Why ‘People & Culture’ Isn’t Enough: Rethinking HR for Start-Ups

Welcome to The Plumm Pod, where we dive into the human side of work. This week Georgia sits down with senior people leader Kayleigh Davies to unpack how HR has moved from dusty personnel files to data-driven people experience and why start-ups can’t afford to keep treating culture as a perk wall.Kayleigh’s journey from ancient-history graduate to AI-sector HR strategist gives her a unique lens on:- Moving from compliance-heavy personnel to outcome-focused people experience- The limits of the Ulrich model and the rise of subscription-style employee journeys- Why “seat at the table” means asking sharper commercial questions, not simply attending the meeting- Practical ways to diagnose people priorities when the business has none- Swapping beanbags for measurable impact, turning onboarding scores into revenue winsChapters00:00 The Importance of a People Strategy02:32 The Evolution of HR11:13 Navigating the Post-COVID HR Landscape21:17 Understanding Business Goals23:01 The Role of People Experience in HR30:33 Advice for Future HR Leaders