LEAP Listens

In this episode of LEAP Listens, Sara and Roger are joined by Jess Heagren, founder of Careers After Babies, to explore the uncomfortable truth about working parenthood, and why it’s not just a personal issue, it’s a business one.From a defining moment in the boardroom to building a framework now used by leading employers, Jess shares why organisations need to move beyond policies and start addressing culture. She unpacks why 87% of parents say full-time work doesn’t work, how line managers shape retention more than HR ever could, and what it really takes to become a workplace where parents can thrive.LEAP Listens is brought to you by LEAP Create, an award-winning people communications agency. Find out more at leapcreate.co.uk

In this episode of LEAP Listens, Sara MacGregor and Roger Cayless are joined by neuroscientist and author Dr Marcia Goddard to explore why inclusion isn’t about box-ticking, it’s about performance. From team trust to psychological safety, Marcia unpacks the brain science behind belonging, and why diverse teams only thrive when people feel safe enough to show up fully.LEAP Listens is brought to you by LEAP Create, an award-winning people communications agency. Find out more at leapcreate.co.uk

In this episode of LEAP Listens, Sara MacGregor and Roger Cayless are joined by Amit Parmar, CEO of Cliquify, to explore how AI is reshaping employer branding and what it means for authenticity, ethics and trust. From deepfakes and data to organic content vs "processed" comms, Amit shares where technology helps, where it hinders, and how the future of storytelling is changing with AI. LEAP Listens is brought to you by LEAP Create, an award-winning people communications agency. Find out more at leapcreate.co.uk

In this episode of LEAP Listens, Sara MacGregor and Roger Cayless are joined by Jessica Burns from Placed, to talk about how employers can get more bang for their recruitment buck. From programmatic advertising and real-time algorithms to reaching passive candidates while they're scrolling, Jess shares how brands can spend smarter, not harder, and still attract the right talent.Yes, the robots are coming. No, they haven’t landed the jobs (yet). Tune in nowLEAP Listens is brought to you by LEAP Create, an award-winning people communications agency. Find out more at leapcreate.co.uk

In this episode of LEAP Listens, Sara MacGregor and Roger Cayless sit down with Jay Middleton, founder at The Animation Guys, to explore the unique power of animation in employer branding and internal comms. From forklift safety with a Monty Python twist to personalised campaigns inspired by Spotify Wrapped, Jay shares how animation offers more control, more creativity and, sometimes, a deeper emotional punch than live action ever could.LEAP Listens is brought to you by LEAP Create, an award-winning people communications agency. Find out more at leapcreate.co.uk

In this episode, we’re joined once again by Mark Horley, Co-Founder at Tonic, to talk about the balance between data and creativity in employer branding. From a worried teddy bear to a twitter powered vending machine, Mark shares why emotional connection still matters, even in a data led world.LEAP Listens is brought to you by LEAP Create, an award-winning people communications agency. Find out more at leapcreate.co.uk

 Hiring at scale isn’t just about getting people through the door, it’s about attracting the right talent without compromising on quality. In this episode, Sara and Roger chat with employer branding expert Priti Soni, who helped lead a mass, global hiring campaign at WTW, bringing in over 3,000 employees in just three years. She shares the strategies that made it work, the challenges they faced, and how understanding what candidates actually want helped them hire smarter, not just faster. LEAP Listens is brought to you by LEAP Create, an award-winning people communications agency. Find out more at leapcreate.co.uk

TikTok isn’t just an app for dance routines, it’s changing the game for employer branding. But how can companies actually make it work?In this episode, Sara and Roger chat with employer brand and content expert Alex O’Connor, who led the launch of a major bank's recruitment marketing TikTok channel. She shares her experiences of creating engaging content with employee advocacy, and figuring out what content stuck the right cords with their target audience.If you’re looking to make TikTok work for your employer brand, this episode is for you. 🎧LEAP Listens is brought to you by LEAP Create, an award-winning people communications agency. Find out more at leapcreate.co.uk

Gen Alpha grew up asking Alexa for answers, so what will they ask of their future employers? Join Roger and Sara in this episode as they chat with Pia Malherbe, Chief Branding Officer at 10 Days, about why organisations need to start thinking about Gen Alpha now. Pia shares expert insights on what this next generation will expect from work, how their values and preferences differ from previous generations, and what companies need to do to start engaging Gen Alpha. The future workforce is closer than you think, hit play to find out how you can start preparing now.LEAP Listens is brought to you by LEAP Create, an award-winning people communications agency. Find out more at leapcreate.co.uk

Want to find out how a simple breathing exercise can help you manage stress at work? In this episode of LEAP Listens, Roger and Sara chat with Karen Farrell, a qualified Breathwork coach about how something as simple as having proper breathing practices can make a massive difference in managing stress at work. Karen shares her top tips and even demonstrates a breathing exercise you can try right now. Take a deep breath and hit play, this episode might just change the way you work.LEAP Listens is brought to you by LEAP Create, an award-winning people communications agency. Find out more at leapcreate.co.uk