The Vibrant Workplace Podcast

What does an employers' organisation founded 160 years ago look like in 2026?

In this episode Craig is joined by Michelle McGinley, Managing Director of the Employers Federation, and Karen Moore, Head of Training, to explore an organisation with an extraordinary history – and a role that continues to evolve alongside the world of work.

We explore where the Employers Federation came from, what it actually does today and how it supports organisations across Northern Ireland, before getting into some of the biggest issues facing employers right now.

We discuss the proposed Good Jobs Bill, the Federation's position on the changes and how they believe we can balance stronger employment protections with the realities facing employers.

We also get into the relationship between employers and trade unions, how industrial relations have changed, and whether the two sides are really as far apart as they're sometimes portrayed.

And after 160 years of workplace change, we look ahead too – including AI, its impact on workplaces and the fascinating effect it's already having on the types and volume of employment cases coming across their desks.

It's a conversation about where employment in Northern Ireland has come from, where it is now – and where it might be heading next.

🎙️ Michelle McGinley, Managing Director, Employers Federation
🎙️ Karen Moore, Head of Training, Employers Federation
🎧 Hosted by Craig Thompson, Vibrant Workplace

What if the biggest barrier to your organisation's growthis the mindset of its leaders?

In this episode, Craig is joined by 2022 IoD Director of the Year for Leadership & Innovation, author of The Inner Path of Leadership and founder of SpinState – David Maxwell.

Together they explore:

• Why so many successful leaders still feel stuck
• The difference between horizontal and vertical development
• The knowing-doing gap
• Leadership, ego and purpose
• Why mindset can become a bottleneck to business growth
• The link between inner development and organisational performance
• What leaders can do to begin the journey

David draws on decades of leadership experience, scalingbusinesses, raising investment, and helping leaders grow their organisations by growing themselves.

If you're a founder, director or senior leader looking tocreate greater impact, this conversation is for you.

🎙 Good Jobs, Better Business?

With Mark McAllister, Chief Executive of the Labour Relations Agency

The upcoming Good Jobs Employment Rights Bill is set to introduce significant changes to the employment landscape in Northern Ireland.

But how aware are employers of what’s coming?
What is actually changing?

And what could this mean in practice for businesses and employees alike?

In this episode, Craig sits down with Mark McAllister, Chief Executive of the Labour Relations Agency, for an open and honest conversation about:

• Where the Good Jobs Bill has come from - and why

• The LRA’s role in shaping and supporting its implementation

• What changes are likely to matter most to employers

• The union access and voice elements generating discussion

• How businesses can prepare

• And how confidence and trust can be strengthened in workplace relations

We also explore the broader question:
Can better jobs lead to better business?

This is a thoughtful discussion designed to bring clarity to a topic that is already generating strong opinions.

Whether you’re an business owner, HR leader, union representative, or simply interested in the future of work in Northern Ireland, this episode will help you understand what’s ahead as we assess it from the viewpoint of various stakeholder groups.

🎙 The Vibrant Workplace Podcast is hosted by Craig Thompson

It explores how we can build a better working world for both employers and employees with a key focus on leadership, culture, employee engagement and the future of work.

📲 Follow Craig on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/craig-thompson-4935795

🌐 Learn more: vibranttalent.co.uk

In this episode, Craig is joined by Mary McManus from Living Wage NI to explore the Real Living Wage through a commercial lens, not just a moral one.

They discuss why fair pay has become such a challenging issue for employers, the real pressures facing SMEs, and whether paying the Real Living Wage can genuinely make business sense when viewed through retention, recruitment, engagement, and long-term performance.

A balanced, thoughtful conversation for business owners and leaders who want to understand how pay levels impact business outcomes.

We hope you enjoy!

In this episode, Craig is joined by Barry Taylor, Managing Director of MEGA, to explore why manufacturing in Northern Ireland is far more than the old “dirty factory” stereotype.

Barry lifts the lid on a sector that is quietly driving innovation, providing long-term careers, and anchoring communities — yet still battling major talent and skills shortages.

Together, Craig and Barry unpack:

• How modern manufacturing has transformed into a hub of technology, precision and progression

• The hidden career opportunities most people never hear about

• Why the sector is struggling to attract talent — and what needs to change

• How culture, skills and employer brand will shape the future of manufacturing

• What other industries can learn from the sector’s approach to developing people

If you’re a leader thinking about the future of talent - or someone curious about what the manufacturing world really looks like today - this conversation will challenge assumptions, widen perspectives and showcase a sector full of untapped opportunity.

In this special episode Craig is joined by Niall Martindale (CEO) and Olga Pollock (HR Manager) as we explore life in the Verified Vibrant Workplace, Kinecx Energy!

Kinecx took part in the Vibrant Workplace Accelerator and we found that their people had 18.2 times more positive than negative days at work!

In fact, there were only 3.7% of days across the workforce that were rated negatively. That means for every 100 working days there are less than 4 bad ones!

How does work get that good, and what makes Kinecx such a close knit team with such a compelling culture?

Tune in to find out!

For Context: Verified Vibrant Workplaces have successfully completed our Vibrant Workplace Accelerator and proven through our employee experience platform mooqi® that their employees most often:

• Have a Good or Great day at work
• Are Engaged with the work they do
• Think others should join the company too!

Does Kinecx Energy sound like a Vibrant Workplace to you?

Let us know what you think!

Craig Thompson chats with Karen Maguire, Chairperson of Employee Ownership Ireland, about the growing movement of Employee Ownership Trusts:

• How they work
• Why business owners are embracing them
• And what they mean for employees, company culture and the future of work

In this episode, Craig Thompson engages in a deep conversation with renowned podcast, author, speaker and coach Seamus Fox about the importance of self-leadership, finding one's purpose, and the role of values in achieving fulfilment in life and work.

Seamus shares his personal journey of transformation,emphasizing the significance of understanding one's values and how they influence decisions and actions.

The discussion also touches on the challenges of motivationversus discipline, the impact of environment on personal growth, and the necessity of creating a purposeful workplace that aligns with individual values.

Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own lives, identify what truly matters to them, and take actionable steps towards a more fulfilling existence.

In this episode of The Vibrant Workplace Podcast, Craig satdown with executive coach and speaker Philip Brady - and we went deep.

We shared stories we don’t normally talk about.

And from that place, we asked the bigger questions:

• What happens when we pretend employer branding is culture?
• Are people really leaving bad managers - or are wescapegoating them to protect broken systems?
• Can coaching be therapeutic without being therapy?
• What would it look like if we fasted from chaos, urgency, and overconsumption?

You won’t get easy answers here.

But you will get an honest conversation about how the worldof work needs to evolve - and why it starts with us.

If this resonates with you, please drop a comment and let usknow what you think!

In this special episode Craig is joined by Marc Vivas (CEO) and Markéta Bártová (HR Manager) as we explore life at a very special company – the very first company who ever took part in the Vibrant Workplace Accelerator, Nuvolar Works!

Being prepared to try things is a hallmark of a leader – and Nuvolar weren’t just trying something new – they were the first to do it. 

We explore why they were prepared to go first, what we learnt about their culture and what made Nuvolar Works the world’s first Verified Vibrant Workplace!

For Context: Verified Vibrant Workplaces have successfully completed our Vibrant Workplace Accelerator and *proven* through our employee experience platform mooqi® that their employees most often:

• Have a Good or Great day at work
• Are Engaged with the work they do
• Think others should join the company too!

Does Nuvolar Works sound like a Vibrant Workplace to you?

Tune in and let us know what you think!