HR Coffee Time

Many organisations want a positive workplace culture, but creating one is easier said than done.

How do you know what your culture is really like? What role do leaders play? And why do some organisations create environments where people thrive, while others struggle with engagement, retention, and performance?

In this episode of HR Coffee Time, Fay is joined by workplace culture and leadership expert Aoife O'Brien, founder of Happier at Work and author of the bestselling book Thriving Talent: How Great Leaders Drive Performance, Engagement and Retention.

Aoife shares her Thriving Talent framework and practical advice to help organisations create cultures where people can thrive. Together, Fay and Aoife explore psychological safety, leadership, values, strengths, employee needs, and practical ways to improve the experience of work for everyone.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:
The framework Aoife uses to help organisations create cultures where people thrive
Why psychological safety is the foundation of a thriving workplace
Why culture is not HR's responsibility alone
The role leaders play in shaping workplace culture
How to identify what your workplace culture is really like today
Practical ways to involve employees in shaping culture
Why many organisations have "accidental leaders" - and the impact this can have on engagement and retention
How HR can build the business case for investing in leadership development
Why values, strengths, and employee needs play such an important role in helping people thrive at work
Practical ways to identify your strengths and understand what helps you do your best work

Chapters
[00:00] - Why workplace culture matters
[01:34] - Introducing Aoife O'Brien
[04:14] - Why Aoife wrote Thriving Talent
[07:09] - The Thriving Talent framework explained
[10:00] - The research behind the framework
[13:55] - Why psychological safety matters
[14:27] - Is workplace culture really HR's responsibility?
[17:28] - How to define the culture you want
[19:15] - The challenge of accidental leaders
[25:27] - Making the business case for leadership development
[30:03] - What helps people thrive at work?
[35:22] - Values, needs and strengths
[39:27 ]- Book recommendations
[40:44] - How to connect with Aoife
[41:49] - Closing and book giveaway reminder

Special Offer for HR Coffee Time Listeners
Aoife has kindly arranged a 10% discount on her book, Thriving Talent: How Great Leaders Drive Performance, Engagement and Retention. Use this link to access the discount.

Useful Links
Connect with Aoife O'Brien on LinkedIn
Visit Aoife's Happier at Work website
Learn more about the Thriving Talent book
Connect with Fay on LinkedIn
Learn about Fay’s Essential HR Planner
Learn about Fay’s Inspiring HR Leadership Programme

Books Recommended In This Episode
Thriving Talent: How Great Leaders Drive Performance, Engagement and Retention - Aoife O'Brien
Insight: How to succeed by seeing yourself clearly - Dr Tasha Eurich
Dare to Lead - Brené Brown
Your Best Meeting Ever - Rebecca Hinds

Helpful Episodes to Listen to Next
Ep 47: Discovering your values to help your HR Career, with Zoe Hawkins
Ep 107: The Impact of Imposter Syndrome at Work and How to Tackle It Head-On, with Aoife O'Brien
Ep 136: How to shape a winning workplace culture when you work in HR, with Annabelle Lawson and Paula Brockwell
Ep 114: What Workplace Culture Is, How to Measure It, and a Surprising Way to Improve It, with Arend Boersema
Ep 76: HR Insider tips on how to create an amazing remote working culture, with Claire Cathcart

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Sign up for the free weekly HR Coffee Time email to be notified each time a new episode is released - and get free career tips, tools, and resources.
Mentioned in this episode:
Kara Connect - Help When It's Needed Most
Menopause, grief, ADHD, relationship breakdown... Every day, employees dealing with these situations are turned away by their EAP because they didn't qualify for counselling. When someone finally asks for help, they deserve better. Visit Kara Connect, where no employee is ever turned away.
Kara Connect

Laura Maffucci has played a key role in helping her organisation embrace AI. The surprising part? She doesn't actually like AI.
In this episode of HR Coffee Time, Laura, Head of HR at G-P, shares her honest perspective on AI, how her organisation has approached adoption, and the practical lessons she's learned along the way.
We discuss everything from creating AI champions and governance processes to helping employees feel comfortable experimenting with AI. Laura also shares her thoughts on job loss fears, the importance of human oversight, and why the reality of AI at work can be very different from what many leaders expect.
Whether your organisation is already embracing AI or you're just starting to think about what it might mean for your workforce, this conversation is packed with practical insights and thought-provoking ideas.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
Why Laura has mixed feelings about AI despite using it extensively at work
How GP approached AI adoption across the organisation
The role of AI champions and internal advocates
Creating psychological safety around AI
How to encourage experimentation without creating fear
The importance of governance, security and guardrails
Why prompting skills matter
The risks of relying too heavily on AI outputs
The growing importance of discernment and critical thinking
The disconnect between executive expectations and employees' experiences of AI
Practical examples of how AI is being used within HR and across the business

Chapters
[00:00] Why I Finally Decided to Cover AI
[01:57] Meet Laura Maffucci
[02:51] Laura's Surprising View of AI
[04:45] How AI Is Being Used at G-P
[05:37] The AI Council and Governance
[06:40] AI Champions, Training and Adoption
[09:09] What's Had the Biggest Impact?
[10:05] Finding Your AI Champions
[11:33] Addressing Fear of Job Loss
[11:47] Creating Psychological Safety Around AI
[13:41] The Disconnect Between Leaders and Employees
[16:06] The Number One Skill – Discernment
[16:27] Cautionary Tale
[17:19] The Right Way to Introduce AI
[17:54] The Benefits of AI Adoption
[18:57] Using Gemini Gems and AI Workflows
[23:13] Creating AI Personas for Senior Leaders
[24:17] AI Security and Confidential Information
[26:15] Book Recommendation: Dare to Lead
[28:13] Key Takeaways from the Conversation

Useful Links
Connect with Fay on LinkedIn
Learn about Fay’s Essential HR Planner
Learn about Fay’s Inspiring HR Leadership Programme
Connect with Laura on LinkedIn
G-P article: Why your best 2026 AI strategy is still human

Helpful HR Coffee Time episodes to listen to next
Ep 171: How to Build Trust & Get Buy-In Through Brilliant Employee Communication

Enjoyed This Episode? Don’t Miss the Next One!
Sign up to the free weekly HR Coffee Time email to be notified each time a new episode is released – and get free career tips, tools, and resources.
Mentioned in this episode:
Kara Connect - Help When It's Needed Most
Menopause, grief, ADHD, relationship breakdown... Every day, employees dealing with these situations are turned away by their EAP because they didn't qualify for counselling. When someone finally asks for help, they deserve better. Visit Kara Connect, where no employee is ever turned away.
Kara Connect

You can design the best HR strategy, introduce brilliant benefits, or roll out an important change - but if people do not understand it, engage with it, or take action, none of it matters.

That is why employee communication sits right at the heart of your impact in HR.

In this episode of HR Coffee Time, Fay is joined by Nik Nawaaz, Head of Employee Communications at Barnett Waddingham (now part of Howden) to unpack exactly how HR professionals can communicate in a way that builds trust, gets buy-in, and encourages people to take action - whether that is using their benefits, completing an engagement survey, preparing for a performance review, or navigating organisational change.

With over 20 years of experience in employee communications, Nik shares practical, immediately actionable advice — no jargon, no fluff.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
Why employee communication is the “connective tissue” of an organisation
Why HR can sometimes feel like a faceless department - and how to change that
The common mistake HR professionals make when writing employee communications
Why your message needs to answer “So what?” within the first few seconds
How to shift from explaining features to showing benefits
Why phrases like “HR is pleased to announce” or “Please be advised” can stop people engaging
How to make your communication feel more human, conversational and direct
Why reading your message aloud can help you spot corporate language
How to use Microsoft Word’s read-aloud feature to improve scripts and written communication
Why a one-size-fits-all approach rarely works for benefits communication
How to tailor messages for different groups and generations in your workforce
Why line managers are so important when you want messages to land
How a simple manager toolkit can make communication more effective
Why listening for the first five minutes of a meeting can help build trust
How to communicate during times of fear, uncertainty and change
Why silence can lead people to create their own “horror story”
How to be honest when you do not yet have all the answers
Why storytelling and real-world proof can be more persuasive than project updates
Why employee communication needs support from across the organisation - not just HR

Chapters
00:00 - When great HR work goes unnoticed
03:24 - What employee comms really means
04:20 - Why HR can feel "faceless" — and how to fix it
06:19 - The #1 mistake: writing for yourself, not your audience
08:49 - Quick win: delete your opening line
09:49 - Drop the corporate speak — write like a human
11:35 - The Word trick that makes your writing sound natural
13:04 - How to get people to actually use their benefits
17:30 - Tailoring messages for different generations
20:58 - Line managers as your communication allies
22:59 - The "First Five" technique
24:01 - Communicating through change and uncertainty
25:58 - Use storytelling, not project updates
28:06 - Resource recommendation: Simon Sinek's Golden Circle

Useful Links
Connect with Fay on LinkedIn
Learn about Fay’s Essential HR Planner
Learn about Fay’s Inspiring HR Leadership Programme
Take Fay’s freeHR Leadership Impact Assessment.
Connect with Nik (Nikolas) Nawaaz on LinkedIn
Find out more about Barnett Waddingham’s employee communications work
Watch Simon Sinek’s TED Talk:How Great Leaders Inspire Action

Helpful Episode to Listen to Next
If you enjoyed this episode and would like more support with writing clear, effective communication at work, listen to:
🎧 Ep 32: How to write work emails that get results, with Kim Arnold

Kim shares brilliant advice that complements Nik’s tips in this episode, especially if you want to make your emails clearer, more persuasive and easier for people to act on.

Enjoyed This Episode? Don’t Miss the Next One!
Sign up for the free weekly HR Coffee Time email to be notified each time a new episode is released – and get free career tips, tools, and resources.
Mentioned in this episode:
Kara Connect - Help When It's Needed Most
Menopause, grief, ADHD, relationship breakdown... Every day, employees dealing with these situations are turned away by their EAP because they didn't qualify for counselling. When someone finally asks for help, they deserve better. Visit Kara Connect, where no employee is ever turned away.
Kara Connect

Are constant interruptions at work stopping you from getting through your most important tasks?

If you work in HR or a People role, you’ll know how quickly your day can be taken over by “have you got a minute?” moments - making it difficult to focus on the work that really matters.

In this episode of HR Coffee Time, Fay Wallis shares practical ways to protect your time, reduce distractions and create more space for focused work, helping you step up with more confidence and control in your role.

You’ll learn how to:
Set clear boundaries without feeling unhelpful
Reduce interruptions across your organisation
Create uninterrupted time for deep work
Stay focused on your most important priorities

This episode is designed to support HR and People professionals who want to feel more confident, effective and in control of their time at work.

Chapters
[00:00] Do you get interrupted at work?
[00:16] Interruptions – a big time management problem
[00:55] Why HR gets pulled in
[01:35] Episode goal and boundaries
[01:56] Welcome and host intro
[02:33] Four tips overview
[03:00] Tip one: open door hours
[03:35] Scripts and signage
[04:06] Red sign boundary lesson
[05:07] Tip two: company focus time
[06:15] Deep work explained
[07:11] No meeting Wednesday example
[07:28] Tip three: working meetings
[10:21] Tip four: block a deep work day
[12:26] Recap and next steps

Useful Links from This Episode:
Connect with Fay on LinkedIn
Learn about Fay’s Essential HR Planner
Learn about Fay’s Inspiring HR Leadership Programme
Take Fay’s free HR Leadership Impact Assessment.

Helpful Episodes to Listen to Next
Ep 7:What to Do When You Don’t Have Enough Hours in the Day
Ep 45:6 Ways to Stop Procrastinating & Find Time for Important Projects at Work
Ep 52:Two Ideas to Help You Bounce Back From a Tough Day at Work
Ep 67:How to Get on Top of Email Overwhelm When You’re in a Busy HR Role
Ep 138:Can’t Find Time for Strategic Work in HR? 5 Tips to Help

Enjoyed This Episode? Don’t Miss the Next One!
Sign up for the free weekly HR Coffee Time email to be notified each time a new episode is released – and get free career tips, tools, and resources.
Mentioned in this episode:
Kara Connect - Help When It's Needed Most
Menopause, grief, ADHD, relationship breakdown... Every day, employees dealing with these situations are turned away by their EAP because they didn't qualify for counselling. When someone finally asks for help, they deserve better. Visit Kara Connect, where no employee is ever turned away.
Kara Connect

Have you wondered what ‘being strategic’ actually looks like? In this episode, you’ll hear a real, step-by-step example of what being strategic can look like in your day-to-day work.

Host, Fay Wallis, is joined by Harriet Mewis, Head of People and Development, who shares how she spotted a small pattern in employee behaviour – and used it to uncover a much bigger issue affecting the business.

What makes this conversation so powerful is how practical it is. You’ll hear how being strategic doesn’t require a big budget, a senior job title, or complicated frameworks. It starts with curiosity, observation, and asking thoughtful questions.

By the end of the episode, you’ll have a much clearer sense of how you can apply this way of thinking in your own role – in a way that feels realistic and achievable.

Chapters
[00:00] Introduction with guest host Sarah Archer
[01:00] Why “being strategic” can feel vague and frustrating
[01:24] Introducing Harriet and her approach to strategy
[02:14] What being strategic actually means in practice
[03:02] Beginning of the interview with Harriet & Fay
[04:18] Defining what ‘being strategic’ means
[05:48] Why you can be strategic in any role
[07:22] Harriet’s example of being strategic in her role
[21:30] Learning about other departments & building trust
[23:39] Becoming an ‘apprentice’ for the day
[27:35] Introducing Lean Six Sigma thinking
[34:46] Harriet’s book recommendation
[37:12] Final reflections & close

Useful Links from This Episode
Connect with Fay on LinkedIn
Connect with Harriet Mewis on LinkedIn
Connect with Sarah Archer on LinkedIn
Listen to Sarah’s Podcast – Unstuck & Unstoppable
Learn about Fay’s Essential HR Planner
Learn about Fay’s Inspiring HR Leadership Programme
Take Fay’s freeHR Leadership Impact Assessment.

Helpful Episodes to Listen to Next
Ep 166:The Biggest HR Strategy Mistake – And How to Fix It, with Dean Corbett
Ep 164:Becoming More Strategic as an HR Team – 3 Ways OKRs Can Help
Ep 163:3 Ways to Prove You’re Strategic in Your HR Leadership Job Interview
Ep 108:HR Leadership – How to Create a Powerful One-Page Strategy, with Dr Max McKeown
Ep 98:HR Insider Insights – How to Create a Powerful People Strategy for an SME, with Kelly Vincent

Enjoyed This Episode? Don’t Miss the Next One!
Sign up for the free weekly HR Coffee Time email to be notified each time a new episode is released – and get free career tips, tools, and resources.
Mentioned in this episode:
Kara Connect - Help When It's Needed Most
Menopause, grief, ADHD, relationship breakdown... Every day, employees dealing with these situations are turned away by their EAP because they didn't qualify for counselling. When someone finally asks for help, they deserve better. Visit Kara Connect, where no employee is ever turned away.
Kara Connect