The HR Room Podcast

Change is inevitable in the workplace, but getting employees to embrace it is rarely straightforward. Whether it's the introduction of new technology, organisational restructuring, redundancies or new ways of working, even the most carefully planned changes can be met with resistance.

So why do employees resist change, and what can HR professionals and business leaders do to bring their people along with them?

In this episode of The HR Room, we're joined by Dr Síle Walsh, organisational development specialist, researcher and award-winning author of Inclusive Leadership: Navigating Organisational Complexity, alongside Mary Cullen, Founder and Managing Director of Insight HR.

Together, we explore the psychology behind resistance to change, the common mistakes organisations make when implementing change initiatives, and why even seemingly minor changes can provoke strong emotional reactions.

We also discuss the importance of two-way communication, how HR can identify the underlying causes of employee resistance, and the role of leadership in building trust throughout the change process.

In this episode, we discuss:

Why employees resist change, even when the benefits seem obvious.

The psychological impact of change, including uncertainty, loss of autonomy and threats to professional identity.

Common mistakes organisations make when planning and implementing change.

Why effective change management requires genuine two-way communication, rather than simply explaining decisions.

How HR professionals can identify patterns of resistance and address employees' underlying concerns.

The importance of involving employees early in the change process.

Why leaders need to be honest about uncertainty rather than making promises they cannot keep.

How HR can influence senior leadership and challenge poorly planned change initiatives.

The importance of leadership behaviour, perception and trust during difficult organisational changes.

About Our Guest
Dr Síle Walsh is an organisational development specialist, researcher and award-winning author of Inclusive Leadership: Navigating Organisational Complexity. She works with organisations and leaders to navigate complexity, develop leadership capability and manage organisational change.

Find out more about Síle and her work: https://www.elis-advantage.eu/

How Insight HR Can Help
Managing organisational change can be challenging, particularly when it involves restructuring, collective redundancies, offshoring or significant changes to how employees work.

At Insight HR, our experienced consultants support organisations through complex change processes, helping employers manage employee relations, communicate effectively and minimise workplace risk.

To find out how we can support your organisation, get in touch:

Email: info@insighthr.ie
Phone: 056 770 1060
Website: https://insighthr.ie

Get in Touch
Have a question, feedback on this episode or a topic you'd like us to cover on The HR Room? We'd love to hear from you!

Email us at info@insighthr.ie, or message Dave at dcorkery@insighthr.ie and don't forget to subscribe to The HR Room for more conversations on the issues shaping today's workplaces.

Addiction remains one of the most misunderstood and stigmatised issues in the workplace. While organisations have made significant progress in supporting employee mental health and wellbeing, many employees struggling with addiction still feel unable to speak openly about their experiences, fearing judgement, damaged career prospects or even dismissal.

In this episode of The HR Room, we're joined by Darren Grady, who spent 14 years concealing his recovery from addiction throughout a successful corporate career.

With Darren, Mary and Dave explore the hidden reality of addiction in the workplace, the trust gap between employees and HR, and why high-performing employees can often conceal serious struggles behind professional success.

The conversation also examines the difficult balance HR professionals must strike between supporting employees and protecting their organisations, and what employers can do to create an environment where people feel safe seeking help.

Guests:

Darren Grady - Recovery Advocate and Speaker

In this episode, we discuss:

Why employees experiencing addiction or recovery may be reluctant to disclose their circumstances to HR.

How workplace stigma, confidentiality concerns and fears about career progression contribute to a culture of silence.

Why high performance can mask addiction, and how organisations sometimes overlook problematic behaviour from successful employees.

The challenges of balancing employee wellbeing, workplace safety and disciplinary responsibilities.

The role of HR policies, Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) and occupational health in supporting employees.

How organisations can build greater trust, reduce stigma and create safer pathways for employees to seek support.

Practical steps HR leaders can take, from reviewing policy language and training managers to reconsidering workplace drinking cultures.

Need support with your HR policies or employee wellbeing strategy?
At Insight HR, we help organisations develop practical, legally informed HR policies and procedures that protect their businesses while supporting their people.

Get in touch with our team at info@insighthr.ie or call 056 770 1060 to find out how we can help.

Stay connected with The HR Room
Subscribe to The HR Room wherever you listen to your podcasts, and follow Insight HR on LinkedIn for more conversations, insights and practical advice on the issues shaping today's workplaces.

We all experience stress at work. Deadlines, demanding workloads and competing priorities are part of working life. But how do you know when everyday workplace stress is becoming something more serious? And what can you do when the pressure just doesn't let up?

In this episode of Wellness Works, a mini-series of The HR Room Podcast, Dave is joined by Laura Barry, Head of People Development at Insight HR, to explore the difference between stress and burnout, how to recognise the early warning signs, and what finding a healthy work-life balance actually looks like.

We discuss why burnout isn't always accompanied by a drop in performance, why simply encouraging employees to become more resilient isn't enough, and how organisations can inadvertently contribute to stress through the way work is designed and managed.

Laura also shares practical advice for managers on recognising when someone on their team might be struggling, how to start supportive conversations, and the small changes individuals can make to create a healthier, more sustainable relationship with work.

In this episode, we discuss:

The difference between everyday stress and burnout, and how to recognise when pressure becomes unhealthy.

The early warning signs of burnout, including those that are easily overlooked.

Why high-performing employees can still be experiencing burnout.

The workplace conditions and psychosocial hazards that contribute to chronic stress.

What healthy work-life balance really means, and why it looks different for everyone.

How managers can recognise and respond to signs of stress within their teams.

Why workplace wellbeing initiatives need to be supported by healthier working practices.

Practical steps you can take this week to manage stress, recover and regain balance.

Get in Touch
Insight HR can help your organisation take a proactive approach to managing workplace stress and supporting employee wellbeing. From tailored Stress and Burnout workshops to management training, organisational culture audits and wider HR support, our team can help you create a healthier, more sustainable working environment.

Get in touch with us at info@insighthr.ie or call 056 770 1060 to find out more.

Visit www.insighthr.ie for more information on our services.

About The HR Room Podcast
The HR Room Podcast is brought to you by Insight HR, where we speak with HR leaders, legal experts and workplace specialists from across Ireland about the issues shaping the future of work.

If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe, leave us a review, and share it with colleagues or friends.

We're always keen to hear your feedback and suggestions for future episodes.

What happens to the world of work if living to 100 becomes increasingly normal?

Irish Life’s recently published Life100+ research explores how longer lives could change the way we work, plan and retire. With people potentially spending longer in the workforce, organisations may need to rethink everything from career development and recruitment to employee benefits, financial wellbeing and retirement.

Joining us on this episode of The HR Room Podcast is Barbara O’Malley, Chief People Officer at Irish Life Group, to explore what the findings mean for employers and HR professionals.

We discuss changing attitudes towards retirement, why organisations need to think differently about attracting and retaining experienced workers, and how longer careers could require a fundamental rethink of traditional, linear career paths.

Barbara also explores the importance of lifelong learning and the idea of developing a “skills passport” that allows employees to move between roles and even careers over the course of their working lives. We look at the pressures facing employees in the “squeezed middle”, the growing importance of financial wellbeing, and why flexible benefits and phased retirement could become increasingly important.

Guest:

Barbara O’Malley, Chief People Officer at Irish Life Group

In this episode, we discuss:

Why longer lifespans could fundamentally change the traditional career and retirement model

Why just 19% of respondents expect to fully retire and stop working

What motivates people to continue working beyond traditional retirement age

The gap between the value employers see in experienced workers and how actively they recruit them

Why organisations may need a dedicated longevity strategy

How AI, skills shortages and demographic change could make experienced employees even more valuable

The importance of lifelong learning, reskilling and creating a “skills passport”

How longer careers could allow people to pursue multiple different careers during their working lives

The pressures facing employees aged 35–64, including caring responsibilities, mortgages, careers and financial planning

Why financial advice and proactive retirement planning can help employees feel more confident about longer lives

How employee benefits may need to become more flexible to meet people at different stages of life

The practical steps HR leaders can take now to prepare their organisations for a longer-living workforce

Barbara’s key message for HR leaders is that this isn’t simply a challenge for 10 or 20 years from now. Employees are already looking for greater flexibility around careers, retirement and how long they remain in the workforce. Organisations therefore need to start examining their workforce demographics, understanding the skills they have today and identifying the skills they will need in the future.

Resources

Life 100+ Report

The Rosetto Effect - a 50-year comparison of mortality rates

Get in Touch
If you're dealing with a difficult employee relations issue, trade union negotiation, collective consultation or another complex HR challenge, the Insight HR team can help.

Get in touch with Insight HR:
Call 056 770 1060 or email info@insighthr.ie.

About The HR Room Podcast
The HR Room Podcast is brought to you by Insight HR, where we speak with HR leaders, legal experts and workplace specialists from across Ireland about the issues shaping the future of work.

If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe, leave us a review, and share it with colleagues or friends.

We're always keen to hear your feedback and suggestions for future episodes.

For some HR professionals, working with trade unions is a normal part of everyday life. For others, the prospect of sitting across the negotiating table from a union representative can be unfamiliar – and more than a little daunting.

So, what do you need to know before you enter a negotiation? How do you build a productive relationship with union representatives? And what happens when talks become contentious – or even break down completely?

Joining us on this episode of The HR Room is Sharron Clancy, Senior HR Consultant at Insight HR, who has extensive experience working in unionised environments and negotiating with trade unions throughout her career.

Alongside Insight HR Managing Director Mary Cullen, Sharron shares practical advice for HR professionals who find themselves dealing with trade unions – whether that's around pay negotiations, organisational change, redundancies, employee relations or workplace disputes.

Guest:
Sharron Clancy - Senior HR Consultant, Insight HR

Topics include:

What changes when you're working in a unionised environment

The importance of building relationships with union representatives before you need to negotiate

Why preparation and good data are critical before sitting down at the negotiating table

Understanding your bargaining scope, red lines and existing union agreements

Why you should never make promises in the room that haven't been authorised

How to manage difficult or heated negotiations without taking things personally

The importance of listening and understanding what is really driving union demands

Why historic agreements and previous negotiations can still have a major influence today

What to do when negotiations begin to break down or strike action is threatened

When HR professionals should seek external HR or legal support

Get in Touch
If you're dealing with a difficult employee relations issue, trade union negotiation, collective consultation or another complex HR challenge, the Insight HR team can help.

Get in touch with Insight HR:
Call 056 770 1060 or email info@insighthr.ie.

About The HR Room Podcast
The HR Room Podcast is brought to you by Insight HR, where we speak with HR leaders, legal experts and workplace specialists from across Ireland about the issues shaping the future of work.

If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe, leave us a review, and share it with colleagues or friends.

We're always keen to hear your feedback and suggestions for future episodes.