The Hiut Denim Company

Cardigan is a small town in Wales home to 4000 people.  400 of them used to make jeans. They made 35,000 pairs a week. For three decades. Then one day the factory closed. It left town. But all that skill and knowhow remained but without any way of showing the world what they could do.

Meet David Hieatt. David is the co-founder of the Hiut Denim Company.  He started his business to bring denim manufacturing back to Cardigan and to use all that skill on his doorstep and to breathe new life into his town.  It’s been a huge success. The firm’s laser focus commitment to quality has seen it win legions of fans from rock stars to royalty.

About David Hieatt

David has always been passionate about building brands.  Aged just 13, David was already sending sports apparel brands marketing critiques; often travelling to London to attend trade shows and meet with marketing executives.  An early brush with bankruptcy, a successful career as a creative for the then leading ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi (despite being dyslexic), David then went on to be the founder of Howies, the outdoor and sports clothing brand that he sold to The Timberland Company.

Getting A Town Back To Work

Not particularly motivated to start a new business, David's business plan for a new denim brand was put to one side.  Then one day, David received a call from a friend who asked him about his business plan. David explained that he wasn't motivated to start with the friend replying 'It's not about you David.  It's about getting the town back to work'.

 In this Episode

I promise you’ll learn more about organisational purpose, employee engagement, wellbeing, teamwork and community than you’ll get from a hundred journals, blogs and articles.  How remarkable that it takes a non HR person to effectively communicate the very essence of what HR is about including:

• The clear business case for looking after your workers;
• Humble bosses get out of their employee's way;
• 'Hire for hunger' - seek out geekiness and obsession when finding talent;
• Let employees create their own working patterns;
• Organisational mission is not just a statement, it's also a question;
• A job that has meaning is crucial for team success.

Resources:

https://ovenreadyhr.com
https://hiutdenim.co.uk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/
Twitter: @OvenHr
https://www.personneltoday.com

Tell me me what YOU think

Tell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at [email protected]

Oven-Ready Survey

The show is a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29

Rate, Review & Share

If you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!

To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

When one of the world's most powerful women tells you that you sound stupid it's not going to be feedback that you're likely to ignore.  Whilst most of us would want to curl up and die of shame, Kim Scott took this verbal chastisement directly on the chin and it got her thinking about six of the most dreaded words you'll hear at work - Let me give you some feedback.

What's wrong with feedback?

Nothing inherently as it's supposed to be about embedding or improving behaviours and in every other part of our lives we readily ask for and accept feedback.  So what is it about feedback at work that get's us all defensive and uptight?  Why does feedback often trigger a fight or flight response?  Even when we say we 'value' direct feedback, we don't really mean it or accept it.  Why do leaders and managers get feedback so wrong?

A radical approach to feedback

Welcome to the world of Radical Candor a management philosophy described by NBC News as one of 'techs hottest new management trends'.  Radical Candor at its core is providing guidance and feedback that's both kind and clear and specific and sincere.  So whilst you show that you care personally, you challenge directly.  Think of it as the sweet spot between between being aggressively obnoxious on one hand and ruinously empathetic on the other!

Kim Scott is a former senior executive at Google and Apple and a CEO coach at tech firms such as Dropbox and Twitter.  She is the author of two bestselling books 'Just Work, how to root out bias, prejudice and bullying to build a kick-ass culture of inclusivity' and Radical Candor – be a kick ass boss without losing your humanity.

In this episode you'll learn:

• How Sheryl Sandberg's direct feedback changed Kim Scott's life;
• The reason why most of us screw up when giving feedback and what to do about it;
• What Kim means about caring personally but challenging directly;
• Why managers and leaders are often left to work out how to 'manage' by trial and error;
• The ruinous effects of not challenging and providing direct feedback.

A lively, entertaining and thought-provoking episode that will genuinely give you the confidence to provide feedback to get the outcome you want by saying what you mean.

Resources:

https://ovenreadyhr.com
https://www.radicalcandor.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimm4/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/
Twitter: @OvenHr
https://www.personneltoday.com

Tell me me what YOU think

Tell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at [email protected]

Oven-Ready Survey

The show is a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29

Rate, Review & Share

If you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!

To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

Why You Should Consider a Digital Detox!

Technology to keep us connected has been indispensable in the last two years.  With so few opportunities to be able to meet family, friends and colleagues, technology has literally been a lifeline for both our mental and business health.  But there is a flip side – a dark side even.   Who hasn’t become exhausted and disillusioned by endless Teams or Zoom meetings?  Who didn’t feign a headache to avoid that family zoom quiz?  Who among us checks our smartphone as the very first thing we do when we wake up?

I’m increasingly wondering if instead of technology being our servant, the relationship has switched and it’s really us that’s the servant, jumping to attention everytime we receive yet another notification and I thought I would so some research leading to my discovery that I suffer from Nomophobia! 

What is Nomophobia?

Nomophobia is a genuine anxiety disorder caused by separation from a mobile phone.  My symptoms include an increased heart rate, feelings of panic and an in inability to focus until I’m reunited with my device.  Maybe I need a digital detox?

 My guest this week knows all about a digital detox – in fact he’s made it his business.  Hector Hughes is the co-founder of Unplugged. A start-up providing a digital detox at off-grid cabins an hour from city life.

Journey alongside my guest and discover:

• The events leading up Hector's own burn out and the inspiration that led to Unplugged;
• What actually happens during an Unplugged experience!  Are you really separated from your phone?
• How important a digital detox is for our personal wellbeing;
• Why being connected 24/7 is fundamentally bad for our mental health
• How Unplugged offers a unique employee wellbeing experience that we could all benefit from.

Resources:

https://unplugged.rest/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hector-hughes-10082195/?originalSubdomain=ukhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/
Twitter: @OvenHr
https://www.personneltoday.com

Tell me me what YOU think

Tell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at [email protected]

Oven-Ready Survey

The show is a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29

Rate, Review & Share

If you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!

To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

The menopause  - a workplace issue

Who can be in any doubt that the Menopause is now being recognised as a major workplace issue?  Numerous reports and studies have been published looking not only at the financial cost of the Menopause caused by absenteeism and women having to leave the workforce early but more importantly the emotional cost paid by women who feel unsupported by their employer.  What is, after all, a natural part of ageing process has until now been largely ignored by employers and what has previously been described as 'women's issues' needs to be urgently recategorised.  The statistics are startling:

• More than 1 million women could be forced to leave their jobs due to the lack of support offered by their employer when experiencing Menopausal symptoms;
• A quarter of those women surveyed were unhappy in their jobs due to the lack of support
• Almost two thirds of women surveyed worked for an organisation without a formal Menopause HR policy.  Currently there isn't a law that requires employers to have a Menopause policy in the same way for example as required for maternity.

Koru Kids / Research Without Barriers

Thankfully the intervention of public figures such as Michelle Obama in the US and TV personality Davina McCall here in the UK has provoked a national conversation.  The issue is also being debated at the heart of government with the creation of the UK Menopause Taskforce a body made up of ministers and clinicians from across the UK to increase access to treatment and ending the taboos and stigmas that still surround conversations about the menopause, including in the workplace.

But as well as looking at the big picture, I wanted to listen and understand from individuals who have themselves been affected by the Menopause so I teamed with the folks from Kooth who are the UK’s longest established digital mental health provider to provide real-life experience and context.

 Dr Lynne Green is Kooth’s Chief Clinical Officer and a consultant clinical psychologist with 20 years NHS experience.  

 Anne-Marie Yates is Kooth’s deputy safeguarding lead ensuring appropriate safeguarding processes across the business and is also leading on the suicide preventions strategy for the organisation.

Journey with my two guests as they tell their own very personal stories on how the menopause affected both their physical and mental wellbeing and why they believe organisations have an overwhelming moral duty to have policies and support in place to provide compassionate leadership on this issue that affects so many women.
 
Resources:

https://work.kooth.com
https://committees.parliament.uk/work/1416/menopause-and-the-workplace/publications/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/
Twitter: @OvenHr
https://www.personneltoday.com

Tell me me what YOU think

Tell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at [email protected]

Oven-Ready Survey

The show is a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29

Rate, Review & Share

If you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!

To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

Keeping up to date with UK employment law is a must for many HR professionals.  The events of the last couple of years have seen many organisations race to catch up with the new norms of flexible or hybrid working, toying with issues such as mandatory vaccinations and whether employees who are based at home and no longer visible, are actually being productive!  Put it this way, the situation has certainly kept employment lawyers busy!

Joining me to dicusss the legal landscape is one of the UK's leading employment law experts.  Nick Hurley is a Divisional Managing Partner in the employment practice of leading international law firm Charles Russell Speechlys.   Nick is a prolific contributor to newspapers and journals, regularly lectures on employment law issues, has appeared on radio and TV and has contributed chapters to a number of books. He is a non-executive Director of the City HR Association and is recognised as a world leading practitioner in Who’s Who Legal. 

In this episode you 'll discover:

• What organisations need to consider when encouraging workers back to the office;
• Some of the legal trends that have emerged since workers have been based from home;
• The thorny issue of whether organisations can mandate vaccinations for their employees;
• The 2022 employment law landscape including a law to prevent sexual harassment and changing the law surrounding flexible working making it the default position from day 1;
• Nick's opinion on the various employment law private member's bills in circulation including Lord Hendy's Status of Workers bill and Barry Gardiner MP ban the fire and rehire bill;
• The evergreen issue surrounding social media posts and how these can end up with employees in very hot water.

Resources:

https://www.charlesrussellspeechlys.com/en/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-hurley-1b70111/
https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2876
https://ovenreadyhr.com/confused-about-uk-employment-status-lord-hendy-qc-has-the-answer/
https://ovenreadyhr.com/stop-exploitation-of-gig-economy-workers-change-the-tax-system/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/
Twitter: @OvenHr
https://www.personneltoday.com

Tell me me what YOU think

Tell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at [email protected]

Oven-Ready Survey

The show is a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29

Rate, Review & Share

If you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!

To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

Employment Status in the UK

Are you an employee, a worker, self-employed or something else? 

Confusion surrounding the status of individuals at work has reigned for decades.  HR professionals  who have studied UK employment law will be very familiar with the judgement made in the case of Ready Mixed Concrete Ltd v Minister of Pensions [1968]; a case that continues to have huge influence in defining how individuals at work are treated today. 

Matthew Taylor's review of modern working practices was published in 2017 and successive administrations have promised to bring forward an Employment Bill but the mood music on that has fallen eerily silent.  You can listen to Oven Ready's interview with Matthew Taylor here: https://ovenreadyhr.com/stop-exploitation-of-gig-economy-workers-change-the-tax-system/

The Status of Workers Bill

Widely acknowledged as one of the country's leading experts in UK employment law, Lord Hendy QC intends to end this confusion once and for all with the introduction of his Status of Workers private member's bill currently on its 3rd reading in the House of Lords before making its way to the House of Commons.  Lord Hendy's bill seeks to create a universal status of 'worker' giving everyone in employment the same rights and protections and end the exploitation of the current system by organisations (many operating in the gig economy) keen to avoid both paying tax and their employment law obligations.

This is a wide ranging interview with one of the UK's leading employment law experts and amongst other areas we cover:

• A detailed overview of the current UK employment status legislation and why the system is broken;
• How unscrupulous organisations have exploited the current system leading to the rise of bogus self-employment; in other words, individuals who have been stripped of the most basic of employment protections for financial gain;
• Lord Hendy's view on the conclusions and remedies in Matthew Taylor's report and why they don't go far enough;
• A passionate explanation of how employment legislation should operate in a wealthy and civilised country;
• Why the ban on 'fire and rehire' bill should be supported and his disappointment that the Government defeated it;

Resources:

https://oldsquare.co.uk/people/lord-hendy-qc/
https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2876
https://ovenreadyhr.com/stop-exploitation-of-gig-economy-workers-change-the-tax-system/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/
Twitter: @OvenHr
https://www.personneltoday.com

Tell me me what YOU think

Tell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at [email protected]

Oven-Ready Survey

The show is a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29

Rate, Review & Share

If you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!

To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

The Great Resignation

Report after report (many authored of course by recruitment firms) suggest there is a considerable % of workers looking to change employers in the next few months.  But what about the HR and Talent profession?  Are we also resigning in droves and joining the great exodus?  And if we are, what HR roles are in big demand right now?

Nick Croucher is the Lead UK Partner for global HR search and recruitment firm Frazer Jones.  Nick is very much an expert in HR recruitment having been recruiting in the sector since 2007.  His focus today is largely on executive and senior HR positions.

We cover a fair amount of ground in this interview and if you're looking for a new gig, you'll want to listen to the full episode.

In this interview you'll discover:

• Nick Croucher's predictions for the jobs market for those in HR and Talent and in particular how the reliance on 'domestic' HR talent has been a real challenge for recruiters operating in a global environment;
• How and why HR talent may have benefited more from this global crisis as opposed to previous crises such as global financial crisis of 2008.  Has HR finally got its seat at the table?
• How social movements such as Black Lives Matter and others societal changes have encouraged CEO's to lean in closer to their HR teams;
• How hybrid working has moved from being a 'desire' to being 'essential' for candidates seeking a new role;
• What HR roles are really in demand right now and what makes a great candidate;
• What really makes a good recruiter and how recruitment has changed and is much more community focused;
• Nick's opinion on the trend to appoint non HR professionals to senior HR positions;
• Is there value anymore in having professional HR qualifications such as those from the CIPD considering the significant cost involved?

Resources:

https://www.frazerjones.com
https://www.frazerjones.com/consultants/nick-croucher
https://ovenreadyhr.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/
Twitter: @OvenHr
https://www.personneltoday.com

Tell me me what YOU think

Tell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at [email protected]

Oven-Ready Survey

The show is a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29

Rate, Review & Share

If you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!

To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

In the opening episode of the Oven-Ready HR podcast, I talk exclusively to Paul Nowak, the Deputy General Secretary of the UK's Trades Union Council or TUC, the organisation that represents 48 of the UK's largest unions who combined, look after the interests of some 5.5million UK workers.

Union membership in the UK for last few years has been on the rise (albeit modestly).  Trade Unions remain an important 'Actor' in how the UK employment market is regulated and their influence has been particularly prominent during the Covid 19 Pandemic in terms of their campaign to provide a decent level of statutory sick pay for all workers.  On a more macro level, the TUC has also been extremely vocal about structural issues within the UK employment market and in particular how certain employers within the 'Gig Economy' have been seen to avoid their responsibilities by offering what he describes as 'bogus self-employment'.

In this episode you'll discover:

• Why the  image of Unions often portrayed by certain sections of the UK media when reporting on disputes between employers and unions is not a true representation of the work they do;
• How unions are working hard to explain their relevance to GenZ workers and the cohorts that follow who, we are told,  place great importance on the employers values, purpose and culture;
• What can be done to fix the UK's woeful statutory sick pay provision highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic;
• The benefits that can be achieved when employers representatives and unions work together such as the furlough scheme and the self-employed income support scheme launched during the pandemic and why the Government should do more to encourage this type of collaboration;
• The benefits of collective bargaining and how rumours of its death in the UK are greatly exaggerated and how international organisations such as the OECD and IMF see collective bargaining in a more positive light;
• The positive developments since the Supreme Court judgement in the Uber BV v Aslam landmark employment case;
• Paul Nowak's deep concern surrounding the delay of the long-awaited 'Employment Bill' following Matthew Taylor's report and how consultation with the TUC and other stakeholders in advance of publishing a White Paper would make his year.

Resources:

https://www.tuc.org.uk/campaigns
https://ovenreadyhr.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/
Twitter: @OvenHr
https://www.personneltoday.com

Tell me me what YOU think

Tell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at [email protected]

Oven-Ready Survey

The show is almost a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29

Rate, Review & Share

If you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!

To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

As we've reached the end of Season 3 of the show, I've taken the opportunity to offer up some of the best bits for you to enjoy again.  This Oven-Ready Reheated episode looks at the final eight interviews of Season 3 including:

Romanie Thomas
The founder of Juggle the community of senior female talent came onto the show to discuss the barriers that prevent gender equality in senior positions and I start by asking Romanie for her opinion on a newspaper profile piece on the female CEO of GlaxoSmithKline.

Robert Tansey
I ask Robert Tansey the co-founder of BuddyBoost the workplace wellbeing specialists and former Chairman of British professional cycling team, Team Sky if the great resignation is prompting organisations to take employee wellbeing more seriously.

Dr Fiona Jamison
I ask Dr Fiona Jamison, CEO of specialist research business Spring International to distill what we mean by employee engagement.

Lawrence Hughes
Lawrence Hughes, Senior Vice President of People and Culture at Canadian regional carrier Porter Airlines talks about the dividend that a supportive leadership team and an engaged workforce provides.

Jacqueline Hopkins
Jacqueline Hopkins from SEPTA the regional transportation authority for Philadelphia explains how the organisation launched a DE&I research project to an already diverse and hard to reach audience.

Lars Schmidt
Lars Schmidt Author of Redefining HR talks to me about how important successful onboarding of employees is particularly those joining remotely.

Rob Moss
Personnel Today’s Editor Rob Moss questions whether the trend to appoint non-hr professionals to senior HR posts is a good thing.

Jon Thurmond & Wendy Dailey
Lastly Jon Thurmond and Wendy Dailey, hosts of the The HR Social Hour Half Hour Podcast explain why HR podcasts are growing in popularity amongst the profession.

Resources:

https://ovenreadyhr.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/
Twitter: @OvenHr
https://www.personneltoday.com

Tell me me what YOU think

Tell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at [email protected]

Oven-Ready Survey

The show is almost a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29

Rate, Review & Share

If you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!

To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com

As we've reached the end of Season 3 of the show, I've taken the opportunity to offer up some of the best bits for you to enjoy again.  This Oven-Ready Reheated episode looks at the first seven interviews of Season 3 including:

Chad Sowash
Podcaster and Recruiter Chad Sowash and I give a withering assessment of some of the characters and practices within HR and Recruitment.

Olly Olsen
Co-founder and Co-CEO of flexible working giant The Office Group talks about the future of the office and how activity based working and agile environments are the future.

Benjamin Cohen
Pink News Founder and former Channel 4 Business & Technology Correspondent and I talk about our experiences of coming out at work.

Oliver Shah
Associate Editor of The Sunday Times gives a warning to those organisations who opine on political or societal matters.  As he says 'matters that aren't really your bailiwick!

Dr Sam Friedman
Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics busts the myth that the reason for the deficit of people from less privileged backgrounds is because they don't 'aspire' and goes on to warn HR that senior executives often circumvent HR policies when it comes to diversity and inclusion.

Jon Simmonds
Founder of Social Media marketing agency Rocket Science Digital explains how certain LinkedIn posts do well and others well sink without trace.

Elan Divon
Harvard-trained Author Elan Divon suggests that Gen Z and the cohorts that follow haven't enjoyed the 'rites of passage' that the generations of before have and they are the poorer for it when it comes to joining the workplace.

Resources:

https://ovenreadyhr.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasthost/
Twitter: @OvenHr
https://www.personneltoday.com

Tell me me what YOU think

Tell me what you think of this interview.  Email me at [email protected]

Oven-Ready Survey

The show is almost a year old and I'd love some feedback.  Here is a link to a very short and anonymous survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MXYMC29

Rate, Review & Share

If you enjoyed this show, please share with your friends and please remember to rate and review!

To listen to the full episode, download a transcript and view all the other Oven-Ready HR podcast episodes or find out more about Oven-Ready HR and Chris Taylor your show host visit https://ovenreadyhr.com