Episode Guest

Penny Taylor is the HR Director at Compare the Market, where she leads with a passion for inclusivity, kindness, and commercial impact. Her career journey spans retail, travel, and people leadership, grounded in real-world grit and deep empathy.

Episode Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction & Why This Chat Matters

1:15 Penny’s Early Years & Academic Setbacks

3:10 The “Floater” Role — Learning Every Part of a Business

5:00 First Jobs, Travel & Finding Direction

7:25 Transition Into the Corporate World

9:10 Discovering HR: From Regional Manager to People Leader

11:30 The Heart of HR: Doing the Right Thing with Kindness

13:45 How to Be Fair, Inclusive & Honest in HR

15:50 Dealing with Mistakes, Taking Responsibility & Resilience

18:00 Money Lessons: Worst Regrets & Pension Tips

20:10 What Makes a Great HR Professional

22:00 Embracing AI: How She Uses Tech in HR Today

24:10 What Gets Her Out of Bed: The Duvet Flip

25:30 Final Reflections & Advice

Episode Partners

📊 Compare the Market

Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK’s most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they’re on a mission to simplify decisions for millions.

https://bit.ly/4i53Svj

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Penny Taylor, HR Director at Compare The Market: From Failing A-Levels to Leading with Kindness in HR

My Duvet Flip by Jack Parsons