An integral lead in TalkTalk’s Women in Tech employee network, Denise Maskew tells her own career story and how she’s navigated an industry largely dominated by males. We spoke to Denise for International Women’s Day. This year’s theme is ‘inspire inclusion’ and Denise perfectly embodies both of these terms. She tells us how the power of networks and mentoring have shaped her path, and why everybody’s welcome in the community - regardless of job title and gender. There’s an abundance of opportun...
Mar 07, 2024•20 min•Ep. 51
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and this year’s theme is anxiety. The annual campaign is an opportunity for us to open up and start conversations, while increasing awareness and understanding of anxiety. But not just for one week… TalkTalk’s Talent Acquisition Business Partner, Chris Pope is somebody who stands by this – working to support others all year round. He is a facilitator at one of the Andy’s Man Club groups, which meet every Monday evening, across the UK, at 7pm. Andy’s Man ...
May 17, 2023•25 min•Ep. 50
This Autism Acceptance Month, we spoke to Ian Kenworthy. Ian is a People Operations Administrator who joined TalkTalk via the Employ Autism programme, which was created alongside TalkTalk’s long-standing charity partner Ambitious About Autism. He tells guest presenter Kacee how the role was recommended to him and the reasons why he chose TalkTalk - due to the inclusive culture. Employ Autism is programme providing a 6-month placement within the business, which includes various other layers of su...
Apr 05, 2023•15 min•Ep. 49
Do you really know your colleagues? Today we learned that Dean, our Enterprise New Business Sales Executive, can read minds… so naturally we’re slightly nervous when he’s around now. Fresh from the annual Magic Convention in Blackpool’s famous Winter Gardens, we spoke to Dean on the latest episode of Walking the Walk to find out exactly what it means to be in the ‘Magic Circle’ and how he juggles life between a full-time career and magic. Something that he describes in great detail, with passion...
Mar 01, 2023•14 min•Ep. 48
#BeMoreSam – it may have just been a mid-podcast joke, but TalkTalk’s Equality & Future Talent Manager Sam Davys returned from maternity leave to find out she’s been awarded an MBE. In the King’s first ever honours list. And as one of the youngest recipients, what an achievement! In the latest episode of Walking the Walk, Sam explains how all her hard work, goal setting and goal getting had led to her position as (what some may describe) ‘office royalty’. The driving force of the Government ...
Jan 25, 2023•17 min•Ep. 47
It’s Dyslexic Awareness Month and in the latest episode of Walking the Walk we speak to TalkTalk’s Service Improvement Manager Ashling Middleditch. As a child, Ashling faced challenges such a concentration and presentation – but performed highly academically and with interpersonal skills, being curious and problem solving. In her late 20s, she was diagnosed with Dyslexia, something she refers to as a ‘difference’. She tells guest presenter Kacee Fennelly how this is common particularly for femal...
Oct 26, 2022•18 min•Ep. 46
In this week’s episode of Walking the Walk, guest presenter Kacee Fennelly talks to Drew Cockton, founder of the North West LGBTQ+ Business Awards, and Todd Bennett, chair of TalkTalk’s LGBTQ+ network TalkPride. Together, they discuss challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community in business and explore how opportunities like these awards are important to continue supporting and shining a light on the achievements and resilience of its members following the pandemic. Small business owner Drew explain...
Oct 06, 2022•13 min•Ep. 45
In the latest episode of Walking the Walk, guest presenter Kacee Fennelly speaks to Hannah Nunn from Kickstart Coffee. TalkTalk’s Salford HQ has updated its Quayside restaurant offering for employees, and part of this sees the introduction of Kickstart Coffee – a not-for-profit coffee which funds children’s education in Uganda. The sale of coffee at TalkTalk is currently paying for two teachers as well as food for the community children. Hannah explains how she changed her life from working as a...
Aug 03, 2022•11 min•Ep. 44
“…in this digital world… being a jack of all trades is the best because you’re bringing in a pool of skills and that’s exciting in any organisation…”. In this week’s podcast, presenter Dominic Laurie interviews TalkTalk’s first female Field Engineer Patience Ali. As a child, Patience was introduced to the world of telephone lines and engineering with her father in Zimbabwe – and after a wealth of different jobs, experiences and careers, she’s doing a role that her father would be most proud of. ...
Jun 22, 2022•15 min•Ep. 43
Throughout Volunteering Week 2022, we spoke to Vicki Jones – Programme Manager at TalkTalk. Vicki has been at St John Ambulance volunteer for over eight years – something she’s very passionate about. Before embarking on her career in tech, Vicki had a strong interest in becoming a paramedic so volunteering alongside her day job allows her to succeed in both her career and her dream. Vicki says most of her ‘free’ time is spent volunteering – not just for St John Ambulance. Vicki was also integral...
Jun 01, 2022•13 min•Ep. 42
Presenter Dominic Laurie speaks to Carolyn Bunting, CEO of Internet Matters, which partners with TalkTalk and other Internet Service Providers to help parents with advice on how their children can go online safely. As well as having a busy career, Carolyn is a mum of a boy with autism. She tells Dominic some great advice on how to get and manage the diagnosis, and then move forward to create a fun fulfilling life for all they family. For more info about Internet Matters and to access resources a...
May 11, 2022•13 min•Ep. 41
Presenter Dominic Laurie speaks to Rachel Ledson from TalkTalk’s Neurodiversity employee network and Emilie Fellingham from TalkTalk’s charity partner Ambitious about Autism. Together, they explore how neurodiversity affects everybody differently. And how we can tailor our approach to people and challenge ourselves - to be more inclusive, kind and flexible. To support and accommodate everybody’s needs in the workplace so they can feel and work at their best. Ambitious about Autism is the nationa...
Apr 27, 2022•18 min•Ep. 40
In this week’s podcast, presenter Dominic Laurie speaks to Sales Optimisation Specialist and TalkNeurodiversity employee network member Kelly Lee about the challenges she faced when getting an Autism diagnosis for her son Leighton. Kelly shares her story with us during World Autism Acceptance Month to help others and give advice to anybody else who may be experiencing a similar challenge – but highlights no two journeys are the same.
Apr 20, 2022•15 min•Ep. 39
In this week’s podcast, presenter Dominic Laurie speaks to one of the UK’s leading online security experts Jamie Woodruff about the risks online – and how we can keep ourselves safe. As we continue to increase our online presence, through work and play, the secure ownership of our digital assets, settings and passwords is vital. And the creation of new 3D virtual worlds through the metaverse brings even more need for online safety, as Jamie explores with Dom.
Feb 16, 2022•13 min•Ep. 38
This week is National Apprenticeship Week 2022 – a time for us all to celebrate learners, wherever and whatever they may be studying. At all levels. TalkTalk has over 100 employees studying for apprenticeship qualifications across the business. In this week’s podcast, presenter Dominic Laurie speaks to Karen Quinn - from apprenticeship provider Raise The Bar - and TalkTalk apprentice Catherine Hakki. Raise The Bar and TalkTalk recently worked together to create a brand-new Women in Leadership qu...
Feb 09, 2022•17 min•Ep. 37
This week, TalkTalk progressed its commitment to good employment within the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter – upgrading to Membership status. This means TalkTalk puts that commitment into action and excels in all the required characteristics. In the latest episode of Walking The Walk, presenter Dominic Laurie talks to Carol Halford, Manager at Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter, about what the Charter means for businesses and employees. Carol says the Charter is open to all bu...
Feb 04, 2022•15 min•Ep. 36
The Timpson Foundation was set up by Timpson CEO James Timpson to rehabilitate prison leavers with supported employment. So much so that over 10% of its workforce is now made up of prison leavers. They have a strong belief for giving people a second chance. The risk-assessment and interview process includes a full disclosure and existing colleagues have embraced the work culture that the team has created. Darren tells presenter Dominic Laurie about the process and how throwing this lifeline mean...
Jan 26, 2022•12 min•Ep. 35
Two women with similar first names run TalkTalk. One is our CEO Tristia Harrison. The other is Trish, who looks after the catering team, and therefore looks after all of us too. She is a great personality and known to anyone who works at our HQ Soapworks. In our last Walking the Walk this year, we hear from someone who has had to adapt more than most to these extraordinary circumstances we have been living through the last two years. Without her and her team’s efforts, we couldn’t have kept our ...
Dec 22, 2021•9 min•Ep. 34
Recent COVID guidance means many people will be spending more time working from home during the day, with potentially more nights in streaming and gaming. When you add on big events like Amazon football, we expect broadband usage on our network to significantly increase over the coming weeks. We’ve invested in our network capacity over the pandemic to ensure we keep customers connected in periods of peak demand. Our network engineering director told Dominic Laurie how his team had been preparing...
Dec 13, 2021•12 min•Ep. 33
Ever imagined that your day-to-day work could translate into stand-up comedy? Martina Cotichella did just that. TalkTalk’s Product Portfolio Manager says ‘it’s all about developing a product, and differentiating your product from the rest of the comedians’ and ‘being really agile’. Martina talks to presenter Dominic Laurie about how she turned a big and personally distressing life change into comedy – and a brand new challenge. She says she’s ‘not afraid’ of anything anymore. She explains how en...
Dec 08, 2021•12 min•Ep. 32
New technology is on our doorstep – and it’s exciting! Presenter Dominic Laurie chats with tech futurologist Jason Bradbury (who you may recognise from ch5’s The Gadget Show!) about what we should expect with everything ‘smart’ as technology and products get their ‘digital brain’. And, with the number of devices on the sharp increase, he talks about how important broadband and bandwidth are to ensure the tech is working hard. He says the future of tech is ‘hugely exciting’.
Dec 01, 2021•17 min•Ep. 31
COP26 stands for Conference of the Parties and is a summit of world leaders who come together to discuss how to combat climate change. As the name suggests, this is the 26th in the series. People often remember COP21, where global leaders formed the Paris Agreement. The ambition of COP26 is to make fresh commitments to drastically cut emissions and keep temperature rises to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial times. In this week’s Walking the Walk episode, presenter Dominic Laurie talks to Head of ...
Nov 03, 2021•16 min•Ep. 30
Black History Month conversations are important to help us to connect and create inclusive workplaces where everyone can be themselves. Empower is TalkTalk's employee network focused on race and ethnicity, helping to ensure the true representation of black, Asian and ethnic minority individuals at all levels of the business. The network creates a safe space to educate, celebrate and elevate colleagues by running networking sessions, events, panel discussions and socials to connect employees from...
Oct 27, 2021•16 min•Ep. 29
Ffion isn’t just working a full-time job in HR. She’s a parent. And she’s studying for a Masters degree. Last year, Ffion started working on her dissertation – with a focus on the Menopause. There are around 34 recognised symptoms of the Menopause but they aren’t often discussed. Many of these can affect people in the workplace. Emotional changes, sleep deprivation and confidence decrease are just some of those challenges that come with the Menopause. Ffion has been working with the reward and b...
Oct 20, 2021•15 min•Ep. 28
Last weekend, Charlotte completed her first ever marathon. She pushed herself to her limits and it was all for a fantastic cause. The Miscarriage Association charity. A charity close to Charlotte’s heart. Charlotte opens up to presenter Dominic Laurie about her struggles with pregnancy – her first sadly resulting in miscarriage. And how it was something she dealt with in private. But Charlotte is campaigning to break down the taboo and has worked with TalkTalk’s reward and benefits team to creat...
Oct 13, 2021•13 min•Ep. 27
TalkTalk has always had a strong set of company values. And as the business embarks on a new phase, a new set of values will underpin its journey. We believe values should be shaped by collective principles, beliefs and standards of behaviour. What is thought to be important in life. And there was no better way to explore, adopt and create a brand new set of values than with current colleagues. The people who will live and breathe them. Various workshops, conversations and group sessions later, ...
Oct 06, 2021•12 min•Ep. 26
Affordable connectivity is no longer a luxury, but increasingly viewed as a necessity. Data usage has soared since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, with people relying on broadband more than ever before. With face-to-face support restricted at DWP job centres and training and job support moving online during the pandemic, TalkTalk was approached by the DWP to help support jobseekers. The connectivity provider joined forces with the UK’s biggest public service department to promote digital inc...
Sep 29, 2021•15 min•Ep. 25
She’s normally seen presenting on Sky Sports from golf courses around the world as a correspondent. But Sarah Stirk has another mission – to give young women the confidence and opportunity that she was offered earlier on in her life by a mentor who took her under her wing. She set up the Reach Next Generation summits for girls aged 11-15 to meet role models and get inspired about the possibilities that lie ahead of them. We were delighted to host the first ever instalment in Greater Manchester l...
Sep 22, 2021•13 min•Ep. 24
At the start of the pandemic, Ian was 24 stone and ‘fed up’ with himself. As a child, he was victim to sexual abuse – something he still carries on his shoulders today. He suffered from depression, anxiety and mental ill health because he didn’t speak out. Over the years, he’s learned to deal with it in his own ways, talk about it and, selflessly, created a foundation to help others who might be experiencing the same struggles. Safe Family Safe Children aims to support and empower survivors of r...
Sep 15, 2021•15 min•Ep. 23
Digital is a fundamental part of our children’s lives now – when the pandemic hit, our lives became underpinned by technology for work, education and relationships. And while it was a huge saviour, many young children were thrust into this online world without a lot of preparation. Parents worry about bullying and graphic content, amongst other things, and that’s where Internet Matters comes in. A non-profit organisation created to help keep families safe online. TalkTalk has been a long-standin...
Aug 18, 2021•18 min•Ep. 22
