Welcome to The Louise Kennedy Podcast, the show that puts the human back into the heart of business.
Hosted by award-winning HR expert and Oculus HR founder Louise Kennedy (FCIPD), this podcast explores the real stories behind the processes. From navigating complex workplace problems to building future-ready cultures, Louise and her expert guests offer actionable advice for small business owners, large-scale leaders, and HR professionals alike.
What to expect: This feed is home to deep-dive series designed to help you thrive in the modern world of work, including:
Mind the Generation Gap: Our latest series exploring the fusion of technology, culture, and communication across different generations in the workplace.
Real World HR: The foundation of our show, humanising HR topics like recruitment, mental health, and diversity and inclusion with direct, "no-nonsense" guidance.
Whether you're looking to understand the digital habits of Gen Z or seeking specialist support for a growing team, this podcast gives you an inside look at the evolving world of people management.
Ready to build a better workplace? Subscribe and join the conversation.
From Graduate to Founder: How Universities Are Shaping the Future Workforce
In this episode of Mind the Generation Gap, host Louise Kennedy is joined by Laura Foster, who has spent 20 years supporting student and graduate entrepreneurship at the University of Sunderland. Together, they explore how the perception of enterprise and business startup pathways has evolved across generations, and how universities are adapting their curriculum to better prepare students for the modern workplace.
Key Topics Covered:
Embedding Entrepreneurship in Education: How integrating startup concepts into higher education curricula helps cultivate critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and adaptability—skills that are highly sought after by employers, regardless of whether a student starts a business.
Generational Shifts & Digital Natives: The differences between previous generations and today’s graduates (Gen Z), including their comfort with digital technology, their workplace expectations, and how parental guidance and life transitions impact their resilience.
Evolution of Job Applications: The contrast between traditional job-hunting methods (like dropping off paper CVs in person) and modern digital recruitment processes, such as video interviews.
Redefining Success: A discussion on what drives current students and graduates—ranging from financial goals to socially driven, value-based business ideas.
Regional Talent Retention: Data highlighting that a vast majority of home full-time graduates and new business founders choose to stay and contribute to the Northeast regional economy.
Whether you're an employer trying to understand Gen Z's work ethic or a young professional navigating multiple passions, this conversation offers an insightful look into bridging generational perspectives in today's fast-moving business environment.
Subscribe now to make sure you don't miss future episodes on bridging the workplace generation gap!
30 Sept 2026
Employers are getting this wrong when it comes to Gen Z - with Natalie Henson
In this episode of Mind the Generation Gap, host Louise Kennedy is joined by Natalie Henson, People Director at Sage, to explore what Gen Z really wants from the workplace - and how businesses can adapt to bring out their best.
With 25 years of HR experience and two Gen Z sons at home, Natalie brings a practical, grounded perspective on breaking down generational stereotypes, rethinking recruitment, and building workplaces where every generation can thrive. In this episode, we discuss:
1. Beyond the Misconceptions: Are Gen Z really "lazy," or are they just clear about what they want?
2. Recruitment & Retention: How candidate expectations around flexible working, company values, and career progression are shifting.
3. Digital Natives vs. Real-World Communication: Overcoming post-COVID communication hurdles and building in-person confidence.
4. Reverse Mentoring: Why encouraging two-way feedback and healthy challenge drives business efficiency.
5. Managing for Success: The importance of psychological safety, manager training, and feedback loops.
6. Redefining Success: Advice for the next generation of leaders and what true job satisfaction looks like today.
Subscribe now to make sure you don't miss future episodes on bridging the workplace generation gap!
30 Sept 2026
Why Gen Z won't work in a job they hate - with Courtney Palmer
In this episode of Mind the Generation Gap, host Louise Kennedy is joined in the studio by 22-year-old Courtney Palmer, a professional dancer and level 3 content creation apprentice. Courtney shares her unique perspective on navigating the modern workplace as a Gen Z professional balancing two distinct careers. She delves into:
Ditching the "Muggle Job": Why she chose an apprenticeship over traditional post-grad retail or hospitality roles to further her education and career opportunities.
Building Thick Skin: How the cutthroat nature of dance auditions helped her develop resilience and how she applies that thick skin to accepting feedback from digital marketing clients.
Gen Z Workplace Dynamics: The myth vs. reality of Gen Z expectations, dealing with workplace age stereotypes, and what it’s like managing social media for clients who are much older than her.
Drawing Boundaries: How to avoid burnout when your job lives entirely on your phone, managing doom-scrolling, and separating personal algorithms from client work.
Redefining Success & Non-Negotiables: Why company values, flexibility, and workplace happiness outweigh traditional corporate loyalty, and why Gen Z isn't afraid to job-hop until they find what they love.
Whether you're an employer trying to understand Gen Z's work ethic or a young professional navigating multiple passions, this conversation offers an insightful look into bridging generational perspectives in today's fast-moving business environment.
Subscribe now to make sure you don't miss future episodes on bridging the workplace generation gap!
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