Introducing Real World HR Podcast…
In this podcast, our Founder and MD Louise Kennedy and her guests share real-world stories behind the processes to humanise HR.
Whether you’re a small business without a HR team looking for guidance, a large business in need of specialist support, or even a student wanting to find out more about HR careers, this podcast will give you direct access to the real world of HR.
TRAILER – STEP INTO THE REAL WORLD OF HR
Take your first step into the real world of HR with the podcast trailer, where HR expert Louise Kennedy explains her mission and what’s to come in the podcast.
Listen now: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4xLzbsjCqAgzIFmmgLM979
Are you ready to step into the real world of HR?
EPISODE 004: DULCIE SWANSTON: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN LEADERSHIP
How can the way we are treated at work influence our productivity?
In this episode of Real World HR, host Louise Kennedy is joined by FCIPD and MBA Business Coach & Mentor, Dulcie Swanston.
Dulcie has over 20 years’ experience in the FTSE 100/250 with powerhouses like Bass and Mitchells & Butlers Plc, and she’s not just a Master Executive Coach, but also a Business Mentor across sectors like retail and pharmaceuticals globally. Founder of Tea Break Training Ltd and ‘The 52 Project’, author of ‘It’s Not Bloody Rocket Science’, and a voice on BBC, Dulcie stands out as possibly the only Fellow of the CIPD with an MBA, a post-graduate in Employment Law, and also a qualified nightclub bouncer! On the podcast, Dulcie shares how scientific research can help us to understand how to build better relationships, lead with authenticity and adapt for growth. Louise and Dulcie cover the science behind emotional intelligence and how it links to productivity at work.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/67qCCPpbgCRlC4LrcVGdzE?si=78-l4o6CRJiO-HWXXBnL_g
EPISODE 003: ALISON DUNN: THE COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS
The cost-of-living crisis affects us all, but how does it affect us in the workplace?
In this episode of Real World HR, host Louise Kennedy is joined by committed social justice advocate; Alison Dunn.
Alison has been the Chief Executive Officer of Citizens Advice Gateshead since 2012 and has led the independent charity to support hundreds of thousands of people in the North East and maximise household income, resulting in approximately £84m of financial gains over a ten-year period. Under her leadership, the charity has undergone significant growth, increasing turnover from £1.4m to over £5.8m, growing a workforce of more than 220 staff members, and supporting around 70 volunteers each year.
In this episode, Louise and Alison chat about the challenges that people and employers face in the cost-of-living crisis. They talk about the services that are available to people and how companies can work with their employees and prospective employees to help ease the repercussions of the challenges we face in today’s societal issues.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5ys4rwrq3W7Rq2gRhwGES7?si=f682899bba47427c
EPISODE 002: MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH – TOM CHAPMAN: THE LIONS BARBER COLLECTIVE
In our latest podcast episode of Real World HR we are joined by Tom Chapman from The Lions Barber Collective. Tom is an absolute trailblazer in the industry, and the self-acclaimed busiest barber in the world has made it his mission to propel the stigma of mental health among men into the mainstream.
After a decade working at Toni & Guy, Tom founded his own hair studio in 2011. After losing a friend to suicide, he quickly realised that the salon and barbers provided a safe environment in which he could openly talk to his clients. In 2015 The Lions Barber Collective was founded, with a group of international Barbers now at its core that educate and raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention.
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/mv3hcz64
EPISODE 001: CREATING A WINNING WORKPLACE CULTURE – TEAM OCULUS HR
Tune in and join Team Oculus HR as we discuss hot topics and trending talking points within the world of HR.
In this brand-new episode, we delve into the subject of team culture.
Can you put into words what your company culture is?
Sometimes it’s difficult to grasp the true feeling of the workplace but defining your workplace culture is important to allow efficiency and passion to grow within the team.
Join us as we touch on offering benefits to staff and how to avoid grievances within your company, recruiting, and how this all links back to the culture of the company.
Ready to step into the Real World of HR?
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/3zsy2tds
S02 E06: DR ALKA PATEL: HEALTH IS EVERYONE’S BUSINESS
Health is a verb not a noun – it’s something that you need to work on, not something you have. On the latest episode of Real World HR podcast, we are joined by the Health Hacktivation doctor, Dr Alka Patel.
As a doctor, coach, speaker, author, and podcaster, Alka’s mission is to help you make informed decisions about your lifestyle and self-care by giving you the latest information on health and technology practices. She’s passionate about helping people live better and longer lives.
Tune in and listen to Dr Alka’s guide to living with longevity, impact, vitality, and energy.
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yc42u5xw
S02 E05: STEVE RAWLINGSON – SEIZING OPPORTUNITY AND SCALING A MULTI-MILLION-POUND BUSINESS
What is the key to scaling a multi-million-pound business? People.
Steve is the Founder and Group CEO of recruitment company Samuel Knight International, Steve has scaled his business to a global success, earning multiple awards and employing over 100 people.
On the podcast, we explore what it takes to scale a business with this success whilst prioritising people to build happy, high-performing teams.
Listen now: https://tinyurl.com/2asrc4h7
S02 E04 – KELLY CHARLES-COLLINS – TACKLING UNCONCIOUS BIAS
‘Open people’s hearts so that they change their minds.’
An amazing quote on how we can tackle unconscious bias from our latest podcast guest.
In season two, episode four of Real World HR, we are joined by Kelly Charles-Collins – all the way from sunny Florida!
Keynote speaker and author Kelly is passionate about revolutionising the way leaders and employees address the issues of justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace.
Within this, Kelly advocates building conversational workplace cultures, which she unpacks on the podcast.
The discussion is fascinating and enlightening. Listen now: https://tinyurl.com/5n7y4p7d
S02 E03 – JULIE TURNBULL – THE IMPACT OF MINDSET ON WORKPLACE CULTURE
In this episode of Real World HR Louise Kennedy is joined by Julie Turnbull and looks at the impact that mindset has on workplace culture and business growth.
Julie Turnbull is a transformational life and business coach who is passionate about empowering teams and leaders to create a high energy culture to drive performance. She is also an accredited coach of the Unbreakable Mindset Framework.
Listen to the episode for insights on…
- The role of mindset in driving performance and creating a positive culture
- Why businesses should invest in their people to fuel growth
- How emotional intelligence is key for leaders to get the best from their teams
- Steps to take to develop a growth mindset
Listen now: https://tinyurl.com/44pajexk
S02 E02 – 10 YEARS OF OCULUS HR
To mark Oculus HR’s 10th birthday, we recorded a special episode looking back on the past decade.
A big thank you to Sophie Milliken for putting me in the hot seat and interviewing me about my journey in business.
On the podcast we:
- Take it back to the beginning, with the journey of how and why I founded Oculus HR
- Tell the story behind the business’ name
- Dive into what makes Oculus HR so special and the longevity of the business
- Look at our growth over the past decade, then our plans for the future
- Consider trends in HR and what’s in store for the future of work
Listen now: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0XM68QWJimCtNIlHmO2rIb?si=B-oi9owbQ_SUUnxK6ixNpQ&nd=1
S02 E01 – TEAM OCULUS HR: ON TREND IN HR
To kick off season two of Real World HR, Team Oculus HR are back to discuss on trend HR topics, along with what’s been going on in our world since we last recorded a podcast together. Our discussions include: a recent rise in cases of grievances and dismissals and how HR support in this area; getting your policies and procedures in place and aligning these with your culture; supporting employees’ mental health and wellbeing; the introduction of menstrual leave in Spain and what this means for HR in the future; how performance management supports employee satisfaction and retention; our thoughts on the four-day working week.
Listen now: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3oGgufEtOgarOwTfu1MZ1l
S01 E06 – SARAH CALLENDER: LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT
To grow a successful business, leadership and development are two key areas that you need to get right.
In this episode of the Real World HR podcast, host Louise Kennedy is joined by culture change, behavioural and people expert Sarah Callender, to dive into the leadership debate.
Sarah is COO at Duo Global Consulting, where she works with growth focused businesses to lead and navigate strategic change. As part of this, Sarah is passionate about effective leadership and runs initiatives to support ambitious leaders to make a positive impact.
The discussions in this episode include the qualities of effective leaders; performance management and planning techniques; and how to encourage continuous development.
Listen now: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5GM2Pi5OffhHEKkwkCX7gE
S01 E05 – ALICE ROWEN HALL: COLLABORATIVE COMPANY CULTURE
Developing a culture that works for your business and its people is not as easy as it seems. So much hinges on company culture – including employee retention, satisfaction, and productivity.
In episode five of the Real World HR podcast, host Louise Kennedy is joined by founder and creative director at Rowen Homes, Alice Hall. Alice exited her first business, Pink Boutique, after scaling it to £25 million turnover, and has carried lessons from this business into building the rapidly growing Rowen Homes.
When building her businesses, Alice has prioritised people. She feels passionately that companies should invest in creating an excellent culture. After all, we spend so much of our lives at work.
In this episode, Alice shares her business journey and lessons learnt, along with tips for businesses to implement to develop a collaborative, creative, and engaging culture.
Listen now: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0CfMFk1HH7MY0NMH2Vs4m8
S01 E04 – SAM SPOORS: STRATEGIC TALENT ACQUISITION
One of the most vital wheels in the cog for business growth is an effective recruitment strategy. This doesn’t just include getting talent into your business, but retaining it too.
Episode four of the Real World HR podcast features talent acquisition expert Sam Spoors. Sam is an award-winning entrepreneur. With her business Talentheads, she provides specialist support on talent and recruitment.
In a competitive market, with businesses already facing the ‘not enough hours in the day’ problem, Sam is a big advocate of correctly positioning your employer brand and having an ingrained talent strategy in your business – so you get the right hire every time and build a team that is just as invested in your business as you are.
This episode features Sam’s expert advice on what businesses can do to stand out, attract the right candidates, and enhance their talent acquisition strategy.
Listen now: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4NAgn5TOJJaWuR7q0knnm1
S01 E03 – JOHN DEVITT: EFFECTIVE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
At some stage in their life, everyone will experience a deterioration in their mental health.
Many will also be affected by substance misuse, which also has a massive impact on working life.
On episode three of the Real World HR podcast, we’re joined by Occupational Health expert John Devitt to discuss these pertinent issues of mental health and substance misuse in the workplace. In his role as CEO at Recovery4Life, John specialises in offering support with sensitive, complex health and wellbeing issues such as drugs and alcohol.
John believes in the importance of personal enterprise in recovery and advocates reducing the stigma associated with substance misuse and mental wellbeing in the workplace.
We open up the discussion in this episode, with John sharing invaluable advice for businesses and individuals to find and offer support.
Listen now: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1cux5f3uzC172rP6FBcHuE
S01 E02 – SHARON MACARTHUR: MANAGING MENOPAUSE
Menopause affects 100% of people. That’s right – it’s the least exclusive club on the planet.
With this being the case, why is menopause still not part a concrete feature of the wellbeing at work agenda?
Join us for episode two of the Real World HR podcast, where we investigate this and more with menopause educator Sharon MacArthur. Sharon’s own lived experiences of the menopause ultimately ended up with her suffering from symptoms that could have killed her.
With her business Miss Menopause, Sharon is on a mission to educate HR professionals, managers, and working women to change this.
We discuss why menopause is something to be managed, not just endured, and how we can all do more to break the taboo around menopause in the workplace.
Listen now: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6MvDRP72FHYhGgKmXKjuoj
S01 E01 – TEAM OCULUS HR: BEYOND THE HR HANDBOOK
Ever dreaded having an awkward conversation with an employee or your manager? Or lost sleep worrying about a situation you’re in at work?
The first episode of the Real World HR podcast will equip you with solutions to face these issues.
Join HR expert and host Louise Kennedy as she shines the spotlight on her team at Oculus HR. The team share their journeys and why they love working in HR.
Then there’s the best bit – going beyond the HR handbook to discuss some standout, real life stories from their HR world. And there’s some gems!
Listen now: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4yznMfTOcOwo4g0SpzwdJg