How HR Leaders Change the World (Cecilia Crossley)

Starting with an overview of how SIG’s strategy contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and her belief that every HR professional creates social change, Suzanne shares the example of her work on human rights across the whole value chain, summarising leadership, cross functional working and measurement approaches.

Discussing future opportunities for the role of HR, Suzanne discusses techniques for reducing gender inequality and the connection to paying living wages, as well as an example of a new competency framework and how it supports what a company wants to stand for.

Calling on everyone in HR to dive into the ESG agenda, Suzanne encourages you to assess how your people practices contribute (or not yet contribute) and to get involved! 

Topics in this episode: 

•         Human Rights due diligence  
•         Measuring progress with Ecovardis
•         Cross functional working
•         Reducing gender inequality and the connection to living wages
•         A new competency framework for being well and doing well
•         Getting involved in the ESG agenda

Referenced resources

·        Ecovardis

Buy In – a People Operating System by The Clearing 

This episode is brought to you by our good friends at The Clearing. They’d like you to ask yourself some crucial questions: 

•         How aligned are your people to your organisation’s strategy?
•         How well do they understand their role in delivering it?
•        And perhaps most importantly, how confident are you that they genuinely buy in to where your organisation is headed?

If these questions strike a chord, you’re not alone – many organisations struggle to put people at the heart of a brand or business change. But The Clearing is here to help you rewrite that narrative through the power of ‘Buy-in’.  Whatever you’re trying to achieve, they can help you inspire your people through change, helping them feel connected to where your business is going, and empowering them to shape and deliver that future.

Buy-in is more than a concept – it’s the People Operating System for business and brand change. It’s about creating an environment where every one of your colleagues not only understands what you’re trying to achieve, but believes in it and acts on it. It helps your people become advocates. Clear about their roles. And ensures they show up for your customers and each other when it matters.

The Clearing believes that Buy-in is essential to business performance – especially during times of change or growth. If you’d like to find out more about how they could help you address your key strategic challenges through Buy-in, drop them a line at getintouch@theclearing.co.uk or visit https://theclearing.co.uk/

Download your free cheat-sheet: 25 Ways Your HR Work Delivers ESG Results

Helping you showcase the enhanced value HR creates, this quick and simple tool you can spend just 10 - 15 minutes to connect the dots between HR and ESG, briefly assess progress at your company, and identify opportunities for next quarter and next year: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hresgcheatsheet

Join the How HR Leaders Change the World community!

Come and join the community of pioneering #HRChangemakers, it’s totally free and you’ll be the first to receive new tools and resources, and get first access invitations to our events: join us here: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by social enterprise, From Babies with Love. Across Moments that Matter, we provide employee engagement gift services to global HR functions and donate 100% of our profit to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. We transform commonly existing gift spend in to strategic, efficient and inclusive tools in your People Strategy, delivering Exceptional Employee Experience, and at the same time, ESG results.

Chris shares his expertise on how empathy transforms leadership and organisations. Describing five pillars of empathy, including judgement and active listening, Chris describes case studies and how colleagues created better results having received experience-based empathy training.

Chris explains how empathy can break down organisational silos by shifting employees from functional to customer-centric mindsets. Emphasising the importance of authenticity and emotional intelligence, Chris discusses HR’s role in empowering employees and creating connected, empathetic work environments.

Chris shares how immersive empathy training develops emotional intelligence, helping organisations to unlock human potential through everyday acts of appreciation.

This episode is sponsored by CGA Empathy Lab®

If you want a happier, more confident workforce, to reduce absenteeism and workplace anxiety and put an end to situations that may result in conflict, you should experience the CGA Empathy Lab®. 

By teaching employees the power of empathy, they can enjoy better conversations and create better experiences, not only for themselves but for other employees and customers, ultimately driving business purpose and performance. 

There’s no better way to experience the world through the eyes of others and learn how to make every moment matter.

CGA Empathy Lab® - Winner of the ‘People, Skills, and Diversity Award’ for the Rail Industry. 

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by Uplifting People

We’re an amazing community of cutting-edge HR Changemakers.

Together, we share experiences, tools and clear, actionable ideas. 

Ideas that will help you solve the challenges you face today and will inspire you with brilliant opportunities to push boundaries and positively impact people in your organisation - and beyond. 

And what’s even better, is every penny of our profit empowers vulnerable children to be safe, loved and learning.

Together, we uplift people.

👥 Join our free HR Changemakers community

You’ll be the first to hear about each podcast episode, about our events, and receive free bonus resources that enhance your influence and impact.

Join us here: upliftingpeople.com/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

And join us on Linkedin: Uplifting People | LinkedIn

Are you looking for your next great read that inspires you and helps your work?

Each month we recommend a book that challenges, motivates and uplifts, every pick is selected to spark meaningful conversations and personal growth.

This February our book of the month is Four Thousand Weeks - Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman.   

Nobody needs telling there isn’t enough time. We’re obsessed with our lengthening to-do lists, our overfilled inboxes, work-life balance, and the ceaseless battle against distraction.

We rarely connect our daily struggles with time and the ultimate time management problem: the challenge of how best to use our four thousand weeks. Drawing on the insights of both ancient and contemporary philosophers, Oliver Burkeman delivers an entertaining, humorous, practical, and profound guide to time and time management. 

And why not also get a copy for one of your team? You can select an Uplifting Gift Bundle, mix and match the book our Kind-hearted Chocolate, Supercharged Tea, and Well-informed Stationery, and send a brilliant moment of appreciation and inspiration to a colleague.

Head to UpliftingPeople.com to grab a copy, and we hope you enjoy this month’s Uplifting Book! 

Hugo Bague shares his experience across a long career as an HR Leader, including most recently as the Global CHRO at Rio Tinto.

Advocating for collaboration across companies and industries, Hugo describes his vision for how HR professionals can work together to provide the new skills, training and mindset needed for the future.

Sharing experiences from the Ebola crisis to addressing gender imbalance in the mining industry, Hugo describes his successful approach to quantifying areas of people strategy that can be difficult to measure and promotes long term thinking.

Noting that Human Resources is an area of business experiencing significant change, Hugo describes the leadership opportunities for HR and his optimism for the impact HR can have in caring for people and planet.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[4:30] The role of HR in creating sustainable communities, balancing the short and long term social impacts

[5:45] The Ebola crisis in West Africa, the importance of local empowerment and supporting mental health

[12:20] The opportunity to ‘New Skill’ in a digital and automated world

[15:42] Training and development – collaborating with other companies, across industries, to develop new skills

[20:00] Gender equality in the mining industry, how measurability helped create change

[27:40] The biggest change is happening in Human Resources, now is the time for HR to drive.

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! 

In this inspiring episode Dannii shares her approach to embedding sustainability and purpose into PepsiCo’s culture and discusses how PepsiCo is aligning people and planet goals with business operations. With examples such as social mobility programmes, Dannii demonstrates how PepsiCo empowers employees while driving positive societal change.

Sharing thoughts on resilience and the pressures facing HR, Dannii introduces ‘home club’, a network that promotes collaboration, emotional well-being, and professional growth.

Dannii calls on you and everyone in HR to be bold in telling the truth with empathy and courage, prioritising collective progress for the benefit of all.

Thank you to Visier for supporting How HR Leaders Change the World

Visier gives organisations a workforce AI edge, helping leaders drive productivity, performance, and agility in the face of change.

As a global leader in AI-powered people analytics, workforce planning, and compensation allocation, Visier leverages its real-time people data platform to harness the transformative potential of both people and work data. By combining these insights, Visier enables smarter workforce decisions and elevates performance across teams.

Visier proudly serves over 60,000 customers across 75 countries, including enterprises like BASF, Panasonic, Experian, Sanofi, eBay, and Ford Motor Company.

Discover more about how Visier can transform your organisation, visit www.visier.com

👥 Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Join us on Linkedin: From Babies with Love | LinkedIn

References: Tent Partnership for Refugees

Gian shares the personal experiences that led him to create TLC Lions; with the goal to create a more human working world.

Explaining why storytelling can be one of your greatest strengths, Gian describes the first steps you can take to create a culture where colleagues share and harness the power of their stories.

Advocating for the power of listening, and the need to enhance training in listening skills, Gian also describes how being more self-aware makes you a stronger leader.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3:00]   Why Gian founded TLC Lions

[6:00]   Storytelling can be your greatest strength

[9:50]   First steps for HR to take to create a storytelling culture

[13:00] Doubling down on human skills

[16:00] Being a stronger leader by being more self-aware

[21:00] The H in HR

[27:20] Gian’s call to action, please just listen

Referenced resources

• Tom Baxter , Just Eat for Business Q&A
• https://business.just-eat.co.uk
• Tools of the Titans by Tim Ferris

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live!

If you missed out on HR Leaders Change the World – Live! and want to get your hands on exclusive access to recordings of the inspiring panel sessions, and Erin Brockovich’s incredible closing keynote, join the How HR Leaders Change the World community – you can learn more about best practice in the new world of work and how people leaders deliver ESG strategy here. The recordings are only available for a limited time, so join today!

Mary describes her experiences in building inclusion across sectors, from television to technology. Discussing the links between inclusion, commerciality and ESG, Mary describes why the work, and measuring its outcomes, is important to investors and customers – alongside employees.

Sharing her personal connection to neurodiversity, Mary provides thoughts on how to ensure a neurodiverse colleague that joins, also stays, and gives examples of inclusion strategies in gender representation and social mobility.

Mary advocates that inclusion is embedded in every element of a business – that an inclusion lens is always applied – and calls on us to be courageous in ensuring this happens. 

Topics in Mary’s episode: 

• Female representation in TV
• Navigating uncomfortable conversations with storytelling
• ESG and the future of commercial business: the role of inclusion and empathy
• Measuring inclusion to feed into investor reporting
• Neurodiversity, masking and belonging
• System change through talent attraction
• Applying an inclusion lens in all elements of business

Thank you to our sponsor for this week's episode, The Talent Keeper Specialists. Their brilliant podcast, COMEBACK COACH is the podcast for people coming back from maternity and other work breaks recommended by HR professionals.

Referenced resources                                         

Comeback Coach podcast

Comeback Community 

Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community to receive our weekly newsletter – be the first to learn about new episodes and free bonus materials: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org 

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org/

Jim Devine shares his view on the benefits of medium and long-term thinking for business and people strategy, providing examples ranging from Spirax Sarco’s response to the pandemic to its role in girls’ education for creating the talent pipeline.

Sharing his views on the opportunities ahead for HR, to shape corporate direction not just corporate culture, Jim describes the investor-facing role of his Head of Talent, why shareholders and other stakeholders want to hear from HR, and how this helps create positive change.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[4:00] The positive impacts of working to global minimum standards and local flexibility

[6:40] People remember how they were treated in the tough times – why we must think long term

[8:48] HR can now shape corporate direction, not just corporate culture

[15:18] Measuring employee data globally; navigating local laws and cultures

[18:12] Girls education in HR strategy: improving gender inclusion through STEM career pathways

[22:05] Inclusion: including white men, including everyone

[26:45] Employee wellbeing and assistance – how Covid accelerated Spirax Sarco’s global offering

[28:30] Shareholders are interested in HR – aligning the internal and external

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! 

Discussing talent strategy, Erik asks, with a commercial mindset – why leave anyone behind? In creating a high performing and inclusive business, Erik shares change management tools that help shift perception, activities and results, with examples including asking why 3 times, and an approach thought to be used by Walt Disney.

Erik shares his experience in building gender parity at Pandora, including techniques such as connecting goals to performance management and reward, and provides his thoughts on gender and the future of the HR profession.

Advocating that HR must help ensure everyone enjoys going to work, have a chance to bring their all, and the chance to make their mark, Erik asks you to consider how you can go after this noble goal.

Topics in Erik’s episode:                                       

• Access and opportunity
• Tools to help create behaviour change
• Learning and social mobility
• The influence of HR and gender balance in the function
• Achieving gender parity
• Linking performance to sustainability goals
• Making sure everyone enjoys going to work

Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community to receive our weekly newsletter – be the first to learn about new episodes and free bonus materials: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org/

Syreeta shares her wide lens view of HR, and why a macro perspective is beneficial for leading HR and leading business. From political agendas to global economics, Syreeta discusses opportunities for HR to be a force for good. 

Framing DE&I work in the impact it has for economic empowerment and wider society, Syreeta shares examples of initiatives and discusses the approach of starting with business strategy first, and keeping a clear line of sight, be it a direct or indirect line, to the business’ KPIs.

Leaving you with a call to action to step into the challenges of creating a high performing business, we’ve no doubt you’ll feel inspired listening to Syreeta’s bold leadership…    

Topics in this episode: 

•        Taking a macro view to showcase HR
•         HR and business being a force for good
•         Supporting other business leaders to be effective
•         Economic empowerment through DE&I initiatives
•         Starting people strategy with business strategy
•        HR makes people better: step into the challenges

Download your free cheat-sheet: 25 Ways Your HR Work Delivers ESG Results

Helping you showcase the enhanced value HR creates, this quick and simple tool you can spend just 10 - 15 minutes to connect the dots between HR and ESG, briefly assess progress at your company, and identify opportunities for next quarter and next year.

Join the How HR Leaders Change the World community!

Come and join the community of pioneering #HRChangemakers, it’s totally free and you’ll be the first to receive new tools and resources, and get first access invitations to our events: join us here: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by social enterprise, From Babies with Love. Across Moments that Matter, we provide employee engagement gift services to global HR functions and donate 100% of our profit to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. We transform commonly existing gift spend in to strategic, efficient and inclusive tools in your People Strategy, delivering Exceptional Employee Experience, and at the same time, ESG results.

Passionate about gender balance and inclusion, Asma shares initiatives that build opportunities for both customers and employees.

Harnessing the power of commerce to create positive change, Asma describes her leadership role in a business growth strategy that also developed opportunities for women in rural areas, contributing to SDG5, gender equality, amongst others.

Asma calls on everyone in HR to invest in wellbeing, basing this work on human empathy rather than business return calculations.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[4:30]             Harnessing a business strategy to create opportunities for rural women

[10:00]             Re-skilling the workforce

[16:20]            Creating a culture of respect

[20:20]            Building both customer and employee inclusion

[24:50]            Employee wellbeing

Referenced resources

• Tom Baxter , Just Eat for Business Q&A
• https://business.just-eat.co.uk
• Purple Tuesday
• Wellbeing at Work forum

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live!

Don't miss out on HR Leaders Change the World - Live!, the inspiring event for designing best practice in the new world of work and pioneering how people leaders deliver ESG strategy. 

As well as learning from inspiring HR Leaders on how your strategic, commercial HR work is also creating change and delivering ESG goals, you'll be able to discuss ideas, challenges, co-create best practice with your peer and... there's more...

We're utterly thrilled to announce that our special guest, presenting a galvanising keynote, is the amazing Erin Brockovich! 

Watch Erin introduce How HR Leaders Change the World – Live! here

In her inspiring session you'll hear Erin share her experience and advice on how you too can harness the power of your role to create positive social change.

It's on 16th November 2022, at Linklaters, London. 

Don't delay - we'll be in a big auditorium, but we know we won't be able to fit everyone that wants to come... so visit our website today to grab your seat before tickets sell out!

It's set to be the most inspiring, changemaking, HR event ever, and we can't wait to see you there! 

With the goal of creating a business world where companies supporting working parents is the norm, not a perk, Jodi and Kate introduce Circle In and the positive impacts they have for talent retention and for society.

Noting that 89% of people will become a parent, leaders can’t afford not to look after working parents. Witnessing The Great Resignation around the world, Jodi & Kate comment on the balance of power shifting from employer to employee, with significant consequences and opportunities for HR.

Sharing their view on best practice for working parents, such as a gender-neutral parental leave policy, they provide examples and case studies that you can reference for your company too.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[4:13] Building a better working world for parents and caregivers

[8:10] The Great Resignation – the post Covid disconnect and the opportunity for HR

[12:10] A practical first step for any sized company – role modelling to show empathy

[16:40] Equity for working dads – the shared responsibility of parenting

[19:00] The positive, measurable impacts of a gender-neutral parental leave policy

[27:46] Taking a moment to reflect - working parents and carers are feeling the strain – how are you supporting them?

Referenced resources:

• Medibank case study - gender-neutral working parents policy: https://circlein.com/case-studies/medibank/
• Circle In resources and Parental Leave Benchmarking tool – circlein.com

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow today! 

With 20 years of experience working in equity and inclusion, Asif advocates for a long-term process of culture change, providing examples of ways to effect change such as a series of “equity and inclusion workouts” and the enhanced benefits of experiential learning.

Asif shares his thoughts on conscious inclusion, using our privilege to create equity for people from different socio-economic backgrounds, and the evident business case for equity and inclusion at work.

With a wonderful call to action, Asif leaves us each with a simple task, that could lead you to a new experience – a new restaurant, or night out perhaps – make sure you listen to the end not to miss it!

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3:40] Creating a culture of inclusion – delivering a “workout” series

[6:15] The Entertainment Industry and the opportunity for fair and authentic representation – matching external and internal approaches

[10:30] Unconscious bias, being consciously inclusive and the day-to-day opportunities using experiential learning

[18:15] Asif’s passion for creating equity for people from different socio-economic backgrounds and using our privilege to drive change

[24:40] Customer engagement – the evident business case for equity and inclusion – not working on equity and inclusion is no longer an option

[27:20] An action for you - write down your 5 closest friends… Equity & Inclusion can’t just be at work.

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! 

Sharing her journey from Yorkshire to California, Helen discusses the importance of customer empathy in driving meaningful business change and emphasises the value of opportunities for employees to interact with customers, fostering a culture of understanding and relatability.

Helen also explores the evolving landscape of HR, discussing the interaction between AI in enhancing workforce productivity and the potential for remote work to revitalise communities.

Helen advocates for empathy and connection and leaves us with a reminder that by embracing curiosity, respect, and empathy, HR leaders can build trust and integrity, driving positive change.

Thank you to HEX Talent & Development for supporting How HR Leaders Change the World

Is your organisation doing everything it can to ensure its people and teams are reaching their full potential? This episode is sponsored by Hex Talent and Development.

HEX is a people performance consultancy that's laser focused on making individuals, teams and organisations the best they can be. Hex isn't just another learning provider, they are the full package.

They offer individual and team coaching, facilitation of team events and gatherings, leadership development and broader HR consultancy. They are thought leaders and have their own model for leadership, the intentional leader and the CHRO impact framework for developing high performing senior HR leaders.

Above all, HEX brings passion, challenge and joy to all their clients.

Want to learn more?

Head on over to HEX Talent & Development to see how they can help your organisation thrive.  

👥 Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Join us on Linkedin: From Babies with Love | LinkedIn

Kaylee explores how HR leaders are shaping the future of work through health, wellbeing, and cultural transformation, highlighting the need for agile benefits to support a multigenerational workforce.

Kaylee shares the vision behind AXA XL’s ‘Authentic’ You program, which fosters psychological safety through transparency, vulnerability, and personal accountability. Kaylee explains how the company’s culture roadmap integrates inclusion, belonging, and purpose into every stage of the employee experience, ensuring cultural transformation is embedded in everyday actions.

Passionate about HR’s role in driving meaningful change, Kaylee calls for greater attention to HR professionals’ own wellbeing, encouraging you to “put on your own oxygen mask first” so you can be at your best for others.

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by Uplifting People

We’re an amazing community of cutting-edge HR Changemakers.

Together, we share experiences, tools and clear, actionable ideas. 

Ideas that will help you solve the challenges you face today and will inspire you with brilliant opportunities to push boundaries and positively impact people in your organisation - and beyond. 

And what’s even better, is every penny of our profit empowers vulnerable children to be safe, loved and learning.

Together, we uplift people.

👥 Join our free HR Changemakers community

You’ll be the first to hear about each podcast episode, about our events, and receive free bonus resources that enhance your influence and impact.

Join us here: upliftingpeople.com/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

And join us on Linkedin: Uplifting People | LinkedIn

Are you looking for your next great read that inspires you and helps your work?

Each month we recommend a book that challenges, motivates and uplifts, every pick is selected to spark meaningful conversations and personal growth.

This February our book of the month is Four Thousand Weeks - Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman.   

Nobody needs telling there isn’t enough time. We’re obsessed with our lengthening to-do lists, our overfilled inboxes, work-life balance, and the ceaseless battle against distraction.

We rarely connect our daily struggles with time and the ultimate time management problem: the challenge of how best to use our four thousand weeks. Drawing on the insights of both ancient and contemporary philosophers, Oliver Burkeman delivers an entertaining, humorous, practical, and profound guide to time and time management. 

And why not also get a copy for one of your team? You can select an Uplifting Gift Bundle, mix and match the book our Kind-hearted Chocolate, Supercharged Tea, and Well-informed Stationery, and send a brilliant moment of appreciation and inspiration to a colleague.

Head to UpliftingPeople.com to grab a copy, and we hope you enjoy this month’s Uplifting Book! 

Helen shares how ZSL fosters a culture of experimentation, inspired by the scientists and innovators within the organisation. This mindset has led to impactful initiatives, from diversifying visitor demographics to creating inclusive career pathways in conservation, transforming both workplace culture and the communities ZSL serves.

Helen highlights the power of storytelling in shaping culture. With purpose-driven employees investing deeply in their work, she emphasises the need to support wellbeing and resilience, particularly in roles involving care and conservation.

Reflecting on the evolving role of HR, Helen shares the importance of truly listening, and being open to unexpected insights. The conversation even explores how the natural world communicates in ways we may not yet understand. An inspiring reminder that HR can drive lasting change by challenging the status quo, embracing new perspectives, and embedding purpose into every aspect of work.

This episode is sponsored by CGA Empathy Lab®

If you want a happier, more confident workforce, to reduce absenteeism and workplace anxiety and put an end to situations that may result in conflict, you should experience the CGA Empathy Lab®. 

By teaching employees the power of empathy, they can enjoy better conversations and create better experiences, not only for themselves but for other employees and customers, ultimately driving business purpose and performance. 

There’s no better way to experience the world through the eyes of others and learn how to make every moment matter.

CGA Empathy Lab® - Winner of the ‘People, Skills, and Diversity Award’ for the Rail Industry. 

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by Uplifting People

We’re an amazing community of cutting-edge HR Changemakers.

Together, we share experiences, tools and clear, actionable ideas. 

Ideas that will help you solve the challenges you face today and will inspire you with brilliant opportunities to push boundaries and positively impact people in your organisation - and beyond. 

And what’s even better, is every penny of our profit empowers vulnerable children to be safe, loved and learning.

Together, we uplift people.

👥 Join our free HR Changemakers community

You’ll be the first to hear about each podcast episode, about our events, and receive free bonus resources that enhance your influence and impact.

Join us here: upliftingpeople.com/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

And join us on Linkedin: Uplifting People | LinkedIn

Are you looking for your next great read that inspires you and helps your work?

Each month we recommend a book that challenges, motivates and uplifts, every pick is selected to spark meaningful conversations and personal growth.

Our March book of the month is Dare to Lead by Brené Brown.

In a world full of uncertainty, this brilliant book is a powerful reminder that courage is essential to building brave leaders and creating cultures rooted in connection, bold action and meaningful change.

Head to UpliftingPeople.com to grab a copy, and we hope you enjoy this month’s Uplifting Book! 

Stephen describes the role of culture in the transformation that has taken place at Panasonic Automotive over recent years. Summarising before and after metrics, Stephen openly shares successes and learnings along the way.

Sharing the benefits of building transparency in an organisation, Stephen describes his approach, and examples of how a transparent culture has helped identify and address opportunities to improve business performance.

Advocating that all HR professionals have the opportunity to step out of HR thinking into business leadership thinking, Stephen asks you to take your seat in leading a ‘culture rebelution’! 

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[4:10]    Culture at the centre of transformation

[7:00]    Successes and learnings in the culture change process

[10:15]  The measurable results of culture change

[13:20]  Turning HR discussions into business discussions  

[18:00]  Building transparency

[22:00]  Your seat at the leadership table

[25:00]  Volunteering, transformation, and leadership coaching

[30:30]  Pay equity – an example of transparency helping drive change

[34:00]  Take responsibility for the role you might not even have yet…

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! 2022 edition

How HR Leaders Change the World – Live! 2022 edition is now available on demand. Click here to watch HR Leaders share how your strategic, commercial HR work is also driving ESG results, plus you can watch Erin Brockovich’s incredible closing keynote – Erin moved the room to tears! Don’t miss all the goodness and inspiration on how you can harness the power of your HR role create positive social and environmental change.

Akhona joins us with a recent promotion from Chief People Officer to General Manager at KFC Africa, showing the trend in people leaders moving to the top job continues its momentum.  

Sharing her strategies to empower women and achieve gender parity, Akhona describes the incredible results from programmes such as ‘Women on the Move’ and ‘Shine’, and speaks about her aspiration for representation of all colleagues. 

Framing business opportunities within the language of impact, Akhona connects commerce with livelihoods and advocates that true leadership shapes the future by considering both. 

Topics in Akhona’s episode:                                                         

• Responding to the pandemic
• Women on the Move – upward mobility programme
• Business leadership and impact
• Access to education
• Representation for all colleagues, globally
• Considering people first

Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community to receive our weekly newsletter – be the first to learn about new episodes and free bonus materials: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org 

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org/

In this special episode Cecilia shares cutting edge initiatives that are enhancing family friendly culture in the workplace.

Covering the 5 key trends in From Babies with Love’s 2023 Guide, Cecilia summarises the latest policy and practice on gender inclusive leave, fertility, neonatal, pregnancy loss and baby loss leave, in recognising returning to work and in grandparents at work. 

With insightful behind the scenes features by Aon, Sony Music UK and William Hill, this episode and the Guide can give you new ideas for best practice actions you can take at your company to enhance family friendly and inclusive culture, and to attract, engage and retain talent. 

Your call to action this week comes from Cecilia, go grab your free copy of the guide - we hope it’s a helpful resource for you! 

Here’s a snapshot: 

[2:00]   Introducing the 2023 Guide  

[5:00]   Gender Inclusive Parental Leave and Behind the Scenes with Dads@Aon

[8:45]   Fertility and Neonatal Leave and Behind the Scenes with William Hill

[12:40] Recognising Returning Work and Behind the Scenes with Sony Music UK

[18:00] Grandparents at Work – the rising profile of age inclusivity

Thank you to our sponsor for this week's episode, The Talent Keeper Specialists. Their brilliant podcast, COMEBACK COACH is the podcast for people coming back from maternity and other work breaks recommended by HR professionals.

Referenced resources

• Comeback Community
• Comeback Coach podcast
• 2023 Guide: Cutting Edge Family & Parental Leave policy and practice
• Cutting Edge Update with The Co-op

Joy shares her approach to HR and business leadership through the lens of a golden triangle: Purpose, Leadership and Culture, discussing achievements to date as well as work ahead.

Joy describes leading HR as a guardian of culture, providing practical examples such as #winningteam and Manulife’s Global Day of Reflection & Learning, as well as the principles that underly areas including performance management. Joy also shares the transformation in and compounding impact of employee engagement and customer satisfaction that Manulife has experienced, evidenced by significant jumps in net promotor scores.

Joy advocates that we lead holistically; that all HR professionals see themselves as changemakers and are ambitious in driving commercial and social impact for their businesses and society beyond.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[4:00] A Golden Triangle: Purpose, Leadership and Culture

[9:00] Manulife’s Global Day of Reflection & Learning

[11:10] HR as the guardian of winning culture

[19:45] Building equity through a learning culture

[25:00] Compounding impact: employee engagement and customer satisfaction

[34:00] Holistic impact - being ambitious commercially and socially

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live!

Have you heard the exciting news?!

With huge thanks to you for the 5 star reviews and wonderful feedback you've sent us, we're launching our first one day conference, How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! 

As well as learning from inspiring HR Leaders on how your strategic, commercial HR work is also creating change and delivering ESG goals, you'll be able to discuss ideas, challenges, co-create best practice with your peers and... there's more...

We're utterly thrilled to announce that our special guest, presenting a galvanising keynote, is the amazing Erin Brockovich! 

In her inspiring session you'll hear Erin share her experience and advice on how you too can harness the power of your role to create positive social change.

It's on 16th November 2022, at Linklaters, London. 

Don't delay - we'll be in a big auditorium, but we know we won't be able to fit everyone that wants to come... so visit our website today to grab your seat before tickets sell out! 

It's set to be the most inspiring, changemaking, HR event ever, and we can't wait to see you there! 

A business leader working with HR and D&I teams, Chris describes the scale of the global mental health challenge, shares his personal experience of mental ill-health, the work he champions and the approaches for successful mental wellbeing strategy that have transpired.

Describing a preventative approach, Chris provides a framework and set of actions that HR practitioners can take, including how to engage Board level leadership with personal and financial data, and why mental health must be one of their top priorities.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3:17] The impact of sharing mental health struggles to reduce stigma

[7:04] The three pillars for a successful mental wellbeing strategy

[10:42] The importance of sleep

[14:52] The scale of the mental wellbeing challenge and the impact for the workplace

[18:25] Next steps: research and support that creates effective change across global cultures

[24:14] A preventative approach - getting buy in from the Board: the personal and the financial – calculating the cost of mental ill-health

[33:20] Supporting the D&I team in their leadership of health and wellbeing strategy

Referenced resources:

• Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker:

https://www.waterstones.com/book/why-we-sleep/matthew-walker/9780141983769

• The Farmer Stevenson Report:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/thriving-at-work-a-review-of-mental-health-and-employers

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! 

Kavita shares the process of digital transformation at UST, discussing approaches that helped ensure its success, in particular the transparency and communication vital to culture change. Sharing her thoughts on the future of work, Kavita discusses changing approaches to work-life harmony and DE&I, and to what being a sustainable business leader means at work and at home.

👉 Download your free cheat-sheet: 25 Ways Your HR Work Delivers ESG Results: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hresgcheatsheet

👥 Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Follow us on Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Topics in this episode: 

·        Shifting to a digital DNA – HR alignment to business goals

·        Transparency and communication during change

·        The new world of work, DE&I and work-life harmony

·        Connecting any role to the UN SDGs

·        Sustainable business: beyond achieving Net Zero and opportunities for HR leaders

·        Step it up: multi-generational social mobility

·        Building social connections – staying human

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by social enterprise, From Babies with Love. Across Moments that Matter, we provide employee engagement gift services to global HR functions and donate 100% of our profit to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. We transform commonly existing gift spend in to strategic, efficient and inclusive tools in your People Strategy, delivering Exceptional Employee Experience, and at the same time, ESG results.

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org

Louisa highlights Manolo Blahnik’s core values, including kindness and respect, and how these are embedded into its culture. Stressing the importance of authenticity and a growth mindset in HR leadership, Louisa shares her approach that feedback and continuous learning are key to creating a positive workplace.

Discussing her work leading HR practices that foster an inclusive and supportive workplace, Louisa highlights initiatives including a programme that exposes underrepresented students to professional environments.

Louisa emphasises the importance of HR professionals prioritising their own well-being to be effective in their roles and that mental health and self-care are crucial for driving positive change.

Describing the contribution HR can make as ‘changing what work means’ and with a brilliant pie chart technique to illustrate, Ellis discusses the way people view their jobs and the role of work in someones whole life.

Ellis calls on you to see yourself as a gateway for people to live their lives differently. Introducing her approach to open leadership, Ellis shares techniques to support others to do the same and why this is beneficial for organisational performance, and society.  

Discussing thoughts on celebrating diversity of human culture, Ellis advocates that there’s work for HR and Inclusion professionals to do on micro-aggressions and provides insights from her masterclasses on intentional inclusivity.

Topics in this episode: 

•         Being an open leader to change culture
•         Changing what work means – the contribution of HR
•         Practical and meaningful balance between life and career
•         Micro-aggressions and intentional inclusivity
•         Challenging people to tell their stories
•         You are an instrument for change

Referenced resources

·        ERM

Coming up this week - How HR Leaders Change the World - Live!

Thank you to everyone that’s joining us in person and on the live stream for How HR Leaders Change the World – Live! this week.

We’re so excited to learn from pioneering CHROs discussing how HR leadership is driving positive change and ESG results, including from Aviva Investors, Bain Capital, Britvic, First Bus, Fitch Ratings, Kantar, Ogilvy, Skyscanner, Tate & Lyle, Trustpilot, VodafoneZiggo and more!

...AND cherry on the cake Sir Lenny Henry CBE is joining us with a closing conversation on his experience of transforming a profession and driving social value, on how to get it done, what we can learn and take forward into the transformation of HR.

An enormous thank you to our wonderful headline partners Enterprise, Skyscanner, The Clearing and Well, and our brilliant Impact ambassadors Allianz, Frazer Jones, Legal & General, LGBT Great and Oxygen House Group.

Thank you to our event partner, Well by CircleIn

Well knows that psychological safety is a key priority for companies, with 97% customers telling them that they plan to invest in it over the next 12 months.

Enter Well – a practical and cost-effective solution that gives your entire workforce the skills they need to level up and lead with care. Well is a risk management tool, that tackles psychosocial hazards in the workplace. Importantly, they're reimagining learning to meet the needs of emerging leaders and how they learn. They've partnered with Microsoft to deliver this tool in the flow of work where employees are ‘doing the work’. It aligns to ISO guidelines, as Well’s content is created by experts and backed by science so that organisations can easily align with new and incoming psychological safety standards.

Their blissfully bite-sized video content is highly engaging, fits into busy schedules, and delivered with tangible takeaways to turn learning into action. Well keeps it real, promotes empathy, encourages self-improvement, and builds stronger teams. The result? Increased productivity, engagement, and happiness in your organisation.

Find out more about Well here.

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by social enterprise, From Babies with Love. Across Moments that Matter, we provide employee engagement gift services to global HR functions and donate 100% of our profit to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. We transform commonly existing gift spend in to strategic, efficient and inclusive tools in your People Strategy, delivering Exceptional Employee Experience, and at the same time, ESG results.

Flo and Kevin share their approach to go beyond surface level understanding and create a work environment that empathises with the lived experience of colleagues and understands the human condition.

Including having courageous conversations on areas of life often considered taboo at work, to how data and tech help move businesses forward, Flo and Kevin provide practical examples of how they’re creating change, across 200 countries, at Pearson plc.

Inviting us to use the word ‘love’ in our work, Flo and Kevin call on everyone in HR to put Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at the top of their agendas.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[6:42] The impact of acting as part of a community and the ongoing change this inspires

[10:50] Understanding the lived experience of employees, particularly in relation to areas often considered to be taboo

[16:46]  Going beyond the surface for a greater understanding of the human condition, especially in the most under-represented areas

[21:21] The transformative opportunities that tech creates for an inclusive workforce

[24:35] Harnessing data and technology to focus equity and evolve the impacts of business in society

[29:07] Female equality – the wonderful opportunity for organisations

[31:35] Having courageous conversations, being vulnerable and increasing empathy

[36:00] Calling HR: Put ED&I at the top of your agenda and help businesses to be more loving.

Kevin’s recommended reading: We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! 

Janine describes her CHRO role in the context of making work meaningful, sharing how tools such as health and productivity data can help change work culture, and why re-humanising HR and business through seemingly simple actions can be highly effective.

Janine considers how AI can create opportunities to reduce inequality, such as in recruitment processes, and how her business leadership and passion for reducing inequality contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Topics in Janine’s episode: 

• Creating meaning at work
• The essence of leadership
• Where do you get your energy?
• How AI can help create equity
• HR and the SDGs
• Vulnerability – simple actions that reach large groups
• The benefits of giving time to someone who’s different to you

Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community and get our weekly newsletter – be the first to learn about new episodes and receive free bonus materials that help you showcase how your HR work is also driving positive change:

https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

We have a favour to ask! Would you tell an HR friend about the podcast? Or share the link with an HR team you think would find it helpful for their work? We’re excited to bring more of your peers into the community, and hugely appreciate your help to make it happen! 

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org/

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by social enterprise, From Babies with Love. Across Moments that Matter, we provide employee engagement gift services to global HR functions and donate 100% of our profit to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. We transform commonly existing gift spend in to strategic, efficient and inclusive tools in your People Strategy, delivering Exceptional Employee Experience, and at the same time, ESG results.

Jessica Peacock presents her view on the meaning of sustainability and how this encompasses HR, inclusion and wellbeing.

From changing perceptions of what sustainability means, examples of the connections between teams that often work separately, to Jessica’s personal experience of living with ADHD, Jessica shares her work to build inclusion in a green energy company.

Asking us to consider the impacts of the word ‘professional’ in the context of inclusion, Jessica describes her brilliant ideas for how we could use different language to help us all and effect positive change.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[4:00] The word impact, what this means in the work of diversity and inclusion and how we measure it

[7:43] Changing the perception of sustainability – how inclusion and wellbeing professionals are part of the work

[15:06] People-centred aspects of sustainability

[23:10] Living with ADHD and the use of the word ‘professional’ in the context of inclusion

[31:00] The benefits of a consensus-driven organisation

[37:15] Replacing the word ‘professional’ with phrases for the behaviours we want to see.

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! 

In this episode host Cecilia Crossley summarises the discussions from our recent conference, How HR Leaders Change the World – Live!

From UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 Good Health & Wellbeing to SDG11 Sustainable Cities & Communities, plus all the environmental goals, Cecilia recaps the examples the CHRO panellists provided at the conference – showcasing how commercial, strategic, HR work is also creating positive social change and driving ESG results.

Working on a collective exercise in mapping HR work to the UN SDGs, Cecilia invites you to join in and harness the power of your role as a #HRChangemaker…

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[1:30]   How HR Leaders Change the World – Live! overview

[4:00]   SDG11 and an example of a new office

[8:00]   Talent, Social Mobility and the SDGs, examples from TFG Brands London

[12:30] The macro perspective – people strategy, business purpose and transformation

[16:00] DE&I, SDG5 Gender Equity and SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities

[17:00] Mapping your HR work to the SDGs and how this will help you

Referenced resources

• United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
• How HR Leaders Change the World community – join us!
• World Economic Forum CEO’s letter
• Email your mapping doodles to impact@frombabieswithlove.org

 How HR Leaders Change the World - Live!

If you missed out on HR Leaders Change the World – Live! and want to get your hands on exclusive access to recordings of the inspiring panel sessions, and Erin Brockovich’s incredible closing keynote, join the How HR Leaders Change the World community – you can learn more about best practice in the new world of work and how people leaders deliver ESG strategy here.

The recordings are only available for a limited time, so click on the link today!

Emma shares her pioneering approach in connecting HR colleagues with the Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) framework, describing work that took place at a townhall meeting and, why this is important and inspiring for HR and the business.

Discussing her passions for supporting neurodiverse colleagues and working parents, including the process to gender equalise parental leave at QBE, Emma suggests a technique to help you achieve change and further support your colleagues - to look at whether your company’s internal culture, policies and practices match its PR.

Topics in Emma’s episode:

• Gender equal parental leave
• Connecting HR to the E, S and G in ESG
• Supporting neurodiverse colleagues
• Does your internal culture match your PR?

Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community and get our weekly newsletter – be the first to learn about new episodes and receive free bonus materials that help you showcase how your HR work is also driving positive change:

https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

We have a favour to ask! Would you tell an HR friend about the podcast? Or share the link with an HR team you think would find it helpful for their work? We’re excited to bring more of your peers into the community, and hugely appreciate your help to make it happen! 

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org/

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by social enterprise, From Babies with Love. Across Moments that Matter, we provide employee engagement gift services to global HR functions and donate 100% of our profit to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. We transform commonly existing gift spend in to strategic, efficient and inclusive tools in your People Strategy, delivering Exceptional Employee Experience, and at the same time, ESG results.

Sharing examples of her work at Ofcom, Aviva and House of Fraser, Kerri-Ann describes how starting with organisational purpose provided powerful learning that informed business and people strategy, underpinning the connections between commercial success and societal impact.

With the example of child safety online, Kerri-Ann describes how a diverse and inclusive group enables pioneering work and provides a brilliant reference to Bletchley Park during WWII in describing the benefits. 

Kerri-Ann advocates that every HR professional must have an opinion, use their agency to influence business and change, and to help connect with this, your own purpose and power, recommends that you ask yourself: Why did I join this profession? 

Topics in Kerri Ann’s episode:

• Starting with Purpose – an example from Aviva
• ESG and People Strategy 
• HR having a business opinion
• Future forward thinking, Ofcom and the example of child safety online
• Bletchley Park – inspiring diversity and inclusion
• Why did you join this profession?

Referenced resources: Nudge, by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R Sunstein

Plus! The inspiring, impact-led HR conference is back! How HR Leaders Change the World - Live!

15 November 2023

How your HR strategy is also driving ESG results 

Join us to learn and discuss: 

• How does connecting your HR work to ESG help you achieve your goals?
• How can you measure HR's ESG impacts and what are investors and your CEO keen to hear from you on? 
• How can you position HR impact to best demonstrate your HR function's value to all your colleagues and in your EVP?

Learn from actionable examples shared by pioneering C-Suite HR Leaders, that you can implement at your company too. Alongside the CHRO speakers and the brilliant community of HR Changemakers you'll be part of, we're delighted to announce that Sir Lenny Henry CBE is this year's inspiring keynote. 

Find out more and don't miss out on a limited time Earlybird ticket! (Offer ends 6pm BST 8Sep23) Join us In Person or via Live Stream; enter code HRChangemaker to get 30% off your place: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world-live-2023

Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community

Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community and get our weekly newsletter – be the first to learn about new episodes and receive free bonus materials that help you showcase how your HR work is also driving positive change:

https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

We have a favour to ask! Would you tell an HR friend about the podcast? Or share the link with an HR team you think would find it helpful for their work? We’re excited to bring more of your peers into the community, and hugely appreciate your help to make it happen! 

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org 

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org/

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by social enterprise, From Babies with Love. Across Moments that Matter, we provide employee engagement gift services to global HR functions and donate 100% of our profit to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. We transform commonly existing gift spend in to strategic, efficient and inclusive tools in your People Strategy, delivering Exceptional Employee Experience, and at the same time, ESG results.

Caoimhe introduces AVEVA’s ESG strategy, describing it’s three pillars: i) its products and the positive impact they create for customers, ii) the footprint of AVEVA’s own operations, and iii) inclusive culture, and shares how the C-Suite worked together to create it. 

Reflecting on her early career during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, Caoimhe describes how this has influenced her approach to inclusion and social mobility. Encouraging you to take a stand, Caoimhe shares examples of making work more equitable, discussing AVEVA’s work in early careers, being a leader in disclosing the ethnicity pay gap, and the role of CSR in ESG. 

👉 Your free 2024 Guide: Cutting Edge Family Friendly policy and practice 

Did you know, our research showed that only 15% of people feel company support for working parents has kept up to date with society.

This episode is brought to you by From Babies with Love. We believe that every child should be safe, loved and learning, and donate 100% of our profits to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. 

We provide our flagship parental leave gift service to hundreds of global HR functions, helping them connect with colleagues across parental leave and in returning to work, contributing to engagement and retention objectives, and so too gender balance goals.

It’s the story of how your parental leave gifts, celebrating and appreciating your colleagues, and at the same time empowering vulnerable children, that creates such poignant employee engagement. Such enhanced value compared to a bunch of flowers! Or any other gift that doesn’t have the Sustainable Development Goals at its heart. 

We transform often existing, ad-hoc spend in to a strategic, consistent and inclusive tool in your Working Parents strategy. 

In doing this work, across our clients we see many other strategies and tools that provide exceptional employee experience across family planning and care, and we’re delighted to share that knowledge with you, in our new 2024 guide, Cutting Edge Family Friendly policy and practice.

As well as data and latest examples across 5 key themes in family friendly workplaces, from gender inclusive policy to grandparents at work, you’ll enjoy exclusive behind the scenes features from M&G plc, Standard Chartered and The LEGO Group. 

Save time in preparing your business cases and learn from others across industries: Download your free Guide here 

Make an impact, at a defining moment.

Topics in this episode: 

·        Aveva’s ESG strategy

·        Gender representation in tech

·        Investment in early careers

·        Inclusion and social mobility

·        Disclosing the ethnicity pay gap

·        CSR as part of ESG

·        Taking a stand

Referenced resource:

5% Club:

5percentclub.org.uk

👥 Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Follow us on Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Explaining how HR leadership drives both business and societal success, Josh comments on the unquenchable power of the human spirit – and the positive impacts when all your stakeholders believe in it. 

Josh discusses the ‘decomposition of work’ – how companies are creating agile models of work, changing job architecture away from industrial hierarchiwa to fluid, project orientated businesses – and how this is impacting people and company performance. 

Noting a straight line between HR and environmental sustainability issues, Josh describes the concept of “People Sustainability” and how through this lens many areas of HR and Inclusion work can be elevated on a company’s agenda.

Josh’s one wish? That you believe in and take care of yourself - that you understand how valuable, important and complex your role is - because there is so much opportunity for impact. 

Topics in Josh’s episode:

• The unquenchable power of the human spirit
• Moving from a description of a job, to work
• People Sustainability
• Impacting society through your people
• Commercial success when inclusion is at the core of the business
• Take care of yourself - understanding how valuable your role is  

Referenced resources: Irresistible by Josh Bersin

Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community and get our weekly newsletter – be the first to learn about new episodes and receive free bonus materials that help you showcase how your HR work is also driving positive change:

https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

We have a favour to ask! Would you tell an HR friend about the podcast? Or share the link with an HR team you think would find it helpful for their work? We’re excited to bring more of your peers into the community, and hugely appreciate your help to make it happen! 

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove 

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org 

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org/

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by social enterprise, From Babies with Love. Across Moments that Matter, we provide employee engagement gift services to global HR functions and donate 100% of our profit to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. We transform commonly existing gift spend in to strategic, efficient and inclusive tools in your People Strategy, delivering Exceptional Employee Experience, and at the same time, ESG results.

Saskia describes Henkel’s drive for gender parity, discussing activities across the employee lifecycle that, working together with the whole business of over 50,000 colleagues, contribute to creating change.

Providing the examples of role modelling and influencing, Saskia discusses laying aside competitive behaviours, the power of working together and tips for best practice.

Saskia shares her long-term dream that so much positive change will see DE&I roles become obsolete, and her hope that constant dialogue progresses us towards this.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[4:40] Achieving gender parity

[11:50] The impact of and best practice role modelling

[20:40] Healthcare initiatives and topics at work

[26:00] A dream that DE&I roles become obsolete; staying in dialogue to move towards that

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live!

Don't miss out on HR Leaders Change the World - Live!, the inspiring event for designing best practice in the new world of work and pioneering how people leaders deliver ESG strategy. 

As well as learning from inspiring HR Leaders on how your strategic, commercial HR work is also creating change and delivering ESG goals, you'll be able to discuss ideas, challenges, co-create best practice with your peer and... there's more...

We're utterly thrilled to announce that our special guest, presenting a galvanising keynote, is the amazing Erin Brockovich! 

Watch Erin introduce How HR Leaders Change the World – Live! here

In her inspiring session you'll hear Erin share her experience and advice on how you too can harness the power of your role to create positive social change.

It's on 16th November 2022, at Linklaters, London. 

Don't delay - we'll be in a big auditorium, but we know we won't be able to fit everyone that wants to come... so visit our website today to grab your seat before tickets sell out!

It's set to be the most inspiring, changemaking, HR event ever, and we can't wait to see you there! 

Margareta describes the change at Stena Line, a company in the industrial maritime sector, in putting people at the centre of the business. 

Summarising how people and sustainability goals are aligned as part of Stena Line’s commercial business objectives, Margareta shares the 3 key Sustainable Development Goals their people strategy is contributing to and Stena Line’s work with Inner Development Goals. 

Discussing inclusion in a context of groups of colleagues historically described as ‘white collar’ and ‘blue collar’ Margareta shares her passion for fairness and how the word ‘care’ is embedded at Stena Line.

Topics this episode: 

•         People at the core of a traditionally industrial business
•         Sustainability in Stena Line’s People Strategy
•         The Future of Work: Inner Development Goals
•         Fairness at work and The White Book
•         Truly listening

Referenced Resources

·        Inner Development Goals

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live!

15 November 2023

Join us to learn and discuss:

·        How connecting your HR work to ESG helps you achieve your goals

·        Measuring your HR impact - what investors and CEOs are keen to hear from you on

·        Positioning your impact - how best to showcase your HR function’s impact leadership, to all your stakeholders and in your EVP

·        Demystifying psychological safety - how to embed a culture and workplace that drives innovation and change

Learn from actionable examples shared by pioneering C-Suite HR Leaders, that you can implement at your company too.

Alongside the CHRO speakers and the brilliant community of HR Changemakers you'll be part of, we're delighted to announce that Sir Lenny Henry CBE is this year's inspiring keynote.

Find out more and don't miss your UN Global Goals Week special offer   

(Offer ends 6pm BST 31Oct23) Join us In Person or via Live Stream; enter code: GlobalGoals to get 10% off your place

Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community and get our weekly newsletter – be the first to learn about new episodes and receive free bonus materials that help you showcase how your HR work is also driving positive change, and here’s the link to our free digital tool mapping HR to the UN SDGs.

We have a favour to ask! Would you tell an HR friend about the podcast? Or share the link with an HR team you think would find it helpful for their work? We’re excited to bring more of your peers into the community, and hugely appreciate your help to make it happen!

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by social enterprise, From Babies with Love. Across Moments that Matter, we provide employee engagement gift services to global HR functions and donate 100% of our profit to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. We transform commonly existing gift spend in to strategic, efficient and inclusive tools in your People Strategy, delivering Exceptional Employee Experience, and at the same time, ESG results.

Hear Catherine, former Chief People Officer at The British Council, Interserve and BMI Healthcare, share thoughts on why this is an exciting time to be in HR.

In this episode Catherine also shares examples of her work in addressing gender imbalance and driving social mobility through employment pathways.   

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[6:46] Creating a talent management strategy across global cultures

[9:37] Reimagining work and an exciting moment for HR

[15:30] Diversity & Inclusion: the influence and responsibility of HR

[19:08] Social Mobility pathways that give access to work and qualifications

[25:16] Wellbeing and work design: time for HR to stand up and be counted!

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! 

Salma discusses her personal experience of race, at home, work and as a CHRO, sharing strategies to create belonging including spaces for conversation and helping all colleagues recognise that everyone is responsible for organisational culture.

Reflecting on changes driven by the pandemic, Salma raises the trend of a ‘boomerang employee’ and shares new themes in creating a people plan and employee engagement. I loved Salma’s example of setting work commitments rather than work objectives.

Salma encourages us to use simple language to support honest and safe conversations – with straight forward communication at the heart of all work that HR is leading.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[4:22] Supporting through the pandemic, even in seemingly small ways

[11:15] Post-pandemic employee engagement and the ‘boomerang employee’

[15:30] Education and the talent pipeline

[17:20] Creating a sense of belonging

[23:20] Practical ways to bring about change, such as ‘commitments’

[28:00] Using simple language

Referenced resources

• Cutting Edge Parental & Family Leave Policy and Practice

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow How HR Leaders Change the World today! 

Welcome to this special episode of How HR Leaders Change the World!

Which is a different format to usual, as there’s a big week coming up… the UN General Assembly, also known as UNGA Week and Global Goals Week. It’s a brilliant opportunity for HR and certainly every HR Changemaker, and so we thought to create this episode to tell you about it!

Plus, we’ve created a free cheat-sheet for you: 25 Ways Your HR Work Delivers ESG Results 

In this episode we'll cover:

• What UNGA week is
• Why it matters
• Why it’s relevant to HR
• What I’m doing during UNGA week
• What you can do too, and importantly, why doing so will help your work

Click here to get your free cheat-sheet: 25 Ways Your HR Work Delivers ESG Results

Plus here's further information about UNGA Week and the link to our free digital tool mapping HR - UN SDGs

The inspiring, impact-led HR conference is back... How HR Leaders Change the World - Live!

15 November 2023

Join us to learn and discuss:

• How does connecting your HR work to ESG help you achieve your goals?
• How can you measure HR's ESG impacts and what are investors and your CEO keen to hear from you on?
• How can you position HR impact to best demonstrate your HR function's value to all your colleagues and in your EVP?
• Demystifying psychological safety: embedding a workplace culture that drives innovation and change.

Learn from actionable examples shared by pioneering C-Suite HR Leaders, that you can implement at your company too.

Alongside the CHRO speakers and the brilliant community of HR Changemakers you'll be part of, we're delighted to announce that Sir Lenny Henry CBE is this year's inspiring keynote.

Find out more and don't miss out on your place!

Join us In Person or via Live Stream, get your ticket here: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world-live-2023

Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community and get our weekly newsletter – be the first to learn about new episodes and receive free bonus materials that help you showcase how your HR work is also driving positive change:

https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

We have a favour to ask! Would you tell an HR friend about the podcast? Or share the link with an HR team you think would find it helpful for their work? We’re excited to bring more of your peers into the community, and hugely appreciate your help to make it happen!

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by social enterprise, From Babies with Love. Across Moments that Matter, we provide employee engagement gift services to global HR functions and donate 100% of our profit to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. We transform commonly existing gift spend in to strategic, efficient and inclusive tools in your People Strategy, delivering Exceptional Employee Experience, and at the same time, ESG results.

Sharing her perspective on finding your why and organisational purpose, Jane discusses key changes taking place in HR and business leadership.

On hybrid and flexible working, Jane provides the idea of ‘putting up scaffolding’ – how to create principles and a framework – for bringing together different expectations on this aspect of the Future of Work. Reflecting on AI, Jane offers thoughts on how to take all colleagues in to the future with optimism.  Advocating for HR’s role in bringing energy to DE&I leadership across the business, Jane picks out reverse mentoring as an example of impactful work.

Topics in Jane’s episode:  

•         Inspiring better workplaces
•         Successful and productive flexible working
•        AI and skills, life-long learning and opportunity
•         Jane’s experience of feeling excluded
•        HR’s critical role in enabling DE&I
•        The mutual benefit of reverse mentoring
•         Finding your why

Referenced resources: Simon Sinek

Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community and get our weekly newsletter – be the first to learn about new episodes and receive free bonus materials that help you showcase how your HR work is also driving positive change:

https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

We have a favour to ask! Would you tell an HR friend about the podcast? Or share the link with an HR team you think would find it helpful for their work? We’re excited to bring more of your peers into the community, and hugely appreciate your help to make it happen! 

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org/

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by social enterprise, From Babies with Love.  Across Moments that Matter, we provide employee engagement gift services to global HR functions and donate 100% of our profit to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. We transform commonly existing gift spend in to strategic, efficient and inclusive tools in your People Strategy, delivering Exceptional Employee Experience, and at the same time, ESG results.

As well as flexible and personal, Marieke believes that the future of work is green.

Discussing several of the trends she sees in the labour market from attracting to retaining, Marieke shares her thoughts on the impacts for companies and HR in a fierce, demand-led context.

Sharing her personal passion for addressing the climate crisis, Marieke describes how HR professionals can best influence, from leadership strategy to hybrid working design. Indeed, if Marieke could ask you to take only one action, it would be to put sustainability on the agenda, for every decision.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[4:00] Coaching across cultures  

[8:20] Everyone having their own advisory board

[10:00] Dynamics in the labour market

[22:00] The future of HR is green

[30:00] Building diverse and inclusive teams

[35:30] Putting sustainability on the agenda for every decision

Referenced resources

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live!

Have you heard the exciting news?!

With huge thanks to you for the 5 star reviews and wonderful feedback you've sent us, we're launching our first one day conference, How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! 

As well as learning from inspiring HR Leaders on how your strategic, commercial HR work is also creating change and delivering ESG goals, you'll be able to discuss ideas, challenges, co-create best practice with your peers and... there's more...

We're utterly thrilled to announce that our special guest, presenting a galvanising keynote, is the amazing Erin Brockovich! 

In her inspiring session you'll hear Erin share her experience and advice on how you too can harness the power of your role to create positive social change.

It's on 16th November 2022, at Linklaters, London. 

Don't delay - we'll be in a big auditorium, but we know we won't be able to fit everyone that wants to come... so visit our website today to grab your seat before tickets sell out! 

It's set to be the most inspiring, changemaking, HR event ever, and we can't wait to see you there! 

With his career experience spanning from shopfloor to global CHRO, Jez shares his passion for equality of opportunity and how workplace Learning & Development creates change for individuals and communities.

A Fortune 250 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, Jez describes how Global Partners LP roles provides flexible working opportunities that support multiple generations of the same family to work for the company and fulfil their home and caring responsibilities.

Noting the common challenges being experienced by companies across sectors, Jez advocates for HR to share experience and collaborate, helping to avoid burn out and implement best practice.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[4:45] Creating equality of opportunity

[11:40] Careers in mid-life; how companies need to adapt

[15:00] A multi-generation workforce: flexible job opportunities for families

[18:33] Companies as community hubs

[21:00] Open dialogue on DE&I policy and how to be an ally

[25:00] HR collaborating to solve common challenges

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow How HR Leaders Change the World today! 

Jane shares her approach to finding points in the employee lifecycle to make positive impact, providing examples such as HR’s role in designing leaders’ decarbonisation and gender targets that create transparency and accountability.

Describing Dentsu’s approach to attracting Millennial and GenZ talent through its employer value proposition and brand message as champions for meaningful progress, Jane highlights the partnership between HR and Social Impact teams.

Encouraging us to listen more and stay curious, don’t miss all the examples Jane provides in this brilliant episode – and we’d love to know what you think about having a personal carbon budget at work!

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3:20] Finding points in an employee lifecycle to make an impact

[6:00] HR supporting decarbonisation targets

[11:20] Championing meaningful progress: HR and Social Impact partnering

[17:00] Social Mobility

[20:00] Reviewing corporate values through an inclusion lens

[26:30] Listening more and stay curious       

Referenced resources

Cutting Edge Parental & Family Leave Policy and Practice

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow How HR Leaders Change the World today! 

Explore how the work of HR Leaders is creating positive social change, contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals - goals which the world’s companies are increasingly understanding the urgency of achieving, and investing in the action required.

If you’d like clear, actionable ideas for how you can use the power of your role to effect change in your company, you’re in the right place.

I’m the founder of social enterprise From Babies with Love, we provide services to HR Leaders, and through this work I realised that HR professionals and social entrepreneurs are working in the same areas, albeit in different ways.

So we created this podcast to share knowledge, on steps we can take through the work of HR.

In my opinion, if you’re an HR professional, you are also a change maker.

And this podcast will provide you with examples of how. By sharing the successes of some of the world’s most inspiring HR Leaders, you can frame your work in the context of positive change, implement brilliant ideas, and feel absolutely wonderful about doing so!

In this special episode to mark International Women’s Day, hear Erin Brockovich’s keynote at How HR Leaders Change the World- Live!, “Being bold in the corporate world – personal empowerment and persistence”. Erin was so passionate and inspiring she moved the room to tears!

Erin assumes you’ve seen the film, and goes behind the scenes to her upbringing, her family and her relationships to explain her approach to achieving justice, with approaches you can also use to overcome hurdles and achieve your goals. 

With incredible openness, honesty and vulnerability, Erin’s speech will leave with energy and tools to question the status quo, address issues that you see, and drive positive change. 

Topics in Erin’s episode:

• Being centred
• ‘Stick-to-it-ive-ness’ – dogged persistence
• Being accepted when you’re different
• Logic, Leverage, Loyalty, Love
• Environmental and water contamination around the world
• RAM: realisation, assessment and accountability, motivation

Thank you to our sponsor for this week's episode, The Talent Keeper Specialists. Their brilliant podcast, COMEBACK COACH is the podcast for people coming back from maternity and other work breaks recommended by HR professionals.

Referenced resources      

• Comeback Coach podcast 
• Comeback Community 
• Erin Brockovich’s Community Healthbook
• Superman’s Not Coming – Our National Water Crisis and What We the People Can do about it – Erin Brockovich   

Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community to receive our weekly newsletter – be the first to learn about new episodes and free bonus materials: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

Linkedin: @FromBabieswith Love

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org 

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org/

Melinda discusses factors influencing mental health for today’s workforce and shares thoughts on where the responsibilities of the organisation versus the individual lie in our changing society. Sharing the theory of Positive Psychology and how this can apply at work, Melinda provides examples of how to provide support to colleagues, including considering global differences in culture and infrastructure. 

Ahead of International Women’s Day this year, Melinda discusses creating opportunity and removing bias, and practical steps, sometimes for individuals and sometimes organisation wide, that contribute to equity. With a wonderful to call to action at the end… hear Melinda share her definition of optimism… and see if you feel as empowered as I did! 

👉 Download your free cheat-sheet: 25 Ways Your HR Work Delivers ESG Results: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hresgcheatsheet

👥 Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Follow us on Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Topics in this episode: 

·        The story of Polaroid

·        Women at work and steps to create change

·        Mental health and the role of work

·        Positive psychology

·        Organisations as communities of people

·        Recruiting a diverse workforce

·        Driving optimism – a willingness to show up to reality  

Referenced resources

Martin Seligman & Positive Psychology: Theory and Practice (pursuit-of-happiness.org)

Anderson, P., Jane-llopis, E., & Hosman, C. (2011). Reducing the silent burden of impaired mental health. Health Promotion International, 26(suppl 1), i4–i9. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/dar051 

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by social enterprise, From Babies with Love. Across Moments that Matter, we provide employee engagement gift services to global HR functions and donate 100% of our profit to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. We transform commonly existing gift spend in to strategic, efficient and inclusive tools in your People Strategy, delivering Exceptional Employee Experience, and at the same time, ESG results.

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org

Brian champions human-first, tech-enabled strategies to navigate complexity. By taking a commercial and forward-thinking approach, Brian demonstrates how HR has the power to drive meaningful change, including in times of rapid change and uncertainty.

Brian shares how Teneo is harnessing GenAI, for example transforming a people survey, cutting analysis time from six weeks to six days. This rapid approach not only boosts leadership effectiveness but also strengthens trust, transparency, and confidence across the organisation.

Passionate about opportunity and inclusion, Brian reflects on his journey from a rural town in Ohio to a global HR leader. Guided by the mantra “don’t fix, create,” he emphasises HR's role in helping people chart their unique career paths and in empowering leaders to see potential in others.

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by Uplifting People

We’re an amazing community of cutting-edge HR Changemakers.

Together, we share experiences, tools and clear, actionable ideas. 

Ideas that will help you solve the challenges you face today and will inspire you with brilliant opportunities to push boundaries and positively impact people in your organisation - and beyond. 

And what’s even better, is every penny of our profit empowers vulnerable children to be safe, loved and learning.

Together, we uplift people.

👥 Join our free HR Changemakers community

You’ll be the first to hear about each podcast episode, about our events, and receive free bonus resources that enhance your influence and impact.

Join us here: upliftingpeople.com/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

And join us on Linkedin: Uplifting People | LinkedIn

Are you looking for your next great read that inspires you and helps your work?

Each month we recommend a book that challenges, motivates and uplifts, every pick is selected to spark meaningful conversations and personal growth.

This February our book of the month is Four Thousand Weeks - Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman.   

Nobody needs telling there isn’t enough time. We’re obsessed with our lengthening to-do lists, our overfilled inboxes, work-life balance, and the ceaseless battle against distraction.

We rarely connect our daily struggles with time and the ultimate time management problem: the challenge of how best to use our four thousand weeks. Drawing on the insights of both ancient and contemporary philosophers, Oliver Burkeman delivers an entertaining, humorous, practical, and profound guide to time and time management. 

And why not also get a copy for one of your team? You can select an Uplifting Gift Bundle, mix and match the book our Kind-hearted Chocolate, Supercharged Tea, and Well-informed Stationery, and send a brilliant moment of appreciation and inspiration to a colleague.

Head to UpliftingPeople.com to grab a copy, and we hope you enjoy this month’s Uplifting Book! 

Eve Baldwin, Chief People & Organisation Officer at Upfield describes her work building a people-led culture in a business spun out of a conglomerate.

Sharing examples and stories of how HR Leaders are creating equality of opportunity, Eve also discusses the new initiatives Upfield is implementing to enhance inclusion of colleagues around the world.

With her passion for engagement and culture, Eve advocates the open approach we must take in order to be successful.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3:45] Shaping an environment for people to be at their best

[9:20] How HR leaders are reducing inequality

[12:20] People impacts of working in a business creating positive environmental change

[18:30] Access to education and equality of opportunity

[24:30] DE&I led policy and culture changes

[30:40] Sitting in others’ shoes

Referenced resources

• The Dialogue Project

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow How HR Leaders Change the World today! 

Hempel owns many paint brands around the world, including for example Crown Paints and Farrow & Ball.

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! 13 November 2024

Our sell out conference is back! In London and on Live Stream.

Click here to secure your place today, we can't wait to see you there! 

The role of HR in ESG and Sustainability is rising up the agenda. 

What brilliant opportunities ahead for you and your teams to create even more business value and positive change.

And so, if you’d like to build your influence and impact, if you’d like to spend a day with pioneering CHROs and fellow HR Changemakers, come and join us!

You’ll leave with knowledge and actionable ideas that you can implement too, and, for even more inspiration – we’re so excited to share this - our keynote this year is acclaimed Swazi-British actor, Richard E Grant. Speaking on the topic, 'From global perspectives to daily to do lists'… we can’t wait…  

Remember, this is a sell-out conference, so you need to grab your place now – and as a thank you we’ve got an Early Bird offer on in person tickets.

Enter code HRCHANGEMAKER24 to get a brilliant 20% off.

Our EarlyBird offer closes on 31 July, T&C’s apply. 

Topics in this episode: 

•         A personal journey in understanding the scope of DE&I
•         Diversity and leadership
•         A business model that educates children and regenerates biodiversity
•         Being brave, feeling liberated
•         Saying I don’t know and asking for help.

👥 Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Follow us on Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Emma reflects on change in the HR profession, the positive role it holds in business and discusses HR’s leadership in driving Baringa’s culture of being kind and being curious.

Discussing opportunities for AI to help us to think more creatively and intelligently, Emma provides thoughts on applying insights, and any newly created time, to work on respect and belonging in the workplace, and why this is important in today’s climate.

Emma shares practical steps that help prevent consequences of miscommunication, advocating the importance of building trust, and that everyone in HR should allow the time needed to build it.

Thank you to Staffbase for supporting How HR Leaders Change the World

Staffbase knows that HR leaders are driving transformation in the workplace, and they’re here to help.

Their internal communications platform empowers companies to connect with their people, whether at their desks or on the frontlines.

With tools that improve engagement, amplify employee voices, and align everyone with your company’s goals, Staffbase makes it easier for HR leaders to create and measure lasting change.

Want to learn more?

Head on over to staffbase.com/en/staffbase-for-hr to see how Staffbase can help your organisation thrive.  

Referenced Resources

Find out about BCorp

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! 13 November 2024

Our sell out conference is back! In London and on Live Stream.

The role of HR in ESG and Sustainability is rising up the agenda. 

What brilliant opportunities ahead for you and your teams to create even more business value and positive change.

And so, if you’d like to build your influence and impact, if you’d like to spend a day with pioneering CHROs and fellow HR Changemakers, come and join us!

You’ll leave with knowledge and actionable ideas that you can implement too, and, for even more inspiration – we’re so excited to share this - our keynote this year is acclaimed Swazi-British actor, Richard E Grant. Speaking on the topic, 'From global perspectives to daily to do lists'… we can’t wait…  

Check out the inspiring agenda and click here to secure your place today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world-live-2024-tickets, we can't wait to see you there! 

👥 Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Follow us on Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

With its aim to act as a global citizen, Katarina explains how Spotify combined change-making roles across HR and other functions, into an Equity & Impact team, and the benefits this created. Sharing how to approach connecting work to, for example the Global Goals (SDGs) Katarina advocates focussing on what your company is and its ambition. 

Katarina shares Spotify’s experience of enhancing parental leave and its positive impact for colleagues’ careers, families, the company, and so too for society. Providing learning from Spotify’s data, Katarina explains her approach to making the change globally, and describes the many benefits, including that enhanced parental leave is “leadership development that you don’t have to pay for”.

Topics in Katarina’s episode:                                                      

• Spotify’s experience of globally enhancing Parental Leave
• Why Spotify created an Equity & Impact team
• The Global Goals (SDGs) – starting with who you are and your ambition
• Katarina’s experience of DE&I
• Continuous learning and creating real impact
• Katarina’s book recommendation: Bold - a new era in HR 

Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community to receive our weekly newsletter – be the first to learn about new episodes and free bonus materials: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org  

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org/

Stephane describes both small actions in creating opportunity for colleagues and his approach to leading change at scale. 

Sharing the example of the Listening Circle at L’Oreal, Stephane explains why a deep willingness to listen and understand is a fundamental starting point to creating a culture of belonging, and reflects on the emotions involved. 

Discussing the posture we choose at work, how this can help us as well as others, Stephane highlights the opportunity for HR to move forward by being brave. 

Topics in Stephane’s episode:

• Opportunities for employment and social mobility
• Listening at work
• Posture - how do you want to show up?
• HR: being brave and holding up the mirror
• Sharing knowledge to create opportunities through work

Thank you to our sponsor for this week's episode, The Talent Keeper Specialists. Their brilliant podcast, COMEBACK COACH is the podcast for people coming back form maternity leave and other work breaks recommended by HR professionals.

Referenced resources                                           

• Comeback Coach podcast
• Comeback Community 
• Real-Time Leadership: Find Your Winning Moves When The Stakes Are High

Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community to receive our weekly newsletter – be the first to learn about new episodes and free bonus materials: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org 

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org/

Describing people experience at the heart of Bank al Etihad’s customer proposition, Daniel connects the results from inclusion and social initiatives that lead to measurable commercial success.

Daniel describes the position of Jordan in respect of women in the workplace and the work taking place to build gender balance. Sharing his approach in how all of us helping one person is the way to change the world, Daniel considers the role of culture and values in achieving change, of continuous learning, scaling impact and partnering with others, and that not only is doing the right thing often free, it’s also right for your business.

Topics in Daniel’s episode:

• Women in the workplace in Jordan
• Helping one person
• Everyday empathy - the role of culture and values
• The commercial results of building inclusion
• Learning, scaling and partnering
• Doing the right thing is often free!

Referenced resource: https://www.bankaletihad.com/en

Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community and get our weekly newsletter – be the first to learn about new episodes and receive free bonus materials that help you showcase how your HR work is also driving positive change:

https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

We have a favour to ask! Would you tell an HR friend about the podcast? Or share the link with an HR team you think would find it helpful for their work? We’re excited to bring more of your peers into the community, and hugely appreciate your help to make it happen! 

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org/

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by social enterprise, From Babies with Love. Across Moments that Matter, we provide employee engagement gift services to global HR functions and donate 100% of our profit to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. We transform commonly existing gift spend in to strategic, efficient and inclusive tools in your People Strategy, delivering Exceptional Employee Experience, and at the same time, ESG results.

Tamsin shares her approach to HR and business leadership discussing how to create space to reflect, to question the status quo, and thereby to best serve colleagues and customers. 

Describing the importance of collaborating, Tamsin shares her experience of finding purpose, her thoughts on how to keep connected with people and planet in a fast-changing world, and on how vulnerability and trust are key to building a culture of inclusion. 

Ending with a seemingly simple call to action to underpin innovation and change, Tamsin asks you to: listen…

Topics this episode: 

•         How to build workplace culture that creates space to step back
•         HR questioning the status quo
•         Collaboration to enable a thriving workforce
•        Meaningfully connecting with purpose and using the UN SDGs framework
•        Building inclusion through vulnerable conversations
•         Listening

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live!

15 November 2023

Join us to learn and discuss:

·        How connecting your HR work to ESG helps you achieve your goals

·        Measuring your HR impact - what investors and CEOs are keen to hear from you on

·        Positioning your impact - how best to showcase your HR function’s impact leadership, to all your stakeholders and in your EVP

·        Demystifying psychological safety - how to embed a culture and workplace that drives innovation and change

Learn from actionable examples shared by pioneering C-Suite HR Leaders, that you can implement at your company too.

Alongside the CHRO speakers and the brilliant community of HR Changemakers you'll be part of, we're delighted to announce that Sir Lenny Henry CBE is this year's inspiring keynote.

Find out more and don't miss your UN Global Goals Week special offer   

(Offer ends 6pm BST 31Oct23) Join us In Person or via Live Stream; enter code: GlobalGoals to get 10% off your place

Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community and get our weekly newsletter – be the first to learn about new episodes and receive free bonus materials that help you showcase how your HR work is also driving positive change, and here’s the link to our free digital tool mapping HR to the UN SDGs.

We have a favour to ask! Would you tell an HR friend about the podcast? Or share the link with an HR team you think would find it helpful for their work? We’re excited to bring more of your peers into the community, and hugely appreciate your help to make it happen!

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by social enterprise, From Babies with Love. Across Moments that Matter, we provide employee engagement gift services to global HR functions and donate 100% of our profit to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. We transform commonly existing gift spend in to strategic, efficient and inclusive tools in your People Strategy, delivering Exceptional Employee Experience, and at the same time, ESG results.

David Henderson shares his work in building organisational health in a purpose and performance led business.

David also describes how technology and the pace of change impact talent strategy and work sustainability, why youth employment pathways are vital, his views on driving out unconscious bias and examples of success in gender balance.

Leaving us with an inspiring call to action, David explains why aspiring to a superior employee experience impacts positive change in society.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3:09] The intersection of performance and purpose and creating a culture where they co-exist

[5:00] Organisational health, from an initial health check to a journey to employee-centric and purpose-led action

[8:59] Managing performance through purpose          

[11:44] Technological change and the impact on work sustainability

[20:15] Youth employment and equal access to workplace opportunities, the positive impacts for an inclusive workforce and for society

[31:05] Driving out unconscious bias and example of success in gender balance

[37.43] Why we must aspire to creating a superior employee experience

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! 

A strong advocate for flexible and remote working, Jessie discusses the benefits for individuals, business, the environment and society. Hear Jessie summarise the business case, share practical ways that Doodle implements its approach, and the results for people and culture. 

Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community:

👥 https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Download your free cheat-sheet:

👉 https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hresgcheatsheet

 Follow us on Linkedin  @FromBabieswithLove

This episode is brought to you by our good friends at The Clearing. They’d like you to ask yourself some crucial questions: 

•         How aligned are your people to your organisation’s strategy?
•         How well do they understand their role in delivering it?
•         And perhaps most importantly, how confident are you that they genuinely buy in to where your organisation is headed?

If these questions strike a chord, you’re not alone – many organisations struggle to put people at the heart of a brand or business change. But The Clearing is here to help you rewrite that narrative through the power of ‘Buy-in’. Whatever you’re trying to achieve, they can help you inspire your people through change, helping them feel connected to where your business is going, and empowering them to shape and deliver that future. 

Buy-in is more than a concept – it’s the People Operating System for business and brand change. It’s about creating an environment where every one of your colleagues not only understands what you’re trying to achieve, but believes in it and acts on it. It helps your people become advocates. Clear about their roles. And ensures they show up for your customers and each other when it matters. 

The Clearing believes that Buy-in is essential to business performance – especially during times of change or growth. If you’d like to find out more about how they could help you address your key strategic challenges through Buy-in, drop them a line at getintouch@theclearing.co.uk or visit https://theclearing.co.uk/

Topics in this episode: 🔊

•         Flexible working and diversity
•         Global empathy that goes beyond CSR
•         An individual wellbeing budget
•         Working remote work with a sense of togetherness
•         Transparent career paths
•         Partnerships with community organisations

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by social enterprise, From Babies with Love. Across Moments that Matter, we provide employee engagement gift services to global HR functions and donate 100% of our profit to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. We transform commonly existing gift spend in to strategic, efficient and inclusive tools in your People Strategy, delivering Exceptional Employee Experience, and at the same time, ESG results.

Email: 📧 hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org

Website: 🌐 https://frombabieswithlove.org

Nick shares his approach to creating an inclusive, multi-generational workforce. Discussing a recruitment example, Nick describes how Canada Life successfully reimagined traditional work practices to welcome retirees back into flexible roles.

Nick also discusses Canada Life’s approach to creating a collaborative environment at work and advocates for ensuring the office is a space people want to be in.

Reflecting on his own career path, that began in music, Nick’s wish for HR practitioners is to remember where they came from and to offer growth opportunities to those who don’t fit conventional norms. He credits his success to leaders who recognised his potential beyond the expected mould and shares his passion for paying it forward.

This episode is sponsored by CGA Empathy Lab®

If you want a happier, more confident workforce, to reduce absenteeism and workplace anxiety and put an end to situations that may result in conflict, you should experience the CGA Empathy Lab®.

By teaching employees the power of empathy, they can enjoy better conversations and create better experiences, not only for themselves but for other employees and customers, ultimately driving business purpose and performance.

There’s no better way to experience the world through the eyes of others and learn how to make every moment matter. CGA Empathy Lab® - Winner of the ‘People, Skills, and Diversity Award’ for the Rail Industry.

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by Uplifting People

We’re an amazing community of cutting-edge HR Changemakers.

Together, we share experiences, tools and clear, actionable ideas.

Ideas that will help you solve the challenges you face today and will inspire you with brilliant opportunities to push boundaries and positively impact people in your organisation - and beyond.

And what’s even better, is every penny of our profit empowers vulnerable children to be safe, loved and learning.

Together, we uplift people.

Join our free HR Changemakers community

You’ll be the first to hear about each podcast episode, about our events, and receive free bonus resources that enhance your influence and impact. Join us here: upliftingpeople.com/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world And join us on Linkedin: Uplifting People | LinkedIn

Are you looking for your next great read that inspires you and helps your work?

Each month we recommend a book that challenges, motivates and uplifts, every pick is selected to spark meaningful conversations and personal growth.

Our March book of the month is Dare to Lead by Brené Brown.

In a world full of uncertainty, this brilliant book is a powerful reminder that courage is essential to building brave leaders and creating cultures rooted in connection, bold action and meaningful change. Head to UpliftingPeople.com to grab a copy, and we hope you enjoy this month’s Uplifting Book!

Sarah has dedicated her career to making work work - campaigning to ensure people with caring responsibilities are not excluded.

Sarah shares her experience of creating workplace and social change across three decades, discussing the most effective tools and providing examples such as the power of ‘real models’ and the benefit of personal experience in selling the business case.

I consider myself a beneficiary of Sarah’s work, indeed suggest we all are, and so as well as the chance to share a personal thank you, I loved hearing how, with her HR is PR motto, Sarah is such a successful campaigner, and how she is looking to the unmissable opportunity ahead to drive change using models of hybrid working.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[6:00] HR is PR: campaigning and creating evidence to make the business case come alive

[9:25] The hype about hybrid working

[11:30] ‘Real Models’: how personal experience helps change minds

[14:30] Having caring responsibilities must not exclude people from work

[21:30] The business case and a burning platform

[25:50] Flexible working – saying “Yes! Why not?”

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! 

With priorities including Work-life Balance and Gender Diversity, Emma shares her journey in building inclusion, sharing improvements in people-related metrics driven by change in ‘Everyday Culture’.

Describing challenges, programmes of work and successes across the whole of Deloitte’s workforce, Emma also provides examples of positive change for groups of talent such as working parents, women, and Millennials.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3:20] Becoming a Managing Partner for Talent tasked with Work-life Balance and Gender Diversity priorities

[6:20] Working Parent attrition – culture change and employee engagement

[12:58] Measuring impact: societal and employee metrics – 50 Million Futures, lower than average attrition and a 41% female partner promotion rate

[22:39] The impact of the Pandemic on women in the workplace and the opportunity for HR Leaders to create change whilst recognising the risk of exclusion

[27:00] Agile working and the role of managers

[30:00] Mental Health – a priority, prior to the Pandemic, and opportunity for employers and CEOs

[36: 54] Everyday culture: how you feel, micro-aggressions and allyship

Referenced resources:

• Deloitte Global Gender Impact Report: https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/global-gender-impact-report.html
• Deloitte Can You See Me videos: https://www2.deloitte.com/ch/en/pages/careers/articles/can-you-see-me.html

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! 

Providing the example of paid paternity leave in a male dominated environment, Helen discusses the results of incremental changes that balance commercial and societal impacts and referencing significant shifts such as AI and Net Zero, Helen discusses preparing a workforce to be able to navigate transitions. 

Helen shares thoughts on her responsibilities for people and sustainability and explains why her role encompassing both enriches strategic thinking and opportunities for the business. Discussing why inclusion is a critical part of her role, Helen connects internal inclusion to community viewpoints, and provides a measurement of positive organisational culture that we think will make you smile! 

Referenced Resources: Working Chance: Unlocking Women’s Potential

👉 Your free 2024 Guide: Cutting Edge Family Friendly policy and practice 

Did you know, our research showed that only 15% of people feel company support for working parents has kept up to date with society.

This episode is brought to you by From Babies with Love. We believe that every child should be safe, loved and learning, and donate 100% of our profits to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. 

We provide our flagship parental leave gift service to hundreds of global HR functions, helping them connect with colleagues across parental leave and in returning to work, contributing to engagement and retention objectives, and so too gender balance goals.

It’s the story of how your parental leave gifts, celebrating and appreciating your colleagues, and at the same time empowering vulnerable children, that creates such poignant employee engagement. Such enhanced value compared to a bunch of flowers! Or any other gift that doesn’t have the Sustainable Development Goals at its heart. 

We transform often existing, ad-hoc spend in to a strategic, consistent and inclusive tool in your Working Parents strategy. 

In doing this work, across our clients we see many other strategies and tools that provide exceptional employee experience across family planning and care, and we’re delighted to share that knowledge with you, in our new 2024 guide, Cutting Edge Family Friendly policy and practice.

As well as data and latest examples across 5 key themes in family friendly workplaces, from gender inclusive policy to grandparents at work, you’ll enjoy exclusive behind the scenes features from M&G plc, Standard Chartered and The LEGO Group. 

Save time in preparing your business cases and learn from others across industries: Download your free Guide here! Make an impact, at a defining moment.

Topics in this episode: 

•         Paternity in a male dominated workplace
•         The Living Wage
•         Enabling a workforce to navigate changes
•         Sustainability & People Leadership
•         Measuring organisational culture
•         Thinking differently about leadership programmes
•         Working with prison leavers
•         HR Business Partners being disrupters  

👥 Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Follow us on Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

In this thought-provoking episode Uxio shares his compelling vision for addressing inequality and rethinking the role of HR.

Delving into the essence of inclusion, Uxio challenges the fragmentation of diversity initiatives. He highlights the need for shared purpose, reminding us that inclusion must serve everyone.

Reflecting on inequality, Uxio speaks passionately about the disparities in access to education. He believes HR is uniquely positioned to address these gaps by aligning leadership priorities with the development of diverse talent.

Calling for courage in HR leadership, Uxio urges you to influence your organisation, furthering HR as a driver of both individual and collective success.

Thank you to Visier for supporting How HR Leaders Change the World

Visier gives organisations a workforce AI edge, helping leaders drive productivity, performance, and agility in the face of change.

As a global leader in AI-powered people analytics, workforce planning, and compensation allocation, Visier leverages its real-time people data platform to harness the transformative potential of both people and work data. By combining these insights, Visier enables smarter workforce decisions and elevates performance across teams.

Visier proudly serves over 60,000 customers across 75 countries, including enterprises like BASF, Panasonic, Experian, Sanofi, eBay, and Ford Motor Company.

Discover more about how Visier can transform your organisation, visit www.visier.com

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by Uplifting People

We’re an amazing community of cutting-edge HR Changemakers.

Together, we share experiences, tools and clear, actionable ideas. 

Ideas that will help you solve the challenges you face today and will inspire you with brilliant opportunities to push boundaries and positively impact people in your organisation - and beyond. 

And what’s even better, is every penny of our profit empowers vulnerable children to be safe, loved and learning.

Together, we uplift people.

👥 Join our free HR Changemakers community

You’ll be the first to hear about each podcast episode, about our events, and receive free bonus resources that enhance your influence and impact.

Join us here: upliftingpeople.com/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

And join us on Linkedin: Uplifting People | LinkedIn

Are you looking for your next great read that inspires you and helps your work?

Each month we recommend a book that challenges, motivates and uplifts, every pick is selected to spark meaningful conversations and personal growth.

Our Book of the Month is Atomic Habits, by James Clear, a book we found super practical for making small changes that build to transformation.

And why not also get a copy for one of your team? You can select an Uplifting Gift Bundle, mix and match the book our Kind-hearted Chocolate, Supercharged Tea, and Well-informed Stationery, and send a brilliant moment of appreciation and inspiration to a colleague.

Head to UpliftingPeople.com to grab a copy, and we hope you enjoy this month’s Uplifting Book! 

Hear from Loren Shuster, Chief People Officer and Head of Corporate Affairs at The LEGO Group, describe The LEGO Group’s approach to leadership.

Loren shares examples of developing a leadership culture that includes everyone and fosters a mindset that everyone has a leadership role.

In this episode Loren also shares his perspective on valuing differences; how this impacts culture, brand, the bottom line and society.   

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3:09] HR Leaders do change the world!

[4:17] The Leadership Playground: every employee has a leadership role.

[9:22] A unconventional approach: designing leadership culture that is cultivated by a large and diverse group.

[18:44] Valuing differences: in our culture and our brand; looking across our whole value change with a conscious approach to inclusion.

[24:43] Being your best self to work and why this impacts social equality.

[34:04] The importance of HR being influential in the business.

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! 

In this special episode we hear from colleagues Ulf Bengtsson and Hortense Thorpe on their experience of changing workplace culture and support for colleague fertility.

Describing their personal and professional journeys, Ulf and Hortense share the steps they took to build the support and approach to fertility that Centrica has today, how personal stories became a business case.

Advocating for the power of networks and Employee Resource Groups, Ulf and Hortense call on us to bring our passions to work, and to be curious – to have open minded conversations with colleagues – not for a specific reason – just to chat.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3.00] Hortense and Ulf’s personal experience and why they created a Fertility Employee Resource Group

[8.30] Starting with a story and a digital, social network

[11:20] Leadership roles: C-suite buy in

[17:45] 4 elements to creating Fertility support, and starting with passion and openness

[22:15] The power of a network

[29:00] Present the case for what you’re passionate about and being curious

[31:50] Creating change: spend a couple of ours in a network and encourage openness           

Referenced resources

Cutting Edge Parental & Family Leave Policy and Practice

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow How HR Leaders Change the World today! 

Caroline describes a change in work culture, centring on people first, and shares initiatives including ‘PTO’ (Predictability, Teaming, Open Communication) – a methodology for everyone to voice personal time or other requirements, enabling a team to deliver a client assignment and team members to have control of their lives.

Describing HR as the gatekeepers of an ethical culture, Caroline considers the future impact of AI and HR’s role in skills and culture development, shares her passions for equal opportunities and education, and discusses initiatives that create a more inclusive workplace and world. 

Topics in this episode: 

•         The culture change from putting people first
•         PTO: Predictability, Teaming, Open Communication
•         AI, human conscience, and the role of HR
•         Equal opportunities and education
•         Integrating inclusion
•         KPIs for behaviour change
•         Mastering your time and your life

Buy In – a People Operating System by The Clearing

This episode is brought to you by our good friends at The Clearing. They’d like you to ask yourself some crucial questions:

•         How aligned are your people to your organisation’s strategy?
•         How well do they understand their role in delivering it?
•         And perhaps most importantly, how confident are you that they genuinely buy in to where your organisation is headed?

If these questions strike a chord, you’re not alone – many organisations struggle to put people at the heart of a brand or business change. But The Clearing is here to help you rewrite that narrative through the power of ‘Buy-in’. Whatever you’re trying to achieve, they can help you inspire your people through change, helping them feel connected to where your business is going, and empowering them to shape and deliver that future. 

Buy-in is more than a concept – it’s the People Operating System for business and brand change. It’s about creating an environment where every one of your colleagues not only understands what you’re trying to achieve, but believes in it and acts on it. It helps your people become advocates. Clear about their roles.  And ensures they show up for your customers and each other when it matters.

The Clearing believes that Buy-in is essential to business performance – especially during times of change or growth. If you’d like to find out more about how they could help you address your key strategic challenges through Buy-in, drop them a line at getintouch@theclearing.co.uk or visit https://theclearing.co.uk/

Download your free cheat-sheet: 25 Ways Your HR Work Delivers ESG Results

Helping you showcase the enhanced value HR creates, this quick and simple tool you can spend just 10 - 15 minutes to connect the dots between HR and ESG, briefly assess progress at your company, and identify opportunities for next quarter and next year.

Join the How HR Leaders Change the World community!

Come and join the community of pioneering #HRChangemakers, it’s totally free and you’ll be the first to receive new tools and resources, and get first access invitations to our events: join us here: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers 

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by social enterprise, From Babies with Love.  Across Moments that Matter, we provide employee engagement gift services to global HR functions and donate 100% of our profit to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. We transform commonly existing gift spend in to strategic, efficient and inclusive tools in your People Strategy, delivering Exceptional Employee Experience, and at the same time, ESG results.

Anne-Christine shares her view that the ESG agenda is the most important employee engagement driver for DFDS.

Discussing what ESG means for talent strategy, and the role of the Chief People Officer and HR function in delivering ESG, Anne-Christine shares examples of creating change and how many small changes culminate in transformation.

Describing societal changes that enable HR to amplify its voice, Anne-Christine considers how HR professionals are the guardians of culture and the opportunities this presents.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[4:00] Systems to enable input from everyone

[9:30] Gender balance in a historically male sector

[15:00] Creating ownership: a Chief Climate Officer or a Climate Team?

[17:18] Being a business professional passionate about people

[25:00] Achieving change: the combination of many small things and the role of HR in ESG

[28:25] The guardians of culture

Resources

Download Your Free Guide: Cutting Edge Parental & Family Leave Policy and Practice

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow How HR Leaders Change the World today! 

Elise describes the inclusion principles at Lundbeck, and, as a neuroscience pharmaceutical, shares the work to reduce stigma in society around mental health disease. Providing examples from colleague storytelling to having a migraine friendly space in an office, Elise shares initiatives to build an inclusive workplace across all elements of both brain health and neurodiversity.

Advocating that HR has the opportunity to boldly drive company ESG strategy, Elise shares why the work is central to your Employer Value Proposition, and encourages you to be courageous in leading this work.

Topics in Elise’s episode:

• Inclusion at Lundbeck
• Creating change if you dare – HR, your EVP and ESG
• Fighting stigma around Mental Health disease
• Gender Equality and behaviour change
• Neurodiversity and inclusion
• Being courageous in leading change     

Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community and get our weekly newsletter – be the first to learn about new episodes and receive free bonus materials that help you showcase how your HR work is also driving positive change: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

We have a favour to ask! Would you tell an HR friend about the podcast? Or share the link with an HR team you think would find it helpful for their work? We’re excited to bring more of your peers into this community of pioneering #HRChangemakers, and hugely appreciate your help to make it happen!  

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org 

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by social enterprise, From Babies with Love. Creating meaningful connection across Moments that Matter, we provide employee engagement gift services to global HR functions and donate 100% of our profit to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. We transform commonly existing gift spend in to strategic, inspiring and inclusive tools in your People Strategy, delivering Exceptional Employee Experience, and at the same time, ESG results.

Get your Moments that Matter Lookbook at https://frombabieswithlove.org/

Discussing multiple generations and intersectionality, Karen shares her thoughts on levers that enable everyone to thrive at work, providing the example of Knight Frank’s new multi-generation ERG, her advice on creating an ERG with this focus, and thoughts on why it’s important.

Karen describes the importance of understanding the world we’re in to determine how to take a business forward. Noting changes in diversity statistics in Knight Frank’s customer profile, Karen shares how she is harnessing this data to drive People and DE&I strategies, her approach to dismantling fear and the risk of disengagement, and to having courage in delivering the work.

Thank you to Staffbase for supporting How HR Leaders Change the World

Staffbase knows that HR leaders are driving transformation in the workplace, and they’re here to help.

Their internal communications platform empowers companies to connect with their people, whether at their desks or on the frontlines.

With tools that improve engagement, amplify employee voices, and align everyone with your company’s goals, Staffbase makes it easier for HR leaders to create and measure lasting change.

Want to learn more?

Head on over to staffbase.com/en/staffbase-for-hr to see how Staffbase can help your organisation thrive.  

Referenced Resources

Episode 81: Vulnerability in the Workplace, Karen Bowes on How HR Leaders Change the World  

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! 13 November 2024

Our sell out conference is back! In London and on Live Stream.

The role of HR in ESG and Sustainability is rising up the agenda. 

What brilliant opportunities ahead for you and your teams to create even more business value and positive change.

And so, if you’d like to build your influence and impact, if you’d like to spend a day with pioneering CHROs and fellow HR Changemakers, come and join us!

You’ll leave with knowledge and actionable ideas that you can implement too, and, for even more inspiration – we’re so excited to share this - our keynote this year is acclaimed Swazi-British actor, Richard E Grant. Speaking on the topic, 'From global perspectives to daily to do lists'… we can’t wait…  

Check out the inspiring agenda and click here to secure your place today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world-live-2024-tickets, we can't wait to see you there! 

👥 Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Follow us on Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Ashira discusses her thoughts on how she leads and impacts the energy of her colleagues, driving wellbeing and business performance. Providing fantastic analogies such as the role of a conductor in an orchestra, and the shared feeling of ‘jet lag’ coming out of the pandemic, Ashira describes how you can reflect on and harness your own energy too.

Connecting her passions for people, graphology and neurology, Ashira shares her interests and learning that support her approach to embracing differences, understanding people, and educating – as a person, a parent and at work.

Thinking of HR as being on the front line through the pandemic and into the future, Ashira reminds us that everyone in HR has the tools, skills and energy to influence and impact a new world – at work and beyond.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3:00] Your ability to change energy

[7:00] A conductor and an orchestra – an energy analogy

[11:00] Coming out of a crisis - energy depletion and the future of work

[18:20] Embracing differences and understanding people

[26:40] Logic and intuition: a structure, data, and making decisions to foster inclusion

[30:40] You have the opportunity and tools to do something amazing!

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live!

Have you heard the exciting news?!

With huge thanks to you for the 5 star reviews and wonderful feedback you've sent us, we're launching our first one day conference, How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! 

As well as learning from inspiring HR Leaders on how your strategic, commercial HR work is also creating change and delivering ESG goals, you'll be able to discuss ideas, challenges, co-create best practice with your peers and... there's more...

We're utterly thrilled to announce that our special guest, presenting a galvanising keynote, is the amazing Erin Brockovich! 

In her inspiring session you'll hear Erin share her experience and advice on how you too can harness the power of your role to create positive social change.

It's on 16th November 2022, at Linklaters, London. 

Don't delay - we'll be in a big auditorium, but we know we won't be able to fit everyone that wants to come... so visit our website today to grab your seat before tickets sell out! 

It's set to be the most inspiring, changemaking, HR event ever, and we can't wait to see you there! 

Rob introduces his passion for HR and the opportunities the profession provides for business to be a force for good. 

Rob shares examples of his HR leadership in youth employment and economic inclusion, describing measurable business benefits such as reducing labour turnover, increasing productivity and improving engagement scores. Rob also shares an example of HR contributing to a bold net zero commitment, as well as thoughts on building an inclusive workplace.

Calling on you to use your voice, Rob passionately advocates for the opportunities you and everyone in HR has that can effect positive change. 

Topics this episode:

• The power of good jobs and the case for Social Mobility
• Using data to shift passion projects to business as usual
• HR having a point of view: the climate crisis, AI and wealth inequality
• Untapped innovation
• HR and a net zero commitment
• Driving change at pace
• Using your voice and harnessing HR’s superpower

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live!

15 November 2023

Join us to learn and discuss:

• How connecting your HR work to ESG helps you achieve your goals
• Measuring your HR impact - what investors and CEOs are keen to hear from you on
• Positioning your impact - how best to showcase your HR function’s impact leadership, to all your stakeholders and in your EVP
• Demystifying psychological safety - how to embed culture that drives innovation and change

Learn from actionable examples shared by pioneering C-Suite HR Leaders, that you can implement at your company too.

Alongside the CHRO speakers and the brilliant community of HR Changemakers you'll be part of, we're delighted to announce that Sir Lenny Henry CBE is this year's inspiring keynote.

Find out more and don't miss your UN Global Goals Week special offer: (Offer ends 6pm BST 31Oct23) Join us In Person or via Live Stream; enter code: GlobalGoals to get 10% off your place

Thank you to our event partner, Well by CircleIn

Well knows that psychological safety is a key priority for companies, with 97% customers telling them that they plan to invest in it over the next 12 months.

Enter Well – a practical and cost-effective solution that gives your entire workforce the skills they need to level up and lead with care. Well is a risk management tool, that tackles psychosocial hazards in the workplace. Importantly, they're reimagining learning to meet the needs of emerging leaders and how they learn. They've partnered with Microsoft to deliver this tool in the flow of work where employees are ‘doing the work’. It aligns to ISO guidelines, as Well’s content is created by experts and backed by science so that organisations can easily align with new and incoming psychological safety standards.

Their blissfully bite-sized video content is highly engaging, fits into busy schedules, and delivered with tangible takeaways to turn learning into action. Well keeps it real, promotes empathy, encourages self-improvement, and builds stronger teams. The result? Increased productivity, engagement, and happiness in your organisation.

You can find out more about Well here.

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by social enterprise, From Babies with Love. Across Moments that Matter, we provide employee engagement gift services to global HR functions and donate 100% of our profit to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. We transform commonly existing gift spend in to strategic, efficient and inclusive tools in your People Strategy, delivering Exceptional Employee Experience, and at the same time, ESG results.

Tom casts a vision for the future of work that enables everyone to participate in the labour market through complete individualisation of HR practices. Reflecting that everyone has different circumstances, Tom views personalisation as the ultimate goal for HR.

Tom also shares his thoughts on the importance of medium-term thinking and his medium-term approach to achieving Bupa’s D&I targets. Tom discusses how he thinks it’s going so far and how he and his colleagues lead a D&I strategy for a global workforce that spans many cultures.

Advocating for the importance of listening, Tom reminds everyone in HR to allow time to keep connected and to be the ambassadors for what’s important to a company’s people.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3:00] Aspirational diversity targets

[7:20] Structural talent challenges in healthcare

[10:30] The shift to a medium-term time horizon

[13:45] D&I: why Tom feels personally driven and leading across cultures

[17:20] Individualisation of HR

[20:00] Listening, being the advocate and keeping it real

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow How HR Leaders Change the World today! 

Tom shares two inspiring frameworks he’s developed to guide HR professionals in their leadership journey. The Intentional Leader Model encourages HR leaders to adopt deliberate and thoughtful leadership practices, and the CHRO Impact Framework helps HR professionals enhance their effectiveness. These models highlight the importance of intentionality, purposeful leadership and self-reflection to drive performance and personal growth.

Tom shares insights on how you can:

• Prioritise Purpose and Self-Awareness: Tom highlights the importance of aligning tasks with your purpose, be mindful of how you spend time, ensure your efforts contribute to your long-term goals, helping to prevent burnout and boost productivity. 

• Develop Boundaries: Advocating that strong leaders set clear boundaries, Tom discusses delegating tasks that don't energise you and making self-reflection and personal development priorities for authenticity and resilience in leadership.

• Leverage HR's Role in Sustainability: Tom discusses how, by engaging with frameworks like the UN Sustainable Development Goals, HR leaders can challenge the status quo and drive positive change on a global scale, promoting fairness, equity, and environmental sustainability.

Thank you to Hex Talent and Development for supporting How HR Leaders Change the World

Is your organisation doing everything it can to ensure its people and teams are reaching their full potential? This episode is sponsored by Hex Talent and Development.

Hex is a people performance consultancy that's laser focused on making individuals, teams and organisations the best they can be. Hex isn't just another learning provider, they are the full package. They offer individual and team coaching, facilitation of team events and gatherings, leadership development and broader HR consultancy. They are thought leaders and have their own model for leadership, the intentional leader and the CHRO impact framework for developing high performing senior HR leaders. Above all, Hex brings passion, challenge and joy to all their clients.

Want to learn more?

Head on over to HEX talent and development to see how Hex can help your organisation thrive.  

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! 13 November 2024

Our sell out conference is back! In London and on Live Stream.

The role of HR in ESG and Sustainability is rising up the agenda. 

What brilliant opportunities ahead for you and your teams to create even more business value and positive change.

And so, if you’d like to build your influence and impact, if you’d like to spend a day with pioneering CHROs and fellow HR Changemakers, come and join us!

You’ll leave with knowledge and actionable ideas that you can implement too, and, for even more inspiration – we’re so excited to share this - our keynote this year is acclaimed Swazi-British actor, Richard E Grant. Speaking on the topic, 'From global perspectives to daily to do lists'… we can’t wait…  

Check out the inspiring agenda and click here to secure your place today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world-live-2024-tickets we can't wait to see you there! 

👥 Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Follow us on Linkedin: From Babies with Love | LinkedIn

Referenced Resources

Tom's book - People People: Reach your full potential as a Chief HR Officer

https://www.hex-development.com/

LinkedIn - Tom Emery

Join our community of HR Changemakers: see how your HR work is delivering ESG results

In the contemporary landscape of HR, the integration of data and analytics has become paramount. Ian Cook, a seasoned practitioner and innovator, delves into the transformative power of data-driven decision-making in business. Ian reflects on the pivotal role of CHROs as change agents, illustrating instances where data and analytics have been instrumental in driving organisational transformation.

Discussing the evolving trend of utilising people data, Ian explores the emerging concept of generative artificial intelligence and its implications for HR strategy. Looking ahead, Ian envisions a future where every HR professional prioritises the investment and elevation of people data to the C-suite and board level, advocating that this approach leads to progress and benefits for businesses and individuals, so too creating a better world. 

Find out more about Generative AI for better people analytics, insights and decisions!

Follow Visier on Linkedin here

Thank you to Visier for sponsoring this episode! Topics include: 

·        CHROs as “Data-Driven” Change Agents: Harnessing Workforce Data for Impact

·        Gen AI and its Impact on Integrating People Data into HR Strategies

·        Future Outlook: Prioritising People Data at the C-suite and Board Level

·        Achieving Balance: Leveraging Data for Business and Individual Growth

·        Influencing Executive Conversations with Data: Driving Positive Outcomes

Referenced Resources

·        https://www.visualcapitalist.com/

👥 Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

 Follow us on Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Maryjo introduces her HR leadership roles in business transformations and spin outs, discussing the importance for everyone in HR to focus on business acumen, digital delivery, and a business’ duty of care.

Summarising the leadership opportunities for HR as being a force multiplier and shock absorber, Maryjo shares why culture is a priority at Kyndryl. Describing the thoughtfulness in systems and behaviours, as well as practical processes and approaches to culture change, Maryjo encourages you that resources are out there, that you can take action!

Thank you to Visier for supporting How HR Leaders Change the World 

​Do ​your ​people ​insights ​drive ​business ​impact? ​

This ​episode ​is ​sponsored ​by ​Visier, ​whose ​secure ​and ​extensible ​workforce ​data ​analytics ​platform ​and ​generative ​AI ​empower ​leaders ​to ​unlock ​data ​driven ​insights ​faster. Get ​more ​out ​of ​your ​HR ​tech ​stack; ​boost ​HR ​efficiency. ​Drive ​smarter, ​more ​impactful ​business ​decisions. ​Leading ​companies ​like ​eBay, ​Ford ​and ​Sanofi ​trust ​the ​Visier ​path. 

👉 Find about more, close the gap between HR and business impact, go ​to visier.com today.

Topics in this episode: 

• Keeping business relevant to customers – HR working on sales compensation
• HR & digital delivery
• A business’ duty of care
• HR – a force multiplier and shock absorber
• Culture at Kyndryl, empathy, restlessness and shared success
• A sense of pride at work and how colleagues feel on Sunday night
• Creating a workforce that represents its communities
• Securing resources and taking action!

References Resources

·        How HR Leaders Change the world: Posture at work - what's yours? Stephane Charbonnier, former CHRO, L'Oreal USA

👥 Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Follow us on Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Ahead of International Men’s Day on 19^th November 2023, Sharon joins us to share her work in helping organisations build gender balance. Recognising the importance of gender equality for women, men and non-binary people, Sharon notes that on the current trajectory we’re 140 years away from achieving gender balance at manager level. 

Describing strategies that don’t work as well as those that do, Sharon provides an overview of five foundations that enable sustained progress, three structural and two behavioural, and discusses the challenges with, yet importance of, data.

Sharon shares thoughts on the role of men at work, and the pressures they face, as well as practical steps we can take to include men in the work to build gender balance, including ideas you can implement ahead of this year's International Men's Day... 

Topics this episode:

·        What doesn’t work in building gender balance

·        Five foundations for building gender balance

·        Delivering Gender Equality through ESG – APPG report

·        Challenges with and the importance of data

·        Gender Equality for everyone – the role of and impacts for men

·        Practical steps to include men in gender balance work

·        Dismantling stereotypes: tiny steps in your day-to-day life

Referenced Resources

·        APPG on ESG: Delivering Gender Equality through ESG, October 2023

·        Shape Talent

·        Specialist in helping organisations support working men: Elliot Rae

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live!

15 November 2023

Join us to learn and discuss:

·        How connecting your HR work to ESG helps you achieve your goals

·        Measuring your HR impact - what investors and CEOs are keen to hear from you on

·        Positioning your impact - how best to showcase your HR function’s impact leadership, to all your stakeholders and in your EVP

·        Demystifying psychological safety - how to embed culture that drives innovation and change

Learn from actionable examples shared by pioneering C-Suite HR Leaders, that you can implement at your company too.

Alongside the CHRO speakers and the brilliant community of HR Changemakers you'll be part of, we're delighted to announce that Sir Lenny Henry CBE is this year's inspiring keynote.

Find out more and don't miss your UN Global Goals Week special offer: (Offer ends 6pm BST 31Oct23) Join us In Person or via Live Stream; enter code: GlobalGoals to get 10% off your place

Thank you to our event partner, Well by CircleIn

Well knows that psychological safety is a key priority for companies, with 97% customers telling them that they plan to invest in it over the next 12 months.

Enter Well – a practical and cost-effective solution that gives your entire workforce the skills they need to level up and lead with care. Well is a risk management tool, that tackles psychosocial hazards in the workplace. Importantly, they're reimagining learning to meet the needs of emerging leaders and how they learn. They've partnered with Microsoft to deliver this tool in the flow of work where employees are ‘doing the work’. It aligns to ISO guidelines, as Well’s content is created by experts and backed by science so that organisations can easily align with new and incoming psychological safety standards.

Their blissfully bite-sized video content is highly engaging, fits into busy schedules, and delivered with tangible takeaways to turn learning into action. Well keeps it real, promotes empathy, encourages self-improvement, and builds stronger teams. The result? Increased productivity, engagement, and happiness in your organisation.

Find out more about Well here.

Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Email: hrleaders@frombabieswithlove.org

Website: https://frombabieswithlove.org

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by social enterprise, From Babies with Love. Across Moments that Matter, we provide employee engagement gift services to global HR functions and donate 100% of our profit to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. We transform commonly existing gift spend in to strategic, efficient and inclusive tools in your People Strategy, delivering Exceptional Employee Experience, and at the same time, ESG results.

Sharing her views on the shift in business and the focus on people, Pauly provides an overview of initiatives such as Publicis Groupe ANZ’s Reconciliation Action Plan.

Having launched a flexible working policy before Covid, Pauly discusses how this is helping people and performance post Covid, and how the launch process uncovered some unexpected biases…

A wonderful advocate for radical disruption, Pauly describes the need for us to lead with humanity, and to help our colleagues, our leaders and CEOs, do the same.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3:00] Launching a flexible working policy before Covid, and the impact post Covid

[6:30] Discovering unexpected biases towards flexibility and performance

[11:00] Business results and impact in people-led companies

[14:50] Mapping HR to ESG and the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals

[16:30] Developing a Reconciliation Plan and listening to our elders

[23:30] Returning to work after parental leave – Cub Care

[29:00] Radical disruption and leading with humanity at the heart

Referenced resources

Cutting Edge Parental & Family Leave Policy and Practice

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow How HR Leaders Change the World today!

Steve Cadigan, LinkedIn's first CHRO and a renowned talent strategy expert, highlights the need to rethink outdated workplace systems that assume long-term employee tenure. Steve emphasises the importance of questioning old assumptions, experimenting with new ideas, and embracing HR’s role as a catalyst for change.

Steve explores how HR can lead with innovative solutions that benefit both businesses and communities, with inspiring examples - such as how one organisation solved talent shortages by tapping into new talent pools such as candidates without traditional qualifications - showing how HR can tackle business challenges while driving social change.

Steve reflects on how his early life shaped his commitment to inclusion and empathy in leadership. He underscores the value of engaging in tough conversations to create space for meaningful dialogue around divisive topics. Closing the episode, Steve shares his heartfelt wish for HR leaders: to ask thoughtful questions that empower others to uncover their own solutions, paving the way for a more innovative, inclusive, and impactful future.

Thank you to Visier for supporting How HR Leaders Change the World

Visier gives organisations a workforce AI edge, helping leaders drive productivity, performance, and agility in the face of change.

As a global leader in AI-powered people analytics, workforce planning, and compensation allocation, Visier leverages its real-time people data platform to harness the transformative potential of both people and work data. By combining these insights, Visier enables smarter workforce decisions and elevates performance across teams.

Visier proudly serves over 60,000 customers across 75 countries, including enterprises like BASF, Panasonic, Experian, Sanofi, eBay, and Ford Motor Company.

Discover more about how Visier can transform your organisation, visit www.visier.com

👥 Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Join us on Linkedin: From Babies with Love | LinkedIn

Chris Norbury, Chief People Officer at E.ON UK shares his experience in building diverse and inclusive businesses that are transforming the energy sector.

From ensuring talent capabilities to achieve net zero, to an inclusive approach to developing talent, in this episode Chris encourages everyone in HR to be bold and brave.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[2:49] Good, purposeful employment can be a hugely positive catalyst

[4:14] Leading the energy transition and the role of HR

[9:35] Using data to look ahead, drive diversity and improve inclusion

[11:51] Ensuring skills and capabilities to achieve de-carbonisation goals

[17:54] Income inequality – the role of organisations in creating good, sustainable employment

[22:00] Democratising inclusive talent development

[27:28] Who you are as a leader: being bold and brave

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! 

Helle Bay, EVP and Head of People & Culture at Scania, describes her passion for a truly inclusive society, where everyone in business leads with an inclusive mindset.

Helle and I recorded this episode whilst COP26 was taking place in Glasgow; Helle shares her views on the connections between Inclusive Leadership and Sustainability, and how these are increasingly priorities for business.

In this weeks episode also learn how Helle leads a global Skills Capture initiative, to enable inclusive participation across 53,000 colleagues around the world.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3:05] Skill Capture Model – Scania’s global approach to D&I

[6:00] The role of the CEO

[7.20] The role of HR in leading a transition to sustainable transport

[11:45] Integrating D&I in everything we do, D&I is not a campaign or project

[16:20] The increasing role of sustainability in business

[17:40] Crossing cultures – inclusive participation in a global company

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow How HR Leaders Change the World today! 

Cornelia shares her experience of the pandemic, the mental and physical issues it led to, and how she responded with a new approach to caring for herself as part of her professional performance.

Cornelia describes how caring sets the tone for leadership and performance at Bahlsen, as well as her work creating a culture trying new ideas and making mistakes to both come through challenges and uncover opportunities.

Cornelia notes HR’s responsibility, and duty, to help people by making self-care a priority; by focussing on health and wellbeing, and by being human.  

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[4:10] Caring for yourself as part of your performance

[8:40] Resilience and caring at Bahlsen

[11:30]  Culture driving performance - the simple elements of how we behave

[15:00] Making mistakes – a culture of curiosity, courage and learning

[18:30] People strategy based on diverse teams

[26:00] Customer centred DE&I

[29:00]  The human being at the centre

Referenced resources

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live!

Have you heard the exciting news?!

With huge thanks to you for the 5 star reviews and wonderful feedback you've sent us, we're launching our first one day conference, How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! 

As well as learning from inspiring HR Leaders on how your strategic, commercial HR work is also creating change and delivering ESG goals, you'll be able to discuss ideas, challenges, co-create best practice with your peer and... there's more...

We're utterly thrilled to announce that our special guest, presenting a galvanising keynote, is the amazing Erin Brockovich! 

In her inspiring session you'll hear Erin share her experience and advice on how you too can harness the power of your role to create positive social change.

It's on 16th November 2022, at Linklaters, London. 

Don't delay - we'll be in a big auditorium, but we know we won't be able to fit everyone that wants to come... so visit our website today to grab your seat before tickets sell out!

It's set to be the most inspiring, changemaking, HR event ever, and we can't wait to see you there! 

Jasmine provides an overview of the positive shift in perception of HR in APAC, sharing her work to understand cultural nuance as part of mentoring others, and her hopes for the voice of HR in the future. 

Discussing how HR develops skills in resilience, agility and innovation, Jasmine considers what future learning in corporate environments will look like, and the mindsets that colleagues need to have in a fast-changing world.

Reflecting on her daily tasks in organisational design, Jasmine shares examples of DE&I initiatives such as Spirit Day, an LGBTQ+ awareness day, techniques to build awareness and bring community together beyond any specific ERG, and discusses the convergence of DE&I and CSR work.

Referenced Resources: Spirit Day

👉 Your free 2024 Guide: Cutting Edge Family Friendly policy and practice 

Did you know, our research showed that only 15% of people feel company support for working parents has kept up to date with society.

This episode is brought to you by From Babies with Love. We believe that every child should be safe, loved and learning, and donate 100% of our profits to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. 

We provide our flagship parental leave gift service to hundreds of global HR functions, helping them connect with colleagues across parental leave and in returning to work, contributing to engagement and retention objectives, and so too gender balance goals.

It’s the story of how your parental leave gifts, celebrating and appreciating your colleagues, and at the same time empowering vulnerable children, that creates such poignant employee engagement. Such enhanced value compared to a bunch of flowers! Or any other gift that doesn’t have the Sustainable Development Goals at its heart. 

We transform often existing, ad-hoc spend in to a strategic, consistent and inclusive tool in your Working Parents strategy. 

In doing this work, across our clients we see many other strategies and tools that provide exceptional employee experience across family planning and care, and we’re delighted to share that knowledge with you, in our new 2024 guide, Cutting Edge Family Friendly policy and practice.

As well as data and latest examples across 5 key themes in family friendly workplaces, from gender inclusive policy to grandparents at work, you’ll enjoy exclusive behind the scenes features from M&G plc, Standard Chartered and The LEGO Group. 

Save time in preparing your business cases and learn from others across industries: Download your free Guide here! Make an impact, at a defining moment.

Topics in this episode: 

•         Thoughts on the voice of HR in APAC
•         Entrepreneurial mindsets at work
•         Daily actions in organisational design
•         Spirit Day and awareness beyond ERGs
•         The convergence of DE&I and CSR
•         Remembering to celebrate HR success!

👥 Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Follow us on Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Martyn discusses his insights on how HR leaders can drive both business success and positive social change. Through his experience leading at the insurance company Lockton, Martyn shares actionable ways to foster an employee-centric culture, such as mental health support and enhanced parental leave.

Martyn shares his belief in the importance of purpose-driven HR leadership, highlighting how HR can navigate global challenges, promote equity and lead meaningful change. Be inspired by Martyn’s leadership and discover how you too can harness the power of your role to create positive social change.

Thank you to HEX Talent & Development for supporting How HR Leaders Change the World

Is your organisation doing everything it can to ensure its people and teams are reaching their full potential? This episode is sponsored by Hex Talent and Development.

HEX is a people performance consultancy that's laser focused on making individuals, teams and organisations the best they can be. Hex isn't just another learning provider, they are the full package.

They offer individual and team coaching, facilitation of team events and gatherings, leadership development and broader HR consultancy. They are thought leaders and have their own model for leadership, the intentional leader and the CHRO impact framework for developing high performing senior HR leaders.

Above all, HEX brings passion, challenge and joy to all their clients.

Want to learn more?

Head on over to HEX Talent & Development to see how they can help your organisation thrive.  

👥 Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Join us on Linkedin: From Babies with Love | LinkedIn

Referenced Resources

·        Ripple Suicide Prevention

·        Free tool: Map your HR work to the UN SDGs

In this special episode hear from some of the CHROs speaking at How HR Leaders Change the World – Live! 2024: Syreeta Brown at Virgin Money, Natalia Wallenberg at Ahold Delhaize, Neil Morrison at Staffbase and Claire Ainscough at Ocado Group.

Cecilia provides an overview of this year’s conference topics, including:

•         What Sustainability in HR strategy looks like;
•         The pressures and paradoxes in change - navigating AI, Hybrid and the exponential rate of change; and
•         Communicating purpose and impact: how to socialise change in the narrative age.

Your Early Bird offer for this sell out conference is ending soon, click here to secure your place, enter code HRCHANGEMAKER24 to get a brilliant 20% off: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world-live-2024-tickets.

Build your influence and impact, spend the day with these CHROs and many more, plus our keynote this year is acclaimed Swazi-British actor, Richard E Grant. Speaking on the topic, 'From global perspectives to daily to do lists'… we can’t wait!

Our EarlyBird offer closes on 31 July 2024, T&C’s apply. 

👥 Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Follow us on Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Paul Sesay describes the challenges he overcame that fuelled his passion for diversity, inclusion and belonging. As creator of The Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers and National Diversity Awards, Paul shares the best practice he has seen over the decades, and across a multitude of markets.

Explaining why C-suite leadership and sponsorship is key to success, Paul also describes the simple things every colleague can do to foster a culture of belonging, advocating for the simplest, and most impactful of all: help the person next to you.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[4:00] Looking at inclusion as a whole – not just following the fads

[7:20] Language matters: the word ‘belonging’

[13:41] Help the person next to you!

[16:20] Why the Chief Executive is key – D&I professionals are not miracle workers

[21:00] An example of incredible talent and change from the National Diversity Awards

[23:00] Strong networks and C-Suite sponsors - ensuring people aren’t just talking to themselves

[25:00] Examples of best practice from The Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers

Referenced resources

• Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers | Inclusive Companies
• National Diversity Awards

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow How HR Leaders Change the World today!

Steve introduces ‘The Lighthouse Effect’, the qualities of a lighthouse and its symbology (and therefore why we still have lighthouses even though technology has moved on) and how the lighthouse provides a framework for leadership. 

Reflecting on the shift from work-life balance to life-work balance, Steve discusses the inversion driven by the pandemic and the opportunities for HR. Noting that in many stories superheroes are orphans, and sharing his own story, Steve discusses examples of work and his thoughts on equity in systems, diversity and inclusion. 

Acknowledging HR is often caught in the middle can feel fatigued, Steve encourages you, with humility, to celebrate HR’s achievements – asking you to be part of ‘HR celebrating HR’. 

Thank you to Visier for supporting How HR Leaders Change the World 

​Do ​your ​people ​insights ​drive ​business ​impact? ​

This ​episode ​is ​sponsored ​by ​Visier, ​whose ​secure ​and ​extensible ​workforce ​data ​analytics ​platform ​and ​generative ​AI ​empower ​leaders ​to ​unlock ​data ​driven ​insights ​faster. 

👉 Find out more, for example discover what employee engagement metrics you need to track to understand employee satisfaction to prevent performance dips and attrition in Visier’s article, 7 Employee Engagement Metrics to Track for a Productive Workforce

Get ​more ​out ​of ​your ​HR ​tech ​stack; ​boost ​HR ​efficiency. ​Drive ​smarter, ​more ​impactful ​business ​decisions. ​Leading ​companies ​like ​eBay, ​Ford ​and ​Sanofi ​trust ​the ​Visier ​path.

Topics in this episode: 

·        HR at the intersection of humans and systems

·        The lighthouse and leadership

·        Humility through your career

·        From work-life balance to life-work balance

·        Equity and inclusion when systems fail

·        Diversity: in nature, finance and people

·        HR celebrating HR  

Referenced resources

·        The Lighthouse Effect 

👥 Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Follow us on Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

Removing systemic barriers: leadership in gender balance and social mobility

Sarah Morris’ leadership created a movement in achieving gender balance. Hear why and how Sarah broke new ground and the change that’s happening as a result.

Discussing removing systemic barriers, in both gender equality and social mobility, plus sharing Sarah’s framework on how to create a persuasive business case for your work, this episode is packed with inspiring examples of success, and steps you can take for your company too.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3:56] Removing barriers to gender balance: equalising parental leave and starting a movement.

[10:00] Valuing front line jobs and the opportunity for social mobility

[16:01] Gender balance: systemic issues and the role of mentoring

[18:18] The four angles you need to cover in your business case diversity and inclusion

[18:42] A 21st century approach to the business case for diversity and inclusion.

[22:16] The real living wage and parental leave: taking one small step

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! 

Tripti shares her passion for the role of HR in delivering Novartis’ purpose, to reimagine medicine. Discussing the role of individuals in organisational transformation, Tripti talks about shaping leadership and talent in a way that brings culture to life. Discussing her work to make career opportunities more transparent, Tripti provides an example of a pilot mentoring programme that is more agile, encourages a mindset change and empowers talent.

Advocating that the best way to drive Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is to ‘listen to learn’, Tripti describes the approach of giving leaders the tools to listen, as listening is perhaps one of the most presumed skills, and how this approach creates transformation.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3:50] HR for the work of reimagining medicine  

[5:40] A different look at transformation – personal change

[7:29] Shaping leadership and talent to bring a culture to life

[12:45] Making career opportunities more transparent

[16:30] DE&I must be reflected in a business’ work and how listening to learn drives DE&I

[25:00] Using individual superpowers and a learning approach to achieve collective success

Referenced resources

Cutting Edge Parental & Family Leave Policy and Practice

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow How HR Leaders Change the World today! 

Hear from Eileen McDonough Kiley, Senior Advisor and former CHRO at The RMR Group, on how to create a collaborative, listening and learning environment for employees to thrive.

Eileen shares examples from management development programmes to ways to collect and share data that builds consensus.

In this episode Eileen also shares her vision on the role for HR in helping to lead organisations, and the imperative for HR to advocate for itself.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[2:31] Working with senior leaders to support all employees to thrive inside and outside the workplace.

[6:54] Involving all employees in listening and sharing data throughout an organisation, for powerful collaboration and consensus building.

[12:43] Executive training for mid-level management: placement programmes that foster diverse viewpoints.

[19:21] Retaining talent and paths for development: optimising capabilities by connecting and sharing.

[23:02] The benefits of “lunch and learn” sessions for creativity and innovation.

[26:18] The imperative for HR to advocate for itself and plan to be on Executive Committees and Boards.

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! 

Hayley shares how Formula E is tackling gender barriers and driving inclusion in motorsport. With women holding just 3% of racing licenses, initiatives like the women’s test programme aim to level the playing field and increase female representation at the highest levels.

Over the past 18 months, Formula E has strengthened its ED&I strategy by partnering with experts and collaborating with organisations such as the 93% Club. These efforts are expanding access to motorsport careers and fostering a more inclusive talent pipeline.

Hayley also champions HR as a strategic enabler, calling for more HR leaders at the executive table - and more CEOs from HR backgrounds. Her insights challenge traditional views of HR and inspire leaders to use their influence for real, systemic change.

References: The 93% Club

This episode is sponsored by CGA Empathy Lab®

If you want a happier, more confident workforce, to reduce absenteeism and workplace anxiety and put an end to situations that may result in conflict, you should experience the CGA Empathy Lab®. 

By teaching employees the power of empathy, they can enjoy better conversations and create better experiences, not only for themselves but for other employees and customers, ultimately driving business purpose and performance. 

There’s no better way to experience the world through the eyes of others and learn how to make every moment matter.

CGA Empathy Lab® - Winner of the ‘People, Skills, and Diversity Award’ for the Rail Industry. 

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by Uplifting People

We’re an amazing community of cutting-edge HR Changemakers.

Together, we share experiences, tools and clear, actionable ideas. 

Ideas that will help you solve the challenges you face today and will inspire you with brilliant opportunities to push boundaries and positively impact people in your organisation - and beyond. 

And what’s even better, is every penny of our profit empowers vulnerable children to be safe, loved and learning.

Together, we uplift people.

👥 Join our free HR Changemakers community

You’ll be the first to hear about each podcast episode, about our events, and receive free bonus resources that enhance your influence and impact.

Join us here: upliftingpeople.com/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

And join us on Linkedin: Uplifting People | LinkedIn

Are you looking for your next great read that inspires you and helps your work?

Each month we recommend a book that challenges, motivates and uplifts, every pick is selected to spark meaningful conversations and personal growth.

Our April book of the month is Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness by Richard H. Thaler & Cass R. Sunstein.

​Instead ​of ​drastic ​overhauls, ​Nudge ​demonstrates ​how ​tweaking ​environments ​can ​lead ​to ​big ​improvements ​with ​minimal ​resistance. ​We ​chose ​it ​because ​for ​everyone ​in ​HR ​and ​leadership, ​it ​provides ​a ​powerful ​playbook ​for ​making ​change ​easier.

Head to UpliftingPeople.com to grab a copy, and we hope you enjoy this month’s Uplifting Book! 

In this episode Geoff shares his inspiring vision for the future of work, a future where work enhances, not diminishes, our lives.

Sharing his experience in catalysing conversations about mental health, Geoff sets out the barriers for why wellbeing has not been seen as a strategic priority, why this must change, and how HR can take the lead.

Geoff inspires us to take a first step in creating an environment that enhances the lives of every employee, prioritising and caring for our own health and wellbeing too.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[2:09] Creating workplaces where every person has a choice to ask for help if they are struggling with mental ill health - catalysing conversations

[10:55] The incredible opportunity for HR to ensure work enhances, not diminishes, our lives

[16:37] Five barriers to wellbeing at work

[21:10] An Employee Value Proposition: “Come and work for us, we’ll enhance your life” What would this look like?

[26:04] The injustice of not being able to bring your whole self to work

[29:00] The return on investment of prioritising wellbeing – the Unilever example

[31:37] Role modelling to maintain your most valuable asset – your health

Referenced resources

• Dying for A Paycheck by Jeffrey Pfeffer: https://jeffreypfeffer.com/books/dying-for-a-paycheck/

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! 

Karen discusses her experience in transforming culture to connect colleagues with business purpose and their wider societal impacts.

Sharing her experience at Capital One, Karen describes the emotional impacts for customers and employees, and how by understanding emotion employees helped transform the lives of customers.

Advocating both the colleague and commercial benefits of vulnerability in the workplace, Karen provides practical suggestions on how to start changing culture, and shares her experience of reflection and learning following the murder of George Floyd.  

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[5:25]   Bringing culture to life – a case study in money and emotion at Capital One

[13:00] Forgotten talent cohorts

[18:10] Internal apprenticeships

[21:57] Vulnerability in the workplace

[28:00] Reflecting and learning following the murder of George Floyd

[32:40] Clarifying a problem and using the data

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live!

If you missed out on HR Leaders Change the World – Live! and want to get your hands on exclusive access to recordings of the inspiring panel sessions, join the How HR Leaders Change the World community – you can learn more about best practice in the new world of work and how people leaders deliver ESG strategy here.

Van discusses how he has challenged historical practices to reduce barriers and create access to opportunity. From education on unconscious bias to implementing ‘the Rooney rule’ and a Reconciliation Action Plan, Van describes practical steps that have created progress.

Advocating that we all work to open society for everyone to participate and benefit, Van shares his thoughts on significant changes exacerbated by the Pandemic: the shift away from providing face to face services and its positive impacts for an inclusive workforce, and the change in business to treating people as humans, not assets.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3:50] Recognising privilege and creating access to opportunity

[10:59] Transitioning from face-to-face services: the impact for an inclusive workforce and for reducing emissions

[17:40] Domestic abuse and gender equity

[19:54] The Pandemic, mental health and talent attrition 

[25:00] Reconciliation Action Plan – the Indigenous Community in Canada

[28:20] Opening up the world for all to participate

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow How HR Leaders Change the World today! 

Claire describes Ocado Group’s three key areas in using AI: customer relationships, efficiency and ESG, and how they apply to HR. Recognising challenges that AI presents, Claire discusses working with the Ocado’s Head of AI Ethics and processes to support decision making.

Following approaches commonly found in the tech sector, Claire summarises applying a product mindset to HR and shares the example of Ocado Group’s ‘Work from Anywhere’ policy - the process to create it and business response.  

Claire shares Ocado’s social mobility work and the opportunities created with reskilling programmes including ‘Recode Your Career’ and ‘Bot School’, and leaves us with an approach to delivering change that provides both personal and business credibility for you, and makes the greatest impact with whatever resources you have. 

Topics in Claire’s episode: 

• Creating a product mindset in HR
• Ocado Group’s Work from Anywhere policy
• AI, HR and ethics
• Social mobility and reskilling
• Achieving the greatest impact

Elaine advocates that to win a business case and create change, we need to win hearts and minds, and to do this, we must give a bit of ourselves. Starting with cataloguing your life and what you’ve learned along the way, Elaine describes how to adopt this approach and how it can help you achieve your goals.

Discussing the momentum in creating representation in the workplace, using your sphere of influence and harnessing collaborative ways of working, Elaine shares her vision for how we work together in the years to come and encourages you to think about one thing that you, uniquely, can do.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3:48]   Being open to build connections and win a business case

[7:14]   Creating change: Step 1 - catalogue your life and what you learned

[12:20] Representation in the workplace and your sphere of influence

[16:50] A collaboration mindset

[22:15] Social Mobility, examples in the hospitality and marketing industries

[27:08] The evolution of Employee Network Groups

[30:50] What’s the one thing you can do?

Referenced resources

• Springboard
• Brixton Finishing School
• Uptree

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! 2022 edition

How HR Leaders Change the World – Live! 2022 edition is now available On Demand. Click here to watch HR Leaders share how your strategic, commercial HR work is also driving ESG results, plus you can watch Erin Brockovich’s incredible closing keynote – Erin moved the room to tears!  Don’t miss all the goodness and inspiration on how you can harness the power of your HR role to also create positive social and environmental change.

Salima shares how her personal, academic and work experience comes together to drive systemic change, asking us to reflect on the world we want to see, our own social capital and the barriers we ourselves face.

Describing the importance of addressing equity and unjust outcomes arising in organisational culture and processes, Salima provides examples of how to drive change including the role of managers and the task of baseline analysis in designing ED&I strategy.

Calling on all HR Leaders to invest in the capability of the profession to drive long-term change, Salima’s systems-thinking, from the personal to the company-wide and leadership perspectives, is incredibly inspiring and thought provoking.

I have huge affinity with Salima’s outlook and approach, feeling more and more which each of our episodes that people leaders and social entrepreneurs have so much in common… Do you agree?

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[5:03] EI&D as an organisational design question and business challenge to solve, not only for HR to lead

[8:18] Re-orienting to address equity – do we have a culture, systems and processes where some people have an unjust outcome because of their social identity?

[15:07] Your view of the world you want – what would it look like and who would be included?

[23:00] The commonality between People Leaders and Social Entrepreneurs and how we make small choices that create change

[26:15] Thinking about our own advantages, our social capital and the assumptions people make – where do we have power and where will we experience barriers?

[29:26] Racial equity – using social capital to create change and shifting the burden of change and the role of managers

[34:00] Where to start with EI&D strategy – landscape analysis and a baseline

[41:37] The opportunity for HR to invest in their own capability to drive long term change.

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! 

With Olam ingredients in 7 out of 10 chocolate bars globally, in this episode Joydeep describes the impact of his work in implementing living wages and standardising work practices across ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ countries.

Joydeep also shares his experience in addressing the root causes of gender imbalance for colleagues in farming and office-based roles, as well as his work to improve employee wellbeing through the concept of purpose.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[5:07] Implementing the living wage and standardising work practices across ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ countries, looking beyond the short term.

[8:19] Brand differentiation – the role of HR in winning business and people related measures of success.

[11:36] Investing in technology to improve livelihoods for small holder farmers, 40% of whom are women.

[21:11] An inclusive workforce – the impact of job security and reducing seasonal employment.

[25:14] Improving employee wellbeing through the concept of purpose.

[35:35] The importance for HR professionals using at least 25% of their time to reflect on having meaningful impact and taking action on medium – long term goals.

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! 

Sharing insights from multiple Board of Director roles and a career in HR, Gary discusses a shift in approach with Chief Executives leading on businesses’ role in society, how this provides their competitive edge, and what this means for people strategy.

Discussing how measuring can create progress, Gary advocates that in respect of targets we all need to be a bit impatient, and provides examples of measurement enabling positive change in areas such as hiring and promotion.

Advocating that we move from passive to active, from by-standers to up-standers, Gary reminds us that change starts with us and that HR leaders must show they’re different.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3:00]   Purpose and developing the people agenda

[11:25] Chief Executives’ market statements and the role of HR

[17:00]  Access to education

[24:00] Measuring to create progress - hiring and promotion

[27:00] Moving from passive to active

[29:00] Change starts with you

Referenced resources

Cutting Edge Parental & Family Leave Policy and Practice

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow How HR Leaders Change the World today!

Nikki shares the sense of personal fulfilment that being a People Director provides her and discusses how, alongside ground-breaking initiatives such as a gender-neutral uniform, enabling change for individuals creates powerful positive impact. 

Discussing trust in the workplace, Nikki summarises the impact for policies and business performance in shifting to culture based on the assumption that people want to do good work. 

Excited for the future of both technology and human experience, Nikki shares thoughts on people-centred leadership, summarising the work that leaders at Virgin put into being a purposeful business, and provides examples of the ways policies and business practices can drive change. 

Referenced Resources:

👉 Your free 2024 Guide: Cutting Edge Family Friendly policy and practice 

Did you know, our research showed that only 15% of people feel company support for working parents has kept up to date with society.

This episode is brought to you by From Babies with Love. We believe that every child should be safe, loved and learning, and donate 100% of our profits to orphaned and abandoned children around the world. 

We provide our flagship parental leave gift service to hundreds of global HR functions, helping them connect with colleagues across parental leave and in returning to work, contributing to engagement and retention objectives, and so too gender balance goals.

It’s the story of how your parental leave gifts, celebrating and appreciating your colleagues, and at the same time empowering vulnerable children, that creates such poignant employee engagement. Such enhanced value compared to a bunch of flowers! Or any other gift that doesn’t have the Sustainable Development Goals at its heart. 

We transform often existing, ad-hoc spend in to a strategic, consistent and inclusive tool in your Working Parents strategy. 

In doing this work, across our clients we see many other strategies and tools that provide exceptional employee experience across family planning and care, and we’re delighted to share that knowledge with you, in our new 2024 guide, Cutting Edge Family Friendly policy and practice.

As well as data and latest examples across 5 key themes in family friendly workplaces, from gender inclusive policy to grandparents at work, you’ll enjoy exclusive behind the scenes features from M&G plc, Standard Chartered and The LEGO Group. 

Save time in preparing your business cases and learn from others across industries: Download your free Guide here! Make an impact, at a defining moment.

Topics in this episode: 

•         Personal fulfilment as a People Director
•         The impact of gender-neutral uniforms
•         Trust, choice and business results
•         The best of both: technology and human experience
•         Purpose and leadership
•         Closing the gender gap, in business and societally
•         Neurodiversity
•         Leaving the ladder the down

👥 Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

Follow us on Linkedin: @FromBabieswithLove

I’m KPMG alumni, and so creating this episode with Kevin was extra special for me!

In taking a trip down memory lane I enjoyed thinking about how much has changed in the last 20 years and reflecting on many positive shifts in how business operates, for people and society.

Kevin describes his passion for improving social mobility and shares approaches and learnings at KPMG, including the measurement model and data collection process KPMG developed – based on the job your parents had when you were age 14.

Noting how the phrase “I’m going to work” is becoming outdated, Kevin discusses the fundamental change work is going through and the huge opportunity this creates for HR, and for society.

Kevin advocates setting stretching goals; for the impact of publicly stating goals, knowing that they may not be achieved - but that this is okay, because even so we make progress and push ourselves and our organisations.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[4:30] The impact of stretching targets and what to do when you don’t meet them.

[11:35] The privilege of working in HR in this new age of work

[13:50] Valuing output not input, and connecting with outcomes

[19:52] Social mobility: what jobs did your parents have when you were 14? KPMG’s approach to measurement and the resulting goals.

[31:30] The success of talent programs in inclusion strategy

[34:40] Setting an ambitious goal, allowing time and measuring

Referenced resources

Download Your Free Guide: Cutting Edge Parental & Family Leave Policy and Practice

“I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow How HR Leaders Change the World today! 

Guided by business purpose - ‘renting homes and enriching lives’ - Michelle describes how Grainger’s values-driven people strategy, has enhanced outcomes for colleagues, customers and communities.

Michelle highlights Grainger’s commitment to DE&I, showcasing achievements such as attaining the National Equality Standard and, looking ahead, Michelle explores how AI and digital advancements can transform HR and business strategies.

Michelle emphasises the importance of agility and self-belief in navigating change, enabling HR leaders to align innovation with organisational purpose, and illustrating how HR can drive both commercial success and meaningful contributions to society.

References:

·      National Equality Standard    

·     The Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors:  The Company - WCCS

How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by Uplifting People

We’re an amazing community of cutting-edge HR Changemakers.

Together, we share experiences, tools and clear, actionable ideas. 

Ideas that will help you solve the challenges you face today and will inspire you with brilliant opportunities to push boundaries and positively impact people in your organisation - and beyond. 

And what’s even better, is every penny of our profit empowers vulnerable children to be safe, loved and learning.

Together, we uplift people.

👥 Join our free HR Changemakers community

You’ll be the first to hear about each podcast episode, about our events, and receive free bonus resources that enhance your influence and impact.

Join us here: upliftingpeople.com/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world

And join us on Linkedin: Uplifting People | LinkedIn

Are you looking for your next great read that inspires you and helps your work?

Each month we recommend a book that challenges, motivates and uplifts, every pick is selected to spark meaningful conversations and personal growth.

Our Book of the Month is Atomic Habits, by James Clear, a book we found super practical for making small changes that build to transformation.

And why not also get a copy for one of your team? You can select an Uplifting Gift Bundle, mix and match the book our Kind-hearted Chocolate, Supercharged Tea, and Well-informed Stationery, and send a brilliant moment of appreciation and inspiration to a colleague.

Head to UpliftingPeople.com to grab a copy, and we hope you enjoy this month’s Uplifting Book! 

In sharing his career across many sectors and counties, including for companies with a billion customers, Roberto describes a common theme in leaving a positive mark on society and follows the logic in how a business that helps people to live better, results in a business that makes profit.

Roberto considers the revolutions in leadership and people management that have and are happening through the pandemic, advocating that flexibility is key in ways of working and redefining the workplace, and providing examples of new initiatives at Danone.

Asking everyone in HR to help shape and deliver the purpose of their organisation, Roberto emphasises that the power is in your hands!

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3:00] A common theme: positive impact in society

[7:25] Purpose and financial to return to shareholders

[11:42] Revolutions in leadership and people management through the pandemic

[19:00] First principle: no strict principles – redefining the workplace

[24:50] The role of business in Diversity & Inclusion

[31:30] The power is in your hands

Referenced resource

UN Manifesto Standards of Conduct for Business

Have you heard the exciting news?!

With huge thanks to you for the 5-star reviews and wonderful feedback you've sent us, we're launching our first one day conference, How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! 

As well as learning from inspiring HR Leaders on how your strategic, commercial HR work is also creating change and delivering ESG goals, you'll be able to discuss ideas, challenges, co-create best practice with your peers and... there's more...

We're utterly thrilled to announce that our special guest, presenting a galvanising keynote, is the amazing Erin Brockovich! 

In her inspiring session you'll hear Erin share her experience and advice on how you too can harness the power of your role to create positive social change.

It's on 16th November 2022, at Linklaters, London. 

Don't delay - we'll be in a big auditorium, but we know we won't be able to fit everyone that wants to come... so visit our website today to grab your seat before tickets sell out!  

It's set to be the most inspiring, changemaking, HR event ever, and we can't wait to see you there! 

Describing a human-centred approach to adopting Generative AI, Mary Alice shares the principles of empowerment, adaptability and continuous learning, the energising steps Thomson Reuters has and is taking for their 27,000 workforce to learn, and how this is enabling higher-value work.

Reflecting on the factors leading to this exciting phase of leadership for the HR profession, Mary Alice describes her passion for removing systemic barriers to opportunity, sharing techniques such as her and the CEO’s periodic Talent Reviews.

Discussing flexibility, Mary Alice shares her own experience and Thomson Reuters’ equal approach to its working parents, as well as other initiatives for flexible working globally, and points to business strategy and employee listening data as the foundations for policy buy-in.

Thank you to Staffbase for supporting How HR Leaders Change the World

Staffbase knows that HR leaders are driving transformation in the workplace, and they’re here to help.

Their internal communications platform empowers companies to connect with their people, whether at their desks or on the frontlines.

With tools that improve engagement, amplify employee voices, and align everyone with your company’s goals, Staffbase makes it easier for HR leaders to create and measure lasting change.

Want to learn more?

Head on over to staffbase.com/en/staffbase-for-hr to see how Staffbase can help your organisation thrive.  

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! 13 November 2024

Our sell out conference is back! In London and on Live Stream.

The role of HR in ESG and Sustainability is rising up the agenda. 

What brilliant opportunities ahead for you and your teams to create even more business value and positive change.

And so, if you’d like to build your influence and impact, if you’d like to spend a day with pioneering CHROs and fellow HR Changemakers, come and join us!

You’ll leave with knowledge and actionable ideas that you can implement too, and, for even more inspiration – we’re so excited to share this - our keynote this year is acclaimed Swazi-British actor, Richard E Grant. Speaking on the topic, 'From global perspectives to daily to do lists'… we can’t wait…  

Check out the inspiring agenda and click here to secure your place today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world-live-2024-tickets, we can't wait to see you there! 

👥 Join the free How HR Leaders Change the World community: https://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/hrchangemakers

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Referenced Resources

Mindful Business Charter

Yasir shares insights in leading D&I in media, from news channels to newspapers, discussing both employee and audience facing facets of building D&I strategy.

Providing examples of work such as his approach to creating an Inclusion Toolkit, Yasir shares his views on creating confidence and capability to manage D&I, where we are with the D&I business case, and how to make mistakes well.

Yasir notes the courage it takes for us to create change; and encourages us to continually self-reflect as we progress.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[3:00] Building blocks for diversity and inclusion

[10:00] Confidence and capability to manage D&I

[11:50] Creating an Inclusion Toolkit

[14:45] What lead Yasir to becoming a D&I Leader

[19:30] Does everyone get D&I the business case now?

[23:00] Making mistakes well

[27:00] Self-reflection and courage

Referenced resources

Cutting Edge Parental & Family Leave Policy and Practice

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Mary shares her experience in how to support business leaders to lead differently, and the changes she has seen in what’s required of successful leaders today.

Considering changes in working practices and culture, Mary advocates that HR must be intentional in designing the spaces in which we work, to ensure they contribute to talent strategy, and reflect company culture and values.

Explaining why inclusion is a vital building block to other programmes, Mary calls on everyone to be conscious in owning their journey, discusses how HR can facilitate, and why HR must hold leaders accountable for their behaviours.

Noting that HR is the voice in the room representing everyone, Mary calls on you to grab this opportunity, and responsibility.

Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about:

[4:00]   The changing requirements of business leaders

[11:20] Spaces as part of talent strategy

[18:00] Why demonstrating inclusion is a building block for change and success

[22:30] Self-awareness: owning your journey and being conscious!

[27:30] HR as the voice for people not in the room

How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! 2022 edition

How HR Leaders Change the World – Live! 2022 edition is now available on demand. Click here to watch HR Leaders share how your strategic, commercial HR work is also driving ESG results, plus you can watch Erin Brockovich’s incredible closing keynote – Erin moved the room to tears! Don’t miss all the goodness and inspiration on how you can harness the power of your HR role create positive social and environmental change.