Human-centred design starts with better questions Most organisations say they care about their people. Fewer can prove they understand them. That is the gap human-centred design is built to close. Not with another platform. Not with another annual survey. Not with another leadership assumption dressed up as strategy. With better questions. Because if you are […]
Human-centred design starts with better questions (Part 1) Read More »
HR is not the problem. But the old HR paradigm might be. Every few months, an article appears declaring that HR has become bloated, bureaucratic, overreaching or bad for business. The latest version asks whether HR’s expansion has strangled British business. It draws a line between the growth of the people profession and the UK’s
HR in the press: criticism, commerciality, and changing the paradigm Read More »
Does L&D need to leave HR? There is a familiar conversation doing the rounds. L&D would have more impact if it left HR. It is a tempting argument. Especially for learning teams who feel underused, misunderstood, underfunded or trapped inside a function with a reputation problem. HR is often seen as reactive. Process-heavy. Compliance-led. Too
Freeformers Unplugged | Does L&D need to leave HR? Read More »
Accessibility is not an add-on. It is how better work gets designed For too long, accessibility at work has been treated as a problem to solve after the fact. Someone joins the organisation.Someone asks for an adjustment.Someone checks the policy.Someone worries about cost, precedent, legality, wording, risk. Then, eventually, a decision is made. But by
Freeformers Unplugged ft. Alix Burgess Read More »
Do companies need L&D, or do they need better systems for growth? There is a question people in workplace learning do not ask often enough. Do companies actually need L&D? Not learning. Not development. Not growth. Those things matter. Deeply. But the function as we know it? The courses, platforms, pathways, mandatory modules, competency frameworks
Do companies need L&D: the captive market problem Read More »
Induction is not onboarding. And onboarding is not a checklist. There is a moment in almost every new job when the gloss starts to fade. The welcome email has been sent. The branded bottle has been handed over. The values deck has been clicked through. Someone has explained where the fire exits are, how to
Induction and onboarding is a lie Read More »
Redundancy is a business decision. How you do it is a cultural one When organisations are under pressure, their values stop being words on a wall. They become a system of choices. Who gets told what.How much time people are given.Whether leaders own the story.Whether the people leaving are treated as a cost to remove,
AI, redundancies, and brand fallout: Block and Brewdog Read More »
Employee listening platforms aren’t listening Employee listening has become one of those phrases that sounds hard to argue with. Of course organisations should listen to employees.Of course people should have a voice.Of course leaders should understand what is happening inside the business before making decisions about culture, performance or change. The problem is not the
Employee listening platforms aren’t listening Read More »
“We need HR” is the comforting lie companies tell themselves when they scale At the start, you do not need HR. When there are two of you, or five, or maybe even ten, work is close enough to manage through conversation. You know what people are doing. You know when someone is struggling. You know
AI, redundancies, and brand fallout Read More »
Most employer brands are a comforting lie Most employer brands sound the same. You know the lines. “Shape the future.”“Bring your whole self to work.”“Unlock your potential.”“Join us on a mission.”“Enjoy unbelievable perks.” They are polished. Positive. Search-friendly. Often beautifully designed. And, too often, completely forgettable. The problem is not that employer branding exists. It
Most employer brands are rubbish Read More »
