Struggling to feel confident when Finance conversations come up at work? Been told you need to be "more commercial" but not sure what that actually means? In this practical episode, Commercial HR Coach Jo Bailey demystifies what it means to be commercial in HR and shares actionable advice to help you speak the language of business with confidence.

You’ll Learn

1. What "being commercial" actually means (and what it doesn't)
2. Key financial terms explained: P&L, EBITDA, balance sheet, and cash flow
3. How to approach setting an HR budget with confidence
4. Questions to ask when building a strong business case
5. How to position budget requests so you're more likely to get what you need
6. Real examples of how to demonstrate commercial thinking in your HR role
7. The cost of attrition and how to build the business case for retention initiatives

1. Connect with Fay on LinkedIn
2. Learn about Fay’s Essential HR Planner
3. Learn about Fay’s Inspiring HR Leadership Programme
4. Connect with Jo Bailey on LinkedIn
5. Visit Jo Bailey’s Website: Financial Empowerment

Excellence in People Analytics: How to Use Workforce Data to Create Business Value, by Jonathan Ferrar & David Green

1. Ep 147: How to Become a Successful Chief People Officer: Insider Insights (with Kanika Mehra) - has a great explanation of storytelling with data
2. Ep 115: Why Negotiation Skills Can Help Your Career & How to Develop Them (with Simon Duncan)
3. Ep 158: 3 Simple Ways to Build Business Acumen in Your HR Role

Sign up to the free weekly HR Coffee Time email to be notified each time a new episode is released – and get free career tips, tools, and resources.

Mentioned in this episode:

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What does it really mean for an HR team to be “strategic” – and how can you make that shift without adding more to your workload?

In this solo episode of HR Coffee Time, Fay explores a practical and accessible way to strengthen your team’s strategic focus: using OKRs – Objectives and Key Results.

If you’ve ever felt pulled between operational demands and the bigger picture, this episode will help you think differently about how HR goals connect to organisational priorities – and how to make that link clearer for your whole team.

Drawing on real examples (including a memorable orange analogy 🍊), Fay breaks down how OKRs can:

1. Create clarity and accountability
2. Connect HR activity to business impact
3. Help team members see how their work contributes to the wider strategy

You’ll come away with three practical ways to use OKRs to strengthen your strategic focus as a team – without overcomplicating things.

[00:00] Why HR struggles to be strategic

[01:10] What being strategic really means

[02:45] Shaping the future in HR

[03:50] Solving the biggest organisational problem

[04:55] What OKRs are and where they started

[06:10] Understanding objectives using a simple example

[07:40] How HR objectives link to strategy

[08:55] What good key results look like

[10:10] Moving from activity to impact

[11:25] How OKRs support prioritisation

[12:35] Books and next steps for HR leaders

1. "Measure What Matters. OKRS - The Simple Idea That Drives 10x Growth" by John Doerr
2. "Radical Focus: Achieving Your Most Important Goals With Objectives and Key Results" by Christina Wodtke
3. “Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters” by Richard Rumelt
4. “The Strategy Book: How to Think and Act Strategically to Deliver Outstanding Results” by Max Mckeown

If this episode has made you reflect on your own strategic impact, you might enjoy learning more about Fay’s:

1. Inspiring HR Leadership Programme– designed to help existing and aspiring HR leaders build confidence, credibility and influence
2. HR Leadership Impact...

Have you ever been told you’re “not strategic enough” after an HR interview – even though you know you are?

In this solo episode of HR Coffee Time, Fay Wallis tackles one of the most frustrating pieces of feedback HR professionals receive when applying for Head of HR, HR Director, Head of People or People Director roles.

In this episode, Fay breaks down what 'being strategic' means in a practical, accessible way and shares three simple but powerful ways to prove you’re strategic in your next HR interview – without sounding corporate or forced.

1. What “being strategic” actually means in practice – and why it often feels so vague
2. How using one specific word can make interview panels see your thinking more clearly
3. A common mistake HR candidates make when answering interview questions – and how to fix it
4. How to turn everyday HR examples into clear, strategic stories with business impact
5. The types of interview questions that signal strategic thinking straight away

Fay also shares practical examples you can adapt for your own interviews, helping you move beyond listing what you’ve done to explaining why it mattered.

Whether you’re actively interviewing or simply want to feel more confident talking about your strategic contribution, this episode will help you articulate your value far more effectively.

1. Connect with Fay Wallis on LinkedIn
2. Visit Fay’s Bright Sky HR website
3. Learn aboutThe Essential HR Planner
4. Learn about Fay’sInspiring HR leadership development programme

'Operate Strategically' HR Coffee Time Podcast Playlist

Sign up to the free weekly HR Coffee Time email to be notified each time a new episode is released – and get free career tips, tools, and resources.