In this episode of the HR Insights podcast, Stuart Elliott is joined by Paul Burton, employment solicitor at ViewHR, to explore the employment law changes that have already come into effect under the Employment Rights Act 2025.

The conversation breaks down some of the most significant developments affecting UK employers, including changes to statutory sick pay, day-one rights for paternity and unpaid parental leave, new whistleblowing protections relating to sexual harassment and increased penalties for failures in collective consultation.

Paul also explains the introduction of the Fair Work Agency and what its expanded enforcement powers could mean for organisations. From updating policies and procedures to strengthening manager training and absence management, the episode highlights why employers should treat these reforms as an organisational and people-management issue rather than simply a legal update.

This is the first of a two-part conversation. In part two, Stuart and Paul will look ahead at the further employment law changes expected to come into effect and what organisations can do now to prepare.

Key timestamps:

• 04:47 - Summary of the Employment Rights Act 2025
• 05:43 - Trade union reforms and industrial action changes
• 07:07 - Updates to sick pay and family rights
• 08:08 - Collective consultation and penalties for non-compliance
• 09:41 - Sector impact of new employment laws
• 10:14 - Details on the removal of the sick pay waiting period
• 11:18 - Importance of absence management and return-to-work interviews
• 13:25 - Paternity leave and parental rights from day one
• 18:04 - Sexual harassment protections under whistleblowing laws
• 27:21 - Introduction to the Fair Work Agency and its functions
• 30:20 - Implications of the Fair Work Agency for enforcement
• 31:09 - Advice for HR professionals and managers on legislative changes
• 32:37 - Training, support, and ongoing compliance strategies
• 33:36 - Conclusion and next steps for employers

View Transcript here

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In this episode of the HR Insights podcast, Stuart Elliott is joined by Keith Pritchard, Chief People Officer and transformation leader, to explore what global organisations need to understand about working, leading and building teams in India.

Drawing on more than three years living and working in Hyderabad, alongside over two decades of international leadership experience, Keith shares his perspective on how India has evolved from a traditional outsourcing destination into one of the world's most important hubs for innovation, technology and business growth. Together, Stuart and Keith discuss the realities of India's talent market, the rapid rise of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and why organisations need to move beyond outdated perceptions of the country.

From cultural differences in communication and decision-making to leadership, talent attraction, employee retention and the pace of change across India's economy, this episode offers practical insights for HR and business leaders looking to build stronger relationships and more successful organisations in one of the world's fastest-growing markets.

Key timestamps:

• 03:09 – Moving to India and leading within an Indian-headquartered organisation
• 07:26 – First impressions of India and the realities of living and working there
• 11:41 – Why Hyderabad has become a major technology and Global Capability Centre hub
• 14:00 – India's evolution from cost arbitrage to capability, innovation and strategic value
• 18:56 – Common misconceptions about India's talent market and leadership pipeline
• 21:46 – Cultural differences in communication, hierarchy and decision-making
• 26:36 – Diversity, gender representation and changing workplace dynamics
• 29:18 – Navigating cultural differences in hiring and recruitment
• 33:28 – Building psychological safety and encouraging open communication
• 38:16 – The continued growth of Global Capability Centres (GCCs)
• 43:41 – Attrition, employee retention and the rise of boomerang hiring
• 49:58 – Leadership lessons Keith brought back from India to the UK
• 51:39 – Comparing workplace culture and work ethic between India and the UK

Click here for transcript.

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

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As people live longer, work longer and redefine what later life looks like, businesses are facing a challenge that many have yet to fully recognise. While organisations continue to invest heavily in attracting early-career talent, many are overlooking one of the fastest-growing and most experienced talent pools available: workers over 50.

In this episode of HR Insights: The Podcast, Stuart Elliott is joined by Lyndsey Simpson, Founder and CEO of 55/Redefined and author of the Sunday Times bestselling book The Age Rebellion. One of the leading voices on age intelligence, Lyndsey works with organisations around the world to rethink how they attract, retain and develop over-50s talent, helping businesses turn demographic change into a competitive advantage.

Together, Stuart and Lyndsey explore why the traditional view of retirement is rapidly becoming outdated, what the "100-year life" means for employers and employees alike, and why many of the assumptions organisations still hold about older workers simply don't stand up to the data. From the myths surrounding ambition and technology to the commercial case for age strategy, the conversation challenges businesses to rethink how they view experience, careers and workforce planning.

The discussion also looks at the rise of multi-generational workforces, the importance of intentionally creating intergenerational teams, and why age should be viewed as a strategic business issue rather than simply another diversity initiative. Whether you're an HR leader, business leader or someone thinking about your own career, this episode offers practical insights into one of the biggest workforce shifts of our time.

Key timestamps

• 00:30 – What the "100-year life" means and why it changes everything
• 05:50 – Debunking the biggest myths surrounding older workers
• 12:05 – Why our perception of age and work needs to evolve
• 17:59 – How ambition, purpose and motivation change later in life
• 24:01 – Why "overqualified" is one of the most damaging labels in recruitment
• 26:04 – Why organisations focus on younger generations and what they're missing
• 27:28 – The commercial value older workers bring to today's businesses
• 29:47 – Why age has become the overlooked element of DE&I strategies
• 30:54 – How demographic change is reshaping the workforce
• 33:37 – The realities of managing a multi-generational workforce
• 37:32 – Building intergenerational teams that drive better performance
• 40:19 – Why storytelling helps bridge generational divides at work
• 43:40 – Where businesses should start when developing an age strategy

View Transcript here

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

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In this episode of the HR Insights Podcast, Stuart Elliott is joined by Alex Atherton, leadership coach, speaker and author of The Snowflake Myth: Explaining Gen Z in the Workplace and Beyond, to explore the realities of managing an increasingly multigenerational workforce.

The conversation challenges some of the most common misconceptions surrounding Gen Z, from assumptions around resilience and work ethic to changing expectations around feedback, career development and workplace culture. Alex shares why understanding the experiences that have shaped younger generations is essential for organisations looking to attract, engage and retain the best talent.

From age diversity and authentic employer branding to social collaboration, leadership and the arrival of Gen Alpha, this episode offers practical insight for HR and business leaders navigating a workforce where four, and soon five, generations are working side by side.

Key timestamps:

• 00:22 – Introduction to career and background
• 03:10 – Generational perspectives on work
• 05:57 – Misconceptions about younger generations
• 10:11 – The changing landscape of business
• 12:48 – Managing multi-generational workforces
• 16:11 – Attracting and retaining Gen Z talent
• 18:55 – Feedback and performance management
• 21:11 – Social collaboration in the workplace
• 24:32 – Future generations and trends in HR

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen! 

In this episode of the HR Insights Podcast, Stuart Elliott is joined by Marc Ramos, Chief Learning Officer, Harvard Learning Innovation Lab Fellow and MIT-trained AI strategist, to explore how organisations can approach AI adoption without losing sight of the people behind the technology.

The conversation looks at the growing tension between AI-driven efficiency and employee trust, why some businesses may be moving too quickly into implementation, and how leadership communication can shape whether employees feel included or threatened by change.

From trust and transparency to cognitive overload, workplace culture and the future of human connection, this episode offers practical insight for HR, talent and learning leaders navigating AI transformation inside their organisations.

Key timestamps:

• 01:06 - Introduction to AI and Learning Development
• 03:58 - The Current State of AI in Business
• 07:02 - Leadership and AI Implementation
• 09:49 - The Spectrum of AI Adoption
• 13:08 - Risk and Reward in AI Investments
• 15:55 - Communication Strategies for AI Adoption
• 18:56 - Change Management and AI
• 22:00 - The Role of Trust in AI Acceptance
• 25:34 - Trust and Society's Insular State
• 29:19 - The Leadership Gap in Trust
• 33:10 - Human Agency and Cognitive Traps
• 37:27 - AI's Impact on Human Connection
• 42:41 - A Human-Centric AI Strategy

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

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In this episode of the HR Insights Podcast, Stuart Elliott is joined by Will Spencer, Founder & CEO of Rest Easier, and Chris Laughlin, Global Reward Director at Croda, to explore how reward and benefits strategies are evolving beyond traditional perks and toward something far more meaningful: protection, financial wellbeing, and long-term employee support.

The conversation looks at why financial wellbeing has historically lagged behind physical and mental wellbeing, how employee expectations around benefits are changing, and why a one-size-fits-all approach no longer works across today’s multigenerational workforce.

From personalised benefits to the hidden risks of cost-cutting, this episode offers practical insight for HR leaders rethinking how reward strategies can better support employees in today’s workplace.

Key timestamps:

• 07:18 — How employee benefits have evolved
• 12:48 — Why financial wellbeing is often overlooked
• 16:47 — Understanding what employees actually value
• 21:40 — The rise of personalised benefits
• 32:49 — Inside the Rest Easier platform
• 34:01 — Estate planning, inheritance & protecting families
• 39:05 — Financial stress and workplace performance
• 42:37 — The hidden risks of cutting benefits

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen! 

Employee engagement continues to be one of the most talked-about topics in HR, but also one of the most misunderstood. While many organisations measure it, far fewer truly understand what drives it or how to improve it in a meaningful way. 

In this episode of the HR Insights Podcast, Stuart Elliott sits down with industry experts Paul Knight, Group Chief People Officer at PA Media, and Rebecca Saunders Jones, Managing Director of Loopin, to explore what employee engagement really looks like today, why it may be stalling in many organisations, and what HR and business leaders can do differently. 

From leadership accountability to real-time data and shifting workforce expectations, the conversation offers a practical and honest view of where engagement stands today, and where it needs to go next. 

Key timestamps

• 03:52 – What does employee engagement actually mean? 
• 05:20 – Where is engagement today? 
• 08:05 – What’s ‘job hugging’? 
• 10:29 – Why traditional engagement surveys fall short 
• 16:36 – Who really owns engagement?
• 24:42 – Transparency vs psychological safety
• 28:28 – The biggest risk to engagement
• 35:12 – Can you over-measure engagement?
• 41:43 – Embedding engagement into culture
  
  

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

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First and foremost, happy new year!

We’re excited for you to see what we have in store for 2026. To start the year, we wanted to wrap up 2025 by showcasing the amazing guests and topics we had throughout the year with a special episode, and this time, our guest is a familiar voice and our usual host, Stuart Elliott.

After a season packed with conversations on AI, resilience, global hiring, and leadership, today's host and our Marketing Intern, Lola Ojuri reflects with Stuart on the moments that stood out, the ideas that challenged him, and what these discussions reveal about the HR market right now.

Across the season, one theme has been clear: HR is evolving faster than ever. Leaders are balancing transformation with wellbeing, skills with strategy, and technology with human connection. This episode brings those insights together, a look back at the conversations shaping HR today and the challenges that will define the year ahead.

Key timestamps:

• 01:39 - Surprising conversations
• 02:50 - Interesting topics
• 04:30 - Episodes that challenged thoughts
• 06:41 - Trends of 2025
• 08:37 - Evolution of HR
• 09:53 - The market now
• 11:39 - Evolution of recruitment
• 13:10 - Trends of HR looking forward
• 15:18 - Favourite chats
• 17:17 - Themes into 2026
• 19: 26 - Hopes of improvement in HR
• 22:31 - Looking after ourselves in 2026

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen! 

As the pace of work accelerates, wellbeing continues to decline across industries, making conversations about sustainable performance more important than ever.

In this episode, our CEO and Host, Stuart Elliott, is joined by Bianca Errigo, global speaker, wellbeing expert, and founder of HumanOS, a platform redefining how organisations approach resilience and high performance.

Off of the back of our Global HR resilience report, Bianca and Stuart discuss the state of workplace wellbeing today, why so many high performers are still burning out, how organisations can close the gap between wellbeing programmes and real wellbeing outcomes, and what it means to build a culture that supports both performance and recovery.

Who is Bianca Errigo?

Bianca Errigo is a global speaker, wellbeing expert, and Founder of HumanOS, a platform advancing sustainable high performance in the workplace. With a BSc in Psychology, a background in corporate sales, and over 13,000 hours of coaching with clients ranging from global CEOs to elite athletes, she blends science, strategy and lived experience to drive meaningful behaviour change.

Named one of Startups Magazine’s 24 Most Influential Women of 2024 and recognised as American Express’s Top External Speaker, Bianca specialises in resilience, emotional intelligence, burnout prevention, and the future of work. She has delivered keynotes and workshops for organisations including American Express, Cisco, Barclays, Dell, Diageo, The NHS, Canva and the University of Cambridge. Known for her warm presence and practical approach, Bianca challenges outdated ideas of “wellbeing”, empowering leaders and teams to perform at a high level, sustainably.

If you’d like to explore how HumanOS can help your team build resilience and sustainable performance, you can learn more [here].

Key time stamps:

• 1:36 - Introduction to Bianca Errigo
• 3:37 - About HumanOS
• 12:14 - Competitiveness fuels resilience
• 19:00 – The current state of wellbeing
• 22:00 - Sleep disappearing under pressure and stress
• 30:00 - Tracking and monitoring health
• 33:40 - Gender differences and the impact on HR’s resilience
• 37:45 - Advice to companies for their HR team
• 42:00 - Psychological safety
• 46:45 - Advice for leaders of HR teams

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen! 

In this episode of HR Insights: The Podcast, our CEO Stuart Elliott sits down with Thierry Moschetti, Managing Partner at the Resilience Institute, to unpack the findings of the Global HR Resilience Report 2025,  the first global diagnostic snapshot of how HR professionals are really doing.

Together, they explore what resilience truly means in the HR context and how the profession is holding up amidst constant transformation, complexity, and pressure. With only 32% of HR professionals categorised as resilient and just 1% thriving, the results of the report are a wake-up call. 

“Bounce”,  the ability to recover from stress, emerged as the weakest of the three resilience categories, highlighting just how much HR is being stretched.

In this conversation, Thierry shares practical insights and draws on the Resilience Institute’s work with organisations like Google, Shell, and PwC. He and Stuart dive into why self-awareness isn’t enough, the warning signs HR teams need to recognise, and how leaders can build more sustainable ways to perform under pressure.

Key Timestamps 

• 02:58 - Introduction to Thierry Moschetti and Resilience Institute
• 17:10 - What is the global resilience survey and why did we run it?
• 21.50 - Key findings: The resilience spiral
• 26.28 - Unpacking the key findings
• 31:30 - Are HR leaders unsupported?
• 33.30 - The vulnerabilities of HR
• 37.00 - What needs to change?
• 42:26 - Gender gaps in resilience
• 47.40 - Age gaps in resilience
• 52.40 - Aiding burnout
• 56.40 - Advice for leaders wanting to strengthen their HR teams resilience

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen! 

Welcome back to another episode of HR Insights: The Podcast. 

Today, our CEO and Host, Stuart Elliott, is joined by Tony Davies, Director of Global Partners at Acumen International, to explore the rapidly growing world of global employment and the role of Employer of Record (EOR) in enabling organisations to scale across borders with confidence.

Together, they discuss the evolution of Tony’s career, from military engineering to building high-performing recruitment businesses, to leading global partnership networks and advising organisations on compliant international workforce expansion. Tony breaks down what the EOR model really is, why demand is rising across regions such as the Middle East, Latin America, and India, and the common pitfalls organisations must avoid when hiring internationally.

We hope you gain practical insights into when and how to use an EOR solution, how to mitigate risk in global hiring, and why choosing the right partner can determine both compliance and commercial success.

About Tony Davies:
Tony Davies is the Director of Global Partners at Acumen International, where he leads the development and execution of global partnership strategies to expand market presence and support business growth. With more than 25 years of experience in international recruitment and workforce solutions, Tony specialises in building strategic alliances, scaling operations across borders, and enabling organisations to globalise efficiently through Acumen’s extensive Global EOR network.

Passionate about empowering organisations to unlock new market opportunities, Tony focuses on strategic collaboration, operational scalability, and sustainable growth in competitive, fast-changing environments.

Key Timestamps:

• 00:16 – About Tony’s Career path: military → engineering → recruitment
• 01:03 – Building and selling a recruitment firm
• 06:20 – Belcan UK turnaround to $60m and 35-country footprint
• 09:04 – With James Caan: building global partner networks
• 10:43 – Joining Acumen International: partnership vs referral models
• 12:08 – What is EOR/PEO and why companies use it
• 18:45 – Demand hotspots: Middle East, Northern LatAm, India
• 21:50 – Pitfalls: “cheapest” ≠ safest; misclassification; penalties on global turnover
• 26:56 – Before using EOR: three checks to run
• 30:30 – When EOR is the right tool (SMBs, market tests, entity rationalisation)
• 41:53 – Advice for HR & leaders: build a trusted EOR partnership

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!