Hiring trends with James Hems at Bluewave Technology

01/10/24 • 25 min

In this episode of HR in Review, Bill Banham speak with James Hems, Head of HR, People and Culture at Bluewave Technology. They mostly talk about the hiring trends and motivations of Gen z vs Millennials when it comes to jobs.

Guest: James Hems

James is foremost a partner, parent and dog owner. He didn't start life in the People profession, instead, he forged his path as a manager and leader of people within various business functions. There, James developed and fine-tuned his approaches around HR and People, in particular People experience and productivity.

In leveraging these skills and experiences as the manager James transitioned into the world of HR / People in 2021 taking on roles focussing on all aspects of the candidate and people experience.

Currently at Bluewave Technology, James is a standalone Head of HR, People and Culture. With the responsibility for delivering business success through effective People strategy, planning and execution while also executing day-to-day People Operations.

James's philosophy is that HR is a catalyst that ignites people at all levels - supporting, enabling and empowering them to achieve incredible outcomes.

This approach to investment in People is how James sees the best organisations delivering long-term sustainable success.

When he's not working to improve the workplace environment he spends time on various community projects, wherein he was named in the 2023 New Year's Honours list for services to the community.

Questions for James include:

Mission of Bluewave Technology
Disrupt talk
Tell us about your LI group, Cambridge HR
Hiring trends at Bluewave Technology
Motivations of Gen Z v Millennials
You've had quite an unusual entry into HR - how did that come about?
If you could pass on one crucial lesson you have learned in your career - in one minute or less - what would be your top tip for HR professionals and leaders?
What is the single biggest change you think will happen in HR and leadership over the next 5-10 years?

About HR in Review
HR in Review is a podcast produced by the leading UK HR website www.hrreview.co.uk.

HRreview provides news and advice on HR strategy and practice plus a host or related topics like recruitment, training, diversity, employment law, reward and wellbeing.

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In leveraging these skills and experiences as the manager James transitioned into the world of HR / People in 2021 taking on roles focussing on all aspects of the candidate and people experience.

James's philosophy is that HR is a catalyst that ignites people at all levels - supporting, enabling and empowering them to achieve incredible outcomes.

This approach to investment in People is how James sees the best organisations delivering long-term sustainable success.

When he's not working to improve the workplace environment he spends time on various community projects, wherein he was named in the 2023 New Year's Honours list for services to the community.

Questions for James include:

Mission of Bluewave Technology
Disrupt talk
Tell us about your LI group, Cambridge HR
Hiring trends at Bluewave Technology
Motivations of Gen Z v Millennials
You've had quite an unusual entry into HR - how did that come about?
If you could pass on one crucial lesson you have learned in your career - in one minute or less - what would be your top tip for HR professionals and leaders?
What is the single biggest change you think will happen in HR and leadership over the next 5-10 years?

About HR in Review
HR in Review is a podcast produced by the leading UK HR website www.hrreview.co.uk.

HRreview provides news and advice on HR strategy and practice plus a host or related topics like recruitment, training, diversity, employment law, reward and wellbeing.

Get in Touch
To provide feedback, suggest a speaker or find out about sponsoring a podcast, please email [email protected]

Previous Episode

Financial Wellbeing and HR with Ruth Handcock

In this episode of HR in Review, Amelia Brand welcomes financial wellbeing expert Ruth Handcock. They delve into the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on employers and employees, discussing salary hunting, potential solutions, and the role of managers in supporting financial wellbeing. The looming pensions crisis is explored, along with the taboo nature of discussing finances at work.

Also, Ruth shares insights on creating a safe space for employees, particularly for remote workers. Join Amelia for a concise and insightful discussion on financial wellbeing in the workplace.

Guest: Ruth Handcock

Ruth Handcock is CEO of Octopus Money, a money advice brand for everyone. The new brand – Octopus Group's second mass consumer brand alongside Octopus Energy – offers money coaching and advice to millions of people across the UK, regardless of how much they earn or are able to invest.

For her first 5 years as part of the Octopus Group she was CEO at Octopus Investments, an asset manager with £13bn under management. Prior to this she was a founding employee at Tandem, a new UK challenger bank, and was responsible for achieving their banking licence. She is an independent non-Executive Director of Aldermore Bank and sits on the Octopus Group main Board.

Questions for Ruth:

Can you define what financial wellbeing actually means?
Is it enough to raise salaries or is there more than needs to be done?
What responsibility to line managers and employers have in talking about financial wellbeing with their employees?
Why do you think finance and financial wellbeing is still such a taboo topic?

About HR in Review
HR in Review is a podcast produced by the leading UK HR website www.hrreview.co.uk.

HRreview provides news and advice on HR strategy and practice plus a host or related topics like recruitment, training, diversity, employment law, reward and wellbeing.

Get in Touch
To provide feedback, suggest a speaker or find out about sponsoring a podcast, please email [email protected]

Next Episode

Creating fostering-friendly policies in the workplace

In this episode of the HR in Review Podcast, host Amelia Brand is joined by Rachael Tate, HR Director for National Fostering Group. They dive into the crucial topic of developing fostering-friendly policies in the workplace!

This episode not only sheds light on the possibilities of combining fostering and employment but also explores the significant impact that fostering-friendly HR policies can have on both employees and organisations.

Kate speaks from her experience working for National Fostering Group, which is the UK's largest fostering organisation. They specialise in helping children and young people find fostering families and support foster carers to help children in safe and caring environments while they are with us.

Guest: Rachael Tate

Rachael Tate (FCIPD, LLb) is the Human Resources Director for National Fostering Group, the UK’s largest Fostering organisation which focuses on changing the lives of children in foster care. Prior to working for National Fostering Group, Rachael mainly worked for global and national organisations, having gained experience through a range of strategic people projects, restructures, business transformation, growth phases and employee engagement. Rachael is passionate about the ‘People Profession’ and enjoys making a positive difference to people’s working lives, creating space where colleagues feel valued and supported.

Questions for Rachael include:

Do you think it's possible to foster children and work at the same time?
What should an employer do to help an employee who wants to foster a child?
Foster parents don’t have the same statutory rights as legal guardians or birth parents do. Could you expand on the impact this could have on an employee who is a foster parent?
What are some examples of well-known organisations that have implemented HR policies specifically designed to support foster parents
In terms of talent recruitment and retention, how do you think fostering-friendly HR policies can help organisations attract and retain skilled employees who are considering foster parenting?

About HR in Review
HR in Review is a podcast produced by the leading UK HR website www.hrreview.co.uk.

HRreview provides news and advice on HR strategy and practice plus a host or related topics like recruitment, training, diversity, employment law, reward and wellbeing.