We’ve reached the end of Season 6 and we’ve almost reached the end of the year!  Rob Moss, the Editor of Personnel Today returns to give his HR review of the year.  Among other topics, we talk about quiet quitting, industrial action, working from home and the 4 day working week. What have been the big HR stories this year? [02:07] Political upheaval in the UK during 2022 has in Rob's opinion made for a quiet year for the HR sector with a very few developments in the world of work. Is Quiet Quitting the HR term of the year? [04:22] Rob isn't keen on the term and explains that people ..read more

My guest this week puts forward the key principle that employers have a moral obligation to ensure that employees look forward to coming to work. This principle amongst others, is a key tenet of unleashing the power of the human spirit to enable organisations to really prosper in the 21st century.  Josh Bersin is one of the world’s leading authorities on human resources, talent, leadership and HR technology. During the last 25 years Josh has worked with hundreds of organisations and this experience has led him to publish his new inspirational book Irresistible a book that neatly distills ..read more

Is 'Quiet Quitting' just a tik tok phenomenon or is it genuinely a coping mechanism for employees to protect themselves from the pressure of work? This week’s guest argues that Quiet Quitting is a way for workers to moderate how much cognitively and emotionally they are giving to their working lives in order to remain healthy at work.  Dr Maria Kordowicz FRSA is a Chartered Psychologist, Associate Professor in Organisational Behaviour and Director of the Centre for Interprofessional Education and Learning at the University of Nottingham.  Dr Maria argues that the pandemic triggered a ..read more

Workplace wellbeing continues to be a key theme for Oven-Ready.  Increasingly HR practitioners are devoting more of their time tackling a range of complex issues such as mental health provision for employee burnout and additional financial support for workers in financial stress. Recent research findings from financial services giant Legal and General’s Group Protection business has revealed some stark results. The majority of UK workers surveyed believe that workplace mental health support should be mandatory, a worrying and distinct disparity between what employers and workers think are ..read more

Every Season on Oven-Ready I like to devote an episode that critiques HR.  Think of it as kicking the tyres, looking under the bonnet and occasionally applying the hand break when we look to be driving in the wrong direction. Neil Morrison is the Director of HR for FTSE100 water company, Severn Trent plc, where he is responsible for the HR function as well as the internal and external communications and marketing teams. Considered one of the UK’s most influential HR leaders, Neil often delivers withering and scathing assessments of the professions obsession with self-serving and inward-lo ..read more

In this episode I welcome back multi-award winning psychologist and bestselling author Gethin Nadin widely considered as one of the worlds leading employee experience influencers.  Gethin has just published his new book titled A Work In Progress written in the long shadow of the pandemic and partly as an andidote to the hundreds of thousands of off-the-self wellbeing apps and services that organisations buy and the majority of which offer no discernible benefit to workers. A Work In Progress meticulously draws upon some 500 research papers and studies neatly bringing us back to the eviden ..read more

What is the future for global city centres in this post-pandemic world?  Cities from Shanghai and New York to Singapore and London are still coming to terms with the fact that a significant % of the knowledge workers who used to commute 5 days a week are now spending part of the working week at home.   This new way of working has had a significant impact on city centre economies. So with the new rhythm of working, what do city centres and those responsible for their vibrancy need to do to ensure knowledge workers do spend money on the days they are in the office? Jace Tyrrell is the ..read more

The Brit School for performing arts and technology is perhaps the most creative environment on the planet.  Free to attend, inspiration for the school came from  the 1980’s move Fame and the spin-off TV show. Brit School alumni are considered some of the most successful and influential artists of all time. From Adele and Amy Winehouse to Tom Holland and Leona Lewis. But The Brit School is more than just a school for performers.  Of equal importance are students studying film making, TV production, fashion, lighting design, radio and sound engineering – the entire creative indust ..read more

Many of us are working at least part of the week remotely. So how do you work remotely and remain effective?  Well HR guru Gemma Dale has just published a book about remote working and here to share her expertise. Gemma is a lecturer in the Business School at Liverpool John Moores University as well as running her own business 'The Work Consultancy' where she focuses on policy development, flexible and hybrid working and wellbeing.  A charted fellow of the CIPD Gemma was one of the 'Most Influential Thinkers in HR' in 2021 and 2022.   Her recently published book “How to Wo ..read more

If you’re a regular listener to Oven-Ready you’ll know that we out together a couple of compilation episodes called Oven-Ready Reheated listening again to some of the key moments from the season’s episodes. [00:39] William Tincup is the President and Editor at Large for Recruiting Daily, the number 1 site for recruitment news and opinion. I ask William if there is a pressure from employers for a return to the office in the United States. [02:56] In the first of two clips, Professor Sir Cary Cooper CBE , Professor of Psychology at Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester and the ..read more