Skills, speed, scale: achieving talent advantage through workforce agility
The HR World hosted a virtual round table, sponsored by Indeed Flex, which brought together leading HR professionals from diverse industries. In each case the HR function was dealing with the challenge of creating a flexible workforce, able to respond to business needs swiftly and cost effectively.
The conversation, cemented the need for an agile workforce in today’s organisations as well as highlighting crucial aspects of how to manage such a workforce to maximise return. The discussion determined that with the right approach, from recruitment to management, companies can maximise productivity and loyalty from their flexible and contingent workforce. At a time when companies are under huge pressure to react to external and internal challenges, securing an agile workforce which brings the right skills to the right part of the organisation at the right time has never been more important.
The discussion was chaired by HR World’s Managing Director, Tom Bright and featured input from Michael Farrier, Solutions Director at Indeed Flex.
As Managing Director of The HR World, Tom is passionate about ensuring everyone in the community is kept informed about matters which will truly impact their world. Tom chairs the Virtual Round tables, making sure everyone has the opportunity to contribute.
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Michael is a workforce solutions expert with over 23 years of experience leading high-volume recruitment and operational strategies for some of the UK’s largest brands, including Sainsburys, Tesco, and Royal Mail. He has a strong track record of delivering complex staffing programmes across multiple sectors and geographies, with a focus on efficiency, scale, and service excellence.
As Solutions Director at Indeed Flex, Michael brings a deep understanding of workforce operations, working with organisations to streamline recruitment, optimise performance, and deliver scalable staffing strategies that drive long-term value.
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Sarah leads a people strategy focused on inclusion, practical support and meaningful progression. She has over 30 years’ experience in HR including time at TEC UK Ltd, Dixons Retail, Tarmac, Philips, and Culligan. From managing HR in heavy industrial settings to scaling shared services during multi-brand M&A activity, Sarah has developed a nuanced understanding of how to align people strategy with business ambition, and how to do so with empathy, integrity and impact.
At OCS, she is shaping an inclusive and tech-enabled culture across a global workforce that delivers critical services in sectors ranging from aviation to hard services. She believes in building agile, inclusive systems that flex to different ways of thinking and working.
She also champions the use of HR technology to support personalised, people-led change, using tools such as AI to enhance rather than replace human connection. From shaping LMS platforms to smarter applicant tracking, her focus is on relevance, communication and measurable value. Sarah sees her role as enabling others to lead better, do their best work, and feel seen and supported in the process. She believes HR should be a trusted ‘thought partner’ that fuses hard strategy with real human understanding, and that business success starts with a culture that’s curious, values-led and deeply personal.
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Anne was appointed Group Human Resources Director in April 2016. She joined SBM Offshore in September 2012 as Group Communications Director where she created an all-round communications function for the Company. Anne has over 20 years in senior positions in Marketing, Communications, Change Management and Sustainable Development. Prior to joining SBM Offshore, Anne built her experience with companies such as Toyota Motor Europe, ExxonMobil Chemical and Alstom. Anne studied Germanic Philology at Liege University and holds a post-graduate from Solvay Business School in Brussels, Belgium.
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