The HRLocker Podcast

CIPD's Annual report on Ireland’s HR Practices offers an in-depth look at the issues and trends shaping the world of work across the country. The 2024 survey captures the experiences and challenges faced by HR professionals in a diverse range of industries, focusing on key areas such as workforce expectations, leadership gaps, and the evolving role of AI in the workplace.

In this episode, we’re joined by Mary Connaughton, Director of CIPD Ireland, to discuss the latest findings. Mary will share her insights on how organisations can address growing demands for employee wellbeing, flexible working, and financial support, as well as strategies for closing leadership and skills gaps. We’ll also explore the impact of AI on HR practices and discuss practical approaches for SMEs to enhance their HR capabilities without breaking the bank.

Would you like to know how HRLocker can help you with your people management in 2024? Click here to get in touch today!

Welcome to this episode of the HRLocker Podcast, specially tailored for HR managers and business owners keen on advancing their workplace environments. Today, we will discuss essential strategies for nurturing psychological safety and enhancing communication in your organisation. Our focus will include practical methods for creating a supportive environment where staff feel comfortable expressing themselves, effective, respectful communication, preventative approaches to conflict, maximising Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), and ensuring communication makes employees feel valued and understood.

We are delighted to have Elaine Ryan with us, an HR Consultant with a vast background in people management, culture enhancement, and change management. Elaine also brings her expertise as an Executive and Business Coach, Life Coach, and NLP Practitioner. She is committed to prioritising psychological safety and refining communication to boost staff retention and engagement. With Elaine’s expertise, we’ll explore how to apply these strategies effectively to create a supportive and successful company culture.

We hope you enjoy it.

Would you like to know how HRLocker can help you with your people management in 2024? Click here to get in touch today!

Welcome to the HRLocker Podcast, your go-to source for insightful discussions on the latest HR developments. Today, we delve into the realm of corporate responsibility and ESG, with a particular focus on the new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and its implications for companies across Ireland.

Joining us is Patrick Meskell from the Skillnet Climate Ready Academy—an authority in guiding companies of varying sizes through the intricacies of strategic sustainability. Patrick, an ESG practitioner, is deeply committed to enabling organisations to harness the advantages of early ESG integration.

In this episode, we'll dissect the timelines and mandates of the CSRD, provide guidance on impending ESG reporting deadlines, and delve into available financial support and funding to facilitate the transition towards formulating an ESG framework. Furthermore, we'll spotlight proactive measures your company can implement to align with ESG standards sooner rather than later, ensuring readiness to meet compliance expectations.

Whether you're seeking to stay ahead of the curve or simply aiming to navigate the evolving landscape, this episode is brimming with invaluable insights you won't want to overlook. We trust you'll find it enriching.

Patrick Meskell brings a wealth of experience as a sustainability practitioner with the Skillnet Climate Ready Academy, specialising in devising and delivering training to businesses of all scales on strategic sustainability matters. He's dedicated to assisting organisations in recognizing the value and opportunities associated with early adoption and planning across all aspects of ESG.

Would you like to know how HRLocker can help you with your people management in 2024? Click here to get in touch today!

Welcome to the HRLocker Podcast, we are joined by Sinead McNamara from the National Menopause Summit.

In this episode, we dive into menopause, a subject that impacts many yet remains under-discussed in professional circles. 

Sinead shares details of the upcoming National Menopause Summit at the Aviva Stadium on April 11th and 12th. Emphasising that the event isn't exclusively for women in midlife, but open to anyone interested in understanding peri-menopause and menopause.

With her extensive background in media and event management, she sheds light on her own personal menopause journey and the motivation behind creating the summit. We'll explore how menopause can affect women at work and why businesses need to acknowledge and support their employees through this stage. Expect a candid conversation filled with actionable insights, aimed at enhancing,  understanding and support for menopausal women in the workplace.

We really hope you enjoy!

Would you like to know how HRLocker can help you with your people management in 2024? Click here to get in touch today!

Welcome to HRLocker Podcast, where we bring you conversations with experts in their field.

To highlight International Women's Day we were delighted to have Caroline O'Driscoll, partner with Deloitte and co-founder of I Wish as our most recent guest. In this podcast, we had an amazing conversation about women in leadership, the importance of gender diversity in teams and how to increase female representation in the more male-dominated roles.

Throughout her career, Caroline had recognised a ‘leaky pipeline’ of young women coming up the ranks in high-ranking jobs. This led her to become one of the I Wish community's founding members, an initiative to motivate teenage girls to embark on STEM careers.

Throughout the podcast, Caroline shares the critical challenges and opportunities in increasing female representation in STEM fields, which feeds into creating more gender-diverse teams in organisations.  

She emphasises the significance of mentorship, the impact of role models, and the essential role that education plays in those formative years. She discusses some recent initiatives she has been involved in, particularly the "180 days to make a difference" mentorship program, which underscores the commitment to empowering the next generation of female leaders.

This podcast episode offers an in-depth look into Caroline O'Driscoll's professional journey and her influential role in promoting diversity and inclusion within the STEM landscape. Her insights provide valuable perspectives on creating a supportive environment for women in technology and related fields.

We really hope you enjoy!

Would you like to know how HRLocker can help you with your people management in 2024? Click here to get in touch today!

The Government of Ireland has introduced domestic violence leave under the Work-Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023.

On Monday, 27 November 2023, it became a legal requirement for employers to offer up to five days of paid leave over 12 months to employees affected by domestic violence. It is recommended that employers embed support measures with an organisational response to domestic abuse. 

In this episode,  we are joined by Sarah Benson, CEO of Women's Aid.  We will explore the legislation around the new Domestic Violence Leave Policy and the significant role that Women’s Aid played in shaping it. 

Join us as we dive into this important topic where Sarah will discuss the signs to look for, resources available, and practical strategies to help victims,  and learn how HR professionals can make a difference in the lives of their employees. 

Would you like to know how HRLocker can help you with your people management in 2024? Click here to get in touch today!

On this podcast episode, we are joined by Terence Morgan, Director of Business Development and Ruairi Guckian, Owner of GHR Consulting. 

We run through the new legislation updates in Ireland, focusing on the new unpaid leave entitlements under the work-life balance Act 2023. During this show, we mention and discuss unpaid leave for Medical Appointments and Caregiving, extended Breastfeeding Entitlements, anticipated measures for Domestic Violence leave, the right to request Remote or Flexible Working and more.

GHR Consulting helps SMEs save on their HR and Recruitment costs by providing policy documents, recruitment and advice.

Find out more about what employers need to know about this new legislation, what challenges employers may face, what it means for your organisation and updating policies and handbooks.

Would you like to know how HRLocker can help you with your people management in 2024? Click here to get in touch today!

In this podcast episode, we speak with Siobhan Sweeney, Senior Global Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Element. We explore the key challenges that companies face when embarking on DEI initiatives and discuss effective strategies to overcome them.

As well, we approach the role of the senior management in driving cultural change and fostering an inclusive environment that resonates throughout the organisation. For your company to thrive in the world of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion it is important to incorporate DEI initiatives into all aspects of the employee experience, from recruitment and hiring to training and development.

Unfortunately, misconceptions about DEI persist. We tackle some of the most common myths surrounding this crucial area and discuss how organizations can actively work to dispel them

Siobhan has a proven track record for delivery of best practice DEI Programmes, Culture Transformation, Engagement and Well-being, in major corporations, from strategy to implementation.

Element is a global provider of Testing, Inspection and Certification services for a diverse range of materials and products in sectors where failure in service is not an option.

This is a podcast for any company that really wants to make some meaningful changes to the organisational structure.

We really hope you enjoy it!

Would you like to know how HRLocker can help you with your people management in 2024? Click here to get in touch today!

In this episode, we are joined by Shane Conneely to discuss remote, hybrid and flexible working, the return to the office full-time, recent layoffs and how management styles may have to change due to the ever-changing workforce.

Shane Conneely is the Director of Policy and Communications at Chambers Ireland, Ireland's largest business lobbying organisation representing business interests locally, regionally and nationally. Their mission is to represent the views of businesses and understand their concerns. 

Would you like to know how HRLocker can help you with your people management in 2024? Click here to get in touch today!

In this ever-changing world, the experience that your employees have during their employee lifecycle in your organisation has never been more important. 

Great employee experience is built on trust, support, and collaboration and most of all, communication, in a meaningful, productive way.

We asked Belinda Gannaway from Fathom XP, an award-winning employee experience and culture activation agency to talk us through the best way to implement an EX strategy in any organisation.

Belinda’s expertise includes design thinking, learning design, team coaching and facilitation. She co-authored a book called ‘ EX by Design‘ in  2021 and she speaks regularly at international HR, culture and design-thinking events.

If you are interested in reading more, check out her book Employee Experience by Design here.

Would you like to know how HRLocker can help you with your people management in 2024? Click here to get in touch today!