In this epsiode I'm joined by Dotty Day, a seasoned HR professional with over 26 years of experience, specializing in interim roles and organisational change. Dotty shares her unique career journey, which began unexpectedly when she took a temporary position at Boots Pharmaceuticals, leading her to discover her passion for HR amidst a corporate merger.

Throughout the conversation, Dotty reflects on her diverse experiences across various organizations, including Capital One and Eon, where she developed her expertise in HR transformation and organizational design. She emphasizes the importance of saying "yes" to opportunities, which allowed her to gain valuable experience and grow her career.

Dotty is someone who experienced rapid career progression but she also discusses the challenges of burnout she faced in her early career, which prompted her to reevaluate her work-life balance. This pivotal moment led her to explore freelance work, where she found fulfillment in helping organisations navigate change while maintaining her own flexibility.

Having worked in contract roles for many years, Dotty is now looking to help others who want to take the freelancing path through Gighrly, a new community for HR professionals and independent consultants helping them with the tools and support required to navigate this route successfully.

Notes

🎙️ Podcast Introduction and Background (00:56 - 10:38)

• Dotty introduces herself as a career interim and HR freelancer with 26 years of experience
• Dotty specializes in organization design, culture change, and people change

🏢 Early Career and Education (10:38 - 21:23)

• Dotty grew up in a working-class family
• She studied business studies with European business at university
• Dotty accidentally fell into HR through a temp job at Boots Pharmaceuticals
• She progressed quickly in her career, taking on various HR roles

💼 Career Progression and Challenges (21:40 - 32:09)

• Dotty moved through different companies, including Capital One and Northern Foods
• She experienced rapid career growth and significant pay increases
• Dotty faced burnout in a high-pressure role as head of resourcing

🔄 Career Reset and New Directions (32:09 - 40:35)

• After burnout, Dotty left her high-paying job to reset her career
• She started a small business painting pictures and designing websites
• Dotty returned to HR through a role at Eon, which offered a better work-life balance

🚀 Transition to Interim Work (40:36 - 49:30)

• Dotty transitioned into interim work, focusing on transformation projects
• She discusses the benefits and challenges of interim work
• Dotty emphasises the importance of networking in finding interim opportunities

🌐 Building a Network and Personal Brand (49:34 - 59:57)

• Dotty highlights the importance of maintaining professional networks
• She discusses how her network has led to various job opportunities
• Dotty explains the fluid nature of interim wor

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In this episode I speak with Megan Kelsall, People and Operations Manager at Kelpi, a startup focused on sustainability through innovative seaweed-based materials.

Megan shares her unique career journey, which began in the performing arts as a dancer before transitioning into the corporate world. She reflects on her ballsiness when working in a small business and convincing the MD that they needed a HR function because that's what she wanted to do.

Throughout the conversation, Megan discusses her rapid ascent in HR leadership roles, but how she's had to handle imposter syndrome along the way. She discloses her experiences in both small and larger corporate environments, and receiving different advice about which direction to follow with her career but ultimately taking ownership of what she felt was right for her.

Megan has primarily worked in businesses that operate within the sustainability sector and she explains what it is like working for companies that are B Copr certified, something she has helped them achieve within her work too.

A significant theme of the episode is the importance of mentorship and coaching in professional development. Megan recounts her experience working with a mentor who provided invaluable support during a challenging period in her career. Their discussions helped Megan build resilience, gain confidence, and develop a more nuanced understanding of workplace dynamics. This conversation serves as a powerful reminder of the impact that mentorship can have on personal and professional growth, encouraging listeners to seek out mentors and embrace opportunities for learning and development.

Overall, this is an incredible episode that covers many points of interest so I hope you enjoy it.

Notes

🎙️ Introduction and Background (00:14 - 04:31)

• Megan introduced as HR professional from Bristol, originally from Preston

🏢 Career Discussion (04:31 - 09:05)

• Megan's career journey from dancer to HR professional
• Discussion about B Corps and their importance

💼 HR Role at Kelpie (09:05 - 13:54)

• Megan joined Kelpie as People and Operations Manager
• Kelpie develops seaweed-based material to replace single-use plastic
• Megan's role includes setting up HR systems and growing the team

🚀 Career Progression (13:54 - 25:41)

• Megan's fast-track career in HR discussed
• Importance of having HR in startups emphasized
• Megan's experience taking companies through B Corp certification process

🌱 B Corp Discussion (25:54 - 38:06)

• Explanation of B Corps and their focus on triple bottom line
• Megan's passion for working in purpose-driven organizations
• Challenges and benefits of B Corp certification process

👔 Job Search and Career Choices (39:41 - 54:38)

• Megan's experience job searching with specific criteria
• Discussion on different career paths in HR
• Importance of knowing oneself and pursuing the right career path

🏆 Work Experience and Growth (54:38 - 01:07:03)

• Megan's experience at Bluefield and reasons for leaving
• Discussion on outgrowing organizations and career progression
• Importance of celebrating employee growth and departures

🧠 Mentoring and Coaching (01:07:27 - 01:23:11)

• Megan's experience with mentoring and its impact on her career
• Benefits of having a mentor in HR profession
• Importance of finding the right mentor and being open to feedback

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In this episode I sit down with Ryan Cheyne who has been operating as a HR leader for almost 20 years.

Ryan's began his career in retail at Argos, quickly rising through the ranks to become a store manager before transitioning to HR. He talks about a hugely pivotal time at Pets at Home, where he tackled high attrition rates and focused on creating a positive workplace culture.

From this we learn about his belief that the most important thing in HR is creating amazing places to work. He emphasises that HR's role is fundamentally about ensuring that employees have a positive and rewarding experience in the workplace. This involves focusing on culture, values, and employee engagement while also ensuring that the basics—such as pay, disciplinary processes, and overall HR functions—are handled effectively. Ryan asserts that when employees feel valued and engaged, they are more likely to deliver excellent service to customers, ultimately leading to the commercial success of the business.

The discussion also covers Ryan's experience at rentalcars.com and his subsequent role at Flutter, where he continued to champion the idea that a strong people strategy is essential for business success. Throughout the episode, Ryan highlights the significance of building and maintaining professional relationships, the power of networking, and the impact of having supportive leadership in HR.

Notes

Edit

🎙️ Podcast Introduction and Career Background (01:53 - 08:51)

• Ryan Cheyne introduced as guest on 'Is This Room Free?' podcast
• Ryan's current role: Managing Director of People and Culture at Flutter
• Ryan has 28 years of experience in HR
• Flutter owns brands like Paddy Power, Betfair, Tom Bowler, and Sky

🏢 Recent Career Changes and Market Conditions (08:51 - 13:29)

• Ryan recently left Flutter after a short-term contract turned permanent
• Discussion on current tough job market conditions
• Ryan looking for new opportunities since January

🌴 Upcoming Holiday and Egypt Discussion (13:29 - 20:25)

• Ryan going on holiday to Egypt (Sharm el-Sheikh)
• Conversation about Egyptian tourism and visiting the pyramids

👔 HR Career Journey and Challenges (21:20 - 29:02)

• Ryan's transition from retail to HR leadership roles
• Discussion on the importance of company culture and values
• Challenges of balancing basic HR functions with strategic initiatives

🛍️ Retail Experience and HR Transition (30:19 - 45:12)

• Ryan's early career in retail at Argos and Topshop
• Transition to HR leadership role at Pets at Home
• Focus on reducing attrition and improving customer service through employee engagement

💼 Career Progression and Creating Great Workplaces (45:12 - 56:17)

• Move to Rental Cars.com and later integration with Booking.com
• Emphasis on creating great places to work and its impact on business success
• Importance of CEO buy-in for HR initiatives

🌐 Networking and Career Opportunities (56:42 - 01:14:12)

• Importance of maintaining professional networks
• Discussion on how past connections led to new job opportunities
• Ryan's approach to helping others in their careers

🎭 Career Start and Fate (01:15:26 - 01:21:59)

• Story of Ryan's unconventional start at Argos through his mother's intervention
• Reflection on the role of fate and creating one's own luck in career progression
• Podcast wrap-up and future plans for the host's business

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In this episode we delve into the significance of HR data, featuring Lara Holding Jones, who is the Founder of Pink Jelly People Consultancy.

The thought of data analysis will make many run for the hills but through this conversation we learn about Lara's mission to make HR data engaging and accessible.

It's not about becoming an analytics expert, Lara's focus is on practices such as learning what and how to input data correctly, simply become more comfortable and confident around data, but also being able to read reports more effectively so you understand what the data is showing.

Lara didn't set out with specific goal of becoming a data specialist. Like many people's careers, it was something that kind of just happened along the way. We talk through her career and how she got some amazing exposure to strategic HR very early in her career. However, a chance opportunity to lead on an LMS implementation sent her career down a new path.

Over time she began to realise the importance of data in making informed decisions, and wanted to empower HR teams to become more comfortable and proficient with data analysis.

Her motivation stemmed from her belief that if HR professionals could improve their understanding of data and statistics, they could significantly enhance their effectiveness and contribute more strategically to their organizations.

So she created Pink Jelly People Consultancy - aimed to provide training and resources that help HR teams move from basic data handling to more advanced analytics, ultimately enabling them to make better decisions and drive business outcomes.

Notes

🎙️ Podcast Introduction and Guest Background (00:00 - 14:39)

• Lara introduced as HR data specialist
• Lara's mission: Make HR data fun and accessible
• Importance of data in HR for commercial alignment and decision-making
• Lara's background: Business degree, HR masters, early interest in HR

📊 HR Data Importance and Applications (14:41 - 35:13)

• Data literacy crucial for HR professionals
• Benefits: Better decision-making, business cases, competitive advantage
• HR data applications: Surveys, system input, reporting, analytics
• Lara's services: System-agnostic training on data analysis and interpretation

👩‍💼 Lara's Career Journey (35:33 - 49:27)

• Started in reward analyst role at Deutsche Bank
• Moved to HR consultancy, focusing on strategic projects
• Developed skills in data analysis, project management, and systems implementation

🚀 Transition to Self-Employment (49:27 - 01:05:13)

• Left consultancy to start own business
• First contract: LMS management for former client
• Developed HR data specialist role, creating dashboards and improving processes

📈 Current Business and Services (01:05:13 - 01:20:01)

• Pink Jelly People Consulting offers HR data training
• Program includes statistics, Excel skills, reporting, and data best practices
• Focuses on building confidence and competence in HR data analysis

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The guest this episode is Amelia Bradshaw who has been in HR for over 20 years and working as a HR leader for over a decade, primarily working in the Tech sector.

Amelia is currently looking for a new role and we discuss the challenges of navigating the job market in the current climate. Amelia's regularly posts some thought-evoking topics on LinkedIn and we delve into how and why she started to focus on her personal brand. We also get onto the role of AI in recruitment, discussing its current limitations, and what the future may look like.

Amelia fell into HR through an Office Management route and her career progressed quite rapidly to being part of the Leadership Team and overseeing a large HR function with an international aspect. We discuss how she had to learn, grow, and influence to become successful in a HR leadership role as well as how you need to adapt when becoming exposed to sensitive commercial information.

Notes

🎙️ Podcast Introduction and Guest Background (00:38 - 03:03)

• Martin Drake introduces Amelia Bradshaw as the podcast guest
• Amelia is currently in Stevenage, previously lived in London for 30 years
• Amelia has 23-24 years of experience in HR/people function

🔍 Current Job Search and Interview Process (03:16 - 09:35)

• Amelia had a final interview recently, waiting for results
• This is Amelia's third final-stage interview
• Amelia has other interview processes ongoing
• Martin emphasizes the importance of staying positive during job search

💼 Career Progression and Challenges (10:26 - 16:51)

• Amelia's most recent role: Head of HR for a software company
• Amelia resigned from her role in September
• Reason for resignation: company shrank, role became standalone with mostly administrative tasks
• Amelia seeking a role where she can grow and flourish

🖥️ LinkedIn Posts and Personal Branding (16:52 - 30:07)

• Amelia's LinkedIn posts have been noticed for being outspoken and thought-provoking
• Amelia started posting more to build her network and personal brand
• Discussion on the importance of personal branding in modern job search

📊 AI in HR and Recruitment (31:16 - 45:45)

• Discussion on using AI for writing job applications and job descriptions
• Martin's perspective: AI not yet advanced enough for personalized, nuanced content
• Exploration of AI adoption in HR and its current limitations

👔 Career Journey in HR (45:50 - 58:45)

• Amelia's entry into HR: started at a small software gambling company
• Progression from office manager to HR advisor
• Significant career growth: from HR Manager to HR Director
• Growing from 30 to 260 people during Amelia's tenure

🚀 Strategic HR and Leadership Experience (58:46 - 01:09:13)

• Amelia's transition to strategic HR role
• Experience in mergers and acquisitions
• Challenges of being on the leadership team, including dealing with difficult colleaguesHR

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We're back with Season 5 and what a guest for this first episode. I'm joined by the LinkedIn legend that is Emma Djemil.

If you don't know Emma then not only does she fill the LinkedIn feed with her TikTok dances, witty, and sometimes provocative statements but more than that she is on a mission to support females through their HR careers.

In early 2021 Emma founded Be Unstoppable, her own venture to help women in HR be sustainably curageous and unstoppable in their HR careers. That means being the best you can be but without compromising your family or your health.

The conversation starts with us falling into the topic of personal branding and Emma reflects on her experiences with recognition and online negativity. We then dive into the emotional challenges faced by HR professionals and the importance of support networks, sharing personal anecdotes about difficult situations encountered in the field.

Emma talks about the need for gender equity in HR leadership, her initiatives such as the HR Club, and the unique struggles of women in the industry. We also address work-life balance, mental health, and the importance of acknowledging personal experiences in professional environments.

Lastly, we wrap up by exploring future trends in HR, the imperative of addressing burnout, and ethical considerations in leadership.

There's a lot that is unwrapped in this chat yet so pertanent to what is going on in the HR space right now, especially for a lot of women out there. It's a great conversation and I hope you enjoy it.

Notes

️ Introduction and Personal Branding (00:04 - 07:57)

• Emma Djemil introduced as a guest on the podcast
• Discussion about personal branding on LinkedIn
• Emma's experiences with recognition and trolls on social media
• Challenges of remembering people from LinkedIn in real-life encounters

HR Challenges and Realities (07:57 - 18:14)

• Lack of preparation for HR professionals in dealing with difficult situations
• Discussion on the emotional toll of HR work
• Importance of support networks for HR professionals
• Examples of traumatic experiences in HR (hostage situation, suicide prevention)

Women in HR and Workplace Challenges (18:14 - 28:32)

• Emma's focus on helping women in HR be 'sustainably unstoppable'
• Creation of the HR Club and HR Big Meet event
• Discussion on gender imbalance in senior HR positions
• Challenges specific to women in HR leadership roles

Personal Experiences and HR Transformation (28:32 - 40:20)

• Emma's story of going through IVF while working in HR
• The struggle of suppressing personal experiences in professional settings
• Need for acknowledging human experiences in the workplace
• Discussion on the term 'humans resourced' for HR

Work-Life Balance and Mental Health (40:20 - 49:09)

• Challenges of separating personal and professional life
• Examples of personal struggles affecting work performance
• Lack of comfort in discussing personal issues at work
• Need for more understanding and flexibility in the workplace

Future of HR and Leadership (49:09 - 01:00:36)

• Discussion on hot topics in HR for the coming year
• Need for addressing burnout in the HR profession
• Importance of leadership paradigm shift
• Challenges of balancing profitability with ethical practices
• Example of a transformative experience in an accountancy practice

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My guest on this episode is Jess Gray who has recently joined a solicitors as part of their outsourced HR team. However, we cover off so many interesting aspects and situations within this episode. 

Jess found her way into HR and Training after university and gained her Level 5 CIPD. It was always the plan to do some travelling though so she took a break in her fledgling HR career to go overseas and taught English in Thailand.

When she returned home she found it incredibly challenging to secure a new entry level HR job, despite having adequate experience and the qualification under her belt.

She then joined an organisation and experienced a reduction in the HR team, a change in leadership, investment and growth of the team once again. Jess explains what it was like working through this turbulence and how the priorities changed for the HR function at various stages.

Her next company was an Academy Trust which presented a whole new set of challenges. She was now operating in environments where there had barely been a HR presence before and Jess explains how her much of her work had an emphasis of building and nurturing relationships to get those building blocks in place for her to make an impact.

Very recently her career has taken another twist by moving into outsourced HR. Jess shares what it has been like adapting to this version of HR delivery but what she has found inredibly enjoyable about it too.

This is a highly fascinating conversation shedding light on some aspects of HR that many wouldn't be aware of. I hope you enjoy listening.

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We have a first for the podcast - it's the very first time that I've had two guests feature on one episode.

I'm joined by Gemma Ellison and Lisa LLoyd who are both returning guests from this series. 

Since my recording with Gemma in October 2023, the pair have teamed up to create Leadership Labs which provide a truly unique approach to helping leaders tackle issues and drive change.

Both highly passionate about workplace culture they also recognised that the general formats for Leadership development simply didn't go far enough or were too generic. They knew that something better could be achieved.

What they have created are mechanisms for honesty, collaboration, and peer support and learning. At the same time, they are pushing the boundaries by encouraging leaders to tackle 'experiments' that are measured and assessed to help drive positive change in their businesses.

I absolutely love the concept and format they have come up with. Whilst not the traditional format for this podcast, it's still a compelling listen, especially for any HR folk tasked with supporting leadership development in their organisations or even HR leaders themselves.

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My guest this episode is Jane Ferre who is an expert in all things Talent Management.

Jane is such a fun and engaging individual who is prolific on LinkedIn so connect with her on there if you aren't already.

Like many she didn't know what she wanted to do after university but secured a job at Euro Disney in Paris soon after it opened resulting in her dancing in the parade as Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast and having the time of her life!

Eventually she moved to British Airways where she spent almost 20 years working in a range of roles within the HR department but it was Talent Management that she always enjoyed the most. After two redundancies in a short space of time she made the decision to go self-employed and help lots of different companies align their Talent Management strategies with the overall business goals to ensure they had the right people with the right capabilities to achieve those goals.

During the conversation we discuss the importance of building and maintaining your network. Jane effectively sums this up by saying you need to invest the time by developing your network so that it's there and in place for when you need it.

This was an incredibly enjoyable conversation and I'm sure you'll get as much pleasure from listening as I did recording it.

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My guest this episode is Lisa LLoyd who could be considered an unconventional guest for me to have on. 

Whilst Lisa hasn't worked in HR per se, the work she does feeds into the HR ecosystem. In the spirit of bring as broad a variety of people from the HR world onto the show then her story definitely warrants a place here.

Lisa studied Psychology at University, not knowing exactly what she wanted to do but feeling it would be something that could help her in whatever vocation she did ultimately choose.

Her career then actually began as a Primary School Teacher but it was through her wanting to help those kids most in need of support that made her leave the profession. However, it took her to working directly with those families who needed help and getting them the support they required. This then led to her first position as a Psychologist but it's fascinating to hear how great Managers and Leaders impacted Lisa at this stage in her early career.

A chance conversation with a HR friend made Lisa see that the work she had been doing in school environments was equally as relative in the commercial world so she made the leap to working as a Consultant.

Where Lisa differs from so many other business coaches out there is that she uses her psychology background but also provides a bespoke, tailored solution to each company she works with. After all no two companies are the same! 

Lisa is incredibly engaging and has a unique ability to simply issues, identify the true objective with her clients, and then help them develop plans to reach that destination.

For anybody frustrated at feeling the burden is on them as the HR person to drive organisational culture matters then this is an absolute must listen.

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