Talent Keeping

In the early part of his HR career Jonathan Clarke quit a role because the CEO of the company told him never again to put  to put a gay candidate on a shortlist. He went on to work for PwC, the Department of Work & Pensions and is now the Human Resources Director at Kilburn & Strode LLP - European and UK Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys. We talk about the best boss he's ever had, Jackie Gittins - PwC UK Head of HR at the time -  and what a powerful role model she was for him during his time at PwC. “I remember sitting in a big conference room and she was on stage addressing the whole of the HR function at PwC. She wouldn’t have known who I was at that point and I vividly remember sitting there thinking ‘you’re going to be my friend’. She was a very inspiring, authentic and honest human being and those were really attractive qualities to me so I sat at my table in that conference room and thought ‘how am I going to get noticed by you and how am I going to bring what I do into your world and how can I press you?.’ It took five years.”" We talk about: * 7:36 ROLE MODELS - "I saw her across a crowded conference room and thought 'I want to learn from you'." * 11:25 CAREER TURNING POINT: A BOARDROOM IN TOKYO - getting an opportunity to work with Jackie in Tokyo and her thrusting him into the spotlight in front of board directors. * 12:37 - PUBLIC SPEAKING "And that's how I learned to love public speaking." * 14:41 - HELPING OTHERS SHINE - on how Jackie is endlessly looking for opportunities for others to shine. * 16:09 THE NEXT GOAL - Jackie's relentless focus on helping her team find the 'next thing' * 20:44 BURGLARY - when Jonathan's laptop was stolen and how Jackie responded... * 22:21 TRUST- how brilliant bosses create trust. * 32:48 WHAT MAKES YOUR TEAM TICK? Why this is such an important question for leaders to know the answer to. I hope there was value for you in this episode of Talent Keeping. If you liked it or learned something, please share it with a line manager in your life. SEASON 2 is coming in 2021 where I'll be spinning the spotlight on organisations with some 'uncommon practices' that help attract and keep great people. Is there something positively unusual happening where you work? Why don't you tell me about it - please be in touch directly with me Jessica Chivers by e-mail jc@talentkeepers.co.uk [jc@talentkeepers.co.uk]. Find us on Twitter [https://twitter.com/TalentKeepersUK], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/talentkeepersuk/] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-talent-keeper-specialists/?viewAsMember=true] @TalentKeepersUK. www.talentkeepers.co.uk [https://www.talentkeepers.co.uk/] www.comebackcommunity.co.uk [https://comebackcommunity.co.uk/]

The conversation featured Emily talking about her boss Sharmini in the Cabinet Office (UK Government). The three brilliant boss behaviours Emily chose: 1.       Honesty without inappropriately sharing too much. 2.       Advocacy for her people. 3.       Availability and approachability. The most regrettable line manager behaviour Emily chose (not from Sharmini): Domineering, command-and-control behaviour. The one people manager Emily would like to be common practice: Regular, specific thinking about career development goals and how to help people develop. Key moments in the episode: 1. 8:00 Being encouraged to apply for a more senior role. 2. 9:40 Power of specific, frequent feedback. 3. 13:18 Feeling known as a person beyond the worker ('frolleagues') 4. 16:18 Being given a massive shot of self belief after maternity leave 5. 18:11 Damage done by command and control line managers 6. 19:53 Signs and causes of burnout References & Resources * Professor Christina Maslach on burnout – a link to a transcription of her being interviewed at the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology conference in Athens 2017, where she was a keynote speaker.https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-30/september-2017/they-took-their-uniform-when-they-got-home-couldnt-remove-armour [https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-30/september-2017/they-took-their-uniform-when-they-got-home-couldnt-remove-armour] * Berkeley Interdisciplinary Center for Healthy Workplaces https://healthyworkplaces.berkeley.edu/ [https://healthyworkplaces.berkeley.edu/] * Comeback Community™ https://comebackcommunity.co.uk/ [https://comebackcommunity.co.uk/] Fuelling employee engagement, confidence and performance throughout extended leave with resources for line managers and the team member taking leave. Come and be social with us @talentkeepersUK [https://twitter.com/TalentKeepersUK] on Twitter and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/talentkeepersuk/] and on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-talent-keeper-specialists/]. You can find Jessica tweeting @jesschivers [https://twitter.com/jesschivers] and posting @jhchivers [https://www.instagram.com/jhchivers/] on insta. Our online home is www.talentkeepers.co.uk [https://www.talentkeepers.co.uk/talent-keeping-podcast/] and you can write to Jessica jc@talentkeepers.co.uk.

This conversation featured Katherine Forster talking about Fraser Nelson, Editor of The Spectator magazine, who gave her a break in journalism age 48 via a ‘blind’ aptitude test. Katherine now works at The Sunday Times and is a political commentator on Sky News. This is my favourite episode of the season and will be of particular interest to Heads of Resourcing, Inclusion & Diversity professionals, newspaper editors, journalists, people on career breaks, anyone who's ever wanted to change career and bosses everywhere. In each season episode I've invited my guests to talk about one boss and three behaviours that make them remarkable. The three brilliant boss behaviours Katherine chose: 1.       Inclusive approach 2.       Positivity and encouragement 3.       Being one of the team The most regrettable line manager behaviour Katherine chose (not from Fraser) is leaders not mentoring and developing the people below them. The one people manager Katherine would like to be common practice is recruiting via aptitude test not CV. References & Resources * Spectator Magazine [https://www.spectator.co.uk/ ] * Rebel Ideas: The Power of Diverse Thinking [https://www.waterstones.com/book/rebel-ideas/matthew-syed/9781473613942] by Mathew Syed * Comeback Community™ [https://comebackcommunity.co.uk/] Fuelling employee engagement, confidence and performance throughout extended leave with resources for line managers and the team member taking leave. * The Talent Keeper Specialists [https://www.talentkeepers.co.uk/]

I was so delighted to have this conversation with Ren Behan because I knew I’d get two rousing stories for the price one – her career journey (criminal lawyer turned food writer and then returning to the law after a 12 year career break) and an insight into the word of Rayden Solicitors, a firm I’ve admired for many years because of their uncommonly excellent an award-winning approach to flexible working. Back in 2006 when I’d been out of the City for two years and just had my first child, I met a lot of other new mothers in St Albans – where I still live - who were mainly lawyers, accountants and management consultants. The message I heard from them was that it was nigh on impossible to return to those big jobs on anything less than a full time contract or the old chestnut of five days in four at 80% pay. The stories I was hearing was the catalyst for me writing my book “Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work (available in all good bookshops, Amazon and on Kindle). BUT Rayden’s was bucking the trend and actively enticing City lawyers by offering them part-time positions. Katherine knew she couldn’t compete with City salaries but arguably, she could offer something more precious to her would-be team of lawyers: flexibility and more time for life outside of work. Katherine set up Rayden’s Solicitors in 2005 and the latest Legal 500 and Chambers rankings guides have described the firm as “Arguably the best non-London law firm specialising in family law.” Katherine’s recognised by her professional peers, including the major London practices, as “the doyenne of family law”, "She's very much at the top of her job and the best individual in the area." She’s also been described as “a force to be reckoned with. Outstanding leadership, tenacious work ethic, she always delivers no matter what.” So, to this particular episode. I talked to Ren about Katherine Rayden, founder and senior partner at the family law firm, Rayden Solicitors. Ren is a criminal lawyer turned food journalist and author who returned to the law in 2019 after over a decade away. We talk about why and how she decided to come back to law and the attractive, inclusive culture Katherine Rayden has created at Hertfordshire’s leading specialist family law firm. The latest Legal 500 and Chambers rankings guides have described Rayden’s as “Arguably the best non-London law firm specialising in family law.” Ren marked Katherine out as a ‘brilliant boss’ for the following reasons: 1.     Commitment to her team’s professional development 2.     Commitment to flexible working 3.     Firm-wide focus on wellbeing Ren also shared her ‘most regrettable line manager experience’ (not from Katherine) which was inflexibility at the Crown Prosecution Service when she wanted to return after her second baby. She was told only senior prosecutors could work part-time and this ultimately led her to leave the law. The one people manager Ren would like to be common practice is a focus on people’s strengths. References & Resources * Rayden Solicitor [https://raydensolicitors.co.uk/] * Wild Honey & Rye [https://amzn.to/3745YIq] by Ren Behan * Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work [https://amzn.to/3dCWBC0] by Jessica Chivers * Comeback Community™ https://comebackcommunity.co.uk/ [https://comebackcommunity.co.uk/] Fuelling employee engagement, confidence and performance throughout extended leave with resources for line managers and the team member taking leave.

Jessica Chivers (who due to a technical hitch sounded like she was in a goldfish bowl throughout) was in conversation with Mike Grey, Head of University Partnerships at Grad Consult. Mike talked about his BRILLIANT BOSS and founder of Grad Consult, Rebecca Fielding. Grad Consult has worked with 50% of UK universities and helps students with employability skills. We chatted about the generosity Rebecca showed towards him when he took shared parental leave; psychological safety at work; flexing your style as a leader; how and Rebecca encourages divergent views and the consultancy’s approach to ‘radical honesty’. The three ‘brilliant boss’ behaviours Mike chose are: 1. Exceptional generosity 2. Understanding of life outside work 3. Adapting her style depending on the person she’s working with The most regrettable line manager behaviour Mike chose (not from Rebecca) was lack of backbone - not being prepared to stand up for staff even though they have done nothing wrong. The one people manager Mike would like to be common practice is radical honesty. References & Resources * Grad Consult: https://www.gradconsult.co.uk/ [https://www.gradconsult.co.uk/] * Comeback Community™ https://comebackcommunity.co.uk/ [https://comebackcommunity.co.uk/] Fuelling employee engagement, confidence and performance throughout extended leave with resources for line managers and the team member taking leave.