Leading HR with People, Not Policy – Maria Hawley.
Episode 13: Workplace Confidence Podcast.

Where people professionals share the great work they do

Maria Hawley didn’t plan to stay at Fisher German for long. But more than a decade later, she’s still there – now Director of People – having helped lead the business through major growth and cultural change.

In this episode, Maria talks about what it takes to build a people function from scratch and support more than 850 employees across a growing UK-wide property consultancy.

When she joined, there was no HR team in place. She set it up from the ground up, guiding the business as it expanded from 220 employees to over 850, and from a handful of rural offices to major cities including London and Manchester.

Now sitting on the leadership team and operations board, Maria helps shape the business’s five-year strategy and ensures people remain central to decision-making.

Her role spans core HR operations, learning and development, talent acquisition and people experience.

She’s also taken on additional responsibilities in risk and compliance, health and safety and facilities – evidence of her hands-on approach and strategic reach.

Maria’s people-first leadership extends beyond the boardroom. She’s known for her honest and engaging LinkedIn posts, which blend professional insight with personal reflection. Maria uses social media not just to promote her employer brand, but to show who she is beyond the job title.

Connection, she says, is central to how she leads.

This episode is packed with insight for HR leaders ready to grow their influence, shape strategy and show up with authenticity. Maria’s story is a reminder that people’s leadership is more than policies – it’s about purpose, visibility, and building something that lasts.

In this episode of the Workplace Confidence Podcast, Penny Haslam talks to Carolyn Cole about how HR leaders can secure a seat at the boardroom table and influence top-level decisions.

Carolyn, a seasoned Chief People Officer with private equity experience, explains why HR is often an afterthought in growing businesses and why it shouldn’t be.

She shares practical tips on stepping up to board level, including why financial acumen matters, how speaking the CEO’s language builds confidence and why understanding budgets and EBITDA earns trust.

We also hear how HR plays a crucial role in mergers and acquisitions, where people strategy can make or break a deal. Her approach? Real conversations instead of endless surveys, ensuring employees feel supported during rapid change.

Carolyn also stresses that mental health support must go beyond training, managers need the confidence to have open conversations.

In this episode, you’ll hear a powerful case for HR as a business driver. How knowing the numbers, building CEO relationships and championing people’s impact on performance can elevate your role, and your organisation. Essential listening for HR professionals who want a bigger voice at the top.

Workplace Confidence Podcast – A passion for public service, shaping talent in Greater Manchester with Anna Foster-Ressel

In this episode, we chat with Anna Foster-Ressel, the energetic Senior Talent and Resources Manager and Strategic People Business Partner at Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Anna shares her passion for the public sector and how she’s on a mission to build diverse, inclusive teams that truly reflect the community.

Anna talks about wearing two hats – leading recruitment for both GMCA and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and why she believes hiring for values and behaviours beats experience every time. She and Penny dig into the challenges of public sector recruitment, including how to attract talent when you can’t compete on salaries, and why Anna’s approach is all about connecting people with purpose.

Workplace Confidence Podcast – Inclusive recruitment, why two unconscious biases are better than one at BPP with Jen Hulme.

In this episode, Penny Haslam talks with Jen Hulme, a passionate talent acquisition leader at BPP, a leading UK provider of professional education in law, business, finance and healthcare.

Jen shares her fresh approach to recruitment, focusing on the art of recruiting rather than specialising in a single industry. She believes that by mastering recruitment skills, you can succeed across various sectors, making the process more dynamic and insightful.

Jen explains how BPP attracts top talent, especially from diverse backgrounds and emphasises the importance of aligning candidates with the company’s core values, such as being student-centric and embracing change. She also discusses the challenges of maintaining a personal touch in an increasingly automated recruitment world.

Workplace Confidence Podcast – Empowering leaders at the College of Policing with Becs Riley.

In this episode, Becs Riley, Senior Leaders Hub Manager at the College of Policing, shares her unique journey from working as a forensic shoe print specialist to leading initiatives that support senior leaders.

Becs explores the challenges of empowering leaders in policing, particularly the difficulty of shifting mindsets from focusing solely on operational tasks to taking on broader leadership roles.

Episode 8: Workplace Confidence PodcastWhere people professionals share the great work they doIn this episode, we sit down with Annabel Jones, Senior HR Director for International Sales & Marketing at ADP a global payroll and HR services provider. Annabel brings a wealth of experience from her diverse people career journey, including roles in the music industry, visual effects for blockbuster films …

Workplace Confidence Podcast – Building a legacy, leading with empathy and purpose at Property Tectonics with Esther Brady. In this episode, Penny Haslam is in conversation with Esther Brady, Managing Director of Property Tectonics, a property and construction consultancy known for blending professional services with innovative software solutions.

Esther shares her journey from working on reception to leading the company, highlighting how her unconventional path and commitment to servant leadership have shaped her approach to business and people management.

Esther talks about the unexpected challenges she faced when her father, the company founder, passed away, thrusting her into the role of MD amidst personal grief and a shifting business landscape. She reflects on how these experiences boosted her confidence, driving her to lead with empathy, foster a strong workplace culture and ensure her team feels valued and supported.

How to lead smart people.

This became the topic of my conversation with James Edgar, Chief People Officer at Signature Discovery an outsourced provider of early-stage drug discovery services for biotech and pharma companies. Roughly 80% of his thousand colleagues have a PhD.

You can hear the conversation here:

According to James leading very clever people is both a “privilege and a challenge.” When you’re leading people who are experts in their field – brilliant minds in their own right – he says, “The pressure can feel different.”

This is because you aren’t just responsible for getting the job done. You’re responsible for creating an environment where their intelligence can truly shine.