As we know - AI isn’t something that’s coming in the future — it’s already here, and it’s already reshaping how we hire, develop and engage our people. The pace of change can feel daunting at times, but the big challenge for us in HR is how we shift from dabbling with new tools to really using AI as a strategic enabler. In this episode, Lucy explores the key opportunities and risks — from ethics and trust, through to leadership development, talent management and employee engagement with the help of one of the leading voices in people analytics and digital HR David Green.

David shares research showing more companies now have dedicated AI governance for HR, and why moving from “jobs” to “tasks and skills” matters if we want technology to augment work rather than trigger blunt headcount cuts. The conversation explores what great employee listening looks like when you blend surveys with collaboration and behavioral signals (at aggregate level), plus the implications for hybrid work, org design, and keeping the human experience at the centre.

For HR professionals wondering where to start, David’s advice is simple: build AI literacy, experiment hands-on, identify a few high-value use cases tied to business priorities, and iterate with a sponsor. The capability stack HR needs now ranges from data/AI literacy and stakeholder influence to human-centred design, storytelling, and emotional intelligence—so we can automate the repetitive, personalise the meaningful, and lead the transformation with credibility.

Chapters

00:03 — Meet David Green David’s journey from recruitment to people analytics; Insight222 and the Digital HR Leaders podcast.

07:04 — What’s actually being used Adoption snapshot; chatbots, sentiment analysis of feedback, and augmented JD writing. 12:40 — Trust, ethics & redesigning work Governance and transparency; shifting from jobs to tasks/skills; keeping the human experience central. 20:50 — Strategy to practice AI as a strategic enabler; leadership development, employee listening/hybrid insights, the HR skillset, and where to start.

Contact David: www.insight222.com

Discover more about Disruptive HR

• Find out more about Disruptive HR: www.disruptivehr.com
• Get in touch: hello@disruptivehr.com
• Check out The Disruptive HR Club: https://disruptivehr.com/the-club/

In this episode, Lucy digs into one of the big questions right now: if most organisations have landed on hybrid, why does it still feel so clunky? Ranya Nehmeh, senior HR strategist, lecturer and co-author of In Praise of the Office: The Limits to Hybrid and Remote Work - joins to unpack why many hybrid set-ups deliver the “messy middle”: full calendars, half-empty offices and confused norms. She makes the case that the office still offers something distinctive: spontaneous interactions, faster trust-building and the sort of collaboration you can’t schedule into a diary.

Lucy and Ranya explore the long-term culture risks of ineffective hybrid working such as lower discretionary effort, individualism over collaboration, and promotion decisions skewed by proximity bias. They look at practical ways to make hybrid better including designing anchor days around activities that need co-location, fixing meeting hygiene and measuring outcomes not optics. They also discuss a divide many miss - pre- versus post-pandemic hires—and how HR can act as “architect of connection” through extended onboarding, mentoring across cohorts, and rituals that make everyone visible.

This episode looks at how you build flexibility and a healthy culture. The answer isn’t blanket policies; it’s clarity and intention. Think presence with purpose, flexibility with structure, and leaders equipped to have grown-up team conversations about what works now—for the work, the customer and the people involved.

Chapters

(00:03) The Future of Hybrid Work

(15:24) Optimizing Hybrid Work Strategies for Success

(21:54) Bridging Pre & Post-Pandemic Workplace Gap

(26:15) Hybrid Work Flexibility and Structure

(31:17) Importance of Office Relationships

(34:53) Exploring Hybrid Work Strategies

Contact Rayna https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranyanehmeh/

Discover more about Disruptive HR

• Find out more about Disruptive HR: www.disruptivehr.com
• Get in touch: hello@disruptivehr.com
• Check out The Disruptive HR Club: https://disruptivehr.com/the-club/

Whilst we’re seeing tons of innovation in some of the key employee processes, reward and recognition can often be put in the ‘too difficult’ box. Recognition efforts often lack differentiation and are just vanilla or one-size-fits-all, and flexible benefits packages, meant to deliver choice, can too often feel overwhelming or unclear to employees. This week’s guest Rachel Richards, Reward and People Operations Director at Virgin Group, joins Lucy to share how they have broken away from the usual script. She shares their new benefits arrangements and how they've made them feel more meaningful, clear, and truly relevant.

In this episode you’ll hear how to engage your employees in shaping reward and recognition, how to create benefits from a position of trust and provide an offering that feels inclusive, brand-aligned and genuinely compelling - without increasing spend. It’s a conversation about trust, transparency, and the courage to break away from vanilla rewards to build something that reflects modern lives and makes employees proud.

Chapters

(00:03) Revolutionizing Employee Benefits at Virgin

(08:30) Enhancing Employee Benefits Through Engagement

(16:29) Empowering Flexibility and Wellbeing at Work

(24:56) Designing Employee Benefits With Purpose

Contact Rachel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelreclarke/

Disruptive HR

Website: www.disruptivehr.com

Join the Disruptive HR Club https://disruptivehr.com/the-club/

Email: hello@disruptivehr.com

Assessments have always played a crucial role in how we identify potential, develop talent, and shape future leaders. But with the rapid rise of AI and digital tools, we’re facing both incredible opportunities and real risks. In this episode we’re diving into a subject that sits right at the intersection of innovation and humanity and asking, how do we harness the power of technology - particularly AI - to build fairer, more human-centered approaches to leadership assessment and development?

Joining Lucy to discuss this is a real expert in the field of leadership assessment - Tom Verboven from The Talent Enterprise which is part of the Mercer group. Lucy and Tom discuss some of the big questions around assessment and technology, including:

• Where do we currently stand in the adoption and effectiveness of AI and technology in assessments?
• How can we effectively eliminate bias and noise in assessments, whether human or AI-driven?
• What is the candidate or participant experience like when interacting with AI and technological assessments?
• What are the implications of passively collecting data to generate insights on strengths, areas for development?

Chapters

(00:03) Harnessing AI for Leadership Assessment

(05:52) Navigating AI in Leadership Development

(15:45) Ethical Considerations in AI Assessments

(28:21) The Future of AI in Leadership

Contact Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-verboven-b85a691/

Disruptive HR

Website: www.disruptivehr.com

Join the Disruptive HR Club https://disruptivehr.com/the-club/

Email: hello@disruptivehr.com

Storytelling to support leadership communications has been around for a while now. And whilst it’s often seen as an effective way of getting our message across, what does it really mean to be a great storyteller - and how does it work on a practical level in a business? It could be that you are trying to help your leaders communicate the strategic priorities for the coming year or you want your own HR comms to have more impact. In this episode we’re going to really break it down for you and to do that Lucy has enlisted the support of someone who has straddled the world of leadership and engagement - and actual proper storytelling as a published author - Simon Wright.

This episode of HR Disrupted looks at how storytelling can change the way we communicate at work, especially in HR and leadership. It explores how stories go beyond facts and figures to create emotional connection, build trust, and help people really understand and care about what’s being said. Instead of treating storytelling as something fluffy or ‘extra’, the episode shows how it can be a powerful tool for getting messages to stick and for helping people feel part of something bigger.

The episode explores how storytelling isn’t just for creative types, it’s something anyone can use to make their communication more meaningful. Whether you’re explaining a new strategy or trying to build team connections, telling a story helps people understand not just what you’re doing, but why it matters. It looks at how good storytelling often starts with vulnerability and honesty and shares tips to bring storytelling into everyday communication without it feeling forced or awkward. HR and leaders need to see storytelling not as a ‘nice to have’, but as a core part of how we inspire, influence and build stronger, more connected workplaces.

Discover Simon Wright’s novels - The Red Scarf Series - and contact him at https://simonwrightbooks.com/

Disruptive HR

Website: www.disruptivehr.com

Join the Disruptive HR Club https://disruptivehr.com/the-club/

Email: hello@disruptivehr.com

In this episode of HR Disrupted, Lucy Adams is joined by Karen Moran to explore whether artificial intelligence can help leaders get better at the “people stuff” including giving feedback, recognising effort, and holding difficult conversations. Despite over $360 billion being spent annually on leadership development, most programmes fail to deliver meaningful change. Lucy and Karen ask: can AI offer a smarter, more practical solution?

We explore how AI can act as a real-time “pocket coach,” supporting leaders with small nudges and advice exactly when they need it. Rather than waiting for a scheduled training session, leaders can use AI to reflect on their leadership style, build micro-habits, or prepare for tricky conversations. We look at how AI is transforming hiring and onboarding by helping managers to write more inclusive job descriptions, generate interview questions, and create onboarding plans tailored to each new hire.

When it comes to recognising and engaging teams, AI can prompt leaders to show appreciation more often and in more meaningful ways. And prompts can also help with career development conversations, especially the tricky ones, such as when someone isn’t quite ready for a promotion.

Importantly, it doesn’t have to cost the earth. Free tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot can deliver a big impact. Simple prompts like “What are three ways I can improve team morale this week?” or “Write a thank-you message for a five-year work anniversary” can help managers act with more empathy and intention.

Disruptive HR

Website: www.disruptivehr.com

Join the Disruptive HR Club https://disruptivehr.com/the-club/

Email: hello@disruptivehr.com

In an age where a single tweet can spark a crisis, reputation management is no longer the preserve of PR teams. In this episode, Lucy is joined by Lis Anderson, founder of the award-winning PR agency Ambitious, to explore how HR can (and must) play a bigger role in shaping, protecting and enhancing an organisation’s reputation.

They delve into the shifting dynamics of trust, the power of employee advocacy, and why the most credible voices about your culture aren’t your leaders – but your people. Lis also shares what often goes wrong when HR and comms don’t collaborate, and offers practical ideas to help HR teams get ahead of reputational risks, not just clean them up.

Whether it’s Glassdoor reviews, crisis planning, or understanding digital reputational threats, this episode is packed with insights to help HR step confidently into its growing communications role.

Connect with Lis Anderson Website: www.ambitiouspr.co.uk LinkedIn: Lis Anderson

Useful Links Find out more about Disruptive HR: www.disruptivehr.com Get in touch: hello@disruptivehr.com

Join the Disruptive HR Club https://disruptivehr.com/the-club/

In this episode, Lucy is joined by Dave Reynolds, founder of Ruminate Group and author of Radicle Growth: Transform into an Unstoppable Leader Through Mastering the Art of Questions. Dave shares his journey from sales leadership to global coaching, and why he believes the key to exceptional leadership lies in asking better, deeper questions. Drawing on the concept of “radicle” growth—the unseen but essential root stage of development—he encourages leaders to invest in meaningful conversations rather than chasing quick fixes.

They discuss the difference between mentoring and coaching, and why coaching creates greater ownership, accountability and long-term results. Dave explains how silence, often uncomfortable for leaders, can be a powerful tool to help people think for themselves and reach more thoughtful conclusions. He also highlights how surface-level conversations can limit real connection and performance.

Finally, Lucy and Dave explore the role HR can play in building coaching cultures. From helping leaders ask the right questions to observing how they run meetings, HR has a vital part to play in encouraging more thoughtful, human leadership.

Contact Dave:

• Website: www.rumin8group.com
• LinkedIn: Dave Reynolds – Ruminate Group

Disruptive HR

• Website: www.disruptivehr.com
• Join the Disruptive HR Club: https://disruptivehr.com/the-club/
• Email: hello@disruptivehr.com