HR ShopTalk: Recent Episodes

Andrea Adams

You are going to learn about HR from people who have experience across a variety of industries and companies. You will get expert insight into what is really important and how to prepare for more senior roles.

As an HR Consultant I'm commonly asked "how much severance should I pay?" and the answer is it depends and maybe you should consult a lawyer.

This episode is for Americans. I spoke with employment lawyer Leah Stiegler from Woods Rogers who outlined what drives severance decisions in America.

We cover the critical difference between what you're legally required to pay (often nothing) and what makes business sense when you're trying to avoid litigation which is likely to cost you a lot more than severance.

What you'll learn:

Why severance is almost purely a business decision in the US
The biggest mistake people teams make around severance
The importance of employment contracts
When you need a lawyer
Factors that determine severance amounts: age, position level, and litigation risk

Leah is engaging and shared why paying severance without a legal release is like giving someone a bonus and then letting them sue you anyway. We also talked about disparagement clauses - how do you enforce them anyhow?

No matter why you are terminating, this episode gives you a framework for thinking through the risks and costs involved.

About Leah Stiegler Leah is a management-side employment lawyer and partner at Woods Rogers. She hosts the YouTube series "What's the Tea in L&E" and was recently interviewed by the New York Times for her workplace romance article (also a podcast episode!).

Find me at https://thehrhub.ca

Have you ever wondered why payroll seems so inflexible? Even annoying? Or why they seem to get upset over minor things? I certainly have.

Steven Van Alstine from the National Payroll Institute joined me to break down the typical relationship between HR and payroll departments. And, of course, give us advice.

In this episode:

The hidden complexity behind what looks like "just pressing a button"
Why payroll professionals are sooo risk-averse
What keeps payroll people awake at night
Simple fixes
The strategic value payroll brings which is a missed opportunity for HR

There were insight behind the payroll scenes as well as tactical advice. Pay is at the heart of the customer experience and we, in HR, have an obligation to get this right.

About Steven Van Alstine:Steven is the Vice President of Professional Standards and Education at the National Payroll Institute. He's worked in payroll for decades and recently presented at the National Payroll Conference on HR-payroll collaboration.

Connect with me:This is The HR Hub - practical insights for mid-level HR professionals who want to advance their careers and do better work. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts for weekly episodes with HR experts.

The hybrid work debate isn't going away, so we need to consider the research. Most companies sent people home during the pandemic and didn't do much to support a different work style. And they haven't fixed this post-pandemic either. Spoiler alert: it's not working.

Dr. Peter Cappelli, Director of Wharton's Centre for Human Resources, and workplace strategist Dr. Ranya Nehmeh joined me to discuss their new book "In Praise of the Office: The Limits to Hybrid and Remote Work."

This isn't about forcing everyone back to the office - it's about being honest about what's actually happening in most hybrid workplaces.

What we unpack:

A lot of people coffee badge - show up, get coffee and leave
Meeting overload in remote and hybrid work
How proximity bias is skewing promotions (and what HR can do)
The red flags that signal your hybrid setup is failing
Why individual KPIs might be sabotaging teamwork
Practical strategies for companies mandating return-to-office

The bottom line: Flexibility can work, but we cannot assume that hybrid or remote work manages itself. Whether you're defending remote work or pushing for office returns, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and give you practical tools for whatever arrangement you choose.

"In Praise of the Office" releases September 30th, 2025

Find me, Andrea, https://thehrhub.ca

Is AI in recruiting revolutionizing or just hype? Matt Alder, talent acquisition futurist and host of the top 1.5% Recruiting Future podcast, separates fact from fiction in this conversation about what AI can actually do for your hiring process right now.

If you've been wondering whether the hype is worth paying attention to - or if you're tired of vendors promising AI will solve all your hiring problems - listen up.

What we cover:

Matt explains

where AI is genuinely useful today (interview scheduling, candidate communication, standardized job descriptions) versus where it's still mostly hype.

-why putting resumes into ChatGPT is a legal and privacy nightmare waiting to happen. Some dedicated companies are already being held accountable!

interview intelligence - AI that records interviews and coaches interviewers.

We also discuss if AI can handle entire interviews. Well it can, but should it? Matt uses the airplane pilot analogy - autopilot can technically fly the whole flight, but passengers still want a human in the cockpit. The same principle applies to recruiting.

Find Matt on LinkedIn, his website or via his book.

Find me at https://thehrhub.ca

Is AI going to replace your entire workforce or transform how we perform talent management. To some degree? The answer is more nuanced than the extreme hype would suggest.

Dr. Reece Akhtar, organizational psychologist and CEO of Deeper Signals, cut through the hype to talk about what's actually happening in talent management. As someone who teaches at NYU and writes for Forbes and Harvard Business Review, Reece brings both academic rigor and practical experience.

In this episode, we talked how AI will impact virtually every stage of the employee journey - from recruitment to development to succession planning. But instead of the usual "AI will change everything" narrative we typically hear , Reece explained why he thinks it will be somewere in between and why soft skills are so important.

What we cover:

Why AI adoption will follow two parallel paths one of which is replacing as many people as possible with AI
The three lasting skills that will always matter in any workplace
How to evaluate AI tools
Why you should plan for AI
Real examples of AI making talent insights more accessible for someone without a phD

Key takeaway: The future isn't about humans vs. machines - it's about humans WITH machines doing better work together.

Connect with Reece on LinkedIn or visit deepersignals.com

Find me andrea@thehrhub.ca or via LinkedIn

TalentManagement #AIinHR #FutureOfWork #EmployeeEngagement #HRStrategy

60% of people have been in a workplace romance - and 43% of those apparently end in marriage! So maybe we shouldn't be trying so hard to prevent them? But we should take precautions.

Management-side attorney Leah Stiegler from Woods Rogers joined me to discuss the messiest workplace romance situations she's encountered (think: affairs, stalking, and executives caught on video with prostitutes). More importantly, we cover what HR should actually be doing about workplace relationships.

In this episode:

Why prevention might be the wrong strategy
The three policies that can save your sanity (including "love contracts")
When awkwardness becomes harassment
Real stories that'll make you cringe
Practical advice for navigating romance drama at work

Guest: Leah Stiegler, Partner at Woods Rogers law firm and creator of "What's the Tea in L&E" video series

Do you have a workplace romance horror story? Please comment! Preferably keeping it safe for work - even if things happened at work! LOL

I always wondered if my workaholic dad's habits were healthy. Or if he was driven by the urge to be a dedicated provider?

Turns out there's a big difference between working hard and being a workaholic - and workaholics could be costing organizations.

Dr. Catherine Connelly from McMaster University is shared more eye-opening research on an HR topics - this time workaholism and the connection to workplace ethics. We talked about why your most dedicated employees might actually be the ones cutting ethical corners.

In this episode:

The real difference between being busy and being a workaholic
Why workaholics are more likely to morally disengage at work
The surprising connection between dedication and tunnel vision
"Idiosyncrasy credits" - how high performers build up goodwill to get away with bad behavior later
Red flags to watch for when hiring (and managing) potential workaholics
Building systems that keep even your best employees ethically grounded

Catherine's research challenges what we think we know about workplace dedication. Sometimes the people most invested in "organizational success" are the ones who'll justify anything to achieve it.

This is a must-listen for any HR professional managing high performers or trying to build truly healthy cultures. Plus, Catherine's research is open source, so you can dive deeper after listening.

Connect with Dr. Catherine Connelly on LinkedIn or at : connellyresearch.com .

What's your experience with workaholism in your workplace? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

So I just learned about PEOs (Professional Employer Organizations) and these are so well established in the USA but news to me!

Paul Aemisegeo from Payroll Mart gave me the straight talk on what PEOs actually do versus what they promise to do. If you're a smaller organization dealing with expensive health insurance, multi-state compliance headaches, or just trying to offer competitive benefits without the enterprise budget, this one's for you.

The key insight? PEOs can solve your benefits and compliance backend, but don't expect them to handle your day-to-day HR tasks. That performance conversation? Still yours. That tricky leave situation? Also, still yours.

We dive into who should consider a PEO (spoiler: if you're in New York with under 100 employees, definitely listen), how to evaluate them, and why so many companies end up switching PEOs multiple times.

Plus Paul shares the real considerations if you're thinking about leaving a PEO - because apparently that's a whole thing too.

Perfect listen if you're evaluating HR vendors or wondering if there's a better way to handle benefits and compliance.

Find Paul on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulaemisegeo/ or at Payroll Marthttps://payrollmart.com/As usual you can find me on Linkedin or through my website https://thehrhub.ca/

Most retention strategies are just expensive band-aids.

This week I spoke with Dr. Roger Gerard, who spent 23 years as Chief Learning Officer in healthcare and has a refreshingly simple perspective on how to keep people around.

Roger breaks it down to five promises that leaders need to make - and more importantly, keep. Those promises have to do with listening with respect, helping people grow, helping them be successful, competitive compensation, and having their back when things go wrong.

But we also talked about the tension within the promises. For example, we're not going have someone's back when they've done something deeply unethical.

We also dig into why so many organizations have created a loyalty problem. Employers expect it from employees but don't appear to it back.

If you're dealing with retention issues and tired of surface-level solutions, this conversation will give you some ideas.

Find Roger at rogergerard.com and check out his book "Lead with Purpose." Find me at thehrhub.ca

How does HR impact a company's sale price? Lindsay Osmond, former VP of HR and current business optimization expert, discusses the role HR plays in making companies 'sellable'.

From employment contract liabilities to cultural red flags that derail deals, Lindsay explains what buyers really look at when they are making a decision. The information she shares can help position you as a strategic business partner in the process.

Key takeaways include the specific metrics buyers care about, why people are your only true competitive advantage, and how to navigate the complex post-merger integration process.

Find Lindsay at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-osmond-ba-bmgmt-cphr-a399064/Find Andrea at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/ or https://thehrhub.ca/

You've invested in coaching training for your managers. You've rolled out the initiative company-wide. So why does it still feel like you're pushing a boulder uphill?

HR consultant Debbie Pearmain has spent 25 years watching organizations struggle with this exact problem. In this episode, she reveals the uncomfortable truth: most coaching cultures fail because companies are only training half the relationship.

Debbie shares research showing that 82% of employees feel stuck "below the line of accountability" and explains how coaching becomes the vehicle for moving people above that line. But here's the kicker - it only works when both managers AND employees understand their role in the coaching partnership.

What you'll learn:• Why the accountability crisis is costing your organization more than you think• The performance equation that determines when to coach vs. when to train vs. when to mentor• How to build the trust and psychological safety that makes coaching actually stick• The strategic implementation approach that gets buy-in from everyone• Why your high performers might be getting the wrong type of support

If you've ever wondered why some managers excel at coaching while others struggle, this conversation will give you perspective

Guest: Debbie Pearmain - HR Consultant with 25+ years experience in leadership development and employee engagement. Find her at onestophr.ca

Host: Andrea Adams - Follow the HR Hub on LinkedIn and subscribe for more episodes that tackle the real challenges facing HR professionals today.

Is your organization ready for the impact of AI? In this both reassuring and alarming episode I spoke with Ross Sparkman, Senior Director of Workforce Strategy at Walmart and author of "Strategic Workforce Planning," to address one of the biggest concerns facing HR at the moment.

Ross brings his wealth of experience from roles at Meta and Nike to shed light on how AI will transform the workplace—not by eliminating jobs wholesale, but by fundamentally changing how work gets done. Contrary to alarming headlines, Ross reveals that most CEOs aren't planning mass layoffs but instead are looking to redirect human talent toward higher-value work.

Find out why HR must take the lead in preparing organizations for this shift through strategic job redesign, skills forecasting, and change management. Learn how AI can actually help HR professionals assess which tasks are prime for automation and how entry-level positions will evolve as tactical work becomes automated.

This is something that keeps me up at night. All HR should be thinking about this!

HR #AIinHR #WorkforcePlanning #FutureofWork #HRtechnology

Find Ross' new book on Amazon! Strategic Workforce Planning: Developing optimized talent strategies for future growthYou can find Ross on LinkedIn / ross-sparkman You can find me https://thehrhub.ca/or on Linkedin / andrea-adams1

Should you abandon DEI? A research-based perspective on navigating current pressures.

Companies are being told to cancel DEI programs, wipe them from websites, and pretend structural barriers don't exist. But what if you believe these initiatives are important for your hiring market and your values?

Dr. Catherine Connelly, HR professor and researcher, joins me to discuss the real-world pressures HR professionals are facing around DEI - especially when your head office says "stop" but you know it's the right thing to do.

We dig into what's actually happening legally vs. politically, what the research says about which DEI practices actually work (spoiler: mandatory training isn't the magic bullet), and practical strategies for continuing this work even when you can't call it "DEI" anymore.

This isn't about politics - it's about smart HR practices that help you attract and retain the best talent while protecting your organization legally.

In this episode, we cover:

What's really driving the shift away from DEI in North America and why Canadian companies are reacting proactively
The crucial difference between political pressure and actual legal requirements
Why "don't obey in advance" is essential advice for HR professionals right now
Which DEI practices research shows actually work - and the surprising truth about mandatory training
How to continue meaningful inclusion work without using the DEI label
Legal risks Canadian organizations face if they abandon diversity initiatives
The business case for fair processes and procedural justice
Practical advice for HR consultants still writing DEI policies during uncertain times
Building community and inclusion when everything feels unsettled

About Dr. Catherine Connelly:HR professor and researcher focused on workplace behavior, employee well-being, and diversity. Find her research at connellyresearch.com or connect at connell@mcmaster.ca

Resources mentioned:Timothy Snyder's "On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century" | McMaster Center for Research on Employment and Work (Mcrew)

Find Andrea at https://thehrhub.ca/

We've been thinking about motivation all wrong in HR. After 23 years as a Chief Learning Officer in healthcare, Dr. Roger Gerard reveals why traditional motivation tactics actually backfire - and shares what leaders should do instead.

If you've ever wondered why your recognition programs aren't working, why throwing money at retention problems doesn't stick, or how to actually engage your team without gimmicky incentives, this episode is for you.

In this conversation, we explore:

Why it's NOT a leader's job to motivate people (and what their real job is)
The difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation - and why it matters
How compensation works as a "message of value" rather than a motivator
Why most salary surveys are useless by the time you implement them
The real relationship between money and engagement (hint: it's not what you think)
How to build the deep relationships that actually drive performance
Why top-down goal setting creates cynics and disengagement
A fascinating case study of co-creating organizational vision with 5,000 employees
When and how to set boundaries with chronic complainers
Why most incentive programs are "downright dumb" and create manipulation instead of motivation

Key Quote: "I don't get up on Monday morning waiting for somebody to motivate me. I know what I want to do with my day, with my time, with my life. Nobody has to motivate me for any of that. I motivate myself, and I believe that's true of most professionals. What leaders do is we mess it up."

This episode will challenge how you think about motivation, compensation, and employee engagement. Roger's insights are based on decades of real-world experience and research, not just theory.

About Dr. Roger Gerard:Roger Gerard is a speaker, author, and executive coach who spent 23 years as Chief Learning Officer at a healthcare organization in Wisconsin. He's the author of "Lead with Purpose" and "Owning the Room" and has worked with thousands of employees across multiple industries to cultivate authentic engagement.

Resources mentioned:

"Lead with Purpose" by Roger Gerard
"Owning the Room" by Roger Gerard
Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory (hygiene factors vs. motivators)
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in workplace context

Connect with Dr. Roger Gerard:Website: rogergerard.com

Perfect for: HR professionals, people managers, executives, and anyone who wants to understand what actually drives human performance at work.

Subscribe to HR Hub for weekly conversations with HR experts who share practical, evidence-based insights you can use immediately.

Have a question about motivation, engagement, or consulting? Email me at andrea@thehrhub.ca or connect with me on LinkedIn.

You've been asked to facilitate a meeting? Chances are you learned by trial and error (like most of us)!

In this episode, I sit down with professional facilitator Robin Parsons of Parsons to demystify what makes group discussions actually work. Robin shares how she spends 1-2 hours preparing for EVERY hour of facilitation—proving that great facilitation isn't magic, it's methodical.

We dig into the powerful ORID model (Objective, Reflective, Interpretive, Decisional) that transforms how you structure any discussion. Robin explains why addressing emotions is essential (and how to do it without making everyone uncomfortable), plus practical strategies for handling those tricky participants we all dread.

If you're leading strategic planning sessions or guiding important decisions, this gives you tangible tools to make a difference in your facilitation game. It sure did for me. So don't wing it—learn some real strategies!

Robin referred to ICA Associates for training. Find them here: https://ica-associates.ca/Find Robin herself at https://www.parsonsdialogue.com/And, as ever, find me at https://thehrhub.ca

After 4.5 years of hosting the HR Hub and hitting nearly 10,000 subscribers, I'm sharing a few insights that have shaped how I think about HR practice. This solo episode breaks down seven critical lessons I've learned from interviewing over 150 HR experts - and some of these might challenge how you practice!

From the hard truth about why HR programs get cut to the business development skills you actually need for consulting, these aren't your typical HR platitudes. I'm talking about real, practical wisdom that can change how you approach your career and daily work.

You'll discover why psychological safety isn't just a buzzword (and how it drives real business results), the uncomfortable reality about receiving feedback that nobody talks about, and why DEI initiatives deserve the same grace we give other business programs.

Whether you're looking to advance in your HR career, considering consulting, or just want to be more effective in your current role, these seven lessons will give you a fresh perspective on what it really takes to succeed in HR.

What You'll Learn:

The #1 question that determines if your HR program survives budget cuts
Why preparation and speed create an impossible tension
The leadership courage required to stand up for what's right
How psychological safety drives innovation and business outcomes
The surprising skill that makes or breaks HR consultants
Why we're training people wrong about feedback
A powerful story about bias that will change how you think about inclusion

Connect with Andrea:

Subscribe to the HR Hub on YouTube and Spotify
Follow on LinkedIn: Andrea Adams
Share your biggest HR lesson in the comments

Are your engagement initiatives actually working? In this refreshing and funny take , HR consultant Debbie Pearmain cuts through the fluff and reveals what actually moves the needle on employee engagement after 25 years in the field.

Discover why your managers have an 80% impact on engagement success, why third-party surveys show dramatically different results than internal ones, and the science behind what employees really need (hint: it starts with fair compensation, not pizza parties).

If you're fear investing in engagement initiatives that don't deliver results, this episode provides the honest, practical framework you need. Learn how to connect with employees at both the head AND heart level to drive impressive business outcomes: 21% higher profitability, 87% better retention, and 92% higher

Connect with Debbie at https://onestophr.ca/or find her on LinkedIn!Find me (Andrea) https://thehrhub.cacustomer satisfaction.

Ever notice how we train leaders to give feedback but rarely teach them how to receive it?

Also: did you know 70% of people feel uncomfortable receiving feedback, and 37% avoid it altogether? If you've ever felt that pit in your stomach when someone says "Can I give you some feedback?" you know what I am talking about. This episode got personal because I am definitely in the 70%.

Pam Schmidt and Organizational Development expert and owner of Pam Schimdt Consulting breaks down why feedback often feels threatening, how power dynamics silence honest input as leaders rise in organizations, and practical strategies for receiving criticism without becoming defensive. You'll learn:

Why traditional feedback models fall short
How to prepare yourself emotionally for feedback conversations
When to trust feedback (and when to discard it)
The powerful "2% rule" for finding value in even the most questionable feedback

If you can master this, you will transform feedback from something to dread into a valuable tool for professional development!

Find Pam on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamschmidt1/

And me: andrea@thehrhub.ca

Feeling overwhelmed by workplace challenges? This episode delivers practical resilience strategies for HR professionals juggling strategic initiatives with daily operational demands.

Resilience expert Beverly Beuermann-King breaks down her SOS framework (Situation, Ourselves, Support) and shares 10 key traits that help you bounce back from setbacks. Learn to identify your specific stress triggers, quiet your racing "monkey mind," and spot warning signs before burnout hits.

Beverly offers no-nonsense advice on maintaining control during uncertainty and explains when it's time to seek additional support. Perfect for mid-level HR pros who need to maintain their own well-being while supporting others through organizational change.

Walk away with actionable tools to not just survive workplace chaos, but actually flourish both professionally and personally.

Ever had an employee claim they're underpaid compared to the market? In this episode, I chat with compensation expert Carolyn Kildare about the nuts and bolts of effective salary benchmarking.

We dive into how to respond when employees bring outside salary data to you, where to find reliable compensation surveys, and how to build credibility in your benchmarking process. Carolyn shares practical wisdom from her years at Mercer and as owner of Cadence Compensation to help you navigate these challenging conversations.

Key topics we cover:

Building a solid compensation philosophy as your foundation
Why data quality matters (and which surveys to trust)
Handling employee challenges to your compensation structure
The difference between inflation and salary increase budgets
When and how to "age" older salary data

Perfect for HR professionals looking to strengthen their compensation strategy and confidently handle those tricky "but everyone else pays more" conversations.

Find Carolyn at https://www.cadencecompensation.ca/ or on LinkedInFind me as always: https://thehrhub.ca

Is your L&D team flying blind? In this episode, I sit down with edtech strategist and author Lori Niles-Hofmann to unpack why data-driven learning design is a game-changer for HR professionals.

Lori reveals how borrowing tactics from marketing can transform training effectiveness and explains her practical "duct tape approach" for organizations without perfect data systems. We explore everything from using digital body language to predict learning needs to her bold prediction about AI coaches replacing traditional courses.

Whether you're struggling to measure learning impact or looking to modernize your training approach, this conversation delivers actionable insights for mid-career HR professionals ready to elevate their L&D strategy.

Guest: Lori Niles-Hofmann, EdTech & AI Transformation Strategist and author of the upcoming "The Eight Levers of EdTech Transformation"

Topics covered:• Why intuition alone fails in learning design• Essential data points every L&D team should track• Overcoming common barriers to data-driven approaches• How A/B testing can revolutionize your training effectiveness• The future of personalized AI-powered learning

This episode is also sponsored by iSpring - an all-in-one e-learning solution that makes creating training easier.

Also check out: 👉 Lori's new book "The Eight Levers of EdTech Transformation" coming this spring👉 Lori's course on LinkedIn Learning about Data-Driven Learning Design https://www.linkedin.com/learning/data-driven-learning-design👉 My website for consulting to SMBs - https://thehrhub.caALSO this episode is sponsored by iSpring - an all-in-one e-learning solution that makes creating training easier. Check out my demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8q-zhHHvkUhttps://www.ispringsolutions.com/They have offered discount codes (good until the end of 2025) as follows: 'ANDREA-SUITE' - For purchasing iSpring Suite with a 10% discount.'ANDREA -SUITE-MAX' - For purchasing iSpring Suite Max with a 10% discount.

Connect on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/ or find me at https://thehrhub.ca for consulting to SMBs.

Let's plan for 5 years down the road with a thousand moving pieces - many of which you have zero control over. That's strategic workforce planning.

I have had a growing interest in workforce planning with the rise of AI. I don't want to be doing miserable HR - like mass layoffs when you didn't plan for the shift in 30% of tasks to AI.

My guest this week, Ross Sparkman, has literally wrote the book on strategic workforce planning. When you google 'workforce planning books' his book, 'Strategic Workforce Planning: Developing optimized talent strategies for future growth' comes up and the 2nd edition came out last week! He is currently the Sr. Director of Workforce Planning at Walmart and held similar roles at Nike and Meta.

It's complicated, but we need to plan for the future:

What roles and skills do we need now? In the future? When in the future?
What risks impact our plans? And how will we mitigate?
Do we have the right mix of full-time, part-time and contingent workers?
Are we hiring in the right places?

And so many more. Workforce planning is the pinnacle of big picture HR. Ross tells us how to do it in the short-term and then how to scale up to the bigger picture.

Check it out! And read the book - I can hardly think of another topic where reading the book would be more important.

Find Ross' new book on Amazon! It was just published last week: Strategic Workforce Planning: Developing optimized talent strategies for future growthYou can find Ross on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-sparkman/You can find me https://thehrhub.ca/or on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

80% are just fine, 15% skirt the edges, and 5% are evil.

The latter 20% explain why compliance is such a big thing in HR.

Anyone who follows my show closely knows I am interested in understanding the impact of power. I spoke with Dr. Catherine Connelly who is an expert in HR and in Canada's temporary foreign worker (TFW) program. The TFW program, arguably, represents one of the greatest power imbalances in any Canadian workplace.

So what can HR learn from this power imbalance? Unsurprisngly, a lot:

😇 The TFW program demonstrates why compliance exists. Most of us are fine, but some are not and it's for the latter that compliance rules exist.

👺 It would be naive of HR not to be alert to rogue managers.

😥 When an employee with low organizational power complains, it may have taken a lot of bravery for them to come forward. If you dismiss them, they may never speak up again - and you will have missed an opportunity to learn.

😱 Some senior leaders are shocked to find out what is happening on the front lines. Organizations need good people processes to ensure this doesn't happen.

The temporary foreign worker program is not tied directly to many of us in HR. But it provides inside into what can happen when there are unchecked power imbalances.

It's a sober learning opportunity - check it out!

Find Dr. Connelly's Book Enduring Work: Experiences with Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Find Dr. Connelly in any of the following places

LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-connelly-57b70762/

https://connellyresearch.com/

https://experts.mcmaster.ca/display/connell

Find me, as always on LinkedIn or at https://thehrhub.ca

If you do any meeting or workshop facilitation, this video will make it easier! It provides an overview of facilitation and many tactical insights which I plan to apply at my next facilitation.

You never need fear that guy who slouches in his seat with his arms crossed ever again.

My guest for this was Robin Parsons. Robin owns a facilitation company called Parsons Dialogue. She has been doing this work for 10 years and even teaches facilitation through ICA Associates. After talking with her I can see how I would have benefited from facilitation training. Things like:

It is important to start with ground rules.
Humans are emotional creatures. There are stages a group goes through and you can't skip the step in which they talk about their emotions.
If your client wants you to get the group to 'come up with the right answer themselves' beware. This is as much manipulation as facilitation.
Robin has many HR people in her classes because we know we need the skill but didn't learn it in university.

This honestly was such a useful episode. I have some upcoming facilitation and will refer back to it. Check it out!

https://ica-associates.ca/

https://www.parsonsdialogue.com/

https://thehrhub.ca

What if your employees had the willingness and ability to respond quickly and flexibly to changing business needs? Sounds a little like a fairytale.

Maybe not. There are things you can do to build resilience in the workplace.

This whole conversation with Beverly Beuermann-King about building resilience in the workplace was a revelation. Beverly talks about resilience a lot at conferences as well as presenting workshops and participating in panels. Her company, Work Smart Live Smart is a resiliency and corporate culture focused company helping people deal with reactions to stress and live better lives.

A few things I noted:

A lot of what she talks about aligns with what we know of engagement - but not all.
The most intriguing part for me was about hope. Why don't we talk about hope at work more often? It makes total sense.
We need employee creativity and ideas. So working them to burnout is not the answer.

Beverly has thought about this a lot and the message was so welcome. Check out the full discussion.

Find Beverly at Work Smart Live Smart

https://worksmartlivesmart.com/

And of course find me at https://thehrhub.ca/

This is a special episode and is part of podcasthon. Podcasthon is a global movement bringing podcasts and channels together in service of all the AMAZING not-for-profits out there. This discussion revolves around doing HR in this kind of organization.

There are so many great NFPs out there, but I am on the board of Trinity Place Foundation of Alberta. They provide housing for people who are hard to house and those with limited income. Given current housing conditions and the personal struggles of some people, this is so so important!

I was happy to interview Jennie Deneka, the dynamic and passionate CEO of TPFA. Jennie has a background in healthcare and has been at the helm of TPFA for 4 years. She is currently guiding the organization through a transformation and was happy to talk about what NFPs TRULY need from HR. LIke:

Be a generalist. Many NFPs are smaller so you will have to do a lot of things.
You have to be realistic. NFPs often have small budgets and you have to make do.
Maybe you can also be really creative and get some great things done
The mission of the organization will fuel you. It's not the only thing that matters, but it helps a lot.

It was a pleasure to do this and highlight the great work of so many charities and not-for-profits in all of our communities filling gaps and helping critical causes in our communities.

Consider donating to a charity in your community or to TPFA. You can reach TPFA at

info@tpfa.ca

HR is often shouldering the burden and leadership around the impact of societal shifts. We have to ensure the organization is prepared to respond, culture is aligned and any risks around the shift are mitigated. So we need to think about the future of work.

I was delighted to have this conversation with Anthony Ariganello, CEO of CPHR Canada and President of the World Federation of People Management. AND he is a member of the Order of Canada!

Anthony shared is big picture perspective on the future of HR. Somethings will be advanced and only get better from where they are today and there may be big shifts - like the one in the video below.

🧠 We need to continue focusing on mental health. We have made great strides but the work is not done.

😵‍💫 Employee engagement will continue to be critical - we need to lead around effective remote work and things like quiet quitting.

🙂 Immigrants will be important to meeting our labour needs when we are not having enough kids. HR creativity may be warranted.

🤝 We may be moving away from the hyper focus on collaboration. I'm not sure how because I think it is the reality of how work gets done, but we need to monitor.

♾️ HR is part of a system involving the HR associations and government to effect the change that our organizations need.

It was a wonderful big picture conversation with a global leader in HR. Check it out!

Check out CPHR at https://cphr.ca/

Find me at https://thehrhub.ca/

You can build psychological safety pretty fast - note I didn't say 'easily'. And, actually, it's not that hard either, but it does require a little adventurous spirit and bravery to keep doing it long enough to see improvement. BUT THE BENEFITS!

Psychological safety has been proven to have so many business benefits. Think about it. How well do YOU perform when you feel like you have to bite your tongue? When co-workers are in cliques and you're not welcome? When you are micromanaged?

My guest this week is an emerging thought leader IMO. Israel Peck had a journey through finance doing massive cost cutting including 'reducing head count' which is a nicer way of saying mass terminations. In the process, he discovered how important culture is to rescuing an organization's financial performance. And, in turn, the importance of psychological safety.

So he did something about it. He created cratic.ai which, through a slightly odd way of creating successively deeper conversations, helps teams create psychological safety and better cultures.

He takes a financial view on HR:

HR needs a standard measure and he argues for eNPS. Really nothing is going to be perfect, so why not eNPS?
eNPS is the collective answer to the question: On a scale of1-10, how likely are you to recommend your place of work to a friend or colleague?
The point is: if you can move eNPS a quartile up, you will add between $10 and $25,000 EBITDA PER EMPLOYEE!
Psychological safety plays a huge role in eNPS and he has a methodology for driving it.
The key is better conversations not magic.

It's genuinely one of the most exciting things I have seen while hosting my show. There really ARE better ways and Israel knows of one.

Do yourself a favour and tune in!

Find Israel at https://cratic.ai/ or on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ipeck/Find me at https://thehrhub.ca/

A compensation philosophy is our north star for our compensation plans. It's a statement that outlines a company's approach to employee compensation. It helps align our comp practices with business goals so a business makes the most of it's biggest cost: labour.

I love a good guiding philosophy so was happy to have this discussion with Carolyn Kildare. Carolyn is the owner of Cadence Compensation Consulting. She worked for Mercer for 12 years and is the President of the Calgary Total Rewards Network.

These are just a few tips from our discussion:

💰 Compensation is a high stakes topic. Get your ducks in a row (reasonably) before something inevitably happens.

💰 Your compensation philosophy tells you who, what, when, how and how much.

💰 A theme from my show generally was reinforced: stop paying new recruits as much or more than your loyal employees.

💰 Are you getting FOMO so you pay more? It's like buying a house. It looks SO amazing so you pay the premium. And then you find out about the leaky roof and plumbing issues.

💰 A comp philosophy helps you put your money where your mouth is e.g. if you want a performance culture then your compensation should support it.

Compensation philosophy is important. It's high stakes but it doesn't have to be hugely difficult. Most employees will accept what is fair.

Find Carolyn at https://www.cadencecompensation.ca/or on LinkedInFind me as always: https://thehrhub.ca

Are you trying to do HR in a toxic work environment? That's haard.

You might see that things are not right and see that people aren't being held accountable for awful behaviour. Perhaps you feel a bit trapped in your job and can't switch and yet you don't have the power to really do anything about the problem.

At this point, it's probably a long game and my guest has so much great advice. So much.

Dr. Kevin Sansberry started in HR as an HR Advisor. Then he worked his way up to being Assistant Vice Chancellor of HR. Then he went off and did his own thing including a TedX presentation, consulting, executive coaching and the Toxic Leadership Podcast. I was delighted by the insight he had into tough HR issues - such as toxicity. You can tell that he has deep experience in HR. This is a fraction of the insight he shared:

As we discussed in a separate video, toxicity is an easy label, but rarely describes actual behaviour.
You are not without power even as an HR advisor.
You can change things, but need to think strategically.
Toxicity has its roots in culture. Focusing on anything else will be a bandaid fix.

It was a fantastic discussion. One of the best if you are in HR.

Find Kevin on LinkedIn at / kevindsansberry Find his podcast athttps://www.kevraconsulting.comFind Andrea for consulting supporthttps://thehrhub.ca

Microaggressions in the workplace continue to be hard to understand. I was involved in an investigation a while back alleging microaggressions and I was uncertain. So when I had the opportunity to clarify I did.

I spoke with Sara Taylor who has been a DEI expert for a long time. She started her company, deepSEE Consulting in 2002. She has authored two books including, recently, 'Thinking at the Speed of Bias'. She has been a Chief Diversity Officer. She was on my panel discussion around DEI and it was wonderful to talk to her about this because I am a lot more clear now.

😳 Microaggressions are unintentional.

😔 We often apologize for hurting people unintentionally. Why not also apologize for a thoughtless assumption?

🧑🏽 Microaggressions are based on someone's identity (race, ethnicity, religion, gender, etc)

😇 Microaggressions are not about bad people doing mean things.

👿 If someone is deliberately mean based on any of those areas, it's bullying and harassment.

I'm so much clearer now and it makes sense. There was so much to learn about from Sara's perspective and if you've been wondering, you won't after this discussion. Or at least you will wonder less.

Find Sara Taylor at https://www.deepseeconsulting.com/ or on LinkedIn. You can find her books wherever you buy them starting with the most recent: Thinking at the Speed of Bias: How to Shift our Unconscious FiltersFilter Shift: How Effective People See the WorldFind me, Andrea Adams, for small and medium business consulting and HR project management at https:/thehrhub.ca

Has a wellness program ever had a positive effect on your well-being? To what degree?

I participated in wellness programs - pilates and a free gym. But I was already so active, that the impact was meagre at best. It would be hard to say I was more well after that. What about you?

That was the subject this week in my discussion with Tim Borys - fitness enthusiast, coach, wellness expert, author, and keynote speaker. We discuss whether or not corporate wellness programs are making a difference to our wellbeing. And, more importantly, how organizations can create more wellbeing.

💪 Wellness programs tend to be surface level - yoga and gyms. Not meaningless but also not that powerful.

🗯️ As the video says below, wellness programs will be totally pointless if your boss is an ah.

⚕️We're aiming for wellbeing and that concept extends to all the systems and people in the workplace.

🕺🏻If Tim had $100,000 to invest in creating wellbeing at work, I suspect he would 90% on leadership development.

🔬Leadership development programs are often too tactical to cover topics related to well-being.

What are the goals of your leadership development program? Are you doing an adequate job of training leaders on concepts related to well-being?

This was a thought-provoking chat around wellness - what works and what doesn't. Check it out!

Find Tim at https://timborys.com/

or on LinkedInFind Andrea (me) at https://thehrhub.ca

This episode was supposed to be about upskilling and reskilling exclusively... but we quickly talked about the skills-based organization because that is where upskilling and reskilling start.

You have to know what skills you are trying to build!

I had THE best person for this discussion IMO. My guest was Lori Niles-Hofman. Lori hosts an upskilling course on LinkedIn Learning. She describes herself as an EdTech and AI Transformation Strategist. She is an author having written The Eight Levers of EdTech Transformation which will be published this spring. She has also been an L&D leader for big organizations. Her command of the big picture and the details was impressive.

This discussion was full of new ways of thinking:

A skills based organization moves away from discussions about job titles to discussions around particular skills.
People might be paid based on skills rather than job title.
Upskilling and reskilling become a lot easier when we focus on individual skills as opposed to a large set of skills as is common on an L&D program
Her clients focus on a limited number of skills as they move towards a skills-based organization
You might start with ONE skill.

Her insight was so precise - it was amazing. And it was different, Lori is not afraid to consider new ways of doing things!

Check out the sponsor for this episode! iSpring Solutions! https://www.ispringsolutions.com/They have offered discount codes (good until the end of 2025) as follows: 'ANDREA-SUITE' - For purchasing iSpring Suite with a 10% discount.'ANDREA -SUITE-MAX' - For purchasing iSpring Suite Max with a 10% discount.I also had fun demo'ing their product: https://youtu.be/e8q-zhHHvkUFind Lori at any one of the following places:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorinileshofmann/https://www.linkedin.com/learning/upskilling-and-reskilling-your-workforcehttps://www.theeightlevers.com/https://www.loriniles.com/You can find me at https://thehrhub.ca

HR is often asked to help increase accountability in the workplace. Because people just aren't doing their jobs they way they are supposed to!

We often think it's because they don't care. Sometimes that's the case, but other times they just don't care about the impact they're having on others.

I spoke to Mitch Warner, Managing Partner of the Arbinger Institute. Things got a little uncomfortable for me - but I guess that's when the learning happens right?

He talks about an aspect of accountability that we don't think about often. That is, the accountability to others so they get their work done. The impact on others is frequently overlooked.

This episode will make you think - every once in a while I have a guest who turns a topic on their head and this was one of them and I was there for it!

💪 Accountability is about getting your job done - but not at the expense of the effectiveness of others!

☠️ This is sometimes described as toxicity, but this is kinder and more productive.

💡 He has specific tips for leaders on how they can get their employees to consider their impact.

🥱 For people who don't care... maybe they need a new job.

This was inspiring - I love a new way to think about things! Check it out!

Find Mitch and the Arbinger Institute at https://arbinger.com/You can find their books (The Outward Mindset and Leadership and Self-Deception) anywhere you buy your books but also via their website: https://arbinger.com/store/Find me, Andrea Adams at https://thehrhub.ca/ or connect with me on LinkedIn!

I figure we are mostly looking for the truth. And while 'truth' is hard to find, some things bring us closer. Like research.

Also it's 2025. What HR debates are we still working through in our hunt for truth?

This was the focus of my discussion with Dr. Catherine Connelly. Catherine is a leading HR researcher with a passion for research. When I asked Chat GPT for a 'future of HR' expert, her name was one of the top three. She is a Professor and Business Research Chair in Organizational Behaviour, in the Human Resources and Management department of the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University plus many other qualifications.

We talked about:

Hybrid & remote work. I was hoping to settle the debate once and for all, but it's much more nuanced. Are you surprised?
AI - it continues to be biased because it trains on our data. Which has bias baked in. We'll have to audit but even if we could get totally unbiased AI, we still have biased people in our organizations (see the video below).
Employee Experience - We need to focus on the basics.
A theme running through our discussion was the much maligned middle manager. They are critical to success in a lot of this.

I hope to try another of these episodes because I believe the pursuit of truth is a fundamental. It's like happiness: we'll work at it, but never quite get there. Still, it's a worthwhile and critical journey.

We had an insightful conversation... check it out!

Also, find Catherine here

https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-connelly-57b70762/

https://connellyresearch.com/

https://experts.mcmaster.ca/display/connell

As always, find me at https://www.thehrhub.ca

Happy end of 2024! I learn so much from the guests on my show. And so does Angela Nguyen of the Leadership Within Podcast. So we joined forces to discuss what we learned this year! We reflected on the challenges and things we learned including:- How hard it is to create content week after week- Qualities we both appreciate more: curiosity and perseverance- Thoughts on DEI as I continue to reflect on the panel discussion I hosted and Angela's reflections as a racialized womanAnd much more. Some relevant links: Angela's show: https://www.youtube.com/@UC4Ekg-0WangewQYVJCZixmA https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelanguyenkhaan/Some of the episodes we referred to: Culture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpJoYnS5nEkToxicity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC1gewuzKvU&t=127sDEI Panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZqbxXyLPkQ&t=3344sCivility: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOvSS2topjM&t=24sBias in Technology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_tz56BoHr4Check some of it out!

The #1 reason hiring fails? Not treating recruitment like the project it really is.

So project mistake are you guilty of maybe: Not revisiting the job description? Forgetting to ask the client if they'll be on vacation (I've done this one)? Not pushing back when client says the want the talent but don't want to pay?

Mostly we just need to treat recruitment like a project. Meet with the client, set the goals, check in when goals aren't being bet etc etc.

My guest this week, Wendy Sellers aka The HR Lady dropped more truth bombs about what it really takes to attract top talent in 2024. She's hilariously outspoken so it's unlikely you'll misunderstand anything she says.

Wendy is an author, podcast host, and plain spoken HR expert. She has been featured in USA Today and even has radio show. Completely 'on brand' she wrote a book for HR called "Suck It Up, Buttercup". Really! And in this discussion she brought her practical, no-fluff approach to talent attraction.

Some other insights

🎯 Recruitment is 50% marketing and 50% HR. This is probably why another guest though recruitment should be part of marketing.

💰 If you want a less expensive employee, you'll probably have to train them. You'll have to pay anyhow.

💰 If you want top talent... you'll have to pay.

📋 You need to look at the job description.

🎯 Sometimes you need a bum in a seat. Even so, there are strategies.

It was full of the basics of getting the job done right. Which too often aren't done right. Check out the full conversation!

Find Wendy on her podcast or YouTube channel The HR Lady!

Sometimes it takes fresh eyes to see solutions for problems you've been struggling with forever.

That's what this episode on culture change felt like.

My guest was Israel Peck - head of Cratic Ai. He used to be a consultant on massive cost-cutting projects and discovered that culture has a huge financial impact. So he started Cratic Ai to help companies successfully shape their cultures. As you might think, given cost-cutting, he has a finance background not HR.

So the conversation was overflowing with fresh perspectives and insights. Like:

HR needs one metric. All the other departments have them. He suggests that employee net promoter score (eNPS) could be that number (see the video below).
It's been shown that EBITDA will increase by $10-25,000 PER EMPLOYEE for every quartile shift in eNPS.
He know how to move the needle on eNPS and you could use his software, but you don't have to.
We often implement programs to change culture. His methods change it from the inside out.
The secret is: conversation. Not so secret right? He has a weird way of encouraging it.
In my opinion, you have to be brave to reap the rewards on this.

I have had other guests who reinforced the power of great conversation in helping to create better teams. Having done a lot of this work and accidentally did some of what he talks about, I believe he is on to something. I believe we will see more of Israel and his ideas! Check it out!

Find Israel on Linkedin or https://cratic.ai/Find me for HR consulting at https://thehrhub.ca

Not for profit organizations have different HR considerations. In part, their employee tend to be incredibly passionate about the organization's purpose. They'll often sacrifice their own well-being in service of it. And in many cases, they're expected to do it.

Dimple Dhabalia, a lawyer, humanitarian and this week's guest, has a powerful story about what she learned after years of humanitarian service around the world. She burned out, but instead of doing what the rest of us would do, she wrote a book. Her book is called "Tell Me My Story: Challenging the Narrative of Service Before Self." For anyone working in service of people, there is a lot to learn from this thought-provoking conversation about unique consideration of doing HR in NFPs.

For example:

❣️ "Being human is messy. And serving humanity is even messier."

❣️ Systems and culture drive employees to put the organization and their humanitarian service ahead of themselves.

❣️ It isn't all on the organization. Change starts with individuals.

❣️ Ultimately, individuals and organizations have to change together.

❣️ We (and especially women) are taught to give, give, give and that will only take us so far.

Find Dimple through her book: Tell Me My Story: Challenging the Narrative of Service Before SelfOr one of her podcasts:Service without Sacrifice: Conversations about Hope & HealingWhat Would Ted Lasso Do? Her websitehttps://www.rootsintheclouds.com/Find me, Andrea, https://thehrhub.ca/

Organizational development is what we strive for in HR. It brings all the strategic pieces of HR together in service of organizational strategy. Or that's how it struck me in this conversation with Michelle Chambers of Chambers and Associates. She teaches Organization Development at Schulich Executive Education (York University). She has won prestigious coaching awards and worked at or for a very long list of leading companies. She was a GREAT guest to discuss this. I suspect she would be great guest for many topics, but this was a good one. There were big and small 'aha' moments in this for me and I bet there would be for you too. Like♾️ The work is incredibly diverse - coaching, working with teams, leadership development, change, transformation and more.🤝 Organization development experts are PARTNERS - we don't come in with answers. 🟰 Organization development is often synonymous with organization effectiveness.And so much more. This was a uniting idea behind what is HR is trying to do. It made so so much sense to me. If you are in HR, do yourself a favour and check it out. Find Michelle at https://www.chambersandassociates.ca/Find Andrea at https://thehrhub.ca

All of us in HR have to build relationships with clients. So how?

It is a skill and what happens when things go wrong?

I interviewed Tiffany Castagno, an HR consultant and leader, and I sensed had a gift for building relationships with clients. Because she was building a relationship with me so quickly! I could see she has a unique and effective way of balancing professionalism with authenticity. I concluded that we have a lot to learn from her.

Some thoughts and questions:

What are your intentions about your clients? She signs emails saying "In your corner." A person can only do this if they mean it and she does.
Showing your human side strengthens relationships and vulnerability is a piece of that. How do you show your human side?
You will have to have difficult conversations with good intentions - so considerable courage is required.
Onboarding a new client is important!

There was a lot to learn from Tiffany and you'll smile with her. As I said at the end, she has some magic and I'm glad she shared!

Find Tiffany at https://www.cephrconsulting.com/

Linkedin: / tiffanycastagno-people-culture-consultant Find Andrea at https://thehrhub.ca

LinkedIn: / andrea-adams1

Does your EVP attract potential employees or push them away? Is it a bad thing if it DOES repell people?

You want your EVP to help you attract the RIGHT people.

EVP was the focus of a fantastic conversation with Bryan Adams of Happy Dance. Not Bryan Adams the singer of course. Our Bryan recently left the role of CEO of Ph.Creative which is an Employer Brand agency. He has written a few books - the most relevant of which is 'Give and Get: Repel the Many and Compel the Few'. He has consulted to the likes of Apple and many others so he knows what he is talking about. We had a fantastic conversation during which I was actually surprised (the video below). And delighted.

These are some of the insights that delighted me and hopefully will delight you:

‼️ EVPs should be authentic - AND aspirational??

🥪 The EVP is the meat in the Employer Brand sandwich. Watch the video to see which parts are the bread.

➡️ A quote which should go on walls: "You could achieve any number of tactical steps, but if it doesn't strategically add up to what the business needs... then you're set to fail."

😭 One creative metric for the success of his results is how many people cry.

So fantastic. Check out the full discussion!

Find Bryan on LinkedIn at / bryanadams1 HappyDance: https://www.happydance.love/Ph-Creative: https://www.ph-creative.com/And don't forget to look up his book 'Give and Get: Repel the Many and Compel the Few with Impact, Purpose and Belonging' on AmazonFind me, Andrea Adams, for consulting supporthttp://thehrhub.ca

Do you feel trepidation at the thought of looking for talent outside the country? It's an intimidating process for sure! I'm not American, but I feel the same way here. Surprisingly, it might not be that hard. This one is for all my American HR friends! I interviewed Sergio Athanasso for this. He's an American corporate immigration lawyer and knows the ins and outs of bringing workers to the US. A few tips that he shared:🚀 It's a lot easier than you might think, but you should hire an immigration lawyer and/or experienced recruitment firm.🌟 Success is a combination of the person's background matched to the position matched to the visa category. 📅 The lead time can range from 4 weeks to a year. Eg Canadians are the easiest and it goes up from there. ⛔️ If you hope to hire someone who is in the US illegally or a visitor: nope. It won't work.‼ Foreign workers often make excellent employees!Despite being Canadian, this opened up a window of opportunity in my mind. It's feasible for almost any talent acquisition strategy. Why not consider it?

You can find Sergio at https://sergiolaw.com or sergio@sergiolaw.comYou can find me on LinkedIn or my website https://thehrhub.ca

"Labelling, though it provides ease of conversing about something, it muddies up meaning."

This is certainly the case for "toxicity". It's really easy to label someone or a workplace as toxic and not have to think constructively about them anymore. It's easy say a leader is creating a toxic work environment when someone objects (maybe strongly) to something they're doing.

This muddiness has been on my mind a while so I reached out to Dr. Kevin Sansberry. He is a behavioural scientist, host of the Toxic Leadership Podcast, executive coach and deeply thoughtful and articulate human. Especially when it comes to organization leadership and toxic workplaces. We don't get muddy thinking from him.

There were many insights in this conversation about toxic workplaces and far more:

🕺🏻 Label behaviour not people. And be careful about the labels themselves. They may be a means to minimize a whole person.

😖 Performance management is not toxicity although someone who is being performance managed may feel deeply uncomfortable and unwelcome.

⤵️ Toxicity is destructive to relationships and connection and thus business outcomes.

☣️ Toxicity can spread reducing psychological safety and all the related positive outcomes.

🏃‍♂️‍➡️ Someone who is prone to action may come across as toxic if they're in a slow culture.

🔥 Don't gaslight yourself into thinking you're the problem. AND don't avoid considering your role. It’s a fine balance.

This conversation was wonderful. As I said at the beginning and the end, I felt lighter for it.

And if you're wondering what HR's role in managing toxicity is, that will be coming in towards the end of October.

Do your employees experience trauma at work or are some of their 'off' behaviours a result of trauma somewhere else?

I spoke with Dimple Dhabalia about what she learned about trauma. She started out as a lawyer and then worked with refugees around the world. I think we can all appreciate how hard it might be to hear those horrifying and heart-breaking stories over and over. Unsurprisingly, she burned out.

However, instead of getting therapy and going on leave like the rest of us might do, Dimple wrote a book: "Tell Me My Story: Challenging the Narrative of Service before Self" In it she shares her insights on recognizing and addressing trauma at work.

The experience of our employees might not be as remarkable as Dimple's but we also don't know what people have experienced. How can we be mindful of that?

Dimple explained:

the difference between "big T" and "little t" traumas, emphasizing how seemingly minor stressors can accumulate and impact an employee's ability to function effectively

• How recognizing the humanity in employees can lead to better decision-making and a more supportive work environment.

• Exploring practical methods for managing stress responses and improving emotional intelligence in the workplace.

• Creating a psychologically safe workplace: Gain insights on fostering an environment where employees feel comfortable expressing themselves without fear of retaliation.

After this discussion, I may have more questions than answers. HR has a job to do that sometimes can cause or trigger trauma. How do we get the job done with sensitivity? It's a big question - and this episode will get you thinking.

Find Dimple at Roots in the Clouds: https://www.rootsintheclouds.com/Her book, Tell Me My Story: https://www.amazon.ca/Tell-Me-Story-Challenging-Narrative/dp/B0CN3TYYP7Find Andrea at https://thehrhub.ca/

None

This episode on incivility at work was soooo welcome. It doesn't matter if you're on the left or the right, it might make you uncomfortable!

I love it when this happens! After well over 200 episodes, it's thrilling to be unexpectedly challenged!

Sara Taylor has been a DEI expert for a long time. She started her company, deepSEE Consulting in 2002. She has authored two books including, recently, 'Thinking at the Speed of Bias'. She has been a Chief Diversity Officer. She was on my panel discussion around DEI. So, in light of these facts, you might think she would blindly advocate for any DEI perspective, but you would be wrong!

We all have biases. Every single one of us. Whether we're white, black, asian, gay, straight... etc. We all know it's true, it's just that some people with biases have power. Sara also said:

2️⃣ Most of the incivility that HR is dragged into have to do with people in the second stage of culture competence.

🤝 With cultural competence we are not talking about ethnicities or geographies, we're talking about our ability to interact effectively with people who are different.

👯 Everyone is different. It's a rather obvious statement, but this includes the people you think are in your tribe almost as much as the people you think are NOT in your tribe.

Don't get too smug: When we think we are so great because we're getting along and ignoring the differences, remember, we are NOT fully developed. Back to the previous point: all people are different.

So fantastic! You should watch it or listen and join me in feeling delighted by the new ideas! Links are in the comments!

Find Sara Taylor at https://www.deepseeconsulting.com/ or on LinkedIn.

You can find her books wherever you buy them starting with the most recent:

Thinking at the Speed of Bias: How to Shift our Unconscious Filters

Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World

Find me, Andrea Adams, for small and medium business consulting and HR project management at https:/thehrhub.ca

"If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism."

It's a saying in the neurodiverse space. Neurodiversity recognizes that all brains work differently, including those with conditions like ADHD, dyslexia and autism spectrum disorder. In this illuminating conversation, Curtis Braun addressed assumptions about neurodivergent individuals and shared how we can create truly inclusive workplaces.

Curtis Braun is an HR instructor, consultant and coach who brings first-hand experience as the father of a neurodivergent son. He has recently started a coaching business focused on men with neurodivergent children so they have the mindset and support they need to help their kids. He discusses:

• Not that we will become diagnosticians, but there are 5 dimensions for assessing neurodivergence: language, perception, sensory skills, motor skills and executive functioning.

• 5 dimensions is a lot of a variety - putting people in boxes is not helpful.

• Common misconceptions include ideas like we need to lower our expectations and they do poorly with change. Not necessarily!

• Fostering psychological safety allows neurodivergent talent to thrive.

Curtis made the case that neurodiversity is a societal reality - and a competitive advantage for inclusive organizations willing to "unlearn" biases.

Find Curtis on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/curtiswbraunCheck out his company at https://advc8.ca/Find Andrea https://thehrhub.ca

So you want career growth. But how do you make it happen?

You need to answer the question of 'what do you mean by career growth'. And the answer could be ANYTHING. Time with family. Travelling. Money. Praise. Promotions. Prestige. Specialization. Really it could be anything and an honest, personal answer will help you achieve it.

This was the focus of my conversation with Adam Pekarsky. He's had career growth, but not really of the traditional kind. He started out as a lawyer and now he is a leader and majority shareholder at Humanis Advisory - an executive search firm. He reflects on career growth in his new book (out this month) called "The Ampersand Chronicles Vol 1: Stories of a Small but Mighty Business in a Rough and Tumble Town". He writes the most amazing blog you've read and has organized his best into a book!

So his insights on career growth from his own perspective but also that of the people he helps:

All motivation is valid, but you have to know what yours are.
Maybe you want to climb the ladder, but maybe you want something else as well. There may be trade-offs.
He resists the idea of work life balance because it's limiting, a zero-sum game. For him it's 'work-life integration' and it enables more possibilities.
Passion is important. Think about what Tiger Woods said in his prime "I'm not the best golfer in the world because I have the most talent. I'm the best golfer in the world because I practice the most." It would be hard to 'practice the most' without passion.

It was wonderful conversation full of good stories and good advice

Find Adam on LinkedIn or at https://humanisadvisory.com/To get a copy of the book, please contact Kiara Tyler at kiara@humaniscalgary.com and they will add you to the list!Find Andrea for consulting support: andrea@thehrhub.ca

The future of DEI is murky. So the purpose of this panel discussion was to reflect on the recent developments in DEI and consider how we might evolve our effort to become more effective. We collectively dove into DEI around the murder of George Floyd - often with little to no experience.And it was a great discussion! The following were just a few of the ideas I took away:- We HAVE made progress. - And this problem is 400 years (or more) in the making. While we want to see change now, this is the work of generations i.e. a marathon not a sprint.- Much of our effort has been spent on diversity where the real work should focus on inclusion and equity.- To be effective we need to meet people where they are at.- If you are on the extreme right or extreme left, you may be contributing to the polarization. Overall, I'm left with a sense of hope and a reframed perspective. Thank you to the panelists:Amy E. Hull M. Ed. Amy is the Head of DEI for Paycor. She is a consultant and Former School Administrator. She recently won bronze from Brandon Hull for her DEI strategy. She is working on authoring her first book on the relationship between power and empathy. / amyehull6 Toby Mildon. Toby is the author of 'Inclusive Growth' and Host of a podcast by the same name. This year, he also released another book 'Building Inclusivity'. He runs Mildon consultancy and previously worked for Deloitte, Accenture and the BBC. https://www.mildon.co.uk/ Dr. Leeno Karumanchery has PhD in Sociology and Equity Studies from the University of Toronto. He is an author of a number of books including an upcoming book called 'The Old Black Lesbian Elephant in the Room: Why the Woke Need to Wake Up'. He is the head of Mesh diversity which takes a numbers and data science approach to helping organizations with DEI. https://meshdiversity.com/ Sara Taylor. Sara is the author of recent book called Thinking at the Speed of Bias, and another bestselling book called 'Filter Shift'. She is a consultant, owner of deepSEE consulting and has 35 years of experience in the field. https://www.deepseeconsulting.com/

You can find me andrea@thehrhub.ca

Curious about how Indeed is using AI to help employers and candidates? And how they apply it as an Employer? I certainly was. I spoke with Hannah Calhoon about how Indeed is using AI. She is the VP, Product at Indeed and AI is her responsibility. They've recently launched some generative AI improvements like Smart Sourcing. Smart Sourcing enhances the our user experience and improves the quality of matches. In the discussion, we ALSO learn about how to incorporate AI in our own organizations - Indeed aside.

Here are just a few insights: ♾️ Indeed has been using AI for a long time but now they are incorporating generative AI. It will help with personalized job recommendations, skills extractions out of resumes, and recommendations to employers. 📈 There are already signs of success. They can do deeper analysis of resumes and help employers and candidates make better matches. 🎓AI can lessen the use of proxies in hiring decisions e.g. we use education as a proxy for assessing intelligence, ambition, perseverance, and industry knowledge. There might be other clues elsewhere in the resume of these same qualities that are harder to spot. ❌ They won't be using AI to make final decisions. That would go against their set of AI principles. 🛠️ TOIL. It's my new favourite word. And AI will help reduce it. Woohoo!How have you been using proxies? Do you have AI principles? How have your older systems been using AI? Are you tired of toil? There were a remarkable number of insights in this discussion that extend well beyond Indeed.

Find out more about Indeed's Approach - AI Principles: https://www.indeed.com/esg/responsible-ai Hiring Lab: https://www.hiringlab.org/ AI Articles: https://www.indeed.com/lead/artificial-intelligenceSmartSourcing - Just Google it. Find me for HR consulting https://thehrhub.ca

I think we know that "culture is not about ping pong tables and snacks."

Too often, company culture gets reduced to these superficial perks. Or perks like this become the symbols of culture everyone points to. But true culture runs much deeper - it's about your core values and how those get lived out through behavior, communication, leadership and more.

I spoke with HR consultant Tiffany Castagno of CEPHR consulting about culture. She helps her clients with it all the time and breaks down the key dimensions of workplace culture that you need to be intentional about shaping. She says:

📝 Assess your current culture through surveys, conversations, audits - but make sure to take action on the findings.

🏆 Leaders play a crucial role in modeling the values and norms you want to reinforce.

🔍 Look at metrics like engagement, belonging, growth opportunities to measure if you're living your desired culture.

⚠️ Common culture mistakes: Lack of consistency, not listening to employees, and having the wrong hires misaligned with your values.

0️⃣ And none of what we talked about has to do with perks. Although those are nice and we like them!

So want to build a magnetic culture that attracts and retains top talent? Check out this episode!

Mindset is harder than rocket science according to NASA scientists. So all you HR people out there? Give yourselves a pat on the back! The people stuff is hard!In this episode, I spoke with Mitch Warner, managing partner at the Arbinger Institute, which is responsible for the book "Outward Mindset". Mitch helped with the latest edition and shares his insight into mindset generally. He focuses particularly on the value of having an outward (rather than inward) mindset. He's worked with clients like NASA and this is how he knows what the rocket scientists think! An "outward mindset" has all employees (including HR) focusing on others' needs and objectives alongside one's own. This approach, he argues, is key to fostering a productive, connected, and innovative workplace culture. Key insights from our conversation:• There are many mindsets (growth, safety, positive, scarcity etc) but many of them would have us focus on ourselves rather than others around us. • Changing mindset has been shown to be far more effective in creating change than simply prescribing new behaviours. • We can use an outward mindset to help our employees redefine what it means to have a job in terms of impact on others including our customers and coworkers.• He gave examples of how an outward mindset can revolutionize areas like workplace safety and debt collection. HR is often instrumental in creating the kinds of organizations we need. An outward mindset has a so much potential. Forget silos, remember our customers, ditch bickering... This is an idea I am thinking about a lot! Mitch's insights offer a fresh perspective on organizational culture and leadership, challenging HR professionals to rethink their approach to employee engagement and performance. Whether you're looking to boost productivity, enhance teamwork, or drive innovation, this episode provides strategies for leveraging the power of mindset in your organization. Find Mitch and the Arbinger Institute at https://arbinger.com/You can find their books (The Outward Mindset and Leadership and Self-Deception) anywhere you buy your books but also via their website: https://arbinger.com/store/

Find me, Andrea Adams, at https://thehrhub.ca/

"We (need to) talk to people not about people." Talking about people (unless you're venting with a trusted friend), greatly harms trust.

Building trust within teams is critical for high performance, but it's often an overlooked aspect of team dynamics. It came up recently for me in relation to consulting so I sat down with trust expert Ila Edgar to dive deep into the key behaviours and mindsets needed to foster trust on teams.

Ila is a coach, former recruiter, and co-host of the "Trust on Purpose" podcast. We did a couple episodes year before this one and they were some of the episodes I refer to most often at work. She shares her invaluable wisdom on:

💥 Why distrust can actually be a good thing and how to manage it productively

💥 The 4 key domains of trust (competence, sincerity, reliability, care) and how to cultivate each on your team

💥 The vital role leaders play in modeling trust-building behaviors

💥 Dangerous trust-breaking behaviors to avoid at all costs

Whether you lead a team or are part of one, this episode is packed with practical insights to create an environment of psychological safety where people can do their best work. Don't miss Ila's perspectives on this crucial but often overlooked team dynamic.

Find Ila at https://www.bigchangeinc.com/

This is her podcast: https://trustonpurpose.buzzsprout.com/

Andrea is an HR consultant in Western Canada. Find her at https://thehrhub.ca

"You have to think about [retirement], it doesn't just automatically happen." How are organizations supporting the retirement of their employees? Are they getting pushed out the door or supported in making informed decisions? Having recently embarked on her own retirement, Dr. Melanie Peacock offered her account of reimagining life's next steps and how to improve your employer brand by informing your employees. She is an HR expert; she's also an author, keynote speaker, and a fellow with CPHR Alberta, making her insights informed from both an HR and retirement perspective. Melanie provides insights on:📝 Why retirement planning goes far beyond just finances - the emotional and physical health aspects are critical 💡 How employers can support transitioning employees while building their employment brand🧠 Simple ways to start normalizing retirement conversations from your first steps out of school👵🏻 The benefits of alumni programs and allowing phased retirement Check out this conversation on how organizations could support their employees, decrease turnover and improve their employer brand. Find Melanie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelaniepeacock-cphr-doublem/https://www.doublemconsulting.net/ourteam/Find Andrea for consulting support:https://thehrhub.ca

'The difference between the skill of job seekers and those who are employed is often significant.'

So, for executive search, you are almost exclusively looking for leaders who are in good jobs that they probably like. So how do you entice them away?

If you think about it, this has many implications to the talent acquisition process.

I had a great conversation with Adam Pekarsky of Humanis Advisory. Adam started out as a lawyer, but has been in executive search for 20+ years. He has one of the best newsletters that I have ever read (the Ampersand) and his own podcast. He has an inspiring way of connecting the details to the big picture and to his values and ethics. It's apparent in everything he says.

For instance:

🫨 Ethics are critical. In addition to personal values, there is no ethical wiggle room especially in smaller communities. Word will get out.

🤔 He defines sourcing differently. I thought it was reaching out directly to potential candidates. He defines it as asking people who might know the candidates.

🎙️ Authentic, honest, story-telling is important: the story of the organization and the story of the candidate.

🌟 The role of the client who wants to fill a job is critical. In executive search they must SELL the job.

... And shouldn't ask "So why do you want the job?"

Adam approaches his work and role with such respect and insight. Watch it. You will learn a lot on many levels!

Find Adam Pekarsky on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/adampekarsky/Humanis Advisory:https://humanisadvisory.com/The Ampersand Blog (highly recommended):https://humanisadvisory.com/blog/Find Andrea for HR Consulting https://thehrhub.ca

"Without conflict, you don't have innovation. So I want to make sure people use their voices." And use it effectively in a leadership team when there are a number of strong voices present.I spoke with Tish Squillaro of CANDOR Management Consulting about the art of building leadership teams. This is something you'll do more as you progress, but the principles apply to any team. Tish, is a candid consulting expert who has worked with Salesforce and IBM. She knows her content inside and out and one of her core interests is team dynamics, a crucial aspect of scaling organizations. Tish shared her insights on her approach to leadership team dynamics or what she calls team chemsitry. She talks about the qualities that a leadership team should possess, and why these are so crucial for organizational success. She also discusses the challenges of recruitment, the evolution of leadership teams as companies scale, and the tools she uses. Here's a peek into some of what we covered: 🎯 The importance of a leadership team that not only drives the business but works well together. It's the first team first. 🔍 The complexity of the interview process when you're looking for skills and personality. 📊 The use of DISC behavioral profiles as a tool for understanding team dynamics.🔧 The actionable steps to improve team chemistry after identifying gaps in leadership teams.🎙️ The significance of effective communication and conflict resolution.I've already applied what I learned so I know this episode is a treasure of useful information!

You can find Tish at https://candor-consulting.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/tishsquillaro/Find Andrea for consulting andrea@thehrhub.ca or https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Our entitled employees are irritating. Or should we look in the mirror?

Are YOU driving THEM crazy??

This was just one part of the conversation I had with Wendy Sellers, The HR Lady. Wendy has authored books, has a podcast, is on the radio and has even been on USA Today. She is wonderfully outspoken. For example one of her books is called "Suck it Up, Buttercup." It was awesome.

Wendy shared the following:

😈 Most employees don't wake up in the morning and say "How can I be irritating today?"

❺ There are five primary ways employees are irritating.

📺 I won't tell you all 5 (you have to watch the episode), but one is that employees are entitled.

🪞Spoiler: In all cases she suggests we get a little introspective. What have we done to drive the behaviour?

🤗 Caring would help managers and HR. Caring has been a theme on my channel coming up in a number of ways.

This was a frank and pretty amusing take on some really basic issues in organizations.

Find Wendy the following ways: https://thehrlady.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendythehrlady/Find her book, 'Suck it Up, Buttercup' on Amazon. Find Andrea for consulting at https://thehrhub.ca/

Employer Brand: "Ultimately, it’s about reverse engineering. What does the business need? And getting to the point of ‘Now we understand that, how do we tell a story and talk about the strength, benefits, and opportunities balance with the harsh realities adversities to craft a proposition that’s both authentic and compelling.'"

I had a fantastic conversation with Bryan Adams, founder and former CEO of ph-creative and founder and CEO of HappyDance - a platform that means business when it comes to candidate experience. He has consulted to brands such as Apple and Nike and knows what he's talking about.

It would be difficult to consolidate what I learned but here's a few things:

$ You can do it on a budget. If you're autthentic and compelling you've won with respect to your employer brand.

😣 The most important and interesting part is uncovering what might DISSUADE someone from working there.

💡 Something beautiful or slick is a nice-to-have, you have to get coherence, clarity and alignment first.

🪞The most common mistake it to make it look beautiful and shiny, but brush over the harsh realities.

I was privileged to participate in this conversation. Bryan was able to articulate what we are striving for in many elements of our life - authenticity AND effectiveness. Take a listen! Links are in the comments.

Find Bryan on LinkedIn athttps://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanadams1/HappyDance: https://www.happydance.love/Ph-Creative: https://www.ph-creative.com/And don't forget to look up his book 'Give and Get: Repel the Many and Compel the Few with Impact, Purpose and Belonging' on AmazonFind me, Andrea Adams, for consulting supporthttp://thehrhub.ca

Attendance management is not discipline. We use it when valid issues affect an employee's ability to meet the commitments of their employment.

In this episode, I tackled the fairly common yet tricky issue of attendance or absenteeism management. This is part of the series I am doing for small and medium businesses and NFPs on HR. However it has a lot of relevance for anyone involved in this aspect of HR.

It's Canadian content - especially towards the end. In it, I discuss how to on how to effectively manage attendance and the impact that poor attendance has on productivity, morale, the customer experience and the overall work environment.

Also:

🗂️ The types of absences that fall under attendance management and how to address them, from chronic lateness to unscheduled absences.

📋 The importance of having clear policies and procedures for attendance, creating objectivity and fairness in the workplace.

📈 The role of data and documentation in managing attendance, and the tools that can assist in tracking absences effectively.

🗣️ How to have a constructive conversation with an employee about their attendance, respecting their privacy and focusing on solutions.

Managing attendance is not about blaming or punishing, but about getting work done while recognizing things happen. Please tune in!

As I said, I'm an HR Consultant. Reach out at andrea@thehrhub.ca.

Hiring a foreign worker isn't guaranteed and it may take longer. But you may be better off in the long run.

One of my first jobs ever was as an immigration officer so maybe it was just me, but I loved this demystification of rules for hiring foreign talent. This is American content though - I'll find someone Canadian soon.

I spoke with an immigration attorney, Sergio Athanasso, of Sergio Law. He specializes in helping organizations with their foreign recruitment and gave us a bunch of tips on how to navigate international hiring. Key highlights include:

🌎 Understand the various visa categories and their qualifications: TN, L1, E2, O1, H1B.
⏱️ You need to plan ahead with foreign recruitment, but sometimes maybe not as long as you thought.
📚 For anything other than hiring a Canadian, you may want to secure an immigration lawyer. And maybe even with hiring Canadians.

So if you are American HR - or someone going to work in the States, check this out! It might not be as bad as you thought!

Find Sergio Athanasso at sergio@sergiolaw.com orhttps://sergiolaw.com/You can find me, Andrea Adams, for consulting https://thehrhub.ca/

Succession planning is more than just a game of thrones! It's about building a pipeline of ready and able leaders. But where do you start?This week I delved into the complexities of succession planning with Dr. Nanette Miner. She is an author, consultant, and succession strategist, and broke down the process of succession planning which is mostly preparation. As the video below says, you need a pipeline not a single individual.3️⃣ Succession planning takes a minimum of 3 years. Maybe this is why few organizations do it well.🔍 You need to start with the metrics.📈 Succession planning is building talent not buying it.🎯 Avoid personal bias: what served you in the past may not serve you in 5-10 years.Nanette believes that leadership should be instilled from day one and that every employee should be given development opportunities. Leadership is a behaviour that takes a long time to learn.

Find Dr. Nanette Minor on LinkedIn or at https://www.trainingdr.com/

Find Andrea https://thehrhub.ca/

"HR professionals have the hardest and the most critical role. It's to really understand the people dynamics and how it's going to help a company grow."

This week we were talking about scaling organizations. It's always a hot topic in HR consulting. Tish Squillaro, a dynamic consultant with over 20 years of experience working with clients like Salesforce and IBM, was my guest. She understands complicated things and shared some of her knowledge with us.

Her particular expertise is helping venture-backed companies scale effectively. She emphasizes five priorities for helping an organization scale and says HR plays the most important role. The first of which is having the right people in the right seats.

So we talk about:

👥 The importance of 'right people, right seats' in scaling an organization

🎯 The role of focus in achieving organizational goals

💼 How leadership style impacts decision-making and overall organizational success

🧪 The significance of team chemistry in fostering a positive work environment.

Tish's insights are not only fascinating but also insightful. You can find her via the following:

https://candor-consulting.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tishsquillaro/

And you can find me at https://thehrhub.ca

"Celebrate all diversity."

In this case we were mostly talking about cultural diversity - as in from different countries. This used to be something we talked about a lot and then we stopped. It's still relevant though. Some peoples have different priorities or beliefs that come into our workplaces or we're part of a multinational firm.

So, with some personal trepidation that we might veer off into negative stereotypes, I spoke with with Sue Ingram. She's has a keen interest in what makes a great workplace and dealt with the topic beautifully.

In this episode, Sue brings her unique insights into multicultural workplaces and discusses:

🌍 The importance of understanding and respecting different cultures in the workplace. Food is a great icebreaker!

🤝 The role of trust and understanding in fostering a healthy work environment. Trust is related to predictability which, with different cultures can be harder.

🗣️ The subtle nuances of communication across different cultures - Sue gave examples.

👥 The impact of cultural differences on workplace dynamics and how to navigate them.

There are some great resources out there and this episode is a treasure trove of knowledge for HR professionals who have a culturally diverse workforce. It's packed with practical tips and insightful anecdotes that will help you navigate this with more joy and confidence. Really - we need to celebrate!

Find Sue on LinkedIn at / sueingram1 Her email: Sue@conversewell.comHer book: https://www.amazon.ca/Fire-Well-Staff...Find me (Andrea) for consulting support andrea@thehrhub.ca

Fire Well: How To Fire Staff So They Thank You

"Being in person doesn't mean you are present."

On one hand, many employees love remote work while, on the other, many companies want employees in person. Where do you sit on the subject? The debate rages in my household. I'll state the obvious: it's hard for any of us to be objective.

I spoke with Kaleem Clarkson, COO of BlendMe, a consultancy focused on supporting remote and hybrid workplaces. Recently, he was listed as one of the top 50 experts around enabling remote work. He shared his insights on why employers resist remote work, the pros and cons of remote work, and how to build a successful remote work culture.

🥇Top tip: plan around building social connection.

🌍 The advantages of remote work are considerable. If they weren't, there would be no debate.

💻 The main challenge of remote work is how to build social connection. He says this rests mostly on the employer.

👥 A social connection strategy and calendar will help you foster connections among remote teams.

👨‍💼 He doesn't try to persuade skeptical leaders. He'll help if they are genuinely exploring the issues.

🔍 You need to think about asynchronous communication and documentation in a remote work setting.

Find Kaleem on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/kaleemclarkson/Blend Me Inc: blendmeinc.comKaleem's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/c/KaleemClarksonFind Andrea for consulting at andrea@thehrhub.ca

In a small or medium business (or NFP) you need to do a little bit of many things - learning and development is no exception. So, as part of my series on HR for SMBs, we are talking about L&D in that environment.

Our expert guest for this episode was the exceptional James Aird, an L&D specialist with a Master's of Education from Harvard. James has a unique perspective, having honed his skills in conflict areas like Iraq and the Congo. He is down-to-earth with a lot of practical tips to help SMBs figure out their L&D.

In this episode, James shares:

🎯 Why SMBs should invest in L&D.

💡 Common challenges faced by SMBs in implementing L&D programs and how to address them. Some is money, but some is attention and expertise.

📚 Surprisingly affordable options for SMBs to access comprehensive learning and development resources.

🏢 The role of leaders in driving L&D and aligning it with business objectives.

🔑 The ideal time for an organization to invest in a Learning Management System (LMS).

If you're leading a small or medium business or NFP or you're in HR there, check out this episode - and the whole series!

Resources: The Assoc'n for Talent Development https://www.td.orgeLearning Industry https://www.elearningindustry.comJames' website: https://edupivot.io/Reach out to Andrea for consulting andrea@thehrhub.ca

I was tired of hearing about 'fast-paced change' ten years ago. And now the pace is even faster. The World Economic Forum's 'Future of Jobs Report', estimates that by 2025, 85 million jobs may be displaced by a shift in the division of labor between humans and machines, while 97 million new roles may emerge. That's since 2020! That's next year!

My guest, Michelle Ellis, brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. With her background in from Disney, a PhD in training and performance improvement, and her current role at Intellum, a learning management software company, she shares approaches to building learning culture. We talked about:

📚 The definition of a learning culture and its importance in modern organizations. Note the pace of change.

📈 The benefits of fostering a learning culture, including increased innovation, retention and employee satisfaction. Many things promise this, but I think learning can deliver.

🎯 The role of a learning culture in upskilling and reskilling employees.

💼 The difference between talent management and talent planning. This was so interesting - see the video!

🧠 The importance of competency-based learning and the distinction between skills and competencies.

🔧 The role of technology in building a learning culture.

This episode offers valuable insights for HR professionals looking to cultivate a learning culture within their organizations. It's a case for those who aren't building a learning organization to reconsider. Hiring is expensive! It's time to equip your team with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in a rapidly changing work environment.

Find Michelle on LinkedIn at / michelle-ellis-phd-cxac-cert-3357833 See Intellum here: https://www.intellum.com/I am an HR consultant to small and medium businesses and not-for-profits. Reach out to me here: andrea@thehrhub.ca

Battling uphill with recruitment for small and medium businesses or not-for-profits? Worried about competing with the big names and their resources? It's time to level up your HR game!

In this episode of The HR Hub, I dove into full cycle recruitment: all the steps in the recruitment process. I offered insights and strategies to help you attract great people even against larger and more well-known employers.

This is another episode I (Andrea Adams) did myself. I'm an HR consultant to small and medium businesses and distilled some of the questions I get into a quick overview. I broke down the full-cycle recruitment process and highlighted why you need to care about each step if you want to make great hires.

In this episode, you'll discover:

📚The difference between a job ad and a job description, and why it matters.

🎯How to source candidates effectively whether you target individuals or get individuals to target you.

🚀 Strategies to speed up the screening and selection process and avoid bias.

💰 Getting the most out of your budget.

⏰ The importance of timing in recruitment and how to plan for it effectively.

👥 How to assess a candidate's fit for your organization without compromising diversity.

Find me at https://www.thehrhub.ca/ andrea@thehrhub.cahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Thinking about running a 360 program to provide feedback to employees? For some reason, one of the few things I remember from university was a project I did on 360's. Even then, it seemed so much more valid and potentially insightful that a regular review.To explore this, I reached out to Jo Ayoubi, co-founder of Track 360 Feedback. Jo is a consultant and they have a 360 software platform so she was an excellent guest for this discussion! Jo covered it all:🤔 360s are a great way to get insight on HOW someone does their job not just what they accomplish.📝 A 360 feedback program is NOT a performance review. It could be a piece though. 👥 Preparation is critical - particularly preparing all the people who will participate. 📊 Not all her clients do a good job of follow-up but you probably should.📅 It will take 2-3 months from beginning to end.This episode has so much valuable insights to help you understand how a well-implemented 360 feedback program can help employee and organization performance!

Find Jo Ayoubi and her company at https://tracksurveys.com/She would also chat with you on LinkedIn: / joayoubi Find me for consulting in Western Canada https://www.thehrhub.ca/

Worried about a leadership shortage? Or are you a new leader and... OMG it sucks?? This week I talked about building leaders with Corina Walsh, a seasoned leadership coach and host of the "People and Culture Success Show". Corina has considerable knowledge and practical advice to help HR identify, nurture, and accelerate leadership within an organization. She shed light on the common mistakes new leaders make and how HR can help.We talked about:🛠️ Promoting people who are technically strong. Could be a bad idea. 🎯 The key attributes of emerging leaders - they should be people-people.🔍 The important role of HR in succession planning and leadership development.🔧 How to help new leaders transition smoothly and effectively.📚 The importance of ongoing leadership training and development.If your leadership pipeline is barely a trickle or new leaders are failing. Check this out.

Find Corina at shiftpd.com. She has a lot of free resources too!Find Andrea for small and medium sized business consulting in Western Canada.

Are you worried about your labour supply? Well... there are places you might find it, if you're open-minded.

In this episode of The HR Hub, we dive into the world of older workers, their potential, and the myths surrounding them. I spoke with Laura Tamblyn Watts, CEO of CanAge, Canada's national seniors advocacy organization. She is a researcher, teacher, speaker... and well qualified to participate.

We covered the gamut and I asked tough questions like: don't they cost more? Laura shared her insights on this and the good and bad news about the labour market and how we can prepare for looming labour shortages.

We discussed:

🧓 How older workers can be a solution to Canada's significant labour shortage

💼 The importance of good retention strategies and avoiding ageist practices

👩‍💻 Why the myth that older workers can't use technology is just that - a myth

🎓 Everyone wants learning and development - including older workers

💡 How companies can actively attract, retain, and support older workers

At the very least, include age in your DEI statement.

She is super knowledgeable! Check it out!

Find Laura at / laura-tamblyn-watts-a8ab61 CanAge https://www.canage.ca/Living, Learning and Earning Longer: https://www.aarpinternational.org/ini...Find Andrea for HR Consulting andrea@thehrhub.ca

Are you grappling with the complexity of pay transparency? We all want compensation to be fair and equitable, but transparency opens up even more questions about compensation as comparisons are made. And there were a lot of questions to start with!

If you might be affected by pay transparency laws, watch this discussion with Sally Loftis. Sally is the Managing Director of Loftis Partners. She specializes in pay equity, transparency, DEI and OD. This episode will help any HR professional seeking to understand the often murky water of pay transparency and equity.

In this episode, you will learn:

🔍 The reasons why some employers are hesitant to share pay data and the repercussions of such reluctance.

💡 Some employees don't want pay transparency either - it's crucial to communicate internally before implementing changes.

👥 There's a balance between complete pay transparency and protecting employee privacy.

⚖️ Pay transparency doesn't replace pay equity, but they work together.

🚀 There are ways to 'do' pay transparency in a way that builds trust across the organization.

Follow Sally on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallyloftisloftis/Her site https://www.loftispartners.com/ Find the Pay Equity Collective at https://pay-equity-collective.mn.co/share/GTCEIh6yArceY6cY?utm_source=manualThis is a link to her guide on conducting a pay equity assessmentFind Andrea for SME consulting in Western Canada at thehrhub.ca

If I was going to listen to one episode of my own show this year, this would be the one. There is something I love about all of them, but this was next level. It may be appropriate considering the guest: Dr. Peter Cappelli. He is a professor of Management and Director of the Center for Human Resources at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of numerous Harvard Business Review articles and, recently, the author of a book on the topic of our discussion: Our Least Important Asset: Why the Relentless Focus on Finance and Accounting is Bad for Business and Employees.He explains so many things you think are dumb about the way we handle our workforces. Like:❌ Employees are not assets. They're a fixed cost and one that must be minimized to drive shareholder value.❌ Creating the appearance of shareholder value is NOT the same as creating a strong and efficient business.❌ This leads to so many practices you think are shortsighted. Decreasing training budgets, layoffs, wonky recruitment, capped salaries... and it's invisible. Or, at the very least, opaque.❌ All because of GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) and how they are applied to HR decisions.❌ Even investors wish this would change. There was so much to take in and so many useful insights for HR more broadly. It's longer than my typical episode, but I HIGHLY recommend it! It will be well worth your time.

A link to Dr. Cappelli's book https://www.amazon.com/Our-Least-Important-Asset-Relentless/dp/0197629806Find Andrea on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/ or at andrea@thehrhub.ca

Cat owners need not apply!

I promise it's unfortunately real and relevant. We even spent a couple minutes talking about how analytics might enable discrimination on factors that seem to have no bearing on performance like whether you love cats vs dogs. This kind of data is part of the trend towards creepy analytics.

I spoke with Dr. Salvatore Falletta who just wrote a book entitled 'Creepy Analytics'. He helped me draw the line between AI and analytics which are related but not exactly the same thing. Whether analytics or AI, HR needs to be monitoring this or legislation will eventually do it for us.

Some unfortunately real questions we discussed:

👂Should your employer be able to listen in on conversations?

🚽Should your boss know if your are in the bathroom?

💸If you dump company stock, should your boss know?

🤔Should your employer be able to scrape sentiment from your emails?

🙀Is your love of cats (vs dogs) relevant and, even if it is, should a prospective employer make decisions on this?

We need transparent data collection and analytics and white box AI. These were just a few of the insights in this somewhat dystopian but also funny episode.

Sal’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/salvatore-falletta/ Sal’s Book: Creepy Analytics: Avoid Crossing the Line and Establish Ethical HR Analytics for Smarter Workforce Decisions Find Andrea https://www.thehrhub.ca/

Where do you stand on the performance appraisal debate? Some say it's just too hard to do well and, when not done well, it does more harm than good. Others say it's essential and we just have to get better at it. What do you think? I'm genuinely interested!!

Many companies still do them though so I was curious and reached out to Sue Ingram of Converse Well to talk about it. She is certainly a wonderful person to talk to! I'd recommend her anytime for a conversation.

She also knows a lot about HR including performance appraisals. Some of the tidbits from our conversation:

🔍 You have to train for HONEST conversations between managers and employees.

💰 Some organizations don't expressly link compensation to the performance appraisal, but since both the appraisal and compensation require judgment... Sue says they're linked regardless.

🎯 You have to measure the right things

.

💡 Training. Training. Training.

Find Sue on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sueingram1Her email: Sue@conversewell.comHer book: https://www.amazon.ca/Fire-Well-Staff-They-Thank/dp/1781331464Find me (Andrea) for consulting support andrea@thehrhub.ca

Fire Well: How To Fire Staff So They Thank You

So do you have problem or underperforming employee? Can't quite pin it down? These are hard for anyone to deal with for so many reasons - complex laws, reasons, emotions running high... But I try to help you sort it out in this episode including clarifying when you really should get expert help.

This is the third in my series for small and medium business owners and NFP execs. I'm an HR consultant and helping you navigate these murky and frustrating waters!

In this episode, I review:

🔍 The importance of approaching any problem with an open mind - don't demonize or ignore your employee, but also don't wait for the issue to resolve itself.

📚 Three categories for employee problems: misconduct, health-related issues, and poor performance. Understanding these categories can help you know which tools to use in handling the situation.

🗣️ The value of conversations and coaching in managing poor performance.

📝 An HR cliché: take notes!

Let me know if you found this helpful or if there is some other question at:

https://www.thehrhub.ca/

andrea@thehrhub.ca

I would also love to connect via LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Are you frustrated with your presentation skills? For some it's total fear. For others like me, I'll do it, but there are many other things I would rather do.

In this episode of The HR Hub, I explored how to use storytelling in presentations. My guest, Jilliane Yawney, is a speaking coach who turns scientists and engineers (and HR) into confident speakers and storytellers. Jilliane is not just a speaking coach. She's also the founder of the Calgary Story Slam, one of the biggest in Canada. Using her expertise, she helps professionals weave useful stories into their presentations, ensuring the key messages are understood and remembered.

Here's a sneak peek into our conversation:

🔬 How storytelling humanizes data and makes it more relatable. So you need both!

🎭 The power of storytelling in conveying emotions and influencing decisions, while avoiding blatant manipulation.

📊 Balancing storytelling and data: Can you overuse stories? Yes, but...

🎯 The importance of understanding the purpose of your story. Clear purpose is important in many aspects of HR.

📚 The essential elements of a good story: Conflict and structure. Think Harry Potter.

This episode is a treasure trove of insights for anyone looking to enhance their presentation skills and make a bigger impact at work. Whether you're an HR professional or just someone who wants to communicate more effectively, this episode is a must-listen!

Find Jilliane at https://www.jillianeyawney.com/Find Andrea at andrea@thehrhub.ca

Navigating HR compliance can feel daunting for HR professionals nevermind for business owners or NFP execs! Today's episode is here to provide an overview of the rules and laws that may affect how you hire, manage, and pay employees.

This is the second in the series for SMBs aiming to help small and medium business owners and NFPs navigate people issues and avoid some of the major pitfalls.

In this episode, I discuss:

📚 The concept of compliance and why being ethical isn't enough. Skirting the edges of what's legal and ethical can lead to costly court cases and damaged relationships.

🚧 The importance of compliance and its impact on small and medium-sized businesses including the risks.

📑 The top five areas of HR compliance that I frequently encounters as an HR consultant. From provincial employment standards to privacy laws, I provide an overview of each.

🔍 Other areas of compliance such as labour relations, payroll, benefits, and taxation rules, equity legislation, accessibility rules, and pensions and benefits rules.

🛠️ Finally, I discuss how to avoid compliance problems.

Find me at andrea@thehrhub.caThe links I referred to: Compliance Works: https://complianceworks.ca/WCB Episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPrgga7uuYk&t=2sLabour Relations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl_xlEa5zi4&t=19s

Do you think about things you learned years ago but didn't really learn? This is one those for me - that is, the 'transfer of learning'.

Michelle Ellis was my partner in this exploration. She's an expert in L&D - currently a director for Intellum, which is an learning management software company. She was also a L&D leader at Disney! Before that, she was a school teacher and has her PhD. She knows some things.

In this episode, you'll gain valuable insights on:

🎓 The concept of learning transfer and its importance for our investment in training.

📈 How to be intentional about your own learning journey so that you bring what you learn back to work..

💡 The role of leaders in ensuring learning transfer into the workplace, and how they can help their employees get the most out of training sessions.

📊 The importance and challenge of measuring learning transfer. Michelle shared some strategies around quantitative and qualitative data.

🖥️ How learning management software can facilitate learning transfer, with features like social chat and gamification.

Find Michelle on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-ellis-phd-cxac-cert-3357833/See Intellum here: https://www.intellum.com/I am an HR consultant to small and medium businesses and not-for-profits. Reach out to me here: andrea@thehrhub.ca

Hey podcast listeners. I am adding something to my interview series... a series for small and medium sized businesses and not for profits (SMBs). And I'm doing them myself!

In this episode I am talking to anyone involved in HR for an SMB, but especially leaders who may not have in-house HR. I delve into how to starting your HR function. When you start HR is a passing thought. As you grow, you'll discover the importance of HR in managing your team more efficiently, and I'll shed light on how to strike the right balance between in-house HR and third-party partnerships.

Here's a sneak peek of what to expect:

🔍 When to add HR: There's a sweet spot for when to bring in HR support. Wait too long and you might find yourself in hot water. I'll share some insights on when to make that crucial decision.

🚀 How HR supports growth: HR isn't just about compliance and risk management. Discover how HR can help you hire the right people, develop their skills, and even design your organization to support smooth and effective growth.

🎯 Mission, Vision, and Values: These aren't just fancy words on a plaque. They're the foundation of your company culture and can guide your employees in their decision-making. Learn how HR can facilitate these crucial discussions.

You can find me to ask a question or provide feedback at andrea@thehrhub.ca.

You can also reach out to me on LinkedIn! I'm always happy to hear from you https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Are you tired of HR decisions being made on a whim or based on the latest trends? Me too - and many of the HR Hub guests as well!Welcome to a moment where we ignore all fads and focus on the evidence! Where we debunk the myths and dig into the possibility of science behind effective HR!This week we're talking about evidence-based HR with Dr. Salvatore Falletta, who is the author of the upcoming book "Creepy Analytics." He works at Drexel University now, but used to work as a CHRO and consultant. He makes a strong case for using evidence in HR. In this episode, you'll learn about:🔍 The four primary sources of evidence in HR and why you need to consider all of them. Only one of them is, specifically, data. 🧠 The dangers of relying solely on individual intuition or popular trends when making HR decisions.📚 How evidence will help you make better decisions.💡 A practical example of how evidence-based HR can inform decisions on performance appraisals.🎯The importance of a data driven culture - but an evidence-based culture would be even better.

Centre for Evidence Based Management cebma.orgEvidence-Based Managment by Eric Barends and Denise RousseauCorporate Research Forum crforum.co.ukConference Board conference-board.org

Sal’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/salvatore-falletta/ Sal’s Book will be published this Friday - Feb 24! Creepy Analytics: Avoid Crossing the Line and Establish Ethical HR Analytics for Smarter Workforce Decisions

Reach me (Andrea) for consulting andrea@thehrhub.ca

I don't know about you, but AGE is one aspect of DEI that I hardly ever hear anything about. And, yet the impact of ageist policies on older workers is profound.

Are you thinking something like "but it's time for those boomers to get out the way so I have a chance!"? Well, I asked Laura Tamblyn Watts, the CEO of CanAge about that. CanAge is Canada's Seniors Advocacy organization and, she says while a few older workers have a ton of privilege, many are shockingly disadvantaged. With 25 years of experience, Laura brings a wealth of knowledge about ageism and its impact in the workplace and to aging people. We discussed:

👵 The shocking statistics on ageism and why it's the most prevalent form of discrimination globally.

🔍 How ageism manifests in the workplace - from overt policies to hidden biases.

📈 The benefits of multi-generational workforces - from increased productivity to reduced churn.

🛠 Practical steps to make your workplace more age-inclusive starting with your DEI policy. And

⚖️The risks of doing nothing.

This episode was eye-opening and will broaden your understanding of ageism and equip you with practical tools to foster a more inclusive work environment. Links are in the comments!

Find Laura at https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-tamblyn-watts-a8ab61/CanAge https://www.canage.ca/Living, Learning and Earning Longer: https://www.aarpinternational.org/initiatives/future-of-work/living-learning-and-earning-longer/living-learning-and-earning-longerFind Andrea for consulting in Western Canada andrea@thehrhub.ca

We say 'training and development' all the time. Or learning and development.

But we rarely stop to understand the difference between them and the impact those differences have on strategy. I never did anyhow except at a surface level.

I spoke with James Aird about this. James is an L&D consultant with a Master of Education from Harvard. Interestingly, he learned the trade in conflict areas like Iraq and the DR Congo.

James took us on a journey through the distinct aspects of training/learning vs development in an organization, and how they cater to different organizational needs. For example:

🎓 Learning, and training are, more or less, the same thing and directly meet organization requirements.

🌫️ Development if fuzzier - with a ton of strategic implications related to skills gaps, recruitment and retention.

🆉 Gen Z has a lot of hopes and expectations for great development. A strength IMO.

💻 An Learning Management System (LMS) will help you deliver and track it. James recommends one for any organization with 20-30 employees or more.

This episode is has a lot of information for HR professionals who want to improve their understanding of L&D and how L&D can impact so many modern organizational problems. It's not just about upskilling - it's about creating a culture of learning.

The push-pull of remote versus in-office continues. You CAN make remote work well, but there's skills and clarity to develop. A thoughtful policy is a good place to start so you get the advantages of remote without losing all the spark of in-person.If you are trying to articulate an effective remote work policy... here you go! I sat down with Kaleem Clarkson, the Chief Operations Officer for BlendMe, a company that assists hybrid and remote teams with their people operations and their policy! Kaleem highlighted the importance of connection - really that's the purpose of being in-person so for focused work... in-person is not the place to be. See the videoIn this episode, you'll also learn about:🌐 Starting with the organization's philosophy on remote work. As with so many things in HR, understand WHY you're doing it.🎯 Creating role flexibility categories to help manage expectations.📆 Clarifying the true purpose of in-office meetings. 🎥 The etiquette for virtual meetings. 🩲I don't think you should wear your underwear even if they are not visible. Kaleem??? Clearly this is still evolving. 😆

Have you been involved in 360 feedback? It sounds both informative and exposing. But better than a performance appraisal from a leader who may not be totally objective.

I sat down with Jo Ayubi, the CEO of Track 360 Feedback. Jo's expertise in feedback consultancy and their software platform made her the perfect guide for 360 feedback. It's a powerful tool.

Here's a sneak peek into our conversation:

🔎 These days we are concerned about HOW people get the job done, not just what they get done. Otherwise toxic behaviour will proliferate.

👥 Aim for at least 6-10 people providing feedback.

❌You can't let the ratee pick their raters. At least not entirely.

✅ It's a great development tool.

⁉️ For some reason, 360 feedback is about the only topic I remember from university.

Jo knows her stuff - for the first time I tried a firing line (peppering my guest with quick questions) and she did great! Check it out at the links in the comment section!

Compensation is getting scrutinized. Pay transparency and job board policies (like Indeed's) are ensuring it gets a lot of attention.Sally Loftis of Loftis Partners has expertise in Organizational Development and social justice and particularly pay equity. She brings a unique perspective to our discussion breaking down the concept of pay equity, its importance, and why organizations sometimes unintentionally pay men more than women. Shealso shares insights on the legal implications of pay equity, how it impacts employee retention, and the role of compensation structures in achieving pay equity.In this episode, you'll discover:🔍 How to approach pay equity with curiosity and an open mind. 🎯 The importance of employee feedback and participation in the pay equity process.💼 The concept of consciously uncoupling performance ratings from pay and the potential benefits of this approach.💡 Practical steps to embark on a pay equity project and the importance of normalizing conversations about pay in building trust.

Follow Sally on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallyloftisloftis/Her site https://www.loftispartners.com/ Find the Pay Equity Collective at https://pay-equity-collective.mn.co/share/GTCEIh6yArceY6cY?utm_source=manualThis is a link to her guide on conducting a pay equity assessmentFind Andrea for SME consulting in Western Canada at thehrhub.ca

There's well over 60,000 books on Amazon about leadership. It sometimes feel like there's a new trend to concern ourselves about every time you go on LinkedIn.My guest this week, Corina Walsh, is keeping it real! She's a leadership coach and host of the People and Culture Success Show. She trains leaders and has a fresh perspective on the leadership trends and their implications for HR.
In this episode, you'll learn about:
🌐 The importance of HR professionals keeping abreast of leadership trends and how it influences decision-making at the executive table.
👥 Current leadership trends include remote work, artificial intelligence, and a shift towards transformational, people-focused leadership.
🔍 How to discern which trends are relevant and how to approach them in your organization.
💡 The foundational leadership skills that remain constant despite changing trends.A friend suggested I talk to Corina and she did not disappoint!

Find Corina at shiftpd.com

I (Andrea) do small and medium sized HR consulting in Western Canada.

Three questions: What makes your organization remarkable? Howdoes this connect to its mission, vision and values? Most important, how would you rate the alignment of your work and culture with the mission, vision and values?

This was what I spoke with Britni Eisenman, the founding principal of Stoke Fire about. Britni brings a unique perspective to the table, having transitioned from social work to advising CEOs on business strategy and organization development.

We explored how organizational alignment can and should significantly impact our HR practices and overall business success. Back to the three questions above: do you decide what to do and what not to do based on your mission, vision and values?

Britni shared her insights on the importance of aligning your organization's values, mission, and actions:

🚦 When you’re making decisions aligned with your MVV she says you have ‘structural integrity’.

🔍 You wlll weather difficult storms if you have organizational alignment

🌉 Your organization is a bridge to your mission and how to handle the challenges that come your way.

🚀 We get tired of wordsmithing. The words matter, however she has a different way of testing them.

⚖️ HR is often the canary in the coal mine in recognizing when an organization is misaligned

Find Britni at LinkedIn or on Stokefire.comFind Andrea for HR consulting in Western Canada at thehrhub.ca

This week's topic might make some of us break into a cold sweat - fostering healthy conflict at the workplace. I spoke with Kate Otting about this - as a mediator, she's adept at handling conflict.

Kate is the head of Interaction Management Associates, specializing in mediation. She has an impressive career portfolio, having worked in South Africa, served as the Director of Mediation for the Iowa Peace Institute and the Arizona Attorney General, and currently holds the position of Director of Mediation for the City of Phoenix.

In this episode, Kate shares her insights on:

🔍 Understanding when conflict is healthy and when it is harmful. Hint: it's harmful when it festers.

💡 Techniques to engage in conflict with confidence and compassion. Pretend you're watching it from a balcony!

🧘‍♀️ The role of patience and understanding in managing conflict. Patience can be hard when emotions are running high.

📚 Resources to help.

This episode is a goldmine for HR professionals seeking to foster a culture of healthy conflict resolution at their workplaces. Check out the link in the comments to watch the full episode!

Here are some links Kate has offered:IMA courses: imamediation.com/courses - save 30% on any course or bundle with promo code HRHUBFree downloadable tools:Listening skills checklist: https://bit.ly/listentoolChecklist for becoming a mediator: https://bit.ly/newmediatorchecklistOpen-ended questions workbook: https://bit.ly/open-ended-qHow to Respectfully Disagree Like a Pro - workbook: https://bit.ly/IMAworkbookFind me at thehrhub.ca

How much have you thought about the ethical implications of AI in HR?

It’s not alarmist to think that AI will enable HR to discriminate more and in new ways! After all, Amazon had to scrap their recruitment and selection AI because it was biased against women.

This week I, again, spoke with Megan Marie Butler about AI in HR. She speaks plainly and is quite practical in her assessment of AI in HR. She is doing her PhD in the space, but is so frank and easy to understand!

Her insights:

🎉 Most AI is legal!

👮‍♀️ It is all legal because there is so little regulation.

😩 Since it is unregulated, we can unknowingly cause significant social harm if we are not careful. Causing social harm could land us in legal hot water.

🤦🏾‍♂️ Megan provided a few examples of how AI is creating new classes of people to discriminate against.

😬 Regulation is coming. Even so, we are going to learn the hard way. Don’t be the cautionary tale.

Find Megan on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganmariebutler/or at ⁠bnmmb@leeds.ac.uk⁠Find Andrea for consulting in Western Canada at thehrhub.ca

There's an intersection between tactics and strategy in HR. As we want our work to matter more and as we move through our careers, we need to understand the transition.

The guest for this episode was Brittany Eisenman, the founding principal of Stokefire. With her unique career path from social work to advising CEOs, Brittany brought a fresh perspective to this! Some of that perspective includes:

🥵 Being busy busy busy will not get you involved in the strategy. See the video.

🎯 She thinks strategy when someone says 'tactics'

🔎 Watch for being too deep in the weeds! Sometimes you need to poke your head above the surface and look around.

💡 Use whatever data you have even if its limited!

🔄 Think about alignment. Deep alignment.

SO SO good! Check it out at the links in the comments!

Find Britni and stokefire.com or on LinkedIn

Find Andrea for consulting in Western Canada at thehrhub.ca

Why is it so hard to find someone to talk about HR strategy? It's been something I've been trying to do for a long time now... and apparently it's complicated!

Len Nanjad, however, was up to the task! He thinks deeply about HR strategy including how to deliver an HR strategy that balances the complexity of people with business strategy. He is also the guest on one of my most popular episodes!

He says developing our strategy is similar to other parts of the business: First understand the business strategy.
He gives us some guidance about how to think the product-market fit of HR - see the video below.
We talk about how to consider all the things that employees think we should be doing and sometimes we want to do.
We're not doing HR to do HR well. Not usually anyhow.

If you read this far, I'm also looking for someone who's willing to teach HR about communications. It's not exactly our thing if we're in larger companies. But in smaller companies we are all they've got. If you know of someone willing to have this convo with me, let me know!

In HR we have to navigate the boundaries between us and leadership. We want to provide good service, but we can't enable leaders to avoid their responsibilities.

This week's guest was Pam Schmidt. Pam, a leadership and organization development consultant, shared her experiences and insights on a common challenge in HR and offered some practical advice (and a little bit of spine!)

Pam discussed:

2️⃣ Two ways leaders may approach HR that may be misguided: role clarity and team function.

🚩Why she sees these as 'red flags' and what could be going wrong underneath.

🫱 Her approach to supporting leaders

🤔 Why she thinks HR sometimes steps in anyhow.

Ultimately it works best if leaders take responsibility for their team's dynamics.

By tuning into this episode, you will learn about:

🔹The importance of leaders in handling challenging situations and setting clear expectations.

🔹The role of HR professionals in supporting leaders while maintaining their own boundaries.

🔹The significance of role clarity and team function in an organization.

🔹How to approach conflict and feedback in a leadership role.

Find Pam on LinkedIn. Find Andrea at thehrhub.ca

In the world of HR, conflict resolution is an everyday thing. Employees frequently seek us out to help them resolve their conflict. Incorporating mediation for HR can help.

Mediation skills are made of skills we already have. The thing that gets in our way is usually fear or discomfort around conflict. So you need to practice. Unfortunately.

I actually went looking for someone to talk to about alternative dispute resolution. Mediation is one element but I'll have to cover other aspects of ADR later. However I found Kate Otting in the process. She is CEO of Interaction Management Associates and has led mediation groups all over. Currently she is the Director of Mediation for the City of Phoenix. She says:

😆Mediation may one of the few fields where mediocrity is the goal. See the video.

♾️The more we engage with conflict (notice I didn't say 'in'), the more adept we become at managing it.

💸Conflict is expensive x 10. I can only imagine how much time I've spent on conflict nevermind the entire econonmy.

⁉️ When is the last time an employee came in your office to vent?

Here are some links Kate has offered:IMA courses: imamediation.com/courses - save 30% on any course or bundle with promo code HRHUB
Free downloadable tools:
Listening skills checklist: https://bit.ly/listentool
Checklist for becoming a mediator: https://bit.ly/newmediatorchecklist
Open-ended questions workbook: https://bit.ly/open-ended-q
How to Respectfully Disagree Like a Pro - workbook: https://bit.ly/IMAworkbookFind me at thehrhub.ca

Curious about how AI is changing the game for HR? Or maybe you've been waiting for the hype to die down and the real story to come out. This discussion is super informative either way!

I found a fantastic guest to talk to about AI for HR! Megan Marie Butler is doing her PhD on the topic and, since she is not affiliated with any software company, we get a fairly unfiltered point of view! And Megan is pretty funny as speaks her mind on the potential and perils of AI. Like:

☁️ The AI sky might fall on HR!

☀️ Or it might not, but we have to be cautious. If a vendor says they can't tell you what's going on underneath: beware.

😫 We will, at least partly, learn the hard way.

‼ There are surprising and exciting use cases for it beyond ChatGPT.

🤔AI is hard to define and ChatGPT is just one form. Albeit a very exciting form.

This was an outstanding episode if I do say so myself. If you haven't delved into it yet, try this episode. Megan speaks plainly and informatively.

Find Megan on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganmariebutler/ or at bnmmb@leeds.ac.uk

Find Andrea for consulting in Western Canada at thehrhub.ca

Business strategy is not the strategic plan. And the business strategy has considerable implications for HR strategy.

In this episode with Len Nanjad, we talk about the impact of business strategy on HR. Len is a guy who thinks deeply about HR, is the guest in one of my most popular videos, and doesn't accept the easy explanations that many of us have come to accept as truth.

Some of his insights about business strategy:

4️⃣ Business strategy has 4 pieces.

＝ HR strategy could also focus on the same 4 pieces. We need to think about them in context of HR and the business.

😫 We will often help the stressed out leader in the most simple way possible rather than think about the strategy and if our effort would be better spent in other ways.

↻ We often hold individuals accountable for poor performance. But it is quite possibly the system not them.

Find Len on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennanjad/or https://www.mnp.ca/en/personnel/len-n...Find me (Andrea) at www.thehrhub.ca. I'm an HR consultant and provide a wide range of consulting support in Western Canada. Mostly.

People do dumb, mean, or even evil things at work and so we have to do investigations in HR. And the following is pretty common: "He did this terrible thing to me!" 😭

"I did no such thing. She's lying!" 😡It's 'he said she said'. Who do you believe????While it would be tempting to stop there, that's the wrong thing to do. You need to do a CREDIBILITY ASSESSMENT. Credibility assessments were the subject of my conversation with Bob Stenhouse in response to a question from someone who watched an earlier video. Bob leads Veritas Solutions and they do many investigations every year. Bob is an interesting guy (he used to be an undercover officer) and is an expert in doing credibility assessments. He talks about:😩DARVO - Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender (see the video below)🤷🏻‍♀️When someone's truth is not the actual truth.👀Body language. This is not an effective way of judging credibility.🗣️Honesty and reliability. These are key pieces of credibility. This was very fascinating stuff and increases the integrity of how we do our work in HR.

Find Bob at Veritas Solutions veritassolutions.net or follow him on LinkedIn because he writes great posts!Find Andrea for generalist HR consulting in Western Canada at thehrhub.ca

It's a bit shocking how few workplaces have mentoring programs when we all know how powerful it is for ourselves personally. Look at the learning and development model that says 70% of learning is on the job, 20% is through relationships and 10% is in training. We work pretty hard at on the job opportunities and formal training... what happened the relationship piece??? Why not formalize mentoring? You CAN do it well. This is the expertise of my lovely guest this week Laura Lundsford. She's written a book on the topic (which is how I found her) and was super insightful. ❌We assume chemistry is required and that cannot be formalized. With thoughtful program development, those assumptions are wrong.❓Start with a clear 'why'. See the video below. 🤔The mentors role is probably more about listening and asking questions. That sounds a little like coaching, but it isn't because the mentor has a particular expertise they will also have the opportunity to share. # If you want your program to persist, collect data to make your case later. 🛑 There are ethical considerations.

Dr. Lunsford's Book: The Mentor's Guide: Five Steps to Build a Successful Mentor ProgramI (Andrea) am available for HR consulting in Western Canada. Email me at andrea@thehrhub.ca

Success at work isn't solely determined by your skills or qualifications. Your mindset also plays a pivotal role in shaping your professional journey and achieving your career goals. Mindset has quite a few facets: growth mindset and attitude are a couple. It has an enormous impact on your resilience and mental health. It's the mental health connection that I focused on a bit more in this episode with Laura Terrell. Laura is a coach and was a former special advisor to the US President. She's also a lawyer. I figure she probably knows a thing or two about mindset. Like: 🤔 You can work on your mindset. It's not a static thing. And it's starts with being intentional about it. 😥 When something upsetting has happened... give yourself the space to be upset. Then: how to I move forward from here so this doesn't define your job? 🤬 When something bad happens, sometimes we feel justified in our anger and vent enthusiastically to friends... it may not be that helpful. What you should do is go for a walk or do something you like. THEN consider an appropriate reaction. A break may create objectivity.😨 We self-limit too often. We don't ask questions because we fear the answer. Or we tell ourselves "I don't have all the qualifications."Find Laura at lauraterrell.comFind me (Andrea) at thehrhub.ca for HR support in Western Canada

There's a sexual harassment complaint and it ends up front page news. It's our worst nightmare, but it's absolutely avoidable by doing the right thing. By managing risk. We rarely think of HR situations in risk management terms i.e. probability and consequence, but that's the expertise of this week's guest.Bob Stenhouse of Veritas Solutions is a former undercover police officer who understands the consequences intimately. He's taken his investigative and risk management skill into HR. His insight is unique! 🤔While PR may be a part of an organization's risk mitigation that is not HR's role. Our role is to mitigate the probability and consequences.🔋 That means speaking truth to power. Which can get someone fired.🎯One way of taking the 'heat' out is to focus on risk rather than moralizing.📈 You can predict where the HR risks are by following cultural trends. Find Bob at Veritas Solutions veritassolutions.net or follow him on LinkedIn. He writes great posts!Find Andrea for generalist HR consulting in Western Canada at thehrhub.ca

Instead of telling you how to do DEI better, this week's guest tells us how SHE learned to do DEI better and ended up adding the B (belonging)! I had a great conversation with Carla Yudhishthu . Carla is humble and sincere in the DEIB journey she has been on as the Chief People Officer with Mineral. While she tells her (their) story, she also share some great ideas! Like:📈We may not see the evidence in the data that change is still necessary because often only the negative shows up. But we must persist! See the video below.🤔We need to anchor ourselves in the 'why' of what we are doing. Otherwise we are likely to spin our wheels. ‼ Her purpose became 'belonging', but it took a while to realize it. 💡 Conversations for Understanding was one of the ideas that I loved most from this!

Find Carla through LinkedIn or her organization, Mineral: trustmineral.comFind me for consulting in Western Canada at thehrhub.ca

Have you had a great mentor? It was really helpful right? And if it was helpful to you, wouldn't it be powerful for organizations?

So, finally, I have covered mentoring - and with a global leader in mentoring! It's been on my list for quite a while and so I was delighted to talk to Dr. Laura Lunsford. She wrote the book "Handbook for Managing Mentoring Programs" and she was a pleasure to talk to! She knows it inside and out and some of what she shared includes:

🌱🤝 We think mentoring needs to be organic, but programs DO work. Even when you artificially link two people who might not have formalized a relationship otherwise, you can have great results. The caveat: you must be clear about the purpose! See the video below.

🗣️🤔 There's more debate around mentorship than you'd think. If you and I tried to define mentoring we would likely get different answers!

❌ Mentoring and coaching aren't the same thing.

🙏 Back to my first point: There is a reason young professionals want a mentor: it's because they know how powerful it can be for their career. Take note HR: helping a career will help the organization.

Dr. Lunsford's Book: The Mentor's Guide: Five Steps to Build a Successful Mentor Program

Other resources: The International Mentoring Association https://www.mentoringassociation.org/ The European Mentoring & Coaching Council https://www.emccglobal.org/ Brad Johnson: Athena Rising The Center for Mentoring Excellence https://www.centerformentoring.com/

I (Andrea) am available for HR consulting in Western Canada. Email me at andrea@thehrhub.ca

Hi HR. Are you tired of making presentations, only to feel like you did everything right but it still fell flat? And you don't know what you did! Ugh! This is part of what I went to find when I did this interview. In our discussion, we dive deep into the key pieces that truly elevate your presentation game.

Brenden Kumarasamy was my partner in this discussion. He has his own youtube channel called MasterTalk on public speaking. He says:

🎙️ Practice the parts that matter. And you'll be surprised by what that is.

🎯 Focus on the presentation that matter - you don't need to practice all of them.

📊 Slide decks aren't in - or out!

🚀 Practice will a solid start which creates momentum in the moment!

Whether you're a seasoned speaker or just starting out, these insights will transform your approach to presentations.

Ever wondered how to get promoted? 🤔 Don't wait for someone else to do something about it! You will have to put yourself 'out there' and advocate for yourself!This week's guest, Laura Terrell is a coach and advises her clients on how to make partner or get promoted. Before this her promotions include a trip as special advisor to the President in the White House so she knows a thing or two! 🌟 Her wisdom in this episode includes: 🔹 Question Everything: Want that promotion? You've got to ask the right questions of the right people. 🔹 Ladies, Listen Up: Apply for the job even if you don't check every box. Your potential is far greater than a checklist.🔹 Be Your Biggest Advocate: Embrace a role as your own PR person. Familiarize yourself with your accomplishments.🔹 Seize Your Moment: Waiting for someone to tap you on the shoulder? Don't.🔹 Context Matters: Sometimes, it's not about you. It's about the environment, the team, or the situation. You might need to leave.

Find Laura at lauraterrell.comFind me (Andrea) at thehrhub.ca for HR support in Western Canada

I did an episode on ROI in HR!!! That's return on investment. I found someone who knows a lot about it and it was a good opportunity to understand how we might do this in HR! Even HR can leverage standard financial techniques to analyze our projects and make our case.

This was the conversation I had with Evelyn McMullen from Nucleus research. She is NOT a finance, business or economics major and maybe this is why she is pretty good at explaining it! She says:

🔔 When you are thinking about the bells and whistles... remember there is no ROI on things we don't actually use.

∞ ROI is greatest when a task is repetitious and applies to a wide range of people. Think payroll.

🤩 Often, we tend to rely on intangible benefits like "increased employee happiness" when promoting our projects. While these are valid considerations, but ROI is better.

Find Evelyn at Nucleus Research https://nucleusresearch.com/

She mentioned an ROI Tool (free!): nucleusresearch.com/research/single/nucleus-research-standard-roi-calculator/

She mentioned ROI University: https://nucleusresearch.com/roi-university/

Ian Campbell (her boss) published a book on called the Value Sale. Find it on Amazon.

You can also reach out to me for HR consulting in Western Canada! www.thehrhub.ca

So don't do an HR audit if you think anything less than an A+ is failure. We don't assign grades, but an absence of suggestions leave no opportunity for growth. I suppose you might want an A+ for the purposes of a certification, but that's not what I explored this week with Elissa Lok.

Elissa has one of the most diverse skillsets of any HR person I know. She is an HR Consultant with HR Wests, a facilitator of Spacemakers and a trainer. She also does audits. She says:

🤭 Don't be embarassed! We all have our own journeys including our HR functions... It's an opportunity to learn and get a sense of priorities.

🤷🏻‍♀️ You won't make decision in an HR audit. It's really just a summary of risks, opportunities and strengths.

🛞 You can structure it following the employee lifecycle. From recruitment to departures.

≠ A large sophisticated business will not get the same audit as a small business. We are all trying to improve, but obviously starting in different places.

Find Elissa at elissa@hrwest.ca or at Spacemakers Canada https://www.spacemakersgroup.ca/

Reach out to Andrea for HR consulting at andrea@thehrhub.ca

Let's talk about handling those "difficult" employees we encounter at work. You know, the ones who seem to make our lives a bit more 'interesting'? 😅

We're supposed to be giving advice in HR, but sometimes it's hard for us to know!

I spoke with Emily Lord, Senior HR Consultant with HR West. She is a master of reframing (not spinning) and handling people with decency. She recognizes these are tough and says:

1️⃣ Oops! Mis's Happen: Miscommunications. Mistakes. Misunderstandings. Watch for them and don't be afraid to acknowledge them!

2️⃣ Shine a Light on Blind Spots: Ever had a team member genuinely miss a problem? This is when performance management is most likely to work well.

3️⃣ Reflecting on Leadership: Sometimes it's not the employee and we have to walk a fine line in HR.

4️⃣ Don't Wait, Take the Plunge: Procrastination won't solve anything, my friends. Don't let probation pass knowing there's a problem to solve!

Find Emily at emily@hrwest.ca for HR consulting!

The cliche (probably true) is that most of us are terrified of public speaking. This is likely true in HR too and yet the skill will increase our effectiveness, improve support for our work and help us advance. But how? And how can we avoid the same tired tips we were taught inhighschool?

Enter Brenden Kumarasamy. He has a his own YT channel called MasterTalk and, at a relatively young age, is a public speaking coach! I see why (and need to take a lot of his suggestions to heart).

🗣️ He shares three impactful exercises that, with consistent practice, would significantly enhance your skills. They will definitely help me.

😈 I tested Brenden's skill and he totally delivered!

🌟 Talent is not a prerequisite for success. It helps, but practicewill help most of us far more.

🙏 He avoided all the tired public speaking cliches like "picture your audience naked" and "speak clearly" and "tell a story". Although we did talk about telling stories.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to transform your public speaking skills and make an impact at your next presentation! Check this out!

Find Brenden at his youtube channel MasterTalk. He offers free workshops at rockstarcommunicator.com.

Find Andrea at thehrhub.ca for HR consulting in Western Canada.

I am a bit tired of how HR uses retention to justify everything from benefits and employee relations to our budget and training. And... I might be somewhat out-of-line. :/

This is why I went looking for someone to talk to about turnover and retention and found Cara Silletto, Chief Retention Officer at Magnet Culture. She is a retention expert and speaker, and wrote a book on it. She says:

🥱"People join organizations and quit their bosses." The tired cliche (or at least it's 'tired' in my mind) is at least partly true. What might be more accurate, is that managers can do a whole lot to drive down turnover.

🧑🏽 Managers play the biggest role in retention so anything we can do to support their skills and capacity is likely to have retention benefits.

📈 What constitutes high turnover depends on the role. However, on average, tenure is decreasing regardless of the role.

🙏 Once again... recognition. It comes up again and again across so many of my interviews.

Find Cara at https://www.magnetculture.com/

Find Andrea for HR consulting in Western Canada at www.thehrhub.ca

Workplace culture is crucial for high performance and a big part of that is psychological safety: can your employees express themselves without fear of negative consequences?

Stephan Weidner, coach and CEO of Zarango and Noomii, took me to task when I asked (on behalf of my husband) if this means we have to talk about feelings a lot more. The answer is yes. Yes: we need to talk about feelings, but we don't have to become therapists. Other tidbits from Stephan:

🟰 He sees psychological safety as a proxy for high performance because there is considerable evidence about the correlation.

1️⃣ Google conducted a significant study that found psychological safety to be the #1 predictor of the teams they rated as high performing.

🍁 Canadians beware! Politeness is not psychological safety!

This was a great conversation - I definitely built on my previous knowledge and I'm sold! Thanks Stephan!

Improving the employee experience can be done in 5 steps. I didn't say easy - but it also isn't that hard considering that step 1 is simply to CARE.

I interviewed Prem Bhatia from Cooleaf this week. He's the cofounder of a platform designed around improving the employee experience (EX) and they live and breathe it. He said:

1️⃣ Recognition has an outsized impact on employee engagement. So don't forget that piece - it can go a long way for relatively little cost.

2️⃣ As I said at the beginning of this, you need to truly care. It's not something that will work if you're half-hearted.

3️⃣ Tech can help. EX is ultimately a totally human thing, but tech can improve communication, integrate platforms, and just make it easier.

4️⃣ It's good business: Beyond the inherent value of caring for our employees, investing in the employee experience is also a smart business move. Research consistently shows that organizations with highly engaged employees outperform their competitors.

Find Prem at Cooleaf www.cooleaf.com

Find Andrea for HR consulting at www.thehrhub.ca

I have been to sooooo many presentations where the presenter says "and this will increase retention!!!" as a selling feature for their product or initiative. But will it?

Actually, it might if it improves management quality. This was the main point of my conversation with Cara Silletto, Chief Retention Officer of Magnet Culture. She wrote a book called "Staying Power" and helps companies address retention. She said:

🤑 Too many leaders conveniently attribute employee departures to the character flaws of their employees: "They just want a buck more an hour!" Sorry. Not true. Their own behaviour has a much bigger impact than they want to believe.

👂 Leaders need to listen to their employees. Ask questions and don't defend.

✈️ Your new employees have the highest flight risk especially in low-pay positions. Retention efforts here may have a big impact!

🗑️ TRY not to give new employees the crap work and crap equipment.

Find Cara at https://www.magnetculture.com/

Find Andrea for HR consulting in Western Canada at www.thehrhub.ca

In this video, I dive into a topic that is often discussed but not always fully understood: executive presence. You might want to get promoted! And As gatekeepers of talent and culture, HR plays a pivotal role in identifying and developing leaders who have this quality. We can also help others develop it because it's a competency (or a collection of competencies).

This was the focus of my conversation with Stephan Weidner, CEO of Noomi and Zarango. With his team, they have developed a way of measuring it and then helping leaders develop it. I discovered I have an image in mind when it comes to executive presence and it's someone who is tall, white, and male. So I appreciated having my horizons expanded:

3️⃣ Executive presence is based on three characteristics and anyone can possess them

🥼Most leaders rely on their expertise to lead but that is limiting

💪You need to flex your various 'muscles' that help you have executive presence depending on the situation.

💉We talk about attractiveness, but you don't need botox.

Find Stephan on LinkedIn or at Zarango https://www.linkedin.com/in/swiedner/ zarango.com

Find Andrea for HR consulting at www.thehrhub.ca

No. Agile HR is not agile project management OR piloting by another name. But what exactly is it, and how can it help you?During my discussion with Elissa Lok, HR Consultant, she says that, at its core, Agile HR is all about flexibility, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Rather than relying on rigid, slow, top-down management, agile HR empowers employees to take ownership and collaborate with their colleagues to achieve common goals.Some of the key principles of Agile HR include:- Rapid iteration: Agile HR processes are flexible and adaptable, allowing teams to quickly test and refine new ideas.- Continuous feedback: Regular check-ins and feedback loops help employees and managers make changes as they go.- Collaborative decision-making: Agile HR encourages cross-functional collaboration when it brings together people from across an organization who have a say.It doesn't work for everything but I am curious to give it a shot!

Find Elissa at elissa@hrwest.ca or at Spacemakers Canada https://www.spacemakersgroup.ca/Reach out to Andrea for HR consulting at andrea@thehrhub.ca

As an HR person, you may find yourself in a difficult situation where you need to coach a leader who is not performing well in all parts of their role. Usually we, in HR, hear about the people parts. And we are often tempted to label them as a "problem," it would be better to provide help and support. I was asked to do this episode and I invited Heather Dranitsaris-Hilliard and her mother, Dr. Anne Dranitsaris, back to help me. Their company, Caliber Leadership Systems, specializes in organization dysfunction so it made sense to bring them back! And I enjoy talking to them! Some of their points: 🐦 We can't pigeon-hole leaders as problems. A label is easy, but it's the behaviour you're concerned about. If they are interested, it can change. 😬 If you feel intimidated, remember they are just a person - albeit one playing a key role who needs help.💪 Muster up some courage, it's probably your job. ❌ While people can develop, there is a point where we need to terminate.

This episode on decolonizing HR and indigenous inclusion was by request! I was totally on board. I recently took the Indigenous Canada MOOC (massive open online course) and it was fascinating and inspiring.

So I reached out to Gillian Hynes who works for Rise, an indigenous-owned consulting group advancing reconciliation and indigenous inclusion. Here are a few highlights:

Decolonization is about inclusion and truth through reconciliation and relationships.
It starts with the individual.
There are many colonial practices in HR. For example, many benefits are based on Western medicine, and our definition of "family" for bereavement leave is often narrow.
A lot of the changes will benefit all employees - especially as we get more diverse overall.
HR has the power to make a difference by helping decide what the problem is and what the solution might be.

It's fascinating and challenging stuff. But I didn't find it overwhelming - hopefully you don't either.

Find Gillian at http://www.riseconsultingltd.ca/Find Andrea at http://www.thehrhub.ca

This video explores the complex nature of managing a crisis at work. Maybe there's a catastrophe, but maybe it's a smaller event that has emotionally impacted many employees. Both are crises.I spoke with John Robertson who wrote Run Toward the Roar and advises on crisis preparation and response. The name of his book is derived from the behavior of lions where the older ones position themselves on one side of the prey and roar, while the younger ones wait on the other side for the prey once they have been spooked. We tend to behave similarly during a crisis - we tend to run from 'noise' creating greater chaos. Instead, John advises the following:🌪️ A crisis is rarely the event itself like the flood or storm, but rather the impact it has on individuals and organizations. 💔Consider the impact of unexpected and less dramatic events like the loss of a beloved employee.👂When facing a crisis, it's crucial to listen to the stories of those affected. We all love to hear stories of someone who has come through a crisis, but what about when they're still in the middle of it? 🙂 One of the first steps in managing a crisis is normalizing reactions. I had never thought about the small events as crisis before, but I won't forget now.

Find John at john@fortlog.co or www.fortlog.coFind Andrea at www.thehrhub.ca for HR consulting in Western Canada

Trust is KEY to how the organization perceives HR according to a recent presentation I went to by McLean and Company. Specifically they said "non- HR respondents with high trust in their HR Departments are 2.9x more likely to also rate them as highly effective." This made a strong impression on me so I went looking for someone to talk to. Who better than Ila Edgar, the co-host of a podcast called "Trust on Purpose"? Ila is a coach and, in a past life, was a recruiter too so she understands HR. She said:✅ Trust is an emotion AND a competency. Since it's a competency we can get better at it!4️⃣ There are four aspects to the competency: competence, sincerity, reliability and care.🗣️ You can start to build trust by simply engaging someone in a conversation about trust. 🙏 Try: I want to build a strong trusting relationship with you. Here's the things I need to see from you. What do you need to see from me?Since trust is critical to HR (and maybe most relationships), you need to see this.

Find Ila at https://www.bigchangeinc.com/This is her podcast: https://trustonpurpose.buzzsprout.com/Andrea is an HR consultant in Western Canada. Find her at www.thehrhub.ca

First of all, don't use the word 'fire'. That's the first key rule in terminating someone's employment in a kind and professional manner.

Terminating someone's employment is not easy. It's clearly not easy for the employee, but it's not easy for HR or the Manager either. (If it is, find a new job.) If you are like most people and it makes you anxious, this video shows you how to can accomplish this difficult task with empathy and respect.

This was the focus of this discussion with Kim Spurgeon. She has worked with LHH Knightsbridge in a variety of roles and, as a career transition specialist, has been present for many terminations. She shared her considerable insight:

3️⃣ In addition to the employee, there should be 2-3 people present during the termination meeting: the direct manager, the HR representative, and, possibly, the career transition specialist

3️⃣ It's the manager's role to advise the employee that their employment is being terminated. The manager's statement should be brief and to the point, taking no more than 2-3 minutes.

🗣️ The HR representative will go through the details of the termination, including any severance pay or benefits the employee may be entitled to.

🙏 Remember to thank the departing employee for their contributions!!

Check out the video if you have to do one to ensure that this often difficult meeting is as smooth and respectful as possible.

Find LHH Knightsbridge and Kim at www.lhh.comI (Andrea) am an HR Consultant in Western Canada. Find me at www.thehrhub.ca

While diversity is almost a fad for some companies, we also know that having a diverse team adds bottom-line value. As long as diversity is accompanied by inclusivity.

The video with Dr. Helen Turnbull CSP highlights that diversity positively impacts the bottom line - but only when everyone feels included and valued. She's been working in the field a long time and did a TEDx in 2013. She says:

😬 It's not enough to simply hire a diverse group of people and pat yourself on the back. You need a culture where everyone feels included and can contribute their unique perspectives and ideas.

🙄 When diversity training elicits an eyeroll... you have an uphill battle. The leader is telegraphing their thoughts and unlikely to foster an inclusive environment.

🥱 But inclusivity does not mean that people should be allowed to monopolize meetings ad nauseum. If they're not adding value... why are they there?

Find Dr. Turnbull at www.humanfacets.com (954) 553 2828

Find Andrea, HR Consultant, at www.thehrhub.ca

I read something recently saying that organizations who trust HR are 2.9x more likely to rate them as highly effective. This would make it so much easier to get ALL our work done so I knew I had to do some episodes on trust.

I reached out to ILa Edgar who is co-Host of a show called Trust on Purpose with Charles Feltman. She is also a coach and was a recruiter for years, so she has insight into HR:

1) The first thing is we need to care. About the client and the business.

🗣️ Trust building is a skill and one you can discuss directly with clients

👍 Even when there are limitations on us that our client might not appreciate, there are things we can do to maintain trust.

🗣️ When clients talk about HR instead of to HR, there's some mistrust. We can deal with that head on too.

Find Ila at https://www.bigchangeinc.com/This is her podcast: https://trustonpurpose.buzzsprout.com/Andrea is an HR consultant in Western Canada. Find her at www.thehrhub.ca

The question: Is it undue hardship or is it a regular hardship? Those of us in HR in Canada need to consider this. And we can always brush up on the duty to accommodate so check out this video.

This was the focus of my conversation with Dylan Snowdon. Dylan is an Employment Lawyer and Instructor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary. This is something he is asked about a lot and here are some of his insights: ✅ You have to accommodate, but can consider those accommodations that have the least impact on the employer. 🧐 Accommodations can take many forms, and it doesn't always have to be a big or complicated solution. 😢 The difficult accommodations are when there are a lot of unknowns or the employer is not accepting. Mental health often falls in this category. 📢 Whenever someone requests accommodation, the duty has been triggered. Remember, the duty to accommodate is an important part of creating an inclusive workplace. By making reasonable efforts to accommodate the needs of employees, employers can create a workplace that is welcoming and supportive of all employees.

Find Dylan at https://carbertwaite.com/calgary-lawy...

Andrea is an HR Consultant and can be found at www.thehrhub.ca

Career transitions are an inevitable part of anyone's employment journey. It can be a promotion but also termination. The termination side is typically where career transition or outplacement comes in.

This week's guest, Kim Spurgeon, is Sr VP Canada, Transition and Mobility with LHH Knightsbridge. LHH Knightsbridge is one of the leaders in helping employers navigate career transitions. She has been in that business much of her career and has an impressive depth of knowledge and experience. She shares: ☺️ Terminations can be done with empathy. ⚡️ Elon Musk and Twitter are a master class on what NOT to do. ⚖️ Career transitions can also help mitigate the risk of being sued by employees - see the video below. 🏆 Career transition services can also help you manage your brand as an employer. `🪃Also, with the jobs market the way it is, career transition can keep the door open for boomerangs. These are the employees who leave you, but come back again with valuable skills and knowledge!

Find LHH Knightsbridge and Kim at www.lhh.com

I (Andrea) am an HR Consultant in Western Canada. Find me at www.thehrhub.ca

We all have biases and you might not be aware of yours. It's part of our most primitive brains so we aren't going to get rid of it. The only thing we can do is be aware and manage it. In this video I speak with Dr. Helen Turnbull CSP. She has been digging into the topic for a long time - long before it (and DEI) became such a key HR issue. She did a TEDx on inclusion in 2013. So props to her! Here are some of the things she shared:🏳️ If you've ever been rude to an overseas call centre representative because they aren't on your continent, check your bias. Are you REALLY that open-minded and unbiased?2️⃣ Confirmation bias and pattern recognition bias are two of the most prevalent examples of unconscious bias in the workplace. Unchecked, either will lead to poor decision-making, missed opportunities and sub-par business performance.😇 The only way to minimize the impact of unconscious bias is to bring it to our conscious awareness. She suggests saying "Let's not make that decision until we check our biases."

Find Helen at https://drhelenturnbull.com/Andrea is an HR consultant in Western Canada and you can find her at https://www.thehrhub.ca/

As more companies prioritize employee wellbeing and the employee experience, they start to think about a wellness program. It's not as easy as hiring a yoga instructor, but maybe you could start there?

I spoke with Reena Vokoun (again). She's the owner of Passion Fit which works with employers to build meaningful wellness programs. She also wrote The Wellness Empowered Woman.

Here are a few of Reena's tips to keep in mind as you develop your program: 💰 Make sure you have the money and support before you start. 👯‍♀️ Consider how to offer individualized content: Not all employees have the same needs when it comes to wellness. Consider offering one-on-one in addition fitness classes, nutrition coaching, and mental health resources. 🥵 Wellness programs don't replace healthy workplaces like reasonable workloads and supportive management. 🎓 Recognize the social determinants of health and do what you can: Health is impacted by factors beyond individual behaviors, such as access to healthy food, education, and healthcare among others. 🧑‍🚒 Involve employees in developing their programs: They are the experts on their own wellness needs.

Reena can be found through her company, Passion Fit, at https://passionfit.com/

Andrea is an HR consultant and can be found through www.thehrhub.com

What environment do you need for creativity, focus, and deep thought?

I think I am getting the hint. Notifications, emails and messages aren't making me more productive and they greatly reduce my ability to be thoughtful. This is true for many of the people in our organizations too.

Daniel Sih is an author and productivity guy. I reached out because of his Spacemakers book, but I was curious about productivity and he delivered!

🥃 He's a physiotherapist and accidentally became a productivity consultant over a glass of whiskey. ❌ Now he is going to TedX and his 'idea worth sharing' is that we need to put down our phones to be more productive and have better relationships. 📧 He used to think productivity was about getting better at email and prioritization. That is helpful, but, to truly be productive, you need to think about who you are and what is important to you. Then be productive at THOSE things. 🧑🏽‍🏫 Notwithstanding the importance of knowing our priorities, we can teach employees to manage email, set priorities, and maintain good habits. Organizations have a better chance of getting a lot more of the right work done.

Spacemakers: How to Unplug, Unwind, and Think Clearly in the Digital Age

You can find more about Daniel and Spacemakers on https://spacemakers.com.au/

You can find Elissa Lok for Spacemaker or Email Ninja training in North America at elissa@spacemakers.com.au

And finally, I am an HR consultant as well. Reach out to me through my website www.thehrhub.ca

Person in Company: How do I let my disabled employee go?

Employment Lawyer: How are you accommodating them?

PiCo: Uhhhh, but they can't come to work.

Employment Lawyer: 😐

Most of us know the standard is high, but sometimes it can be hard to explain it to a frustrated leader who is struggling to be effective. So watch this video with Dylan Snowdon, Employment Lawyer and Instructor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary. There's lots of tipsI

❌You can't terminate someone just because they are on LTD with no expected return-to-work date. ⏱️Maintain periodic, reasonable, contact. Go for coffee or lunch with the employee. Be positive and supportive. ☺️The leaders who 'get' it are those who have experience with disability in some way. 💸Those that proceed with termination too soon and without full exploration may lose $$$

This is technical topic! And a CANADIAN one because it is based in Canadian law.

Employee wellness programs are nearly a required feature of employer value propositions. However, designing a cost-effective, meaningful program that provides value to employees AND the employer is challenging.

This was the focus of my chat with Reena Vokoun. She's the owner of Passion Fit which works with employers to build meaningful wellness programs. She also wrote The Wellness Empowered Woman.

Some of her key points: ⏱️ Timeless but Flexible: A wellness program should be designed to stand the test of time, but still be flexible enough to accommodate the changing needs and interests of employees. Broader societal changes will impact the health of employees and what you might want to include. 🏹 Aligned with Corporate Values and Culture: A wellness program should align with the company's values and culture so it reinforces your direction. 🏹 Aligned with Employee Needs: You must have input from employees themselves to ensure the program fits them. Involve employees in the program's design, implementation, and maintenance. 📈 Measuring Success: Like many parts of HR, measuring success can be challenging because it's people. However there are several, relevant metrics like participation rates, satisfaction, attendance, and health plan usage. It will take time to see the impact.

Reena can be found through her company, Passion Fit, at https://passionfit.com/

Andrea is an HR consultant and can be found through www.thehrhub.com

Want to become a CPHR? Listen up.

I intended to talk to Erica Blain about the new CPHR competencies. We talked about that and then everything else related to becoming a CPHR. Erica is the Director of Professional Standards and Registrar at CPHRAB. We reviewed the revised competencies that were published a year ago AND:

- What's changed in the NKE

What it means to the experience validation assessment (EVA)
Maintaining your CPHR status once you have it
What qualifies as 'certified professional development'
CPD credits - Getting your SHRM too!

Check out your provincial association for more information! Find me at www.thehrhub.ca.

Do you look at your phone when you are bored? Tik Tok or a game? Is it making you happy?

Connecting with people is overwhelmingly shown to create happiness. That doesn't really happen when we are spending more and more time online. Digital wellness in the workplace is becoming an increasingly important aspect of wellness. As we spend more and more time on our devices, it's helping drive burn out, stress, and anxiety. Obviously this will have a negative impact on the well-being and productivity of workplaces.

The first of my guests, Daniel Sih and author of Spacemaker, has been invited to speak at TedX and his 'idea worth sharing' is that we need to manage our use of tech. He laughs, a little amazed, because most of us remember a life before this level of tech and yet we have become so dependent so fast. And now it's an idea worth sharing. Elissa Lok, my second guest and HR Consultant, helped Daniel develop a Spacemaker course and reflects on the impact in organizations.

Some other ideas: 🥱Boredom is not bad even if we do anything to avoid it. In fact, a lot of creativity happens when we are bored. When we give ourselves time to be unplugged and disconnected from technology, we allow ourselves to have new ideas, and think more critically. It's hard to underestimate how valuable that is. 💉Our tech is powerful and useful - and addictive. Addiction can be defined as the repeated use of something even though it causes substantial harm. Of course the irony of this topic and how I am delivering it is obvious. 📱Steve Jobs didn't let his kids use ipads or iphones. ↘️ The relationship between tech and productivity is an inverted U curve.

If employers are interested in employee productivity and wellbeing, they should investigate digital wellbeing. It's the right thing to do do, but there is also tremendous benefit to the workplace, to ourselves and our humanity.

Spacemakers: How to Unplug, Unwind, and Think Clearly in the Digital Age You can find more about Daniel and Spacemakers on https://spacemakers.com.au/

You can find Elissa Lok for Spacemaker or Email Ninja training in North America at elissa@spacemakers.com.au

And finally, I am an HR consultant as well. Reach out to me through my website www.thehrhub.ca .

You don't have to be a subject matter expert to create an amazing course. Instead, it's about being dedicated to the process of course development. Think about that - it's liberating!

This was my second chat with Irina Ketkin and it was as good as the last. She's a prof on Udemy and has her own YouTube channel @TheLnDAcademy. She's truly a learning and development expert. She discusses some of the following: 🚗 One acronym that can help you in your course development journey is ADDIE: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. 🥵 But it's important to note that course development takes time and effort. On average, it takes about 12 hours of preparation to deliver 1 hour of content. This includes researching and organizing material, designing interactive activities, and considering the best delivery methods.

So if you're planning on creating a course, don't underestimate the amount of work that goes into it. Check out the video to get some tips about the structured process and approach that will help you create an amazing course that engages and educates your learners.

Find Andrea for HR Consulting support in Western Canada at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

HR reporting and metrics are key tools for driving organizational success, and it's up to us to use them effectively. It's good for the organization, your career and our profession.

I conducted this follow-up interview with David Simmonds for HCM Metrics to discuss data, metrics and reporting. He helped develop the ISO standards for HR reporting an said the following: 🪑 It's essential that we become proficient in reporting and metrics if we want to earn or maintain our seat at the table. But it's not just about impressing higher-ups - effective HR reporting can benefit the entire organization. ⁉️One important aspect to consider is that our reporting should be focused on answering organizational questions, rather than our own. This means that asking ourselves what the business needs to know, and how we can use data to provide those answers. 🏥 One metric that is often overlooked but can be incredibly valuable is leadership trust. Trust is a crucial component of a healthy and productive work environment, and measuring it can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of our leadership team.

Find David at https://www.hcmmetrics.co.uk/

Find Andrea for HR Consulting in Western Canada at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Recognition is a cheap and powerful tool to drive a positive culture, the employee AND customer experience, and a true sense of connection between employees and with the organization. Yet we don't do it or we don't do it well.

Organizations create expensive rewards programs meant to recognize employees. But, let's be clear, long service awards don't do a lot to motivate great employee performance. So how do we do it better?

That was the subject of this week's interview with Sarah McVanel - recognition expert! Well, of course she has thoughts: 😾 Everyone does something well. Don't avoid recognizing someone because there's an aspect of their personality you dislike. 😩 Along the same lines, you'll find something positive to recognize even in persistent complainers. 🤩 When the same people do the recognition and the same people get recognized all the time... your program is failing. 🟢 It's everyone's job to participate in recognition not just the leader.

Find Sarah at greatnessmagnified.com

Find Andrea just to connect or for HR Consulting support (Western Canada) via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

We all have different relationships with negotiation. It might make some of us uncomfortable but it's a powerful everyday skill if we can practice and apply the elements.

And it's relevant to HR beyond contracts. Have you ever seen the necessity of an approach or project but your clients hadn't bought in? We often have little formal power in HR to mandate projects so negotiation skills can be very helpful!

When I discovered that Susie Tomenchok had written a book about it, of course I had to talk to her about it. And I learned a lot. Some of it made me a bit uncomfortable and will challenge me. Other parts come easier. It'll be the same from you. Susie says: don't avoid it until you need it!

Did you know: 🌤 Any emotion will cloud your thinking, but you can make emotions contingency plans! 🤔 Most of your effort in negotiation will be spent trying to see the issue from their perspective. 🚫 No is a starting point. 🙊 We need to get comfortable with silence.

Intrapreneurial Leadership and a link to the course: https://www.cablecenter.org/intrapreneurship-academy-ia/intrapreneurial-leadership

Susie's Book: The Art of Everyday Negotiation without Manipulation

Andrea provides consulting support. Find her at at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Learning and development is, obviously, not all about training. But you might think they do a lot more than they do. This is a overview of all of L&D with many useful tips for seasoned HR professionals in addition to those with a specific interest.

Irina Ketkin is an L&D professional who teaches Udemy courses on the subject and has a YouTube channel as well - the L&D Academy. This video covers a more accurate view of L&D with some tips you , the keys to L&D success and, my favourite, some of the adult learning principles. I will be applying her tips in the the future and some are sure to resonate with you:

Only 10% of learning occurs in training (this is not an adult learning principle, but still useful!)
Adults are focused on achieving goals when they attend training
Adults use their life experiences to help them learn and remember
Adults are more self-directed in their learning
Adults like to have choice in how they learn These few tips will help me improve future training. They'll probably help you too!

Will it make a difference if you can say "time-to-hire has improved 2.5% compared to this time last year"? Of course we can create more complex or creative metrics like 'retention rate per manager' or 'HR cost per employee'. Still... are they really helpful?

The thing is, metrics measure the past. We track these things to make sure we are efficient and accountable. They rarely tell us about the strategic things we should be doing.

This is what I spoke with David Simmonds about. He is the Chairman of HCM Metrics and an early supporter of the HR ISO standard. I didn't even know there was an ISO standard for HR!

∞ With a decent HRIS you could measure a million things. How do you pick? 🤔 The ISO standards will provide insight on what you should measure. 🥱 While I am a bit tired of the expression 'a seat at the table', it still had meaning and HR data plays a big role in getting and staying there. We have a wealth of data. Are we using it to track the past or provide useful insight into business problems and solutions? 🗣 We need to speak their language. See it from the perspective of business problems.

Find David on LinkedIn or at https://www.hcmmetrics.co.uk/

Find Andrea for consulting support in Canada at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Telling your employees to get well through nutrition, sleep and exercise and demanding they work extra every day is like telling them to eat cake and only giving them celery. You aren't serious.

The work environment has a huge impact on wellbeing - particularly asking too much of people.

Linda Duxbury is Canada's leading expert on employee wellbeing. She's done national studies involving tens of thousands of people. She has a lot to say on the subject and it does not include telling employees to get more sleep. As the video below says, she refuses employers who want her to talk to employees. She wants to talk to the EMPLOYER.

And she cleared up some things for me: ❌ Unequivocally, time at work or in front of a computer is a terrible measure of productivity. ⤵ Productivity rises, plateaus and falls. The point at which it starts to fall depends on the person and the demands on their time. 🧐 To truly improve wellbeing, employers need to consider the demand they put on their employees. 📣 We need to stop paying so much attention remote workers who want to stay remote or hybrid. We need to pay attention to all the the people who have to show up in person. Their morale post pandemic is terrible. This should be required content. The amount of insight... 😯

As she said during the interview, Linda doesn't really do social media but you can find her by googling!

Find Andrea for HR consulting or just a connection at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

This episode is for students! Membership in your HR association has benefits and, if you can capitalize on them, it can be very helpful in landing your first HR job after university.

I spoke with Ioana Giurca who is the CEO of CPHR Alberta. Even if you don't live in Alberta... check out what your own association has to offer students! After all, you are the future of the profession and we've all been in your shoes trying to get that first job. Chances are that support is offered - look for some of the following:

🙋‍♀️ Mentorship. Is there a professional who would guide you and act as a sounding board?

☕️ One-on-on meetings. If mentorship is too much or you can't find one, someone would be willing to have coffee with you.

✍️ Resume writing. There is no where better than your HR Association to get help writing resumes. After all, we are the experts.

👋 Networking opportunities. The thought of networking always intimidated me, but if you can be brave enough and hone your own approach, it WILL pay dividends.

👏 Volunteer. It's also a clue to an employer about your intentions and commitment.

Not all associations will offer free memberships (although Alberta does). Whatever your association offers, makes use of it!

CPHR Alberta: https://www.cphrab.ca/

Student Links:

https://www.cphrab.ca/student-toolkit

https://www.cphrab.ca/become-member/student-member

https://www.cphrab.ca/walk-and-talk-program

https://www.cphrab.ca/mentorship-program

Find Andrea at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Soft skills is a misnomer. These skills are so critical to your success that 'power skills' is far more appropriate.

The concept adds a lot of value to our careers in HR as well as the work we do! Focusing on the right power skills can help us create more effective organizations through skills development, identify the right high potential employees and create meaningful training programs.

Susie Tomenchok teaches a course on power skills with the Intrapreneurship Academy. I have seen other iterations of 'power skills' but I think Susie is onto something with the ones she includes in her course. They are:

Lead with your strengths.
Take the time to clarify your purpose, vision, and values.
Take control of how you are perceived.
Corporate politics isn’t about manipulation.
Don’t be afraid of feedback, both giving and receiving.
Self-advocacy is essential to achieving goals.
Building a strong network makes you a valuable resource.

Few of us are good at most or all of these... imagine what would happen if you were!

We all want to move forward in our career path and sometimes that is up. Sometimes that is sideways, which is why 'lattice' is better term for how to view careers. I am definitely on the lattice path! 😅

Dianna Dempsey is an expert in career pathing/ladders/lattices. She gives us advice on how to do it although, truthfully, many times... it depends. We also talked about how to make use of the phrase in HR and development. Some tips:

👆We need to stop talking about 'moving UP the ladder' and reinforcing the idea that only up is moving forward. Lateral moves may still be a progression.

❌Some of us are not cut out to be leaders at least not in the conventional sense.

⚙️ Of course that is true... so we talk about how to approach the conversation for people in a technical stream.

⚖️ Realistically we cannot do career pathing for everyone. We have to strike a balance between career pathing for organizations and those for individuals.

Find Dianna at https://www.linkedin.com/in/diannadempsey/

Find Andrea at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

🥱 Leadership is stagnating... they got successful and stopped learning. (Stagnation)

🤬 Structure and rules are four-letter words. (Chaos)

🙊 People in one department don't talk to people in another. (Silos)

🤷🏻‍♀️ "Work on what you think is important." (Permissive Leadership)

These are all forms of dysfunction at work and usually aren't helpful to organization success. Often they start at the top with senior leadership! Which makes it that much harder to address. Anne Dranitsaris and Heather Dranitsaris-Hilliard from Caliber Leadership Systems like helping organizations with their dysfunctions and have tips and strategies on what to do about it.

➡️ You don't have to start with senior leadership.

➡️ HR has little position authority. You need to influence people to help them get them unstuck.

➡️ Start with systems not behaviour. Changing behaviour can be overwhelming.

➡️ Meet leaders where they are at not where you think they should be.

➡️ Dysfunction is addressed in stages. You don't flip a switch. Anne and Heather are remarkably insightful and provide useful advice!

Dismantling Dysfunction Podcast: www.dismantlingdysfunction.com

Website: www.dranitsaris-hilliard.com / www.caliberleadership.com

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/DranitsarisHilliard

Find Andrea on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

HR Tech seems like a big decision. Get the wrong tech and you might be 'that person'. 😬 Get the right tech and you'll get more and better opportunities. Fortunately there are steps to success!

I spoke with Phil Strazzulla of Select Software Reviews which specializes in HR tech. I don't usually plug my guests too much, but his site gives us free advice on how to navigate the process of buying HR tech! The quality of advice is so good too! Like:

💸 You can and should negotiate. Prices are almost always negotiable.

🔠 Make sure the vendors know you are looking at a variety of systems. That will help with negotiations.

📆 It's true! The time of year (or month) matters!

🪄A gut check is a valid method of making a decision although you should understand and articulate it for others.

🛞 Contrary to popular thought, people practices aren't going to create success... successful organizations have something that people want. It's more like great HR practices 'grease the wheels'.

There was so much valuable insight in this episode. And some of the tips apply to buying many things!

Find Phil at https://www.selectsoftwarereviews.com/

Find Andrea at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Presenting data is harder than it looks. Bar charts may not cut it. But, maybe in HR we have an advantage because our data is about people. We can tell stories! We can humanize the data!

For example, change ' 20% of employees are planning on leaving within 6 months' to '1 out of 5 employees want to leave by Easter'. It's even better if, after that, you draw the line between the fact and the business impacts.

Presenting people analytics was the subject of this week's episode with Kevin Campbell. Kevin is an Employee Experience Scientist with Qualtrics and has also worked for Deloitte and Culture Amp. Some other insights:

🗣 Tell stories! They are engaging.

💧Software is making people analytics much easier.

😘 You want to generate an emotional connection to the data.

🏁 As another guest said (so it must be true): Just give it a try! Start!

️⃣ Focus more on outcomes than output when you can.

Effective presentation of data including stories may be as important as generating it.

Find Kevin on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevingeorgecampbell/

Kevin talked about the XM Institute. Find that here: https://www.xminstitute.com/

Find Andrea on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Employees complain to HR because they hope we can fix it. Sometimes it's more than hope... they KNOW it's our job to solve the problem. And it's easy for us to be drawn in. After all, HR is ALSO supposed to be empathetic and supportive and many of us buy into that idea.

But stop. Yes you can and should hear the complaint and there likely is something on. But before you make the determination, get all the facts. And don't get drawn in personally!

I loved this conversation with Heather Dranitsaris-Hilliard and Dr. Anne Dranitsaris of Caliber Leadership Systems because I've fielded many employee complaints. Every single time, it feels like I am walking a knife's edge. I fear making the employee more angry (and at me) or that I am throwing my client under the bus. Or just that I should have been able to make the employee feel better, but I didn't.

Anne and Heather have a few areas of expertise and one of them is definitely handling complaints! And their advice is pragmatic... they're not fully buying into to the utopian messages you see in social media:

🤷🏻‍♀️ The employee will tell a story that works in their favour. It could be 100% true, but let's be honest: Do you tell the whole objective truth when you complain?

📖 Most often there's far more history and context.

😢 Don't apologize!

🛟 When you sense this happening, pull back. Don't fall in and rescue. I felt better after this. Maybe you will too!

Find Heather and Anne at https://caliberleadership.com/ or on LinkedIn

Find Andrea on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Microaggressions, putdowns, harassment... Sometimes they are obvious, but frequently they are not. What's often true is that they are difficult issues for an organization and they are dealt with badly or ignored. Which is also partly why only 30% of issues are reported. There must be a better way.

Maysa Hawash, this week's guest is finding a better way. She has collaborated on software that will help the employees who don't want to speak up directly. It's called HearU and I think it's a great idea. It allows employees to speak up anonymously and gives organizations a chance to understand what is really going on. Obviously it's not the only option, but I think it's a good one.

🆉 Gen Z experiences this more often. Possibly because they have higher standards.

👋 The 70% of those who don't report... they might just leave and you'll never know why.

👂Not everything warrants an investigation. Sometimes employees just want validation.

🤝 HR can validate an individual, but they still need the commitment of leadership to address problems more systemically.

I confess, I have given friends advice to just leave. It's easier than fighting the culture. This is much better. Take a listen.

Implementing an HRIS is a big endeavour which could garner you much support and credibility in the organization. Or it could do the opposite. Let's try to make sure you it helps your career?!

Phil Strazzulla helps advance HR by sharing information about HR tech on his site, Select Software, and he gives all his advice to us for free!! And it's pretty darn good advice. Frankly, it applies to a lot more than just HRIS implementation.

🤬 Just about everyone uses the HRIS, so everyone is likely to have an opinion about what they like and hate.

🙉 Related to the above point: don't just talk to people in HR.

⁉️ Phil thinks a gut check is a decent measure. Just back it up with some facts.

📈 Measure the financial impact - but some of the softer things too! And, don't measure too many things.

🥳 Throughout the process... blow your own horn. Tell them how hard you worked and all the ways you considered their input. This will impact adoption and approval rates. See the video below.

You can get support material for just about all of this on his website. It's pretty great. Take a listen and you'll understand why I think so.

Find Phil at https://www.selectsoftwarereviews.com/

Find Andrea at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Microaggressions are exhausting for the people who experience them. But what are they exactly and how do you know? And, for HR, what do you do???

Well they're subtle so, yah, it might not be easy to be certain. Honestly I struggle to identify what is a microaggression and what is truly an innocent comment. This week's guest, Emily Williams, suggests that if someone accuses you of microaggressions, you need to do some self-reflection. She specializes in supporting women of color and organizations address microaggressions and create psychological safety.

Other things she share:

3️⃣ There are three types of microaggressions

⁉️ She answers the question "Is it a microaggression or just a comment?"

🤷🏻‍♀️Recognizing a microaggression is sometimes the hardest part.

⛑Microaggressions have a long-term health impact.

🔨 Your support doesn't have to be a bludgeon. For example, when someone is spoken over, you can say "I want to hear what Maria has to say."

Emily spoke about training - email her for more information at emily@forwardeverglobal.com She also mentioned an e-book, Women of Color: Powerfully Standup to Microaggressions, and this is the link: https://awesome-water-840.myflodesk.com

Find me (Andrea) at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/ Reach out to me for consulting in Western Canada or just to connect!

Write a kick ass job ad!! It matters!

It can be tempting to think that your effort is pointless, after all it's an OCEAN of postings and they look the same. So it's even more important that your posting appeals to the ideal candidate.

This episode with Shelley Billinghurst of the Recruitment Flex Podcast has very high utility:

🖊 There are websites to help all those awkward writers out there!

💡Write for the ideal candidate - not the hiring manager.

🙄 Don't make the process awkward unless you're happy with a 'C' candidate.

🛳 Post the salary. That ship has sailed.

👫 Did you know that writing is gendered? I didn't until this, but it makes unfortunate sense.

Check it out. You'll be better for it!

Find Shelley at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelley-billinghurst-91ab71/

The Recruitment Flex Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-recruitment-flex-with-serge-and-shelley/id1515309906?i=1000580744189

Find Andrea at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Good organizational structure can boost the effectiveness and performance of an organization as well as the lives of employees doing the work. But how do you get there?

This episode talks about the steps to organization design. Before drawing lines and boxes you want to understand the organization's strategy and operating model. Strategy, in this context, includes: goals, the value proposition, core activities, product markets, etc. It's pretty clear that if you design with those things in mind then you can create a structure that drives achievement.

Len Nanjad is a consultant for MNP with a career focused on org design. He has a course on Udemy and shares his tips for creating an effective organization.

Find Len at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennanjad/

Len's course on Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/share/103172/

Find me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

We don't all know how to use job boards properly. Frankly, everyone has jobs advertised so I wasn't even sure what made a job board.

Steve Rothberg answered all my questions and the ones I didn't know I had! He's founder of College Recruiter and host of the High Volume Hiring Podcast.

🔢 First he clarified job boards: job boards have jobs from multiple employers.

📑 There's thousands of job boards because they are so easy to create. Word Press even has a job board template.

🤔 If you want to figure out which job boards you should post on: Google it.

1️⃣ Recruiters tend to use too few job boards.

5️⃣ The optimal number of job to apply to? 5. Just FIVE.

Probably the most important advice was that job seekers hide behind their screens and use too many job boards. He says you shouldn't do that. Find those few jobs and companies you want to work for and then network and learn as much as you can. So much good stuff in this!

It's very hard to predict if a person will succeed after they've been promoted. Sorry but your awesome interview, or the opinion of someone's manager is not reliable. Fortunately there is a more effective alternative!

Psychometric testing may be one of the most valid and reliable tools to assess employees potential. The only down side is you need a psychologist to do it. I spoke with Marina Kolesnikova of Stefan, Fraser and Associates about how to make the best use of psychometric testing. She has a PhD in psychology and has worked in the field a long time.

This interview was as fascinating as the last one a few weeks ago. Some of the revelations: 🗣 They are used as expert witnesses at arbitration. 👺You are not going to identify dark side personalities in an interview. 😬 Psychometric testing can help someone strategically understand where they need to develop and selectively go outside their comfort zone (rather than going outside your comfort zone in areas that won't be that useful).

Getting the right person is so important. Psychometrics isn't perfect but it is makes science out of what might otherwise be an art.

Find Marina at https://stefanfraser.com/

Find Andrea at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

In many things 1-2% improvement is good enough especially year after year - you don't always have to do something dramatic. But when the future of your company is at stake or there's some other big factor at play, you need transformational change.

I spoke with Jordan Ludwig of Stack'd Consulting which specializes in transformational change. He has led many of these projects and said

💪Transformational change needs conviction and courage

😕If a client is using phrases like "we just need..." they're probably not ready for transformational change.

🏄‍♀️Don't try to control all the details... it's more like surfing.

💪Leaders will pour in effort for a sustained period before they see the change.

🥱It's a good sign when people lose interest.

If you're thinking about doing something dramatic, listen to this. You might just feel a little better about it.

Find Jordan at https://stackdconsulting.com/

Find Andrea at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

I was reading something on the Linkedin a while back about an HR professional from Afghanistan who was driving a taxi. Usually we hear this about doctors and engineers, but HR?

So what does it take to succeed in HR in Canada? While we talk about Canada this would apply to other countries as well! This episode is for immigrants. Bina Kamath is an immigrant and founder of Orion's Reach and has established a successful HR career - she also started out in accounting so that is a double-feat!

Find Bina at https://www.orionsreach.com

Find Andrea at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

HEADS UP! This episode will be better on YouTube. There is a lot of visuals in this episode and the experience will likely be better on YouTube. Find it at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsIQh_VRedo7JcDLNZkklSQ

Job evaluation: bored yet?

We in HR have to get over our fear of the monotony because it's that important and foundational to paying people equitably. On the bright side this was definitely the LEAST boring take on grading jobs I can imagine.

Robert Mosley is an HR thought leader and could do stand-up HR comedy. That probably sounds like an oxymoron but it's true. You'll have to wait 'till a little later in the episode to see this in action. In the meantime, I daresay you'll learn a shocking amount from this episode.

Psychometric testing, performed by trained psychologists, is the BEST predictor of job success of any recruitment or selection tool. It's a science and teaches you: 😄 Extraversion is not the same as social skill. It also isn't going to predict success in a job. 👯 Personality tests (think Myers Briggs) are a typology. They might help you understand people on your team but the results aren't correlated with job success. ⁉️ Interviews are, to some degree, a measure of intelligence. Intelligence IS correlated with job success.

There were so many facts in this interview with Marina Kolesnikova of Stefan, Fraser and Associates. It provided a lot of insight into which recruitment and selection tools are likely to get you a good candidate and which are not. It also dispelled many myths of the recruitment process and other things you just weren't sure about.

Find Marina at https://stefanfraser.com/

Find Andrea at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Let's get a bit real. Chances are if you are white in the workplace you think you are an ally e.g. ~75% of white employees think they are allies to women of colour. But (BIG but)... when did you DO something in support of someone with a marginalized identity?

Allies take action and this was a key point in this interview with Emily Williams of Forward Ever Global. Emily is a DEI expert and coach to women of colour so they might address microaggressions and other common workplace challenges.

Acts of allyship might make you uncomfortable like when you call out bias. Or maybe you name a microaggression in a high stakes setting. Or maybe you reduce your own opportunity in favour of someone who overlooked because of their identity. These are the actions, however, of a true ally.

There is so much overlooked talent because someone doesn't come in the desired package. True allies are going to help by giving that talent a chance to be seen for their strength and perform. It's also the right thing to do and HR can play a role through individual action and DEI programs.

Find Emily at emily@forwardeverglobal.com or https://forwardeverglobal.com/

Find Andrea on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

HEADS UP! This episode is better on YouTube. Robert has illustrations to help you better understand the content. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/ewO6QCBws0Q

Compensation is possibly the most important thing HR has to get right. Underpay people and they'll be unhappy or leave. It's also wrong. Overpay people and EVERYONE is going to want a raise to match and your compensation costs are going to rise.

Job evaluation is how we make sure employees are paid fairly and equitably based on some rational means of comparing. It's not about how the wind is blowing today. And it's foundational to HR.

Robert Mosley, worked for Hay (the leading job evaluation methodology) and walks us through how we size a job. Here's a sample of what you'll learn in this episode:

🟰 Job evaluation and sizing are the same thing.

️⃣ 'Sizing' is assigning points to jobs and 'grading' is lumping ranges of points together for an manageable compensation system.

4️⃣ There's four common job sizing methodologies. Pick one and use it. It might seem expensive up front, but it manages the risk of getting comp wrong.

Find Robert at robert@lemon-pip.com

Find Andrea at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

When was the last time your organization went through a re-org? Have you seen a department designed for an individual and been baffled?

Frequent re-orgs or designing for a person may or may not be a good idea. It depends on whether or not it’s aligned with good organization design principles. These basic questions and principles of organization design was the subject of this episode.

This amazing episode with Len Nanjad was full of interesting insights. I know – you might not think so but honestly:

🔺 Hierarchy is natural

➕ ➕ ➕ Bureaucracy is hierarchy plus many rules

🤔The levels in an organization will be determined by complexity

😡 Too many levels might result in micromanaging

🥵 There is a limit on the number of positions a person can meaningfully supervise

⛑ Good organization design can save lives! And on and on.

Find Len on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennanjad/ or https://www.mnp.ca/en/personnel/len-nanjad

Find Andrea at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

How long does it take you to bounce back after some failure? Do you stay sad and ruminate for a long time or dust yourself off, incorporate some lessons and keep going? The latter is resilience and it's pretty obvious that it would be helpful.

I was also curious about the origins of resilience. Is it something we develop in childhood or is it something we can learn as adults? And, for HR, how can we help our workforces become more resilient so, that when individuals or teams fail, they learn and keep going? This is what this episode was about.

Roxanne Derhodge is a psychotherapist, mental health and wellness expert, keynote speaker, podcast host and more. Find her at https://roxannederhodge.com/

Find me (Andrea) for HR consulting support in western Canada at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

What colour are you??? This is a common result of personality tests at work - although maybe you are an ENTJ or do odd things when stressed.

So what are personality assessments at work good for? And not good for? That's the basic question of this episode plus how to pick a test that will work for you.

I was a little skeptical, but Heather Johnson provides practical and useful advice on how to have conversations with your clients about personality assessments. She is certified in the application of Personality Dimensions, but has insight into the pros and cons of others. No matter which one you choose, they are a tool! As with all tools they are only useful if you use them.

Surveying employees before or just after a merger or acquisition could change how you manage the people. There are two aspects to explore: the deal itself and the similarities and differences between the two workplace cultures that are being brought together. Are the cultures more similar or less? Do you need to protect the culture of the company being acquired? Because maybe the culture is why it is effective.

These surveys may also help with merger and acquisition communications. Do you know what employees are concerned about? Not really? Survey them.

Adam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamzuckermanphd/

In HR we deal with many upset people. Perhaps it's not daily but it's pretty frequent. This video will give you some tips on how to deal with situations like:

"My leader is an a**hole... RIGHT?"

You: "Look at my nice presentation about [policy]." Employee: "We don't want to talk about that, let me tell you about 🧨!"

"My compensation is so unfair compared to..."

As HR we need to deal with the issue, but we also need to arm ourselves to deal with the situation professionally and bring back some calm. As Roxanne Derhodge points out when people are emotionally worked up, they stop using the reasoning brain. EVERYONE knows what I'm talking about because it happens to all of us.

Roxanne is registered psychotherapist, corporate consultant, keynote speaker, trainer and author. She has her own podcast called Authentic Living with Roxanne.

https://roxannederhodge.com

https://roxannederhodge.com/quiz/

https://roxannederhodge.com/chat/

Relationships can make or break your success in most jobs Arguably, they may be even more important in HR because our focus IS people and we often have little positional power.

So how do you go about building relationships and a rapport with your clients? And what may be required at different phases of your career? Well it may be a relief to know that you don't have to know it all. But you do need to curious (not judgmental) about your clients' perspectives and have their back. Even when someone messes up - save the learning opportunities for the debrief!

Vered Levant VIMY HR: https://www.vimyhr.com

Do you know how to spot burnout at work? YOU might be burning out and it's harder to see than you might think. Or maybe it is someone you know. Or, worse, it's a workforce trend. Some of the symptoms are less engagement, fatigue, anger, and not doing the things you typically would.

There have been some alarming stats coming out about the prevalence of burnout and the contribution of COVID and work-from-home to this. HR has been doing a lot during the pandemic and we need to take care of ourselves too.

I spoke with Michael Levitt who speaks about burnout and wrote a book about it. He has been through it himself and shares the things he knows.

https://www.breakfastleadership.com/

You need to survey your employees through an employee engagement survey. They have things to tell you and you should know what they are. However, it has never been easier to run a bad survey so watch this and learn a thing or two!

Adam Zuckerman is an expert in employee surveys. He speaks plainly about their value in this video with loads of tips on running employee surveys.

Follow Adam on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamzuckermanphd/

You'd think that HR is the group with change management oversight. That's actually not the case. More often we are in influencing roles - no authority but lots of responsibility. So if we are expected to assist in many ways, how do we make the most of it? Well, the first step is understanding change management.

I spoke with Dr. Melanie Peacock - HR professor, keynote speaker, and consultant. She was also recently made an HR fellow and, after this interview, I clearly appreciate why.

Find Melanie at http://www.doublemconsulting.net/

The HR Professional's Guide to Change Management: https://www.businessexpertpress.com/books/booksthe-human-resource-professionals-guide-to-change-management-practical-tools-and-techniques-to-enact-meaningful-and-lasting-organizational-change/

Are you considering doing (or hiring) outsourced HR? How do you make this a great experience for the client AND you? Some of it is how you engage the client initially, but then you need to be come a partner.

Outsourced HR (or fractional HR) provides HR support in small organizations who don't have enough HR work to warrant someone full-time. Or their HR people are so busy that they need some help. The outsourced HR can fill many HR gaps - because, often, the resource is pretty experienced across a variety of HR areas. The relationship will start with a needs assessment (or discovery) and go from there.

Vered Levant is an HR consultant and Lead Executive Officer for VIMY HR who does outsourced HR and she provides some of her insight in this episode.

Authenticity (and integrity) are hot topics. Integrity is a key value for at least half of the Fortune 500 companies. So how do you define each AND how can you create organizations where authenticity and integrity can flourish?

Mike Horne has written a book on the topic. He shares his understanding of these topics, how they are related and other insights for HR. These include how to work towards organizations that support both authenticity and integrity and how HR will be different if WE practice it!

Mike Horne www.mike-horne.com

In this video we talk about HR trends for 2022 and beyond. You are likely going to be surprised (and not surprised) by what you hear. That is because the trends are not 'new' but they are trending in ways you might not expect. Melanie Peacock is an HR Consultant, Professor, Fellow and keynote speaker.

Find Melanie on LinkedIn or at http://www.doublemconsulting.net/

What is trending in employee benefits that HR folks need to be watching? A few things and the fact that there are trends is a change from ten years ago!

This whole episode was really interesting because, even if you are not in benefits, it gives you insight into changing employee expectations. I spoke with Meghan Vallis, the author of the GAB (the Group Advisor Blog). She's also a VP, Group Sales, Western Canada for Equitable Life. So she knows a thing or two about benefits.

The G.A.B. https://www.thegroupadvisorblog.com/

What can HR do to support Indigenous inclusion? Well... many things.

I spoke with Gillian Hynes of Rise Consulting which is an Indigenous-owned management consulting company. She has a strong HR background and knows about many of the points in the workforce lifecycle where we might step in to positively affect the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in our workplaces. But she doesn't recommend we start with hiring. Instead, start with leaders. By creating more DEI practices in an organization to support Indigenous employees, we are creating a more inclusive work environment for all. Check it out.

Building Inclusion for Indigenous Peoples in Canadian Workplaces www.catalyst.org/

Rise Consulting: http://www.riseconsultingltd.ca/

So you've heard about workplace mediation. But you're wondering if it's going to work - is it worth it? After watching this, you might say 'yes'.

HR is exposed to a lot of conflict between employees and between employees and the organization. We are in a place to make recommendations on how situations could be handled and mediation is one of the possible tools. And it might be a better tool that you think. It can prevent the costs of external solutions and of all the lost time internally. I spoke with Treena Reilkoff about this who is a mediator and board member for Alternate Dispute Resolution, Ontario.

Should you conduct reference checks in recruitment process? Yes or no? This is just one element of the recruitment debates! Some other aspects of the debate: behavioural interviewing or something else? Sourcing or Posting? Internal or external recruiters?

There seem to be quite a few opinions around recruitment so I ask two experts. Kim Wilkinson is an external recruiter with her own company, Verve Recruitment Group and Pascal Theriault has, so far, worked as an internal recruiter. These are all the things we talk about in this episode and more. It's also the first episode with more than one guest! Admittedly it was more fun. I might have to do it again.

Kim Wilkinson: https://www.ververecruitmentgroup.com/

Find Pascal Theriault on LinkedIn!

Engaging hybrid teams is hard, so recognize them! We miss the unplanned meetings, jokes, and smiles. But EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION can definitely help. And the good news: it's cheap, easy and something most of us instinctively understand. It improves morale and builds the connective tissue that keeps us working well together.

Sarah McVanel is a recognition expert, author, keynote speaker and more.

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmcvanel/

Her website: https://greatnessmagnified.com/

Cool, free stuff: https://greatnessmagnified.com/cool-stuff/

Sarah's Courses including 'Retain Top Talent: How to Build a Recognition Program That Makes People Stay': https://greatness-magnified.newzenler.com/courses

Reconciliation is foundational piece of inclusion and workplace belonging - certainly in Canada. It's also something that you should have heard, particularly with what has come to light with recent Residential School findings. So what is Reconciliation and what does it mean for individuals and organizations?

These are some of the questions I asked Gillian Hynes who works with an indigenous-owned, national management consulting company, Rise Consulting. We started by talking about land acknowledgements and she explains the importance of them in Reconciliation.

As she points out and as identified by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, organizations also play a role in Reconciliation as does HR. Each of us and our organizations need to 'do something'.

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation: https://nctr.ca/

Rise Consulting: http://www.riseconsultingltd.ca/

Books & Videos:

Truth and Reconciliation: Calls to Action

Indigenomics, Carol Anne Hilton

21 Things You Might Not Know about the Indian Act, Bob Joseph

A Mother's Voice, Holly Fortier https://youtu.be/Ip3yGEKGCX4

Engaging employees during uncertainty feels tricky. But it might not be as hard as you think. It takes emotional intelligence, communication and the application of the basics of engagement like recognition and setting goals. But the thing is, you may have to be more intentional about it.

I spoke with Rob Catalano of WorkTango. It's a platform to help you listen to employees better and create more engagement. So he has learned a thing or two about engagement.

www.worktango.com

Is it your first time in a leadership role or are you thinking about it? In this video you will get practical insight and tips from someone who is studying leadership. You won't just learn things in this video, you might FEEL better about your leadership style and your journey. Because leadership is a journey.

Ryan Rex has been an HR Director and is doing a doctorate in leadership. He says we all have characteristics that aren't ideal in every leadership situation - it's important to be self-aware. Are you aware of your own leadership drivers? While also mindful of the well-being and effectiveness of the people on your team? Do you know what your leadership philosophy is? This was such an informative conversation for those considering leadership roles - or already in one.

https://www.cros.ca/

Where do you start with people analytics? A lot of us HR folks aren't that numerically gifted to begin with and this can seem daunting. So hire someone (really)!

Getting dedicated support for people analytics is one of the first steps in developing your people analytics capacity. It isn't something you can really do off the side of your desk.

Of course you might need to do a business case, address data quality and governance... check out all the insight Allen Hornung has to share on the topic!

Thank you' is good but recognition is better! In fact, recognition at work is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to improve the workplace!

Don't get me wrong, 'thank you' is a part of recognition, but there is more. Good recognition is personal, specific and timely. It's also a cheap way to improve your culture, build positive relationships, retain employees... learn more here and then do it!

Sarah McVanel is the founder of Greatness Magnified. She's a 'recognition expert, professional speaker, coach, author, recovering perfectionist, and movement maker of F.R.O.G. (Forever Recognize Others’ Greatness)'.

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmcvanel/

Her website: https://greatnessmagnified.com/

Cool, free stuff: https://greatnessmagnified.com/cool-stuff/

Sarah's Courses including 'Retain Top Talent: How to Build a Recognition Program That Makes People Stay': https://greatness-magnified.newzenler.com/courses

WCB Claims. Did you know you should prepare (not just avoid or respond)?

Organizations implement elaborate OH&S policies to avoid injuries and then, when someone is injured we do things to respond. But we should also be PREPARED for workplace injuries so that we can act quickly to mitigate the financial impact to the organization.

What does preparation involve? Well, things like having reporting processes in place, a plan to support employees, and modified work ready. This episode was particularly interesting for the compelling insight into WHY you should do all of this. @Kessie Stevens is a WCB and safety expert.

Kessie Stevens, Artis Solutions https://www.artissolutions.ca/

Leadership theories abound. Can you make sense of them? Regardless, how do we apply those theories about leadership in HRM?

In this video we talk about transformational leadership theory, which is (as I learned) the most common leadership theory. Knowing more about leadership in your organization can help you become a leader, but it can also change how you deliver HR service and support.

Ryan Rex has been an HR leader and director. He is currently in the midst of his doctorate studying transformational leadership and makes sense of it for us.

Ryan's organization: https://www.cros.ca/

How do you go about job design? Or, as today's guest describes it, job CRAFTING! Traditional job design outlines a job without really thinking about the specific person who is going to do it. Dr. Benjamin Ritter encourages you to craft a job with the individual front of mind. 🤯

We talk about the challenges of this process. I've come from pretty traditional HR roots and had so many questions and 'what ifs'! Which Ben responded to with "So much fear!" It IS hard to grasp how we would do such a basic thing differently - but I learned a lot and was challenged in how I think about job design. You might be too.

Ben mentioned this book: The 9 Lies about Work by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall

Ben's Company, Live for Yourself Consulting: https://www.liveforyourselfconsulting.com/

Let's be honest, you typically get a Manager job because you are great as an individual - but then you have to lead. You also need to be both a partner to your management peers and a supporter and developer of your direct reports.

There is so much great insight in this episode around the similarities and differences between being a Manager versus a business partner. It also gives insight into some of the challenges of that transition and how to approach them.

Todd Bassett is a VP of HR and and has transitioned through the various positions. He has ideas on how you can approach it and what to expect.

Privacy in the workplace is a matter of legislation, common law, and policy. Some aspects of privacy in the Canadian context are set out in legislation - and it can be a wide variety of legislation. BC, Alberta, Quebec and federally regulated businesses are subject to specific privacy legislation, but the rest of the provinces and territories rely on common law. Then there is employee privacy expectations which can be greatly impact by employer policy. How do you make sense of it?

Gayle Wadden speaks to us about this. She is the cofounder of Compliance Works which is software helping employers stay up-to-date on their compliance obligations. One key area is privacy.

Gayle Wadden and Compliance Works https://complianceworks.ca/

What happens when there is a threat of violence at work? Hopefully you are prepared to do a threat assessment in the workplace.

This is a concept that our American neighbours might be more familiar with; however Canadians are not immune. Furthermore, we practice and are prepared for the possibility of a fire, why not violence as well?

There are a number of steps and training involved in conducting threat assessments. One of the first is to establish a team and process so that subjective judgments like "Oh I know that person. They wouldn't do that" do not drive your response. Do you really know what someone would do under extreme stress?

I talk with Denise Koster of Koster Consulting and Associates about this. She has been trained to do threat assessments and shares some of her knowledge with us. Here of some of the resources she shares as well:

Koster Consulting & Associates: kosterconsultingassociates.com/home
MOSAIC: mosaicmethod.com
Canadian Association of Threat Assessment Professionals: catap.ca
Association of Threat Assessment Professionals: atapworldwide.org
Advanced Threat Assessment Academy: training.gdba.com

Employment lawyers & HR often work together. I talk to a lawyer about that relationship and he shares the good and bad. You'll recognize some of his problems because they are similar to problems we can have working with our clients.

And HR is often afraid of using lawyers because of the cost. But consider:

a) The VALUE. Will it save you money and headache in the end?

b) How to spend less for the same advice. You might not need a porsche when a honda will do.

I talk to Stuart Rudner of Rudner Law about these topics. He is an employment lawyer near Toronto, Ontario and has his own podcast called Fire Away. https://www.rudnerlaw.ca/

Compliance in HR is simple right? We have to obey the laws. It's easy!

But of course it's not easy: where do you find the relevant legislation (and regulations) and then make sure you have seen all the parts that matter to you?

Gayle Wadden is a lawyer and the Chief Compliance Officer for Compliance Works. We talked in general about compliance in Canada because we have a lot to concern ourselves with: OH&S, Labour Relations, Privacy, Human Rights, Employment Standards, Pay Equity, and Accessibility. She explains how to find what you might need and what it would really take to stay on top of it all.

The concepts of gender are embedded deeply and inconspicuously into every aspect of our lives including our worklives. It isn’t just gender - expectations of around diversity (or a lack thereof) are everywhere as well. This conversation sheds light on why EDI is hard and how exclusion persists.

Alicia Bjarnason studied a concept called 'gendered space'. She got curious when, during her STEM career, she looked around and wondered where all the women went. So we talk about her expertise, what makes work 'space' inviting or excluding, and how we need to approach change.

This covers the Worker's Compensation Board (WCB) basics from an employer and HR's perspective. It's the bigger picture of managing claims costs and a compelling reason you need to get employees back to work as soon as possible. Better still you should avoid accidents altogether (but that's another episode).

When a supervisor would rather leave a worked at home than bring them back to modified work... watch this. It's soooo expensive not to manage your claims. Kessie Stevens is a WCB expert and partner in Artis Inc.

Kessie Stevens & Artis https://artissolutions.ca/

How is employee VOICE in the workplace different from SATISFACTION or ENGAGEMENT? Well, it's more frequent, measures more than engagement or satisfaction (although it might do that too), and it may be diagnostic.

I spoke with Rob Catalano who started and runs WorkTango which is a tool to help their customers understand the perspective of their employees. Employee voice can be used to understand the sentiment of employees in general but also in response to particular initiatives or changes. For example, it could help measure the effectiveness of diversity, equity and inclusion programs. And, if shared with leaders, can help them respond quickly to the feedback of their own employees.

worktango.com

HR for startups is different. It's growth-focused and has some unique challenges. There is a lot of recruitment (of course), but also onboarding, and other activities. Some of the challenges may include helping founders get out of their own way.

Maysa Hawwash is the CEO of ScaleX which is a fractional HR company devoted to helping organizations grow. Although sometimes they shrink too because growth is not linear.

Scale X: http://www.scalex.ca/

Cybersecurity isn't typically an HR thing... but go for it! This is a big ideas episode and you'll learn a lot.

Dennis Hill, Ph.D, an HR and information management specialist, talks about a lot of ideas here. You'll learn about cybersecurity for HR but ALSO a little about ransomeware, 5g, and blockchain and how these apply to the security of employee data. Sometimes it's not employee data either - what about the data in applicant tracking systems? Especially as more and more people are working from home, this is something HR needs to tackle.

Dennis Hill: http://www.sagacity-llc.com/

International Association for Human Resource Information Management: https://www.ihrim.org/

DeHR: https://www.dehr.network/

Lighthouse Labs: https://www.lighthouselabs.ca/

What is people analytics and how is it different than what HR has always done?

I looked at my 4-year old HR textbook and people analytics was not mentioned anywhere (nor was 'workforce analytics' or just 'analytics'). My guest, Allen Hornung, thinks this is because it is a quickly emerging element of HR.

This episode goes into the basics of people analytics - what it is and how it differs from the activities we are more accustomed to. There is so much power for insights and decision-making in this work! Check it out!

Allen mentioned these resources:

Excellence in Analytics by David Green and Jonathan Ferrar: https://www.amazon.ca/Excellence-People-Analytics-Workforce-Business/dp/1789661188

Coursera: https://www.coursera.org/

Udemy: www.udemy.com

Excellence in People Analytics: How to Use Workforce Data to Create Business Value

What are the collective bargaining basics? Some things covered in this video include the steps in bargaining, bargaining in good faith, communication during bargaining (what's allowed and how to do it), the roles that are 'at the table' and why it's an attractive thing to do - if you can handle the late nights and pressure!

Jody Fraser has negotiated many collective agreements and sits on the Alberta Labour Relations Board. She shares some of her experience with us.

How can you go about managing the cost of benefits in your organization? This and making the most of what you spend on benefits were the focus of this episode. Because employee benefits are not cheap!

Shannon Hughes is a benefits broker and helps her clients get complete benefits packages that meet their needs. Find Shannon at https://www.captivatebenefits.com/

Do you have a workplace vaccination policy or are you thinking about it? As I learned in this video, mandatory vaccine policies are rarely mandatory and it may depend on the nature of the work. But I learned a lot about what is meant by the discussion and how employers (and their HR) might approach a vaccine policy.

Stuart Rudner is a lawyer specializing in employment law. He talks about all of this. Links to his business, his book and a recent Ontario Human Rights statement on the issue are included below.

Rudner Law: https://www.rudnerlaw.ca/

Stuart's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiKZA1c1VFl4C1hSUd45iRA

You're Fired! Just Cause for Dismissal in Canada (Stuart's book): https://store.thomsonreuters.ca/en-ca/products/youre-fired-just-cause-for-dismissal-in-canada-30843045

The statement from the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal: http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/news_centre/ohrc-policy-statement-covid-19-vaccine-mandates-and-proof-vaccine-certificates

What is typical for employee benefits in Canada? Benefits are confusing - even for people in HR. Like, what services are covered? What percentage of those services? What is a paramedical anyhow?

And benefits are COSTLY so it is to the employer's advantage to make sure that employees know what's covered, are using the services, and appreciate the value.

Typically HR is the leader in this so we need to understand it first. This video explains the typical aspects of benefits packages that are often offered to employees in Canada. Shannon Hughes is a benefits broker and and helps her clients get complete benefits packages that meet their needs.

Find Shannon at https://www.captivatebenefits.com/

Bullying and harassment are thrown about and sometimes as jokes - but what do those words really mean? How do you know if some behaviour really is bullying or harassment in the workplace? What if you are in HR and it's your job to investigate!!?

A bully is not someone who is miserable. A bully is someone who is nice to some people but picks on an individual or group with the intent of undermining their dignity at work. A more complete definition is in the episode.

Denise Koster has been working in this area most of her career as a member of the union, management, and now her own consulting business. She wrote a book about bullying and harassment - the link is below.

Denise Koster, CEO Koster Consulting & Associates http://www.kosterconsultingassociates.com/

Denise's Book: Refusing to Accept the Unacceptable https://www.amazon.ca/Refusing-Accept-Unacceptable-Tribulations-Harassment/dp/1777079500/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=bullying+and+harassment+koster&qid=1630356945&sr=8-2

Refusing to Accept the Unacceptable: The Trials, Tribulations and Triumphs of Workplace Bullying and Harassment

What does an employee benefits broker do? They help companies secure benefits for their employees. I have been a little skeptical because I thought they wanted money. Well, they get paid by the insurer so mostly they just want business.

You could go straight to the insurers to get benefits for your employees, but do you really want to do all that work? And will you get a quote from each of them? You might not if you are in a small company.

Ly Siu is an HRBP, benefits broker, and benefits consultant. She helps her clients secure benefits packages and she consults on difficult cases or when there are questions.

Full disclosure: I didn't realize there was a difference between a benefits BROKER and a benefits CONSULTANT at the start so I used those titles interchangeably. Ly clarifies the difference around 8:10.

This intro to project management for HR gets into the steps of project management in some detail. It's also general enough to be useful to people outside HR! HR manages many projects - we just may not see it that way. We develop and implement policy, programs, and sometimes systems.

This video explores the phases of project management and where you are most likely to be tripped up. HR isn't leading billion dollar projects - so what do we need? Really, it is a lot of the same things - just a scaled back version.

Steve Lemmex is a project management professional who has had a long career in project management. He is familiar with bosses who think you should be able to do it for free in 2 weeks. And what your job as project manager really is and what steps are likely to trip you up. He teaches courses to HR professionals and others and shares some of his knowledge.

Lemmex Williams Training https://www.lemmexwilliams.com/

Sourcing is not traditional recruitment. But what is sourcing and how does it work? When should you use sourcing versus traditional recruitment? Tips and timing? With sourcing you take control and get passive talent to become actively interested in your organization.

Sébastien Savard started out doing this for Cirque du Soleil and has since formed a company with a sourcing specialty. He knows the details and the art of sourcing and shares so much of it in this episode.

Sébastien's Organization, Sourcinc: https://sourcinc.ca/en

Blogs:

SourceCon - https://www.sourcecon.com/

Glen Cathey - Boolean Black Belt - http://booleanblackbelt.com/

Sourcing Summit: https://sourcingsummit.net/

What goes into collective bargaining preparation? Lots - and a lot sooner than you might think. We talk about what 'collective bargaining' means, the steps in preparing for bargaining, who is on the bargaining team, preparing proposals and more.

I speak with Jody Fraser who is a Director of Labour Relations and has negotiated many agreements. She describes two main types of bargaining: traditional and interest-based bargaining. She also talks about generational bargaining and implementation. This episode is packed with information!

What are some examples and pitfalls of incentive compensation? And how do you get incentive compensation right? Communication, referring to your compensation philosophy, and letting your bonus program fulfill its purpose are just some of the things we discuss in this episode.

There are definitely incentive compensation challenges to avoid too, which we also discuss like favouritism and allowing the incentive to, psychologically, become base pay in the minds of employees. David Pan is a Director of Global Compensation and Analytics and has so much to share!

Where do you start when improving the employee experience (EX)? And what impact is it likely to have on organizational success anyhow? Well, start with the biggest gap and do some journey mapping! Easy right?

I talk to Gil Cohen about these big questions and how and why to focus on the employee experience. We don't know of anyone who can measure the excitement or dread that someone feels on a Sunday night but that's part of it!

The Employee Experience Advantage: How to Win the War for Talent by Giving Employees the Workspaces they Want, the Tools they Need, and a Culture They Can Celebrate by Jacob Morgan and Marshall Goldsmith https://www.amazon.ca/Employee-Experience-Advantage-Employees-Workspaces/dp/111932162X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+employee+experience+advantage&qid=1625289944&s=books&sr=1-1 The

Employee Experience - How to Attract Talent, Retain Top Performers, and Drive Results by Tracey Maylett and Matthew Wride https://www.amazon.ca/Employee-Experience-Attract-Performers-Results/dp/1119294185

The Employee Experience: How to Attract Talent, Retain Top Performers, and Drive Results

The Employee Experience Advantage: How to Win the War for Talent by Giving Employees the Workspaces they Want, the Tools they Need, and a Culture They Can Celebrate

Project management in HRM? It could be so useful RIGHT? We implement systems, policies, and programs in response to business needs and legislative changes. Having done project management myself, I know how helpful it can be. Other guests on the show have also said that it's important!

Steve Lemmex is a project management professional who has had a long career in project management. He is familiar with bosses who think you should be able to do it for free in 2 weeks. Or those organizations that overdo project management - as well as those that underdo it. He teaches courses to HR professionals and others and shares some of his knowledge.

Lemmex Williams Training https://www.lemmexwilliams.com/

Project Management Institute https://www.pmi.org

How to grow in your HR career? Think laterally not just vertically! Take ownership! Know your values. Run when you aren't respected. These are just some of the tips from this episode. Steve Brierley has been in HR for a 20+ years and has done many HR things. He has also thought about it a lot and coached HR professionals. I honestly wish I had had this conversation years ago. Let me know what you think!

The Power of Purpose by Richard J. Leider

https://www.amazon.ca/Power-Purpose-Meaning-Longer-Better/dp/1626566364

Discover Your True North by Bill George

https://www.amazon.ca/Discover-Your-True-North-George/dp/1119082943/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=True+North&qid=1624332341&s=books&sr=1-1

Discover Your True North

The Power of Purpose: Find Meaning, Live Longer, Better

What is the employee experience (EX)? Why is this an important idea in HR? Employers can use the EX to achieve their business goals while making the workplace a better place to be. It's related to culture and engagement. It will help employees be happier but, of course, not perfectly. Gil Cohen has built his career around the employee experience and shares his insights with us.

http://www.employeeexperience.ca/

Looking for change management tips? I talk to an expert about change management models, change management process, the role of leadership, and what to do about resistance. Her favourite model is ADKAR and she walks us through each step of that model. Cyndi Manuel is a Director of Change Management and she really helps make sense of a vague process.

Prosci: https://www.prosci.com/

Kotter: https://www.kotterinc.com/8-steps-process-for-leading-change/

What is base salary (also known as base compensation)? And what is compensation philosophy and structure? In this episode we talk about that and also about market value and how to balance internal and external equity - among other things.

This episode is packed with insight as I talk with David Pan who understands the nuances of compensation and also some of the practicalities - like what works better and some things to avoid.

If you wonder about 'talent management' look no further. This is talent management explained! Considering HR is about people, talent management may be seen as a new name for HR. And sometimes it is; however Steve Brierley has had a career in talent management and he sees it as most aspects of HR outside of general advisory support. And it is definitely more than recruitment!

How does HR and change management fit together? Like a glove! HR is often as the centre of organizational change and we should know, at minimum, the basics.

In this episode I talk to Cyndi Manuel - a prosci-certified, change management director. We talk about what change management is and how it differs from project management. We talk about where change management sits in an organization - it's rarely HR, but there still skills overlap. We talk about the models of change management- and there are many. Prosci, Kotter's and Kubler-Ross to name a few.

Prosci: https://www.prosci.com/

Kotter: https://www.kotterinc.com/8-steps-process-for-leading-change/

How do you know when you should be creating culture change in an organization? We talk about culture in many different ways e.g. safety culture and innovation culture and a culture of respect etc. It's important to identify when it is working for the organization or against it. And it's important to root out toxic culture because it has a tendency to spread.

I spoke with Lorne Rubis, culture expert, about changing the culture - who has the role, what aspects of culture to focus on, when and why it might be urgent.

Books:

Corporate Rebels: Make Work More Fun (Joost Minnaar)

The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups (Daniel Coyle)

https://lornerubis.com/

https://belongify.com/

What is a better recruitment process? How can you be more creative in seeking the best talent and stop doing the same old thing - especially when it doesn't work that well?

In this episode we talk about how to break out of bad recruitment habits e.g. put out inaccurate and out of date job postings, use job boards (only) hoping for the best, conduct inefficient and pointless reference checks.

Someone suggested I talk to Serge Boudreau about what he does. Serge doesn't describe his approach as 'creative' but his approach is not typical. He does what he needs to do to get the best possible talent for his employers.

Find Serge on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/serge-boudreau-861b267/

The Recruitment Flex: https://www.therecruitmentflex.com/podcast

Serge's Book Recommendation was Who: The A Method of Hiring https://whothebook.com/

So what is employee value proposition (EVP)? It is a relatively recent concept in HR around an employer's unique set of offerings that may attract and keep employees.

This is what I talk to Vered Levant about in this episode. She is a small business HR consultant and it's an important concept in helping her address the talent needs of her clients. Authenticity is key - otherwise it's just words on paper.

https://www.vimyhr.com

How do you go about managing organizational culture? It is a nebulous concept, hard to measure and difficult to change, but Lorne Rubis, culture guru, has insight to share.

You should be intentional about your culture and put some thought and resources into ensuring it helps your organization achieve its goals. But how? Lorne has some specific advice for that too i.e. where to start in achieving a thriving culture!

HR also controls many of the levers that help us create a thriving culture or prevent one from developing. Listen here!

https://lornerubis.com/

https://belongify.com/

The ten elements listed (and the course): https://lornerubis.com/course

In this video we talk about equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace with an HR lens. Sometimes HR is tasked with this - but is that the right approach? Marcie Hawranik of Canadian Equality Consulting says HR plays a critical role and can help get it set up right including ensuring leadership from the top and accountability - but then make sure that the organization knows and accepts that it's their responsibility as well.

Canadian Equality Consulting: https://canadianequality.ca/

(Ex)clusion Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ex-clusion/id1468598869

Are you in HR and interested in supporting or building a safety culture at work? This video shares tips for HR from someone who has won awards for safety transformation.

Culture is critical to safety success so Paula Bernat and I talk about this quite a bit. We also discuss roles, joint occupational health and safety committees and barriers to safety success. While HR professionals are sometimes intimidated by safety, we can and should play a role.

Do you have questions about HR consulting? What are the HR needs of small businesses? Vered Levant of Vimy HR is an HR consultant to small business in Calgary, Alberta and she shares her insights into this work. We talked about clarifying what the business wants and what might be more impactful, managing the relationship and how people typically become consultants.

https://www.vimyhr.com/

Automating recruitment? It's something you're thinking about or you have done a little... but what else could you do? There is lots of insight and details in this episode around automating sourcing, scheduling interviews, ATS, making more of your HRIS, ditching your HRIS (at least for recruitment), reference checks and more!

Find Serge on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/serge-boudreau-861b267/

The Recruitment Flex: https://www.therecruitmentflex.com/podcast

So you need to write an employee manual. Or maybe you want to improve the one you have. I talk to Beverly Somers who writes manuals for her clients. Manuals, while not that exciting, are a fundamental piece in the employee experience. They create consistency and fairness which creates trust and allows employees to focus on their work.

Bev Somers, Principal Consultant, SMART Human Resource Solutions Inc. http://www.smarthrsolutions.ca/

Workplace investigations can be tricky and intimidating to manage. You have to gather evidence, do it quickly, be mindful of the things you CANNOT ask, consider the balance of evidence, AND remain unbiased during the process. Then, conceptually, we may want to take a less confrontational approach - but, whatever we do, it must be done consistently. It seems like a lot, but Alexandra Montanaro a seasoned labour relations professional, has advice for us.

What is HR's role during crisis? COVID has been a crisis for almost everyone - so what should HR be doing at a time like this? It may depend on the type of crisis; however I talked to Shondee Nye about her experience as HR Director for a medium-sized company during COVID-19. She emphasized internal communication, planning, and protecting employees. These are priorities that may apply across most crises. We also discuss the importance of making it seem easy and projecting confidence and what she thinks about the future of remote work.

Does your organization and HR department REALLY want the best candidates or is it just words? SHOULD recruitment and selection be in human resource management at all???

HR tends to be put junior people in recruitment who don't like it and leave as soon as possible. So recruiters aren't developing the skillsets they really need to be effective recruiters. Their most important role is to connect with potential candidates and work with hiring managers to understand the organization.

Too often HR doesn't provide the budget that good recruitment needs. AND, as Serge Boudreau says, good recruiters should act more like sales and marketing people than your typical HR person.

There's a lot to learn from Serge's perspective on recruitment that challenges our preconceived notions of recruitment's place in organizations. Many HR departments can certainly do better.

Find Serge on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/serge-boudreau-861b267/

The Recruitment Flex: https://www.therecruitmentflex.com/podcast

Are you thinking about designing an onboarding process for your company? Or you are revamping your orientation program? I talk to Bev Somers who consults to small business about the onboarding she designs for clients.

Most importantly what are we striving for in an onboarding process? Bev looks for opportunities to WOW new employees and make sure they feel like moving to the organization was the right thing to do.

Bev Somers, Principal Consultant, SMART Human Resource Solutions Inc. http://www.smarthrsolutions.ca/

There's been a lot of talk lately about psychological health and safety in the workplace. Does that mean we have to be nice all the time? What about underperformers? Well, there are guidelines - in Canada it's from the Mental Health Commission of Canada. They have identified what factors will exist in a psychologically healthy and safe workplace. Michelle Phaneuf is an expert on this topic as well as conflict and we explore these topics!

This episode is for those people who want to do a better job of managing your boss. How do you that without being manipulative? How do you demonstrate your value? Susan McGuire has been a leader for a long time and talks about how that has looked for her both as a leader and as an employee. And there a bonus discussion about HR demonstrating its value to the organization!

In this video we are talking about labour relations in a general sense. What is labour relations (LR) like? What is LR strategy? How do you improve the relationship with a union? Where does collective bargaining and grievances fit in? It can be complex to navigate this on top of employment legislation AND your clients - while trying to maintain trust and respect with your union representatives. These are all things I discuss with Alexandra Montanaro in this episode.

This video has pension plan tips for HR professionals - who aren't pension administrators!

Pensions are so important to our employees (even if they don't know it yet) and a valuable part of the total rewards package. In Canada, there is a lot of regulation and governance associated with pension plans. So what if you, an HR generalist, are asked questions about your pension plan? And how do pensions factor into the employee value proposition? This video will provide some insight into pensions from Brent Perdue who has managed pensions for a number of large companies.

Do you have large workplace conflict to resolve? Maybe an employee was brought back to work after a contentious disciplinary process. Maybe two groups have lost respect for each other and seek to undermine each other's work. Whatever the conflict, workplace restoration is a process for bringing harmony back to the workplace. It is not mediation, training or facilitation although all of that may be a part of it. Michelle Phaneuf talks about the process and how how it can make a difference in conflict-ridden workplaces.

Michelle's website: https://workplacefairnesswest.ca/

What is work-life wellness for remote employees? I talk to Dr. Laura Hambley-Lovett about the wellness of remote or hybrid employees. They often don't 'leave' work even though their work day is done. So we need to work on building solid boundaries, managing overwork and modelling good behaviour.

Dr. Laura has her own podcast called 'Where Work Meets Life' which you can find at https://drlaura.live

What is organizational coaching in an HR context? We often describe ourselves as coaching our clients but are we? Maybe we are just providing instruction or giving advice. With a better understanding of coaching and training we can use this powerful method of enabling our clients and making the organization better one leader or employee at a time.

Susan discusses the International Coaching Federation: https://coachingfederation.org/

What is organizational restructuring and how should we go about it? Maybe it is driven by a merger or financial loss, but now what? Should we reorganize a part of the organization or force everyone to deal with the change equally? Jim Utley offers tips on this and when to involve more people.

HR support for a remote workforce is not the same as an office. What about culture? Engagement? Managing poor performers? HR will have a key role in creating an effective remote/hybrid workplace. It's also an opportunity to create a more flexible work environment for employees which can increase engagement and retention.

I talk to Dr. Laura Hambley-Lovett who has been studying remote/hybrid work for over 15 years! She has a lot to share including some of the following sources of better information:

Dr. Hambley-Lovett's podcast 'Where Work Meets Life': https://drlaura.live/

Humance: https://humance.ca/

Work EvOHlution: https://www.workevohlution.com/

Global Workplace Analytics: https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/

SIOP https://www.siop.org/Research-Publications/SIOP-White-Papers

Dr. Tom O'Neill https://psyc.ucalgary.ca/itplab/

What HR metrics and numbers are most important? Well we need to start with the business math. Find out about the income and expenses of your business and how you can make a difference. Foster Williams of Everlast Consulting Solutions advises us in HR to make sure we know the numbers and focus our own role on making a difference.

HRM is transactional in many organizations. If you want to transform HR and decrease the amount of administration, how can you go about it? In this episode Michele Bush of Elevating HR will share insights and tips on how to lessen the transactional nature of your work and become more of a strategic HR business partner.

So many HR jobs have 'business partner' in the title. So what does an HR business partner do? The BP model of HR service puts more emphasis on strategic partnership and less on administration. But how does it help us and, more importantly, our organization, succeed? I talk to Todd Bassett about these questions.

Human Resources Management affects profit - by managing employee costs and enabling increased revenue. In this video we talk about the importance of a focus on profit in HR because, at least in the private sector, unprofitable employers are rarely good employers. I talk to Foster Williams, President of Everlast Consulting Solutions about HR, profit, and how HR makes a difference.

In this episode you will learn more about third-party recruiters and their work with HR. These recruiters are the professionals that HR turns to when we need help filling positions. There are often things HR could be doing better when the recruitment is done in-house. Kim Wilkinson will cover her experience working with HR.

Reorgs can seem like a painful exercise. And in some cases they might be. What can HR do to make sure they go right? What should we avoid? I talk to Don Adams about the good, the bad, and HR's role.

In this video you'll learn more about the Canadian HR NKE - is it really that hard? How does it relate to your job and how should you study? Rod Miller, President and CEO of CPHR Alberta shares some insights into the NKE. I have a few too because I wrote it recently as well.

What is a CPHR? How do YOU become a CPHR? Rod Miller, President and CEO of CPHR Alberta, talks about the importance and value of being a Chartered Professional in Human Resources. Should you pursue this certification? This episode will help you decide.

This is primarily Canadian content, but the ideas behind an HR designation apply no matter where you are.

Whether you are in Alberta or not, you likely have a human resources association working to advance the profession. CPHR Alberta works to advance the HR profession in Alberta. Rod Miller, the President and CEO of CPHR Alberta, talks about what the organization is focused on and where our profession is headed. https://www.cphrab.ca/

In this episode, we answer the question: what is performance management and how do you make the most of it? We talk about how to get the most out of people at work using performance management processes considering unions, processes and training.

In this episode you'll learn what it's like to work in HR. I talk to Todd Bassett about things new or potential HR people should know about the profession. It's based on an article from Elevating HR... check that out here: https://elevatinghr.ca/10-things-we-wish-wed-known-when-starting-out-in-hr/