HR Insights - The Podcast. Series 7: Creating a Value-Driven Workplace

Today, Stuart Elliott is joined by returning guest, work psychologist, Sarah McLellan whose episode from Season 1 was our most popular episode to date. Today, people in workplaces are more unhappy than ever with company cultures cracking, and many harbouring the worst in human behaviour. Feelings of loneliness, exclusion, fear and exhaustion are growing within organisations and people are choosing to leave, searching for something more meaningful, somewhere they feel valued and able to flourish as a human. Sarah launched Make it Human in February 2024 to help leaders create healthier, more human-centred workplace cultures. She has also written a book titled Make It Human, which delves deeply into this topic.

In this episode, Sarah explains how workplace culture and talent assessment have evolved significantly since she began in terms of training and administration. However, Sarah points out that we are now at a crossroads between technology and human input, where organisations must find a balance between using data and maintaining fairness and empathy in talent management. She also speaks about the inspiration and vision behind her book and emphasises the importance of creating environments where people can thrive, noting that successful organisations build cultures that make employees feel valued, connected, and supported. 

Sarah also points out how she sees hybrid work as a chance to balance home productivity with in-office collaboration, leading to better results if managed well. She highlights that small, intentional steps, can build strong, people-focused cultures. Her advice to HR leaders: focus on human growth, use microcultures to drive change, and stay intentional in shaping supportive, thriving workplaces.

Sarah McLellan is a people, business and thought leader with over 20 years’ experience in HR, leadership, assessment and talent management consulting. As a Chartered Occupational Psychologist Sarah has partnered with hundreds of companies to help build happy, inclusive and growing workplaces across the globe.  Sarah believes work doesn’t have to be a 9–5 meaningless, lonely grind and this inspired her to launch her company Make it Human, a business dedicated to cultivating happier, healthier, more human workplaces.  

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Key Timestamps: 

• 02:28 – Intro into Sarah
• 05:20 – Changes in talent assessment
• 11:40 – The inspiration behind the book
• 17:26 – Sarah’s view on 5 days in the office
• 24:00 – The vision for a healthier work-life
• 30:50 – The companies getting it right
• 44:52 – Advice for HR leaders shaping better cultures