HR Engage Podcast

HR Engage Podcast with Simon Lever

• Jonathan Mamaril • Season 1 • Episode 23

How do you tell 320 people their jobs are gone—and have them THANK you for it? 🤯

In this powerful episode of the HR Engage Podcast, host Jonathan Mamaril sits down with veteran HR generalist Simon Lever, whose career spans aviation, construction, healthcare, government, and international projects. Simon shares raw, real-world lessons from 25+ years navigating the toughest moments in human resources.

From standing in front of hundreds during the GFC to navigating AI's disruption in recruitment, Simon reveals the one skill that separates good HR professionals from great ones: genuine empathy combined with strategic communication.

🔑 What You'll Learn:

• Why being a generalist (not a specialist) can be your biggest career advantage
• The exact communication framework Simon used during mass layoffs that earned him respect instead of resentment
• How AI is reshaping HR and recruitment—and what it CAN'T replace
• Building a powerful professional network you can rely on in crisis moments
• Managing HR timelines: why delays can destroy your case
• The mindset shift that transforms difficult conversations

💡 Simon's Key Quote: "People just don't know what they don't know."

Produced and published by Law Firm Marketing experts, Practice Proof