HR Insights

In this episode, Stuart Elliott sits down with John Gates, a former recruiter turned internationally bestselling author of Act Your Wage, to uncover the art and strategy of pay negotiation. John shares his journey from humble beginnings, working his way through college, to becoming a trusted advisor for C-suite executives and senior leaders through his business, Salary Coach. Over the years, he’s developed a proven method to help candidates secure better compensation packages without risking job offers or damaging relationships.

Drawing from his own experiences, John reveals why fear holds most people back in pay negotiations and how to overcome them. He breaks down common mistakes candidates make, the nuances of pay transparency, and the importance of timing and leverage when asking for what you’re worth. Whether you’re a senior leader navigating high-stakes negotiations or simply looking to better understand your value, John’s refined Salary Coach method offers a roadmap to maximise your compensation while maintaining professionalism and trust.

John Gates is an author and founder of Salary Coach, where he helps C-Suite executives and senior leaders negotiate higher compensation packages without risking their job offers or future relationships. John’s unique approach, born from his extensive experience in corporate recruiting, consistently helps his clients secure 10-20% more in their pay packages, even in challenging job markets.

John’s journey began when a sudden job loss led him to a low-paying role at a temporary agency, struggling to support his young family. The turning point came when he realised the power of leverage during his own salary negotiation, securing a substantial offer from Capital One despite initial fears. Through his journey, John developed a unique approach to help senior-level professionals navigate salary negotiations with confidence, using what he calls the Salary Coach Method.

Key Timestamps: 

• 04:27 - John's background and career history
• 12:50 - The lessons John has learnt about negotiation
• 16:40 - Why Senior Executives struggle to negotiate
• 24:28 - 'Know your worth' tactics
• 36:48 - The Salary Coach method 
• 42:48 - Advice for people who are cynical of recruiter

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

The world of HR has changed drastically in recent years and with technology continuing to develop, AI has become a significant part of HR’s tech stack. Today’s guest is Noelle London, Founder and CEO of Illoominus, a people insights platform that integrates and gives context to HR data within and across organisations. Stuart and Noelle sit down to discuss the ever-changing role of HR.  

Throughout the episode, Noelle and Stuart discuss how Illoominus was created and the challenges of being an entrepreneur before focusing on how the role of HR has adapted over the years. They take a deeper dive into how leaders can prepare for the changes in HR’s role, how AI could aid HR in being more data-driven and whether leaders are ready for this change. The conversation moved forward to discuss how HR leaders can get started and be ready to take advantage of upcoming technologies, followed by which organisations are doing well within this space. 

Get to know Noelle

Noelle is the Founder and CEO of Illoominus, living in Atlanta, GA with her husband and dog. Noelle caught the entrepreneurial bug early, starting a jewellery business at 15 years old. During her Peace Corps experience in Nicaragua, Noelle worked with female founders on their new ventures which gave her the idea to start something for herself.

Noelle has worked with early and growth stage startups for over a decade, bridging connections to capital, customers and talent. Previously, Noelle led the Atlanta Mayor Office’s startup economic development strategy to connect underrepresented tech talent with career paths to Atlanta’s top startups, she also launched the Crystal City, VA office of 1776, a global startup incubator and venture fund. Whilst leading joint go-to-market opportunities with Accenture’s startup partners and investment portfolio, Noelle was able to help startups scale into Fortune 2000 clients, which allowed her to map the HR tech landscape and found that it’s overflowing with point solutions.

Key Timestamps

• 03:33 – Introduction to Noelle and Illoominus
• 07:49 – The hardest part of being an entrepreneur
• 10:47 – How the role of HR is changing
• 18:40 – Are leaders prepared for the changing role of HR
• 22:47 – The AI utopia 
• 32:20 – What are you doing to prepare for AI 
• 33:16 – How can HR leaders take advantage of up-and-coming technologies?
• 39:34 – Companies that are doing well in this space
• 44:27 – Businesses focus on people

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

In this episode, Stuart Elliott talks to Tania Martin, a neuro-inclusion Consultant and Founder of PegSquared, who has spent years advocating for neurodiversity within organisations. Tania shares her experience at EY, where she was instrumental in establishing a Neurodiverse Centre of Excellence and shifting strategies to support candidates who may not thrive in conventional interview settings.

Stuart and Tania explore her own personal journey with an ADHD diagnosis which shifted her understanding of herself and fuelled her commitment to creating more inclusive workspaces. From discussing the changing landscape of neurodiversity awareness and the powerful generational shift in openness, to addressing the stigma and challenges that still exist, Tania provides a compelling overview of why this topic is so crucial today.  
Tania outlines the tangible business benefits of fostering an inclusive environment, offers practical support strategies, including individualised adjustments and sensory-friendly practices, and discusses her five key takeaways for embedding neurodiversity into an organisation’s core culture. The conversation finishes with Tania uncovering actionable advice for HR professionals looking to make meaningful changes, emphasising the importance of curiosity, pilot programs, and seeking external expertise. 

Tania Martin is the founder of PegSquared and an experienced Neuro-inclusion consultant. She helps workplaces navigate neurodiversity at both an organisation and individual level. She leverages real world corporate neurodiversity experience from her time leading the award-winning UK’s Neuro-Diverse Centre of Excellence at EY. This is underpinned by 20+ years’ experience of leading complex transformation programmes across both people and technology in large global organisations.  These skills together enable her to bring a unique perspective to organisations wanting to create neuro-inclusive workplaces. Her journey also includes navigating her own career with ADHD, diagnosed in 2022, providing a distinctive firsthand perspective on neurodiversity at work.  

Key Timestamps: 

• 02:20 – Intro into Tania
• 05:30 – The prevalence of this topic 
• 08:08 – Tania’s personal ADHD diagnosis  
• 16:42 – The breadth of the spectrum
• 22:55 – Business benefits of implementing change
• 35:09 – Five takeaways from Tania’s experience of neurodiversity in an organisation
• 43:48 – Changes in the recruitment process
• 47:13 – Where to start as an HR professional 

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

In this episode, Stuart dives into the transformative potential of AI in the Learning and Development space with Luis Garcia, President of PETE, an AI-powered learning platform. Luis talks about his journey from product development to launching one of the fastest-growing online universities in the US and how this has shaped his expertise and vision for the future of learning.

Luis discusses why translating expertise into effective training is harder than it looks, and how generative AI is set to revolutionise both the creation and evaluation of learning materials. From scaling training for hybrid teams across the globe to designing personalised micro-courses that target specific learning gaps, Luis explores how PETE is helping organisations keep pace with the future of work. We also explore the changing role of facilitators in a tech-driven world, the impact of generative AI vs. the metaverse, and how L&D departments can overcome challenges in AI adoption. 

Luis Garcia is a seasoned international executive with over 25 years of experience in technology, digital media, and education. He specialises in driving new ventures and products to rapid growth by building effective teams that harness innovation, technology, and creativity to solve complex problems. He is the president of PETE, an Orlando-based tech startup that offers a suite of cost-effective and customisable solutions that enable organisations to deliver personalised workforce learning at scale. The PETE team is dedicated to harnessing the power of AI to help organisations of all sizes optimise their training initiatives, spanning from onboarding to regulatory compliance, product knowledge, technical skills, and more, without hiring additional training resources. 

Key Timestamps: 

• 01:50 – Intro into Luis
• 10:40 – Trends shaping the workforce 
• 15:45 – How the system delivers the courses 
• 17:40 – Personalising the programmes for organisations 
• 20:58 – Generative AI vs the Metaverse
• 22:44 – How to ensuring workforces remain agile 
• 33:10 – Challenges of implementing generative AI 
• 35:40 – How to overcome the challenges 

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

Our Host and CEO, Stuart Elliott, is joined today by Lucinda Reader, Founder of Ravello HR. Ravello HR is an HR consultancy specialising in helping businesses create highly effective and efficient talent teams. 

Throughout the episode, Stuart and Lucinda focus on talent and succession planning; discussing why she started Ravello HR and giving advice to mums to be as they navigate their career journey. Stuart and Lucinda chat through how to get talent and succession planning right, how small businesses can adapt their talent strategy to continue growth, and how skills mapping and skills pathways can help in talent success. The discussion then moves on to hiring, where they cover the difference between internal and external recruitment partners, hiring people known to the business and how this could incorporate unconscious bias. Finally, they spoke about AI in the interview process, examples of good hiring processes and advice for startups going through a recruitment process. 

Get to know our guest:

Lucinda Reader is the founder of Ravello HR, she is also the non-executive HR Director for Shoorah, a wellbeing app currently disrupting the market. Lucinda has worked in HR and Recruitment globally, both in house and agency, for almost 20 years across sectors, for some of the most well known brands. She is extremely passionate about creating an excellent and equitable experience for all candidates is a firm believer of equal opportunities for all; this being said, she is part of the charity No Going Back, which helps to rehabilitate offenders. Lucinda is proudly a mum to two young children; Santino and Lucia as well as her proclaimed first baby, Norman the sausage dog!

Key Timestamps:

• 02:06 – Introduction to Lucinda Reader
• 06:44 – The birth of Ravello HR
• 09:32 – A special mention to Norman the sausage dog
• 10:09 – Career advice for mums to be
• 13:42 – Getting talent and succession planning right
• 16:50 – Small businesses people strategies
• 20:03 – Skills mapping and skills pathways
• 24:50 – What Lucinda believes falls under the word ‘talent’ in the workplace
• 29:05 – Internal vs external recruitment partners
• 33:00 – Hiring people known to the business
• 37:34 – Examples of good hiring processes 
• 39:49 – Advice for startups going through a recruitment process

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

In this instalment of the ‘Latest HR News’, our CEO and Host, Stuart Elliott, is joined by Paul Knight, Senior HR Executive Leader and Consultant and Katy Goldwater, Chief People Officer to discuss topical themes and trending articles across the HR space. 

Stuart, Katy and Paul start the conversation by discussing a topic that has continued to be prominent post Covid; hybrid working, reflecting on whether this topic needs to be parked and if it has had an effect on those starting their careers. Moving on, they touch on the topic of intergenerational working as the current workforce is navigating the most crossover in generations in the workplace than ever before. As the conversation continues, Stuart, Katy and Paul discuss whether the cover letter is still necessary and if hiring should be left to the HR department, taking diverse hiring into consideration. Finally, they move on to chatting through AI within the HR function and the future of work and whether it is dependent on the future of reward.

As a more light-hearted topic, Stuart, Katy and Paul discuss social media’s role in HR and whether the use of it is making HR cool again, through the use of TikTok and influencers in the space. 

 Articles referenced:

• Mining Boss Opposes Staff Leaving Office for Coffee
• The Future of Work Navigating Intergenerational Discord
• The Mystery of the Cover Letter
• Stop Leaving Hiring to your HR Department
• Majority of UK HR Leaders Yet to Make use of Gen AI, Survey Suggests
• Most Employers Ditch Diverse Recruitment Amid ‘Anti-Woke’ Backlash
• Why the Future of Work Will Depend on the Future of Total Rewards
• Social Media is Making HR Cool Again

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

Today, Stuart Elliott is joined by returning guest, work psychologist, Sarah McLellan whose episode from Season 1 was our most popular episode to date. Today, people in workplaces are more unhappy than ever with company cultures cracking, and many harbouring the worst in human behaviour. Feelings of loneliness, exclusion, fear and exhaustion are growing within organisations and people are choosing to leave, searching for something more meaningful, somewhere they feel valued and able to flourish as a human. Sarah launched Make it Human in February 2024 to help leaders create healthier, more human-centred workplace cultures. She has also written a book titled Make It Human, which delves deeply into this topic.

In this episode, Sarah explains how workplace culture and talent assessment have evolved significantly since she began in terms of training and administration. However, Sarah points out that we are now at a crossroads between technology and human input, where organisations must find a balance between using data and maintaining fairness and empathy in talent management. She also speaks about the inspiration and vision behind her book and emphasises the importance of creating environments where people can thrive, noting that successful organisations build cultures that make employees feel valued, connected, and supported. 

Sarah also points out how she sees hybrid work as a chance to balance home productivity with in-office collaboration, leading to better results if managed well. She highlights that small, intentional steps, can build strong, people-focused cultures. Her advice to HR leaders: focus on human growth, use microcultures to drive change, and stay intentional in shaping supportive, thriving workplaces.

Sarah McLellan is a people, business and thought leader with over 20 years’ experience in HR, leadership, assessment and talent management consulting. As a Chartered Occupational Psychologist Sarah has partnered with hundreds of companies to help build happy, inclusive and growing workplaces across the globe.  Sarah believes work doesn’t have to be a 9–5 meaningless, lonely grind and this inspired her to launch her company Make it Human, a business dedicated to cultivating happier, healthier, more human workplaces.   

Key Timestamps: 

• 02:28 – Intro into Sarah
• 05:20 – Changes in talent assessment
• 11:40 – The inspiration behind the book
• 17:26 – Sarah’s view on 5 days in the office
• 24:00 – The vision for a healthier work-life
• 30:50 – The companies getting it right
• 44:52 – Advice for HR leaders shaping better cultures

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

World Mental Health Day is held every year on 10th October, the objective of today is to raise awareness of mental health issues globally and support those struggling with mental wellbeing. In support of this, we wanted to host a special episode of HR Insights: The Podcast for you today! Stuart is joined by Principal Researcher, Human Capital for The Conference Board; Rita Meyerson, EdD, to shine a light on the work they are doing to bring workplace wellbeing to the forefront of employer’s minds.  

Throughout their conversation, Stuart and Rita discuss a recent report by The Conference Board, that indicates that 62% of US workers feel their well-being is the same or worse than it was six months ago, despite increased corporate investments in well-being. They move on to cover what types of programs Rita anticipates emerging from the increased spending commitment to wellbeing, the difference in wellbeing from a business and human perspective, the organisational benefits for companies that prioritise wellbeing and how CEOs and CHRO’s can lead by example when fostering a culture of wellbeing within their organisation. 

Rita, leads research and generates insights for members across all facets of human capital management. Her research focuses on organisational change and culture, organisational development, and total rewards and wellbeing. She is an experienced management consultant, researcher, and educator with deep expertise in organisational strategy, culture and change management. Prior to joining The Conference Board, Rita consulted across industries and geographies to Fortune 100 companies and PE-funded start-up enterprises. Previously, she was a Director in corporate communications and human resources at American Express. 

To view the report and essay spoken about in today’s episode click the links below

• Report
• Essay

Key Timestamps:

• 01:17 – Introduction to Rita Meyerson EdD
• 07:01 – Factors contributing to the stagnation of wellbeing 
• 13:41 – Anticipated wellbeing programmes from increased spend
• 15:58 – 4 day work week and part time working 
• 18:39 – Expectations of wellbeing for leaders 
• 25:51 – 24/7 working 
• 30:20 – Chief Wellbeing Officer’s
• 33:30 – Business buy in
• 34:43 – Fostering a wellbeing culture 
• 42:35 – Aims for promoting wellbeing in the workplace

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

Welcome back to another episode of HR Insights: The podcast. Today Stuart Elliott is joined by Fiona McKay, CEO and Founder of Lightbulb Leadership Solutions and sister company, The Menopause Maze. Fiona shares her personal and professional journey, highlighting her move from legal work to leadership consultancy and how Lightbulb Leadership Solutions focuses on helping female-led businesses scale, while The Menopause Maze, supports women navigating menopause.

Fiona delves into her own experience with early menopause, highlighting how it affected her both physically and mentally thus fuelling her passion to change the narrative around menopause in the workplace. Fiona discusses her advocation for open conversations and structural changes within organisations amidst alarming statistics about menopausal women and their struggles in employment. She mentions her involvement in campaigning for free HRT prescriptions in England and points out how menopause is now becoming a significant issue for businesses in terms of talent retention and ESG considerations.

Fiona emphasises the importance of creating a supportive environment for menopausal women, offering practical advice on how companies can address this issue, including conducting culture audits, providing anonymity in surveys, and offering customised employee benefits.

October is Menopause Awareness Month with World Menopause Awareness Day falling on October 18th. Please click here to see how you can get involved and support such an important cause. 

Key Timestamps: 

• 01:53 – Intro into Fiona
• 06:40 – Overview of the menopause and Fiona's personal experience with early menopause
• 17:30 – Stats around the menopause in the workplace
• 21:30 – How HR can deal with the prevalence of menopause in the workplace
• 24:50 – Elevating the conversation 
• 27:50 – Starting points for companies 
• 37:50 – Importance of allyship to grow the conversation 
• 41:30 – Socio-economic issues with menopause 

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!

Welcome back to another episode of HR Insights: The Podcast. Today Stuart Elliott is joined by Andy Brown, Leadership coach and Author of best-selling book ‘The Emotional Overdraft: 10 simple changes for balancing business success and wellbeing’ focused on the often overlooked mental and physical costs of leadership.

In this episode Stuart and Andy discuss how his love for problem-solving led him to help businesses, especially marketing agencies, optimise their structures for success. He shares his key insights on the concept of the "emotional overdraft” explained as the practice of sacrificing one’s mental and physical well-being to support business or personal success, often born from an inability to disconnect from work. He highlights the need to address the issue to avoid burnout, offering strategies like tracking behaviours, setting boundaries, and promoting awareness. Throughout the podcast, Andy emphasizes self-reflection, recognising emotional overdraft signs, and the value of coaching to foster curiosity about behaviour patterns. He concludes by advising empathy and kindness when helping someone experiencing emotional overdraft, encouraging them to seek change.

Andy Brown has over 30 years' experience as an award-winning adviser and coach for people-based businesses. He's also a podcast host and the author of Amazon #1 best seller, ‘The Emotional Overdraft: 10 simple changes for balancing business success and wellbeing' a book for entrepreneurs, leaders and founders that articulates the often overlooked mental and physical costs of leadership.

Take the Cosmo Quiz and get the book here. 

Key Timestamps:  

• 02:38 – Intro into Andy 
• 06:25 – The idea for the book
• 10:25 – Summary of the book 
• 12:50 – Causes of an emotional overdraft 
• 18:45 – Recognising you are in an emotional overdraft 
• 36:50 – Paying off an emotional overdraft 
• 44:40 – How to help someone in an emotional overdraft 

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!