Jimmy's Jobs of the Future

From endless meetings and meaningless corporate jargon to mission statements, values workshops and post-it note exercises, Charles and James have spent years observing the strange rituals of the modern workplace. In this episode of Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future, they explore why so much of the working day seems to be spent creating work rather than actually doing it. They reveal the tricks people use to avoid responsibility, explain how phrases like “let's take that offline” and “who's holding the pen?” became workplace survival tools, and question why organisations keep adding layers of management, processes and bureaucracy. And what happens when AI starts replacing jobs? Their argument is that we shouldn't be too worried: companies have an extraordinary ability to invent entirely new tasks to keep everyone busy. The conversation also takes in Britain's obsession with bureaucracy, why getting things built has become so difficult, and how corporate culture has spread far beyond the traditional office — reaching NHS workers, gardeners and even professional rugby players. In this episode: Why modern workplaces seem to generate so much pointless work The art of looking busy while avoiding responsibility What corporate jargon really means Why companies keep inventing meetings, missions and values Whether AI will actually make our working lives any easier How bureaucracy gets in the way of getting things done About the guests: Charles and James are the comedians behind Wankernomics, turning the absurdities of corporate life into comedy, drawing on their own experiences in the business world. 👋 Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future takes career advice from people at the top of their game. Hosted by former Downing Street Special Adviser, Jimmy McLoughlin. Follow us on socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/ Sponsor the show or Partner with us: [email protected] Check out our clips channel here! ⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@JimmysJobsClips Credits: Host / Exec Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Producer: Thuy Dong Editor: Rhodri Beynon Social Producer: Alex Kularatnam Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Budget is out. But will it actually make Britain a better place to start, build and grow a business? Jimmy McLoughlin breaks down the biggest announcements from the Chancellor's Budget, with reactions from entrepreneur Alex Depledge and Jack Pardoe from Octopus Energy. From the cost of hiring and scaling a business to energy bills, gas standing charges, electric vehicles and Britain's energy future, we ask what the announcements really mean for founders, employers and households. Are the government's measures enough to kickstart growth? Will energy bills finally come down? And is Britain becoming a more competitive place to invest and create jobs? In this episode: What the Budget means for British founders and businesses Whether the announcements will encourage investment and hiring Why removing gas standing charges won't necessarily lower everyone's bills The future of EVs, heat pumps and Britain's energy system What needs to change to make Britain cheaper and easier to build in Subscribe to Jimmy's Jobs of the Future for conversations with the people shaping Britain's economy, businesses and jobs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Want to see how an episode gets made? We’ve just launched our Jimmy’s Jobs Slack channel for students, with opportunities to shadow our production team. Join us and tell us which part of the job you’d want to see firsthand → https://form.typeform.com/to/CdBAfNrp Why did Peter Kyle, former Business Secretary, want to light up Piccadilly Circus when a British company hired its 5,000th employee? Why is Salesforce giving Slack to six million UK students? How can AI give a ward nurse back an hour a day? We took Jimmy's Jobs of the Future to Salesforce's AIforce World Tour in London to find out. Can Britain build a trillion-dollar company? Peter and Salesforce's Kendall Collins, CEO of Missionforce and Government Cloud, join Jimmy to debate what it would take, from the role of government to a cultural mind shift around failure and AI as an economic growth driver. Zahra Bahrololoumi, Salesforce UKI CEO, makes the case for why students should get hands-on with Slack and the AI tools they’ll use at work before their first job, not after. Then the front line. Erika Bannerman talks through how an AI assistant at NHS Shared Business Services answers NHS staff questions instantly, cutting the admin that pulls nurses away from patients. And Colin Foley, Head of Consular Services at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, shares how his team is exploring AI to take routine work off their plate, so they can bring more judgment and empathy to Brits in trouble overseas. ********** Got an idea for our next episode? Drop us a line at [email protected] Follow us on socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/ Sponsor the show or Partner with us: [email protected] Check out our clips channel here! ⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@JimmysJobsClips Credits: Host / Exec Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Producer: Thuy Dong Editor + Camera: Rhodri Beynon Social Producer: Alex Kularatnam Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pret a Manger CEO Pano Christou on why Pret is so expensive, Service Culture, and Creating Jobs Join our Slack channel, for students only: https://form.typeform.com/to/CdBAfNrp You’ll get to shadow the team digitally + learn how we put the show together - how we find guests, do research + come up with up with topics. ------- Pret CEO Pano Christou recounts his 26-year rise from assistant manager to CEO at 41, including a short Harvard exec MBA that boosted his confidence after rapid promotion. He explains Pret’s management approach: short meetings, pre-reads, early-morning reflection, empowering smart teams, and a weekly mystery-shopper system that can trigger a 10% weekly bonus for all store staff based on service, speed, availability, and cleanliness. He discusses COVID’s disruption via hybrid working and Pret’s response through coffee subscriptions, delivery, and value initiatives like “Pick Your Pair” for £4.99 and 99p filter coffee. Addressing “why Pret is expensive,” he cites 2022–23 inflation (food inflation peaking around 20%), refusing shrinkflation, and then limiting price rises for about three years. He highlights expansion plans to open 100 UK stores, inclusive hiring (NEETs and people facing homelessness), training, pay (around £15/hour for baristas), and policy asks on VAT and national insurance support. Chapters 00:00 Why Pret Costs More 00:48 Panos Pret Journey 04:05 Fast Track To CEO 05:46 Leadership Mindset Shifts 12:35 Unusual CEO Habits 14:40 Post Covid Business Model 17:05 Value Deals And Pricing 21:05 Service Culture Joy 22:58 Hiring Growth And Homelessness 28:16 Behind The Counter 30:32 Pay Bonuses And Training 34:20 Menu Trends And Hiring 38:00 Government And VAT 40:54 Quickfire And Wrap Up ********** Got an idea for our next episode? Drop us a line at [email protected] Follow us on socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/ Sponsor the show or Partner with us: [email protected] Check out our clips channel here! ⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@JimmysJobsClips Credits: Host / Exec Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Producer: Thuy Dong Editor: Rhodri Beynon Social Producer: Alex Kularatnam Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Octopus Energy’s Greg Jackson on Agile Tariffs, Standing Charges, and the Future of Electrification Jimmy interviews Octopus Energy CEO Greg Jackson about how Octopus’s Agile tariff mirrors half-hourly wholesale prices, sometimes going negative when supply exceeds demand, and how “powerdowns” and “powerups” pay customers to shift usage when electricity is expensive or cheap. Greg says over four million customers have used these tools, saving over £1 billion, and argues smarter use of existing grid capacity could reduce the need for £100 – £200 billion in new infrastructure. They discuss why standing charges are “out of control,” how fixed network costs now make up much of bills, and the growing cost of paying wind generators to turn off. He highlights falling costs and benefits of EVs, home charging, batteries, and heat pumps, plus energy geopolitics, China’s clean-tech lead, and AI’s emerging impact on jobs. He calls for consistent policy focused on electrification. Chapters: 00:00 Agile Tariff Explained 01:20 Negative Pricing Moments 02:15 Powerdowns and Powerups 04:07 Savings and System Efficiency 06:10 Standing Charge Breakdown 09:57 Where Your Bill Goes 12:02 Using Wind Power Better 12:45 Why Electricity Use Fell 15:00 EV Charging Cost Reality 17:33 Octopus EV Leasing Scale 18:45 Why UK Power Costs More 19:56 Cutting Energy Levies 20:30 Home Batteries Boom 21:36 Heat Pumps Data Edge 23:45 Energy Geopolitics Shock 26:50 China Tech Risk Reality 29:23 China Innovation Machine 34:35 AI Jobs Uncertainty 38:47 Raising Kids With AI 41:46 Budget Wish List Electrify 43:49 Closing Thoughts This episode is powered by Octopus Energy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices