Is This Room Free?

My guest this week is Samantha Purdy who has built up a career in Learning & Development and then the broader, over-arching Organisational Development.

Like many, Samantha felt a bit lost after College and wasn't sure about which direction to take. Despite considering to do a Social Care degree, she also looked at other options and applied for some Apprenticeships too. One was for a Business Administrator in local government and just happened to be in their Organisational Development team. 

As Samantha's skills and capability developed she was asked by her Manager if she wanted to start delivering some training. So as a 19 year old, she wrote and delivered her first training programme. Pretty scary stuff for someone so young and Samantha admits to struggling with imposter syndrome even now.

As her career progressed it took her out of public service and into the private sector.... and back again. Along the way she has picked up line management responsibility and Samantha talks about how it was easy to start in a new role as a line manager than transitioning into that type of position from within a team. She also talks about  where in one Management role she oversaw a large team and her realisation that she really missed being 'hands-on' so left for something that was a good blend between leading a team but still being involved in daily activities herself.

This is a fantastic conversation for anyone who has wondered about the world of L&D and OD, and considered if this would be a good career as an alternative to HR. I hope you enjoy listening.

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In this episode I'm joined by Katrina Reader who currently works as a HR Associate for one of the Big Four accountancy firms in the UK.

I was absolutely blown away and utterly impressed with Katrina. Her story is a perfect case study in how to give yourself the best chance of securing employment post-university.

Katrina did a BA in Human Resource Management but was very conscious that it would be highly advantageous to get some practical experience on her CV. So not only did she choose an undergraduate course that had a one-year vocational placement as part of the programme but Katrina also maximised her chances by doing some volunteering work.

Her first role was to volunteer at a charity and she gained some basic administration skills. This was followed by a period of work for a recruitment agency, doing Right To Work checks, placing adverts, and screening applications. Both of these helped her secure a job with Bentley Motors for her placement year, beating all the competition to work for this highly respected brand.

By the time Katrina graduated from university, not only did she have a First Class HR degree to her name, but she also had two years worth of practical work experience on her CV. This put her in the top 10% of graduates who entered the job market and ensured she got offered a permanent role - again with a highly revered organisation.

This an absolute MUST Listen for anyone currently in university! I hope you enjoy listening.

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My guest this week is Christina Cantu who managed to secure her first HR job at the start of 2022. After a whirlwind 12 months, seeing her nominated as Emerging HR Professional of the Year, Christina has learnt a heck of a lot and kindly shares her story and experiences with me.

Christina is the first person in her family to attend University and since she can remember she has had a plan of achieving her Bachelors degree, then a Masters, and finally a PhD. Having secured a BA in Psychology, she is about to complete her MA in Public Administration.

HR came on to her radar after her Mother first suggested it but at that time Christina's perception of HR was that of most - the department that just hires and fires people. However, it was through a module within the Masters study course that she learnt about the wider remit and impact that great HR can have.

As she entered the job market Christina found it extremely tough. She was applying for entry level HR roles but consistently found that she wasn't getting any form of response or feedback from any applications. Christina is very candid and open about just how difficult a period this was and how she started to doubt herself and have a lot of negative thoughts, wondering if she was being overlooked because of her age or because of career choices she had made.

However, Christina finally secured an Internship and grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Coming to the end of her first year in HR she explains what she has learnt and how she has developed her skills and knowledge. 

This is a superbly helpful discussion for anyone looking to enter the HR profession covering the highs and the lows! I hope you enjoy listening.

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My guest this week is Sarah Burton who has been primarily working in the Tech industry for the past twenty years.

I found this conversation with Sarah a really interesting and insightful one as it became apparent as we spoke just how tactical she had been with her career. She explained how working in the public sector had given her a really solid foundation in 'what good looks like' but she left after a relatively short period to move into an SME. Sarah was conscious of the broader exposure she would get in that type of environment and how much it would benefit her development.

Sarah explains how she believes one of the most important skills to have in your locker is stakeholder management, and how effective communication builds trust and credibility.  She also talks about what it's like working in the Tech sector, so really useful for anyone who has been curious about that space for your HR career.

Sarah also shares what it's like to step up and move into a strategic or leadership role, providing fantastic insights for anyone who has aspirations to climb the career ladder.

This is a superb conversation with plenty of lessons to be learned. I hope you enjoy listening.

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Have you ever wondered what the mindset or approach is needed to become a HR leader? Well then what an episode we have this week, where I'm joined by Michele Haugh.

Having done a business degree at university, Michele decided that a HR career path was for her but upon entering the job market found she had no practical experience. What Michele then did was strategically map out a route via recruitment, then training, that ultimately led to her fulfilling her career goals.

Michele has tackled numerous relocations, due to her husband's job, and taking an extended career break whilst living in Thailand and raising their children. However, she has applied a key fundamental in her HR approach that has enabled her to reach the top of her game. It's the understanding that to be truly effective, you need to adopt a complete business partnering methodology. This means that you get to understand the business and it's issues first then look at the HR initiatives and strategies you can implement to add the maximum value. A simple concept, yet not one applied by everyone. 

Michele now runs a HR Consultancy, along with her business partner, where they provide HR support and Engagement initiatives to early or growth stage businesses.

Listening to Michele talk, it's easy to understand how she has created such a successful HR career and there are some great takeaways and advice she delivers during our talk.

I hope you enjoy listening.

earlyHRSolutions - https://www.earlyhrsolutions.com/
earlyEngage - https://www.earlyengage.com/

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Joining me on this episode is Mags Kerns. She has been in HR since graduating from university but after climbing the career ladder and having worked as a HR leader in her last few positions, Mags decided to set up as a coach in October 2021.

Throughout her career, Mags had seen how challenging it could be as a profession and often you have to deal with some really emotional aspects. It got her thinking 'where is the HR for HR?' and she wanted to do something about that.

She initially set up a Facebook group called The HR Sanctuary and that then led her to start coaching and Mags is now a qualified Breakthrough Coach who specialises in helping HR professionals who are currently feeling burned out and overwhelmed, or perhaps lacking the self-belief to fulfil their true potential.

We talk about how Mags progressed through her career and how she was exposed to and tasked with leading on some pretty large projects whilst still in the early days of her HR journey, and how she ultimately handled those situations and learnt how to do HR. Later in her career, Mags joined a start-up and she explains how you tackle a situation like that where there is literally nothing in place.

The coaching work that Mags now with HR people is amazing. She tailors each programme to the individual and it's easy to understand why she is getting interest from HR people around the world who need some support.

This is a fantastic conversation that I thoroughly enjoyed so I hope you get some benefit from listening.

https://www.magskernscoaching.com/
 The HR Sanctuary group on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/547127873015680/)

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My guest this week is Tim Roberts, a seasoned Learning & Development professional who has been running his own business, Enthuse, for the past four years where he focuses on the application of emotional intelligence in our workplaces and how we interact with colleagues. 

Tim explains that when we understand what our own values are and how these affect the way we communicate with others, then it provides a platform for cohesiveness, improved relationships, and overarching culture. 

He has also written a book (Break The Mould) that highlights the importance of not feeling the need to fit within a preconceived stereotype, but by being your true, authentic self, you are then able to be the best version of yourself.... and when you are the best version of you you can be then good things tend to happen!

Tim had a few roles before finding his way into Training and L&D. By participating in a Leadership Development programme at the company he worked, Tim saw a whole new way of thinking about how to be an effective leader and he was 'sold'. It was a moment that changed his career trajectory and he hasn't looked back since.

Whether you're in HR, Training, L&D, or any sort of management/leadership role, there are plenty of thought-provoking and inspirational elements that pop up in our conversation. 

If you'd like to find out more about the work Tim does or make contact with him then follow these links:

www.enthusecoaching.com

[email protected]

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On the fifth episode of season 3, my guest is Kate Maddison-Greenwell. As well as having had a successful HR career, Kate now has her own consultancy business (People Efficient) providing transformational or change support but through the application of an Agile mindset, your more traditional HR transactional support, and leadership courses that focus on topics such as conflict resolution and psychological safety. 

On top of that she currently works alongside a business in a long-term project capacity, supporting the CEO and leadership team through a large acquisition, ensuring the culture is maintained through the integration process. However, it doesn't stop there. Kate also hosts the HR Director's Cut podcast with two other former guests, Victoria Bond and Lisa Tomlinson.

​Kate is a force to be reckoned with... in a good way! When you are spinning so many plates, you'd anticipate that managing your time can ​be a huge challenge. Kate explains how one of the keys to success is to be transparent and communicative with all stakeholders (skills that are both highly critical to be truly effective in your HR career).

Kate is an absolute fountain of knowledge and there are a tonne of tips and insights to benefit from before we even get into the story of Kate's career. What I really enjoyed about Kate was her honesty. We talked about being comfortable at making mistakes and accepting that sometimes you'll drop the ball, and that you can't know everything in any given situation. 

​There are aspects within this episode that anyone at any level in their HR career can benefit from so I hope you enjoy listening.​

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The guest for this episode is Kyle Warner who is a HR Generalist III, and has recently joined Samsung in Dallas, TX.

I met Kyle in the summer when we connected after his contract was coming to an end and he wanted support in finding a new role. As we spoke it quickly became apparent how Kyle stood out a someone who could be considered a 'fixer' or a 'change enabler'. What I mean by that is he gave me example after example of how he had gone into a role, became aware of legacy issues and problems, and although they weren't necessarily 'his' problems to fix, he  appreciated that the whole HR function would operate more effectively and provide a better service is these problems were corrected.  Therefore, that's what he did.... he took matters into his own hands and resolved them. 

Kyle would describe his own superpower as being someone who can create order from chaos and this is a perfect case study in how you can be someone who turns up 9-5 and just wants a job, or you can be someone who creates a strong personal brand and is recognised for constantly going above beyond and exceeding expectations. The benefit of the latter is that your stakeholders appreciate you more and the results you deliver.

Kyle attitude and approach to work is a benchmark for anyone at the early stages of their HR career and wants to know how to get their career moving forward. I hope you enjoy listening.

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I'm thrilled to bring Jane Murphy back as a guest. We finished the last season with Jane talking through her career of working for some of the world's biggest and most recognised brands, and this time we're uncovering what it's like to operate as a HR Business Partner with international responsibility.

Whilst Jane worked at Cadbury's they were involved in one of the most public acquisitions that has happened in the UK. The takeover by Kraft made headline news all over the media but I was curious to learn from Jane what it was like to work in the HR team through such a challenging period. Explaining how she had to try and put her own concerns to the back of her mind and focus on the task in hand, Jane also talks about how the skills needed to do the job changed.

Whilst at Kraft, but more so in her current role, Jane has also had remit to deliver HR support across international regions. We discuss how it's not always as glamourous as people may perceive and what to do if you make a mistake when trying to navigate unfamiliar local legislation.

As always, Jane is a fountain of information, insights, and anecdotes so this is a must listen for anyone who aspires or is curious about working in an international role or how to get through a challenging acquisition.

If you would like to contact Jane or have any questions, then please feel free to email her on [email protected]

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