HR Insights – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome back to another episode of HR Insights: The Podcast. 

Today, our CEO and Host, Stuart Elliott, is joined by Tony Davies, Director of Global Partners at Acumen International, to explore the rapidly growing world of global employment and the role of Employer of Record (EOR) in enabling organisations to scale across borders with confidence.

Together, they discuss the evolution of Tony’s career, from military engineering to building high-performing recruitment businesses, to leading global partnership networks and advising organisations on compliant international workforce expansion. Tony breaks down what the EOR model really is, why demand is rising across regions such as the Middle East, Latin America, and India, and the common pitfalls organisations must avoid when hiring internationally.

We hope you gain practical insights into when and how to use an EOR solution, how to mitigate risk in global hiring, and why choosing the right partner can determine both compliance and commercial success.

About Tony Davies:
Tony Davies is the Director of Global Partners at Acumen International, where he leads the development and execution of global partnership strategies to expand market presence and support business growth. With more than 25 years of experience in international recruitment and workforce solutions, Tony specialises in building strategic alliances, scaling operations across borders, and enabling organisations to globalise efficiently through Acumen’s extensive Global EOR network.

Passionate about empowering organisations to unlock new market opportunities, Tony focuses on strategic collaboration, operational scalability, and sustainable growth in competitive, fast-changing environments.

Key Timestamps:

• 00:16 – About Tony’s Career path: military → engineering → recruitment
• 01:03 – Building and selling a recruitment firm
• 06:20 – Belcan UK turnaround to $60m and 35-country footprint
• 09:04 – With James Caan: building global partner networks
• 10:43 – Joining Acumen International: partnership vs referral models
• 12:08 – What is EOR/PEO and why companies use it
• 18:45 – Demand hotspots: Middle East, Northern LatAm, India
• 21:50 – Pitfalls: “cheapest” ≠ safest; misclassification; penalties on global turnover
• 26:56 – Before using EOR: three checks to run
• 30:30 – When EOR is the right tool (SMBs, market tests, entity rationalisation)
• 41:53 – Advice for HR & leaders: build a trusted EOR partnership

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen! 

Welcome back to another episode of HR Insights: The Podcast. Today, our CEO and Host, Stuart Elliott, is joined by Claire Butler, a strategic HR leader with extensive experience across global markets, to explore one of the most talked-about roles making a comeback in today’s market, the Chief of Staff.

Together, they unpack what the Chief of Staff role really entails, why it’s re-emerging as a critical strategic function, and how it serves as a bridge between leadership, operations, and culture. Claire shares her personal journey transitioning from HR into the Chief of Staff role, offering honest reflections on both the opportunities and challenges that come with it.

Listeners will gain valuable insights into the key skills that define a successful Chief of Staff, why demand for this position is rising again, and practical advice for both employers hiring for the role and professionals considering it as their next career step.

About Claire Butler:
Claire Butler is a strategic and results-driven HR leader with a strong commercial mindset and a proven track record in driving organisational transformation and HR excellence across global markets. With experience spanning the UK, Europe, the US, and Asia, Claire brings deep expertise in employment frameworks, cultural integration, and HR programme design and delivery.

Passionate about innovation, people, and performance, she is driven by creating enthusiasm, inspiring others, and helping organisations achieve lasting results.

Key Timestamps:

• 01:40 – Introduction to Claire Butler
• 04:40 – What is a Chief of Staff?
• 07:31 – What skills make up the Chief of Staff role?
• 09:48 – Key skills to excel as a Chief of Staff
• 12:25 – Why Chief of Staff roles are back in trend
• 17:48 – Pros & cons of being a Chief of Staff
• 20:42 – Main challenges of the role
• 26:54 – Hints and tips for success in the role
• 28:32 – Strategic or operational?
• 29:41 – Advice for those considering the role

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen! 

In this episode, we explore the shifting landscape of DEI with Nikki Davies, a globally recognised DEI strategist, coach, and entrepreneur based in Hong Kong. Drawing from our recent UK HR Trends Report, which revealed a shift in DEI's priority amongst organisations, Stuart Elliott asks: why is this happening—and what does it mean for the future?

Nikki shares insights from her 30-year career in coaching and consulting, and how organisations are facing a "day of reckoning"—separating those truly committed to DEI from those who have simply followed trends. We dive into the global trends, the importance of psychological safety, and why sustainable, authentic inclusion efforts—not reactionary ones—will define successful businesses moving forward.

We also explore how factors like the US election, demographic shifts, and the rise of AI are impacting DEI conversations, and why resilience and leadership authenticity are more crucial than ever. Nikki offers advice for HR leaders on how to keep DEI embedded within business strategy and how small, consistent actions can lead to real, lasting progress.

Who is our guest? 

Nikki Davies is a former HR executive with MNCs including Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, and Prudential plc. She is now the founder of coNEXTion, her consulting and ICF ACC accredited coaching business, serving clients from start-ups to global organisations and is also the Senior Consultant for Pixel Alchemy Collective. 

A recognised global DEIB strategist, Nikki has over 20 years' experience crafting strategies to drive inclusion, equity, and belonging. She supports executives as a coach and advises organisations on adapting global initiatives to local markets, always aligning DEIB outcomes with strategic business goals.

Nikki’s approach uses human-centred design to identify systemic challenges and create action-based plans with measurable results, helping leaders build thriving, inclusive organisations. Her impactful initiatives include Diverse Talent Sponsorship Programmes, Inclusive Recruiting, Global DEIB e-learning, Employee Resource Group frameworks, and Inclusive Marketing strategies.

Key Timestamps:

• 04:00 - Intro into Nikki Davies 
• 06:20 - Results from our survey
• 11:00 - The shift in the prioritisation of DEI
• 17:39 - Is the shift being seen globally? 
• 22:56 - The emergence of other aspects of DEI
• 30:40 - Impactful DEI initiatives 
• 37:17 - The importance of keeping DEI on the agenda and advice for HR leaders

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen! 

Our next episode of HR Insights – The Podcast is out now! Stuart Elliott chats to Roly Walter, Founder of Appraisd, an employee performance management system that is unique in aiming to help managers get the best from their team members. 

Appraisd began in Roly’s garden shed where he combined his experience working as an HR and business analyst with his interest in coding. He began with the kernel of an idea: an employee-first approach to performance and development; something that employees would find genuinely useful, something HR would be proud of implementing and something managers would find a blessed relief from the tired and out-dated appraisal forms they were used to. Since then the company has grown substantially.  

In this episode Stuart and Roly question whether the annual performance review process is outdated, the pain points around them and Roly shares various ideas around how career conversations could be structured instead.   


Key timestamps:  

• 6.20: A few years ago annual performance reviews were reported to be things of the past, why are they still around? 
• 10.10: How career conversations could be structured  
• 12.02: 95% of managers are unhappy with the traditional performance review process, why? 
• 15.08: Advice for conducting performance reviews remotely  
• 20.50: Employee engagement pulse surveys and tech – what Roly and Stuart are seeing people do differently in the market  
• 26.23: Statistics show the positive impact flexible working has had on employees, what is the response to companies who want people back in the office five days a week? 
• 29.59: Roly’s key piece of advice to HR on the performance review process  

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen! 

We are thrilled to be launching the third series of HR Insights - The Podcast with returning guest Sasha Scott, CEO & Founder, Inclusive Group. Sasha is an expert in her field, she understands the commercial drivers behind reducing bias within the workplace and the critical need to promote and sustain inclusive workplace cultures in order to attract and retain talent. Sasha has been recognised by the Global Diversity List as a Top 10 Diversity Consultant. 

Emily Ramji has passed the baton over to a new host for this series, CEO & Owner of Elliott Scott HR, Stuart Elliott. Stuart is very excited to chat with all the fantastic HR guests we have lined up this series and we thank Emily for her hard work in hosting our previous seasons.  

Our two prior episodes with Sasha remain the most popular with our listeners. In this episode she and Stuart reflect on which of 2021’s predicted trends were realised and what she sees being key in DEI for 2022.  

Key Timestamps: ​ 

 6.00: The challenges around Inclusion & Diversity in 2022 and the trends realised in 2021  

13.15: What trends are most prominent globally? 

15.15: Why measuring diversity is critical  

16.54: Reluctance towards providing information about identity   

19.40: The challenges with gathering diversity data  

21.05: Organisations refocusing on EDI and ESG intersections after the Pandemic  

25.57: ERG Fatigue 

27.52: How inclusive is hybrid working? 

32.10: How DEI candidates can gauge how invested the leadership team are in DEI 

36.05: How to be inclusive with your language  

41.36: Sasha’s key predicted DEI trend for 2022  

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen! 

Our final episode of Series 2 of HR Insights The Podcast is available for download now!

This week our host Emily Ramji is speaking to Missy Lafferty, Founder and Principal at Beam Talent. Missy is a recruiting master; she established Beam Talent to help high growth companies identify, attract and engage top talent.

Emily and Missy discuss how organisations can best attract candidates in the new world of hybrid work, how to recruit effectively in the current competitive market, and best practice for employer branding.

New episodes will be released every fortnight. If you're on the move we recommend you download and listen to HR insights through: 

• Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn 

and most other popular podcast apps, subscribe to the latest episodes are directly available! You can also listen via the player at the bottom of this blog, just ensure you have a consistent internet connection.

Key Timestamps:
1:19- Biggest HR trend of 2021
2:21- Top Wellness Tip
4:16- Struggles with Candidate Shortages
5:49- How to be Creative in a Candidate Short Market
9:43- Opportunities and Challenges for Hiring Remote Workers
12:56- Keeping a Sense of Community Across a Digital Workforce
16:17- Best Practice for Branding
18:13- Attracting Talent as a Smaller Brand
21:10- Quick Recruitment Process
22:27- What Missy Enjoy's Most About Recruitment Challenges 

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen! 

Our latest episode of HR Insights The Podcast is available for download now!

This week our host Emily Ramji is speaking to Marc Dellaert, General Manager Europe at the Center for Creative Leadership. Marc is a Consultant, Leader, Author, Coach and Key Note Speaker for a range of topics, including Agile. 

Emily and Marc discuss the concept of organisational agility, looking at its growing importance in the world we’re living in today and the key role both leaders and HR professionals play to enable agile cultures and teams.

New episodes will be released every fortnight. If you're on the move we recommend you download and listen to HR insights through: 

• Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn 

and most other popular podcast apps, subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! 


Key Timestamps 

• 1:40 - Biggest HR Trends of 2021 
• 5:50 - Defining an Agile workplace
• 7:49 - The importance of companies becoming agile 
• 13:00 - What triggers a company to incorporate an agile culture 
• 15:55 - How leaders power their teams to work collaboratively 
• 18:50 - Learning how to be agile 
• 19:50 - The role HR plays in agile transformation 
• 25:07 - Can a company be both agile and non-agile

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen! 

Our next episode of HR Insights – The Podcast is available now! Emily Ramji chats to Sarah Leverson, Facebook’s Director of Compensation & Benefits for the EMEA region. Prior to Facebook Sarah developed reward strategies at eBay, PayPal and data science experts Dunnhumby. 

Sarah and Emily discuss the how the events of 2020 have forced organisations to think differently about their C&B strategies, with Sarah sharing examples of the practical steps Facebook has taken to address the needs of its workforce. Emily also taps into Sarah’s thoughts on how the C&B function will evolve in the future and learns more about the importance of fairness and care within C&B.

New episodes will be released every fortnight. If you're on the move we recommend you download and listen to HR insights through: 

Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn 

and most other popular podcast apps, subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also listen via the player at the bottom of this blog, just ensure you have a consistent internet connection. 

Timestamps: 

4:27 - Making proactive decisions to support your employees

7:10 - Mental Health Benefits and Support within a business 

9:17 - How Facebook addressed the needs of their employees during the pandemic 

13:40 - The meaning of care in the context of reward

17:30 - Being a leader who executes care

20:55 - Fairness and I&D Agenda 

24:41 - The Future of C&B 

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen! 

In this week’s episode Emily Ramji chats to Dan Silverman, Head of Diversity Talent Sourcing at Bloomberg. Dan spent six years in agency recruitment, and the following seven years working in house for Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan and now Bloomberg.

As discussed in previous episodes, the business case for creating and fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce has never been clearer. Many organisations are now grappling with how to actively increase the diversity of their employee base. In 2020 Bloomberg created a new function to specifically focus on sourcing diverse talent. Dan shares his experience of setting up this function, its strategy, the challenges and successes along the way.

Key Timestamps:​

• 3:13 - Why the Diverse Talent Sourcing function was formed
• 7:48 - Finding diverse talent
• 9:25 - Creating a strategy for sourcing diverse talent at Bloomberg
• 15:56 - Challenges of Diverse Talent Sourcing
• 20:00 - Successes of Diverse Talent Sourcing
• 24:55 - Hiring strategies should lead from the top down

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen! 

We’re happy to share the latest episode of HR Insights – The Podcast. This week our host Emily Ramji is speaking to Sofie Jacobs, founder of Urban Hatch. Sofie is a clinical midwife and entrepreneur who is re-defining parental support strategies for the workplace. 

Emily and Sofie discuss the opportunity organisations have to re-think parental support; partnering not just with expectant parents but also with their line managers and by providing digital and accessible solutions at the moments that matter most.


Key Timestamps 

• 0.31:  Introduction to Sofie 
• 3.59:  What is lacking in parental support for expectant and new parents?
• 6.20:  Parental support should be available for everyone 
• 7.04: Focusing on support for line managers 
• 12.58: Supporting the whole family 
• 14.25: Advice for best practice in parental support 
• 15.51:  Benefits of getting parental support right
• 18.09: Silver-lining coming out of COVID-19 
• 20.01:  Lasting advice for our listeners 

You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!