In this episode, Craig is joined by Barry Taylor, Managing Director of MEGA, to explore why manufacturing in Northern Ireland is far more than the old “dirty factory” stereotype.
Barry lifts the lid on a sector that is quietly driving innovation, providing long-term careers, and anchoring communities — yet still battling major talent and skills shortages.
Together, Craig and Barry unpack:
How modern manufacturing has transformed into a hub of technology, precision and progression
The hidden career opportunities most people never hear about
Why the sector is struggling to attract talent — and what needs to change
How culture, skills and employer brand will shape the future of manufacturing
What other industries can learn from the sector’s approach to developing people
If you’re a leader thinking about the future of talent - or someone curious about what the manufacturing world really looks like today - this conversation will challenge assumptions, widen perspectives and showcase a sector full of untapped opportunity.
In this special episode Craig is joined by Niall Martindale (CEO) and Olga Pollock (HR Manager) as we explore life in the Verified Vibrant Workplace, Kinecx Energy!
Kinecx took part in the Vibrant Workplace Accelerator and we found that their people had 18.2 times more positive than negative days at work!
In fact, there were only 3.7% of days across the workforce that were rated negatively. That means for every 100 working days there are less than 4 bad ones!
How does work get that good, and what makes Kinecx such a close knit team with such a compelling culture?
Tune in to find out!
For Context: Verified Vibrant Workplaces have successfully completed our Vibrant Workplace Accelerator and proven through our employee experience platform mooqi® that their employees most often:
Does Kinecx Energy sound like a Vibrant Workplace to you?
Let us know what you think!
Craig Thompson chats with Karen Maguire, Chairperson of Employee Ownership Ireland, about the growing movement of Employee Ownership Trusts:
In this episode, Craig Thompson engages in a deep conversation with renowned podcast, author, speaker and coach Seamus Fox about the importance of self-leadership, finding one's purpose, and the role of values in achieving fulfilment in life and work.
Seamus shares his personal journey of transformation,emphasizing the significance of understanding one's values and how they influence decisions and actions.
The discussion also touches on the challenges of motivationversus discipline, the impact of environment on personal growth, and the necessity of creating a purposeful workplace that aligns with individual values.
Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own lives, identify what truly matters to them, and take actionable steps towards a more fulfilling existence.
In this episode of The Vibrant Workplace Podcast, Craig satdown with executive coach and speaker Philip Brady - and we went deep.
We shared stories we don’t normally talk about.
And from that place, we asked the bigger questions:
You won’t get easy answers here.
But you will get an honest conversation about how the worldof work needs to evolve - and why it starts with us.
If this resonates with you, please drop a comment and let usknow what you think!
In this special episode Craig is joined by Marc Vivas (CEO) and Markéta Bártová (HR Manager) as we explore life at a very special company – the very first company who ever took part in the Vibrant Workplace Accelerator, Nuvolar Works!
Being prepared to try things is a hallmark of a leader – and Nuvolar weren’t just trying something new – they were the first to do it.
We explore why they were prepared to go first, what we learnt about their culture and what made Nuvolar Works the world’s first Verified Vibrant Workplace!
For Context: Verified Vibrant Workplaces have successfully completed our Vibrant Workplace Accelerator and *proven* through our employee experience platform mooqi® that their employees most often:
Does Nuvolar Works sound like a Vibrant Workplace to you?
Tune in and let us know what you think!
Craig is joined by keynote speaker and expert on the topic of ‘The Science of Happiness’, Richard Clarke.
Richard teaches happiness in the workplace: how to use the science of well-being to build better teams - teams that collaborate more effectively, innovate more, and stay together longer.
In this episode we explore:
We hope you enjoy the episode, do let us know what you think!
This is a very special episode for two reasons - it's our first ever video episode and we're featuring another outstanding employer - the Verified Vibrant Workplace: Kukoon!
Verified Vibrant Workplaces have successfully completed our Vibrant Workplace Accelerator and *proven* through our employee experience platform mooqi® that their employees most often:
In this episode Craig interviews Simon Ward, Kukoon's Managing Director. They discuss Kukoon's journey:
Tune in and let us know what you think!
This is a VERY special episode as it’s the FIRST TIME we’re able to bring the spotlight on a Verified Vibrant Workplace – today we feature the INCREDIBLE employer: TruCorp!!
Verified Vibrant Workplaces have successfully completed our Vibrant Workplace Accelerator and *proven* through our employee experience platform mooqi® that their employees most often:
In this episode Craig interviews David Hutton, Operations Director at TruCorp, and Project Lead for their Vibrant Workplace journey. They discuss:
David shares insights on how culture is built from the team up and the significance of measuring employee experience.
The conversation highlights the need for transparency in workplace culture and the role of leadership in fostering a positive environment.
Craig is joined by Chief Rebel and Founder of ‘Diary Detox’, Paul Holbrook.
Having spent 20-years in the City of London within financial services technology, Paul got fed up seeing managers struggle to find time for the most important part of their role – their people.
Paul founded Diary Detox with the goal to create a world of better-led people by enabling managers to find more time to lead with love, using innovative time management strategies.
Craig is joined on the show by departing Chief Exec of the Labour Relations Agency, Don Leeson, to talk about:
Craig is joined by founder of DiverseTalent.ai Jemma Simpson to talk about:
DiverseTalent are winners of the 2023 Innovate UK Inclusive Technology Award and Enterprise Award from NatWest & The Princes Trust. They support Employers to enhance Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity across their recruitment processes.
Craig is joined by business psychologist William McKee who in his own words is “Not so keen on all of the pseudoscience and daft ideas permeating the worlds of L&D, OD, HR and people development…”
William has a particular distaste for the ‘dark arts’ of what he refers to as ‘phony psychometrics.’
We invited William onto the show to look at how and why these methods are being used and whether they have any credibility.
Craig is joined on the show by Jo Wright, bestselling author of the book “NO MORE SH*T MANAGERS: Seven Steps to a Coaching Culture” and co-founder of Coaching Culture Ltd.
Jo is a cultural change leader on a mission to inspire people to think differently through the power of coaching, and has helped thousands of people to develop the confidence and capability to have better conversations.
In this episode we discuss:
If you enjoy this episode please give it a like, share and follow the podcast to help us spread these messages and together we can build a better working world!
Craig is joined by MCS Group’s Head of Human Resources, Sales, Marketing & Legal Recruitment – Ryan Calvert to discuss recruiting trends in 2024, what jobseekers are looking for in an employer and how organisations can stand out to attract the top talent.
Radical Candor is the outstanding book exploring Kim Scott’s management philosophy for ‘getting what you want by saying what you mean’. That might sound simple, but unclear communication, or critical feedback remaining unsaid, causes mayhem in most businesses every day of the year!
Craig was joined by Kim’s co-founder, Jason Rosoff, to discuss why this happens along with:
- What Radical Candor is
- How the model was created
- In what scenarios it’s useful
- Why so many people struggle with having feedback conversations
- Whether it can help with giving feedback ‘up’
- How we can make giving and receiving feedback less scary
- How to cascade Radical Candor across a business
- Why it was renamed in the latest version of the book (and what to!!)
Plus so much more!!
Give the episode a listen and if you find it useful please share it with your network to help others who struggle with difficult conversations.
We hope you enjoy the episode and find it helpful!!