garin Rouch)

Jessica Zwaan is the author of Amazon Best Selling, Built for People, and founder of Being People consultancy. She's a hands-on COO and finds joy in diverse, kind, and world-changing companies of excellent people, which is why she is at Talentful, where their mission is to invent the future of recruitment. (✨How fantastic is that?)

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and join our Facebook Group!

Don't forget to subscribe or follow us on your podcast platform of choice so you don't miss an episode.

Please share and review the show too - we'll plant a tree for every review we receive (see https://moretrees.eco)

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You can submit your questions here Write To Us and the juiciest ones will be read out during each season.

Any actions or risks are your own to take. You should seek legal advice before undertaking anything that may have consequences for yourself, your business, or your employees.

We're joined by Paula Reid to give our advice on change management strategies, including communication plans, stakeholder engagement, and leadership buy-in, to facilitate a smooth transition to a more performance-driven culture.

"Obviously we need safety... I'm all about challenge and you won't necessarily feel safe or comfortable when you are challenging and therefore growing." - Paula Reid

In this episode we share the bravest things we've done! We want to know what the bravest thing you've done is - join our Facebook group and let us know!

Resources we talk about:

• Time to Think: Listening to Ignite the Human Mind
• Drexler-Sibbet Team Performance Model

About Paual Reid:
Paula is a rare mix of adventurer, psychologist and business leader. From Skiing to the South Pole to Yacht Racing round-the-world, Paula has developed the mindset to thrive and perform in the toughest of conditions.

She draws on her extreme adventuring experience, business acumen and Masters in Positive Psychology to help individuals and organisations survive and thrive in challenging conditions. Her organisation is called Adventure Psychology.

Follow Paula

Don't forget to subscribe or follow us on your podcast platform of choice so you don't miss an episode.

Please share and review the show too - we'll plant a tree for every review we receive (see https://moretrees.eco)


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You can submit your questions here Write To Us and the juiciest ones will be read out during each season.

Any actions or risks are your own to take. You should seek legal advice before undertaking anything that may have consequences for yourself, your business, or your employees.

We're joined by Jodie Hill to give our advice on supporting employees with ADHD in a workplace where scepticism exists among senior leadership.

75% of those with ADHD have a mental health condition [Mental Health Clinic]. We share how to make reasonable adjustments and increase understanding & recognition of ADHD as a positive trait.

"Making decisions is difficult for a lot of people - I can make decisions quickly. Cut through all the crap and get to the point." - Jodie Hill

Resources we talk about:

• Supporting colleagues amid ADHD medication challenges - Thrive Law
• A Brief Employer’s Guide to ADHD - Thrive Law
• Access to Work Assessment

We asked our LinkedIn followers how much of the population they thought had ADHD:
👉 5 people said 2%
👉 20 people said 5%
👉 55 people said 10%

The correct answer is... 5% [National Institute for Health & Care Excellence]

Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn to have your say in our future polls!

About Jodie Hill:
Jodie Hill is a neurodivergent employment law solicitor, ED&I consultant, coach and trainer, author, and campaigner. She is passionate about people, creating psychologically safe workplaces, and enabling everyone to be their best and truest selves at work.

"I'm an ideas machine! I can create a training programme, can piece it all together" - Jodie Hill

Follow Jodie

Don't forget to subscribe or follow us on your podcast platform of choice so you don't miss an episode.

Please share and review the show too - we'll plant a tree for every review we receive (see https://moretrees.eco)


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You can submit your questions here Write To Us and the juiciest ones will be read out during each season.

Any actions or risks are your own to take. You should seek legal advice before undertaking anything that may have consequences for yourself, your business, or your employees.

How can we move beyond acknowledging IWD with tokenistic displays of support?

Lucy Mundy & Nzinga Orgill join us to talk about how we can amplify the voices of women & advocate for meaningful change within our business and beyond.

How do we make sure our women are celebrated all year round? Join our Facebook community to let us know!

We asked our LinkedIn followers what their favourite bad awareness campaign is:

70% - 🤖 Gender Pay Gap Bot
The gender pay gap bot was designed to call out companies & their whitewashing of gender equality in the workplace.

10% - 🥤 Kendall Jenner's Pepsi Ad
When Kendall Jenner dismantled racism when she handed that police officer a Pepsi.

20% - 🍔 Burger King's Recruitment Tactic
When Burger King decided the best way to celebrate International Women’s Day would be to tweet, “Women belong in the kitchen”.

Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn to have your say in our future polls!

About Lucy Mundy:
Lucy has advised government ministers, CEOs, and founders across multiple sectors on how to boost and maintain their reputations. She now develops strategic communications programmes to help founders in the world of work achieve business growth and recognition.

About Nzinga Orgill:
Nzinga Orgill, the visionary Founder and CEO of Avi-I Solutions, has redefined the aviation landscape with her pioneering leadership. With nearly two decades of experience, Nzinga has transitioned from frontline roles at Heathrow Airport to reshaping the industry's future through Avi-I Solutions.

Her impactful work not only champions accessibility, equity, and inclusion but also delivers substantial financial and reputation benefits for the organisations fortunate enough to collaborate with her.

Don't forget to subscribe or follow us on your podcast platform of choice so you don't miss an episode.

Please share and review the show too - we'll plant a tree for every review we receive (see https://moretrees.eco)


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You can submit your questions here Write To Us and the juiciest ones will be read out during each season.

Any actions or risks are your own to take. You should seek legal advice before undertaking anything that may have consequences for yourself, your business, or your employees.

This letter might be the most relatable one we've had yet...

Verena Hefti joins us to talk about returning from maternity leave, getting back into our strides and overcoming feelings of failure.

What are your top tips for balancing parenthood + a career? Join our Facebook community to let us know!

We recommend the book Utopia for Realists by Rutger Bregman in this episode, you can buy it here!

We asked our LinkedIn followers if they thought men were more or less likely to be rejected for flexible working than women:

80% - More likely
10% - Less likely
10% - Other

The correct answer is...

...More likely! 😲 Men are twice as likely as women to have requests for flexible work hours rejected [SWP Report]

Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn to have your say in our future polls!

About Verena Hefti:
Verena Hefti MBE is the CEO and Founder of the award-winning Social Enterprise Leaders Plus.

She set up Leaders Plus in order to support leaders with babies and young children to continue to progress their careers.

Verena is the host of the popular Big Careers, Small Children podcast which provides lots of aha moments, inspiration, fresh ideas, and practical support, to help parents move forward in their career in a way that works for them and their families.

Don't forget to subscribe or follow us on your podcast platform of choice so you don't miss an episode.

Please share and review the show too - we'll plant a tree for every review we receive (see https://moretrees.eco)


--------------------------------------
You can submit your questions here Write To Us and the juiciest ones will be read out during each season.

Any actions or risks are your own to take. You should seek legal advice before undertaking anything that may have consequences for yourself, your business, or your employees.

Hannah Strawbridge joins us to talk about what to expect from tribunals and how to navigate them as a HR Leader.

We asked our LinkedIn followers what their MOST favourite courtroom show is. Here are the results:

IT'S A TIE!

33% - Judge Judy
33% - Judge Rinder
33% - Jury Duty

Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn to have your say in our future polls!

About Hannah Strawbridge:
Hannah is an experienced Employment Solicitor, Tribunal advocate and is CEO and the sole founder of Han Law.

Hannah takes a fresh, modern and fun approach to employment law, where innovation and creativity go hand in hand with technical ability and a life beyond the office.

Hannah’s a passionate advocate for equal rights in the workplace. She regularly presents and writes on the topic and during the Covid-19 Pandemic, she launched a campaign for employers to be more transparent about potential redundancies, to better protect women’s rights in the workplace.

Don't forget to subscribe or follow us on your podcast platform of choice so you don't miss an episode.

Please share and review the show too - we'll plant a tree for every review we receive (see https://moretrees.eco)


--------------------------------------
You can submit your questions here Write To Us and the juiciest ones will be read out during each season.

Any actions or risks are your own to take. You should seek legal advice before undertaking anything that may have consequences for yourself, your business, or your employees.

In this episode, we're joined by a Michelle Hartley where we talk about feeling comfortable in a new role and showing off your unique HR style.

We asked our LinkedIn followers what their LEAST favourite HR Buzzwords are. Here are the results:

46% - 'Hustle Culture'
36% - 'Quiet Quitting'
10% - 'Anti-Perk'

Now for some honerable mentions:
"It’s Confidential = 🐂+💩"
"EVP 🤢"
"I want to vote all of them and more 🤣"

Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn to have your say in our future polls!

About Michelle Hartley:
Michelle is known for her unique and authentic style, and is often called a breath of fresh air in the HR world! She regularly speaks about her lived experience with burnout, mental health, women in the workplace and is a passionate advocate for her 'micro' concepts in both inclusion and self care.

Michelle is also well known for her "Find Your Awesome" Business Partner programme, and her HR Geek Squad, both of which are represent her mission to "Transform HR teams from Beige to Brilliant".

She can also be found on a Friday chucking things in bins...

Don't forget to subscribe or follow us on your podcast platform of choice so you don't miss an episode.

Please share and review the show too - we'll plant a tree for every review we receive (see https://moretrees.eco)


--------------------------------------
You can submit your questions here Write To Us and the juiciest ones will be read out during each season.

Any actions or risks are your own to take. You should seek legal advice before undertaking anything that may have consequences for yourself, your business, or your employees.

Are your employees actually sick?

Or is there a bigger problem...

In our this episode, we give our advice on what to do when absence is out of control! When absence feels contagious in your organisation how do you go about reversing this trend?

Whether employees are absent because of illness, stress or anything else, it's our responsibility to help them get back on track. Even if that means making changes to the organisation!

[We experienced some technical difficulties during recording which means the audio isn't up to our usual standard - it's still a great episode!]

Don't forget to subscribe or follow us on your podcast platform of choice so you don't miss an episode.

Please share and review the show too - we'll plant a tree for every review we receive (see https://moretrees.eco)


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You can submit your questions here Write To Us and the juiciest ones will be read out during each season.

Any actions or risks are your own to take. You should seek legal advice before undertaking anything that may have consequences for yourself, your business, or your employees.

We're talking about the pressure to be perfect. HR often holds the reputation of 'having all the answers'. But how do we remind ourselves that those HR robots are actually people too?

We delve into how to get support in as a HR leader, digging yourself out of the black hole and finding ways to make working in HR just a little bit easier.

Kate & Victoria talk about the possible causes of burnout in HR.
Is it the fallout from Covid? The lack of support form leaders? Maybe it's the emotional toll that comes with constant grievances...

PLUS: Lisa gives us a science lesson on why we cry when we're stressed - something we'd love to know!

Don't forget to subscribe or follow us on your podcast platform of choice so you don't miss an episode. Please share and review the show too - we'll plant a tree for every review we receive (see https://moretrees.eco)


--------------------------------------
You can submit your questions here Write To Us and the juiciest ones will be read out during each season.

Any actions or risks are your own to take. You should seek legal advice before undertaking anything that may have consequences for yourself, your business, or your employees.