Tim Mitchell, Chief People Officer at the Institute of Cancer Research, joins Felix to talk about what it takes to build a workplace where different ways of thinking aren't just accepted - they're essential. As a parent of a neurodiverse child and executive sponsor for disability at work, Tim brings both a personal and professional lens to the conversation. They dig into why encouraging mistakes leads to better outcomes, how ICR is rethinking performance frameworks for a research environment, and why creating psychological safety isn't at odds with high performance - it's the foundation of it.

Ellie Evans, seasoned Chef People Officer, joins Louise to challenge whether HR is guilty of over-complicating things - from rebranding part-time work as "fractured roles" to dressing up internal mobility as "talent fluidity". They get into what actually makes change stick, why people management is still the biggest unsolved problem in most organisations, and how apprenticeship-style academies might be the future of graduate development. Ellie also shares her take on what HR looks like in five years - and whether it becomes more of a technology function than a people one.

James Zhang, a global HR professional with a background in mathematics, joins Louise to explore how AI is reshaping the way we think about organisational design, graduate careers, and what makes someone hireable in 2025. From using AI as a mentoring buddy for junior hires to rethinking whether you still need as many managers, James shares a practical and refreshingly honest perspective on what the future of work actually looks like, and why the human skills of communication and curiosity still matter most.