Product-Led People Experience (PX). It’s a fresh, practical approach to HR, based on treating the employee experience like a product, and applying Product/UX thinking to solve organizational challenges and design, test and improve their People Experience.

The results: smashed HR silos, faster, more impactful business wins, and a shift in HR’s traditional role from admin support to strategic business growth driver.

It’s a hot topic for many progressive People leaders, including today’s guest star Luke O’Mahoney. Luke is founder of SapienX, creator of the PX Espresso newsletter/podcast and an all-round Product-Led PX guru.

He joins 7people People & Culture consultants Paul and Florentine to:

💡 Bust the PX Product jargon (it’s really just a mindset shift)

💡 Share his best tips for working product-based NOW

💡 Outline the step-by-step Product-Led PX process cycle

In Luke’s words: If we want to think differently about HR, we need to think differently IN HR. With this episode you can start today!

Want more PX?

Things got so nerdy, we didn’t have enough time to cover it all in 1 episode. FOLLOW the show for 2 upcoming extra mini bonus episodes, deep diving into:

1. Product-based alternatives to engagement surveys
2. PX as a subscription product: How does it work in practice?

Other PX people and books mentioned in the show:

Megan Trotter

Jessica Zwaan

Matt Lerner

Eric Reese (The Lean Start-Up)

Patrick Lencioni (Seven Dysfunctions of a team)

CHAPTERS

Background

00:00 About today’s guest - Luke O’Mahoney

02:19 What IS “PX as a product”?

Basics: What is Product-Led thinking

05:01 Product-Led thinking: Problem vs Solution-first

07:21 The 5 Whys & minimising waste

PX in practice

09:07 Case study: create a flexible work policy

11:45 Research phase

12:38 Identify the why (double 🔹)

14:51 Build the Min Viable Product

15:48 Design & iteration: Validation learning loop

17:12 Tricks: Smokescreen MVP & A-B testing

19:08 Moving from MVP → pilot

20:09 Design for the worst affected user

21:17 Step 1 = MINDSET

22:08 How long to test?

26:36 Boosting strategic impact

30:33 Shifting HR admin to enablement

Intermezzo: Would you rather have…

32:36 HR specialists vs product managers?

Practical tips

35:31 Easy ways to work product-led NOW

38:18 Summary: Our key takeaways

Love it or hate it, AI is an undeniably hot work topic right now, and it's not slowing down anytime soon. But what does it mean for working in HR?

Join People & Culture Consultants Paul, Florentine, and guest star Leandro Gomes da Silva (Loop Earplugs, YOU.BUT.AI, MondAI newsletter) as we dive into all the practicalities and potentials of AI, including:

• AI's actual impact on our HR jobs
• Prompting like a pro (and what most people get wrong)
• Why there’s never been a better time to start experimenting with AI
• Cool real-use P&C customGPT cases
• The best AI tools for each purpose (sorry ChatGPT, we’re playing the field 😘)

Because while AI's not replacing your job just yet...it might not be long until someone using it well 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 👀.

Chapters

00:00 Intro and today’s guest

01:50 Automation vs AI

03:05 Why the AI hype now?

04:54 How does AI impact HR and recruitment jobs?

06:17 Will AI take our jobs?? “The Agentic Age”

09:41 AI: reallocating > saving your working hours

11:18 Why to adopt to AI NOW! (For people & orgs)

13:06 Generative AI: limitations & hallucinations

15:03 AI as a search engine? (Deep Research)

17:07 Boost reliability by making disagreeable

18:25 “Act as a HR professional…”

19:32 Leandro’s favourite AI tools (per HR workflow)

22:44 Next gen tech: Computer use (mimic human behaviour)

24:04 Case study: recruitment sourcing/reachouts

25:57 Custom GPTs 101

27:02 AI & privacy concerns

29:42 Enterprise account = secure

30:47 CustomGPT case study: meeting recording/summary tools

33:30 Dilemma: 100% AI or human for hiring decisions

35:14 Effective prompting 101 (our best hack!)

37:38 Conclusion: AI = our new HR intern or not?

A great benefits package isn’t just about throwing some trendy perks at employees, and hoping for the best.

They can significantly help attract, retain and amplify talent to drive business success.

But, ONLY when they're strategically designed to meet your specific workforce's needs, and align with your business goals.

Join 7people People & Culture professionals Paul and Flo as they discuss:

• Benefits 101: Benefits vs perks vs ways of working. What’s the difference, and how should each be handled?
• Common benefits pitfalls: Why lack of benefits flexibility, inclusivity and personalization to your org = time and money killers. And how to solve them!
• Maximizing impact: We explore trending benefits topics like wellbeing and parental leave, using benefits as behavioural incentives, and building leadership buy-in.
• Making it practical: Where to start with picking the right benefits? Plus, we share our favourite low-cost, high-impact benefits strategy!

Packed with fresh insights, actionable takeaways and engaging real-life scenarios to mull over, this episode offers a great crash course on the world of benefits, and how to make them work for your org.

CHAPTERS

Benefits 101


00:00 Intro

00:34 Why do benefits matter?


02:48 Changing needs over time


04:07 Benefits vs compensation


05:40 Benefits vs perks


09:36 Benefits vs ways of working

Avoiding common pitfalls


10:25 Tailor to your org


12:37 Always ask why (not just go with the loudest voice)


13:26 Not REALLY a benefit…


14:10 Flexibility is key (pensions, holiday allowance)


16:09 Keeping commuting allowance fair

Deep dives


18:18 Trending: wellbeing


19:34 Missed opportunities


21:26 Convincing leadership


22:20 Trending: parental leave


24:06 Where to start impact analysis?


24:50 Tax considerations

Dilemma case study breakdown


25:15 Higher salary or better benefits?


26:48 Benefits as a behavioural tool

Practical toolkit


28:34 Our best budget benefits hack


30:40 Linking benefits to values

Key takeaways


31:38 Audit, analyse, be flexible, adapt


32:47 Focus on foundations + impact, not just fun

What if we studied what was right with people, rather than what’s wrong with them? 💪

Conversations around success and performance so often focus on fixing weaknesses and gaps. But what if we flip the perspective, and instead ask: "What went well? What should we keep investing in, to make good things GREAT?".

Most likely: you can naturally start performing at a higher level, grow faster in these areas, and collaborate more effectively across people's different strengths, to become a high-performing TEAM (not just a group of high performers).

Understanding our natural talents, and using them as productivity tools to achieve our goals, is the basis of the strengths-based approach from CliftonStrengths.

This episode, we're thrilled to be joined by special guest and coach Eva de Meijer from Strengths Consultancy, to dive into this fascinating topic.

It's a must-listen for all dedicated HR professionals, managers, and individuals who want to bring out the best in themselves or their people.

Learn more about the strengths-based approach and turning your strengths into your superpowers at work, via the Strengths Consultancy website, and their new book "Unleash Your Superpower") 🌟.

CHAPTERS

Intro to strengths

0:00 Intro 

0:39 Today’s topic and guest

2:04 Why focus on strengths > weaknesses?

3:53 HOW you achieve success, not complacency

4:27 Assessing strengths: Strengthsfinder tool

6:48 What are strengths (vs skills)?

8:12 Adapting strengths to your job

Case studies: strengths

9:22 Our top 5!

10:13 Eg strengths: Developer + Positivity

10:38 Eg strengths: Arranger + Achiever 

11:27 Your ‘normal’ = biggest strength?

11:58 Eg strength: Strategic thinking  

Using strengths at work

13:17 Performance reviews + feedback

15:43 As a performance tool 

16:48 Powerful pairs 

19:33 Guilty pleasures: strength correlation?

21:11 Knowledge is power

22:07 High performing teams 

24:19 Organizational benefits of strengths

25:19 Managing team blind spots 

Practical tips to getting started 

27:12 Top manager tips

29:47 Identifying our strengths 

31:55 Compliments Wall (free idea!)

33:00 Reflecting as a team

33:42 Final takeaways 

About this podcast

Say hello to your favourite new HR podcast! 👋🏻 Join People & Culture professionals Flo & Paul from 7people as they dissect the weird, funny and strange topics they encounter in their day-to-day HR work.

Each episode we'll focus on a variety of People-related topics and share our experiences, stories, tips and tricks, inspired by the many fascinating real-life "Have you got 5 minutes?" questions shared by our listeners.

Thank you to our friends at Personio for sponsoring this podcast.

About 7people

7people is a People and Culture consultancy based in Amsterdam. We're on a mission to create irresistible organizations, by providing practical and creative HR solutions for start-ups, scale-ups and innovative companies all across Europe (and beyond!).

How would you handle an employee that calls in sick after a bad performance review? Or unexpectedly goes on a yoga retreat abroad, while on long-term sick leave? 🤔

Sick (leave) happens 🤒. It's part of being human, and working in HR.

So how can we handle absenteeism cases effectively, with kindness and confidence?

Join Paul & Flo as they break down this complex area, and share their best tips and tricks to:

💊 Navigate the sick leave regulations maze

💊 Spot the 'yellow flags' - when to intervene?

💊 Rethink how we approach sick days and culture

💊 Best support an employee's recovery and reintegration

💊 Work smarter with the wider sick leave team

💊 Use data to refine absenteeism processes, and target key company issues

Packed with tons of practical tips for how to implement these principles in practice, this episode is essential listening for all HR professionals, managers, founders...or really anyone looking to improve the absenteeism culture and numbers at work.

Chapters

About this podcast

Say hello to your favourite new HR podcast! 👋🏻 Join People & Culture professionals Flo & Paul from 7people as they dissect the weird, funny and strange topics they encounter in their day-to-day HR work.

Each episode we'll focus on a variety of People-related topics and share our experiences, stories, tips and tricks, inspired by the many fascinating real-life "Have you got 5 minutes?" questions shared by our listeners.

Thank you to our friends at Personio for sponsoring this podcast.

About 7people

7people is a People and Culture consultancy based in Amsterdam. We're on a mission to create irresistible organizations, by providing practical and creative HR solutions for start-ups, scale-ups and innovative companies all across Europe (and beyond!).

Reorganizations: a phrase that terrifies HR professionals and employees alike. 😱

Contrary to popular belief, it's not 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 a code word for layoffs. And there's a lot of nuances around why they happen and how you can prevent them (or indeed, if they are always a bad thing 👀).

But regardless of the why, they're rarely ever a simple or pleasant experience for anyone involved.

So what's the 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗥 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, to ensure a smooth new chapter for ALL parties?  For those affected, those left behind, and the organization as a whole.

Packed with tons of practical tips for how to implement these principles in practice, this episode is essential listening for all HR professionals, managers and founders...who will almost inevitably need to deal with this tricky people situation sooner or later.

Chapters

About this podcast

Say hello to your favourite new HR podcast! 👋🏻 Join People & Culture professionals Flo & Paul from 7people as they dissect the weird, funny and strange topics they encounter in their day-to-day HR work.

Each episode we'll focus on a variety of People-related topics and share our experiences, stories, tips and tricks, inspired by the many fascinating real-life "Have you got 5 minutes?" questions shared by our listeners.

Thank you to our friends at Personio for sponsoring this podcast.

About 7people

7people is a People and Culture consultancy based in Amsterdam. We're on a mission to create irresistible organizations, by providing practical and creative HR solutions for start-ups, scale-ups and innovative companies all across Europe (and beyond!).

Mental wellbeing is a critical topic for all of us, both as HR professionals and as human beings. 🧠❤️‍🩹

And with most of us spending an average 90,000 hours of our lives at work - it really is time to prioritise mental health in the workplace. (Fittingly, the exact theme for this year's World Mental Health Day on 10 October).

This episode we're thrilled to be joined by special guest star Psychologist Emma White, from mental wellbeing platform OpenUp. Sharing her wide psychology and HR expertise, we discuss why and how we should be approaching this important (and sometimes overwhelming) topic.

Just a few insights we'll cover...

✨ Flip the perspective: How can we focus on 'building resilience' by helping people thrive, rather than just better survive a negative threat like burnout? 🤸‍♀️

✨ Psychological safety in the workplace: what does it actually mean, and how to build it?

✨ Boundaries: What does this actually mean, how to make them feel less awkward, and how to foster a culture that values them (for the collective good)!

Packed with tons of practical tips for how to implement these principles in practice, this episode is essential listening for all HR professionals, managers, founders...or really anyone looking to improve mental wellbeing at their work.

Chapters

About this podcast

Say hello to your favourite new HR podcast! 👋🏻 Join People & Culture professionals Flo & Paul from 7people as they dissect the weird, funny and strange topics they encounter in their day-to-day HR work.

Each episode we'll focus on a variety of People-related topics and share our experiences, stories, tips and tricks, inspired by the many fascinating real-life "Have you got 5 minutes?" questions shared by our listeners.

Thank you to our friends at Personio for sponsoring this podcast.

About 7people

7people is a People and Culture consultancy based in Amsterdam. We're on a mission to create irresistible organizations, by providing practical and creative HR solutions for start-ups, scale-ups and innovative companies all across Europe (and beyond!).

D&I - understandably complex and sensitive, it's probably the least '5 minutes' topic you can get! 😬

So we did things a little differently this episode, focusing less on the audience questions and inviting an awesome guest star, the self-proclaimed DEIB advocate AJ (@Ard-Jan Schinkelshoek on LinkedIn).

Just some of the topics we discuss:

✨ Should D&I KPIs and quotas be a thing? Doesn't it risk 'positive discrimination'?

✨ D&I, DEI, DEIB - what's the difference? Why is 'Belonging' so significant?

✨ Do we really need to categorise people into separate 'boxes'? Isn't inclusivity about including everyone?

Chapters

Prefer your podcasts more visual? This episode is also on YouTube! Search "7people podcast"

About this podcast

Say hello to your favourite new HR podcast! 👋🏻 Join People & Culture professionals Flo & Paul from 7people as they dissect the weird, funny and strange topics they encounter in their day-to-day HR work. Each episode we'll focus on a variety of People-related topics and share our experiences, stories, tips and tricks, inspired by the many fascinating real-life "Have you got 5 minutes?" questions shared by our listeners.

Thank you to our friends at Personio for sponsoring this podcast.

About 7people

7people is a People and Culture consultancy based in Amsterdam. We're on a mission to create irresistible organizations, by providing practical and creative HR solutions for start-ups, scale-ups and innovative companies all across Europe (and beyond!).

For more cool HR insights, follow us on LinkedIn (@7people), Instagram (@7people_team) or subscribe to our monthly newsletter through our website (www.7people.team). 

Regular feedback at work (both positive and constructive) is so important to employee well-being, development and performance.

So why do people find it so awkward? And what's the best way to give negative feedback that is actually constructive and effective?

Just a few of the hot topics we'll cover:

✨ How to adjust your feedback to the situation, relationship, cultural context and specific behaviours you want to enforce

✨ Helpful frameworks for sharing feedback and mediating conflicts (in as little as 15 minutes!)

✨ The 3 golden rules of deciding whether you should share a piece of feedback

Let us know your thoughts! 

Prefer your podcasts more visual? This episode is also available on YouTube! Search "7people podcast"

Chapters

About this podcast

Say hello to your favourite new HR podcast! 👋🏻 Join People & Culture professionals Flo & Paul from 7people as they dissect the weird, funny and strange topics they encounter in their day-to-day HR work. Each episode we'll focus on a variety of People-related topics and share our experiences, stories, tips and tricks, inspired by the many fascinating real-life "Have you got 5 minutes?" questions shared by our listeners.

Thank you to our friends at Personio for sponsoring this podcast.

About 7people

7people is a People and Culture consultancy based in Amsterdam. We're on a mission to create irresistible organizations, by providing practical and creative HR solutions for start-ups, scale-ups and innovative companies all across Europe (and beyond!).

For more cool HR insights, follow us on LinkedIn (@7people), Instagram (@7people_team) or subscribe to our monthly newsletter through our website (www.7people.team). 

“Help! I feel like I’m stuck in my position and am not learning or growing anymore!” 

Ever received this question, or perhaps thought this about your own work?

It’s not always prioritised by companies, or seen as the most exciting part of the job benefits package. But you’d be surprised how often learning and growth potential (or lack thereof) is cited as a MAJOR consideration in employee job satisfaction, turnover and career progression decisions. 

Who is really responsible for your career growth and development - you, your manager or your HR/L&D team? Could the best learning resources already be present within your workforce? And for those feeling stuck - what can you change to craft your future dream role?

Join Flo & Paul from 7people as they dissect these questions and more, through the many fascinating real-life "Have you got 5 minutes?" questions shared by our listeners on this tricky topic.

Thank you to our friends at Personio for sponsoring this podcast.