Breaking Barriers Podcast

Talent accelerators are one of the biggest investments HR and Talent leaders make in building future capability.
But how often can you clearly demonstrate a measurable, defensible return?
For many organisations, the answer is uncomfortable: programmes run and participants are positive, but the impact on performance, progression and retention is often far harder to evidence than the original business case suggested.
Join us for a session designed for HR and Talent leaders who need to prove the value of their talent acceleration investment.
Hosted by Rachel Schofield, this conversation will feature Professor Rebecca Jones, Shape Talent’s Managing Consultant, alongside Adnan Ahmetovic, Henkel’s Director HR Transformation & Strategy.
We’ll explore:
🔹 How to ensure ROI on your talent acceleration investment The practical levers that determine whether a programme pays back, and how to build them in from the outset.
🔹 The pitfalls that quietly erode impact, and how to avoid them From over-engineered designs and weak post-programme reinforcement to measurement that stops at participant feedback. The common traps that turn high-potential investment into a missed opportunity.
🔹 What drives measurable impact: lessons from real programmes
The design choices, measurement approaches and organisational conditions that consistently deliver return, - drawn from Shape Talent’s research and recent client experience, including the impact data Henkel, a world-leading consumer brand organisation, is seeing from its own acceleration efforts.
If you’re an HR or Talent leader responsible for leadership pipelines, succession or high-potential development, this session is for you.

Two years after the EU AI Act, HR's AI compliance obligations are almost here!
On 2nd August 2026, the Act's high-risk obligations are due to come into force. Among the systems classified as high-risk: AI tools used in hiring, performance management and promotion decisions. Although a proposed deadline extension is under negotiation, organisations should be preparing now regardless.
Many HR teams have adopted AI-powered talent tools at pace. Far fewer have stress-tested those tools against the Act's requirements around bias testing, data governance, transparency and human oversight - or fully considered what this could mean for gender equity, risk and accountability at scale.
Hosted by Rachel Schofield, this conversation features Sharon Peake, CPsychol Shape Talent’s Founder & CEO, and Dr Priscila Pereira Law PhD FCIPD, Shape Talent’s Director of Research & Innovation.
We explore:
🔹 Why talent AI is now a regulated space, and what that means for HR leaders: The EU AI Act places hiring, performance and promotion tools in its highest risk category. Understand the obligations, risks and timelines you’re already working against.
🔹 The gender equity implications your AI vendors may not have flagged: What the Act’s requirements around bias testing, data governance and transparency reveal about the tools that many organisations are already using.
🔹 Turning compliance into competitive advantage: How forward-thinking organisations can use the Act’s framework not just to manage risk, but to accelerate fairer and more consistent talent decisions at scale.
If you’re an EDI, HR, or People leader using, or planning to use, AI in talent decisions: this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Let’s take a look at what your talent strategy needs to flex and adapt to: economic volatility; AI disruption; political uncertainty; and a workforce rethinking what loyalty really means.Hosted by Rachel Schofield, and featuring Sharon Peake, Founder & CEO, Shape Talent, we explore: 🔹 Practical strategies to accelerate talent that move beyond traditional high-potential programmes Including immersive development plans, executive advisory boards and stretch experiences that build readiness, not just potential. 🔹 Why these approaches work in complex, fast-changing organisations What makes them effective when roles, expectations and operating models are shifting. 🔹 How HR and Talent leaders can implement them now Practical examples and implementation insights you can adapt in your own context. When change is constant, waiting for talent to “be ready” is a risk, your future leaders need to be ready before the moment demands it.

As organisations prepare for IWD 2026, many senior HR leaders are asking tougher questions:Where has progress on gender equity held? Where has it stalled? And where are new risks emerging?Join us next Thursday, 26th February at 2pm GMT, for a LinkedIn Live taking a clear-eyed look at the current state of gender equity across the UK and Europe.Gender equity in 2026: What progress now requires from HR & Inclusion leadersFeaturing:🔹 Sharon Peake, Founder & CEO, Shape Talent🔹 Dr Priscila Pereira, Director of Research & Innovation, Shape TalentIn this session, we’ll explore:🔹 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗞 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲What progress looks like in practice, and where data shows real change versus surface-level movement.🔹 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝘆The structural, cultural, and leadership factors that continue to block women’s progression, particularly into senior roles.🔹 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁From evolving legislation and regulatory scrutiny to AI-driven change - and what HR leaders should be planning for now.This session is designed for senior HR and Inclusion leaders responsible for leadership pipelines, culture, and long-term talent sustainability.

Group coaching is increasingly being adopted by HR, L&D and EDI leaders as a scalable, inclusive development solution - but many still question what makes it truly effective. We explore how group coaching supports leadership development, builds inclusion, and enables organisations to develop people at scale without losing human connection. Rachel Schofield is in conversation with: 🔹Professor Rebecca Jones, Managing Consultant, Shape Talent and Professor of Coaching & Organisational Behaviour 🔹Sezin Doliva-Silav, Senior Key Account Lead, Henkel and former Shape Talent Programme Coachee In this session, we explore: 🔹 What group coaching really is, and why it works🔹A personal account from Sezin on the impact of group coaching🔹Why group coaching continues to matter, particularly in an AI-centred world This is a conversational, evidence-led and practical discussion that will benefit HR, L&D and DEI leaders looking for development approaches that work.

Why are women still underrepresented in leadership despite decades of progress? Because of the systemic barriers that continue to hold them back.
Join Rachel Schofield in conversation with Sharon Peake, CPsychol (Founder & CEO, Shape Talent) and Dr Priscila Pereira Law PhD FCIPD (Director of Research & Innovation, Shape Talent) for the launch of the 3rd Edition of the landmark Three Barriers® Report.
Drawing on 7,500+ voices, 95+ references, and fresh global data, this new edition explores:
🔹 The Three Barriers® to women’s career progression
🔹 Sub-barriers like stereotypes, sponsorship gaps, and the likeability penalty.
🔹 Why personal barriers aren’t about women “lacking confidence,” but about workplaces penalising ambition.
🔹 What good looks like when organisations dismantle barriers systemically.

Hear from leaders at Beiersdorf and Shape Talent as they share:
Why menopause and perimenopause are workplace issues
Practical steps for building supportive workplace cultures
What meaningful support really looks like
This is a must-attend for HR leaders, DEI professionals, and anyone shaping workplace wellbeing.Featuring:
Vidya Kumar, HR Director Northern Europe, Beiersdorf
Amy Chapman, Country Manager, Beiersdorf
Jess Lazarczyk, Managing Consultant, Shape Talent

Are women’s development programmes a thing of the past – or ripe for reinvention?Join our Founder & CEO, Sharon Peake, CPsychol, as she explores how organisations can accelerate talent inclusively and sustainably.What we’ll cover:- Are women’s development programmes outdated – or due a reinvention?- The 5 critical ingredients for accelerating internal talent- Why one-size-fits-all doesn’t work in talent acceleration- How to ensure programmes deliver real, lasting talent mobility and retentionIf you’re an HR or Talent leader committed to equity in your leadership pipelines, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Coaching is everywhere – but what actually has real career impact?Led by Professor Rebecca Jones, we dive into: - Why evidence-based coaching delivers deeper, measurable outcomes- How specialist expertise, like gender equity and industry knowledge, transforms impact- What separates good coaching from game-changing coaching Rebecca is a leading expert in coaching effectiveness, with a PhD in Work & Organisational Psychology. A Chartered Occupational Psychologist and Professor in Coaching and Behavioural Change, who specialises in evidence-based coaching, inclusive leadership, and lasting behaviour change.

Inclusion doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of intentional, well-designed systems. As many organisations struggle to maintain momentum on EDI, talent strategy can be a powerful lever to protect progress, embed equity into decision-making, and ensure that inclusion is built in, not bolted on.
In this session, we explore how to: - Design inclusive talent systems that safeguard EDI gains - Evaluate how policies and programmes impact different genders and identities - Use workforce segmentation to better meet diverse needs - with real-world examples