How does HR ensure it remains the conscience of the organisation? How can we ensure that we are focused on the 'moments that matter' for employees? And how do we take stock, realise the value that HR has added during this period, so that we can demonstrate the value as we look to exit the global pandemic? Chris talks to Karen Dempster, an communications expert, on how to articulate an effective approach to communication during the current crisis.

Is there a movement for senior HR professionals to become more commercially focused? How many are working beyond the people agenda? Are there specific capabilities and skills that make up a successful HRD/CPO? What does the HR function have to do to ensure the people stepping up into these roles in future have this commercial mindset? Chris from LACE Partners talks to Katie Jacobs from the CIPD after some roundtables that they ran earlier in 2020.

Bringing in diverse talent is only one side of the coin and in the latest ‘In the Spotlight’ series from the Guild of HR Professionals looks at how diversity and inclusion should feed through the entire life cycle of an employees time at a business, from initial recruitment through to onboarding and ongoing talent retention strategies.

Annette Andrews and Andrew Pullman from the Guild of HR Professionals talk about the impact of wellbeing and the impact and importance of mental health, as well as the role that mental health first aiders can be to a business and people. This is particularly relevant post Covid-19.

How can businesses effectively personalise the learning experience better and particularly, how do businesses get better at driving the diversity and inclusion agenda through online systems? Chris and Max from LACE Partners spoke to Mehdi Tounsi from Open Sesame, the online learning and development platform.

How have businesses and HR teams leveraged data and analytics since lockdown? Have they been efficient? Is there a danger for some businesses to over-elaborate in the way they interrogate data for areas like performance management? How do you collate data effectively from multiple sources so that you aren’t just wading through numbers-treacle? These are just a few questions that Simon Haines from Simply Get Results talks to Chris and Max from LACE Partners about.

Are you creating barriers for talent to come into your organisation as a result of your approach to diversity? Aaron Alburey from LACE Partners and Annette Andrews from the Guild of HR Professionals talk to Kate Headley from The Clear Company about the societal and economic changes that have occurred over 2020 and how HR needs to drive the inclusivity agenda at senior Exec level.

What does the change from the Job Retention Scheme (furlough) to the Job Support Scheme mean for HR teams and businesses? How will it impact contractual arrangements between employer and employee? Can employees on the scheme still undertake training? What are the challenges that companies entering onto this new scheme will face? Chris from LACE Partners spoke to Paul Chamberlain from JMW Solicitors to get the lowdown on the governments latest attempts to retain jobs during this global pandemic we are still in the midst of.

Carissa Kilgour from Co.Lab returns to talk about what has changed in the way in which businesses are utilising their workspaces. How can a business collaborate better when everyone is at home? Will we start to see a move away from mass migration into the big cities? How can you maintain your workplace culture when nobody is in your office? How do you build relationships with those people in your business that you don’t work with all of the time? And how do you train your leaders to manage remotely?

How can HR teams and businesses get better at bringing data to the forefront of measuring a culture in a business? How can you use culture as the ‘first line of defence’ in stamping out unproductive behaviours in a business? Hani Nabeel from iPsychTec talks to the HR Guild about his experiences, how he has worked with organisations to drive behaviour change, as well as how you can use predictive analytics to look at what a change in culture can do for you in future, rather than looking backwards as to what your culture has been.