Culture Clash Bristol

Bridging the gap: what can employers learn about emerging talent to drive better hiring strategies?

The first event in The HR World Culture Clash series took place on 9 June 2022.

Speaker and panellists

Gallery

Culture Clash event Bristol, Hannah Awonuga

HR World Culture Clash HR Event, Cognisess

HR World Culture Clash HR Event audience member

HR Panel debate HR World Culture Clash HR Event, Bristol

Culture Clash Bristol was sponsored by

Who was involved?

The HR World is the UK’s freshest news and view platform in the future work. Creating bespoke, immersive and outcomes based events they aim to help senior HRs collaborate and problem solve to support economic and business ambition.

University of Bristol is one of the UK’s most respected education organisations with a huge focus on ensuring their students are the next generation of world-leading talent. They offer free and cost effective ways to engage with students during their studies and when they graduate. They can also raise awareness of organisation’s aims support recruitment drives.

TechSPARK is a not-for-profit community dedicated to connecting, educating and strengthening tech ecosystems from Swindon to Swansea. We work with tech and digital businesses from startups to scaleups, SME’s to global corporations to help them thrive through our networks and knowledge.

Feedback from Culture Clash Events

"A fantastic, insightful debate with an incredible line up of panelists.”

"We thoroughly enjoyed yesterday's Culture Clash Event at Bristol's Engine Shed. Thought-provoking to say the least. To be part of this 'in person' after such a long time was a privilege."

"Keynote speaker and panellist, Hannah Awonuga, really challenged audience perspectives and gave great insight into engaging all generations into the conversation. I look forward to continuing the conversation in London in October!"

I am still buzzing from the amazing time in Bristol last week!”

Culture Clash Bristol Panel

Keynote Speaker

Hannah Awonuga

Global Head of Colleague Engagement and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Barclays

Hannah is Global Head of Colleague Engagement D&I at Barclays having worked with the retail bank since she was 17. She is an award-winning speaker and recently won the WeAreTheCity rising star award as well as being named among the most inspirational D&I (Diversity and Inclusion) professionals by D&I Leaders. She Is in the Top 25 most influential HR practitioners by HR Magazine.

She is also the founder of Rarity London and is a certified corporate coach. Over the past three years, she has delivered empowerment workshops, keynote addresses and joined many panel discussions with industry leaders.

Panellists

Chris Butt

CEO & Founder, Cognisess

Chris has a vision that everyone has something to offer someone, somewhere and by seamlessly connecting your people through the Cognisess platform, people can be empowered to unlock their true potential and rovide the opportunities that best match their skills.

Kim Clarke

Head of HR UK, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation

Kim is an experienced HR Executive and People Director, having worked across the public and private sector in multiple industries and Internationally. Most recently Kim has spent 20 years within Insurance and Banking including AXA, Friends Life and Aviva. More recently Kim’s held senior roles in banking and is currently the Head of HR UK for SMBC Investment Bank.

Ross Crook

Managing Director, Sanderson Solutions

Ross is an established leader in the field of resourcing and talent management with strategic oversight of Sanderson Solutions global business and client base. With a strong vision on how best to create talent acquisition strategies as well as developing employer brand propositions, he brings a wealth of insight into how to engage, recruit and retain the future workforce.

Orlagh Hunt

Chief People & Sustainability Officer, Yorkshire Building Society

Orlagh is responsible for the people & social purpose & sustainability division including reward, talent, inclusion and diversity, learning and development, internal communications and engagement as well as ESG and community engagement. Orlagh’s senior HR roles and experience in the banking sector spans AXA Sunlife, a FTSE 100 insurer, Royal Sun Alliance PLC and Allied Irish Banks PLC in Dublin.

Poku Osei

CEO, Babbasa

Poku is the founder and CEO of Babbasa - the first black-led social enterprise to win the prestigious Queens Award For Enterprise (Social Mobility) in 2020, for transforming the lives of over 2,200 ethnic minority young people in the UK. He is also the co-founder of The Black Professionals Network and Founding Curator of the World Economic Forum initiative – Bristol Global Shapers Hub.

Dr. Harry Pitts

Lecturer in Work, Employment, Organisation & Public Policy, University of Bristol School of Management

Harry Pitts is an academic writing, researching and teaching about the politics of work futures and economic transformation. He is a Fellow of the Institute for the Future of Work and an Associate Fellow of the Economic & Social Research Council Digital Futures at Work Research Centre, among a range of other roles. His commentary has been widely featured and covered in media outlets including the Guardian, the Times, the Economist and the Financial Times.

Mark Pullen

CEO, XLedger

Mark Pullen is the first UK CEO of XLedger and has established a culture of putting people first. Xledger has won numerous awards for their office culture including, three Great Place to Work and a Business Leader Employer of the year award. Xledger doubled the size of their business two years in a row and Mark is an ambassador for ensuring employees want to come to work.

Simon Reichwald

Strategic Lead for Talent, Connectr

With more than 25 years’ experience in young talent in the UK and Europe, Simon creates award winning campaigns, helping organisations shape their strategy & activity. More recently he has supported firms bring to life wider diversity agendas, across all levels of talent. A recent VP of the Institute of Student Employers he has been working with the Lord Mayor of London to help set up and run a new membership organisation to boost socio-economic diversity at senior levels in UK financial and professional services.

Bhumika Zhaveri

HRD EMEA, Spreetail

Bhumika is an author and speaker with a passion for organisation design, culture and retention that results in happy and successful workplaces. As an HRD in a fast-growing scale up, she brings her experience from more than 15 years in HR, to help leaders to find their conscious leadership styles in order to help businesses succeed and people thrive.

Culture Clash Bristol Gallery

HR World Culture Clash HR Event, Mark Pullen

HR World Culture Clash HR Event, Orlagh Hunt

HR World Culture Clash HR Event, Chris Butt

Culture Clash Event, Mike Beesley and Mark Pullen

Networking at HR World Culture Clash HR Event, Bristol

HR World Culture Clash HR Event, Sanderson

HR World Culture Clash HR Event, Dr Harry Pitts

Latest News

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“Equality alone won’t help you win the war on talent” – Dr Naeema Pasha

More and more businesses recognise the importance of equality and are working hard to improve their diversity and inclusion strategies. But one crucial piece of the jigsaw is often missing: equity. Companies need a two-pronged approach to tap into talent at every level.

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Rewriting the age-old HR script will allow us to emerge stronger from the current economic crisis.

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Why harnessing the ‘power’ of Gen Z will drive a more purpose-led organisation

In a world of competing priorities, Gen Z are holding fast to their convictions of working in organisations that contribute to making the world a better place. Led by purpose (rather than ‘just work’) they are willing to walk if the job does not live up to their aspirations. So how do organisations lean in to this - and enhance not just the business environment and future hiring strategies, but also the bottom line?

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We must radically reimagine how we recruit to discover new talent pools

Our recent Culture Clash event was dominated by one question: how to attract top emerging talent. Harnessing technology will be key, says panellist Chris Butt, CEO & founder of Cognisess.

Orlagh Hunt - professional purpose and greater meaning.

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“The drive toward greater meaning and purpose at work is a shift in the deepest current governing where the world of work is headed. We ignore it at our peril.”

"Salaries and a career pathway are no longer enough to attract the best emerging talent – they want professional purpose and greater meaning" - Orlagh Hunt, Chief People Officer & Sustainability Lead at YBS