The People Agenda

Today businesses rely on data more than ever, ensuring that information is accurate, actionable, and properly managed can make or break a technology investment. This episode of the HR on the Offensive podcast unpacks the complex, often overlooked role of data quality in HR technology and system implementation. Chris and fellow LACErs Martin Colyer and Becki Lovelady, explores the impact of poor-qu...

Payroll is the backbone of any organisation, ensuring employees are compensated accurately and on time. Yet, despite its critical role, payroll teams often operate behind the scenes, dealing with complex challenges that many outside the function rarely consider. In this episode of the HR on the Offensive podcast, Chris is joined by LACE payroll experts Adrian Axtell, Simon Puryer, Chris Kirby, Tri...

Navigating change is one of the most critical challenges organisations face, and the latest HR on the Offensive podcast dives deep into this subject, offering insights into how leaders can guide their teams through transformation effectively. Chris and change experts Gemma Ryall and Annette Frem discuss the concept of leading through change. Effective change leadership directly influences engageme...

Business transformation isn’t just about strategy and execution—it’s about people. In this episode of the HR on the Offensive podcast, host Chris, along with Aaron Aubrey, speak with Sally Earnshaw, a specialist in driving cultural and leadership change. Their discussion centres on the crucial role HR plays in enabling large-scale transformation and how leaders can effectively communicate the “why...

What makes a great people manager? And how do you build the skills for the future super-charged people manager who is no longer just supervisor; but a coach, mentor and enabler of growth? Organisations that truly harness the potential of their people managers unlock new levels of productivity, engagement, and innovation. But what does it take to create these ‘supercharged’ people managers? And wha...

In today's fast-changing business world, transformation is no longer a one-time event—it’s a continuous process. In the latest episode of the HR on the Offensive podcast Chris and LACE co-founder Aaron Alburey discuss our new campaign, Driving business transformation: HR as the conductors of change, exploring why HR should take the lead in reshaping organisations. Our campaign aims to position HR...

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, company culture plays a pivotal role in driving sustainable performance. This was the central theme of a recent episode of the HR on the Offensive podcast, Chris spoke with Niall Cluley, Managing Director at Dragonfish UK to discuss their latest research on culture alignment and its impact on organisational success. Listen now to learn how your busin...

What does the future hold for payroll? In this episode of the HR on the Offensive podcast Chris and LACE payroll expert Chris Kirby speak with Nick Day, Founder of JGA Recruitment Group as they discuss how you can build the perfect payroll professional. The future of payroll is evolving rapidly, and those who embrace change won’t just thrive—they’ll redefine the impact payroll can have on organisa...

In this episode of the HR on the Offensive podcast Chris, predicts the year ahead for HR with guest Idris Arshad, Head of People at Asthma + Lung UK. Idris believes that in 2025 HR transformation must transcend buzzwords, advocating for clearly defined roles and proactive contributions to organisational evolution. Idris believes that in 2025 HR will not only secure a strategic seat at the table bu...

Artificial intelligence is revolutionising HR, and in the latest HR on the Offensive podcast Chris delves into this transformation with guests Andrea Derla, Principal Research Value and Ben Harris, VP EMEA both at Visier. The discussion is centred on a report from Visier, “Managers Know AI Tools Make Them More Effective – Can HR Deliver?” that explores how generative AI can empower managers and tr...

In today’s “HR on the Offensive” podcast, Chris and LACEr Pavan Bilkhoo speak to Jig Ramji, Chief Talent Officer at Aviva, as they explore skills-based organisations potential to redefine traditional HR practices and empower employees along the way. They discuss the ways this shift influences talent acquisition, reward systems and career progression as organisations prioritise skills over roles or...

At LACE we talk about how we are ‘fundamentally different’ HR consultancy but what does that really mean? This guiding principle, or as we call it the LACE way, informs our approach to both clients and internal operations. In this episode of the HR on the Offensive podcast Chris speaks with LACE co-founder Aaron Alburey on what makes LACE 'fundamentally different'. Listen now for insights on how L...

HR professionals often carry the weight of organisational wellbeing on their shoulders. But in this case; who supports the supporters? In this insightful discussion from the HR on the Offensive podcast, host Chris Howard and Chris Horton explore this often-overlooked challenge alongside Paul McGregor, a mental health advocate and founder of Everymind at Work. Listen now to learn how to build a wor...

Imagine a workplace where creativity thrives, unbounded by traditional barriers—this concept is called “borderless creativity.” In this episode of HR on the Offensive, Chris and fellow LACEr Debbie Mitchell speak to Elaine Grell, Chief People Officer of Ogilvy, as they explore this concept and its transformative implications for leadership, diversity and workplace culture. Listen now to learn how...

In this episode of the HR on the Offensive podcast, Chris is joined by LACErs Charlie Frost and Aaron Lynch, our in-house AI experts, as they chat with Ben Williams, Founder and Managing Director of Sten10. They discuss the transformative impact of AI on organisations attempting to become skills-powered. Listen now to learn how AI is reshaping workplace dynamics, skill requirements, and organisati...

In this special episode of HR on the Offensive, Chris sits down with our Co-Founders, Aaron Alburey and Cathy Acratopulo, to reflect on 10 incredible years. Together, they look back on LACE’s journey from an ambitious vision in 2014 to a leading consultancy with a team of nearly 100, a trusted network of associates, and long-lasting client partnerships across industries. Aaron and Cathy share memo...

In our latest HR on the Offensive podcast Chris and LACE director Pavan Bilkhoo speak to Tom Larter, CEO of WithYouWithMe, a software platform which maps and manages workforce skills, allowing organisations to understand current capabilities and future requirements. The discussion centred around the organisation's innovative approach to combatting underemployment and fostering inclusive hiring pra...

In this episode of the HR on the Offensive podcast, Chris and LACE CEO Cathy Acratopulo are joined by Lucinda Carney, CEO and Founder of Actus and host of the HR Uprising podcast. They explore how organisational development (OD) reaches beyond structure to drive leadership development, talent management, culture, and continuous improvement—all aligning with broader business strategy. Listen now to...

In this episode of the HR on the Offensive podcast Chris and LACEr Gemma Ryall speak to Simon Gibson, Head of Talent at Center Parcs. The focus of the podcast is skills-based organisations and how companies can effectively transition to a skills-focused approach. More organisations are moving to a skills-based approach. That’s why we’ve launched our Becoming skills-Powered campaign to explore the...

In this episode of the HR on the Offensive podcast Chris and LACE Director Pavan Bilkhoo speak to Neil Carberry, CEO of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), on how the world of recruitment is undergoing a significant transformation. Listen now to learn how businesses and recruiters are rethinking their approaches to talent acquisition and workforce management.

In this episode of the HR on the Offensive podcast, Chris welcomes fellow LACEr Julian Holmes, who shares his insights from the recent HR Analytics Summit. The discussion centres around the growing importance of data analytics in HR and how organisations can harness people analytics to drive better business outcomes. Overall, the HR Analytics Summit showcased how organisations are utilising data t...

In this episode of the HR on the Offensive podcast, Chris, LACE CEO Cathy Acratopulo and guest Melanie Steel, one of HR Magazine’s most influential for 2024, delve into how different business drivers shape HR operating models. These drivers include agility, customer intimacy, growth, and productivity. This is part of our Demystifying the HR Operating Model campaign read more here - https://lacepar...

In this episode of the HR on the Offensive podcast, Chris and LACEr Pavan Bilkhoo discuss the importance of skills in driving business performance with their guest, Craige Heaney, VP of Talent and Organisational Effectiveness at Pandora. Listen now to learn how a skills-based approach not only enhances employee capabilities but also drives bottom-line value for the business.

In this episode of the HR on the Offensive podcast Chris and LACEr Chris Horton along with guest Anthony Nash, co-founder of Leadership Success, explore the role of leadership in enabling skills-based organisations (SBOs), focusing on how companies are adapting to prioritise skills over traditional job structures. Listen now to learn what role leadership plays in guiding organisations towards a sk...

How does having a family-inclusive approach benefit employers as much as employees? What impact does it have on employer brand? How can care provision when there is a disruption help to ensure engaged employees? These are just a few questions that we explore in our latest podcast, featuring Jennifer Listen-Smith from Bright Horizons. They talk about their Work+Family Snapshot, which you can find o...