Episode 16: Shareholders want to talk to HR; thinking long term and being bold - Jim Devine, Group HR Director at Spirax Sarco

Jim Devine shares his view on the benefits of medium and long-term thinking for business and people strategy, providing examples ranging from Spirax Sarco’s response to the pandemic to its role in girls’ education for creating the talent pipeline. Sharing his views on the opportunities ahead for HR, to shape corporate direction not just corporate culture, Jim describes the investor-facing role of his Head of Talent, why shareholders and other stakeholders want to hear from HR, and how this helps create positive change. Here’s a snapshot of a few things we talked about: [4:00] The positive impacts of working to global minimum standards and local flexibility [6:40] People remember how they were treated in the tough times – why we must think long term [8:48] HR can now shape corporate direction, not just corporate culture [15:18] Measuring employee data globally; navigating local laws and cultures [18:12] Girls education in HR strategy: improving gender inclusion through STEM career pathways [22:05] Inclusion: including white men, including everyone [26:45] Employee wellbeing and assistance – how Covid accelerated Spirax Sarco’s global offering [28:30] Shareholders are interested in HR – aligning the internal and external “I love How HR Leaders Change the World” – if that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us achieve our goal, to reach more of your peers, so we can all contribute to further and faster change. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review”. Be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. We’ll add a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! 

Om Podcasten

Explore how the work of HR Leaders is creating positive social change, contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals - goals which the world’s companies are increasingly understanding the urgency of achieving, and investing in the action required. If you’d like clear, actionable ideas for how you can use the power of your role to effect change in your company, you’re in the right place. I’m the founder of social enterprise Uplifting People, we provide services to HR Leaders, and through this work I realised that HR professionals and social entrepreneurs are working in the same areas, albeit in different ways. So we created this podcast to share knowledge, on steps we can take through the work of HR. In my opinion, if you’re an HR professional, you are also a change maker. And this podcast will provide you with examples of how. By sharing the successes of some of the world’s most inspiring HR Leaders, you can frame your work in the context of positive change, implement brilliant ideas, and feel absolutely wonderful about doing so!