People and Performance Podcast: Recent Episodes
Fidello Inc.
The People and Performance Podcast gives insights into the strategic competencies, behaviors, and results needed to increase the performance of employees. From attraction and recruitment through onboarding and measuring all the way to succession planning, each episode will take a deep dive into the stages of workforce planning you need to master in order to guarantee long-term success in a rapidly changing world of work. Hosted by Chris Bjorling, Bill Banham and others, each interview is around 15-20 minutes and supported by super impressive guest industry experts.
Skills-based organizations are no longer just theoretical concepts discussed in business journals – they're becoming the new operational reality for companies worldwide. As Charlotte Evans, Director of Global Customer Advocacy for Coursera for Business, reveals in this eye-opening conversation with Chris Bjorling, even the most recognizable global brands are only now beginning their implementation journeys.
"A lot of organizations look at me and go 'we are not there,'" Charlotte shares, describing how companies are typically at steps two or three of the five-step maturity model. This widespread challenge has created what she calls "group therapy" among L&D professionals all asking the same questions: Where do we start? How do we measure success? What's actually working?
Evans offers compelling insights into how objective skill measurement is revolutionizing workforce utilization. By accurately identifying capabilities (rather than relying on self or manager assessments), companies can create internal "gig economies" where employees contribute across traditional boundaries. She describes a credit services company that discovered significant gaps between manager perceptions and actual Python skills, highlighting the need for data-driven skill assessment.
Perhaps most fascinating is the evolution of leadership development through artificial intelligence. Coursera's "Dialog" tool creates psychologically safe environments for managers to practice difficult conversations without the disruption or cost of traditional boot camps. The next frontier? AI-powered role play that simulates challenging negotiations, sales calls, and employee conversations – moving beyond today's "peppy" AI responses to reflect workplace realities.
For L&D professionals looking ahead, Evans emphasizes aligning learning with business outcomes by partnering directly with functional leaders. She shares the remarkable story of Dow Chemical, which upskilled 84% of its IT workforce in generative AI within a single quarter, largely because the CIO personally completed and showcased the training.
Connect with Charlotte Evans on LinkedIn or visit coursera.com/business to explore how skills-based learning can transform your organization's performance in an increasingly dynamic business landscape.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
What if the most powerful driver of workplace performance isn't complicated systems or cutting-edge technology, but something as fundamental as social support? Dr. Amanda Hagman, Chief Scientific Officer at Atana, reveals this insight in a conversation with Chris Bjorling about human behavior, organizational learning, and strategic development.
Drawing from her extensive research, Amanda challenges listeners to reconsider how social dynamics shape workplace behavior. Through the relatable example of kitchen sink habits at home versus at work, she illustrates how environmental cues and social expectations profoundly influence our actions—regardless of generation. While acknowledging surface-level differences between age groups, she argues that the fundamental mechanisms of human learning remain consistent: we observe others, adapt to social norms, and mirror behaviors we see around us.
The discussion takes a compelling turn toward the strategic potential of Learning and Development professionals. Amanda proposes that L&D teams occupy a uniquely valuable position in organizations, with access to employees across departments during training initiatives. This presents an opportunity to transform learning sessions into data collection moments that yield insights about motivations, attitudes, and organizational readiness. By leveraging these "captive audience" interactions, L&D can evolve beyond its traditional role to become a source of strategic intelligence for leadership.
As organizations navigate technological shifts comparable to the advent of the internet, Amanda emphasizes the importance of leadership modeling desired behaviors while simultaneously upskilling alongside their teams. Her vision for the future of workplace learning balances innovation with proven methodologies—not discarding valuable established practices in pursuit of trends, but building upon solid foundations while adapting to change. Connect with Dr. Hagman on LinkedIn or visit Atana.com to discover how evidence-based learning approaches can drive meaningful performance improvement in your organization.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
What happens when we forget the human beings behind job titles? Kristen Nielsen Donnelly, PhD, COO of Abbey Companies and founder of Abbey Research, tackles this question with refreshing candor in our conversation about workplace dynamics across generations.
Breaking from typical generational discourse filled with negativity and fatalism, Kristen offers a provocative perspective: "Nearly everything people complain about in Gen Z is the fault of the older three generations in the world." She challenges leaders to recognize how we've created systems that didn't equip younger workers with necessary coping skills, then unfairly criticize them for struggling within those very systems.
The most overlooked factor for improving workplace performance? "Remembering that they're people," Kristen states, noting how uncomfortable this simple truth makes many leaders feel. She cautions against the growing trend of AI-driven training solutions that flatten organizational culture and eliminate the nuances that make workplaces distinctive and attractive to diverse talent.
As economic conditions tighten heading toward 2025, Kristen envisions L&D professionals as champions for humanity in organizations, becoming "the clanging drum and the resounding cymbal" reminding everyone that "our people are people" amid challenging business decisions. Her bold recommendation for talent development? Start by asking employees what they want to learn beyond their current role – what skills they hope to develop during their time with your organization.
Discover more about Abbey Research's groundbreaking work on multi-generational workspaces through their website abbey-research.com, where you can access their published work, sign up for their newsletter, and stay updated on their latest findings about creating more human-centered workplaces where everyone can thrive.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
What happens when you treat problems as gifts rather than obstacles? According to Mike Taylor, cybersecurity professional at Nationwide and instructor at Franklin University's instructional design program, this mindset shift creates the foundation for powerful organizational learning.
During this enlightening conversation with host Chris Bjorling, Mike challenges conventional L&D wisdom by emphasizing the critical importance of audience understanding before content creation. "If you have one size fits all, it really means one size fits none," he explains, advocating for learning experiences that are simple, relevant to specific roles, and emotionally resonant with learners.
Mike offers a refreshing perspective on failure and conflict, sharing a transformative moment when a former boss taught him to welcome problems: "If you don't know about the problems, you can't fix them." This philosophy extends to his views on artificial intelligence in leadership development, where he encourages organizations to experiment now rather than being left behind—comparing today's AI hesitancy to early resistance toward email adoption.
Looking toward 2025 and beyond, Mike articulates why learning itself represents the ultimate competitive advantage. "In an uncertain world, the learners will win," he quotes, emphasizing that success will go to organizations that can learn and apply new knowledge faster than competitors. This requires not just teaching content but teaching people how to learn effectively through psychological safety—environments where employees aren't afraid to fail and can surface problems openly.
The conversation concludes with insights from Mike's co-authored book "Train Like a Marketer," which explores how L&D professionals can adopt marketing techniques to better capture attention and influence behavior. Connect with Mike on LinkedIn, through his L&D newsletter at mike-taylor.org, or discover his book at trainlikeamarketer.com.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
Cutting through the noise of today's workplace requires more than just great content - it demands a true understanding of learners and their needs. In this engaging conversation Chris Bjorling had with Bianca Baumann, VP of Learning Solutions and Innovation at Ardent Learning, we explore how marketing techniques can revolutionize learning and development efforts.
Bianca shares her powerful guiding principle: "learner before content." This simple yet profound approach encourages L&D professionals to deeply understand their audience before developing materials, ensuring relevance and impact. As a newly published author (her book with co-author Mike Taylor launches next week!), Bianca brings fresh perspectives on creating learning experiences that genuinely resonate with today's workforce.
The discussion takes a candid turn when Bianca identifies communication as the most overlooked lever for improving workplace performance. "Especially now in this era of AI and technology, it's noisy, it's really really noisy out there and cutting through that noise is hard," she explains. Building trust emerges as a critical theme throughout our conversation, with Bianca highlighting its cascading positive effects on organizational culture.
Looking toward the future of L&D, Bianca challenges traditional structures with a bold vision: "In a perfect world, I would love for L&D to not report into HR but to sit in each business line and support the business right there." This perspective invites L&D professionals to enhance their business acumen, remove departmental blinders, and collaborate across organizational boundaries.
Whether you're an L&D professional seeking fresh approaches, a leader navigating today's complex talent landscape, or simply curious about the future of workplace learning, this episode offers actionable insights to transform how you approach people development. Connect with Bianca on LinkedIn or visit trainlikeamarketer.com to learn more about her groundbreaking work.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
Professor Karl Kapp turns traditional learning and development on its head with his revolutionary Action First Learning framework. Rather than beginning with theory and content, Kapp advocates for jumping straight into action—allowing learners to try, potentially fail, and then receive targeted instruction based on their real-time experience.
The Commonwealth University professor brings years of research in gamification, instructional design, and performance improvement to this conversation, revealing how failure serves as our most powerful teacher. "We learn more from failure than we do from success," Karl explains, highlighting how creating safe spaces for practice and failure transforms reluctant learners into engaged participants. This approach proves especially effective with resistant groups like sales professionals, who typically avoid traditional role-playing but enthusiastically embrace Kapp's card-based challenge games.
When discussing the current learning landscape, Kapp addresses the elephant in the room: artificial intelligence. Rather than joining the AI hype cycle, he advocates for focusing on human capabilities and connection. "When we take AI out of the discussion, people's anxiety levels go way down," he notes, reminding us that organizations fundamentally function as human social groups. As L&D professionals uniquely touch every corner of their organizations, they hold tremendous power to humanize workplace interactions and shape culture, positioning people for success in an increasingly technology-driven environment.
Want to transform your learning approach? Discover Carl Kapp's "Action First Learning" book, available at all major retailers, and connect with him on LinkedIn and YouTube to explore how practice, action, and embracing failure might be the performance breakthrough your team needs.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
Ever wonder what happens when L&D professionals finally focus on their own development? Sarah Cannistra, founder of The Overnight Trainer, pulls back the curtain on this fascinating dynamic in our latest conversation.
Sarah brings dual perspectives as both an L&D career coach and the head of learning programs for a tech company, offering rare insights into what truly drives performance improvement. She challenges the reflexive "more training" approach that dominates many organizations, instead highlighting a frequently overlooked lever: understanding employee motivations. "It's not rocket science," she explains, but this fundamental element is often missed when companies sprint toward training solutions without addressing the human factors beneath performance challenges.
The conversation takes a revolutionary turn when Sarah advocates for user-generated content in learning programs. "We have seen ourselves as the gatekeepers of content," she notes, identifying how L&D professionals often become organizational bottlenecks rather than enablers. Her approach—focusing on curation rather than creation—has allowed her to effectively manage learning for 4,000 employees as a team of one. This shift from the traditional "sage on the stage" model to facilitating peer learning represents a significant evolution in how organizations develop talent.
What makes Sarah's insights particularly valuable is her practical experience implementing these approaches. She emphasizes the importance of understanding your organization's unique context rather than applying generic solutions. "What worked in manager development at my last full-time role does not work here," she reflects, encouraging L&D leaders to focus less on business goals (the "what") and more on methodologies and culture (the "how").
Ready to transform your approach to learning and development? Connect with Sarah at theovernighttrainer.com, check out her book "Land your Next L&D Role," or find her on LinkedIn to continue the conversation about the evolving landscape of talent development.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
Ever caught yourself scrolling through photos of presentation slides you'll never look at again? In this episode, cognitive science researcher Nidhi Sachdeva, PhD, challenges us to reconsider how we're learning in our digital age.
Nidhi, a teacher educator at the University of Toronto and microlearning specialist, shares a startling observation: we're thinking less and reflecting less—and it's impacting our ability to truly learn. Drawing from her extensive research, she explains why our long-term memory requires regular "massaging" through challenging conditions that prompt recall and reflection. The simple act of attempting to remember information before checking notes or photos can dramatically improve retention and drive meaningful behavioral change.
This conversation explores a fundamental disconnect in workplace learning design. Too often, organizations approach training as information dumps without considering the cognitive science of how people actually learn. "You can't connect the dots if you don't have the dots," Nidhi reminds us, emphasizing that dots are built through active thinking, not passive consumption. She references John Sweller's cognitive load theory to illustrate how instruction without understanding human cognitive architecture is essentially "blind."
Perhaps most compelling is Nidhi 's perspective on our evolutionary advantage—our neocortex—and how our rush toward AI and instant information access might be undermining millions of years of cognitive development. This isn't about rejecting technology but using it wisely while preserving our uniquely human capacity for deep reflection.
Whether you're designing learning experiences, leading a team, or simply trying to retain what you learn at your next conference, this episode offers practical wisdom on the power of pausing to think. Listen now and discover why sometimes the most powerful learning technology is the one between your ears.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
What if the key to career advancement was as simple as saying "yes" to opportunity? Howard H. Prager, President of Advanced Learning Group, believes this straightforward philosophy can transform professional development and organizational culture. During our conversation at ATD 2025, Howard reveals why our brains are naturally wired to say "no" and how overcoming this instinct unlocks tremendous growth potential.
The discussion takes a fascinating turn when Howard identifies change as life's third certainty (alongside death and taxes). In today's world of instant global communication and persistent uncertainty, leaders must become pioneers and explorers who encourage experimentation rather than resist the inevitable. Howard challenges the myth of the heroic solo leader, emphasizing that success comes through collaborative effort – not through following a single visionary into "battle."
Drawing from his book "Make Someone's Day: Becoming a Memorable Leader in Work and Life," Howard proposes a revolutionary practice for organizations: creating cultures centered around making others' days better. Imagine workplaces where people care more about supporting colleagues than protecting individual territories. Such environments naturally foster the engagement that organizations desperately seek but fail to capture through pulse surveys and metrics.
As both an executive coach and tuba player, Howard brings unique interdisciplinary insights to leadership development, using musical metaphors like improvisation and conductor-following to illustrate organizational dynamics. His approach reminds us that bringing diverse perspectives to challenges lightens everyone's load and enriches solutions.
Want to transform your workplace culture or accelerate your professional development? Connect with Howard at howard@advancedlearninggroup.com or find his book "Make Someone's Day: Becoming a Memorable Leader in Work and Life" wherever books are sold.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
What happens when we stop treating learning as a compliance checkbox and start designing it around human experience? Justin Seeley, e-Learning Evangelist for Adobe, reveals why most corporate training fails to engage employees and what we can do about it.
Having led learning teams at Twitter, LinkedIn Learning, Snapchat, and Walmart Marketplace, Justin brings a wealth of practical wisdom to this conversation about creating learning experiences that actually work. He challenges the conventional "sheep dip" approach to training where everyone receives identical instruction regardless of their learning preferences. Instead, he advocates for personalized, practice-based approaches that accommodate different learning styles.
"Learning is not necessarily overlooked, but it is undervalued," Justin explains, pinpointing why so many organizations struggle with workforce development despite substantial investments. He shares how his pioneering work with in-course practice modules at LinkedIn Learning dramatically improved engagement by giving learners hands-on challenges followed by solution demonstrations. This practice-feedback loop, combined with opportunities for peer interaction, creates the kind of immersive learning experience that drives real skill development.
As AI reshapes the learning landscape, Justin predicts a fundamental shift in how L&D leaders function—moving from production managers to strategic thought leaders. While some organizations might temporarily reduce L&D investments based on AI capabilities, he believes the pendulum will eventually swing back toward human expertise. His compelling call for democratizing education by breaking down learning silos offers a practical pathway for organizations navigating this transition.
Ready to transform how your organization approaches learning? Subscribe now for more insights on building high-performance teams through strategic talent development. Share your own learning experiences in the comments—we'd love to hear what works for you!
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
Dan Moore, Olympic high-performance coach for the GB men's rowing team, takes us behind the scenes of his recent success at the Paris Olympics, where he guided the men's four and men's pair to bronze and silver medals. Having started coaching at just 16 years old, Moore brings over half a lifetime of coaching wisdom to this conversation about team dynamics and leadership.
The discussion reveals a fascinating paradox at the heart of high-performance teams: "People tend to want to be right more than they want to win." Moore explains how this natural human tendency creates challenges when bringing together exceptional individual performers who must function as a cohesive unit. His provocative insight that "one bad idea executed together is better than four good ideas executed separately" challenges conventional thinking about team effectiveness.
Moore's leadership philosophy centers on connection rather than control. Through personal experience, he learned that talking with team members rather than preaching at them creates the trust necessary for authentic leadership. This approach proves especially valuable when navigating vulnerability and failure - two inevitable aspects of high-performance environments. Rather than avoiding discussions about potential setbacks, Moore advocates "previewing" failure by establishing team protocols for response before challenges arise. This preemptive approach builds resilience and accountability while minimizing finger-pointing when things don't go as planned.
Ready to transform your leadership approach? Subscribe to the People and Performance Podcast for more insights from experts across sports and business who understand what it takes to build high-performing teams in challenging environments.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
Today we are joined by Karl Dickson, a globally acclaimed figure in the realm of rugby, celebrated for his dual roles as a professional Rugby Union referee and a former England and Harlequins player.
His illustrious refereeing career reached new heights during the 2023 Rugby World Cup, where he officiated the quarter-final between Wales and Argentina and served as the assistant referee in the final between South Africa and New Zealand.
Karl’s story offers a unique perspective on decision-making under pressure, maintaining impartiality, and managing high-stakes environments. Whether you’re a leader guiding your team through challenges or simply looking to improve your ability to make tough calls, Karl’s insights are unmissable.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In the latest edition of this sports and business focused season, Chris and Bill are joined by Corey Samuels, Corey Samuels, a professional basketball player on the Bristol Flyers Men's Basketball team with a keen interest in business, HR, and inspiring others to perform at a high level.
Corey’s experiences on and off the court provide a great lens into teamwork, adaptability, and the drive to achieve excellence. His thoughts on maintaining focus and balance will resonate with anyone striving for their goals.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
Our guest this time is Felicia Rickards, an executive coach and leadership development consultant.
Felicia has worked with both sports stars and corporate C-suite leaders, making her uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between these two worlds.
She’ll unpack how coaching strategies in elite sports can empower corporate leaders to unlock their full potential.
Felicia is also co-organizer of events for HR and leaders including Disrupt Bermuda and Disrupt Milton Keynes.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this episode, Chris and Bill chat with Steve Mellor, a high-performance Coach at GrowthReady and Host of The GrowthReady Podcast.
Steve is a former top 50 globally-ranked swimmer and swim coach to olympic champions, All-Americans, and SEC medalists. Steve founded his company to serve executives, business owners, athletes and emerging leaders looking to attain optimal performance within their respective careers.
In 2022, Steve became a published author with his debut book SHOCK THE WORLD; A Competitor’s Guide to Realizing Your Potential where he provides readers with the shocks to their system they need to go and realize their potential.
Steve’s journey from elite athlete to mentor offers a fascinating look at how to navigate transitions, sustain motivation, and develop winning strategies. We’ll explore how the discipline and mindset of an Olympian translate into corporate success.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
Our guest this time is Zoe Thompson, who was once Britain’s second-strongest woman. After dealing with personal tragedy, Zoe Thompson embarked on a mission to change her life for the better.
Zoe’s story is one of grit, determination, and relentless pursuit of goals. Her perspective on building mental and physical strength and how these traits can translate into professional resilience will leave you inspired.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this episode, Chris and Bill talk with Emma Ross, a trailblazing leader in sports science, a staunch advocate for women's empowerment in sport, and Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at The Well HQ. Emma was formerly the Head of Physiology at the English Institute of Sport, where her mandate included nurturing Team GB talent across the hugely successful Rio and Tokyo Olympics.
Emma brings a wealth of knowledge on how science and data can empower teams to perform at their peak, whether that’s on the sports field or in the boardroom. Emma’s work focuses on well-being, resilience, and optimizing performance. Her insights are bound to inspire leaders to rethink how they support their teams.
Emma is a sought-after voice and consultant in women's sports, championing inclusivity, equity, and recognition of the female athlete's full potential. Despite her own background as a former rugby player and avid marathon runner, Emma recognizes the systemic barriers within cultural, medical, and academic frameworks that must be dismantled to pave the way for women's success in sports.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
Welcome to a very special preview episode of the People and Performance Podcast! Bill and Chris are thrilled to share a sneak peek into our upcoming Season 14.
We’ve got an incredible lineup that’s going to take us in a slightly different, but super exciting, direction this season.
Usually, we bring you insights into the strategic competencies, behaviors, and results needed to boost workforce performance—from attraction and recruitment to onboarding, measurement, and succession planning. But for Season 14, we’re switching gears to explore the world of elite sports and how the lessons learned at the highest levels of competition can inspire and inform corporate performance.
In the new season, Chris and Bill talk with sports professionals, international referees, and those who govern elite sports, all sharing their unique perspectives on performance, leadership, resilience, teamwork and the lessons from elite sport that translate to the corporate world of work.
Get the lowdown on what to expect from Season 14.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In the first People and Performance episode of 2025, we consider company culture and high achievement in the hospitality sector.
Our guest today is James Ferguson, speaker, employee engagement expert, and Corporate Director of Culture at The Wurzak Hotel Group, a Philadelphia-based, vertically integrated owner, developer, and operator of premium branded full-service, extended stay, and lifestyle hotels.
James is also the Bestselling Author of The Confetti Culture Playbook and award recipient at HRZone's recent Culture Pioneers Forum.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this episode of the People and Performance show, Dani Saadu, Head of People and Culture at Wavemaker, joins Bill and Chris to share some key strategies behind transformative workplace learning.
Dani is co-author of The CAPEX Formula for Learning and Performance: Mega-Trends Driving the New World of Work, Learning, Skills, and HR.
With over 15 years of experience as a people and culture, talent management, and organisational development professional, Dani is an expert in developing practical and sustainable programs that align with business goals and deliver measurable returns on investment.
Prior to joining Wavemaker, Dani held several director-level People roles in multiple sectors spanning retail, recruitment, pharmaceuticals and travel.
Questions for Dani Include:
- Give us an overview of your book, CAPEX Formula for Learning and Performance
- You discuss future-proofing organizations—what are the first steps companies need to take?
- CEOs often demand ROI for L&D investments. Why has this been so elusive, and how can we change that in 2025?
- If readers take one thing away from this book, what should it be?
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this episode of the People and Performance show, we consider systems thinking, ways to define strategic capabilities, and we review UNLEASH 2024 in Paris.
Chris and Bill are joined this time by Mary Glowacka, Global Head of Learning & Leadership Development at Rolls Royce, the aerospace and defense company.
With 15+ years of strategic practitioner experience and an unusual journey from operations into HR, Mary is also a member of Josh Bersin’s Senior Faculty, a regular speaker at HR industry events such as UNLEASH, and winner of the 2020 WinTrade Global Women in Leadership Award in recognition of progressive thinking in the banking sector.
Questions for Mary include:
- You have an unusual journey from operations into HR. Please introduce yourself and tell us about your career journey
- As we record this, you're 18 months into your role at Rolls Royce - what do you love about the position and what are some of the big challenges to improving the performance levels of its people?
- Why do you believe systems thinking is important for leaders?
- How do you identify and define a strategic capability?
- Can you tell me more about how you approach the development of these capabilities at Rolls Royce?
- Rolls Royce was recently recognized with the GOLD Brandon Hall Group Award for the Best Leadership Development Programme in 2024 – a global accolade for your Strategic Leadership Development Programme powered by your partners at London Business School. Congratulations! Tell me more.
- You recently spoke at UNLEASH in Paris. Can you briefly share some of your key takeaways from the 2024 event and why you believe other senior people leaders should attend?
More About Mary
Mary says her sweet spot is change enablement & transformation and her unique expertise combines strategy and execution across a wide range of people and HR processes with a key focus on learning, leadership & talent development, performance enablement, and HRIS/EdTech implementation.
As Head of Learning & Leadership Development at Rolls-Royce, Mary is leading strategic people capabilities development in support of Rolls-Royce’s transformation agenda set out by its new CEO
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this People and Performance episode, we hear from Enrique Rubio, Top 100 Global HR Influencer and speaker.
Enrique is the founder & CEO of Hacking HR, a global learning community at the intersection of the future of work technology and business with thousands of members from all over the world.
In addition, he is Head of Global Community at Transform.
Questions for Enrique include:
- You did not start in HR. You were an engineer for many years. Why move into HR?
- How is AI impacting the work done by HR pros and employees today?
- How will AI and LLM continue to improve the performance of employees?
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
Our guest today is Angela Cheng-Cimini, SVP, Talent & CHRO at Harvard Business Publishing.
Angela is a global executive Human Resources leader with over 30 years of comprehensive experience in both Generalist and Specialist competencies, partnering with C-suite leaders.
Tune in to hear Angela's thoughts on ways new managers can get over imposter syndrome. Angela also shares tips for how mid-level managers can better communicate the needs of their employees to senior leaders.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
Today’s leaders must navigate uncertainty and act with clarity. What worked yesterday may not work tomorrow, and future success requires innovation, decisive action, and the ability to influence change.
Bill is joined by Judith Germain, a multi-award-winning leadership catalyst and speaker at next week's Disrupt London event in partnership with HR Zone's Culture Pioneers Leadership Forum.
The Forum is a gathering for HR leaders and professionals who are passionate about transforming workplace culture. Featuring Disrupt London, this event offers a unique opportunity to learn from industry trailblazers, celebrate the achievements of forward-thinking organisations, and connect with like-minded professionals.
Judith's work focuses on empowering leadership teams, businesses, and organizations to thrive in times of complexity.
Bill and Chris hope you enjoy this conversation with Judith.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
Welcome to a brand new season of the People and Performance Podcast! In this episode, we consider some of the greatest challenges facing leaders today when it comes to attracting and keeping high-performing talent.
Joining Chris and Bill on the show is Dr. Patrick Simon, Senior Partner at McKinsey and Company, the global management consulting firm.
Patrick advises clients in Europe, the U.S., and Asia on a broad array of topics ranging from organizational design to strategy and operations. His focus is on large transformations and helping organizations achieve sustained growth by aligning their operating model more closely with market opportunities. His published work touches on various aspects of creating powerful organizations including agility, operating models for emerging markets, and efficient implementation.
Listen as we discuss how leaders navigate competing priorities to stay focused and effective.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
Welcome to another episode of the People and Performance Podcast. Our guest today is Dr Dieter Veldsman, Chief Scientist: HR and OD at AIHR (Academy to Innovate HR).
Listen as we discuss ways to improve the credibility of HR pros plus we ask "What does it mean to be a T-shaped HR professional?"
Questions for Dieter include:
- Let's talk about "HR Competencies for 2030: A Future Standard" - What does it mean to be a T-shaped HR professional?
- In a recent article called "HR Has a Bad Reputation" You outline 6 actions to improve HR credibility. Talk us through the six actions and why they matter.
- What is the single biggest change you think will happen in HR and leadership over the next 5-10 years?
More About Dr Dieter Veldsmen
Dieter is passionate about ideas, human behavior, and business. He has dedicated his career to the field of Work Psychology and Human Resource Management. With over 15+ years of experience, he has combined his interests to guide organizations in creating desirable workplaces that foster employee satisfaction and retention. Throughout his journey he has worked with diverse organizations across EMEA, APAC, and LATAM, and have held executive-level positions such as Group Chief People Officer, Director of Consulting Services, and Chief Research Scientist.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this episode, we welcome Tara Furiani to the show. Combining a razor-sharp wit with over two decades of expertise in the people business, Tara fuses scholarly depth with battle-tested experience, making her a tour de force in HR, executive team-building, DEI, and corporate culture.
Outside the professional sphere, Tara doesn’t just talk work-life balance; she lives it. A loving parent to five kids, Tara also hosts the popular podcast "Not the HR Lady," - offering fresh perspectives on the stale ideologies plaguing businesses today.
Questions for Tara include:
- We are big fans of your podcast, Not the HR Lady. Tell our listeners about the show.
- Can you mention 2 or 3 guests on your pod that have made you rethink ways to improve employee performance?
- Tell us about your book: F*ck Your Office Snacks
- If you could pass on one crucial lesson you have learned in your career, what would be your top tip for HR professionals and leaders?
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this episode, we focus on employee motivation and its connection with performance levels.
Our guest today is Paul Yoachum, co-founder & Managing Partner at FindMojo, the creators of the Motivators Assessment, the workplace motivation assessment. As a cofounder, managing partner, and CMO Paul is responsible for overseeing the company’s growth, customer acquisition, content, and product strategy.
Paul is a frequent speaker at training and leadership events throughout North America where he speaks on sales performance, employee motivation and productivity, corporate culture, and teamwork. He also guest lectures at universities and non-profit organizations throughout the country on a variety of organizational management topics.
Questions for Paul include:
- Why is motivation key to employee retention and higher performance?
- What are the big motivators at the moment? E.g. higher salaries, benefits, professional development, CSR?
- How does your team help customers better understand team members by discovering motivational synergies, uniqueness, and cautions?
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
Welcome to another People and Performance episode. Our guest today is Natalie Massey, Operations Manager at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and former Area Executive Assistant to the NASA Deputy Administrator at NASA.
Questions for Natalie include:
- What challenges can admin and HR staff better tackle together?
- Given ChatGPT etc, what does the admin professional role and job description look like in the new workplace?
- What is the single biggest change you think will happen in admin and HR roles plusleadership over the next 5-10 years?
More about Natalie
Natalie has been the recipient of a NASA Honor Award in Administrative Excellence.
Previously, Natalie served as Executive Assistant to NASA’s Deputy Administrator, where she directly contributed to the overall Agency vision and independently performed administrative management functions that serviced organizational requirements. She demonstrated critical, institutional familiarity of the agency process and history to enable thoughtful decision-making on behalf of the Deputy Administrator.
Natalie joined NASA in September 1996 as a Cooperative Office Experience student at Goddard Space Flight Center and has served in a variety of roles at the agency, including at Headquarters in 2010. Natalie has over 25 years of progressive experience in programs and projects related to NASA strategy formulation, science, and technology investments. She has had significant experience in the development and implementation of strategies to maintain a viable administrative community.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this episode, we discuss ways to maximize performance in the security sector.
Our guest today is Sarah Hayes, HR Director at Securitas UK and Co-founder and Director at Running on Empty.
With over 25 years of HR experience, Sarah is an award-winning fellow of the CIPD. Having worked in senior roles in various sectors including retail, financial services, and railway.
Sarah has worked at Securitas for 8 years and has been the HR Director for the UK for the last 4 years.
Sarah has led through the turbulent time of Covid, whilst still making huge strides in the provision of development of their people, making learning available to all employees, leadership development for all people managers and a diversity and inclusion strategy that saw Securitas UK be shortlisted as a finalist for multiple awards.
Sarah combines her HR expertise with a passion for people and employee engagement. With a particular interest in diversity, inclusion and belonging, Learning and Development, and health and wellbeing for all.
Questions for Sarah include:
- You've had several HR roles over the years. Why choose a career in HR? Advice for others thinking of going into HR?
- How does Securitas UK invest in training and development to enhance the skills and knowledge of your people and keep them relevant in the face of challenges such as AI? How are you adopting AI?
- Securitas has kindly offered their HQ in MK to host special edition of Disrupt Cambridge. Long may our relationship continue! Why host Disrupt?
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In an era where burnout, ‘quiet quitting’ and work-life balance have permeated the conversation around employment, how can employers stand out?
The implementation of a shorter work week, says today's guest, is the most equitable way to strive towards this universal goal of balance and happiness.
Our guest this time is Joe O’Connor, a globally recognized expert in shorter working weeks. Joe leads the Toronto-based Work Time Reduction Centre of Excellence that's focused on how a four-day week might work in the HR field and what it might mean for recruitment, retention and employee happiness.
Joe was also a speaker at DisruptHR Buffalo in April 2024.
Questions for Joe include:
- In terms of higher performance/output, what are some of the key benefits to a shorter work week?
- How does a shorter workweek affect retention and recruitment?
- What are some key obstacles to the four-day week you’ve seen that leaders and/or HR professionals might encounter and how can we best overcome them?
- We all spoke at DisruptHR Buffalo earlier this year. Tell our listeners about your experience and your 5-minute presentation
More About Joe O'Connor
Joe is the Director and Co-founder ofthe world's first Center of Excellence in Work Time Reduction, a new global initiative based in Toronto, Canada, which has been launched in partnership with leading people-first transformation company Curium Solutions.
Previously, as the chief executive officer of 4 Day Week Global, Joe led the design and implementation of four-day week trials all over the world, supporting hundreds of employers and thousands of employees to make the transition to reduced-hour, productivity-focused working in 2021 and 2022.
Joe recently led a research project on work time reduction as a visiting research scholar with Cornell University in New York City. He is now based in Toronto, where he heads up Canadian operations for Curium Solutions in addition to directing the Work Time Reduction CoE.
Joe is also formerly the chairperson of the Four Day Week Ireland campaign, having founded the coalition in2019, where he developed the world's first four-day week pilot program and research project in 2021.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this episode, Bill Banham and Chris Bjorling are joined by Tim Whitley, Director of HR Technology at Oklahoma State University.
Tim is passionate about harnessing technology's transformative potential; seeing HR not as a functional necessity but as a strategic powerhouse.
Listen as we explore the crossroads of technology and HR and consider the impact of the AI revolution on the tools we use at work.
Questions for Tim include:
- What impact do you see the AI revolution having on HR and, specifically, the HR tech profession?
- When advising newcomers to the HR tech space, what key skills and competencies would you suggest they focus on developing?
- What are the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the HR tech sector over the next five years?
About Tim Whitley
Tim is passionate about harnessing technology's transformative potential, envisioning HR not just as a functional necessity but as a strategic powerhouse.
Recognizing the pivotal role HR tech professionals play, Tim is dedicated to championing these unsung heroes. He endeavors to equip them with the support, tools, and acknowledgment they rightly deserve in their pursuit of technological innovation within HR.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this episode, we preview seasons 12 to 14 of the People and Performance Podcast plus we talk about the ATD Conference in New Orleans.
Listen and Chris and Bill discuss:
- The new seasons of the podcast and some of the new amazing guests listeners will hear from
- One of the new seasons is focused on high performance in elite sports and the connections with output in a commercial setting. Listen to get the lowdown
- Bill and Chris discuss their experienes at the DisruptHR Buffalo relaunch in April.
- The ATD Conference and Expo is underway in New Orleans. Bill, Chris and Eren Ikiz will be covering the event on behalf of HR Gazette. Tune in to leanr what attendees can expect.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this episode, we talk about flexible working, remote employees and Obstacles to building a company culture based on high-performance.
The guest is Bryan Adams, CEO & Founder of employer brand agency Ph.Creative, Employer Brand Strategist, Best-Selling Author, and Speaker.
Questions for Bryan include:
- Tell us about your HR World session on "Crafting an Employee Value Proposition with the Give and Get Methodology".
- Why embrace flexible work?
- What challenges does having a remote workforce create?
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this episode, we discuss gender equality, the living wage and more.
Our guest today is Deborah Borg, Chief Human Resources and D&I Officer at International Flavors & Fragrances, a world leader in food and beverage, home and personal care, and health.
Deb is a seasoned HR and Business executive who has enabled business success through people for over 20 years. Her record of success can be attributed to an unusual breadth of experience having held key leadership roles in both general management and Human Resources for over 20 years in multinational industry leading companies. She has a passion for the human dimension of business, and applies her strong business acumen, curiosity, leadership and technical expertise in support of the business agenda as both a board member and a c-suite executive.
Questions for Deborah include:
- IFF was recently named #1 in America and #10 globally on Equileap’s gender equality global report and ranking. What does this say about IFF's efforts to champion inclusion as a key advantage?
- What does it mean for the employer brand and recruitment efforts when a company can point to accolades like this?
- IFF is committed to the Living Wage Pledge to ensure all employees around the world receive a living wage as defined within their country. Why is this important?
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
Happy International Women's Day! Today is dedicated to celebrating accomplishments of women, and marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Around the world, groups unite to celebrate women's achievements or advocate for gender equality.
As a nod to this special day, Chris Bjorling and Bill Banham thought it would be great to share answers from ten awesome women who've been guests on the show. The responses offered tackle this question: "In one minute or less, can you share one piece of advice or some direction you were given by a mentor, leader or colleague that inspired you to perform at a higher level in your career?"
In order of appearance, you'll hear answers from these ten awesome women:
- Whitney Johnson, CEO of human capital consultancy Disruption Advisors
- Kathy Caprino, an internationally-recognized career and leadership coach, writer, speaker and educator dedicated to the advancement of women in business
- Lila Nazef, Vice President of Sales and Marketing (North America) at Neocase, a Saas platform for automating HR service delivery
- Rita Sookrit, Toronto-based L&D expert and co-organizer of DisruptHR Buffalo
- Kim Tabac, a consultant helping businesses big and small across North America to leverage their number one asset: their people
- Keirsten Greggs, founder and CEO of TRAP Recruiter LLC
- Jacqueline Kuhn, Co-Owner and Executive Vice President, Strategic Services at HRchitect
- Janet M. Stovall, Global Head of DEI at the NeuroLeadership Institute, a global neuroscience-backed consultancy advising companies including Boeing, Microsoft, Netflix, and Zoom on DEI and workplace culture
- Tia Graham, Founder of Arrive At Happy and author of the book Be a Happy Leader. Throughout its pages, strategies and tactics are provided which include the use of positive psychologiy, having a broad perspective, executing quickly, creating strong relationships, measuring what matters, and being the spark in the team
- Ebonee Davis Ifeobu, Vice President, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Bridgestone Americas
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
Today is Employee Appreciation Day! The holiday started to appear in workplace calendars around 1995 and has since grown into a well-loved tradition. Its creation is credited to Dr. Bob Nelson in collaboration with his company, Workman Publishing. Now, almost 30 years later, more and more companies are celebrating this semi-official holiday in one fashion or another all around the world!
To celebrate employee appreciation day 2024, hosts Chris Bjorling and Bill Banham couldn't think of a better guest to be on the People and Performance Podcast than the awesome Rob Catalano, Chief Engagement Officer at WorkTango, a platform that offers employees a voice and leaders actionable insights. Using data science and natural language processing, Rob and his team help to deliver real-time insights to HR, executives and leaders on any initiative that requires employee feedback, and help companies measure employee engagement. The results are higher engagement and better people decisions.
Rob is also a co-organizer of the popular DisruptHR Toronto events - a series that is dedicated to celebrating the achievements of employees and leaders.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
Our guest this time is Joshua Siegal a multi-time Head of People for some of Canada’s most successful scale-up tech companies. He’s currently operating as a Fractional Chief People Officer, Advisor, Investor, and Speaker, empowering organizations to build sustainable, high-performance cultures.
Josh will also be a speaker at DisruptHR Buffalo on April 11.
Listen as we discuss ways to navigate a 'polycrisis'and keep employees energized during difficult times
Questions for Josh Include:
- Can you share your experiences of "navigating a polycrisis" and keeping employees energized during challenging times?
- What are some ways to navigate layoffs more compassionately?
- How can we create human connection in a decentralized world?
- Can you share some top advice you've had from a mentor?
- Tell us about your talk on April 11.
More About Josh
Josh possesses a deep love for coaching, mentoring, & education. Be it in the boardroom or in the classroom, he feels it is his purpose to help those around him unleash their full potential.
When not leading People & Culture teams, Josh has a deep passion for the martial arts, yoga, reading, and spending time with his amazing wife and adorable dog.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this episode, we consider how to source and hire high-performers. Our guest today is Shally Steckerl, Principal Consultant and Founderat The Sourcing Institute.
Shally is a globally recognized recruiting leader who has helped build sourcing organizations for companies such as Microsoft, Google, Coca-Cola, Cisco, and Motorola. He is a writer, a public speaker, and an adjunct professor at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Shally is known as the "Godfather of Sourcing" and has dedicated much of his adult life to teaching his sourcing methods to those who want to be better. Shally understands what it takes to get leads on the phone and contracts on deck.
Questions for Shally include:
- In many industries, it's tough to find and hire high-performing people right now. Why is that?
- Is culture fit important?
- What's different about what top candidates expect from their next job and how have expectations changed since we came through the pandemic?
- How can hiring managers mess it up at the interview stage? What pitfalls should they avoid to get the candidate over the line?
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
The numbers consistently show that a diverse workforce, supported by rigorous DEI policies, can unleash a myriad of benefits. It has the power to revolutionize an organization's performance, drive innovation, enhance decision-making, and ultimately, create a thriving culture of excellence.
In this episode of the People and Performance Podcast, we delve deep into some practical strategies, insights, and success stories from an industry leader who champions diversity ways to leverage DEI initiatives to achieve higher overall levels of employee performance.
Listen as we explore ways in which a more diverse workforce, coupled with robust DEI recruitment policies, can become a catalyst for positive change, propelling organizations to new heights of success.
Our guest this time is Keirsten Greggs, founder and CEO of TRAP Recruiter LLC, a recruiting consulting and career coaching firm. With over 20 years of experience in talent acquisition, she's passionate about helping organizations attract, select and retain the best people, including underrepresented candidates, as well as helping job seekers find their voice in the hiring process.
With 20+ years of experience in Talent Acquisition, she’s known around the industry. Add that to being featured as an expert by ERE, InHerSight, Diversity Jobs, Hiretual, Talview, TechTarget, BBC World Service Radio, MadameNoire, Fast Company, and SiriusXM Urban View.
Listen and learn practical techniques and strategies you can use to attract, source, and retain diverse candidates and the benefits it’ll bring to the performance of your company.
Questions for Keirsten include:
- Can you tell us about your passion for recruiting?
- Can you share 2 or 3 top diversity recruiting strategies to achieve better levels of DEI in the workplace?
- What do many job candidates get wrong about working with a recruiter?
- What do many employers get wrong when trying to recruit a more diverse workforce? How can they make the employer brand more appealing?
- How is AI helping to remove bias from the sourcing and recruiting process?
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this episode of the People and Performance Podcast, we hear from Dr. Sue Haywood, President and Owner at Human Resource Blueprints Ltd and Associate Professor, Organizational Behaviour at Queen's University.
Sue’s career includes service with the Canadian Armed Forces and HR roles within healthcare, government, and Fortune 500 companies. She serves on the HRPA board of directors, volunteers with Great Dane rescue and is the proud mom of a pre-schooler.
Questions for Sue include:
- You were featured on the HR Like a Boss show back in 2023. In it, you discussed how HR and leaders can help deliver the work environments that employees are looking for. Can you give us your take.
- What are some challenges to developing leaders when so much time today is spent working remotely?
- How can top performers be incentivized to move into leadership roles?
- How important is experiencing failure so that, in the long term, one has a successful career?
- Do leaders learn more from failures than wins?
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this episode of the People and Performance Podcast, we discuss what organizations often miss in their approach to leveraging data when making resource decisions around people and culture. Our guest this time is Craig Forman, Founder at CultureC Consulting.
For over a decade, Craig’s work has been driven by a singular professional purpose: to help the world work better by improving the places we work. Over his career, he’s supported some of the most notable and highly successful organizations to build human-focused, high-performing workplace cultures.
Questions for Craig include:
- What has your journey taught you regarding the power of data when it comes to people & culture?
- What are organizations often missing in their approach to leveraging data when making resource decisions around people and culture?
- Tell us about your time at Culture Amp and your ultimate transition to launch CultureC Consulting
More About Craig
Craig recently founded CultureC Consulting following six years as Lead People Scientist at Culture Amp. CultureC is focused on helping organizations implement a data-informed approach to their people and culture, resulting in actions that have an impact. Additionally, he designed and led Culture Amp’s award-winning Culture First global community, now with over 100 global chapters and led the experience design for the Culture First Global conference, spanning four years and 15 events reaching hundreds of thousands of culture enthusiasts.
Craig holds a Master's degree in Industrial / Organizational Psychology and is a proud veteran of the US Air Force.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this episode of the People and Performance Podcast, we welcome Brian Hughes, the former VP of Human Resources at First Onsite onto the show to discuss leadership development and share some findings from a summer 2023 Canada-wide workplace values survey.
Questions for Brian include:
- How can medium and large organizations foster a culture of continuous learning among HR leaders and C-level executives to adapt to the dynamic business landscape?
- How can HR leaders and C-level executives better collaborate to embrace emerging HR technologies and use data-driven insights to enhance talent acquisition, retention, and succession planning?
- How can HR leaders ensure that the learning and development initiatives for C-level executives are aligned with the organization's overall business goals and long-term vision, and how can people analytics assist in measuring this alignment?
- Let's now discuss some findings from First Onsite's workplace values survey released in summer 2023:
- The report says 75% of Canadians believe hybrid working is here to stay. For white-collar salaried jobs, what's a good balance? (in-office, remote, and on-the-go workers).
- It's interesting to see that 41% of Canadians feel they lack options for purposeful employment. What initiatives or programs should leadership have in place to provide meaningful and purposeful roles for employees?
- The survey indicates that 23% of Canadians plan to quit or change jobs in 2023, with a higher percentage among younger adults. How can HR leaders play a bigger role in retaining their talent, especially the younger workforce, in light of this finding?
This episde was recorded in summer 2023.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
Chris and Bill are joined this time by Craig Weber, author of the best-selling book, "Conversational Capacity: The Secret To Building Successful Teams That Perform When The Pressure Is On" (McGraw-Hill, 2013) and the sequel, "Influence in Action: How to Build Your Conversational Capacity, Do Meaningful Work, and Make a Powerful Difference" (McGraw-Hill, 2019).
Craig says he's "on a mission to help people build more healthy, engaged, and adaptive organizations" and he shares practical skills for putting good ideas to work: from running better meetings and making smarter decisions to facilitating more productive change and crafting more effective strategy.
Questions for Craig include:
- What do you mean when you talk about 'inspiring constructive change'?
- What do you focus on when creating a program to help leaders and high-skilled professionals to perform at top levels? Share some of your philosophy and the business practices you promote.
- What does a productive meeting mean to you and should all in attendance have a voice?
- Can you tell us about your book, Conversational Capacity: The Secret To Building Successful Teams That Perform When The Pressure Is On
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In episode two of season 10, we hear from Jacob Morgan, a multiple best-selling author, TED and keynote speaker, professionally trained futurist, and the international best-selling author of 5 books which focus on leadership, the future of work and employee experience.
Questions for Jacon include:
- In a recent LinkedIn article, you offer up four key traits that innovative leaders possess. Can you run through those now?
- Does innovation always start from the top or can employees shape the company culture and drive higher performance?
- Is burnout the biggest threat to high performance?
- Can you share ways you lead with vulnerability?
- Your latest book is called Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization. Tell us more.
More About Jacob
Jacob's passion and mission is to create great leaders, engaged employees, and future-ready organizations and his work has been endorsed by the CEOs of: Unilever, Cisco, Mastercard, Nestle, Best Buy, SAP, KPMG, T-Mobile, Audi, Kaiser Permanente, and many others.
Jacob has also contributed to and been cited in publications such as Cosmopolitan, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, CNN, Glamour, the MIT Sloan Management Review, USA Today, and The Harvard Business Review.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In the first episode of season 10, Chris Bjorling and Bill Banham look ahead to the latest season and offer up sound bites from a bunch of awesome new guests including:
- Jacob Morgan, Keynote & TED Speaker, Futurist, and Host of the Great Leadership Podcast - Jacob is a multi-best-selling author. His latest book is called Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization.
- Dr. Sue Haywood, President and Owner at Human Resource Blueprints Ltd and Associate Professor, Organizational Behaviour at Queen's University - Sue’s career includes service with the Canadian Armed Forces and HR roles within healthcare, government, and Fortune 500 companies. Sue also serves on the HRPA board of directors.
- Craig Forman, founder of CultureC Consulting - Over his career, Craig has supported some of the most notable and highly successful organizations to build human-focused, high-performing workplace cultures. Craig recently founded CultureC Consulting following six years as Lead People Scientist at Culture Amp. Craig holds a Master's degree in Industrial / Organizational Psychology and is a proud veteran of the US Air Force.
- Brian Hughes, the VP of Human Resources at First Onsite - Brian is a leader who has found success by making empathy and wellbeing top priorities throughout the years.
- Craig Weber, author of the best-selling book, "Conversational Capacity: The Secret To Building Successful Teams That Perform When The Pressure Is On" - Craig says he's "on a mission to help people build more healthy, engaged, and adaptive organizations" and he shares practical skills for putting good ideas to work: from running better meetings and making smarter decisions to facilitating more productive change and crafting more effective strategy.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this episode of the People and Performance show, we consider ways HR, L&d pros, and leaders can support a culture of continuous learning and development. Listen too, as we tackle some of the common obstacles that can block a successful L&D journey.
Our guest this time is Toby Kheng, speaker, consultant, L&D enthusiast and Founder/Employee Experience Consultant at Freeformers
Questions for Toby include:
- What are some common factors that get in the way of L&D initiatives?
- How can HR and leaders support a culture of continuous learning and development?
- You spoke at DisruptHR Norwich and DisruptHR Cambridge in 2023. Tell us about your sessions.
- In a Solvd Together blog post, you wrote: "When it comes to the HR or People functions, data remains a sorely underutilized tool — and these functions risk falling further and further behind as the ways in which we can use data advance and people take back the power of their activities... Consumer-facing organizations are using data to make better decisions and... this can be easily applied to the world of people-management (through… you guessed it… Human Centred Design)." Tell us more.
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this episode, we consider ways an LMS can improve the employee experience and impact your bottom line.
Our guest today is Graham Glass, Founder and CEO at CYPHER Learning, a company leading the disruption of learning platforms to unleash human potential with modern learning experiences.
Questions for Graham include:
- What are the key benefits of bite-size learning compared to course-based learning?
- What are your top tips for those looking to leverage AI for personalized learning experiences that'll improve the overall performance of the org?
- The skills gap between employees and employers has serious consequences. CYPHER Learning's 2023 survey highlights the need for modernized training to stay competitive. Can you talk about some of findings and how training impacts the workplace, employees' priorities, and the changing face of training environments?
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this episode of the People and Performance Podcast, we consider ways leaders can help inspire employees to perform at a higher level, the impact of AI on jobs, and we enter into the bite-size v course-based learning debate.
The guest today is Andrei Hedstrom, Founder and CEO at SweetRush, a company providing services to improve team culture and employee performance.
Andrei says "SweetRush’s focus on team culture and mastery of performance improvement is reflected in a near-zero turnover of teammates, loyal clients, a 23-year track record of success, and a remarkable portfolio."
Questions for Andrei include:
- In terms of one-on-one colleague relationships, how can leaders help inspire employees to perform at a higher level?
- Culture & leader transformation - where does one start?
- Staff augmentation - contingent staff, gig workers or both?
- VR & emerging technologies - what's hot in immersive tech?
Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance
The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.
Chris Bjorling, Co-host
Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.
For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.
Bill Banham, Co-host
Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.
Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.
Contact us to learn more!
In this episode of the People and Performance pod, we consider ways to connect employee performance to company output. Listen too, as we chat about ways AI can fill performance gaps.
Chris and Bill are joined by Kim Tabac, a consultant helping businesses big and small across North America to leverage their number one asset: their people.
Kim has over 20 years of experience designing and executing People & Culture strategies for leading organizations across various industries.
Kim, welcome to the People and Performance pod!
Questions for Kim include:
- Connecting employee performance to company performance: How did you manage these processes when you were a people leader at companies such as Deloitte and Canadian Tire and what would you say to those that suggest annual performance reviews are a thing of the past?
- Many companies are trying to streamline processes and reduce headcounts at the moment. What are some ways this can be achieved without damage to the employer brand and overall performance levels?
- Leveraging the international talent market to fill key roles is one way to keep people costs down. What are some of the benefits and complexities of building a global workforce?
More About Kim Tabac
Kim is best known for building high-performing teams, designing game-changing employee engagement strategies, developing inclusive work environments, delivering highly valued health & wellness programs, and driving the adoption of innovation and technology to disrupt traditional HR practices.
Throughout her career she has worked at both large enterprises, led the HR team at the largest professional services firm in the world, and was the first Chief People Officer at Canada’s unicorn startup League.
Our guest this time is Gregg Brown, a global speaker and advisor. Gregg engages leaders all over the world to build the courage to dive into the never-ending waves of change. These audiences range from Fortune 500 companies such as Johnson & Johnson, and TD Bank through to international humanitarian organizations including the UN, Habitat for Humanity and the CDC.
Questions for Gregg include:
- You recently wrote a blog post on how to create positive change in your work, life, and community. Tell us more.
- In a recent LI post, you write "In business, problems are inevitable. Successful organizations distinguish themselves by focusing on solutions. What does solution-focused thinking do for us?" So Gregg, what DOES solution-focused thinking do for us in the context of improving the performance of employees?
- What are some of your go-to tips for tackling a busy schedule so one can focus on what's going to push the needle forward?
- You have a new book coming out. It's called SPARK ACTION. Tell us more.
- You lay out a roadmap for people to engage others so they can take action. What are 3 things you can suggest to people to improve their ability to get others to take action quickly - given all the competing pressures going?
The US labor market is undergoing subtle yet impactful shifts, presenting HR and Talent Acquisition professionals with challenges and opportunities. In this episode of the People and Pereformance Podcast, we look at economic policy, the US labor market and macroeconomics
Chris Bjorling and Bill Banham are joined by Andrew Flowers, Labor Economist at Appcast. former economist at Indeed, and data journalist at FiveThirtyEight.
Questions for Andrew include:
How has inflation in 2023 impacted the job market and recruiting?
What's the outlook for the tech sector in the next 12 months?
* What has been the impact of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act?
More About Andrew Flowers
Andrew Flowers began his career as an economic analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta where he analyzed macroeconomic and financial data, produced reports and briefed its president, board of directors and other stakeholders on economic and financial conditions in the U.S. and abroad.
Prior to joining Appcast in 2021, Andrew spent nearly three years at Indeed.com as an economist at its global research institute, the Hiring Lab. Before that, he was the quantitative editor and an economics writer at FiveThirtyEight, a premier media destination for data-driven coverage of politics and sports.
Enjoyed this conversation with Andrew, hear more from him on the HRchat pod.
In this episode of the People and Performance Podcast, we consider the evolving L&D space and ways to help employees add more to the bottom line.
Chris and Bill are joined this time by Rita Sookrit, Canada Learning Lead at Hemsley Fraser.
Rita is a globally-experienced L&D leader. Skilled in aligning business goals with L&D strategy, she helps companies implement innovative solutions using technology, tools, and frameworks. She also combines business acumen with portfolio skills to build trust, align stakeholders, tackle challenges, and inspire creativity for workplace learning.
Questions for Rita include:
- Why is investing in L&D a necessity, not just a nice-to-have?
- How can an employee development framework support leaders and executives in adapting to the evolving marketplace and business landscape, ensuring their teams' resilience in the face of challenges such as the rising cost of living, the Ukraine war, and the lasting effects of Covid?
- Considerations for wellness and mental health are a priority for many organizations. How do these impact learning efficacy?
- Remote learning remains a big adjustment for trainers and learners. Hemsley Fraser has identified major trends that can support organizations. Tell me more.
- In one minute or less, can you share one piece of advice or some direction you were given by a mentor, leader or colleague that inspired you to perform at a higher level in your career?
- From a culture and people processes perspective, what does a high-performing company mean to you?
Following a short break, Chris Bjorling and Bill Banham are back for more seasons of the People and Performance Podcast!
Season nine will focus on all things L&D-related and we're lucky to have some awesome new guests joining us on the show. In season nine, you can expect to hear from such experts as Rita Sookrit, Director at Hemsley Fraser, Kim Tabac, Founder, Kim Tabac HR, Toby Kheng, L&D expert, Andrew Flowers, Labor Economist with Appcast, Gregg Brown, Author and international keynote speaker, Andrei Hedstrom, CEO at SweetRushand Graham Glass, CEO at CYPHER Learning.
In episode one, we share exclusive snippets from some the upcoming episodes as we play answers to one of the two questions we ask of all of our guests. That question is: "From a culture and people processes perspective, what does a high-performing company mean to you?" Tune in to hear insights from:
- Dave Ulrich
- Rita Sookrit
- Jon Ingham
- Andrew Flowers
- Kim Tabac
- Josh Bersin
In this episode, we consider ways to elevate employee performance through well-crafted DEI policies.
In the pursuit of building inclusive organizations, leaders and HR professionals are increasingly recognizing the importance of measuring diversity and leveraging those findings to shape company culture and improve the performance of the org.
How do these attempts to measure diversity impact an employee's perception of the company? In this episode, we explore the impact that measuring diversity and applying those findings can have on an employee's perception of their employer's brand.
By embracing transparency and adopting data-driven approaches, companies can cultivate a culture that celebrates diversity, fosters inclusion, and promotes equality. Listen as we delve into how these efforts to measure diversity can shape employee perceptions, engender trust, and enhance employee satisfaction and commitment.
Joining Bill Banham and Chris Bjoring on the show today is Janet M. Stovall, Global Head of DEI at the NeuroLeadership Institute, a global neuroscience-backed consultancy advising companies including Boeing, Microsoft, Netflix, and Zoom on DEI and workplace culture.
Questions for Janet include:
- What can well-crafted, fully-researched DEI policies and practices mean for the overall performance levels of employees?
- The NeuroLeadership Institute works with such companies as Boeing, Microsoft, Netflix, and Zoom on DEI and workplace culture. For those organizations currently trying to measure diversity and better bus outcomes, what lessons can they take from Boeing etc to improve their DEI initiatives?
- How can measuring diversity impact an employee’s perception of a company?
- What tools of measurement for DEI no longer work?
In this episode, Chris Bjorling and Bill Banham are joined by Lila Nazef, Vice President of Sales and Marketing (North America) at Neocase, a Saas platform for automating HR service delivery.
Listen as Lila shares some lessons businesses can take from good customer experience to improve their employee experience.
Questions for Lila include:
- What are some tech trends that you are seeing in the HR industry and how could they shake things up?
- What is Neocase doing to prepare and support organizations through these changes?
- Why is employee experience so important to employee performance?
- Can you share some lessons businesses can take from good customer experience to improve the employee experience?
About Neocase
Neocase is the Saas platform for automating HR Service Delivery. Their clients use Neocase to achieve faster time to value through reduced implementation costs and make real productivity gains by reducing the time spent on administrative tasks through processes automation and workflow efficiencies.
Virtual Reality (VR) technology has the potential to add huge value to the org. In this episode, we delve into ways VR can improve the employee experience and boost performance levels.
Listen as we talk about how VR can be used for immersive and interactive employee training, creating lifelike simulations that facilitate faster learning, increased retention, and skill development.
Joining Bill Banham and Chris Bjorling on the podcast to highlight some of the exciting possibilities of VR is Matt Burns.
Matt is the Host & Executive Producer of Thinking Inside the Box Podcast, Value Advisory at Ceridian, and Founder at BentoHR, a digital transformation consultancy working at the intersection of strategy, technology, operations and human capital to accelerate value creation.
Questions for Matt Burns include:
- How can virtual reality impact business outcomes?
- How is VR being utilized in the field of HR at the moment?
- How is VR helping to improve employee engagement scores?
- Can you share some examples of organizations that have successfully implemented VR in their HR practices, and what results have they seen?
- Are there any potential drawbacks or challenges when incorporating VR into HR practices, and how can they be mitigated?
- For organizations considering the adoption of VR in their HR practices, what advice would you offer to ensure a smooth and successful implementation?
- What are some near-future applications of VR in the workplace?
If you enjoyed this edition of the People and Performance Podcast, you may also like these HRchat Podcast episodes featuring Matt.
In this episode of the People and Performance Podcast, we consider the role of senior HR leaders in the automotive industry and consider some ways the HR function will evolve over the next 5-10 years plus how DEI efforts can continue to take center stage.
Chris Bjorling and Bill Banham are joined this time by Ebonee Davis Ifeobu, Vice President, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Bridgestone Americas.
Among other accolades, Ebonee was listed as one of Engagedly’s list of the Top 100 HR influencers for 2021.
Questions for Ebonee Include:
- You are an experienced senior HR pro in the automotive industry. You're skilled in Organizational Change and Development, Deferred Compensation, Conflict Resolution, Human Resource Development, and Training Delivery. What are your predictions for ways the HR function will evolve over the next 5-10 years and how will/should DEI efforts continue to take center stage?
- You've previously been keen to stress that what defines you is not the summation of your credentials but the summation of your character. Talk to us about showing vulnerability as a leader and the role it plays in team engagement and DE&I efforts.
- Can you make the business case for investment in DEI? How does more investment in DEI translate into higher performance?
It's day two of the UNLEASH America Conference in fabulous Las Vegas and in this episode of the People and Performance Podcast, we chat with a leader of one of the awesome companies exhibiting in Sin City!
Our guest this time is Shay David is Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO at Retrain.ai, a talent intelligence platform designed to help enterprises hire, retain, and develop their workforce, intelligently.
Listen as we discuss UNLEASH plus talk about how we can ensure generative AI in the workplace is used in ethical ways.
Questions for Shay include:
- How is generative AI like ChatGPT changing and improving the ways we work?
- OpenAI has launched its API so enterprises and vendors can build industry-specific chatbot solutions. What does this mean for the future of work?
- Using responsible AI to help enterprises: How can we ensure generative AI is used in the right (ethical) ways?
- How can HR leaders stay ahead of the curve and remain compliant with the use of their generative AI tech?
- The Unleash America conference in Las Vegas kicks off April 26th! Your team will be on site at Booth #B121. Give us an overview of the event and why you decided to exhibit there.
In this episode of the People and Performance podcast, we focus on wellbeing in the workplace and ways to recognize and tackle stress.
Our guest today is Professor Sir Cary Cooper, CBE, the 50th Anniversary Prof of Organizational Psychology & Health at Manchester Business School at the University of Manchester.
Cary is the author and editor of hundreds of books and is one of Britain's most quoted business experts.
He is a founding President of the British Academy of Management, a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute and one of only a few UK Fellows of the (American) Academy of Management, past President of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and President of RELATE. He is Chair of the Academy of Social Sciences.
Sir Cary was awarded the CBE by the Queen in 2001 for his contributions to organizational health and safety; and in 2014 he was awarded a Knighthood for his contribution to the social sciences.
In a labor market unlike any other in our working lifetime, employers have scrambled to find enough qualified workers for their jobs. Is this a temporary issue, or is a larger problem looming?
To help Chris and Bill answer these questions, they are joined on the People and Performance Podcast by Ben Eubanks, HR analyst, author, fellow podcaster, and Chief Research Officer at Lighthouse Research & Advisory.
As a human capital management industry analyst, Ben helps companies and vendors with strategy, content, and more.
He has been a speaker for over a decade at events such as the SHRM Annual Conference, ATD TechKnowledge, and the HR Technology Conference.
Previously, Ben worked as an "in-the-trenches leader in the HR field" within smaller organizations, government contracting firms, and the non-profit sector.
Our guest this time is Lauren Waters, Talent Experience Manager, Americas at Xero, accounting software that provides tools for small businesses, accountants, and bookkeepers. Lauren understands the process of trying to land a job in the tech industry and has first-hand experience of what sticks and what doesn’t.
Questions For Lauren Include:
- How has the growth of the gig economy and more need for accounting software for start-ups over the past few years impacted Xero?
- In September 2022 you moderated a panel at the Agility Reimagined Summit, held at Xero. The session was called Building a Connected and Supportive Culture in the Future of Work. It considered how we can ensure a connected, inclusive, and performance-oriented culture in a more tech-enabled and remote work environment. Tell our listeners about some of the issues the panel covered.
- We have a sense of the cool culture at Xero through being involved in the awesome events you hosted in 2022 and talking with many members of your team. Why do you believe it’s important that candidates demonstrate they care about culture fit with a potential employer’s brand? What can aligned values do for employee engagement and productivity levels?
Our guest in this edition of the People and Performance pod is Andrew Bartlow, Founder and Managing Partner at Series B Consulting. Andrew is also co-author of Scaling for Success: People Priorities for High Growth Organizations which helps businesses to articulate their people strategy and accelerate their growth while navigating rapid change.
Andrew has 25 years of Human Resources and Talent Management experience at organizations across a wide spectrum of sizes, maturity stages, and industries. Andrew also founded the People Leader Accelerator, which is the preeminent development program for startup HR leaders.
Questions For Andrew Include:
- You work with a variety of venture-backed and private-equity-owned companies - so you see a lot. What dynamics are you seeing in the current economic environment - and how does that impact people management?
- What can leaders do to help their organizations more successfully navigate these challenging times?
- How can HR and leaders “be more strategic”?
- Having coached and mentored dozens of HR leaders, what do you see as some of the most common or most significant challenges that HR leaders are facing in 2023?
Our guest in this People and Performance episode is Tara Favors, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Mutual of America Financial Group.
Tara is responsible for HR strategy, including talent acquisition, development, retention, DEI, organizational learning, compensation programs, employee benefits, and the development of a hybrid employee work policy.
She works closely with the Executive Committee as they implement their transformational business initiatives and update their long-term strategic plan.
Questions For Tara Include:
- How have HR departments evolved since you joined the financial services industry?
- What are examples of important initiatives HR departments in the financial services industry are or should be focused on right now to create meaningful change?
- How can C-suite executives and HR departments in financial services better support each other to drive business success?
- Where do you see DEI at Mutual of America in the future? How do you plan to get there?
- In one minute or less, can you share one piece of advice or some direction you were given by a mentor, leader or colleague that inspired you to perform at a higher level in your career
- From a culture and people processes perspective, what does a high-performing company mean to you?
Our guest in episode 3 of season 7 is Dr. Jarik Conrad, Executive Director at The Workforce Institute and former Vice President, Human Insights at UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group).
Jarik is a sought-after speaker on many of the most important business leadership topics of today, such as employee health and wellness, new management models, emotional intelligence, and workplace diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging.
In 2021, Jarik was recognized as one of the world’s top “people practitioners” in the annual HRD Global 100. He is the author of the bestselling books, “The Fragile Mind: How it Has Produced and Unwittingly Perpetrates America’s Tragic Disparities” and “In Search Of Humanity: Why We Fight, How To Stop, And The Role Business Must Play.”
Questions For Jarik Include:
- In a recent post on LinkedIn, you shared the following: "Nearly 90% of employees believe that increased belonging results in higher productivity." How can HR leaders improve the ways their org helps employees feel like they belong?
- Commenting on a Sept 2022 article by Stephen Miller called 'Employer, Employee Perceptions of Pay Equity Differ Greatly' you say, "New research, sponsored by UKG and conducted by Harvard Business Review (HBR) Analytic Services, shows organizations are making progress when it comes to providing equal pay among men, women and underrepresented groups in the workplace. Yet employers and employees have vastly different perceptions on how that is being achieved, and also differ on whether the CHRO, CEO or another member of the executive team should lead the pay equity effort." Tell us about the findings.
- Tell us about your latest book, In Search Of Humanity: Why We Fight, How To Stop, And The Role Business Must Play.
In this episode we ask: what are the necessary measures that will aid employees in prospering when the emphasis is now firmly on the value of work flexibility?
The pandemic completely upended the way we approach and think about work. Staples Canada recently partnered with Angus Reid Group to unveil the Future of Work Trend Report: a summary of critical insights from Canadian employees and employers on the current and future landscape of work, equipping organizations as they navigate the new workplace.
Our guest this time is Michelle Micuda. As President of Staples Professional, Michelle is responsible for leading the Canadian business-to-business organization servicing businesses in hospital management/facilities, long-term care, grocery, hospitality and more. Michelle’s chief responsibility is focusing on growing the organization by providing an outstanding customer experience delivered by a cohesive team of engaged associates across a wide variety of exceptional products and services.
In the first episode of the HRchat podcast of 2023 we offer a special crossover edition with the People and Performance Podcast!
It's a new year which means fresh opportunities to engage employees and inspire higher performance.
Joining Bill in this episode is Chris Bjorling, President at Fidello, co-host of the People and Performance Podcast, and Associate Editor at the HR Gazette.
Questions Include:
- We are releasing this episode at the tail end of the holiday period, a time we all give thanks. In your work and personal lives, what are you most grateful for?
- Do you have a holiday-related joke you can share?
- 2023 could be a tough one for many leaders and employers. How can companies navigate the turbulent waters of recession in ways that mean their employees remain happy, engaged, and productive?
- What are your predictions for the world of work in 2023?
- We have a new season of the People and Performance Podcast coming up. Can you offer some shout outs to some of the upcoming guests?
- What's coming up for Fidello in 2023? Events? Announcements?
This episode of the People and Performance Podcast, supported by Fidello Inc., was first published by our friends at the world-famous HRchat show by the HR Gazette.
In this People and Performance holidays special episode, we offer up a montage of awesome answers from past guests to this question: "Can you share one piece of advice or some direction you were given by a mentor, leader or colleague that inspired you to perform at a higher level in your career?"
Since we started the pod a couple of years ago, we've asked all of our guests this question. As it's the season of giving, we thought it would be a great time to collate a bunch of the most impressive answers - bundled and gift-wrapped just for you!
Chris Bjorling and Bill Banham hope you enjoy this special edition and it offers you some inspiration for the year ahead.
Happy holidays and we look forward to welcoming you back in 2023!
In this episode of the People and Performance Podcast, we focus on leading transformational change.
Bill Banham is joined by Ian Ziskin, President of EXec EXcel Group LLC and Co-Founder at Consortium for Change. Ian has 40 years of experience as a business and human resources leader, board advisor and member, coach, consultant, entrepreneur, teacher, speaker, and author.
His client base and corporate work span the aerospace and defense, automotive, chemical, consumer products, education, electronic components, energy, entertainment, financial services, health care, technology, information technology, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, professional services, retail, and telecommunications industries, among others.
Ian has written or co-edited four books including The Secret Sauce for LeadingTransformational Change (2022) and we'll be talking about that today.
Questions For Ian Include:
- You are the Co-Founder and Leader of the Consortium for Change (C4C), a community of coaches and consultants. Tell us about the group.
- "Leaders who are clear about goals, expectations, and the path forward are better able to get team buy-in, hold their teams accountable, and improve chances for success." What are some of the common barriers leaders put up to avoid change?
- How important is listening as a skill in HR leadership?
- How can we better understand the mindset of colleagues?
- Let's now focus on your book, The Secret Sauce for Leading Transformational Change: What are the most important questions the book explores and addresses?
- There are 25 essays from transformational change experts and 8 interviews with CEOs and other senior leaders in the book – what are some common themes that emerged from all these perspectives?
More About IanIan is the Co-Founder and Partner of Business inSITE Group (BiG), a strategic partnership focused on coaching, leadership development, and HR transformation; Co-Founder and Leader of the Consortium for Change (C4C), a community of coaches and consultants; and Co-Founder of the CHREATE Project, designed to address the future of work and HR.
Ian’s global business leadership experience includes 28 years in Chief Human Resources Officer and/or other senior leadership roles with three Fortune 100 corporations – Northrop Grumman,Qwest Communications, and TRW.
In this episode of the People and Performance Podcast, Chris Bjorling and Bill Banham look at some ways that emotional intelligence strategies can impact relationships and performance levels.
Our guest today is Jeff Summers, Managing Director at Genos North America. Together with Genos International, Genos North America supports Genos Partners to make a real difference in organizations and in the lives of employees through emotional intelligence solutions that are game-changing for business.
Questions For Jeff Include:
- How can leaders with high levels of emotional intelligence better connect with their employees?
- Can emotional intelligence be taught/developed?
- Does emotional intelligence impact employee wellbeing? If so, how?
- Is EI development just for leaders?
- What can an organization expect to realize if they make an investment in developing the emotional intelligence of leaders and employees?
- Can you share one piece of advice or some direction you were given by a mentor, leader or colleague that inspired you to perform at a higher level in your career?
- From a culture and people processes perspective, what does a high-performing company mean to you?
This episode features Kevin Oakes, CEO and co-founder of the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp), an authority on next practices in human capital. He is also the author of Culture Renovation™.
Questions For Kevin Include:
- Does company culture still matter?
- In a time of hybrid/remote work, how much can companies still hope to maintain a sense of company purpose?
- What has the upheaval at Twitter done to it's company culture?
- What are some of the signs that an organization is in need of a culture renovation?
- You have said "Research shows that a toxic culture is 10x more likely to contribute to attrition than compensation. Yet, how are most companies trying to retain and attract talent? By compensating them more, according to a recent study by i4cp and Fortune. The study, The Talent Imperative, shows that in this hypercompetitive talent market, compensation is currently the #1 approach companies are taking to hire more—and lose less—members of the workforce." Tell us more about the findings.
- You recently announced the agenda for the i4cp 2023 Next Practices Now Conference. Tell me about the event.
- Can you share one piece of advice or some direction you were given by a mentor, leader or colleague that inspired you to perform at a higher level in your career?
- How can we learn more about you i4cp?
More About Kevin
Kevin is currently on the board of Performitiv, and on the advisory boards of Guild Education, EdCast, and Sanctuary. Kevin was previously on the board of directors of KnowledgeAdvisors, a provider of human capital analytics software, which was purchased by Corporate Executive Board in March of 2014. Kevin was also the Chairman of Jambok, a social learning start-up company which was founded at Sun Microsystems and was purchased by SuccessFactors in March 2011. He also served on the boards of Workforce Insight and Koru prior to their sales.
He is on the board of Best Buddies Washington and helped establish the first office for Best Buddies in the state in 2019. Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Kevin was previously the Founder and the President of SumTotal Systems (NASDAQ: SUMT) which he helped create in 2003 by merging Click2learn (NASDAQ: CLKS) with Docent (NASDAQ: DCNT). The merger won Frost & Sullivan's Competitive Strategy Award in 2004.
Prior to the formation of SumTotal, Kevin was the Chairman & CEO of Click2learn, which was founded in 1985 by Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft. Prior to joining Click2learn, Kevin was president and founder of Oakes Interactive in Needham, MA. Oakes Interactive was purchased by Click2learn (then called Asymetrix) in 1997, which Kevin helped take public a year later.
Economic uncertainty is rife and HR leaders are trying to plan ahead for a potentially difficult 2023. In this episode, Bill Banham and Chris Bjorling ask: how can CHROs and leaders keep their people performing at a high level during uncertain times?
The guest this time is Whitney Johnson, CEO of human capital consultancy Disruption Advisors. Whitney and her team are experts at helping people grow their people - to grow their organization.
Whitney is the award-winning author of Disrupt Yourself, a keynote speaker, and a frequent lecturer for Harvard Business School’s Corporate Learning.
She is a popular contributor to the Harvard Business Review, has 1.8 million followers on LinkedIn, where she was selected as a Top Voice in 2020, and her course on Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship has been viewed more than 1 million times.
Whitney also hosts the popular Disrupt Yourself Podcast. Listeners tune in each week to hear Whitney talk with the world's best thinkers and doers about personal disruption.
Questions Include:
- You coach CEOs and C-Suite executives. What are some the big concerns they have for the year ahead? (recession, hiring freezes, retaining top talent etc)
- How have you worked with the C-suite to strategize for an uncertain year ahead and find solutions?
- In times of high inflation, does money talk? How important do you think salary/commissions are to attracting and retaining high performers at the moment compared to earlier in 2022?
- In a September 2022 article called 'What if Your Only Job Was To Help Others Be Successful?', You write "most of us are extremely task oriented. We often focus on mission, vision, and strategy, possibly ignoring the people-aspects all together. But what if people, not tasks, were at the top of your list each day?" What did you mean by that? How can leaders be better mentors?
- Leading during times of growth is one thing. How can CHROS and HR leaders keep their people engaged and growing during uncertain times? What lessons from the pandemic can we take into future high-pressure situations?
- Tell us about your awesome podcast, the Disrupt Yourself Podcast.
- Who are some of your most impactful podcast guests of 2022 and why? (Guests have included Simon Sinek, Brené Brown, and Zaza Pachulia).
In the first episode of season six, we focus on The HR Management Institute Canada Conference happing November 6-8 in Vancouver, BC. The theme for this year's edition is Imagine, Invent and Ignite: Future-Ready Work Strategies to Ensure Ongoing Organizational Success.
Chris Bjorling, People and Performance Podcast co-host and CEO at Fidello Inc. will be a speaker at the conference so, in this episode, Bill Banham asks Chris what attendees can expect.
Listen too, as Chris shares what listeners can learn from tuning in to season six plus he talks about ways the focus on employee experience has changed as a result of the pandemic.
Questions for Chris Include:
- Tell us about the HR Management Institute Canada Conference and why you're presenting at this event
- Your session is called Focusing on an Employee Experience that Drives Your Business and Retrains Your People. Can you tell us about the talk and what attendees can expect to take away?
- How has the emphasis on employee experience changed as a result of the pandemic?
In this episode, Chris Bjorling and Bill Banham talk with Karen Mangia, VP of Customer and Market Insights at Salesforce about how to build success into every organizational design.
Karen is a TEDx speaker and best-selling author. Her latest book, Success From Anywhere, details the shifting landscape of working from home and what that means for the success of your business.
Big-name experts have endorsed Success From Anywhere, including Arianna Huffington, Founder of the Huffington Post.
Questions for Karen include:
- How did the pandemic cause us to rethink the foundations of what work really means - including work-life balance, the future of work, and where peak performance really comes from?
- What is Salesforce uniquely good at when it comes to inspiring their people and encouraging higher levels of performance?
- Burnout is the topic of our time. How can employees get past the feeling that they have to “do it all” in order to succeed?
- Are the most effective leaders those that can delegate or should they be willing to 'get in to the weeds'?
- With commentary from business leaders like Tom Peters, as well as guidance from leading scientists like David Eagleman and Kelly McGonigal, your new book, Success From Anywhere shows professionals how to build success into every organizational design – regardless of company culture, leadership, or industry – and offers actionable insights on a range of timely and relevant subjects. Tell us why these insights should matter to employee performance.
In this episode, we consider how leaders can inspire employees and what to do to avoid a toxic workplace.
Our guest this time is Kathy Caprino, an internationally-recognized career and leadership coach, writer, speaker and educator dedicated to the advancement of women in business.
- As part of your “Today’s True Leadership” series, you published an article called 'How Embracing Vulnerability Expands Your Leadership Impact and Career Growth' In the post you write: "I also have seen in my research with thousands of professionals and managers that vulnerability in leadership encompasses this: "Allowing ourselves to be open enough to experience the potential pain, fear, and insecurity that comes when we’re being fully true to ourselves, expressing our deepest and most honest thoughts and feelings"." Can you share what you mean by this and how a higher level of authenticity can make leaders more compelling and make employees more inspired to perform?
- On the flip side, you also recently published a LinkedIn article called '6 Toxic Behaviors That Repel People and Opportunities: How To Tell If You're Engaging In Them' What are some of the common toxic behaviors being demonstrated that can push people away and burn bridges with colleagues?
- Can you also explain some of the damage that these negative behaviors can cause to relationships, professional success, career growth, and to the well-being of both the individual behaving in a toxic way, and to everyone around them?
- For employees listening to this episode who can maybe relate to their leaders demonstrating toxic behaviors, what are some questions to help employees decide if they should 'give their leader a second chance'?
In this episode of the People and Performance Podcast, Chris Bjorling and Bill Banham focus on the reasons why leading with meaning and purpose can create more positive and sustainable business outcomes
The guest expert this time is Brad Federman, CEO at PerformancePoint LLC and author of Cultivating Culture: 101 Ways to Foster Engagement in 15 Minutes or Less - released back in March 2022.
Brad works with organizations of all sizes and in all industries, helping them foster engaged employees, resilient relationships, and collaborative cultures.
Questions For Brad Include:
- Is it harder to cultivate a company culture today compared to before the pandemic?
- In response to a post by Erin Prater on Fortune, you shared: "Trends change. Remote work is out. The pendulum has swung back in the other direction. Remote work will exist, but the headlines (pushing) the idea that we will forever be a remote economy were overstated." So what's the great shake-out of the pandemic? To what extent are working patterns now hybrid/remote and, from a culture perspective, why shouldn't we be surprised when leaders require employees to return to the office?
- In your book, Cultivating Culture: 101 Ways to Foster Engagement in 15 Minutes or Less, you offer lots of ways to engage your team in conversations that matter. Activities are divided into eight key focus areas. Can you talk about each?
- Leadership – What does it mean to you to be a successful leader?
- Communication - Why is communicating with purpose the best way to foster employee engagement and organizational growth?
- Talent development - How can leaders develop the talent they already have and attract more?
- Inclusion - Why is generating inclusivity good for your people and good for your business, and what are three easy ways to build it?
- Team harmony - Who's responsible?
- Solution seeking - How to create a culture of problem-solving?
- Safety - Talk about how to prioritize safety while maintaining peak efficiency
- Serving your customers - What is one lesson we can take from client relationship management that can be employed by HR today to help improve internal culture?
- Can you share one piece of advice or some direction you were given by a mentor, leader or colleague that inspired you to perform at a higher level in your career?
- From a culture and people processes perspective, what does a high-performing company mean to you?
In this episode, Bill Banham talks with Joey Price, entrepreneur, CEO at Jumpstart:HR, AI Ethics Advisory Board Member at ArenaAnalytics, and Host of the awesome While We Were Working Podcast.
Listen as Joey shares HR digital transformation strategies andhow a digital transformation can accelerate business growth and encouragehigher employee performance.
Questions For Joey Include:
- Tell us about the While We Were Working Podcast. The focus is about helping teams build great culture
- You recently released a video in which you and Sommer discuss the best HR digital transformation strategies for small businesses. The conversation covers four areas. I'd like for you now to take a minute on each:
- Painless HR digital transformation strategy
- The top benefits of going digital
- How a digital transformation can accelerate business growth
- Must-know HR technologies
- Can you share one piece of advice or some direction you were given by a mentor, leader or colleague that inspired you to perform at a higher level in your career?
In this episode, Bill Banham and Chris Bjorling talk about why happier leaders tend to perform better and get more engagement from their colleagues.
They are joined by Tia Graham, Founder of Arrive At Happy and author of the new book Be a Happy Leader. Throughout its pages, strategies and tactics are provided which include the use of positive psychology, having a broad perspective, executing quickly, creating strong relationships, measuring what matters, and being the spark in the team.
Listen as they talk about ways to encourage leaders to be happier and the knock-on effects on employee engagement, company culture, and the bottom line.
Questions Include:
- What does happiness mean to you and how do you try to live a mentally and physically healthy, thriving life?
- Talk about leveraging happiness to achieve higher performance. How can happy employees provide higher ROI?
- Your book is geared at leaders. What unique stresses have been placed on leaders since the outbreak of Covid?
- You say it's important for leaders to have clear, scientific data to support incorporating the science of happiness into their lives and careers. What people analytics metrics are you talking about?
- "From team member turnover to stakeholders’ high expectations, leading a team within an organization can take over your life. In your 8-step method, readers will have inspiration, strategies and tools to achieve amazing results – in all areas of their life." Can you take a few minutes and talk about the 8 steps?
- Can you share one piece of advice or some direction you were given by a mentor, leader or colleague that inspired you to perform at a higher level in your career
Businesses need the right HCM tech in place to function at peak levels and in the best interests of their employees. Before you start your next HCM technology purchase, listen to this conversation for inspiration around defining an HR service delivery model, creating an HCM technology strategy, defining the system evaluation and selection process, undertaking system implementation, and what to expect post-implementation.
In this episode, Bill and Chris talk with Jacqueline Kuhn, Co-Owner and Executive Vice President, Strategic Services at HRchitect.
Jacqueline also shares the "three key levers" for building a business case for any HCM technology project plus she offers her predictions for what to expect from HCM tech innovations in 2023.
Among other topics, Jacqueline will talk about what's needed to apply one's HCM technology know-how within your organization in practical ways that will make an immediate positive impact.
Questions:
- Last year you published a book - HRchitect’s Guide to HCM Technology. What inspired the book and what can folks expect to learn from reading it?
- Who should be the key stakeholders involved in the research, selection, and implementation stages?
- Where does/should the HR department fit in?
- What do you see as the biggest barriers to selecting and implementing new HCM technology systems within organizations?
- You've suggested that there are"three key levers" for building a business case for any HCM technology project. What are they?
- What new HCM technology-related innovations are you seeing in the marketplace that HR leaders should be looking at in 2022/23?
- There’s lots of talk of a recession. What have you seen regarding setting budgets for next year and what tech are folks investing in?
About Jaqueline Kuhn
Jacqueline is the author of the book HRchitect's Guide to HCM Technology: What you should know before your next HCM technology purchase. She's also an HR professional with over 25 years ofexperience in Strategic Planning, Systems Management, Project Management, Services Delivery and General Human Resources.
Throughout Jacqueline’s career, she has worked with organizations in all sectors global and domestic to createstrategic plans around their Human Capital Management systems, as well asleading selection and implementation projects for Talent Management, Talent Acquisition and HRIS systems.
Jacqueline enjoys working with organizations to impact theirHCM strategies through the utilization of technology.
In episode two of the fifth season, Bill Banham and Chris Bjorling talk with Kelly Kauffman, Chief Human Capital Officer for the 2021 World Champion Milwaukee Bucks, a sports and entertainment organization in the National Basketball Association.
With over 20 years of HR experience, Kelly joined the Bucksstaff as a Human Resources executive with the task of creating theorganization’s first human resources department from the ground up.
Listen as Kelly shares her experiences of building the HRfunction at a major sports brand. Kelly also offers her approach to inspiringhigh performance from those around her.
Talking Points in Today's Discussion with Kelly:
- You brought the Bucks out of administrative troubles by building its HR team from scratch. What were some of the biggest challenges associated with creating an HR program from the ground up?
- What were some of the biggest opportunities, too? When designing how the HR team should function, what can a blank slate mean for a leader with aspirations to improve team Putting the processes in place to maximize the success of Bucks staff is one thing, being an inspiring leader is something else. How do you like to inspire your colleagues and reports?
- CHRIS: Can you share one piece of advice or some direction you were given by a mentor, leader or colleague that inspired you to perform at a higher level in your career?
- How can you create a culture of asking questions?
In this special crossover episode - also published on the popular HRchat feed - Bill Banham and Chris Bjorling recap their summer of HR fun and preview the new season of the People and Performance Podcast.
Listen and Discover:
- The conversations and sessions Chris and Bill enjoyed at the SHRM Conference and Expo
- A run-through the upcoming People and Performance Podcast episodes, and offer a preview of what folks can expect this season?
- In season 5 of the People and Performance Podcast, we introduced a new question. It's a second question we now ask of all of our guests. It is: Can you share one piece of advice or some direction you were given by a mentor, leader or colleague that inspired you to perform at a higher level in your career? Get Chris's take!
- We're looking at a potential recession although that's not by any means certain. If it does happen it will be a unique kind of recession. How could the labor market in the US fair over the next year and will we see budgets cut for hiring, onboarding and career development?
Hot on the heals of the SHRM 2022 Conference and Expo in New Orleans, today's episode features SHRM's Chief Knowledge Officer, Alexander Alonso, PhD SHRM-SCP.
As a subject matter expert in organizational psychology, Alex speaks from both a personal and professional perspective on team diversity being a source of strength.
SHRM's research has reported that stifling certain types of speech leads to knowledge silos and anxiety. The key, Alex explains to Bill Banham, is to equip leaders with the tools and information needed to engage in these conversations and build effective workplaces. And we discussed that in this episode.
Listen too, to learn about Alex's recent session at SHRM22 called “Talking Taboo: Making the Most of Polarizing Discussions at Work”.
Questions For Alex Include:
- You lead operations for SHRM's Certified Professional and Senior Certified Professional certifications. How has the syllabus changed as a result of the pandemic, the great resignation, and the changed expectations of employees?
- You’ll be speaking at multiple sessions at SHRM22. Can you tell me a little about them?
- You’ve recently released a new book, “Talking Taboo: Making the Most of Polarizing Discussion at Work”. Can you tell us more?
- "Based on research we found at SHRM, 92% of workers have witnessed or been a part of taboo conversations in the workplace," You go on to write. "Now more than ever, companies need to learn to navigate these new tenuous work environments." So why now? Why is now the time for companies to get a better handle on how to manage taboo discussions?
- Does this tie in with your partnership with Moral Courage College and its Diversity Without Division Program. If so, how?
This episode was recorded a few days before #SHRM22
Btw, co-hosts Chris Bjorling and Bill Banham met lots of awesome HR pros, leaders and vendors at the SHRM Annual Conference and Expo. Many of whom, will be featured on the People and Performance show and the HRchat podcast over the coming months.
Do you have a story to share with our audience? Get in touch: news@hr-gazette.com
SHRM22 happens June 12-15, 2022 in fabulous New Orleans! The event is the world’s largest gathering of HR professionals and Bill Banham and Chris Bjorling will be in attendance. Ahead of the big event, we created a special event preview episode.
The SHRM Conference and Expo will attract up to 20,000 attendees and more than 500+ exhibiting companies will be on the show floor.
With more than 200 sessions, SHRM22 gives attendees in-depth insights into all things HR. From the basics every HR professional needs, to offerings for C-suite leaders, to the latest ideas that are changing the workplace landscape, SHRM22 is sure to help folks stay on top of what’s to come in the world of work. No matter where you are in your HR career.
Listen as we talk about why we're excited to attend, the big-name speakers such as Johnny C. Taylor Jr. and George W. Bush, key learning tracks and sessions, plus we run through a bunch of vendors we hope to meet on the expo floor.
In the past couple of years, we've experienced more work-life-changing events than we could have ever imagined. Things happening in business today, therefore, have a sharper focus on the human element than in the past.
This week, we hear from Jim Link, the new CHRO at SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management.
Jim is an Atlanta-based business consultant and former Fortune 500 executive specializing in equipping leaders with the tools needed to build best-in-class, inclusive workplaces that drive revenue and profitability.
His experience includes roles of increasing responsibility in human resources, mergers and acquisitions, and operational effectiveness.
As a recognized thought leader in human capability and the future of work, Jim is a sought-after commentator with the national and international press, features widely on the lecture and speaker circuit, and consults with leaders, companies and boards of directors around the world on matters related to the workplace.
Additionally, he is in his tenth year as an adjunct professor teaching Human Resources Strategy in the MBA program at the Poznan School of Economics in Poznan, Poland and entering his second year teaching the same topic to graduate students in Yangon, Myanmar.
Jim explains why HR leaders today are in a better position to shape the future success of their business than ever before!
Listen too, as Jim offers his take on effective management practices, as well as on a range of key issues facing HR professionals in the 2020s.
Questions Include:
- You have led HR organizations of varying scopes and sizes. How would you describe your approach to managing HR?
- Why take on the role of CHRO at SHRM? What are the challenges and opportunities?
- Things happening in business today have a sharper focus on the human element than in the past. Why are HR leaders today in a better position to shape the future success of their business than ever before?
- SHRM launched an IE&D Council in 2020. You are the Inclusion, Equity & Diversity Council's executive sponsor. What is SHRM’s Inclusion, Equity & Diversity Council and its function?
- You are moderating a session at SHRM 22 where you will be asking council members a number of questions on IE&D . The session is called The Road to Inclusion a Highway or an Intersection? – Intersectionality and Multiple Identities. Can you talk to our audience about the focus of the session?
- Companies are making a concerted focus on DEI initiatives. Are efforts working and what more can be done?
- Talent shortages are rampant across most industries. What are the causes for this?
- What can organizations do to improve recruitment efforts? Do you think talent acquisition strategies are evolving to address the issue of employees leaving orgs in droves?
Learn more about #SHRM22 here.
What does it mean to be truly inclusive in your efforts to engage employees? How can leaders and HR demonstrate an equitable company culture to employees and candidates?
In this People and Performance episode, we hear from Michael Bach, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at CCDI Consulting Inc about what’s changed in orgs to improve DEI efforts and what’s still needed.
Michael is an internationally recognized thought leader in the fields of diversity, inclusion, and employment equity.
Listen to this conversation Bill and Michael had and discover:
- Powerful ways to help employers and human resources practitioners encourage diversity, equity and inclusion within the workplace
- The most important changes to how we work and the ways we work together over the past year
- Innovative ways to engage with employees and communities
- How to start conversations and genuinely support BIPOC employees in meaningful ways
In this episode, we consider some data-backed L&D strategies to boost employee performance.
Our guest is Hassan Farooqi, Director of Learning and Development, North America for OSL Retail Services.
Listen as we ask what performance looks like in the retail industry today and how to successfully create L&D programs that'll increase your bottom line.
Questions Include:
- Your role at OSL is varied and includes developing training strategies, training plans and train the trainer courses as well as designing sales and training tools, online training content, work books, leader guides, in-store training and certification. Gives us an overview of an L&D professional's core competencies and what you see as credentials needed to succeed in the role?
- What does high performance look like in the retail industry?
- How has managing performance and professional learning changed in the past couple of years? And how has L&D changed as a result of WFH?
- Working closely with the COO, Directors of Operations, Sales, Finance and HR amongst other various internal & external partners, you lead the OSL's learning and development. Who needs to be involved in creating or re-creating an L&D strategy?
- As we look to wrap up, we like to ask our guests: from a culture and people processes perspective, what does a high-performing company mean to you?
More About Hassan
Hassan is a self-described “motivational and inspirational, results-oriented Operations, Learning and Organisation Development & Change leader, with over a decade of proven leadership experience and a track record of success.” Enhancing business development, profitability, service, and quality for multi-billion-dollar retailers and marketing firms by creating integrated strategies to develop and expand new and existing customer sales as well as brand/product evolution. A visionary; strong and decisive, with excellent analytical, interpersonal and strategic planning abilities. Ensuring customer and employee satisfaction, product and service quality while uplifting financial performance.
In this People and Performance pod we discuss the role that L&D plays in organisational performance. Listen too, as we consider what it takes for an L&D professional to play a strategic role in an organisation.
Our guest is Alex Tosovic, L&D Expert and Head of Product at the Academy to Innovate HR.
Having worked in various L&D roles at a number of global organizations, Alex has now shifted to leading the product development at AIHR. He has a passion for digital learning. In particular how digital can be used to help behavioral change through experiential learning.
Questions Include:
- What role does L&D play in organisational performance?
- What does it take for an L&D professional to play a strategic role in an organisation?
- How do you measure the impact of L&D on performance?
- We have seen a lot of effects from the Great Resignation. In what way does L&D help overcome the challenges with it?
- From a culture and people processes perspective, what does a high-performing company mean to you?
In this episode, we have some fun and talk about the power of play in the workplace with Gary Ware, TEDx Speaker, Facilitator, Coach, and Founder at Breakthrough Play.
Gary Ware is a self-proclaimed creativity catalyst helping people reach their potential using the power of play. A sought-after facilitator, TEDx speaker, and Founder of Breakthrough Play, Gary combines his passion for improv theatre with over a decade of experience in the advertising industry specializing in digital marketing to help creative professionals develop deeper relationships to drive performance.
Gary’s obsession with learning how to use play as a transformational tool led to his own transformation, moving him out of digital marketing into a world of transformation to help people improve their business, relationships, and life.
With a belief that humans are wired for play and if you can tap into their play drive you can create magic, Gary and his team deliver training and retreats for organisations to help them increase psychological safety, reduce voluntary turnover and increase job satisfaction.
Questions Include:
- Here’s a cracker to get this performance podcast party going! And we’ll obviously get into the why, who, how, where and when as we navigate today’s discussion. But to begin, please can you tell us in - 60 seconds or less - what it means for the employee and to company performance when we can dedicate time to have fun and play together at work?
- You are quoted as saying "Prior to learning about the benefits of play, I thought burnout was a badge of honor". Tell me about your prior mindset and how you used to live your life and why mindset is so important as we think about play?
- So why is it so important to give ourselves “permission to play”?
- The reality is that, to achieve your professional development and career goals, you need to learn and grow in your career. When it comes to, for example, professional accreditations, are there areas to explore where leadership can help add more fun along the L&D journey? Should HR and managers ensure and facilitate the use of experiential learning (and improv) wherever possible? If so, why?
- Creating a safe environment to embrace play - what can happen if leadership facilitates time for playful interaction between colleagues but doesn’t create a ‘safe space’ in which employees can take part?
- When you're working with companies and individuals, helping them recalibrate play into their life, the first thing that you tell them to do is focus on awareness. As part of that, you have them document whenever they feel they’re engaging in playful activities. Why does that matter?
In this People and Performance Podcast episode, we focus on ways leaders can cut through the noise to scale high-performing teams faster. Our guest this time is Barbara Singer, founder and CEO of Executive Core.
Barb leads a group of 150 global professionals whose mission is to more quickly innovate professional development globally. In the last 20 years, Barbara has worked with thousands of high-potentials leaders, C-suite executives, and board members around the globe at critical turning points in their careers.
She has more than a decade of experience serving as an executive sponsor and engagement manager in sectors including technology, pharmaceuticals, engineering, and professional services.
Questions For Barb Include:
- Predictions of Success: In a recent LinkedIn post you wrote "Leadership success depends on your ability to influence people’s ideas, focus, and actions. This weeks' OneEleven 111 Leadership Sprint trained members in 4 "Power Tools" of influence ... (will help them) be well-positioned to grow their organizations quickly." Can you briefly run through some of these "Power Tools" of influence?
- You also help execs remove obstacles that may be slowing them down. What are some of those 'monkies on our backs' preventing us from achieving optimum performance levels?
- In a presentation by you, called 'Predictors of Executive Success What Women Need to Know', shared on IvyExec.com, you suggest that the quality of your strategic business conversations will often make or break your career. What do you mean by this?
- Performance mindsets: In the same session, you encourage leaders to challenge their mindset and benchmark their own careers against what we know today are the best predictors of executive success. Can you share some of those key predictors of executive success with us?
- What are some tips to help leaders develop their team’s resilience and 'leadership superpowers'?
This episode of the People and Performance Podcast was supported by Fidello, a consulting firm specializing in improving human performance.
Season 4 blasts off with a conversation Chris Bjorling and Bill Banham have with Dr. Ben Slade, Branch Head, Langley Workforce Planning, Development & Analytics Office at NASA.
Questions Include:
- You and Bill previously talked on the HRchat show back in 2018. When you introduced yourself, you began by saying "If I were to distil my job description into a single sentence, it would be: Helping NASA make better decisions, particularly about workforce and people strategy”. Talk about the challenges of doing this at NASA.
- You’ve spoken about your pride in your team, your love for what NASA stands for, and your faith in what the agency strives to achieve. What does it mean for collaboration and productivity levels when employees are super-engaged and aligned with the mission of their employer brand?
- You’ve talked at events such as the People Analytics Canada Summit in Toronto about why you suggest investment in People Analytics tech doesn’t have to break the bank to achieve the results a company needs. Why do you believe this?
- What are your suggested 4 areas where you can seek out collaborators with the needed knowledge, skills, and capabilities? (internal HR allies etc)
- You are a big proponent of partnering to access more data points. In the wider world of work, how has the job of attracting and engaging skills not available ‘in-house’ changed as a result of The Great Resignation and the rise of the Gig Economy?
- From a culture and people processes perspective, what does a high-performing company mean to you?
- We've recently seen the launch of the James Webb Telescope, which will find the first galaxies that formed in the early universe and peer through dusty clouds to see stars forming planetary systems! What upcoming NASA missions most excite you?
About Ben Slade
Ben holds an M.S. degree in Applied Psychology and a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Clemson University, with a focus on applied judgment and decision-making. His responsibilities at NASA have included business performance measurement, strategic workforce planning, data-driven program analysis, and predictive forecasting, including attrition modeling.
Ben started as an intern at Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland and has been working as part of NASA’s core HR function since 2013 in various workforce planning and HR research roles. In 2021 Ben transitioned to an HR supervisory role at Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA, managing the research center’s training, workforce planning, data analytics, organizational development, and student program functions.
In this end-of-season special, Bill Banham shares his take on lessons offered by such guests as Najeeb Ahmad, founder and Principal of, Pennington Human Dynamics, Erika Broadwater, National President at the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources and Steve Browne, a former member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Board of Directors and possibly the most loved guy in HR!
Bill will also tell you a bit about season 4 - which will include guests from NASA, OSL Retail Services, The Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI), and The Academy to Innovate HR.
By the way, the second part of this conversation can be found on the popular HRchat podcast and features some of Chris Bjorling's predictions for what to expect in the world of work over the rest of 2022.
Thanks for listening to the podcast so far. We'll be back very soon with season 4!
In this People and Performance Podcast, we consider ways to develop leaders so they gain the mindset and tools needed to drive performance and meet company goals.
Our guest this time is Najeeb Ahmad, founder and Principal of Pennington Human Dynamics, an international organizational effectiveness consulting firm dedicated to improving organizational performance and capability through the power of leaders, teams, and organizational climate change.
Najeeb is an experienced leadership consultant, coach, and leader whose career has spanned over twenty-five years across various industries, business transformations, and geographies.
- Can you tell us about how your Team Optimization Process© accelerates senior team performance by integrating team and leader assessments with development planning, executive coaching, and real-world application to drive and reinforce new team dynamics and practices?
- Pennington aims to help leaders embrace and apply a new mindset to performance. Can you explain how this works and why it matters?
- You presented a session in December 2021 at The Future of Employee Experience (FoEX) called 'Organizational Climate Change is Real – what’s causing it?' Tell us about the session and the hoped-for learning outcomes.
- Your team helps companies to define the quality standards for leaders in the context of their strategy and assess their readiness to deliver. Can you explain how, using the Pennington Leader Spotlight 360© assessment, Leading Indicator©, and other tools, you deliver actionable insights about the capability, motivation, and readiness of current and prospective leaders to excel?
- From a culture and people processes perspective, what does a high-performing company mean to you?
- How can listeners learn more about you and Pennington Human Dynamics?
More About Najeeb Ahmad
Najeeb has held senior human resources, talent development, and talent acquisition roles with organizations ranging from 120 employees to more than 50000, from privately-held to Fortune 50, in the energy, financial services, B2B sales and distribution, pharmaceutical, media and advertising, and digital marketing fields. He has worked inside and consulted to organizations around the world to all levels of management from front-line to the C-suite, designing and executing solutions that drive enhanced leader, team, and organizational performance.
Najeeb has an MBA and MA in Middle Eastern Studies degrees from The University of Texas at Austin, and a BA in History from Georgetown University.
In this episode of the People and Performance podcast, we hear from one of the best-known and most well-respected HR professionals in North America!
Steve Browne is the Chief People Officer at LaRosa’s Inc., a regional Pizzeria restaurant chain in southwest Ohio. Until recently, he was a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Board of Directors.
Steve facilitates a monthly HR Roundtable in Cincinnati, manages a weekly internet forum, HR Net that reaches tens of thousands of HR professionals around the world, and has an internationally recognized HR blog. He is also the author of two bestselling books, “HR On Purpose!!” and “HR Rising!!”
Topics discussed in this episode with Steve Brown and hosts Chris Bjorling and Bill Banham include:
- What are the characteristics of a great leader?
- How has measuring performance changed as a result of shifts caused by the pandemic?
- How has tech evolved to help HR leaders better measure their people?
- What do you believe employees value the most from their employer in the new normal?
- What advice do you have for business leaders when it comes to communicating change to employees?
- In a newly renovated workplace culture, leaders must determine what desired behaviors will best support the company’s purpose. How can they determine what those behaviors should be and how do they instil them into the values of the company?
- From a culture and people processes perspective, what does a high-performing company mean to you?
In this episode of the People and Performance Podcast, we’ll hear from Stephen Shedletzky, Founder, Speaker, Coach with Shed Inspires. Stephen has also worked as one of the inspiring Igniters of Simon Sinek’s ‘Start with Why’ team.
Stephen engages with people in meaningful ways so that we connect with depth and live in a more fulfilled world. With a knack for sharing the right words at the right moment, he delivers evidence-based content in a provocative, captivating and light-hearted way.
Listen in as Stephen shares his take on the characteristics of great leaders and ways to nurture high-performing and happy teams.
Questions For Stephen Include:
- What are the characteristics of a great leader - who can maintain and nurture high-performing and happy teams?
- What do you believe employees value the most from their employer in the new normal?
- What advice do you have for business leaders when it comes to communicating change with employees?
- In a newly renovated workplace culture, leaders must determine what desired behaviors will best support the company’s purpose. How can they determine what those behaviors should be and how do they reinforce them?
- From a culture and people processes perspective, what does a high-performing company mean to you?
With record numbers of resignations, retaining your top talent is tough. Many, many employees are on the move because they want to transition into a new role or improve skills in particular areas. So what if you could help your people reskill or upskill?
In this episode, we talk about the tools and resources needed to ensure successful L&D initiatives and how it could help you retain your best employees.
Pod co-hosts Chris Bjorling and Bill Banham are joined by Dr. Spencer Niles, professor of counselor education and co-director of the THRIVE Research and Intervention Center at the William & Mary School of Education in Williamsburg, Virginia. Dr. Niles is also Senior Vice President, Career Planning and Development at Kuder, a career guidance solutions provider.
Listen as Dr Niles shares what he thinks it takes for leaders to develop an environment that successfully elevates employee wellbeing and professional development.
Questions Include:
- What is the case for learning new skills? How can it open up new possibilities for job seekers?
- What are some of the opportunities available to employees and employers if they get their career guidance and L&D efforts right?
- How far can transferable skills get you in a career transition?
- Companies are desperate right now to retain their top talent. How can providing avenues to upskill and transition into new roles ensure an employer keeps their best people?
- As we look to wrap up, we like to ask our guests: from a culture and people processes perspective, what does a high-performing org mean to you?
Our guest this time is Perry Timms, Founder of People and Transformational HR Limited. Perry is the author of the book Transformational HR.
He has been listed as one of the most influential HR executives by world-renowned organizations and is passionate about changing the world of work.
Perry is also a global TEDx speaker and adviser on the future of work and HR.
Questions Include:
- Your team is growing fast and, from what we've seen on social media, seems to be a happy place to work. What makes for an effective leader?
- You've spoken before about culture change not being a "programmable thing, that you can just upload a new version". Can you share why corporate cultural overhaul is so difficult to do and why, in many instances, it's necessary? .
- How can HR play a role in developing a more compassionate and inclusive office environment and company culture?
- Importance of having a common language between colleagues (and between clients and suppliers)
- It's hard to build all the data points HR needs to track all we need to know about candidates and employees. What can HR and leaders learn from the information that companies can gather from customers? How can we apply customer-centric data-powered attraction lessons to the world of work?
- As we look to wrap up, we like to ask our guests: from a culture and people processes perspective, what does a high-performing company mean to you?
We kick off a new year and a new season of the People and Performance Podcast by considering ways to further DEI efforts in workplaces across the US and elsewhere.
Bill and Chris are joined this time by Erika Broadwater, President of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR) and EATA Manager/COE at Essity.
Erika has nearly three decades of experience in Human Resources as Head of Talent Acquisition, Recruiting Manager, and Diversity &Inclusion Champion. She is experienced in the global talent workforce, talent mobility, retention, data analytics, recruiting operations, and performance management; supporting all lines of business and client groups. She is also the Employer Attractiveness & Talent Acquisition Leader/COE at Essity.
Erika was listed in the 2021 Human Resource Executive® and HR Technology Conference® Top 100 HR Tech Influencers list, which recognizes individuals impacting the state and future direction of HR technology.
Questions Include:
- According to an HR Policy Association survey in the Spring of 2021, covering nearly 400 HR leaders representing 11 million employees found that 85% said their organizations expanded inclusion activities and increased C-suite involvement in DE&I since George Floyd’s murder. Seventy percent have started or expanded unconscious bias training, while more than half moved to disaggregate workforce data to provide a better picture of employee demographics. The survey also found DE&I (and belonging) was the main concern for HR leaders, ranking ahead of strategizing for a post-COVID culture. As we begin 2022, what's really changed in the corporate world and what more needs to be done to improve DEI (DEBI) efforts in the workplace?
- You've obtained at least nine Professional Certifications including a certification as a Diversity & Inclusion trainer. Why is ongoing accredited professional development so important?
- The NAAAHR is a big supporter of career coaching. Have you had a career coach or mentor who's inspired you? If so, what lessons have you taken from them which you try to employ at NAAAHR and Essity?
- The role of AI in recruiting - AI is helping to find the best candidates based on skills and values but what are the risks associated with the unconscious bias of the tech creators? Can you share any examples of AI-powered tech that’s making a positive impact?
In this special People and Performance end-of-season episode, we're going to recap what we learned from season experts such as Kevin Oakes, Pauline James, Rohit Manucha, and Dave Millner.
We'll then offer some predictions for what to expect from the world of work in the year ahead.
Listen and Discover:
- Bill's recap of season 2
- Looking back at another rollercoaster year, get Chris's take on what leaders and employees have learned about themselves
- Hear why, despite the new omicron wave, Chris belives we still have cause for optimism
- The new trends we should we be looking out for (and what's going to stay the same).
- Season 3 Preview
By the way, this is a special crossover episode that'll go live on both the People and Performance Podcast and the HRchat show just ahead of the holidays!
In this episode of the People and Performance Podcast, we consider ways leaders can better align with the culture of an organization and drive performance based on agility, resilience, and innovation.
Bill and Chris are joined this time by Kevin Oakes, CEO and co-founder of the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp), an authority on next practices in human capital.
Kevin is also the author of Culture Renovation™. Drawing on data from one of the largest studies ever conducted on corporate culture, Culture Renovation™ details how high-performance companies such as Microsoft, T-Mobile, 3M, AbbVie, Mastercard, and many more have successfully changed organizational culture.
Questions Include:
- When is an organization in need of a culture renovation? Has the pandemic exacerbated any of these problems?
- Recent studies show that 62% of consumers want brands to stand for something. Has this led to more brands taking a stand and making purpose part of their culture?
- You suggest that all too often leaders don't really get the culture of their org. Why are leaders often wrong about what their corporate culture represents, how can they start getting it right, and what's the impact when the top level is aligned with the culture?
- What advice do you have for business leaders when it comes to communicating change with employees?
- In a newly renovated workplace culture, leaders must determine what desired behaviors will best support the company’s purpose. How can they determine what those behaviors should be and how do they reinforce them?
In this episode, we look at the processes and people needed to ensure employees are happy and connected. Listen too as we investigate ways employees can be measured against core competencies.
Bill Banham and Chris Bjorling are joined by Pauline James, Founder and CEO of Anchor HR Services, a firm on a mission to help organizations with implementing the solutions required to drive a great employee experience and business results during changing times.
Prior to launching Anchor HR, Pauline held a number of senior positions and led employee relations and labor relations in the Canadian market with large national organizations. She has supported small independent units and large complex divisions in identifying barriers to employee engagement and performance. Her track record includes working with Operations and HR divisions to build effective and sustainable programs, tailored to their needs.
Questions Include:
- How has the challenge of assessing organizational gaps and needs changed since the outbreak of Covid?
- In a time when employers are bending over backward to attract top talent, can they do so in ways that don't potentially compromise culture fit?
- The old days of the annual performance review are long gone. How can employers today measure an employee’s output and commitment to their work and the company’s mission in ways that don’t alienate staff?
- From a culture and people processes perspective, what does a high-performing company mean to you?
Check out more episodes, videos and posts at pp-pod.com.
In this People and Performance Podcast episode, we look at the psychology of hiring and the 'Great Reassessment' of candidates.
Listen as we investigate the motivators of employees and what's needed to provide a safe and productive company culture.
Our guest this time is Dr. Charles Handler, a thought leader, analyst, and practitioner in the talent assessment and human capital space. Throughout his career, Dr. Handler has specialized in developing effective, legally defensible employee selection systems.
Since 2001 Dr. Handler has served as the president and founder of Rocket-Hire, a vendor-neutral consultancy dedicated to creating and driving innovation in talent assessment. Dr. Handler has helped companies such as Intuit, Wells Fargo, KPMG, Scotia Bank, Hilton Worldwide, and Humana to design, implement, and measure impactful employee selection processes.
Throughout his career, Dr. Handler has been on the forefront of innovation in the talent assessment space, applying his sound foundation in psychometrics to helping drive innovation in assessments through the use of gaming, social media, big data, and other advanced technologies.
Through his podcast Science 4-Hire, his prolific writing for media outlets such as ERE.net, his work as a pre-hire assessment analyst for Bersin by Deloitte, and worldwide public speaking, Dr. Handler is a highly visible futurist and evangelist for the talent assessment space.
Questions Include:
- In a recent LinkedIn post promoting a new episode of your awesome Science 4 Hire podcast, you write: "If you’re still relying on getting resumes from the same old places, you’re placing arbitrary limits on your talent pool ⏤ preventing you from hiring better people and undermining your efforts to increase diversity." It's such a juicy statement, we just had to start there! Can you break it down for us?
- In another Science 4-Hire episode, you spoke with David Futrell, senior director of assessment and selection at Wal-Mart. They test 10,000 to 15,000 candidates every day, (about 4 million annually). And that’s just for entry-level roles. David said their data shows that well over 90% of candidates will finish an assessment of any length. Have you seen this elsewhere and, if so, why is it more important to ask the right questions than to keep the job assessment process short?
- Are humans inherently biased/flawed in evaluating candidate capabilities and is AI finally ready to step in?
- Job fit versus organization fit: when it comes to hiring candidates who'll stay and grow with the company, is culture fit more important than credentials and prior career experience?
- In the Science 4 Hire episode with Bas van de Haterd, you ask what is the best predictor of job performance? Can you share your take?
Check out more episodes, videos and posts at pp-pod.com.
In this People and Performance panel discussion, we will talk all things HR and Recruitment tech plus do a deep-dive into people analytics and a bit of blockchain too!
The ability to draw insights based on performance data, demographic data, recruitment and retention data, skill data and opinion data, means HR can provide valuable insights to business leaders. This is the future that HR has been pushed toward because of the pandemic.
Bill Banham is joined by three awesome panelists:
- People and Performance Podcast co-host Chris Bjorling. Chris is also CEO at Fidello, a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance
- Dave Millner, Author, Futurist, and Consulting Partner at HR Curator Ltd, a firm providing consultancy advice, support, and solutions to clients. Dave is a big influencer on social under the handle @HRCurator.
- Elizebeth Varghese, People & Tech Strategist and Global Leader - Talent & HR Strategy Reinvention at IBM. Recognized as a Key Global Influencer in Strategy and Analytics, Elizebeth has been listed as a Top 100 Influencer in the industry.
Panel Questions Include:
- In the absence of data-based decisions, every decision is an opinion or hunch. How can people analytics help create alternative scenarios that can be predictive and have the best choices recommended?
- Elizebeth, how important do you think it is to connect Employee Experience to the Customer Experience and why? What can HR tech still learn from customer-focused tech experiences?
- Dave, you advocate a need for HR to be more commercial in its’ approach. At a high level, what do you mean by this and how would you respond to the assertion that there's a concern that data and money are increasingly taking over the priorities of HR at the expense of empathy and the human touch?
- How can Blockchain turn HR processes and HR tech into a company's competitive advantage?
Check out more episodes, videos and posts at pp-pod.com.
In this People & Performance podcast episode, we explore claims that the approach called Design Thinking is going to become a game-changer for HR processes.
Design Thinking is a process for creative problem solving that’s helping HR teams across the globe deliver value, organize work and find solutions.
At first glance, product design and HR feel about as far apart as any two aspects of work can get.
The approach, however, has been lauded by many industry experts as a powerful approach that solves problems through a human-centric lens.
Josh Bersin, suggests “Design Thinking … transforms HR from a “process developer” into an “experience architect.” It empowers HR to reimagine every aspect of work: the physical environment; how people meet and interact; how managers spend their time; and how companies select, train, engage, and evaluate people.”
Our guest expert is Glenn Donaldson, Chief Customer Officer, and President of intelliHR Americas. Glenn is a specialist in HR technology, with expertise and passion for product strategy, customer success, and business expansion. And he’s joining us from all the way Down Under.
Stay tuned as we delve into design thinking transformation!
Questions Include:
- Can you start by explaining the differences between it and the traditional “waterfall” project management approach; where projects are divided into different stages and each stage has to be completed before the project can move on to the next one?
- So in the “waterfall” project management approach projects are often led by a senior executive and hierarchy is fairly rigid. Talk to us about the autonomy Design Thinking gives to teams and how that can keep them ahead of the competition?
- Design Thinking brings a “Human-Centric Approach” that is present in every single step of the design process. Teams using Design Thinking correctly can be empowered and accountable to gather user insights that start with the question: “How might we”. Why is this such a game-changer? What does understanding that “how” represents a solution-oriented approach, “might” encourages optimism and “we” represents collaboration so fundamental to improved performance and better employee experience?
- What about measuring performance based on competencies? The Fidello team and I help companies to involve their people more in planning and carrying out their own development. As part of that, we try to ensure our clients keep better track of the skills and knowledge of their people. Does Design Thinking - as it offers less hierarchy, more autonomy, and blurred lines of responsibility - mean measuring competencies and rewarding success to individuals is harder? If not, why not?
In this episode, we hear from Rohit Manucha, Chief Human Resources Officer at SIH - AGH and former Head of HR at Aujan Coca-Cola Beverages Company (ACCBC).
Rohit has extensive experience in working with CEOs and C-suite leaders; in driving end-to-end organizational transformation across 19 countries. He has worked towards aligning organizations with their strategic agenda, managing change and driving sustainable performance. He has worked across a diverse range of sectors, covering companies with varying ownership models and at different stages of business life-cycle.
His core expertise is in ‘Organizational Transformation & Effectiveness’. He has developed case studies and white papers that are featured in various publications and he is quoted in a number of leading HR magazines on a host of HR-related topics. He has chaired and been a keynote speaker at a number of global events across UAE, London, India, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.
He is also a Board member at the Change & Transformative Collaborative, UK; a visiting faculty at IMT, Dubai and Newstead Lab, UK. He won the ‘Compensation & Benefits Leadership Award’, India, 2019; ‘HR’s Rising Star’, UAE, 2016; ‘100 Most Influential Global HR Professionals’, India, 2016; ‘HR Leadership Award’, UAE, 2015. In the course of his career, Rohit has worked in KPMG, Hay Group (Korn Ferry), Pepsi – ORC, Dunia Group. He is an alumni of XLRI.
Questions Include:
- As we re-enter the office environment and begin to return to our 'new normal', what are some of the biggest challenges for HR pros when working with leadership towards aligning their organization with their strategic agenda and managing huge changes as a result of Covid?
- What skills does an effective OD practitioner require to manage a disparate and global employee base?
- When done in the right ways, what can an OD intervention, delivered by a seasoned OD practitioner, give to an organization? What if it's not delivered in accordance with the specific culture of an organization? What could go wrong?
- Many HR professionals can benefit from an objective breakdown and analysis of their processes to rebuild them into something better. How can HR pros, through relatively simple exercises, start to master the tools of design thinking?
- As we look to wrap up, we like to ask our guests: from a culture and people processes perspective, what does a high-performing company mean to you?
Check out more episodes, videos and posts at pp-pod.com.
Most organizations invest 90-100% of HR resources in operations and only 10% in data and planning. Furthermore, too many CEOs make the majority of their decisions based on HR data! Rupert believes the current mindset in many boardrooms “needs to change if organizations want to be forward-proof and prosperous“.
The pandemic showed us that organizations can't stay still if they want to remain successful. Companies need to continuously adapt and evolve.
It's not easy to change an organization's vision and practices but it can really pay off. This episode will include discussion of the why and how organizational planning and analysis keeps business agile and set up to grow in sustainable ways. In fact, as part of today's conversation, Rupert is going to share findings showing a 2-fold increase in productivity when certain org design approaches are adopted.
In episode 1 of the second season of the People and Performance podcast, Chris and Bill are joined by Rupert Morrison, CEO at orgvue, a global HR and organizational planning company that believes that the brightest business leaders need to “design for disruption and turn it into a competitive advantage”.
Check out more episodes, videos and posts at pp-pod.com.
In the final episode of season 1, Fidello CEO and usual co-host, Chris Bjorling is interviewed by Bill Banham. Listen as Chris shares insights into his biggest takeaways from each episode - focused on a specific area of workforce planning - and what the Fidello team is doing to help HR pros, Talent pros, and leaders in each area.
Chris also shares his take - from a culture and people processes perspective - on what changes leaders, HR and Talent execs can make today to put their company on a clearer path to high-performance.
In this episode, we consider what happens when you have to go back to the drawing board and reinvent your culture and processes.
Our guest is Dr. Phillip Meade, co-founder of Gallaher Edge. He is also Associate Director, Spaceport Integration and Services at NASA, Kennedy Space Center.
After the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia explosion, Dr. Meade was tasked with revitalizing the culture at NASA.
Listen as Dr. Meade talks through why an effective culture is key to accomplishing overall business goals. Phillip also offers tips for business leaders looking to explore culture as a concept including his thoughts on:
- What are the results for a business of having a high-performing company culture?
- 3 habits of excellent leaders?
- What standard must candidates hit to join the team at NASA?
In episode 7, we discuss big-picture workforce planning and the intricacies of change management. Listen as we offer info to help you prepare, equip and support individuals to successfully adopt change in order to drive organizational success and outcomes.
Our guest in is Mumtaz Chaudhary, Chief Experience Officer & Co-Founder at Pragilis, a boutique change management firm, launched back in 2006.
Combined with over a decade of experience along with a certification in the Prosci® methodology for change, Mumtaz has helped shape her firm’s distinctive approach to change management.
Through their people-first, pragmatic approach Pragilis has worked with organizations in a variety of industries, including retail, financial services, machinery, mining, energy, and higher education – several of which have a large, global presence.
In this episode, Chris Bjorling and Bill Banham talk with Josh Siegal about employer branding, recruitment marketing, employee advocacy.
Hear Josh’s experiences of developing employees so they grow and progress within the company. Listen too as they discuss why culture fit underlines these efforts.
Josh is VP, Organizational Effectiveness at Wave HQ, a Toronto-based technology company on a mission to propel the brave entrepreneur who chooses to pursue their dreams. At Wave, Josh leads all things around learning & development and talent acquisition. He’s also the face of the company at many events and forums.
Prior to joining Wave, Josh led the Talent and Culture strategy at Real Matters. In four+ years, Josh helped shepherd the organization from a 150 person private company to a 1,000 employee organization listed on the TSX.
The focus of episode 5 is company culture, employee engagement, and giving your people a voice.
Listen as Russell Robinson, EdD, Founder at Amplified Research & Consulting and Senior Training & Engagement Advisor with The Federal Government, talks with Chris Bjorling and Bill Banham about the learning and development needs when creating a culture where employees feel valued.
Hear examples of companies getting it right when it comes to supporting their employees through the crisis and supporting more open dialogue around equity. Get a researcher’s take on the mechanisms and tech needed to measure employee engagement and L&D efforts at the enterprise level.
Traditionally in HR, the focus was on the individual rather than the broader picture. Those days are behind us. The best-performing companies put people data at the heart of their HR decisions.
While people analytics leaders and those implementing analytics initiatives currently tend to come from outside of HR - it’s people from Finance or IT who have an HR mindset or skills - there is still a strong need for an HR background in order to understand all the processes, as well as having the soft skills.
Not everyone in HR needs to be a data analyst, of course, but they should be able to be a data consumer, data translator, and data storyteller (as opposed to analyst) and that’s what Chris Bjorling and I will be focusing on today.
Our guest in episode 4 joined Protective Life to help them build data-driven capabilities in their HR dept and take their performance to new levels. Matthew Hamilton is Head of HR Strategy and People Analytics at ProtectiveLife.
When used in the right ways, the job profile is another handy tool in the HR toolbox. Job profiles can provide a good explanation of the components of a job and what you are seeking in an employee when they are posted with your job openings on your recruiting website.
In this conversation, Bill Banham and Chris Bjorling focus on how we can use job profiles in ways that recognize the changes brought on by a post-pandemic approach to employment.
Listen as we discuss how to recruit employees better, new approaches to defining jobs, and providing direction for employees with new priorities. We’ll also explore the bonus benefits of online job descriptions like their impact on your employer brand.
Our guest expert time for episode three is Serge Boudreau, Founder and Co-Host of the popular Recruitment and HR podcast, The Recruitment Flex. The podcast is all things recruitment – from the latest trends, industry news, technology, helpful tips, and interviews with some of the biggest globally recognized names in the recruitment industry.
Serge has spent over 15 years in the recruitment space including 10 years working for recruitment technology companies. He has held the title of Director for Western Canada for Workopolis and at Indeed. Serge has led recruitment teams for several well-known brands. Most recently, Serge was Director of Talent Acquisition at Robots and Pencils.
Check out more podcasts, videos and posts at web.fidello.com.
In episode two of the podcast that considers all stages connected with workforce planning, Bill Banham and I are joined by Kerris Hougardy, Vice President, People Services North America at Colliers International.
Kerris leads Colliers International's North American People Services group for Canada and the USA. She coaches, mentors, and manages a high-performing team of over 80 human resources professionals with a focus on strategic business partnerships, talent management, employee experience excellence, employment brand championship, diversity & inclusion, and continuous process improvement.
Listen as we consider where selection, recruitment, and employer branding fit into the development of high-performing teams.
We are delighted to bring you this new podcast laser-focused on the competencies, behaviors, metrics, and results needed to create and maintain high-performing work cultures.
From attraction and recruitment through onboarding and measuring all the way to succession planning, each episode will take a deep dive into the stages of workforce planning you need to master in order to guarantee long-term success in a rapidly changing world of work.
Typically, Chris Bjorling (CEO at Fidello Inc.) and Bill Banham (Founder at The HR Gazette, HRchat Podcast, and InnovateWork) will be your hosts, although sometimes we’ll swap things up. In each episode, they're joined by super impressive guests from HR, Talent, Leadership, Wellness, DEI, Culture, Finance and Operations.
Today's intro episode is around 30 minutes but usually each interview-style show will be 15-20.
Tune in to hear from such experts as:
- Russell Robinson, EdD, Founder at Amplified Research & Consulting / Senior Training & Engagement Advisor at U.S. Federal Government
- Rohit Manucha, Chief Human Resources Officer SIH - AGH and former Head of HR at Aujan Coca-Cola Beverages Company
- Kerris Hougardy, Vice President, People Services North America at Colliers International.
- Matthew Hamilton, Head of HR Strategy & People Analytics at Protective Life
- Joshua Siegal, VP, Organizational Effectiveness at Wave HQ
- Dr. Phillip Meade, co-founder of Gallaher Edge and Associate Director, Spaceport Integration and Services at NASA, Kennedy Space Center
This series is supported by Fidello. Learn more at web.fidello.com