The Change Society | The Human Capital Reset

Mar 23, 2021, 09:52 AM

As the UK prepares to emerge from the shadows of lockdown, Host Pat Lynes catches up with Chief People Officer Paul Cutler on what is next for individuals and organisations.

They discuss how the scale and simultaneous shock of the pandemic have levelled the playing field amongst organisations globally, but also why their return to work strategies are very different.

Can organisations offer people the flexibility to manage how they work? Can you build a virtual culture? Does this help or hinder blue-chip companies in the war for talent?

They then dive into other aspects of the future of work including portfolio plus, the value of leadership continuity while remaining flexible and what the boardroom of the future will look like.

All these answered and plenty more including why human capital is your biggest advantage in the world of open-source technology.

We hope you enjoy the show either to watch or listen.


2.43 - Intro
  • Previously Chief People Officer at Travelex
  • A former restaurant and nightclub owner (Supper Club)

4.19 - Reflections on last year and opportunity for next decade
  • Huge shock, but nothing new
  • AI, Flexible working, robotic process - same topics
  • Scale and simultaneous shock has levelled the playing field
  • Unilever CEO saying they will never return to 5 day work week
  • Remote work will affect the higher paid knowledge works, but factory workers, Nurses and delivery drivers will be harder pressed to adapt

8.24 - How will the return to work settle in the corporate world?
  • Can organisations offer flexibility to manage how they work?
  • What job are you in?
  • What is desirable?
  • Hybrid is the answer

13.23 - Adapting Organisational Design and Structure 🔥
  • The future of work isn’t just about where you work
  • What collaboration tools and cultural norms and rules
  • How do you as a leader inspire your people when they’re fragmented
  • Where is the water cooler?

16.07 - Building a Virtual Culture
  • Culture is extremely hard to define and control anyway
  • Build them the same way as you would in the office
  • Comms, values, recognition and role modelling, leadership etc.
  • Need to become more sophisticated and fluid in how we think about it

20.44 - What do blue-chip companies need to do now to compete in the war for talent? 🔥
  • 1. World is fragmenting and people will vote for their feet
  • 2. Big corporate is king - they can cherrypick the people they want
  • Everyone else will be fighting for gigs
  • CxOs of the future need an employee mix
  • Take control of the future trajectory of where tech will disrupt you

27.14 - Human Capital
  • World of open source and cloud-based tech - what is your competitive advantage? Your people 🔥

29.44 - Where Formula 1 can teach corporates to win
  • Working with McLaren to overhaul analytics at GSK using incremental gains
  • Concept of winning. What inspires?

32.48 - FTSE backing Long term exec guidance and leadership vs. short-term shareholder primacy pressures
  • Scaled orgs need continuity of leadership and direction
  • Startups and agile orgs have the ability to flex, but need continuity too!
  • Hard to transform with so much executive churn
  • Never been more important to have the right leader
  • The paradox of keeping the consistency of leadership, but also need to be flexible 

40.10 - Portfolio Plus
  • Bjarte Bognes on Beyond Budgeting
  • The dichotomy of corporations vs. employee isn’t the future

44.11 - Wave a magic wand to build a future of work in a corporate setting
  • Dialogue with leadership, employees, customers and partners
  • What makes up the DNA of this place?
  • Minimalist design work and light HR scaffolding
  • Implement and embed

49.13 - Model Organisations
  • Brewdog - only seven pay grades between entry and executives
  • A socially responsible business model
  • Getting emotional, purpose and business contract - holy trinity for talent

52.06 - Boardroom of the future
  • Obviously a diverse boardroom - above all, diversity of thought
  • Being a net contributor to the benefit of our community, society and planet
  • Get a representation of all cross-section of employees on your board