The Blueprint for Building Great Teams

If one person with the right context and the right tools can ship what a squad used to ship, what is the team for? Az Zaver leads platform engineering in life sciences at Takeda, with a team spread from Vietnam to Mexico. Over one weekend, working alone with AI, he got roughly 2,000 hours of work done. It's left him with a question he can't answer yet. You'll learn: • Why AI needs context and a harness to be any use • Why human verification matters more in regulated industries • Why token spend is the wrong way to measure performance • What leaders owe the...

A three year plan is the new twenty year plan. So how do you plan a team when you can't see what your market looks like in three years? Karen Sanders built the workforce for the UK Health Security Agency's mega labs during the pandemic, from no staff to 3,000 in weeks. She's spent her career getting called in when things have stalled, across education, the Home Office, defence, the nuclear industry and the Government of Jersey. You'll learn: • Build, buy, borrow, automate, and how to choose between them • Why planning around job titles fails and capabilities work • Why your custom...

Julie Woosey is Chief People Officer at The Growth Company, one of the largest social enterprises in the UK, covering business support and finance, employment, health and justice services, education and skills, and the promotion of Greater Manchester through Marketing Manchester and Invest. She arrived in 2026 after 17 years at the University of Salford, where she rose from HR Business Partner to Associate Director of People Strategy and interim Deputy Chief People Officer.

That move is where the episode starts. Julie has sat on both sides of the decision: the leader trying to attract people, and the candidate...

By the time someone is sat in an exit interview, they've already decided to go. So why ask them?

Paul Dawson (CEO, Agena Group) spent 20 years at Capita before leading a parking management business of around 400 people. He hires on behaviour, never on qualifications, keeps people at stretch, and stopped asking leavers why they were leaving. He asks the people who stay instead.

You'll learn:

What is company culture actually made of, and how do you hire for it without breaking the team you already have?

Sarah Garry, Chief Executive of the British Brands Group, has spent more than a decade leading trade bodies and professional associations. She defines culture as "the way we do things around here" and explains how subcultures, fairness and honesty in recruitment decide whether a team holds together.

You'll learn:

What if the "problem person" on your team is actually a symptom, not the cause?

Chartered Occupational and Coaching Psychologist Nicole Williams (founder of Nicole Williams Organisational Psychology) joins John to unpack what really drives toxic team cultures, and what leaders can do about it.

You'll learn:

How do you build and keep a great team when you can’t compete on salary — and what is AI really doing to creative careers?

Anna Ganley (Chief Executive, The Society of Authors) joined as a temp on reception and rose to lead the union representing over 12,500 writers, illustrators and translators. She shares how flexibility, training and honest career conversations hold a team together, and offers a clear-eyed take on generative AI, copyright, and protecting the creative workforce.

You’ll learn:

• How to win talent when you can’t pay top of market

• Why...

Something breaks in your business. How long before someone writes a job spec?

For most teams, about three weeks. Michael Ruiter, interim CEO and transformation consultant, thinks that's the wrong move almost every time.

In this episode he breaks down how to hire for the need, not the gap:

#Hiring #InterimLeadership #Recruitment #TeamBuilding #Transformation

When you inherit a team you did not build, where do you actually start?

Jenny Jarvis (COO, Energy Saving Trust and author of Lead With Confidence) shares how she walks into established teams and reshapes them through transformation: diagnosing the organisation before judging the people, and starting with the work rather than the org chart.

You’ll learn:

• How to prepare before day one and test your assumptions instead of acting on them

• Why most we need a new hire decisions are really structure problems in disguise

• How to redeploy...

How do you build a recruitment process that genuinely tests for values, in a 50-person organisation operating in 120 countries?

Sarah Mukherjee MBE (CEO, IEMA, former BBC Environment Correspondent) shares the practical operating model behind a small, global, values-driven team: human-read applications, peer interviewers, a welcome letter at the front of every job description, and why ‘soft skills’ should be renamed professional skills.

You’ll learn:

What if scrapping probationary periods was the most powerful trust signal you could send a new hire?

Ken Mackness (CEO, membership, charity, private and local authority sectors) makes the case for hiring on values, trusting from day one, and building boards that challenge rather than echo. Plus, why most recruitment failures are the company’s fault, not the candidate’s.

You’ll learn:

Why do so many employers say they want young talent, then build processes that quietly filter young people out?

John Yarham (CEO, The Careers & Enterprise Company) shares 25+ years of practical insight into what genuinely works: essential skills over soft skills, reimagined work experience, the apprenticeship opportunity most employers miss, and the three Cs that decide whether early talent succeeds.

You’ll learn:

If you hire the right person, you're 70% of the way there. The rest is process.

Frances Ingham (Head of Sales Development EMEA, Vimeo) breaks down why "will to succeed" matters more than skill, why most modern SDR teams are over-reliant on automation, and where to find SDR talent that nobody else is looking at.

You'll learn:

#SalesDevelopment #SDRHiring #SaaS #CommercialLeadership #TeamBuilding

Caroline Oxley (Chief People Officer, Evolve) walked into a business spending £208,000 a year on agencies and reduced it to £38,000 in 12 months, whilst the team grew by almost 50% and Evolve was ranked #15 in the Best Companies Technology Sector list.

You'll learn:

#InternalRecruitment #PeopleAndCulture #HRStrategy #RecruitmentCost #AIInHiring #TeamBuilding

How do you hire when you don't trust job specs and don't believe in CVs?

Mike Winnett (Co-Founder, G&G Studios) built and sold a business for £8 million and admits he sold it too soon because he'd never built the team that should have been running it. He's hired differently ever since. In this episode, Mike shares the character-archetype hiring framework he uses now, why he finds his best hires through their LinkedIn writing rather than their CV, and what most founders quietly cost themselves by being too busy to build the team.

You'll learn:

Why does adding more salespeople rarely deliver more revenue?

Toby Phelps (Interim CRO, Fulfilmentcrowd, scaled SaaS businesses from £5M to £50M+ ARR) shares the two-pillar framework he uses to assess any commercial team, the metrics that actually predict sales performance, and why demand generation must scale before headcount.

You'll learn:

#SalesHiring #CommercialLeadership #ScaleUp #PrivateEquity #SaaS #TeamBuilding

Your best salesperson doesn't want to be a manager. Now what?

Evie Emanuel (Commercial Director, Events Concept | Co-Founder, Elevate New Gen) has led commercial teams through growth, mergers and redundancies in an industry where the margin for error is zero.

In this episode, she shares:

Over the past 19 episodes, we've been building something. A practical encyclopedia for helping companies recruit better.

Along the way, we've sat down with some of the most brilliant HR and People leaders in the UK. And in almost every conversation, there's been a moment where something gets said that every founder, every hiring manager, every HR team in the country needs to hear.

So this week we did something we've never done before.

We went back through six of those episodes, pulled the sharpest, most actionable moments, and built them into a single...

In this episode, Barry Cochrane discusses innovative recruitment strategies that challenge traditional CV reliance. Barry recounts his experience at Sage, where he scrapped formal CV screening and used a LEGO-based exercise to evaluate candidates' problem-solving and communication skills. This unconventional approach allowed him to identify candidates with the right behaviours and long-term fit, rather than just suitable qualifications on paper. By focusing on behaviours over backgrounds, Barry suggests that companies can build more effective teams and reduce staff turnover, offering a fresh perspective on recruitment that prioritises potential over past experiences.

In this episode of the Blueprint for Building Great Teams, Helen Rose Whitehead, a business leader with extensive experience in recruitment and commercial leadership, discusses effective strategies for building high-performing teams. She emphasises the importance of planning ahead and recruiting for skills and capabilities rather than merely job titles. Helen also highlights the benefits of using AI in recruitment processes, advocating for performance-based interview tasks that evaluate real-world skills and cultural fit. By anticipating organisational challenges and embracing innovative approaches, companies can foster sustainable growth and drive meaningful change.

In this engaging podcast episode, Marc O'Driscoll, Head of Sales at Help the Move, shares his extensive experience in building high-performing sales teams. He emphasises the importance of understanding the business’s needs, identifying the right sales approach, and hiring individuals based on traits like coachability and resilience. Marc provides insights into getting senior buy-in and creating a sound business case for team expansion. His discussion covers the differences between strategic and volume-based sales, highlighting the importance of trust and autonomy in leadership roles. His candid advice is invaluable for anyone looking to succeed in startup environments.

In this engaging podcast episode, John Elworthy, a seasoned commercial leader, shares his approach to recruitment and team building. Emphasising the importance of fitting roles to people rather than the other way around, John advocates for evaluating candidates based on their potential contribution and cultural fit. He highlights the significance of open-ended conversations during interviews and challenges the traditional emphasis on rigid job specifications. Instead, John encourages a focus on what good performance entails, to bring in diverse talents ready to grow and adapt, ultimately driving a team's success.

In this episode of the Blueprint for Building Great Teams, Andrea Place explores the intricacies of effective organisational design and development. With experience at companies such as Barclays, Andrea emphasises the importance of understanding the unique contributions individuals can make within a team context. By shifting focus from transactional recruitment to values-driven processes, organisations can build high-performing, sustainable teams. Andrea also highlights the significance of a clear employee value proposition (EVP), which serves as an organisation's promise to its employees, ensuring that recruitment and internal culture are aligned for maximum effectiveness and employee satisfaction.

In this podcast episode, Sophie, an experienced people leader, shares her insights into building effective teams in high growth startups and scale-ups. She emphasises the importance of scoping roles accurately, aligning leadership, and understanding the organisation's needs before starting the recruitment process. Sophie also discusses the value of psychologically informed practices and how they contribute to creating thriving, people-centric workplaces. Listeners are encouraged to assume expertise in their field and employ strategic questioning to bridge the gap between current and future business states, ultimately enhancing retention and performance.

In this podcast episode, Wendy McDougall, CEO and founder of Firefish Software, shares insights into building high-performance teams and fostering a vibrant company culture. Drawing on her background in recruitment and sports, she emphasises the importance of values over rigid cultural structures and highlights the need for adaptability and passion in early hires. McDougall discusses her hiring approach, focusing on attitude and cultural fit, which enabled her initial hires to help shape the company's evolving culture. Practical examples of her value-driven approach illustrate how Firefish maintains its commitment to customer-centric service.

In this episode of the Building Great Teams podcast, Ian Parslow discusses his extensive experience in leading sales teams and transforming sales strategies over the years. Ian shares how the approach to recruitment and management has evolved, where empathy and understanding individual motivations have become key. He emphasises the importance of building teams that work well together rather than focusing on individual tenacity. Ian also highlights the shift from traditional to more sophisticated methods of engaging with prospects, reflecting on how these changes influence recruitment processes in today's evolving market.

In this podcast episode, Jo Major, a specialist in recruitment talent and inclusion, discusses her two-decade journey in the industry and her transition from traditional recruitment to focusing on diversity and inclusion. Jo highlights the flawed nature of contemporary recruitment practices, often characterised by transactional processes and a lack of genuine candidate-employer connection. She emphasises the importance of building inclusive recruitment frameworks, noting that diversity should be the outcome of solid inclusion and accessibility foundations. By leveraging her extensive experience, Jo aims to transform recruitment strategies, ensuring they prioritise human interaction, fair assessment, and an environment where all candidates...

In this enlightening podcast episode, Rob, a seasoned HR expert, shares his expansive knowledge on crafting high-performing teams across global enterprises. Delving into competency-based frameworks, Rob emphasises the pivotal role of aligning behaviours with organisational values while challenging managers to welcome team diversity. From navigating cultural nuances to promoting effective workforce planning, he sheds light on varied HR practices essential for sustaining team efficiency. This episode serves as a valuable resource for industry professionals aiming to synchronise people strategies with business objectives across diverse geographical and cultural landscapes.

Rebecca McShane, an HR expert, shares insights on building high-performing teams without stress on this podcast episode. As the founder of SureHR, she's been pivotal in guiding startups through the intricacies of hiring and culture creation. Rebecca emphasizes the significance of planning recruitment ahead of scaling and understanding long-term team needs, not just immediate fixes. She warns against rushing hiring decisions in urgent growth scenarios and highlights the importance of defining success in job roles. Her First 10 Hires Toolkit serves as a comprehensive guide, providing tools to help founders avoid costly hiring mistakes.

In this podcast episode, Jonathan Edwards shares his extensive experience in building effective teams across local government. He emphasises the importance of diversity not just for compliance, but as a strategic asset that enriches team culture. Edwards advocates for creative recruitment techniques, casting a wide net to find the right people. By focusing on shared values and purpose, he has successfully led teams to quickly achieve cohesion. In an uncertain landscape, especially in the public sector, adaptability and forward-thinking recruitment are essential. Edwards' insights offer valuable lessons on assembling teams that thrive amid change.

Felix, a marketing manager at Pure Storage, shares his extensive experience in building successful marketing teams in this podcast episode. He discusses the importance of having a clear mission statement and how culture plays a vital role in recruitment and team dynamics. Felix emphasizes the balance between technical expertise and soft skills, highlighting the significance of curiosity and emotional intelligence in marketing roles. He also draws parallels between endurance sports and team building, underscoring the value of shared missions and collective values in driving team success.

In this episode, John sits down with Richard Wilson, an experienced business leader, to discuss effective strategies for building high-performing teams. Richard shares his vast experience in recruitment and outlines the importance of having a clear job specification and getting senior leaders involved in the process. He emphasises the role of a well-defined target operating model (TOM) as the cornerstone for successful team building, ensuring all components, like people, processes, and technology, are aligned with the organisation's goals.

In this episode, host John delves into the expertise of Michelle Hollewyn, an authority in HR and founder of Holla HR. With over a decade of experience in HR leadership, she discusses the importance of businesses truly understanding what they stand for when recruiting. Michelle emphasises marketing the company to potential employees as one would to clients. She also offers advice to small businesses without formal recruitment processes, highlights the role of AI in creating clear job descriptions, and stresses the importance of skill testing in interviews. Through understanding and targeted recruitment, Michelle believes businesses can create strong, focused...

In this podcast episode, experienced sales leader John Kemp discusses the evolution of sales team recruitment and the need for strategic hiring aligned with business goals. Kemp underscores the significance of understanding organisational needs and the importance of finding individuals whose skills complement those needs. By drawing parallels with building a balanced football team, he emphasises the necessity of diverse skill sets within a sales team. Kemp also highlights how modern selling has evolved, noting the increasing relevance of social selling alongside traditional methods, and stresses the value of finding coachable candidates who are prepared to grow and adapt.<...

In this episode, Vicky Walker, Chief People Officer at Cyberfort, shares her approach to building exceptional teams. Vicky emphasises the importance of aligning recruitment strategies with business goals. She advocates for honest and transparent recruitment to ensure candidates are ready for the challenges they may face. Additionally, she highlights the significance of blending existing talents with newly acquired ones post-acquisition. With a keen focus on leadership development, culture, and future talent planning, Vicky’s insights provide a roadmap for businesses aiming to build resilient and adaptable teams that flourish in dynamic environments.

In this podcast episode, Mike Walker, VP of Operations at Pimberley, shares his insights on building and scaling technology teams. With over 25 years of experience, Mike emphasizes the need to look beyond traditional job titles and roles. He advises focusing on the business problems at hand and shaping roles around solving them. By adopting a flexible and creative approach to recruitment, companies can enhance their teams with diverse skills and perspectives. The conversation also touches on balancing technical skill assessments with cultural compatibility, aiming for a recruitment process that addresses both current and future business needs.

In this episode of the 'Blueprint for Building Great Teams' podcast, host John is joined by Lauren Brown, a people and culture expert with over 15 years of experience. Lauren shares insights from her journey in the HR world, discussing the importance of building diverse teams and innovative recruitment strategies. She emphasizes moving away from hiring based only on industry experience, advocating for diversity of thought and experience. Lauren also explains Native's impressive growth from 35 to 90 employees in eight months and offers tips on how to maintain team inclusivity and performance.

In this episode of the Blueprint for Building Great Teams podcast, John speaks with Oyin Bamgbose, a seasoned sales leader with extensive experience in the B2B SaaS industry. Oyin elaborates on his proven strategies for assembling high-performing sales teams and driving revenue growth. He outlines the importance of aligning recruitment strategies with the company's maturity and growth phases, describing four key stages from scrappy startup teams to enterprise-level sales operations. Throughout the discussion, Oyin emphasizes the essential qualities that all sales team members must possess: curiosity, resilience, and accountability, illustrating how these traits contribute to long-term success.

In this podcast episode, expert Oyin offers invaluable insights for building high-performing sales teams. Focusing on strategic hiring, he emphasises the significance of key traits such as business acumen and coachability. Oyin outlines essential interview questions to assess candidates’ skills and mindset, exploring the effectiveness of role play in sales recruitment. Moreover, he shares the innovative approach of merging rival sales teams, emphasizing the importance of creating a new collective identity. By prioritizing recognition, reward, and autonomy, he outlines strategies for keeping top performers engaged and motivated. This episode serves as a comprehensive guide for sales leaders aiming to fo...