HR Disrupted
HR Disrupted is a podcast hosted by Lucy Adams, CEO of Disruptive HR, that challenges traditional HR practices and explores more agile, people-centric approaches. Each episode features discussions with guests on leadership, employee engagement, and organisational culture, offering practical advice for HR professionals and leaders. The podcast airs every two weeks and aims to empower businesses to navigate modern workplace challenges with bold, forward-thinking strategies.
Episodes
The New HR Playbook: Leading Change in an AI World
In this episode of HR Disrupted, Lucy Adams is joined by Andy Doyle, Chief People and Agent Officer at Kantar. While much of the conversation around AI focuses on hype or fear, Andy shares a grounded, practical perspective on how Kantar has embedded AI agents into the heart of its HR operations.
Lucy and Andy dig into why Kantar chose to take this path and how their ambitions evolved along the way
Rethinking Careers When No One Leaves
n this episode, Lucy Adams is joined by Eva Murciano to explore one of the biggest challenges facing organisations today: how to keep careers moving in environments where people stay for a long time. Drawing on Eva’s experience at the European Central Bank, they unpack the tension between having a highly committed, purpose-driven workforce and the unintended consequences of low turnover; stagnatio
The HR and Work Trends That Will Matter in 2026
In this episode, Lucy Adams and Karen Moran take stock of the people and work trends that are likely to shape 2026. Drawing on what they’re seeing across organisations right now, they focus on the changes that genuinely matter for HR and leaders, from shifting employee expectations to the growing pressure on organisations to operate with greater trust and transparency.
They explore how ideas about
Turning HR Data Into Real Insight
HR doesn’t struggle with not having enough data - we’ve got tons of it. Engagement scores, churn and absenteeism rates, performance ratings, DEI metrics - the works. But can we honestly say we’re brilliant at using that data to drive our people strategies? The answer is probably, “not yet.” So, this episode explores how we can get better at turning data into real insight and how that insight can h
From resistance to buy-in: Influencing the toughest leaders
Lucy and Karen get honest about one of HR’s toughest challenges: helping leaders and managers actually change how they behave. Drawing on their own “humiliations” as former HR Directors, they unpack why influencing senior leaders can feel so hard – from fear of getting it wrong, to loss of status, to simple overload – and introduce four familiar resistance types: the Defiant, the Intellectual, the
AI Coaching: The New Frontier for Developing Managers
One of the biggest challenges facing HR is the perennial challenge of leadership capability. Despite years of investment in programmes, frameworks, and workshops, many organisations still struggle to see real behavioural change. The world around us is moving faster, the expectations on leaders are higher, and yet our development approaches can still feel generic, theoretical, and removed from the
The AI you can actually use: Real adoption and results inside HR
As we know - AI isn’t something that’s coming in the future — it’s already here, and it’s already reshaping how we hire, develop and engage our people. The pace of change can feel daunting at times, but the big challenge for us in HR is how we shift from dabbling with new tools to really using AI as a strategic enabler. In this episode, Lucy explores the key opportunities and risks — from ethics a
When One Size Doesn’t Fit All: When to personalise your HR practices
In HR we have always tended to prefer standardisation. The instinct to make everything and to treat everyone in the same way comes from a mixture of practicality, compliance, and tradition. Standardisation makes processes easier to administer at scale, creates the appearance of fairness, and reduces the risks of inconsistency. For HR teams under pressure to manage large workforces efficiently, the
In praise of the office: Why hybrid is broken
In this episode, Lucy digs into one of the big questions right now: if most organisations have landed on hybrid, why does it still feel so clunky? Ranya Nehmeh, senior HR strategist, lecturer and co-author of In Praise of the Office: The Limits to Hybrid and Remote Work - joins to unpack why many hybrid set-ups deliver the “messy middle”: full calendars, half-empty offices and confused norms. She
Rethinking Rewards: How Virgin Group Made Benefits Meaningful
Whilst we’re seeing tons of innovation in some of the key employee processes, reward and recognition can often be put in the ‘too difficult’ box. Recognition efforts often lack differentiation and are just vanilla or one-size-fits-all, and flexible benefits packages, meant to deliver choice, can too often feel overwhelming or unclear to employees. This week’s guest Rachel Richards, Reward and Peop
From Bias to Better Insights: Rethinking Assessments with AI
Assessments have always played a crucial role in how we identify potential, develop talent, and shape future leaders. But with the rapid rise of AI and digital tools, we’re facing both incredible opportunities and real risks. In this episode we’re diving into a subject that sits right at the intersection of innovation and humanity and asking, how do we harness the power of technology - particularl
No-one remembers your strategy deck: Storytelling tips for leaders
Storytelling to support leadership communications has been around for a while now. And whilst it’s often seen as an effective way of getting our message across, what does it really mean to be a great storyteller - and how does it work on a practical level in a business? It could be that you are trying to help your leaders communicate the strategic priorities for the coming year or you want your ow
The Secret to Better Leaders? It Might Be Artificial
In this episode of HR Disrupted, Lucy Adams is joined by Karen Moran to explore whether artificial intelligence can help leaders get better at the “people stuff” including giving feedback, recognising effort, and holding difficult conversations. Despite over $360 billion being spent annually on leadership development, most programmes fail to deliver meaningful change. Lucy and Karen ask: can AI of
When HR Meets PR: Managing Reputation from the Inside Out
In an age where a single tweet can spark a crisis, reputation management is no longer the preserve of PR teams. In this episode, Lucy is joined by Lis Anderson, founder of the award-winning PR agency Ambitious, to explore how HR can (and must) play a bigger role in shaping, protecting and enhancing an organisation’s reputation.
They delve into the shifting dynamics of trust, the power of employee
The art of asking better questions
In this episode, Lucy is joined by Dave Reynolds, founder of Ruminate Group and author of Radicle Growth: Transform into an Unstoppable Leader Through Mastering the Art of Questions. Dave shares his journey from sales leadership to global coaching, and why he believes the key to exceptional leadership lies in asking better, deeper questions. Drawing on the concept of “radicle” growth—the unseen bu
No Ratings. No Regrets. What really happens when you give up performance ratings
Handing out a rating at the end of the annual performance review is a sure fire way to demotivate at least 80% of your workforce. But when we try to get rid of them, we’re often met with a number of concerns about what will happen when they’re gone. In this episode, Lucy is joined by her Disruptive HR co-founder Karen Moran to unpack some of the common misconceptions around the value of ratings an
The HR Director you wish you worked with
In this episode Lucy is joined by Matt Brady, Head of People of Tesco Bank talks through his refreshing HR philosophy, which is grounded in insight, commercial savviness, pragmatism, and innovation. Matt shares candid stories from his career at HSBC, Sky and Tesco Bank and shows how a mix of data, empathy, and experimentation can drive meaningful change in the employee experience.
Matt’s take on H
Why Performance Management Sucks (And What to Do About It)
Every year many managers and employees have to go through an ordeal that costs time, money and effort but which delivers little value - actually, it’s worse than that, it decreases employees’ motivation and can occasionally make them leave the company. Yes you guessed it! It’s performance appraisal time!
It’s amazing that so many of us are unwilling to let go of a system that costs so much and yet
The two-year itch: Rethinking Retention for the Modern Tech Workforce
Many of our talent and career development models stem from another age - when we joined a company, got a number of promotions and stayed as long as the company allowed us to. Of course, nowadays, the reality for many of us is very different. Flatter structures offer fewer promotional opportunities. Volatile markets mean that the longevity of companies has declined. And whilst there is some debate
Making HR comms less ‘meh’: Real talk, real connection, real impact
HR communications too often fall flat; drowning in a sea of data, facts, and formal language that fails to connect. In this episode, Disruptive HR co-founders Lucy Adams and Karen Moran explore why traditional HR comms so often miss the mark — and more importantly, how you can make yours truly stand out.
Lucy and Karen share practical insights on how to transform dry, fact-heavy messaging into com
When Politics Walk Into Work: Managing Ideological Tensions
The social and political landscape is getting more complicated and divided—things like Trump, Gaza, climate change, and so-called wokeism are just a few examples. And all that tension is spilling into the workplace. With misinformation spreading fast, people stuck in their own online bubbles, and fading trust in traditional institutions, employees are showing up with all kinds of different—and oft
Leadership development reinvented: Moving beyond traditional training
Tired of the same old leadership development strategies? Join Lucy Adams and Karen Moran as they challenge the status quo. Promoting top performers into leadership roles without considering their people skills is a recipe for disaster. Discover why the "superhero" leader model is outdated and doesn't work for modern organizations.
Revitalize your leadership training with insights from industry lea
Gen Z and the 'snowflake' myth
It seems as though there’s a news article every day about how the younger generation lack the resilience or work ethic of their parents. There’s even a nickname to sum up this apparent lack of discipline and disregard for the demands of the workplace - the so-called Snowflake generation. Do younger people present problems for employers in terms of laziness or being too fragile? Or is it just a myt
Can AI Solve Recruitment’s Biggest Challenges? HMRC Says Yes!
There doesn’t seem to be any area of HR that isn’t impacted by AI. Whether it’s personalised learning experiences or employee benefits, accessible employee survey tools, enhanced data and analytics or simply the automation of transactions, most HR teams are having to get to grips with the potential of AI.
In this episode, we’re joined by Andy Headworth, Deputy Director of Talent Acquisition at HM
Is it the end for DEI?
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - or DEI as it’s known - has had a rough ride lately. Legal challenges, political pressure, and polarized public opinion have resulted in many big brand names stepping back from their DEI commitments. Does this mean the end for DEI? To discuss this and to offer a more optimistic view, Lucy is joined by her co-founder at Disruptive HR, Karen Moran.
They debate whethe
Lessons in how to lead engineers from Google
Whenever we ask HR professionals about the biggest barriers to innovative people practices, they almost always mention leaders and managers - and this is particularly true in sectors such as engineering and technology. They tell us that, because engineers respond well to process, they struggle to move away from bureaucratic, people processes in favour of more fluid and agile approaches. In this ep
Rethinking Retirement: Embracing Age Diversity and Career Transitions
Hear from Victoria Tomlinson, CEO and founder of NextUp, to explore the concept of "unretirement" and the evolving landscape of age diversity in the workforce. In this episode we challenge the outdated perceptions of older workers, particularly in light of a recent controversial post from a global recruitment company which labelled workers over 55 as being ‘in decline’! Together, we confront these
Leadership and culture at Netflix
In 2009 Netflix caused a huge stir in the HR and tech worlds with their 125 page slide deck that set out a new way of leading people. Whilst many companies have now adopted their concepts such as ‘freedom with accountability’, the rejection of the idea that businesses are a family, and the so-called Keeper Test, Netflix were the first major corporation to introduce them. In this episode, Kenny Tem
Key HR trends for 2025
As it's our last podcast of 2024, we thought it was a good idea to have a look at the key trends for HR for the coming year. There are lots of areas where HR is progressing and what works for you will depend on the nature of your business, the maturity of your leaders, and your HR function. But in this episode we're going to look at the key trends that might shape your plans.
Join Disruptive HR’s
The forgotten issue: Supporting family caregivers in the workplace
In this episode we explore the crucial and often overlooked issue of supporting family caregivers in the workplace. Stephanie Leung, CEO and founder of Karehero, who shares her personal journey from a high-flying career at Goldman Sachs to becoming an advocate for caregivers. Stephanie opens up about her experiences as a family caregiver from a young age and the challenges she faced balancing work
Employee-centric HR at NatWest
Discover the transformative journey of HR at NatWest through the innovative insights of Katherine O’Callaghan, Head of People Transformation. Katharine shares her experience of reshaping the HR landscape by drawing inspiration from customer experience strategies. We discuss how NatWest has innovatively adopted a "colleague goal and journey model" to enhance the employee experience.
Listen in as w
Challenges of the CPO (and solutions!)
This week, the co-founders of Disruptive HR (and ex-CPOs themselves), Lucy Adams and Karen Moran, tackle the unique challenges faced by Chief People Officers (CPOs). They explore the scepticism often directed at CPOs and the pressure to conform to a metrics-heavy approach. They talk about the benefits of embracing a human-centric design for HR strategies and how shifting from rigid, traditional pr
Innovative HR for Professional Services: Clyde & Co
What unique challenges do HR professionals face in the legal sector, and how can innovative approaches transform traditional practices? Join us as we chat with Emma Stevenson, Director of Partner Relations at Clyde & Co, who takes us through her fascinating 22-year journey in HR, navigating the intricacies of managing partner relations in a global law firm. Learn how she innovated a dedicated
Creating a brand new organisation through values
Join us on this episode of HR Disrupted as we explore the innovative creation of the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research in Wales, with our special guests James Owen, Chief Operating Officer, and Fran Hill, Director of People and Culture. Our conversation covers the birth of this innovative public body, its ambitious goals for enhancing the learner experience, and its commitment to fost
Integrating HR with Sustainability: Insights from Bates Wells’ Scott Sullivan
What if your HR department could transform into a beacon of sustainability? Join us for an insightful conversation with HR Director Scott Sullivan as he shares his story on becoming a key player in making Bates Wells the first major law firm to achieve B Corp certification. Scott’s diverse experience across various industries and his roles as a magistrate and charity trustee provide a unique persp
Boosting Your Brand through Better Hiring Practices
What happens when an interviewer falls asleep mid-interview or a receptionist actively discourages a candidate from joining? Join Lucy and Karen, co-founders of Disruptive HR, as they recount some shocking personal stories and explore the critical importance of enhancing candidate experiences during the recruitment process.
In this episode we dissect the pitfalls of traditional interview methods
Transforming Talent Acquisition with Michael Kienle from L'Oreal
Join us for an insightful conversation with Michael Kienle, the Global VP of Talent Acquisition at L'Oreal, as he shares his unique journey to leading global recruitment for one of the world's most iconic consumer brands. Michael discusses his transition from marketing to HR, driven by his passion for understanding and working with people.
In this episode, we also explore the challenges and strat
Helping managers have difficult conversations
Ever wondered why those tough conversations at work seem to hit a nerve every single time? In our latest episode of the Disruptive HR podcast, Karen Moran and I unravel the complexities of difficult conversations using David Rock's SCARF model. From the pitfalls of saving up negative feedback for annual reviews to the power of continuous, in-the-moment feedback, we expose the flaws in traditional
Transforming Employee Experiences at Marks and Spencer with Sarah Findlater
Join us for an illuminating conversation with Sarah Findlater, the People Director at Marks and Spencer, as she takes us through her incredible 23-year journey within the organization. From her beginnings as a personnel graduate to leading people plans for over a thousand stores and 47,000 colleagues, Sarah offers invaluable insights into building a high-performance culture. Hear how her diverse e
Transforming HR: Agile Strategies for Success
Join us as we explore the concept of Agile HR and how it can revolutionise the way HR functions are delivered. Lucy Adams and Karen Moran, founders of Disruptive HR, address the traditional pitfalls of HR being overly bureaucratic and slow, often perfecting processes at the expense of addressing real employee needs. They share personal anecdotes, such as a pay and grading exercise at the BBC, to
Unlocking Modern Leadership: Insights from Dr Kirstin Ferguson's 'Head and Heart'
Unlock the secrets to modern leadership with award-winning expert Dr Kirstin Ferguson as she shares game-changing insights from her latest book, "Head and Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership." Learn how to balance analytical skills with empathy and emotional intelligence through the Head Heart Leader Scale, and discover the critical attributes that define exceptional leaders today. From maintainin
Forward-thinking approaches to succession planning
Is your organisation stuck in the quagmire of outdated succession planning? Lucy Adams and Karen Moran, founders of Disruptive HR share their personal horror stories from their time as HR Directors and shed light on the inefficiencies of traditional methods that often miss the mark. They discuss the pitfalls of over-engineering processes, making a case for the urgent need for agile succession plan
Revolutionising Performance Management: SUSE's SYNC Framework
Unlock the secrets to revolutionising performance management with insights directly from Gill Hunt and Uli Kirschner from tech company SUSE. Discover how SUSE transformed their performance evaluations into the innovative "SUSE Sync," a dynamic system that fosters personal accountability and continuous feedback. You'll learn how this major shift was driven by employee engagement surveys revealing a
Interview: Leatham Green, Transformation Director, Oracle
Lucy talks to Leatham Green from Oracle about making change happen
Lucy and Karen discuss new approaches to talent management
Lucy and Karen discuss the new ways HR teams and leaders are approaching talent management.
Interview: Tope Sadiku from Kraft Heinz
Lucy talks to Tope Sadiku from Kraft Heinz about creating a seamless digital experience for employees.
Interview: Viv Leinster (Arqiva)
Lucy talks to Viv Leinster from Arqiva about their innovative approach to hybrid working
Lucy and Karen talk about Hybrid Working
Disruptive HR founders Lucy Adams and Karen Moran answer your questions on how to make hybrid working work
Interview: Tanuj Kapilashrami (Group Head of HR , Standard Chartered)
Lucy talks to Tanuj Kapilashrami about the progressive work HR is doing at Standard Chartered, including HR product design and the employee experience.
Lucy and Karen discuss Performance Management
The founders of Disruptive HR, Lucy Adams and Karen Moran, discuss new approaches to Performance Management
Interview: Ben Wiseman (Founder and CEO of ZigZag)
Lucy talks to founder of ZigZag, Ben Wiseman about improving the candidate experience and the opportunities technology offers to change recruitment.
Interview: Aisling Teillard (Founder - Our Tandem)
Lucy talks to Ailsing Tellard, founder of performance management tool Our Tandem about helping employees to own their performance and careers.
Interview: Imola Richards (Global Manager of GE‘s HR Leadership Programme)
Lucy talks to Imola Richards from GE about HR leadership development and sustaining the ability to challenge the status quo.
Interview: Paul Bulpitt (Co-founder The Wow Company)
Lucy talks to Founder of Wow Accountants, Paul Bulpitt, about how to ensure your people live up to your brand.
Interview: Thomas Moeller-Lybaek (HR Process Innovation Director -Lego)
Lucy talks to Thomas Moeller-Lybaek about his role redesigning HR processes for Lego
Interview: Selina Millstam (VP and Head of Talent Management - Ericsson)
Lucy talks to Selina Millstam from Ericsson about their unique approach to transformational change
Interview: Elle Harrison (Owner Wild Courage)
Lucy Adams talks to Executive Coach Elle Harrison about how coaching can be used to bring in talented mavericks without disrupting the culture.
Interview: Catherine Garrod (Ex-Head of Inclusion for Sky and Founder of Compelling Culture)
Lucy talks to Catherine Garrod (ex-Sky and founder of Compelling Culture) about how to take fresh approaches to diversity and inclusion.
Interview: Jason Larry (Global Head of Real Estate and Facilities - Mondelez)
Lucy talks to Jason Larry, the Global Head of Real Estate at Mondelez about their approach to post-pandemic hybrid workplace
Interview: Shaun Conning (Chief People Officer - DAZN)
Lucy talks to Chief People Officer at DAZN, Shaun Conning about non-traditional routes into and approaches to HR
Interview: Nick Shackleton-Jones (HR Director, Talent & Learning, Deloitte UK)
Lucy talks with learning expert and HR Director Learning at Deloitte, Nick Shackleton-Jones about how people learn and how that understanding can dramatically re-shape our approach to L&D
Interview: Joel Barnett (Managing Director Fortune Hill)
Lucy to talks with MD of search firm Fortune Hill, Joel Barnett about the HR search market and what his clients are looking for from their HR hires.
Interview: Tanith Dodge (One of the UK's leading HR Directors)
Lucy interviews Tanith Dodge, one of the most foremost HR Directors in the UK about what it takes to get to the top of the HR profession.
Interview: Claude Silver (Chief Heart Officer - Vayner Media)
In this podcast, Lucy interviews Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia to learn more about how they have continued to lead with the heart throughout the pandemic.
Interview: Maggie Fox (Head of People Operations - XO Serve)
Karen chats to Maggie, the Head of People Operations at SME Xoserve about how they have transformed their approach to performance management and moved away from command and control people policies
Interview: Elena Aylott (VP Global Employee Experience, Oriflame)
Lucy to talks to Elena Aylott from Oriflame Cosmetics about how she has introduced Employee Experience and what they've changed as a result of the crisis.
Interview: Amy Dawson (Ex OD Lead - Essex County Council)
Hear how Essex County Council transformed their approach to performance management. From research to ensure their approach was user-centred, to getting rid of ratings, becoming employee-led and focusing on ‘in-the-moment’ feedback!
Interview: Aidan Geary (Director of Operations at Conde Nast)
Lucy interviews Aidan Geary, Director of Operations at Conde Nast. He talks about the challenges of running a global media brand during the crisis and some of the positives that have come from it.
Interview: Inge Oosterhuis (Managing Director Talent & Organisation, Accenture)
Lucy chats with Inge Oosterhuis who heads up Global Innovation/Human Potential at Accenture about the trends she's seeing as a result of the crisis.
Better Normal Leadership Communications
One of the upsides of the current crisis has been a shift in the way that leaders are communicating with their teams. In this podcast Lucy discusses these new leadership communication trends.
Interview: Anne-Katrine Ahlefeldt-Laurvig ( Head of Global Leadership and Talent Development , Novo Nordisk)
Lucy interviews Anne-Katrine Ahlefeldt-Laurvig Head of Global Leadership and Talent Development at Novo Nordisk. She describes her excitement about how the crisis has given her team renewed confidence that they can make change happen.
Interview: Esther Wallington (Chief People Officer, HMRC)
Lucy chats with Esther Wallington, the Chief People Officer at HMRC. She describes the changes in managers' and employees' behaviour during the crisis and how this can be built upon once it's over.
Better Normal Leadership
Lucy talks about what #BetterNormal leadership looks like and how we need to redefine our expectations of leaders after the crisis.
Interview: Andrea Gordon (Director of HR, Peabody)
Lucy talks to Andrea Gordon, HR Director at Peabody Housing Trust. She shares how lockdown has led them to make dramatic changes to the way they recruit and onboard their people and how they won't be going back!
Interview: Amy Girdwood (EVP People & Culture, Discovery)
Lucy interviews Amy Girdwood, EVP People and Culture at media giant Discovery. She talks about how the crisis has transformed the way they communicate and led to new possibilities.
Interview: The Co-Op Colleague Experience
Claire Camara and Clare Fogden from The Coop share how they have begun to implement employee experience, or as they call it, ‘colleague experience’. Hear how they have embedded and used colleague insight in the design of HR products and the impact their new approach is having on processes such as performance management.
Interview: Amy Brand (HR Partner CF & EU Swiss Re)
Lucy interviews Amy Brand, Global HR Partner for Swiss Re talks to us about how her company has changed during lockdown and what she wants to take into the new and #betternormal.
Interview: Simon Linares (HR Director)
Lucy interviews one of the UK's most prominent HR Directors, Simon Linares. Simon has worked at many of the UK's biggest brands and we were delighted that he took some time to share what his idea of Better Normal looks like.
Interview: Karl Burnett (VP Human Resources, A+E Networks)
In this podcast Karen talks to Karl Burnett, VP of HR at A+E Networks about some of the great HR initiatives that helped A+E win the award for ‘Best place to work in TV’ in 2018.
A+E Networks UK is a joint venture between Hearst and Sky and a leading media network reaching 60 million homes across 100 countries. Known for award-winning factual and entertainment content they have been entertaining a
Karen and Lucy discuss onboarding during lockdown
Our traditional approaches to onboarding had already been challenged even before the virus hit. Now, lockdown has made the old, classroom style of delivery impossible. In this podcast Karen and Lucy discuss how companies are re-thinking onboarding and achieving the same outcomes – or maybe even better outcomes – as a result of lockdown.
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