The Vibrant Workplace Podcast

What if the biggest barrier to your organisation's growthis the mindset of its leaders? In this episode, Craig is joined by 2022 IoD Director of the Year for Leadership & Innovation, author of The Inner Path of Leadership and founder of SpinState – David Maxwell. Together they explore: Why so many successful leaders still feel stuck The difference between horizontal and vertical developmen...

🎙 Good Jobs, Better Business? With Mark McAllister, Chief Executive of the Labour Relations Agency The upcoming Good Jobs Employment Rights Bill is set to introduce significant changes to the employment landscape in Northern Ireland. But how aware are employers of what’s coming? What is actually changing? And what could this mean in practice for businesses and employees alike? In this episode, Cra...

In this episode, Craig is joined by Mary McManus from Living Wage NI to explore the Real Living Wage through a commercial lens, not just a moral one. They discuss why fair pay has become such a challenging issue for employers, the real pressures facing SMEs, and whether paying the Real Living Wage can genuinely make business sense when viewed through retention, recruitment, engagement, and long-te...

In this episode, Craig is joined by Barry Taylor , Managing Director of MEGA, to explore why manufacturing in Northern Ireland is far more than the old “dirty factory” stereotype. Barry lifts the lid on a sector that is quietly driving innovation, providing long-term careers, and anchoring communities — yet still battling major talent and skills shortages. Together, Craig and Barry unpack: How mod...

In this special episode Craig is joined by Niall Martindale (CEO) and Olga Pollock (HR Manager) as we explore life in the Verified Vibrant Workplace, Kinecx Energy! Kinecx took part in the Vibrant Workplace Accelerator and we found that their people had 18.2 times more positive than negative days at work! In fact, there were only 3.7% of days across the workforce that were rated negatively. That m...

Craig Thompson chats with Karen Maguire, Chairperson of Employee Ownership Ireland, about the growing movement of Employee Ownership Trusts: How they work Why business owners are embracing them And what they mean for employees, company culture and the future of work

In this episode, Craig Thompson engages in a deep conversation with renowned podcast, author, speaker and coach Seamus Fox about the importance of self-leadership, finding one's purpose, and the role of values in achieving fulfilment in life and work. Seamus shares his personal journey of transformation,emphasizing the significance of understanding one's values and how they influence decis...

In this episode of The Vibrant Workplace Podcast, Craig satdown with executive coach and speaker Philip Brady - and we went deep.   We shared stories we don’t normally talk about.   And from that place, we asked the bigger questions:   What happens when we pretend employer branding is culture? Are people really leaving bad managers - or are wescapegoating them to protect broken systems? Can coachi...

In this special episode Craig is joined by Marc Vivas (CEO) and Markéta Bártová (HR Manager) as we explore life at a very special company – the very first company who ever took part in the Vibrant Workplace Accelerator, Nuvolar Works! Being prepared to try things is a hallmark of a leader – and Nuvolar weren’t just trying something new – they were the first to do it.  We explore why they were prep...

Craig is joined by keynote speaker and expert on the topic of ‘The Science of Happiness’, Richard Clarke. Richard teaches happiness in the workplace: how to use the science of well-being to build better teams - teams that collaborate more effectively, innovate more, and stay together longer. In this episode we explore: What workplace happiness is Whether happiness is the right KPI to drive success...

This is a very special episode for two reasons - it's our first ever video episode and we're featuring another outstanding employer - the Verified Vibrant Workplace: Kukoon! Verified Vibrant Workplaces have successfully completed our Vibrant Workplace Accelerator and *proven* through our employee experience platform mooqi® that their employees most often: Have a Good or Great day at work Are Engag...

This is a VERY special episode as it’s the FIRST TIME we’re able to bring the spotlight on a Verified Vibrant Workplace – today we feature the INCREDIBLE employer: TruCorp!! Verified Vibrant Workplaces have successfully completed our Vibrant Workplace Accelerator and *proven* through our employee experience platform mooqi® that their employees most often: Have a Good or Great day at work Are Engag...

Craig is joined by Chief Rebel and Founder of ‘Diary Detox’, Paul Holbrook. Having spent 20-years in the City of London within financial services technology, Paul got fed up seeing managers struggle to find time for the most important part of their role – their people. Paul founded Diary Detox with the goal to create a world of better-led people by enabling managers to find more time to lead with...

Craig is joined on the show by departing Chief Exec of the Labour Relations Agency, Don Leeson, to talk about: The career that led him to the LRA How the work of the agency has evolved How the world of work in general has evolved What the LRA's place is in the current world of work What Don would like his legacy to be What's coming next for him And much more!!!

Craig is joined by founder of DiverseTalent.ai Jemma Simpson to talk about: Diversity in recruitment and creating inclusive workplaces Using AI and new generation sourcing tools Ethical AI and why it’s important DiverseTalent's mission is to bring better transparency into the recruitment process and empower jobseekers DiverseTalent are winners of the 2023 Innovate UK Inclusive Technology Award...

Craig is joined by business psychologist William McKee who in his own words is “Not so keen on all of the pseudoscience and daft ideas permeating the worlds of L&D, OD, HR and people development…” William has a particular distaste for the ‘dark arts’ of what he refers to as ‘phony psychometrics.’ We invited William onto the show to look at how and why these methods are being used and whether t...

Craig is joined by Director of ‘Timely Careers’, Laura Dowie, for an enlightening conversation about the imperative need for flexible working arrangements, especially for women and parents. Laura is on a mission to heighten organisations' awareness of the impact of having a more dynamic and gender inclusive workforce. **Key Talking Points in this Episode:** 1. **Childcare Crisis and Inflexible Wor...

Craig is joined on the show by Jo Wright, bestselling author of the book “NO MORE SH*T MANAGERS: Seven Steps to a Coaching Culture” and co-founder of Coaching Culture Ltd. Jo is a cultural change leader on a mission to inspire people to think differently through the power of coaching, and has helped thousands of people to develop the confidence and capability to have better conversations. In this...

Craig is joined on the show by menopause specialist, advocate and certified women’s wellbeing coach Karina Todd who has recently taken up the position of Director of Client Services for Ireland with ‘Over the Bloody Moon’ an award-winning menopause agency that partners with organisations to create a menopause-inclusive environment. In the episode we discuss: - What menopause is and the associated...

Cultural assassins, Frankenstein structures, why HR leaders struggle for role models, the 4 ‘STEP’ approach which can deliver the strategic focus your HR department needs - all this and MUCH more as Craig is joined by Steve Carpenter on the show! Steve’s held roles such as People & Culture Director - Krispy Kreme UK, Head of HR - Hotel Chocolat, HR Director - Carpetright, Head of HR - Game, Head o...

Craig is joined by MCS Group’s Head of Human Resources, Sales, Marketing & Legal Recruitment – Ryan Calvert to discuss recruiting trends in 2024, what jobseekers are looking for in an employer and how organisations can stand out to attract the top talent.

Radical Candor is the outstanding book exploring Kim Scott’s management philosophy for ‘getting what you want by saying what you mean’ . That might sound simple, but unclear communication, or critical feedback remaining unsaid, causes mayhem in most businesses every day of the year! Craig was joined by Kim’s co-founder, Jason Rosoff, to discuss why this happens along with: - What Radical Candor is...

Mediation gets bad press, but does it actually have a role to play in helping to build a positive workplace culture? Craig was joined by Scott Alexander, certified member of the Mediator's Institute of Ireland and now founder of 'Mediation Plus' (having previously spent 16.5 years at Legal Island where he held the position of Head of L&D) to discuss this along with: - What mediation actually is?!...

British Army veteran Gavin Hendrie, now COO of construction and procurement law specialists 'Quigg Golden', joins Craig on the show to talk about the value in an ex-military hire. In the episode Gavin: - Challenges some of the assumptions people have about those transitioning from a military background into business - Reveals how a veteran hire can help businesses struggling with talent at...

Craig is joined by 'Mr VOSA' Dimi Yar, Founder of VOSA Income Inequality Solutions to discuss the holy grail of employee engagement, whether it's realistic under current business models, and what is really needed to bring together a workforce united and giving their all for shared success.