The HRLocker Podcast

Why fewer than 28% of Irish SMEs have HR systems fit for purpose, and what to put in place first, with Laura Barry of Insight HR and Gavin Fox of Needl Recruitment.   Episode overview Most Irish SMEs are still running HR on email, spreadsheets and goodwill. A recent HRLocker survey found that just 28% of SMEs have an HRIS or technology stack genuinely fit for purpose. The hidden costs (lost data,...

Six years on from the great work‑from‑home experiment, the conversation about remote work in Ireland has gone strangely quiet. Roughly 15% of Irish companies now hire fully remotely and 45% are hybrid, but the change is,  in Tracy Keogh’s words: “stitchy, not systemic.” Headlines focus on big multinationals pulling people back to the office, while a whole category of globally distributed employers...

As highlighted in The Irish SME HR Report , many Irish SMEs are still relying on paper files, spreadsheets, and manual processes to manage HR. In fact, most spend one to two days per week on admin alone. That’s a significant drain on time and resources. More importantly, it’s becoming a real compliance risk. With new legislation, increased WRC scrutiny, and rising expectations around transparent r...

Exploring how organisations can design meaningful, flexible and future-ready work environments with Barry Winkless, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of the Future of Work Institute at CPL Group.  Episode Overview What if everything we think we know about work is already out of date?  In this episode of The HRLocker Room, Barry Winkless, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of the Future of Work Institut...

Auto‑enrolment, pay transparency, gender pay gap reporting - Irish SMEs face major changes. Hear expert insights and get practical steps to stay compliant. Navigating New Employment Laws, Auto‑Enrolment & Pay Transparency for Irish SMEs with Louisa Meehan and ISME’s Neil McDonnell Episode Overview Irish SMEs are facing one of the busiest periods of legislative change in years. From auto‑enrolm...

CIPD's Annual report on Ireland’s HR Practices offers an in-depth look at the issues and trends shaping the world of work across the country. The 2024 survey captures the experiences and challenges faced by HR professionals in a diverse range of industries, focusing on key areas such as workforce expectations, leadership gaps, and the evolving role of AI in the workplace. In this episode, we’...

Welcome to this episode of the HRLocker Podcast, specially tailored for HR managers and business owners keen on advancing their workplace environments. Today, we will discuss essential strategies for nurturing psychological safety and enhancing communication in your organisation. Our focus will include practical methods for creating a supportive environment where staff feel comfortable expressing...

Welcome to the HRLocker Podcast, your go-to source for insightful discussions on the latest HR developments. Today, we delve into the realm of corporate responsibility and ESG, with a particular focus on the new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and its implications for companies across Ireland. Joining us is Patrick Meskell from the Skillnet Climate Ready Academy—an authority in guidin...

Welcome to the HRLocker Podcast, we are joined by Sinead McNamara from the National Menopause Summit. In this episode, we dive into menopause, a subject that impacts many yet remains under-discussed in professional circles.  Sinead shares details of the upcoming National Menopause Summit at the Aviva Stadium on April 11th and 12th. Emphasising that the event isn't exclusively for women in mid...

Welcome to HRLocker Podcast, where we bring you conversations with experts in their field. To highlight International Women's Day we were delighted to have Caroline O'Driscoll, partner with Deloitte and co-founder of I Wish as our most recent guest. In this podcast, we had an amazing conversation about women in leadership, the importance of gender diversity in teams and how to increase f...

The Government of Ireland has introduced domestic violence leave under the Work-Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023. On Monday, 27 November 2023, it became a legal requirement for employers to offer up to five days of paid leave over 12 months to employees affected by domestic violence. It is recommended that employers embed support measures with an organisational response to domest...

On this podcast episode, we are joined by Terence Morgan, Director of Business Development and Ruairi Guckian, Owner of GHR Consulting.  We run through the new legislation updates in Ireland, focusing on the new unpaid leave entitlements under the work-life balance Act 2023. During this show, we mention and discuss unpaid leave for Medical Appointments and Caregiving, extended Breastfeeding Entitl...

In this podcast episode, we speak with Siobhan Sweeney, Senior Global Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Element. We explore the key challenges that companies face when embarking on DEI initiatives and discuss effective strategies to overcome them. As well, we approach the role of the senior management in driving cultural change and fostering an inclusive environment that resonates th...

In this episode, we are joined by Shane Conneely to discuss remote, hybrid and flexible working, the return to the office full-time, recent layoffs and how management styles may have to change due to the ever-changing workforce. Shane Conneely is the Director of Policy and Communications at Chambers Ireland , Ireland's largest business lobbying organisation representing business interests loc...

In this ever-changing world, the experience that your employees have during their employee lifecycle in your organisation has never been more important.  Great employee experience is built on trust, support, and collaboration and most of all, communication, in a meaningful, productive way. We asked Belinda Gannaway from Fathom XP, an award-winning employee experience and culture activation agency...

Latest news reports can be daunting, budget cuts, recession and cost savings are at the fore. Many companies are looking for innovative ways of making cost savings and increasing productivity in their businesses. Sometimes, by taking a look at current processes within your company, you can save time and money by planning effectively, and it doesn't always have to be an additional cost.   On t...

Recruitment can lie within the HR dept in many companies and can often be a time-consuming and costly process. Finding potential candidates is only the beginning of the journey. The next step? The Interview. But how do you hire for success and is there a process that can help you fill that position with the best candidate possible?  On today’s show, we have our very own Adam Colman, CEO of HRLocke...

On today’s show, we have Phil Byrne, Managing Partner at Enable ISO,  a company that specialises in consulting for organisations working toward ISO certification. We ask Phil on the show to talk about all things compliance, in particular, GDPR. GDPR often falls under the remit of HR in companies. We ask Phil what he thinks are the most common GDPR misconceptions in HR, what exactly is the role of...

Approx. 600,000 women in Ireland are affected by menopause and other women’s health related issues at any one time.  These issues can undermine women’s confidence, and recent surveys show, that up to 8% of women affected, exit the workforce as a result of womens health related issues.  Research shows that companies that are taking affirmative action by having supports in place, help greatly with r...

On this week's show, we have Andrew Bartlow,  managing partner of Series B Consulting.    Over the course of his career, Andrew has participated in 6 significant scale-ups, as well as multiple IPOs, and has been a part of several successful private equity exits.  He has advised dozens of C-level executives and learned from the very best during his formative years at Pepsi and General Electric...

About the pod We chat with Jim Frawley, founder of Bellwether, a company that helps organisations adapt to change and build resiliency in not only their company but in their people.  In the podcast, we ask Jim about the steps companies should take in the midst of constant change, how important is learning and development in a competitive employee marketplace and what are the biggest mistakes organ...

With many calling it a life-work revolution, covid inadvertently brought about a huge work experiment, where people have had to juggle home and work life and boundaries became less defined. As a result, employees are now choosing to work for companies that are willing to offer a more flexible working arrangement. The Wanderlust Group has operated on a 4-day workweek over the last 18 months,  and s...

With 2022 just over the horizon, closing out the end of the year can often be a daunting task for many HR or office managers.  One of those tasks is completing end of year reviews to make sure each department have hit their goals, KPI’s and OKR’s for the year.  In today's podcast, we asked CEO of HRLocker, Adam Coleman the importance of performance reviews, how necessary they are for managing...

On today’s show, we welcome back Katie Ridge, head of employer relations at Adare Human resource management.  With changes in restrictions underway and many people returning to the workplace, we ask Katie some topical questions around remote and flexible working such as  contracts of employment, do you need to update them if you are facilitating flexible working? And – do employers have the right...

On today's show, we have Elizabeth Bolger, Director of People & Programmes at The Wheel - the National association of charities, community & voluntary organisations & social enterprises.  In this show,  we ask Elizabeth if non-profits face different challenges to their public sector counterparts, and if so, what can they do to attract talent.  The importance of employer branding,...