Employee Activation

Spreadsheets, headcount forecasts and workforce models don’t exactly scream “riveting listening”. But when workforce planning is done right, it can be one of the most powerful levers an organisation has — and that’s exactly what this episode uncovers. In this conversation, David Edwards, author of  The Strategic Workforce Planning Handbook , takes us behind the scenes of how some of the world’s mo...

When you think of KFC, you probably picture the Colonel, that finger-lickin’ chicken, and a brand recognised across the globe. But behind those iconic red-and-white buckets is a workforce of thousands—diverse, hardworking people from every walk of life, serving their communities in restaurants all around the world. At the heart of it all is the KFC Foundation, a powerful force for good, helping te...

In this episode of  Employee Activation , we sit down with Katharine Wooller, a strategic voice in the UK’s financial services sector, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the skills landscape. As the Chief Strategist for Financial Services at Softcat, Katharine brings a sharp, pragmatic perspective on what the sector needs next—from digital capability to critical thinking—and the r...

For years, corporate learning has been synonymous withmandatory training modules and bloated course libraries. But what happens when L&D stops being a box-ticking function — and starts driving real workforce transformation In this episode of Employee Activation , we sit down with Richard Pedley, former head of talent experience at Fidelity, to unpack how the skills agenda is redefining the fut...

What really drives high performance in the workplace? Is it leadership? Strategy? Or something deeper — like the way our brains are wired to work? In this episode of  Employee Activation , we’re joined by Sue Langley, a global expert in the science of human behaviour and workplace performance. As the founder of the Langley Group, Sue helps organisations apply neuroscience, emotional intelligence,...

In today’s fast-moving economy, it’s not who has the biggest brand or the deepest pockets that wins — it’s who can mobilise the right skills, at the right time, to drive real outcomes. As demand for new capabilities accelerates, more organisations are shifting away from traditional experience-based hiring models — and turning to skills-based Recruit Train Deploy (RTD) models to build capability fa...

AI isn’t coming for our jobs — it’s already sitting at the desk next to us. The real question isn’t how we stop it. It’s how we redesign work so humans and machines can actually win together. In this episode, we get real about the future of work with Pav Bilkhoo from Lace Partners — a workforce transformation expert who spends her days helping some of the world’s biggest brands figure this stuff o...

In this episode, we blow up the traditional hiring playbook with Dan Maslin, Group Chief Information Security Officer at Monash University. Dan’s not your average cyber leader—he’s championing a bold, skills-first approach to workforce building that’s challenging everything we think we know about talent. Forget poaching from the same talent pools. Monash is pulling future stars from unexpected pla...

Building the Future Workforce with Michela Browne  In this episode of Employee Activation, we sit down with Michela Browne, a business psychologist and HR leader with global experience at organisations like Canon, McDonald’s, Korn Ferry, Cochlear, and QBE Insurance. Michela shares her unique insights into building a workforce that is prepared for the future by focusing on skills, potential, and pu...

What does it take to turn your workforce into a powerhouse of rising talent? In this episode of Employee Activation , we sit down with Tara Karver, an HR strategist and executive coach who has driven people development at Comcast, Hershey, Procter & Gamble, and Pearson. Tara pulls back the curtain on how leading brands create a ‘promote-from-within’ culture that drives engagement and skyrocket...

In Episode 4 of Employee Activation , we dive into a game-changing approach to recruitment with Craig Drysdale, VP of Talent and Engagement at Leonardo UK. Forget outdated qualifications and strict hiring requirements — Craig reveals how Leonardo is leading the charge in a skills-first revolution that’s transforming how they find, build and acquire top talent. From slashing costs and speeding up t...

When Australia’s biggest telco realised they lacked a true understanding of the skills in their workforce and were losing tech talent to the competition, HR leader, Kate Stewart and her team embarked on a large-scale skills mapping project way ahead of its time. In this episode, Kate shares the complex challenges and practical lessons learned mapping the skills of Telstra’s 30,000-strong, national...

Northrop Grumman is a global defence prime working at the cutting-edge of technology in highly complex security domains. They’ve got a workforce of over 100,000 employees solving their customers’ toughest challenges in aerospace and defence – and yet, they still manage to maintain a focus on DE&I, with innovative initiatives for hiring and fostering inclusive workplace culture.  In this episod...

Black market donuts, iconic global brands, revolutionary benefits and 10x employee growth – career Chief People Officer, Edweena Stratton has truly seen it all. But at the core of her 20+ year career is culture; the kind of culture that dominates best place to work award lists year after year, the kind of culture that attracts the best talent, and the culture holy grail that keeps people in it for...

Welcome to Employee Activation, the HR podcast that takes you into the minds of some of the world's brightest workforce strategists to find out how they make both their employees and their organisations thrive.  This season we‘re going to introduce you to an incredible line up of HR leaders who’ve guided the employee experience of leading global companies including Krispy Kreme, Salesforce, No...