At all times. Particularly now. It is going to get better, but in the meantime: Resilience. There are a million and one things our minds are trying to solve. Our brains are in overdrive trying to solve problems that are, at the moment, largely unsolvable. Ask your brain to slow down. Give yourself permission to say, right now, for a few moments, I’m not trying to solve anything. Your brain needs a break. And a dash of gratitude. About anything big or small that you appreciate today. Bringing in ...
Sep 30, 2020•29 min•Season 4Ep. 10
With everything that’s going on in the world right now, how do you and your organisation show up? The clearer you get on that, the stronger and more beneficial it gets for your bottom line, for your people, for yourself. The current levels and arenas of crisis impact everyone and they come with a lot of rigidity, divisiveness, tenseness. We can guarantee your customers, your employees, your business are all impacted. It’s a lot, right? So how do you continue as an organisation, as a professional...
Sep 16, 2020•27 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Did you realise? It’s always in the room. Unwritten expectations that influence and guide the day-to-day actions and decisions in your organisation. You see it in how people show up, in how they interact. This episode looks at systemic thinking and specifically at how a systems perspective can help us diminish racism in work environments – even where you hadn’t noticed the impact of it before. What are the things that are said and done, or maybe not said and done, in your workplace? This is how ...
Sep 02, 2020•25 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Talking personal leadership: kind, funny, outspoken, courageous. That’s what Laura Khalil brings in her work and to this episode. In all of her initiatives, Laura Khalil helps ambitious women and allies live well and lead well. We talked with Laura about taking charge of the things we can control in our lives, recognising the things we can’t and moving forward with a lot of grace. Honestly asking ourselves: what is the role I’m playing in my working life and how is that serving me? And: How good...
Aug 19, 2020•26 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Diversity & inclusion is a journey. Strengthening it in your work environment is, as Vivian Acquah sees it, like a dish that requires marinating and developing flavour. Vivian is the Workplace Wellness advocate who contributes to keeping your employees happy, healthy and safe. She recently published an article with actionable advice on how to dismantle racism in the workplace. When you realise that this is something you want to contribute to, where do you start? - Addressing racism in your o...
Aug 04, 2020•28 min•Season 4Ep. 6
The world of work is hard enough as it is, so why is it that we laugh so little in the work place? And why might laughter be important? In this episode of HR Matters, we explore the value and importance of laughter, comedy and what our guest Chris Tabish calls Comediology. In fact he found it so valuable he wrote a whole book about it by this very name. As Chris says, there’s this thing called “ourselves” we forget about having in business. It’s so easy to get caught up in benchmarking, reportin...
Jul 24, 2020•27 min•Season 4Ep. 5
You can probably hear it in our voices... this is a topic that really matters to us: systemic racism and the journey towards diversity, equity and inclusion. We are two white, cis, middle class, international women – which informs our perspective. We have a very deep commitment to inclusion. We know the value of inclusion: it unleashes innovation and allows any kind of organisation to thrive. Making your business stronger and to make humans welcome – that’s the heart of inclusion. Inclusion for ...
Jul 08, 2020•28 min•Season 4Ep. 4
How do you know your worth? Part of this is investing in yourself. On the newest HR Matters Podcast episode, we talk with Denise Liebetrau about making sense of compensation and benefits, both from a business perspective as well as for individuals. We talk about individual human perspectives and conversations on comp and ben. Your own comp and ben. This is about knowing what you deliver that is of value, and how to articulate that. “If you can get really clear on who you are, what your skills ar...
Jun 24, 2020•32 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Diversity and Inclusion consultant Toby Mildon enables D&I in culture and business systems, and he just published a book called Inclusive Growth. In this episode we talk with Toby about the wide range of diversity: race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical and neurodiversity, and more. With his background in tech, he points us to the importance of culture combined with the power of technology – as well as the importance of diversity & inclusion in the tech sector itself. “How...
Jun 11, 2020•26 min•Season 4Ep. 2
How is your brain dealing today? At the start of our 4th HR Matters podcast season and before talking with new guests in the space of work, in this episode we get personal, talking about what it is like to live and lead right now. There’s been nothing gradual about the transitions we’ve been experiencing. We see vast changes ahead that will have more ripple effects, happening to real people, in the economy, in cultures, in the environment. So much that is Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguo...
May 27, 2020•33 min•Season 4Ep. 1
How much our lives have changed right now around work, home and families. Finding new ways, new rhythms. Moving online, squeezing a desk into the bedroom, finding a quiet space for a call, finding work hours that work for you. In our final episode of season three features our former co-host and current fav guest of honour Shea Harty : “I definitely had to adjust my way of thinking, thinking of what ‘normal’ is.” “Trying to fit the current situation into what we used to do was the wrong approach,...
May 13, 2020•27 min•Season 3Ep. 16
How can you tell if an organisational culture is healthy? Research shows that psychological safety is the centerpiece of organisational culture, a bellwether for how an organisation is doing. Because it reflects basic human needs: if those aren’t met, you can’t compensate with other things. Dr Timothy R. Clark , leadership consultant, has researched the four stages of psychological safety and presents a clear framework. In this episode we speak with Dr Clark about his framework and how you ident...
Apr 28, 2020•30 min•Season 3Ep. 15
“Get the people together, tell them what the situation is, ask them how are we going to solve this.” In this new episode of the HR Matters Podcast, we speak with Tom van der Lubbe , ceo of Viisi , about ‘people first’ in times of crisis. Viisi has a double purpose: to change the world of finance, and to put people first, changing the way we work. In these extraordinary circumstances they found that their priorities stay the same: 1. Solidarity first, and nothing else. Everybody keeps their job. ...
Apr 10, 2020•31 min•Season 3Ep. 14
“Every person plays a role in the organisational culture. Every single person plays a role.” In our currently shifting world of work, we spoke with Adé Adeniji for this podcast episode. Adé works on building workplaces where people feel like they can show up and be their best selves. You may be reading about how to make workplaces great, but don’t know how to make that actually happen. It remains an aspirational thing. This is about finding the courage to step forward: Hey I want my workplace to...
Mar 31, 2020•34 min•Season 3Ep. 13
“When you really put your people first, we think it’s logical that the rest will follow automatically,” states Marc-Peter of Viisi , a Dutch mortgage advice company that aims to change the world of finance. “We like to keep it very simple. We have one rule and that’s the Golden Rule: treat others like you want to be treated. Everything we do flows from that.” Marjolijn: “Why I’m so excited about Viisi is that lots of people are interested in that, but you’re actually doing it.” MPP: “Yeah, that’...
Mar 19, 2020•36 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Marguerite Soeteman-Reijnen is not only the Chairwoman of AON Holding, a Marketing Executive, and Supervisory Board Member of several organizations - she is also a passionate believer in people and their ability to make the impossible possible. Marguerite is a truly shining example that you can be Female , Ambitious and HUMAN at the same time....in fact it's important. Join this wonderful conversation and listen to the wide array of powerful insights Marguerite shares on why the human element is...
Mar 05, 2020•33 min•Season 3Ep. 11
In this episode we walk you through the changes taking place in the HR field, as sketched by Lars Schmidt in an insightful article on Fast Company: ‘ 7 Ways HR Looks Different in 2020 ’ : “The leading edge of HR is having a transformational impact on business. Modern people teams are indispensable success enablers for the business.” This is what you want to know, put your focus towards and get excited about. It’s the future of HR. 1. Inclusion over diversity : Connect this to the purpose of your...
Feb 19, 2020•31 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Dutch entrepreneur (and surfer) Wouter Smeets is an innovation expert who took the best practices of innovation and put them into talent development. With Prototype You he nurtures continuous learning in organizations. In this episode we dive into Wouter’s views and his program, which empowers employees to become the director of their own personal development and career. Traditionally you went to an ad-hoc training at the company’s request. But in the world we live in now, organisations need to ...
Feb 05, 2020•37 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Is it really possible to be both professional and kind ?? ABSOLUTELY! In fact it is vital. When kindness becomes a basic assumption in business it transforms everything. Kindness is the key opening up the space beyond basic transaction, to meeting people on the human level. Kindness is the gateway to getting unstuck and moving your business forward. When we are able to bring kindness together with boundaries, relationships blossom and the shift from scarcity into abundance becomes real. But how ...
Jan 22, 2020•38 min•Season 3Ep. 8
It’s one of the biggest management myths: that you shouldn’t say ‘thank you’ to people too often. Indeed, when you take a thank you to the next level and turn it into a true acknowledgement of someone, that will strengthen them to bring more of that good work, it will improve trust and connection, and will solidify compliments that they received earlier. A ‘thank you’ is the most valuable thing you can give to employees – and co-workers, and managers. When done right. What exactly makes a good a...
Jan 07, 2020•36 min•Season 3Ep. 7
“What feels like a messy, complicated situation becomes crystal clear very quickly.” Looking ahead to a whole new decade, this new episode clarifies how it pays off to get clear on the values of your organisation. As our organisations continue to evolve and develop, having clear values will no longer be that nice-to-have. It’s going to become vital and important because it’ll be the backbone of your business. Having clear values will help you set up you a framework that, in the short term, makes...
Dec 23, 2019•32 min•Season 3Ep. 6
This is what you need for that elusive and complex goal: successful cultural change. The essential factors to making big changes. Having worked with large corporates trying to transform in a quickly changing world, and for start-ups growing into scale-ups, Shea Harty brings in her views as our special guest on this new podcast episode. From identifying what is really going on below the surface with co-workers getting nostalgic about what their workplace was like before, lamenting the times when ...
Dec 12, 2019•38 min•Season 3Ep. 5
There is an under-the-radar skill that you’ll be happy to be more aware of, and that you'll want to put high up on your list of things to develop. If you’re already good at this, you’ll want to cherish it and inspire it in others. Marjolijn describes it as making room in your head for other people’s stories, for other people’s choices. Lisa calls it holding space. It’s about realizing that the way that you see the world, your perspective, is not the one and only. Park your judgement and get curi...
Nov 26, 2019•33 min•Season 3Ep. 4
This year there's been a lot of news about getting more women on Boards of companies and organizations around the world. But, as with most great things, this is easier said than done. In this episode we talk about the challenges, opportunities, bias, privilege, quotas and going back to basics. How do we change the status quo? Is it changing fast enough? And don't you just want to be one of the guys? And getting slapped in the face with new perspective and how this can actually help your company ...
Nov 15, 2019•37 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Upping stock prices and shareholder value is no longer the measure of success. The best run companies do more. “Shareholder profits can no longer be the primary goal of corporations,” was the statement that came from a group of top CEOs in the US this summer. Businesses should be balancing the needs of shareholders with customers, employees, suppliers and local communities. “We commit to delivering value to all of them.” You have a responsibility to deliver value to the wider world around you, n...
Oct 30, 2019•29 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Welcome to the third season of HR Matters! This season, Lisa Dempsey and Marjolijn Vlug will be your hosts and Shea Harty will reappear as a guest on our podcast. We are starting off the season with a glance behind the scenes into why, and how, we make this podcast for you. Making these episodes is an active decision with a clear purpose: to talk about how the human way of interacting at work, and intentions that may fall by the wayside when you’re wrapped up in your busy workdays. The big pictu...
Oct 15, 2019•29 min•Season 3Ep. 1
This episode with Ronald Meijers is a real goldmine. Ronald is a Partner at Deloitte and Leads the Transformation, Leadership & Governance as well as the Financial Services verticals. We could have spent hours discussing work, leadership and organizations with him. Lisa connected with Ronald during the Deloitte BOLD Leaders program and was delighted to find genuinely refreshing views inside a large management consultancy, and you'll see why during this episode. If you've ever wondered what p...
Oct 02, 2019•32 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Our newest podcast guest literally wrote the book on Employee Experience in the Netherlands. She collected best practices, insights, research and shares her best advice with us. Heleen Mes and her co-author Gea Peper are the biggest EX experts we know. In this episode, Heleen shares her insights and gets you up to speed on this innovation in HR. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to upgrading the employee experience in your organisation. The definition of what EX is and can be is quite wide....
Sep 16, 2019•32 min•Season 2Ep. 16
During this summer we're resharing some of our favourite episodes. This favourite is about the future of HR. In the following episode, recorded in January 2019, we talk about the skills that HR professionals and recruiters will need to be able to deal with the rapidly changing world around us. From data to values and all that's needed to help people work together successfully. We'll be back with a brand new episode in September!
Aug 20, 2019•31 min•Season 2Ep. 15
We're taking a quick summer break and wanted to share some our favorite episodes from the past two seasons with you. We hope you enjoy these blasts from the past and look forward to sharing our new material with you in September! In this episode recorded on 11 September 2018, we explore an interview with Elon Musk, which was followed up by an open letter from Arianna Huffington. We discuss if working 120+ hours a week, followed by days and nights in the office without taking a break to go home i...
Jul 30, 2019•26 min•Season 2Ep. 14
