HR Coffee Time

If you want to change career to work in HR, this episode of HR Coffee Time is here to help. Learn from 3 HR professionals who all made the switch from different careers into the world of HR. Ruby Harrison, Josh Halstead-McGlashon and Maxine Blake share their experience and tips for making a successful change. They also talk about the plus points and challenges they’ve encountered since settling into their HR careers.Key Points From This Episode[02:32] HR Advisor, Ruby Harrison explains how she changed career to work in HR[05:38] Ruby explains the NHS graduate scheme[09:16] Ruby shares the positive aspects of working within HR as well as the challenges she has faced[11:36] Ruby’s advice for anyone thinking of changing their career to work in HRLook into the different areas of HR/specialisms of HR available (The CIPD Profession Map can help with this)[13:58] HR Business Partner, Josh Halstead-McGlashon shares his career change story[17:05] How internal mentors and peer mentors have helped Josh with his HR career[19:22] Josh’s opinion on the positives and challenges of a career in HR[22:42] Josh’s advice for anyone thinking of changing their career to work in HR[24:20] HR Business Partner & Talent Acquisition Lead, Maxine Blake shares her career change story[28:24] What Maxine enjoys most about working in HR as well as the challenges that she has faced[32:34] Other episodes focused on influencing skills:Episode 34: Influencing – how to get buy-in for your ideas at workEpisode 44: Succeeding as an HR professional – how to influence at a senior level[33:28] Maxine’s advice for anyone thinking of changing their career to work in HR Useful Links The CIPD Profession MapConnect with Fay on LinkedInThe Bright Sky Career Coaching websiteVideo: how to rate & review HR Coffee Time on Apple PodcastsThe Essential HR PlannerRate and Review the PodcastIf you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Fay know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: fay@brightskycareercoaching.co.uk.Enjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss the Next One!Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive the free weekly HR Coffee Time email.Mentioned in this episode:Ready to learn more about Inspiring HR?Learn more about the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme, and sign up to join the next cohort, that starts on 10th September 2025.Inspiring HR

Career coach Fay Wallis is joined by HR Consultant Devon Lovell, who shares his personal experience of being diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome. Devon talks through his journey to diagnosis, the strengths and struggles his neurodiversity brings and gives advice to anyone who thinks they may be neurodiverse, or who wants to support their neurodiverse colleagues.Key Points From This Episode[00:03] Fay thanks a listener for sharing an episode on LinkedIn during the week: Episode 67: How to get on top of email overwhelm when you’re in a busy HR role[00:48] This is the fourth episode of HR Coffee Time that focuses on neurodiversity. The first three are:Episode 24: Understanding & supporting neurodiversity at work, with Melanie FrancisEpisode 59: ADHD– a personal story of the strengths, struggles & strategies that help, with Julie WhiteEpisode 68: Real life insights into understanding & supporting autism in the workplace, with Cybill Watkins[03:18] An introduction to Devon[03:39] Devon shares his journey of getting a Tourette Syndrome diagnosis[06:04] There’s an 85% chance you will also receive a diagnosis for OCD or ASD if you have Tourette Syndrome[08:31] There doesn’t seem to be the same level of awareness and information available about Tourette Syndrome as other neurodiverse conditions[10:31] Devon explains the different ways that Tourette’s can manifest[12:13] Devon shares his strengths his neurodiversity brings, including resilience, being observant, hyper-focused and good at planning ahead[16:05] The emotional and physical struggles that Tourette Syndrome brings for Devon[19:01] Struggles and strategies that help at work[21:28] Devon explains the many ways his employer has been supportive[24:58] Devon’s advice to anyone working in HR who is wondering if they are neurodiverse[25:58] Devon’s advice to anyone working in HR who wants to be supporting anyone in the workplace who is neurodiverse[31:09] Devon shares his book recommendation: Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman(Disclosure: this book link is an affiliate link which means Fay will earn a small commission from Amazon if you choose to purchase the book using it)Useful Links Tourette’s ActionConnect with Fay on LinkedInThe Bright Sky Career Coaching websiteVideo: how to rate & review HR Coffee Time on Apple PodcastsThe Essential HR Planner Rate and Review the PodcastIf you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Fay know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: fay@brightskycareercoaching.co.uk.Enjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss the Next One!Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive the free weekly HR Coffee Time email.Mentioned in this episode:Ready to learn more about Inspiring HR?Learn more about the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme, and sign up to join the next cohort, that starts on 10th September 2025.Inspiring HR

Simple techniques can often have a big impact on our careers. If you want to progress in your HR career, a monthly review is a great way to stay on track with your goals. In this episode of HR Coffee Time, career coach Fay Wallis talks you through an 'end-of-month reflection' activity available for free in the pdf version of her HR Planner. Listen to learn why it works and what the key questions are to ask yourself at the end of each month.Key Points From This Episode[00:23] Fay takes a moment to say thank you for helping HR Coffee Time reach number 5 in the Apple Podcast UK Careers Chart[01:35] Fay explains how to order The Essential HR Planner[03:22] The first question in your planner's ‘end of month reflection’ section is: What progress did you make towards your career goals this month?[06:25] The second question – What went well this month?[08:03] The third question – What new things did you learn?How body doubling/co-working can keep you on track with your goals[11:03] Fay refers to episode 29: Making a success of your promotion to a leadership role, with Jacqui Jagger[12:55] The fourth question - Who did you help at work this month?[13:25] The fifth question - What have you done for your own well-being this month?Fay refers to episode 66: Reflecting on 2022 – looking back to look forward[14:23] Question six - What did you find challenging this month?[15:00] The seventh & eighth questions - How can you overcome the challenge you've mentioned before? / Are your goals still relevant? Or do you need to adjust them or create new ones?[16:00] The ninth question - What would you like to make a priority for next month?Fay shares her priority to design and test an HR strategy day and how you could helpUseful Links Connect with Fay on LinkedInThe Bright Sky Career Coaching websiteVideo: how to rate & review HR Coffee Time on Apple PodcastsThe Essential HR Planner Rate and Review the PodcastIf you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Fay know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: fay@brightskycareercoaching.co.uk.Enjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss the Next One!Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get accessto other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive the free weekly HR Coffee Time emailMentioned in this episode:Ready to learn more about Inspiring HR?Learn more about the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme, and sign up to join the next cohort, that starts on 10th September 2025.Inspiring HR

Fay Wallis is joined by Payroll and HR professional, Cybill Watkins, who shares her experience of being diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), how it has given her answers to questions she has had throughout her life and the inclusive practices she has discovered that can help neurodiverse people to thrive at work.Key Points From This Episode[00:02] This is the third episode that focuses on neurodiversity. The first two are:Episode 24:  Understanding & supporting neurodiversity at work, with Melanie FrancisEpisode 59: ADHD – a personal story of the strengths, struggles & strategies that help, with Julie White[03:14] An introduction to Cybill Watkins[04:03] Cybill’s journey to receiving her diagnosis[10:41] Cybill explains what ‘masking’ is[12:13] Cybill shares some of her strengths and struggles and explains that they often ‘mirror’ each other[17:58] Cybill shares different strategies she has found helpfulJoining groups and learning from themBeing honest with yourselfGet a mentorIf you end up experiencing burnout – take time out to recover properly, get adjustments in place, join support groups [20:15] Cybill recommends following Amanda Kirby on LinkedIn[20:44] Cybill’s advice to any listeners who think they may be neurodiverse[23:19] How to ensure you are creating an inclusive workplace and supporting neurodiverse colleagues as much as possible[30:18] Cybill shares her book recommendation: The Fear Bubble by Ant Middleton(Disclosure: this book link is an affiliate link which means Fay will earn a small commission from Amazon if you choose to purchase the book using it) Useful Links Autistic Society’s Autism PassportAccess to WorkConnect with Fay on LinkedInThe Bright Sky Career Coaching websiteVideo: how to rate & review HR Coffee Time on Apple PodcastsThe Essential HR PlannerRate and Review the PodcastIf you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Fay know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: fay@brightskycareercoaching.co.uk.Enjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss the Next One!Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive the free weekly HR Coffee Time email.Mentioned in this episode:Ready to learn more about Inspiring HR?Learn more about the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme, and sign up to join the next cohort, that starts on 10th September 2025.Inspiring HR

In this episode of HR Coffee Time, Career Coach Fay Wallis offers advice and tips on the best way to get on top of email overwhelm when you’re in a busy HR role.Please note: All links to books within these show notes are affiliate links, which means Fay will receive a small commission from Amazon (at no cost to you) if you make a purchase through any of them.Key Points From This Episode[01:50] Fay takes a moment to say thank you for the reviews and for helping HR Coffee Time get to number 7 in the Apple Podcast Careers chart[02:45] Fay shares her first tip – unsubscribing for those emails you never read[04:39] Second tip – filtering your emails by sender or dateFay recommends How to be a Productivity Ninja: Worry Less, Achieve More and Love What You Do by Graham Allcott[06:43] Tip three – try not to use your inbox as a to-do listComplete emails that will take 2 minutes to action straight awayAllow yourself to have 3 main folders only; ‘action’, ‘read’ and ‘waiting’[09:04] Tip four – ensure you are setting up auto-replies with useful informationFay refers to episode 43 - The one thing that will boost your resilience throughout your HR career, with Tom Cleary[13:02] Fay recommends reading The Future of Time: How ‘re-working’ time can help you boost productivity, diversity and well-being by Helen BeedhamFay refers to episode 65 - Practical strategies that empower women to succeed in leadership roles, with Carla Miller[14:27] Tip number five – make the most of your email footer[16:11] Tip number six – make sure your emails are only being sent during core work hours[19:02] Tip number seven – only check your emails at certain points each dayUseful Links Connect with Fay on LinkedInThe Bright Sky Career Coaching websiteVideo: how to rate & review HR Coffee Time on Apple PodcastsThe Essential HR PlannerRate and Review the PodcastIf you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Fay know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: fay@brightskycareercoaching.co.uk.Enjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss the Next One!Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive the free weekly HR Coffee Time email.Mentioned in this episode:Ready to learn more about Inspiring HR?Learn more about the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme, and sign up to join the next cohort, that starts on 10th September 2025.Inspiring HR

It’s too easy to just keep cracking on with work, moving forward and forgetting to take a step back to appreciate the progress that has been made and learn from the previous year. In this episode of HR Coffee Time, career coach Fay Wallis talks through 10 reflection questions, sharing her own answers to them. This episode is also available as a more detailed blog post/article.Link to blog post/article: https://www.brightskycareercoaching.co.uk/reflecting-on-2022-looking-back-to-look-forward/hr-coffee-time/Useful Links Read the article that accompanies this episodeInspiring HR group coaching programmeConnect with Fay on LinkedInThe Bright Sky Career Coaching websiteVideo: how to rate & review HR Coffee Time on Apple PodcastsThe Essential HR Planner Rate and Review the PodcastIf you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Fay know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: fay@brightskycareercoaching.co.uk.Enjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss the Next One!Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive the free weekly HR Coffee Time email.Mentioned in this episode:Ready to learn more about Inspiring HR?Learn more about the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme, and sign up to join the next cohort, that starts on 10th September 2025.Inspiring HR

Whether you’re a woman in a leadership role, you aspire to be in a leadership role in the future, or you want to support the progression and success of women in your organisation – this episode of HR Coffee Time is here to help. In it, you’ll meet Carla Miller; a women’s leadership coach, author of the book, “Closing the Influence Gap” and host of the Influence & Impact podcast.Carla speaks to career coach Fay Wallis, talking through some of the key ideas within her book and practical strategies that empower women to succeed in leadership roles.Please note: All links to books within these show notes are affiliate links, which means Fay will receive a small commission from Amazon (at no cost to you) if you make a purchase through any of them.Key Points From This Episode[01:29] A reminder that The Essential HR Planner is available to buy[02:26] An introduction to Carla Miller[04:27] What led Carla to write her book, ‘Closing the Influence Gap’[10:02] The first part of the book – seeing yourself as a leader[11:55] The second part of the book – getting others to see you as a leader[21:09] The third part of the book – increasing your influence and impact[23:03] The fourth part of the book – taking control of your career[23:10] Carla talks through the idea of ‘operating from under an umbrella which she learnt from the book, ‘Why Men Win at Work’ by Jill Whitty-Collins[27:57] Fay mentions episode 37: The ‘first 100 days’ plan to succeed in your new HR leadership role, with Niamh O’Keeffe[31:53] Fay mentions episode 53: Why coaching skills can help your HR career (and how to develop them), with Charlie Warshawski[32:53]Carla’s book recommendation: “The Future of Time: How ‘re-working’ time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing” by Helen J. Beedham  Useful LinksConnect with Fay on LinkedInThe Bright Sky Career Coaching websiteConnect with Carla Miller on LinkedInCarla’s podcast: Influence & ImpactCarla’s websiteVideo: how to rate & review HR Coffee Time on Apple PodcastsThe Essential HR Planner Rate and Review the PodcastIf you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Fay know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: fay@brightskycareercoaching.co.uk. Enjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss the Next One!Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive the free weekly HR Coffee Time email.Mentioned in this episode:Ready to learn more about Inspiring HR?Learn more about the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme, and sign up to join the next cohort, that starts on 10th September 2025.Inspiring HR

If you’re finding recruitment challenging at the moment, you’re not alone. We’re in the midst of what is being described as a ‘recruitment crisis’ with many organisations struggling to fill vacancies and wondering where all the good candidates have gone.Dr Nemo D’Qrill has an answer to this challenge. They believe that the good candidates haven’t gone anywhere; it’s just that are current recruitment practices aren’t effective enough at finding them. In this episode of HR Coffee Time, Nemo joins Career Coach Fay Wallis to explain how to remove bias from recruitment to discover overlooked talent.Key Points From This Episode[01:54] A reminder that The Essential HR Planner is available to buy[02:58] An introduction to Nemo D’Qrill[04:01] Nemo shares how their interest in recruitment methods started[6:51] Fay talks about her experiences of working in recruitment[08:12] Nemo offers practical tips to remove the bias and making recruitment practices more inclusiveRemove names from CVsUse scoring systems during interviewsGender neutral & culturally sensitive job descriptions[11:25] Nemo explains the assessments their business Sigma Polaris has created that can be used in the recruitment process. The assessments determine core skills, competencies and work preferences and eliminate an average of 29 cases of bias for every hire.[17:54] Taking the fear out of taking assessments[21:17] How large organisations have successfully hired by using Sigma Polaris’ technology[26:12] Nemo shares their book recommendation: The Art of War by Sun Tzu(Disclosure: this book link is an affiliate link which means Fay will earn a small commission from Amazon if you choose to purchase the book using it)[28:53] Nemo talks about the book they are writing, which has a working title of, “Gender (de)Polarisation”[32:50] How to contact NemoUseful Links Connect with Fay on LinkedInThe Bright Sky Career Coaching websiteConnect with Nemo on LinkedInNemo’s company: Sigma PolarisVideo: how to rate & review HR Coffee Time on Apple PodcastsThe Essential HR PlannerRate and Review the PodcastIf you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Fay know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: fay@brightskycareercoaching.co.uk.Enjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss the Next One!Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get accessto other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive the free weekly HR Coffee Time email.Mentioned in this episode:Ready to learn more about Inspiring HR?Learn more about the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme, and sign up to join the next cohort, that starts on 10th September 2025.Inspiring HR

Measuring your impact at work is one of the best ways of getting yourself ready to progress your HR career. It proves to yourself and to everyone around you that you’ve been doing a brilliant job. Once you know how to measure your impact at work, you can use this information to impress with your CV, in performance appraisal conversations, in interviews and in conversations with your manager or senior leadership team.In this episode of HR Coffee Time, career coach Fay Wallis teaches you how to do it.Key Points From This Episode [00:27] A reminder about The Essential HR Planner[02:13] By measuring your impact at work you can use the information to stand out from everyone else with your CV, convince your boss to give you a promotion, impress the senior leadership team, or make an impact in future interviews[03:21] Fay references episode 44: “Succeeding as an HR professional – how to influence at a senior level”[03:33] What you’re learning today comes from the world of project management[03:55] The success of all projects can be measured by using one of three things – time, cost, or quality[05:55] If you’re not confident with data & metrics, Fay recommends listening to episode 58: “How to feel more confident using data and analytics in your HR role, with Angela Moyle”[06:00] An example of how to measure a goal/your performance using ‘cost’ of recruitment[08:24] An example of how to measure a goal/your performance using ‘quality’ of management training[10:30] An example of how to measure a goal/your performance using ‘time’ by introducing an HR intranet[13:17] Some things will straddle two or three of the measures – for example an initiative to reduce turnover could be measured using all three things[14:55] Let Fay know if you put any of the advice into actionUseful LinksConnect with Fay on LinkedInThe Bright Sky Career Coaching websiteVideo: how to rate & review HR Coffee Time on Apple PodcastsThe Essential HR Planner Rate and Review the PodcastIf you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Fay know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: fay@brightskycareercoaching.co.uk. Enjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss the Next One!Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive the free weekly HR Coffee Time email.Mentioned in this episode:Ready to learn more about Inspiring HR?Learn more about the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme, and sign up to join the next cohort, that starts on 10th September 2025.Inspiring HR

There are so many demands on the HR and People team that you may find your goals & plans for your career slipping to the bottom of your ‘to do’ list. It doesn’t have to be this way though! Learn how to get confident, organised & plan for your goals for 2023 with the HR Planner – whether you have the free pdf version, or the hardback version.In this episode of HR Coffee Time, Career Coach & creator of the HR Planner, Fay Wallis, talks you through each part of the HR Planner, explaining how to use the activities in it and how these can help.Key Points From This Episode[00:02] Fay explains how to:Order The Essential HR Planner[06:43] The first activity in the HR Planner: ‘Looking Back to Look Forward’ – 10 questions to help you reflect on the past year & plan for the year ahead[09:04] Fay refers back to previous episodes focused on networking and building relationships:Building relationships with difficult people at workNetworking – the three most important networks for your career How networking can help your careerHow to become more confident about networking3 tips to build a better relationship with a difficult person at work[10:00] Fay references Shawn Achor’s TED talk to learn more about the power of gratitude: ‘The Happy Secret to Better Work’[11:08] Exercises to help you think through and plan your career goals – looking inwards & looking outwards [16:02] Finalising your career goals using more than just SMART[18:20] The next section of the HR Planner – Key HR tasks/events to plan for[19:53] The quarterly planning page[21:45] The main part of the HR Planner – the monthly calendar containing awareness & inclusion dates[25:49] The final activities in the HR Planner – to build your confidence & resilience: the praise pages and the ‘feeling good’ box page[26:47] Fay refers back to episode 51: Two ideas to help you bounce back from a tough day at workUseful Links Connect with Fay on LinkedInThe Bright Sky Career Coaching websiteVideo: how to rate & review HR Coffee Time on Apple PodcastsThe Essential HR PlannerRate and Review the PodcastIf you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Fay know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: fay@brightskycareercoaching.co.uk.Enjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss the Next One!Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive the free weekly HR Coffee Time email.Mentioned in this episode:Ready to learn more about Inspiring HR?Learn more about the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme, and sign up to join the next cohort, that starts on 10th September 2025.Inspiring HR