Maureen Brown joins the HRchat Podcast to reveal why employee voice isn't just another corporate buzzword—it's the untapped resource transforming workplace culture and employer branding across industries. As founder of Sullivan Brown Resourcing Partners and MySay, Maureen brings 16+ years of recruitment expertise to this conversation about why companies struggle to truly hear their employees.

We dive deep into the disconnect between conducting engagement surveys and implementing genuine listening strategies. Maureen explains why even well-intentioned HR teams and managers often can't hear feedback without bias, and how independent partners create the psychological safety essential for honest communication. "People want to feel heard," Maureen emphasizes, "and I don't know how heard you feel when you've filled in an online survey."

The conversation with Bill Banham reveals a fascinating post-pandemic shift in workplace dynamics. While pre-COVID exit interviews often contained negative feedback about direct managers, today's employees express positive sentiments about their managers while directing frustration toward leadership teams. Maureen unpacks the complex reasons behind this change—from decreased leadership visibility to middle managers increasingly identifying with their teams rather than with leadership.

Perhaps most compelling is Maureen's challenge to conventional employer branding approaches. Rather than investing in slick recruitment websites or referral schemes, she advocates for fostering genuine employee advocacy through meaningful listening practices. "There's nothing more powerful than genuine advocacy," she asserts, pointing to the missed opportunity when companies fail to amplify authentic employee voices.

Whether you're struggling with retention, rebuilding your culture post-pandemic, or simply wanting to strengthen your employer brand, this episode offers actionable insights on creating psychological safety, conducting effective stay interviews, and transforming employee feedback into strategic advantage. Connect with Maureen on LinkedIn or visit sullivanbrown.co.uk and mi-say.com to learn more about amplifying employee voice in your organization.

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The HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score.

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What happens when engineering principles meet people strategy? Sara Andrews, Chief People Officer at Ecovyst, brings this powerful combination to the HRchat Show, revealing how her background as an engineer transformed her approach to human resources leadership.

Looking toward her upcoming presentation "HR as a Shockwave: From Compliance to Competitive Edge" at DisruptHR Birmingham, Sarah previews how trust, talent frameworks, and culture serve as driving forces for organizational transformation. She also offers practical insights on balancing legacy practices with innovation, adapting strategies across different business environments, and leveraging AI for talent attraction, workforce planning, and personalized development.

Sarah also shares her journey of recognizing that truly effective HR requires building "strong, capable, competent and coherent teams" that directly impact business outcomes. Rather than viewing HR as a support function, she positions it as a strategic driver of enterprise value. Her refreshing perspective cuts through typical HR rhetoric to focus on measurable results: "My entry into HR was always about making a difference, having an HR function that created value and initiatives that really spoke to the bottom line."

While acknowledging HR's progress in gaining organizational influence, Sarah candidly assesses our current reality: "I think we have a seat at the top table. I'm not quite sure that our voice is as clearly heard as it should be." She outlines how HR professionals must develop skills to demonstrate how people management directly connects to growth, revenue, and DEI. This represents the evolving frontier for HR leadership – moving beyond presence to genuine influence.

Ready to transform your HR function from a support role to a competitive advantage? Listen now to discover how engineering principles can revolutionize your people strategy and drive measurable business impact.

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Feature Your Brand on the HRchat Podcast

The HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score.

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In this episode, Christina Luconi, dubbed "the original people innovator," takes host Bill Banham on a fascinating journey through her pioneering career in transforming how fast-growing companies approach their most valuable asset - their people. With refreshing candor and hard-earned wisdom, she reveals how she's helped multiple tech startups scale from dozens to thousands of employees without sacrificing their cultural foundations.

The conversation explores Christina's unconventional entry into HR after studying psychology, where her willingness to question established norms ("why do we call humans 'resources'?") set her on a path of people-centered innovation. Her formative experience at Sapient during the 90s tech boom—where she helped scale from 150 to 3,500 employees in just four years—established her philosophy that culture isn't just important for growth; it's the essential foundation that makes rapid growth possible.

Christina shares practical strategies from her 14-year tenure at Rapid7, where she developed the concept of "scaling with soul." Rather than imposing values from the top down, she engaged employees directly in defining the company's identity and integrated these values throughout the employee lifecycle. The approach was so successful that even terminated employees would recommend the company to others—perhaps the ultimate test of cultural strength. She eloquently articulates how diversity of thought and cultural alignment can coexist when organizations focus on shared values while encouraging authentic self-expression.

Now launching her consulting practice, People Innovations, Christina aims to help early-stage companies recognize the critical importance of human-centered approaches from day one. Having faced personal health challenges that shifted her perspective, she's passionate about maximizing her impact across multiple organizations. Despite acknowledging the current difficulties in people leadership, she remains optimistic: "This could be one of the most pivotal and important roles in a company because ultimately, it doesn't matter what you're building or selling...AI might replace a lot of stuff, but it can't replace human relationships and trust and collaboration."

Ready to transform how your organization approaches culture and growth? Subscribe to the HRchat Show for more insights from visionary leaders who are redefining the world of work.

Support the show

Feature Your Brand on the HRchat Podcast

The HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score.

Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here.

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