Featured Review

I read Workplace Rewired by James Godwin MBA CMgr FCMI FIH a few days ago, and it's one of those useful (and short) business books that actually makes you pause, think, and act.

The first question James poses is: "What would your employees say about your organisation in an exit interview?" It's blunt, honest and, if you answer it truthfully, hugely revealing. He follows up with a brilliant "EC" (employer of choice) checklist. My favourite from that list? "Would our employees recommend us to their most talented friend?" If you only asked one question this year, that might be the one.

The difference between a people strategy and an HR strategy is another gem. It sounds like a small wording change, but it's actually a big mindset shift. James makes the case clearly, and it's stuck with me.

As someone genuinely interested in wellbeing and resilience, not just as workplace buzzwords but for how they impact people's lives, I loved the sections on psychological safety, mental health awareness, and work-life balance. These aren't tick-box exercises in the book—they're framed as real drivers of performance and retention. That matters.

There's a strong thread throughout the book about measurement and accountability. James doesn't just say "care about your people"—he shows you how to measure whether you're actually doing it. Metrics like eNPS, retention, time-to-hire, and engagement scores are presented not as HR vanity metrics but as real indicators of organisational health. I particularly liked the push to track diversity at every stage of the hiring funnel. Too many organisations measure outcomes but not inputs.

The chapters on onboarding and offboarding are excellent. Onboarding often gets rushed or treated as admin, but James shows how a thoughtful 90-day plan sets people up for long-term success. And the offboarding section? Spot on. How you treat people when they leave says everything about your culture—and it affects everyone who stays.

I also appreciated the practical tools scattered throughout. The culture audit questions, the employee journey mapping exercises, the leadership development frameworks—they're all ready to use. This isn't a book that just makes you think; it gives you things to do on Monday morning.

The tone is refreshingly direct. James doesn't pad things out or oversell ideas. He gets to the point, backs it up with evidence or examples, and moves on. For busy leaders, that's gold.

If I had one critique, it's that some sections could go deeper—particularly around DEI and remote/hybrid working, both of which deserve more nuance than a single chapter can offer. But that's more of a "I wanted more" than a "this wasn't enough." The book does what it sets out to do: give you a clear, actionable framework for building a people-first organisation.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Especially if you're a founder, CEO, or senior leader who's tired of people strategy being an afterthought. This book will help you make it central—and show you why that's not just the right thing to do, but the smart thing.

Short, sharp, and genuinely useful. Worth your time.