The Deep Dive - The Saville Assessment Podcast

Send us Fan Mail

There's a name for the thing most of us do and none of us mention: cognitive surrender. 

The moment you stop interrogating what AI hands you and simply pass it on. 

Kerri O'Neill is Chief People Officer and Global AI Workforce Transformation Lead at Ipsos UK & Ireland, sits on the CIPD's AI Advisory Board and the board of Oxfam, and leads AI transformation across a business operating in more than ninety countries. She admits still catches herself 'surrendering' when she's tired. And who can blame her.

Hannah Mullaney sits down with Kerri to talk about what AI is actually doing to how we work, think and decide.

In this episode:

• Cognitive surrender, and the annoyingly simple fix

• Trust, truth and transparency: the three tests every AI tool at Ipsos has to pass

• The hollowing out of entry-level roles, and what Ipsos are doing about it

• Why the best measure of an AI rollout isn't productivity

• The one habit worth protecting...

• And so so so much more! This is not one to miss!

Send us Fan Mail

If you've worked in HR for any length of time, you'll know the function is no stranger to change. But something feels different right now. AI is reshaping how decisions get made, hybrid working has redrawn the social fabric of organizations, junior roles are disappearing, and the Employment Rights Act brings new considerations in the UK.

Against all of this, leaders are being asked to make sharper, faster and more defensible people decisions than ever.

So, we're asking the question: is this the hardest era for HR yet? And if it is, what does the response look like?

More info & enter the book giveaway here: https://www.savilleassessment.com/podcast/the-deep-dive-episode-8/

Send us Fan Mail

In our latest research, HR leaders estimate that around 1 in 5 leadership hires or promotions have been mistakes in the last three years, with the fallout showing up in lost revenue, legal/compliance issues, team disruption, attrition, and culture damage. 

We sat down with Dr Hayley Lewis and got practical about what impactful leadership looks like in a decade defined by disruption. 

Now, more than ever, you simply can’t afford to get it wrong.

Resources:

HR Leaders - Survey Results > https://lp.savilleassessment.com/building-leaders-to-thrive-in-tomorrows-world

Hayley's Daily Huddle Sketchnote > https://www.savilleassessment.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Sketchnote-Huddle-meetings-scaled.jpg

Send us Fan Mail

AI is racing ahead. Most HR teams are being told to ‘do more with it’, but very few feel confident turning intent into safe, explainable practice.

In this episode, AI-in-HR advisor Martyn Redstone shares how to move from pilots to policies, so you can innovate at speed without risking compliance, fairness or brand trust. 

“HR has to be the bastion because every form of AI transformation touches people… HR needs to take the leadership… set the direction, the guardrails and own the strategy.”

Check out Martyn's work at www.eunomia-hr.com 

Send us Fan Mail

Generative AI is reshaping talent acquisition faster than any previous tech wave and, in this Deep Dive, HR futurist Matt Alder (host of the globally renowned Recruiting Future podcast) joins Hannah Mullaney to cut through the noise.

With 25 years’ experience in the industry, Matt truly is a leading voice on the future of talent strategy. We talked about where AI is making a real difference in hiring, the ethical pitfalls to watch out for, and what the future really holds for recruiters, candidates, and hiring teams alike.

- Why are most employers “using AI by default, not design”? And what are the hidden costs?

- Why is the the 4 A Framework (Automation, Augmentation, Amplification, Archive) going to be crucial in the toolkit of every TA leader?

- Is it time to face the uncomfortable truth that your role may disappear…?

- How big is the quiet fraud threat? Synthetic résumés, voice cloned candidates and avatar interviews are ones to watch out for

- Are you up to speed with new legislation (EU AI Act, U.S. state laws) that could make vendors, not employers, liable for bias?

If you’re involved in HR, hiring, workforce planning or tech, this episode is not one to miss.

Check out Recruiting Future here - https://recruitingfuture.com/ 

Send us Fan Mail

With early careers experience both in the UK and on a global scale, James Gordanifar joins Hannah Mullaney to discuss the cultural and market differences that exist around the world, current challenges in the space and how organizations need to adapt as new generations enter the workforce. 

Send us Fan Mail

Host Hannah Mullaney is joined by Dr Donna Johnston to discuss the importance of leadership development, sharing insights from her 20+ year career in L&D.  

If you’d like to know more about this topic, and how our tools can work for your project, see the useful resources below:

• Article - Women in Leadership: Strengthen your Pipeline with Science
• Podcast - Leadership in STEM
• Article - What is the True Cost of Poor Leadership?

Send us Fan Mail

This month host Hannah Mullaney is joined by Saville Assessment’s R&D Director Rab MacIver at Twickenham Stadium, to discuss the skills revolution. Together, they cut through the noise and explain why ‘the s word’ is the hottest topic in town today!

If you’d like to know more about this topic, and how our tools can work for your project, see the useful resources below:

• Whitepaper - Science: How it should be driving the Skills revolution
• Article - The Shaping of Skills: Understanding the drivers to create a stronger future
• Whitepaper - The Science of Skills

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome back to the Deep Dive! This month host Hannah Mullaney is joined by David Deacon, author of 'The Self Determined Manager: A Manifesto for Exceptional People Managers' to discuss how organizations can enhance the effectiveness of their managers. 

If you’d like to know more about this topic, and how our tools can work for your project, see the useful resources below:

• Article – Enhancing Managerial Capability: A New Approach to Development
  
  
• Article - What is the true cost of poor leadership?
  
  
• Purchase the book – The Self Determined Manager: A Manifesto for Exceptional People Managers

Send us Fan Mail

In the last episode of this series, Hannah Mullaney is joined by Mike Rugg-Gunn, author of the book “Managing Talent: A Short Guide for the Digital Age“. 

Together they discuss how the digital revolution has impacted talent management practices and provide practical tips on how organizations can adapt in order to retain and develop their top talent.

If you’d like to know more about this topic, and how our tools can work for your project, see the useful resources below:

• Case Study - Ricoh UK - Developing Digital Skills in Individuals During Organizational Transformation
  
  
• Article – How Psychometrics can Support Social Mobility
  
  
• Article – What Does the Emergence of ChatGPT Mean for the World of Assessment?