Hosts Jess Hilton and Ralph Tribe are joined by esteemed guest Kevin Green, Chief People Officer at First Group PLC and author of Competitive People Strategy, for a profound discussion on transforming the HR function.

Kevin argues that 80% of HR functions fail to add strategic value because they follow fads and trends rather than linking their activity directly to the core business drivers. This episode provides the practical tools needed to transform HR from a cost center into a core investment, detailing key principles from his book.

Key Takeaways & Timestamps:

• 04:07 - The HR Paradox: Why 80% of HR functions don't add strategic value and continue doing what they've always done, despite massive external pressure.
• 06:48 - Differentiate or Fail: The fundamental flaw in HR is not understanding how to differentiate and compete, leading to a focus on "nice things" instead of high-impact activity.
• 12:15 - HR Strategy as Hypothesis: How to define HR strategy by prioritizing projects that directly quantify value to customers, NPS, or profitability.
• 18:27 - Minimum Lovable Product (MLP): The vital shift from striving for perfection to embracing 80/20—getting a minimum viable product into the business fast, iterating, and learning.
• 22:43 - The Storytelling Deficit: Why HR leaders often fail to get a seat at the table due to a lack of commercial storytelling and the inability to articulate ROI.
• 32:05 - Self-Regulation and Leadership: The crucial connection between a leader's ability to regulate their own anxiety and creating psychological safety for their teams.
• 48:30 - The Strategy Map Solution: Kevin explains the central concept of his book: a clear diagram showing the causation between people activity, people outcomes, and financial performance.
• 55:10 - ESG and HR Fusion: Why HR must seize the ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) agenda as a strategic new component, and how companies backing away from D&I proves they were never serious.