A People Mindset in Human Resources with Tony Vickers-Byrne

Welcome to The Work Well Podcast! Today, we welcome Tony Vickers-Byrne, who has 30 years of experience as HR director and board adviser. Tony was Public Health England's first HR Director as well as serving as CIPD's Chief Adviser for HR Practice. 

One of the most interesting aspects of Tony’s journey is the change of mindset he underwent in how he approached his work fairly late in his career thanks in large part to a couple of inspirational leaders who happened to cross his path. 

Enjoy our conversation with Tony Vickers-Byrne.

The impact of the pandemic on frontline wellbeing workers

Today's episode starts by taking a look at Tony's journey in HR management. During the pandemic, HR teams were challenged with supporting the mental health and wellbeing of employees who had to transition to a remote working environment. 

Tony agrees that the pandemic was a challenging time for most workers because of the uncertainty that came with it. Frontline workers were, unquestionably, burned out. By September 2020, when people started going back to the office, organisations had already adapted to working remotely, so now employers and managers faced a massive restructuring of the working model at all levels to try to meet individual's new working expectations.

The great renegotiation

Brian comments on the phenomenon of 'the great resignation', and a different way of approaching it which is being dubbed 'the great renegotiation'. 

The great renegotiation involves employees having conversations with their organisation to come to the best solution to meet workers' needs and wants, while also encouraging them to become active participants in the business and its initiatives. 

McKinsey & Company recently published an article that talks about the great renegotiation. Their research showed that four-fifths of people who had been working remotely, preferred the hybrid model over having to go back to the office. In fact, two-thirds of them would rather find another job before going back to an office full time.

On this matter, Tony advises looking at the reasons why employees decide to leave. What do they give more importance to? "Black employees were more likely to leave than white. Women were more likely to leave than men. People with a disability were more likely to leave than people without a disability …I think, those issues about underrepresented groups probably indicates something more," says Tony.

Having diverse and supportive line management

Tony and Brian comment on the importance of having a diverse and qualified representation at line management level, but what kind of support can organisations offer to current managers?

Tony advises having an open conversation with these managers about what is and isn't working with their current management style. This might require an investment of time and training, but, if done successfully, it will enhance overall satisfaction and productivity because you will have people working in areas they prefer. 

"If an organisation is saying, 'OK, we need now to really increase our managers' input into wellbeing, into diversity inclusion,' then you have to hold their hands for a bit. You have to allow them to make mistakes. You have to actually allow them to express their concerns and worries. And in some cases at the end of that process, the manager may say, well, Yeah, this isn't for me. I just don't think I've got the skills," Tony states. 

Defining the role of mental health first aiders

We've talked a lot about Mental Health First Aid on the podcast and this episode is no exception. Brian and Tony cover the challenges that can arise from creating unrealistic expectations on mental health first aiders. 

Some companies might expect mental health first aiders to address every mental health issue that occurs within the organisation, but they are volunteers who have received a two day training course to do so. So the question is, how can organisations communicate about and support mental health first aiders better in this regard?

Tony believes that "mental health first aid is about helping people identify at an early stage when colleagues may be suffering distress, when they may be at the beginning of a significant issue. It's not about solving those problems. It's not about doing HR's work. It's not about doing the line manager's work. It's about helping individuals to come forward and ask for help."

What does the ‘future of work’ look like?

Tony's first thought on the future of work is that flexibility is key. Understanding labour markets is also a huge advantage since many companies are moving towards hybrid working models and hiring people from all over the world. 

Tony also advocates for the power of social media to recognise companies as role models or warning tales, depending on their wellbeing strategies. "I think that any organisation now which operates inappropriately or unethically will be shamed on social media. And …the more traditional paper media are getting much, much better now at calling out inappropriate behavior by business leaders," he says. 

The future of work is flexible, ethical and diverse.

If you’d prefer to watch our conversation, you can view it on YouTube through this link. 

If you liked this episode, and you'd like to know more about Tony Vickers-Byrne and his work, follow him on LinkedIn.

You can also read more about the Compassion at Work Toolkit, developed by the National Forum for Health and Wellbeing at Work.

About Your Host

Brian Crooke is a wellbeing educator, speaker and adviser, empowering organisations to promote and sustain wellbeing within their workplaces.

He is the founder of The Work Well Institute and the Work Well Community and is Course Director of the Postgraduate Certificate in Workplace Wellness at Tangent, Trinity College Dublin. He is the host of The Work Well Podcast.

If you’re looking to bring sustainable wellbeing to your workplace then check out The Work Well Institute’s flagship programme, Developing a Workplace Wellness Programme that Lasts.

In his spare time, Brian is bringing free resistance training to every county and community in Ireland through his parkHIIT social enterprise.

If you have any suggestions for future topics you'd like to hear on the show, email Brian directly, brian@workwellpodcast.com