Oven-Ready HR

We’ve reached the end of Season 6 and we’ve almost reached the end of the year! 

Rob Moss, the Editor of Personnel Today returns to give his HR review of the year.  Among other topics, we talk about quiet quitting, industrial action, working from home and the 4 day working week.

What have been the big HR stories this year? [02:07]
Political upheaval in the UK during 2022 has in Rob's opinion made for a quiet year for the HR sector with a very few developments in the world of work.

Is Quiet Quitting the HR term of the year? [04:22]
Rob isn't keen on the term and explains that people not working hard has always been an issue and is essentially a by-product of poor employee engagement.

How important is the cost of living crisis for HR? [07:40]
Rob considers the cost of living crisis of huge importance to HR and is intertwined with the current amount of industrial action in the UK where pay has become the major issue.

Are we approaching a 'General Strike' in the UK? [10:42]
Rob considers recent UK Government to restrict certain sectors of having the ability to withdraw their labour could indeed encourage Trade Unions to more closely co-ordinate their individual actions resulting in a general strike in the UK public sector.

Is there anything left to be said about hybrid / working from home? [15:36]
Rob agrees that the hybrid / working from home debate is largely focused on organisations in London and the South East of the country. Rob also considers the lack of available talent in the UK as a driver for employees to demand more flexible working practices. Rob though cautions that there may well be long-term consequences for workers being based remotely particularly around learning and career development for new employees.

Cancelled Christmas parties a relief for HR? [24:46]
Despite the fact that that industrial action by UK train drivers has led to the cancellation of some company Christmas parties, we joke that this might come as welcome relief to the HR community given what historically work's Christmas parties famous for!

What does Rob hope for the world of HR in 2023? [25:24]
Rob hopes that the lack of available talent in the UK will see fewer redundancies being made than is normal during a recession and that HR professionals will be looking at re-skilling or up-skilling workers instead of letting people go.

Resources:
https://www.personneltoday.com/

My guest this week puts forward the key principle that employers have a moral obligation to ensure that employees look forward to coming to work. This principle amongst others, is a key tenet of unleashing the power of the human spirit to enable organisations to really prosper in the 21st century.

 Josh Bersin is one of the world’s leading authorities on human resources, talent, leadership and HR technology. During the last 25 years Josh has worked with hundreds of organisations and this experience has led him to publish his new inspirational book Irresistible a book that neatly distills 7 practical yet profound management principles to enable business leaders to create  enduring companies that thrive with improved customer satisfaction, employee retention, and business agility.

Josh peppers this interview with numerous real-life examples of organisations who have the secret sauce or irresistability and of course those who’ve rather lost their way.

Why are we all so miserable? [2:49]
Despite all of the billions spent on employee wellbeing, I ask Josh why workers are so miserable. He responds citing that many management and HR practices are still rooted in the industrial age and the world of working is constantly changing citing the pandemic in particular as a major change event.

What are the characteristics of a successful organisation? [5:21]
Joish cites Ikea as an example of organisation who have developed a democratic process whereby individual stores get to have their say on decisions that are made at a corporate level.  He admits this can slow decision making but the decision reached has buy-in from across the business.

How easy is it to change a company culture? [11:38]
Josh cites the example of an established company who had rather lost its way and the steps they took to establish a new cultural manifesto that both honoured the past but identified and removed issues that were getting in the way of progress.

How can organisations become irresistible to potential employees? [19:11]
Josh reveals that the labour market is changing so fast that job descriptions are usually irrelevant within a month of a new employee joining. He recommends that organisations constantly review the actual work that needs to be done and re-engineer if required to accommodate changes such as automation.

Irresistible HR? [26:26]
Josh ask HR professionals to consider their own organisations in terms of the 7 management principles he outlines and 150+ real-life examples. He cautions against trying to copy other organisations but instead use the 7 principles he's identified as a guidebook and framework for change.

Resources:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Irresistible-Secrets-Enduring-Employee-Focused-Organizations/dp/1646871103/ref=asc_df_1646871103/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=570351888204&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12895323841890157178&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006801&hvtargid=pla-1667581033821&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

Is 'Quiet Quitting' just a tik tok phenomenon or is it genuinely a coping mechanism for employees to protect themselves from the pressure of work?

This week’s guest argues that Quiet Quitting is a way for workers to moderate how much cognitively and emotionally they are giving to their working lives in order to remain healthy at work.

 Dr Maria Kordowicz FRSA is a Chartered Psychologist, Associate Professor in Organisational Behaviour and Director of the Centre for Interprofessional Education and Learning at the University of Nottingham.

 Dr Maria argues that the pandemic triggered a highly anxious state for many of us by putting us face to face with our own mortality and inevitably leading to us question what in life is most important to us.

This is a fascinating and thought provoking interview that really unpacks our relationship with work.

Is Quiet Quitting just a Tik Tok phenomenon? [01:27]
Partly argues Dr Maria but since the pandemic many of us have been questioning our relationship with work therefore it's not surprising some individuals have decided to devote more time to other areas of their life.

Are elements of Quiet Quitting good for the worker? [03:56]
Yes says Dr Maria.  Quiet Quitting or reevaluating our relationship with work can be a copping mechanism that protects individuals from work becoming too invasive and all consuming.

The link to a 4 day week? [08:13]
Despite having her views described as 'snow flakey' in a national newspaper, Dr Maria is in support of initiatives such as the 4 day week as it allows individuals to think differently about  productivity and their contribution to society and not just about income and tax revenues generated.

Are command and control cultures for the scrapheap? [12:33]
Yes answers Dr Maria, she evidences this by referring to some research she carried out for the Prison and Probation service where a culture that was much more collaborative and egalitarian and focused on human thriving was much more positive than a command and control structure.

The relationship between the line manager and the employee explored [16:00]
Dr Maria points to her work in management and supervision and what sort of style and behaviours employees want their managers to display. Dr Maria reminds us that managers too  can suffer from burnout and therefore can also quietly quit.

How can HR professionals overcome quiet quitting?
Dr Maria recommends tending too the building blocks of the relationship and providing employees with the psychological safety to have an open dialogue in order to re-connect.

Resources:
https://ovenreadyhr.com/
https://mariakordowicz.com/

Workplace wellbeing continues to be a key theme for Oven-Ready.  Increasingly HR practitioners are devoting more of their time tackling a range of complex issues such as mental health provision for employee burnout and additional financial support for workers in financial stress.

Recent research findings from financial services giant Legal and General’s Group Protection business has revealed some stark results. The majority of UK workers surveyed believe that workplace mental health support should be mandatory, a worrying and distinct disparity between what employers and workers think are the key wellbeing priorities and unsurprisingly perhaps how financial stress is the top issue for workers right now. 

Joining me to discuss the Wellbeing at Work Barometer research is Jo Elphick the Marketing Director for Legal & General Group Protection and Mike Tyler, the Chairman and co-founder of Fruitful Insights who are experts in helping organisations design, execute and measure wellbeing programmes.

Employee benefit programmes are complex and often misunderstood [04:44]
Jo agrees and acknowledges that many organisations rate the effectiveness of their benefit and wellbeing provision, and the communication that surrounds it more highly than their workers do.  Jo gives the example around financial wellbeing whereby 86% of employers feel they are doing a good job, whereas only 48% of employees agree.

Visibility of mental health programmes are key for younger workers  [06:50]
Jo revealed that workers in the 18 - 25 category were far more concerned about visibility of mental health provision than older workers who were much more concerned about their 'relevance' in  an ever changing work landscape.

How critical is it that the leadership commit to mental health provision [09:14]
Mike argues that it's essential that leadership commit to mental health provision beyond that of just an app. He points to the fact where organisations have a culture of long hours or having a boss who sends emails late in the evening that require a response as situations than an app will not solve. Jo agrees with Mike's analysis and at [10:53] comments on the role of the line manager in overall wellbeing provision.

Are Chief Wellness Officers joining the c-suite? [11:51]
Mike agrees there is a trend in such a role being created but he says it takes more than a badge or title and references instead the Dame Carol Black report back in 2008 that recommended that organisations report on the health and wellbeing of employers in their annual reports.

Wellbeing and hybrid working [17:43]
Jo reveals that the research did look at hybrid and remote working and that the majority of workers who are able to have flexibility in their schedule were positive. Jo also reminds us thought that flexible working for most employees is not possible given the type of work they do.

How do you measure the success of wellbeing programmes? [23:06]
Mike argues that many organisations use the narrow spectrum of reduced absenteeism as a measure of success.  This he argues isn't always a reliable measure as it's difficult to establish absenteeism when many employees are working from home and if you reduce absenteeism you might just be filling up the office with non-productive workers.

Resources:
https://www.legalandgeneral.com/adviser/workplace-benefits/group-protection/
https://www.fruitfulinsights.co.uk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelphick/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockton/

Every Season on Oven-Ready I like to devote an episode that critiques HR.  Think of it as kicking the tyres, looking under the bonnet and occasionally applying the hand break when we look to be driving in the wrong direction.

Neil Morrison is the Director of HR for FTSE100 water company, Severn Trent plc, where he is responsible for the HR function as well as the internal and external communications and marketing teams.

Considered one of the UK’s most influential HR leaders, Neil often delivers withering and scathing assessments of the professions obsession with self-serving and inward-looking debates such as working from home whilst seemingly ignoring the big issues such as maintaining employment, treating employees well and contributing to building successful organisations.

Is HR fiddling whilst Rome burns? [08:20]
I ask Neil if HR continues to focus on unimportant tasks whilst ignoring the big ticket items and he gives an unequivocal yes!  He said HR is obsessed with how many days people are working from home and gives a withering assessment of many HR practitioners current focus.

Is HR right to bemoan a lack of c-suite influence? [11:16]
Neil has no sympathy for HR practitioners who moan about not being at the top table.  It is HR's continued focus on process and not strategy that is often the root cause of this.

Lancing the working from home boil [14:28]
Working from home is largely irrelevant for vast swathes of the workforce as they are unable to perform their roles remotely. Neil believes the debate is largely centred on London and the South East of the UK and should not in his opinion be taken as the definitive answer on the future of work.

Is HR too process driven? [19:26]
Neil argues the starting point is to decide why the policy is needed in the first place. If it's there to help the employee understand how the business runs and how they the employee can be successful then its useful, otherwise you just end up creating constraints on people's common sense.

How can HR be more loved by the organisation [21:44]
Neil argues it's all about the mindset of HR and despite what the process might say, does this feel fair to the employee?  HR professionals have to have empathy otherwise we fall in to the 'computer says no' mentality.

Resources
https://change-effect.com/about/
https://ovenreadyhr.com/podcast-episodes/

In this episode I welcome back multi-award winning psychologist and bestselling author Gethin Nadin widely considered as one of the worlds leading employee experience influencers.

 Gethin has just published his new book titled A Work In Progress written in the long shadow of the pandemic and partly as an andidote to the hundreds of thousands of off-the-self wellbeing apps and services that organisations buy and the majority of which offer no discernible benefit to workers.

A Work In Progress meticulously draws upon some 500 research papers and studies neatly bringing us back to the evidence based  fundamentals of wellbeing.  His book. I predict, will become an invaluable resource for organisations withing to understand and improve employee wellbeing.

What's the underlying message from a A Work In Progress? [03:31]
Wellbeing has become highly commoditised and has moved away from the fundamentals such as how organisations are structured and managers trained. Nadin wanted instead to concentrate on what employers can do in terms of wellbeing as opposed what to what can be purchased off-the shelf.

Is there a definition of wellbeing? [05:00]
Nadin reveals there isn't a universally agreed definition of wellbeing let alone workplace wellbeing. For him, it's about trying to achieve a balance between say between work pressures, family pressures and money pressures and giving individuals the resource to help manage the inevitable ups and downs life brings.

How is job purpose and wellbeing at work linked? [08:20]
Linked inextricably to wellbeing at work is the concept of job purpose. Nadin points out that the wellbeing market ignores the importance of purpose and community.

Quiet quitting a genuine phenomenon? [13:24]
A rejection of the hustle culture and my job is my life is perfectly understandable says Nadin and people should not feel shame for not wanting to work extra hours.

I wish I could write a prescription for a better boss [17:00]
Nadin says managers get bashed a lot and often unfairly as they tend to be appointed for their technical abilities rather than their coaching or leadership style.  Nadin outlines a different team structure with managers on the same level as other team members which he feels could work better - Managers as a Maitre D.

The cost of living crisis and employee wellbeing [25:05]
Nadin argues that employers will really need to get their heads around how to support employees with financial wellbeing concerns. At [26:54] Nadin expands further with financial wellbeing often seen as the most 'hidden' of the wellbeing pillars  and how it often affects those most on the margins of society.

How should HR professionals use A Work in Progress? [34:14]
Nadin hopes that his new book will appeal to HR and non HR people alike.  he has written it in a way that it's accessible to anyone who has an interest in workplace wellbeing and for budgets of all sizes.

Resources
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gethinnadin/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Work-Progress-Unlocking-Sustainable-Organisations/dp/B0BGN8X8DQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=8IKEGWQ9ICP&keywords=gethin+nadin&qid=1665410258&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjAwIiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&s=books&sprefix=gethin+nadin%2Cstripbooks%2C43&sr=1-1

What is the future for global city centres in this post-pandemic world?  Cities from Shanghai and New York to Singapore and London are still coming to terms with the fact that a significant % of the knowledge workers who used to commute 5 days a week are now spending part of the working week at home.  

This new way of working has had a significant impact on city centre economies. So with the new rhythm of working, what do city centres and those responsible for their vibrancy need to do to ensure knowledge workers do spend money on the days they are in the office?

Jace Tyrrell is the outgoing Chief Executive of New West End Company – the business partnership representimg Europe’s largest and most prestiogious retail & leisure destination. His brief covered 600 businesses in London’s West End with a property portfolio of £3.5 billion and an annual turnover of £10 billion, anchored on the world famous Bond Street, Oxford Street, Regent Street & Mayfair. 

Jace will be returning to his homeland to head up Australia’s first Business Improvement District  known as (BID) as the inaugural Chief Executive of the New Sydney Waterfront Company. Sydney’s Western Harbour is undergoing a $10bn (AUD) transformation this decade, and working with partners, his mission it to create the world’s best waterfront in the greatest Harbour City. 

How many workers are back at their desks? [04:15]
Jace agrees that the work from home debate has become highly politicised and somewhat split on the age profile of organisational leadership teams and that city centre environments will need to change to reflect this.

What do cities have to do to attract workers back? [05:59]
Jace says  there is no silver bullet to attracting workers back. Firstly organisations need to think about the office environment and its attractiveness. Secondly the environment in terms of dining, retail and leisure facilities play a big part and thirdly investment in infrastucture such as transport.

Will offices have to become almost like an airport lounge or members' club? [10:12]
Jace remarks the purpose of the office was being debated before the pandemic and tech companies have been designing offices this way for some time and incporporating gym and lifestyle facilities.

Will the cost of living crisis affect city centre environments? [12:13]
Relentless crisis management has defined board thinking for the last 3 years. Jace agrees that the energy cost crisis will present a huge problem for businesses and could impact on centres for years.

What are business improvement districts? [17:35]
Jace explains the purpose of business improvement districts a concept that is used in the US and UK and the role he will undertaking in Sydney's Waterfront transformation project.

Which city transformation projects does Jace rate? [19:20]
Jace is impressed with Singapore's digitisation and commitment to the environment, San Francisco's work to bring the whole bay area into the city space and London's outstanding cultural offering. He cites New York as having been very innovative in the past but remarks that the city's infrastructure requires investment and finally is impressed with Berlin's collaboration with artists in almost turning buildings inside out.

What are the skills gaps in city economies? [22:04]
Unsurprisingly Jace cites hospitality and retail as sectors where skills and workers are lacking and of course how Brexit too has impacted. At [22:43], Jace outlines the campaign that Westminster City Council and The Mayor's Office to attract 2000 local workers into the leisure sector.

Resources:
https://newsydneywaterfront.com.au
https://www.newwestend.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacetyrrell/

The Brit School for performing arts and technology is perhaps the most creative environment on the planet.  Free to attend, inspiration for the school came from  the 1980’s move Fame and the spin-off TV show.

Brit School alumni are considered some of the most successful and influential artists of all time. From Adele and Amy Winehouse to Tom Holland and Leona Lewis. But The Brit School is more than just a school for performers.  Of equal importance are students studying film making, TV production, fashion, lighting design, radio and sound engineering – the entire creative industry eco system.

Such is its global reputation for developing talent and creativity, organisations from around the world including Tim Cook of Apple have turned up in South London hoping to bottle some of the undoubted magic The Brit School possesses.  The relationship between creativity, talent and commercial success is one that ALL organisations are keen to understand.

Stuart Worden has been the Principal of The Brit School for the last 10 years. This is a powerful, purposeful, inspirational and heart warming interview and one that I feel privileged to share with you. The Brit School clearly have created one of the world’s finest organisational cultures allowing their students to achieve incredible success.

What was the inspiration for the Brit School [02:21]
Remember the 80's movie and TV series spin off The Kids from Fame noted for the students dancing on the tables during lunch? Yes, this was the inspiration for The Brit School.

How does The Brit School define talent? [04:38]
Stuart argues that talent is encouraged and nurtured and success is down to passion and application. After all, he argues no one is born knowing how to write a hit single.

Are creative people inherently difficult? [10;17]
Yes argues Worden they are but not in the sense of behavioural issues but creative people need to challenge norms and be rebellious to produce great work / lead social change.

What can organisations learn from The Brit School? [11:34]
Organisations from multiple sectors talk to The Brit School to ask how they too can develop their talent. Stuart explains why.

The Brit School Values [15:29]
Stuart explains the 5 key values  / pillars that underpins the school's drive for creative success and how if other organisations adopted them, creative success would also follow for them.

Is ambition a dirty word? [18:11]
Being considered ambitious in the UK can have negative connotations.  Stuart gives his view.

Creativity as a super power [24:21]
Creativity isn't mysterious Worden declares and he considers creativity as the super power that every organisation wants.

Brit for Business [26:40]
Stuart explains The Brit for Business concept whereby organisations can work with the school on developing their own creative and talent platforms.

What can Adele and Amy Winehouse teach organisations? [38:04]
Artists such as Adele and Amy Winehouse were successful because they could be themselves and were given the freedom to do so - working without fear.

Many of us are working at least part of the week remotely. So how do you work remotely and remain effective?  Well HR guru Gemma Dale has just published a book about remote working and here to share her expertise.

Gemma is a lecturer in the Business School at Liverpool John Moores University as well as running her own business 'The Work Consultancy' where she focuses on policy development, flexible and hybrid working and wellbeing.  A charted fellow of the CIPD Gemma was one of the 'Most Influential Thinkers in HR' in 2021 and 2022. 

 Her recently published book “How to Work Remotely” and remain effective wherever you are is a hugely practical guide for those new to remote working as well as those who’ve been working this way for years. The brilliance of Dale’s book is the way she also weaves pragmatic and thoughtful advice for managers and leaders who perhaps are struggling to adapt to this new way of working.

Is the standard 8 hour day dead? [2:02]
Dale argues that despite the pandemic offering us the opportunity to change the standard 8 hour day, a throwback to the industrial revolution, employees and employers have largely stuck to this routine.

Is the hybrid genie out of the bottle? [4.05]
Dale believes that we are unlikely to return to being full-time office based but she also argues that the benefits from hybrid working are not yet totally clear for example will it gives us the work-life balance or autonomy we desire or will we end up in a worst of both worlds scenario.

Autonomy Thwarting Behaviour [6:05]
Policies such as employees must attend the office 3 days a week are Dale argues 'autonomy thwarting behaviour' as essentially the organisation has to see you working to believe you are working and therefore removing autonomy.

Overcoming 'proximity bias' [09:35]
We have a bias to those who are physically closest to us. We are much more likely for example to defer to someone physically present in a meeting than a colleague on a screen therefore the risk of favouring say people in the office over those working at home is a clear and present danger.

What skills do managers need to manage remote teams? [13:18]
Dale argues that managers being "intentional " is key to success. Recognising that those water cooler moments are not going to happen so being intentional and making sure you are deliberately checking in and communicating with your team.

Where do we get remote or home working wrong? [22:57]
Dale argues that remote working is deeply personal. What suits one person may not suit others. Additionally it also wrapped up in whether we're introvert or extrovert and how we work e.g. short sprints. Environment is also key; not setting up a proper working environment is going to make remote working much harder.

Resources:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemma-dale/
https://www.koganpage.com/product/how-to-work-remotely-9781398606111
https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/
https://ovenreadyhr.com

If you’re a regular listener to Oven-Ready you’ll know that we out together a couple of compilation episodes called Oven-Ready Reheated listening again to some of the key moments from the season’s episodes.

[00:39] William Tincup is the President and Editor at Large for Recruiting Daily, the number 1 site for recruitment news and opinion. I ask William if there is a pressure from employers for a return to the office in the United States.

[02:56] In the first of two clips, Professor Sir Cary Cooper CBE , Professor of Psychology at Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester and the Immediate Past President of the CIPD responds to my question about the lack of soft skills training at business schools.

[05:17] In this second segment, Professor Cooper reveals how flexibility can be introduced to the benefit of front line workers.

[06:22] Staying with the soft skills theme, Dr Alex Young the founder of immersive learning specialist Virti and a former orthopaedic surgeon gives a direct response to the difference between a soft and a power skill.

 [08:18] Sandi Wassmer is the Chief Executive of the Employer's Network for Equality and Inclusion. In this clip, Sandi reveals what drives her to campaign for a more inclusive world.

[10.52] I ask Steven Rothberg the Founder and Chief Visionary officer of College Recruiter how interns should be rewarded for their efforts.

[13:01] Emma Burrows, the head of international law firm Trowers & Hamlins' Employment Department came on to the show to discuss the links between HR and a firm’s ESG goals.  Here we talk about how employee wellbeing connects to the “S” or social in an ESG framework.