HR Buzz Live Chat

Is ‘return to office’ really about culture - or about control?

As hybrid working becomes embedded, many organisations are struggling to balance trust, visibility and performance. The return-to-office debate isn’t going anywhere; it’s evolving.

So how do we engage people split between home and the workplace? How do we make the office feel worth coming back to? And how do we rebuild culture and connection across on-site and off-site teams?

We explore what good return-to-office strategies look like in practice, particularly in people-heavy, customer-facing environments.

Guest Matt Payne, HR Director at Build-A-Bear Workshop (UK & Ireland) and Board Director for the BABW Charitable Foundation, brings a real-world perspective on engaging hybrid teams, balancing flexibility with operational reality, and encouraging office return without mandates.

Join Jamie Keeling live for honest insight, practical examples, and audience Q&A.

The Big Festive HR Quiz

HR friends… ready to swap spreadsheets for a festive HR face-off?
This episode of HR Buzz: The Big Festive HR Quiz + 2025 HR Round-Up; is a live, interactive quiz on the big moments in HR, work and workplace culture this year. Host, Jamie Keeling is joined by three of our absolute fave HR people:

⭐ Debra Corey - Step It Up HR
⭐ Trish Hewitt- LLB, MA, FCIPD - Haylo HR®
⭐ Toby Kheng - Freeformers

You'll hear:

✅ A 10-question multiple-choice quiz on HR history, legislation, strikes, culture shifts & employee experience (ooooh)

✅ A 2025 HR themes round-up (of course!)

✅ Live audience participation in the comments - bragging rights included (get in!)

It's engaging and informative (and very, very funny!) So dip in, have a go at guessing the answers, and enjoy some good old-fashioned quizzy fun!

Talk Isn’t Cheap: The real cost of poor workplace communication

Talk Isn’t Cheap: The real cost of poor workplace communication
This session we’ll dive into the real cost of poor workplace communication and how clarity, empathy, and listening can transform culture, prevent burnout, and build trust from the top down.

🎧 Featuring:
Jo Coxhill – Workplace Culture, Employee Experience, Listening & Internal Comms Consultant | Burnout Advocate and Speaker | Founder of Vision 29 and ConnEXions:MK | Fellow IoIC

Jo helps organisations improve performance, profits and cultures by creating happy, healthy, and engaged teams. Known for her authenticity and results-driven approach, she champions better communication, burnout prevention, and belonging at work.

Tara Birch – Fractional Senior Leader and Co-Founder of Saffron & Birch
Tara specialises in change, communication, and culture, working with start-ups and small businesses to build workplaces people genuinely care about. Through Saffron & Birch, she connects leaders for honest conversations and real connection.

Expect authentic conversation, practical insights, and actionable takeaways to help your teams thrive.

Sustainability in HR: Passing trend or lasting legacy?

Exploring whether sustainable workplace benefits are fading into buzzword territory – or if they hold the key to future-proofing your people strategy.
Sustainability has been high on the workplace agenda for years, but is it starting to lose steam – much like some argue EDI has? In this HR Buzz Live Chat, we’re asking the tough questions:

Are sustainable benefits still a meaningful part of HR strategy, or are they just another fading trend?

Hosted by Jamie Keeling, our guests are:
Ali Argall, Business Development and Customer Retention Director at Tusker, who played a key role in launching the UK’s first salary sacrifice car benefit scheme.

Anjuli Parker, Founder and COO of Sustainable Business Ventures, and Assessor at the University of Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership, who works with organisations to embed sustainability at the heart of their business.

Fresh energy. Fresh Voices. DisruptHR Birmingham Firsts

DisruptHR Birmingham is all about shaking things up - and this session brings together fresh energy and some new ideas from across the world of work. Our guests today include:

James Cumming – Founder of re:find interim & executive search, and co-organiser of DisruptHR Birmingham

Charlie Hart – Neurodiversity advocate, speaker, and founder of Ausome Charlie (who will be giving her first-ever Disrupt talk)

Emma Hickey – Director, Global Partnership and APac Growth, Abi Health, attending her first Disrupt as sponsor

Hosted by Jamie Keeling, this conversation dives into neurodiversity, innovation, wellbeing, and why fresh voices are the heartbeat of DisruptHR.

Whether you’re an HR leader, people manager, or simply curious about the future of work, this episode of HR Buzz Live Chat is your chance to hear what all the fuss is about, and get a taste of what to expect before the disruptors hit the big stage.

The Next Generation of HR Disruptors

What does the next generation of HR look like - and who’s shaping it?
In this special episode, Jamie Keeling is joined by Dr Paul Jones, Associate Dean Postgraduate Education and Student Experience and Lecturer in Human Resources Management and Work Psychology at Aston University Business School, and Zaaima Azmi, HR Coordinator for Caring Care and the winner of the student pitch at the Birmingham AI Summit.

We will be looking at why disruption is essential for the future of work and for the next generation of HR professionals; what students and early-career professionals gain from attending events and what to expect from their upcoming talks at DisruptHR Birmingham.

Whether you’re just entering the people profession or you’re mentoring the next generation, this is a conversation that will inspire, challenge, and energise.

HR Buzz Live Chat: HR Buzz Live: Pay Pressure – How Employers Can Support Financial Wellbeing

With the cost of living continuing to bite, financial stress is becoming one of the biggest wellbeing challenges in the workplace. But what can employers realistically do to help? Join us for a candid conversation with Rob Brookes, Financial Advisor at Mortgage Advice Bureau, and Archie Heaton, Head of Commercial at Level (On-Demand Pay), as we explore the realities facing employees today – and the practical, impactful steps HR and reward teams can take to make a difference.

From pay flexibility to financial education and empathetic leadership, we’ll discuss:

• The real impact of financial stress on performance and engagement
• How employers can support employees beyond salary increases
• Innovations in financial wellbeing benefits
• The role of culture and communication in destigmatising money worries

So, pop the kettle on, grab a cuppa, join the chat, and leave with ideas you can take back to your teams.

Nature or Nurture? Why make people manage when they're not up to the job?

Ever faced a situation where you didn’t know how to respond as a manager? Should you even be a manager? Not everyone has the skills, and with reports stating that poor management is at the root of employee engagement, it is something HR needs to get its head around. Join Sonia Moore, seasoned HRD and founder of The Situational Coach and Trish Hewitt- LLB, MA, FCIPD Hewitt, CPO and founder of Haylo HR® as we explore how people professionals can help transform management, from everyday dilemmas to big leadership challenges.