Workplace Geeks

Three episodes into season four and we're deep into important territory. In this episode the Geeks sit down with internationally renowned designer, researcher, and workplace changemaker Kay Sargent, director of thought leadership and interiors at global architecture firm HOK.

Kay has spent the past eight years co-ordinating a major research initiative, culminating in a brand new book, Designing Neuroinclusive Workplaces: Advancing Sensory Processing and Cognitive Well-Being in the Built Environment. What began as a curiosity-led research project has turned into a transformative design movement grounded in neuroscience, empathy, and research evidence.

We caught up with Kay in person at HOK’s London office to explore her story, the book, and what it means to design workplaces that work for the full spectrum of human neurodiversity. In this fun and thought-provoking conversation, we learn:

• How one client question triggered eight years of global research and co-creation
• Why it’s time to stop designing for 'the average', because no one is average
• What hyper- and hypo-sensory experiences mean for workplace design
• How sensory gradients, zoning and choice can help people feel in control
• Why this issue must transcend competitive advantage

Featuring a reflection section with returning guest Josh Artus from Centric Lab, connecting Kay’s insights to brain science, lived experience and the real-world barriers to inclusive change:

"Kay's work, alongside our BCO report, show why employers and managers, alongside designers, developers, and landlords, need to come to terms with the lived experience of neurodivergent people and urban corporate work life. Understanding this will yield an intelligent and measured approach to a complex situation. And when you really understand the problem, the solution can be very straightforward"

🎙️Dialogue editing by David Crackles

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Workplace Geeks is brought to you by Audiem ⚡️
Helping organisations make better workplace decisions through AI-powered insight and employee feedback.

Supported by 2468 Group ☕️

🎧 Dialogue editing by David Crackles

We've only just got cracking with season 4, and we’re already taking an unusual turn. In this episode, the Geeks enjoy their first ever workplace poety takeover with the brilliant, wise and genuinely witty author and poet Matt Harvey, self-proclaimed enemy of all that's upsetting.

From the psychological contracts of workplace perks, to the creeping control of mobile devices, and watercooler encounters with hidden meaning, Matt has been making sense of work through verse for years — including a long-standing collaboration with Worktech as their poet in residence.

We invited him on to the show share some of his workplace-themed poems, then discuss what they reveal about work, culture and human nature.

In this poetry-infused conversation, we explore:

• Matt’s journey from The Guardian’s Saturday work section to Worktech’s main stage
• How poetry can reveal overlooked truths about the day-to-day experience of work
• A cheeky take on workplace ‘perks’ and our invisible psychological contracts
• A poetic time capsule of the Blackberry era — and how tech took over our lives
• A melancholy meditation on watercooler connections and relationships real and imagined
• Why AI-generated poems still don’t beat the real thing — yet
• A reprise of “The world of work, 20 years on” — commissioned for Worktech

No reflection section this time — instead, we reflect as we go, with plenty of chuckles and a little poetic mischief along the way.

📖 Featuring live readings of four original Matt Harvey poems: Works perks, Not tonight dear, I have a Blackberry, Water-cooler moments and The world of work: 20 years on.

🔎 There are some great videos of Matt on YouTube, and some of our favourite books are:

• 🐌 Where Earwigs Dare (includes the first three poems read here)
• ⛈️ The Element in the Room
• 😕 The Hole in the Sum of My Parts
• 🧠 Mindless Body, Spineless Mind
• 🥫 Shopping with Dad (the best young children's story by far!🥇)

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Or email us at [email protected]

Workplace Geeks is brought to you by Audiem ⚡️
Helping organisations make better workplace decisions through AI-powered insight and employee feedback.

Supported by 2468 Group ☕️

🎧 Dialogue editing by David Crackles

The Workplace Geeks are back, and we're kicking off Series 4 with two heavyweights of the workplace world: Jeremy Myerson and Philip Ross, co-authors of Unworking: The Reinvention of the Modern Office – their fourth collaboration, and their most provocative yet.

From their first book, The Creative Office, to the now globally established Worktech Academy and Events community, Jeremy and Philip have influenced workplace thinking for decades. Now, they're reflecting on a century of office orthodoxy — and calling for a complete reinvention.

In a rich, thoughtful conversation, we explore:

• How Unworking evolved from coffee table editions to a future workplace manifesto
• The office’s 100-year legacy – and why Taylorism still haunts us
• Why it’s time to stop iterating and start reimagining work from first principles
• Ten bold directions for the future of workplace: social, healthy, sentient, purposeful, elastic, personalised, contextualised, digital, consumerised, and shared
• Global case studies, design critiques, and the challenges of city-centre real estate
• Why AI is the workplace disruptor they wish they’d written more about
• How to navigate polarising narratives, including resolute returners, choice champions and beyond

Also featuring a reflection section recorded live at The Workplace Event, NEC Birmingham, from Worktech Academy's Kasia Maynard. Jazz hands optional! 🤗

Learn more about Unworking at Worktech Academy or grab a copy wherever you buy your workplace reads - highly recommended.

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⭐️ Enjoying the show? Follow, rate and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It genuinely helps more people discover us.

💬 Got an idea, guest suggestion, or workplace topic we should explore?

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Join the conversation using #WorkplaceGeeks
Or email us at [email protected]

Workplace Geeks is brought to you by Audiem ⚡️
Helping organisations make better workplace decisions through AI-powered insight and employee feedback.

Supported by 2468 Group ☕️

🎧 Dialogue editing by David Crackles

In our very first Workplace Geeks investigation™️ deep dive, Ian sets out to explore a question that's been on his mind:

🔎 Is biophilic design just good design — or something we need to intentionally spotlight because of its unique importance?

To find out, he heads to the UK’s first ever Biophilic Design Conference, held at the iconic Barbican in London — a venue that raises some interesting design questions of its own. Along the way Ian hears from a host of experts to unpack theory, challenge assumptions, and spotlight the real-world impacts of designing with our 'natural affinity for nature' in mind.

🧠 Understanding the science behind biophilic design

We learn about the roots of biophilia and the principles of biophilic design through the lenses of evolutionary and environmental psychology, with insights from Dr Nigel Oseland, Dr Sally Augustin and Oliver Heath.

🌿 Inside the UK’s first Biophilic Design Conference

We hear how the event came together, why it matters, and what made the Barbican the perfect venue — through conversations with Dr Vanessa Champion, Prof Harriet Shortt and Mark Catchlove.

🎋 Biophilic design in practice: case studies

We dive into real-world applications of biophilic design, from city clinics to jungle retreats, including a deep exploration of the Barbican itself as a space where brutalism meets biophilia. With contributions from Matthew Burgess, Chloe Bullock, Oliver Heath and Prof Geoff Proffitt.

🤔 Thoughts? 

Is biophilic design just a feel-good trend, or something much deeper and more urgent? Join the debate on LinkedIn or email us at [email protected] — we’d love to hear your views.

🎙️ Hosted and produced by Ian Ellison & Chris Moriarty

✂️ Dialogue editing by David Crackles 

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⭐️ Enjoying the show? Follow, rate and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It genuinely helps more people discover us.

💬 Got an idea, guest suggestion, or workplace topic we should explore?

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Join the conversation using #WorkplaceGeeks
Or email us at [email protected]

Workplace Geeks is brought to you by Audiem ⚡️
Helping organisations make better workplace decisions through AI-powered insight and employee feedback.

Supported by 2468 Group ☕️

🎧 Dialogue editing by David Crackles

The Workplace Event's Workplace Leaders Top 50 awards are in their second year, and the Geeks were honoured to be invited to speak to the winners. Each of these special episodes usually features small but perfectly formed chats with three winners... but this time we've gone one better!

We thought we'd drop a fifth episode to entertain, inspire and illuminate during the cold dingy UK winter, featuring conversations with Bertie van Wyk (MillerKnoll), Kasia Maynard (Worktech Academy), Paul Urmston (NatWest) and a fourth guest who needs no introduction whatsoever on this show... 😉

We asked each winner the same questions to learn about their career, how they got into the workpace sector, how it's changed, what it could do better, and what advice they have for folks coming in. These are human stories, personal anecdotes and revealing conversations into what these workplace leaders are thinking.

Learn more 🌱🧠

• The Workplace Leaders Top 50
• MillerKnoll
• Worktech Academy
• NatWest
• Audiem UNITE webinar featuring Paul Urmston
• Audiem & NatWest's award-winning workplace experience work

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📩 Subscribe for new episodes, events and workplace insight from the Geeks community.

⭐️ Enjoying the show? Follow, rate and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It genuinely helps more people discover us.

💬 Got an idea, guest suggestion, or workplace topic we should explore?

Follow Workplace Geeks on LinkedIn
Join the conversation using #WorkplaceGeeks
Or email us at [email protected]

Workplace Geeks is brought to you by Audiem ⚡️
Helping organisations make better workplace decisions through AI-powered insight and employee feedback.

Supported by 2468 Group ☕️

🎧 Dialogue editing by David Crackles

In this final episode of series 3, Chris and Ian are joined by first ever guest Kursty Groves to talk about her new book 'Workspace made easy' co-authored with Neil Usher.

Kursty is an author, workplace innovation consultant, founder of Shape, and adjunct professor at IE University. Neil is also an author, currently the VP for Places at SAGE, formerly Workplace Director of the award-winning Sky campus in West London, and for over a decade author of the now defunct Work Essence blog (still available with a little Wayback Machine digging...)

Neil's current work schedule sadly prevented him joining the discussion (although two past interviews with Ian still exist on Workplace Matters, way back from 2016 and 2018) so we spent a little time reflecting on his contribution to workplace knowledge and practice, before getting into the journey to this new book, and beyond, with Kursty.

Workplace Geeks will be back for series 4 in spring 2025. Get in touch with ideas and suggestions for the show. Meanwhile, look out for special Workplace Trends, Biophilic Design Conference, and Workplace Leaders Top 50 special episodes to help make those dark nights fly by...

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📩 Subscribe for new episodes, events and workplace insight from the Geeks community.

⭐️ Enjoying the show? Follow, rate and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It genuinely helps more people discover us.

💬 Got an idea, guest suggestion, or workplace topic we should explore?

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Join the conversation using #WorkplaceGeeks
Or email us at [email protected]

Workplace Geeks is brought to you by Audiem ⚡️
Helping organisations make better workplace decisions through AI-powered insight and employee feedback.

Supported by 2468 Group ☕️

🎧 Dialogue editing by David Crackles

The Workplace Event's Workplace Leaders Top 50 awards are in their second year, and the Geeks were honoured to be invited to speak to the winners. Each of these special episodes will feature small but perfectly formed chats with three winners.

In this fourth episode we turn from facilites management to the broader context of workplace strategy, change and experience. We're in conversation with an architect in the business of people, Naomi Sakamoto (Gensler), time-served workplace strategist Caroline Pontifex (Savills) and indie workplace experience and change guru Dr Dan Wakelin (isovist).

We asked each winner the same questions to learn about their career, how they got into the workpace sector, how it's changed, what it could do better, and what advice they have for folks coming in. These are human stories, personal anecdotes and revealing conversations into what these workplace leaders are thinking.

Thanks to obo for providing the Mute recording booth at The Workplace Event and to MJF Interiors for their excellent Workplace Geeks podcast lounge.

Learn more 🌱🧠

• The Workplace Leaders Top 50
• Gensler
• Savills
• isovist

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📩 Subscribe for new episodes, events and workplace insight from the Geeks community.

⭐️ Enjoying the show? Follow, rate and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It genuinely helps more people discover us.

💬 Got an idea, guest suggestion, or workplace topic we should explore?

Follow Workplace Geeks on LinkedIn
Join the conversation using #WorkplaceGeeks
Or email us at [email protected]

Workplace Geeks is brought to you by Audiem ⚡️
Helping organisations make better workplace decisions through AI-powered insight and employee feedback.

Supported by 2468 Group ☕️

🎧 Dialogue editing by David Crackles

In this, the 50th Workplace Geeks episode (woot woot 🎺) Chris and Ian are joined by Gemma Dale and Hannah Wilson from Liverpool John Moores University to discuss their recent paper from the International Journal of Workplace Health Management called “What is healthy hybrid work? Exploring employee perceptions on well-being and hybrid work arrangements”, co-authored with IFMA’s new Director of Research, Professor Matt Tucker. 

Gem is a university lecturer, flexible and hybrid working specialist, author, coach, HR director and board advisor. Hannah is a Reader in Workplace Psychology, DBA Programme Leader, and also Gem’s Director of Studies for her own doctorate – of which this paper brings some key findings together. We learn that context is king, especially when it comes to hybrid, the perennially emotive topic where one man’s meat is another man’s poison (as the proverb goes).

Simon Iatrou from Magenta Associates is on reflection section duties to expose workplace aphorisms, while dutifully being accompanied by some noisy Brighton seagulls. 🩷

Promo or the RTO L@S report.

📩 Subscribe for new episodes, events and workplace insight from the Geeks community.

⭐️ Enjoying the show? Follow, rate and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It genuinely helps more people discover us.

💬 Got an idea, guest suggestion, or workplace topic we should explore?

Follow Workplace Geeks on LinkedIn
Join the conversation using #WorkplaceGeeks
Or email us at [email protected]

Workplace Geeks is brought to you by Audiem ⚡️
Helping organisations make better workplace decisions through AI-powered insight and employee feedback.

Supported by 2468 Group ☕️

🎧 Dialogue editing by David Crackles

The Workplace Event's Workplace Leaders Top 50 awards are in their second year, and the Geeks were honoured to be invited to speak to the winners. Each of these special episodes will feature small but perfectly formed chats with three winners🏅

In this third episode we're in conversation with Nicola Morris (ISS), Alistair Scott (IEM) and Steph Welch (Arup). The overarching theme of all three discussions is Workplace and FM as a career of choice (or most likely not) and all the inspiring, creative, equitable and disruptive ways to do something about it.

We asked each winner the same questions to learn about their career, how they got into the workpace sector, how it's changed, what it could do better, and what advice they have for folks coming in. These are human stories, personal anecdotes and revealing conversations into what these workplace leaders are thinking.

Thanks to obo for providing the Mute recording booth at The Workplace Event and to MJF Interiors for their excellent Workplace Geeks podcast lounge

Learn more 🌱🧠

• The Workplace Leaders Top 50
• Stemazing
• ISS
• IEM
• Arup

Promo or the RTO L@S report.

📩 Subscribe for new episodes, events and workplace insight from the Geeks community.

⭐️ Enjoying the show? Follow, rate and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It genuinely helps more people discover us.

💬 Got an idea, guest suggestion, or workplace topic we should explore?

Follow Workplace Geeks on LinkedIn
Join the conversation using #WorkplaceGeeks
Or email us at [email protected]

Workplace Geeks is brought to you by Audiem ⚡️
Helping organisations make better workplace decisions through AI-powered insight and employee feedback.

Supported by 2468 Group ☕️

🎧 Dialogue editing by David Crackles

The Workplace Geeks are back with another WORKTECH Events special, and this time it's a PREVIEW of the forthcoming WORKTECH24 London Special Edition three-day extravaganza!

As part of Unwired Ventures, WORKTECH Events is a global conference series exploring work, workplace, technology and innovation, with an annual roster of events from LA to Auckland.

This episode features three conversatios with speakers who will be on stage in London on Wednesday 20 November. First up, futurist, tech entrepreneur and author Ajay Chowdhury talks broadly about future tech, AI, and the future of work and education.

Next up, researcher, academic and creator of the 15-Minute City concept, Professor Carlos Moreno, explores the placemaking legacy of Jane Jacobs and the godfather of telework Jack Nilles in relation to or sustainable global future.

Finally, EMEA regional manager at XY Sense, Jane Watson, discusses the relationship between workspace data and the metrics that matter, based on organisational context.

Workplace Geeks: always caring about your workplace education!

Promo or the RTO L@S report.

📩 Subscribe for new episodes, events and workplace insight from the Geeks community.

⭐️ Enjoying the show? Follow, rate and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It genuinely helps more people discover us.

💬 Got an idea, guest suggestion, or workplace topic we should explore?

Follow Workplace Geeks on LinkedIn
Join the conversation using #WorkplaceGeeks
Or email us at [email protected]

Workplace Geeks is brought to you by Audiem ⚡️
Helping organisations make better workplace decisions through AI-powered insight and employee feedback.

Supported by 2468 Group ☕️

🎧 Dialogue editing by David Crackles