
We're Only Human (Ben Eubanks)
Explore every episode of We're Only Human
Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
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18 Mar 2024 | Using a "Me Manual" to Increase Employee Belonging | 00:23:54 | |
"We can make the case. Research is out there that prioritizing connection over productivity is the fastest way to get the productivity. When people have the sense of belongings and feel valued and be part of something, the productivity goes up."
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29 Mar 2024 | Aligning Employee Effort with Company Goals: Lessons from Rothy's | 00:22:18 | |
"So how do we ensure that our team is focused on the right things so that they're making an impact and seeing that reflected in the business success? As companies increasingly are focused on the bottom line, we just cannot afford to have employees working on things that are not moving the ball forward as it relates to our priorities." | |||
19 Apr 2024 | 3 Talent Leaders Speak on Skills, Fairness, and Branding | 00:30:20 | |
Recruiting is preparation for retention. I think it's really top of mind that we should focus on that because a lot of people think that recruiting is just the top of funnel--just getting people in the door. But the experience that people have during the recruitment process... Data has supported that it flows into the retention of that individual throughout their life cycle.
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30 Apr 2024 | 3 Keys to Better Employee Retirement Savings and Returns | 00:28:19 | |
What's it going to take for them to be able to retire? They're going to need to number one: save. Number two, have earnings on what they've saved. And number three, they're going to have to minimize the deductions coming out of their accounts. We call that the three key drivers. Chris Thixton, Principal, Pension Consultants, Inc. We're Only Human -- Episode 178 In this episode of We're Only Human, host Ben Eubanks and retirement benefits strategist Chris Thixton discuss the importance of properly managing retirement plans and benefits, emphasizing the three key drivers. It stresses the need for HR leaders to set clear goals, establish measurable metrics, and prioritize transparency. A practical example is shared where a company enhanced its retirement plan outcomes through a strategic shift in focus and commitment. The conversation highlights the significance of caring for employees' financial security and the impact of proactive retirement planning on individuals' future well-being. Connect with Chris on LinkedIn | |||
31 May 2024 | Using Neuroscience to Drive Better Learning Outcomes at Work | 00:28:50 | |
In different organizations, sometimes learning is a punishment. If people don't do the right thing or there's a safety issue or a compliance issue, we send people to training. The other end of that spectrum is it's a reward for people. So, your top performers, key talent. So how do we find somewhere in the middle? We're Only Human -- Episode 179
Connect with Hannah on LinkedIn | |||
01 Jul 2024 | How to Reduce Interview Cycle Time with Sarah Faupel of Enterprise Mobility | 00:28:33 | |
In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben Eubanks interviews Sarah from Enterprise Mobility's talent acquisition team to discuss strategies for emerging talent and improving candidate experiences. Sarah shares insights about Enterprise Mobility's internship program, onboarding processes, and an expedited hiring model to streamline the recruitment of IT talent. Sarah also emphasizes the importance of early engagement, robust training, and creating strong leadership connections for interns. The discussion also covers the benefits of quick hiring processes and methodologies for convincing stakeholders to adopt new recruiting practices. In addition, to open the episode, Ben speaks with Rocky Paap, CEO of Filtered and a partner that supports Enterprise Mobility's talent acquisition function with screened and vetted candidates. | |||
08 Jul 2024 | Developing a Frontline Workforce? Here are Critical Elements to Consider | 00:30:00 | |
In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben Eubanks hosts David Wentworth, talent platform evangelist at Schoox, to discuss the importance of developing frontline workers. They discuss the challenges frontline workers face, such as time constraints and lack of practice opportunities, and emphasize the value of mobile solutions for training and communication. David also shares examples of companies like Hooters of America and Sonesta Hotels that have successfully invested in their frontline employees, demonstrating the long-term benefits of supportive development practices. Check out the research report discussed on this episode | |||
15 Jul 2024 | Designing a Collaborative People Strategy that Drives Business Impact | 00:27:59 | |
In this episode of We're Only Human, host Ben Eubanks talks with Marjorie Williamson, the leader of Global Total Rewards and HR Operations at RTI International. They discuss the importance of connecting people strategy with business strategy, focusing on RTI's ambitious North Star goal to positively impact over 1 billion people by 2030. The conversation covers topics like the development of a holistic people strategy, creating a culture and organizational health dashboard, and using total reward surveys to inform compensation strategies. Marjorie also shares insights on leadership involvement, the importance of flexibility, and the challenges and progress in implementing these strategies at RTI. Connect with Marjorie Williamson | |||
22 Jul 2024 | AI is Eating Our Jobs and Creating a Career Cliff | 00:39:48 | |
In this episode of "We're Only Human," host Ben Eubanks welcomes Christopher Lind to discuss the impact of AI on jobs, skills development, and the future of work. They delve into topics such as the replacement of employees by AI at Klarna, the need to rethink skills development in the age of AI, and the importance of blending human expertise with AI capabilities. The discussion offers a deep dive into how organizations can better prepare their workforce for the evolving landscape while highlighting the roles that both human skills and AI play in this transition. | |||
29 Jul 2024 | How to Drive an Off-the-Charts Employee NPS (eNPS) Score | 00:23:37 | |
In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Alli Ford, VP of HR at Assembly Software, about how they have created an off-the-charts employee NPS (eNPS) score. The discussion emphasizes the necessity for HR leaders to understand and articulate the strategy of their company. Alli underscores that knowing why the company exists, its history, and future direction is essential for success in an HR role. The episode provides several takeaways: First, HR leaders should have a deep understanding of the company's mission and vision. Second, they must be able to communicate the strategic goals clearly and effectively. Third, aligning HR practices with the company's overarching strategy is crucial for fostering a cohesive and productive work environment. This episode is a replay from HR Summer School 2024. Learn more about Goody and send your first Goody for free | |||
05 Aug 2024 | Hint: Nobody Likes Feedback. But Here's Why Two HR Leaders Say We Need It | 00:27:29 | |
This episode of We're Only Human features a keynote panel discussion with Ben Eubanks, Broc Edwards, and Dana Ullom-Vucelich. The panel focuses on the importance of creating cultures centered around giving, seeking, and receiving feedback regularly. The discussion highlights how performance reviews should be routine and uneventful if feedback has been consistently shared throughout the year. The episode stresses the need for regular communication to avoid the pitfalls of ineffective performance reviews.
2. Broc Edwards, Director of Learning and Leadership at Baylor University | |||
12 Aug 2024 | How to Forecast and Strategically Plan for Seasonal Hiring Needs | 00:35:04 | |
Rebroadcast note: For the first time in We're Only Human's 8-year history, we're rebroadcasting some of our most popular episodes to share them with new listeners. That means sometimes the speakers will have moved to a new company in the interim, but the lessons they shared are still relevant, topical, and valuable. Enjoy! In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben Eubanks talks with Kristi Jones, a former Talent Acquisition leader at H&R Block, about their innovative approaches to seasonal recruitment and workforce planning. Kristi shares insights on building strong hiring manager relationships, the transition from recruiter to manager, and the importance of data and metrics in talent acquisition. She also discusses how H&R Block uses technology, including AI tools, to improve recruiting processes and stay ahead of industry trends. The conversation explores the challenges of high-volume recruitment, the importance of strategic planning, and the need for transparency and collaboration between recruiters and hiring managers. Connect with Kristi on LinkedIn | |||
19 Aug 2024 | Proactive vs Reactive Talent Acquisition: Insights on Hiring Friction, Quality of Hire, and More | 00:24:48 | |
In this episode of 'We're Only Human,' host Ben Eubanks converses with James Galvin, founder of Starcircle. They discuss key aspects of talent acquisition, including being data-driven, understanding market dynamics, and achieving internal alignment within organizations. James introduces Starcircle’s 12-component Hiring Friction Model, which addresses various elements such as demand alignment, candidate experience, and technology enablement. The discussion emphasizes proactive planning and continuous improvement in hiring practices to meet business objectives successfully. Connect with James on LinkedIn See the Starcircle Hiring Friction Model | |||
26 Aug 2024 | How to Use "Contracting" as a Recruiting Power Skill | 00:33:15 | |
In this engaging episode of 'We Are Only Human', host Ben welcomes Paul Norman, a seasoned TA leader and consultant. Paul shares his extensive experiences in talent acquisition across diverse industries like financial services, technology, and healthcare. The discussion covers TA strategy, aligning recruitment with business goals, user experience in recruiting, and building credibility with hiring managers. Paul also emphasizes the importance of listening, contracting during intake meetings, and simplifying the hiring process to be successful at scale. Tune in for practical tips on enhancing your talent acquisition function. Key moments | |||
02 Sep 2024 | Creating a Workplace People Love: Insights from isolved's Amy Mosher | 00:21:01 | |
In this episode of 'We Are Only Human,' host Ben Eubanks is joined by Amy Mosher, Chief People Officer at isolved. They discuss the crucial elements of building a company culture where employees are eager to join and reluctant to leave. Amy shares insights from her experience transforming isolved's culture, emphasizing high trust, transparency, and a focus on diversity and inclusion. The conversation also covers practical advice for HR leaders on driving business success through culture and excellent leadership. Ben and Amy share laughs and personal stories, making for an engaging and insightful discussion.
See the HR Summer School replay for free | |||
16 Sep 2024 | From Burnout to Breakthrough: Redesigning Work for Human Flourishing | 00:18:50 | |
In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben Eubanks discusses with Jessica Teitjen about her journey from law to executive leadership in HR and IT. Jessica shares her personal experience of burnout and her subsequent deep dive into the neuroscience of human performance. They explore the disconnect between current workplace practices and positive human outcomes, emphasizing the need for practices that balance both business and human results. Jessica outlines practical steps for HR professionals to align and optimize the nervous system for better performance, advocating for balanced breathing and a holistic approach to integrating creativity, compassion, and courage in the workplace.
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02 Oct 2024 | Centralizing the Recruiting Function and Building Global Credibility | 00:17:29 | |
In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben Eubanks interviews Marcus Thorpe, Global Head of Talent Acquisition (TA) at ThoughtWorks, during the Starcircle Supernova Conference in Cork, Ireland. Marcus shares his experiences and strategies for scaling TA functions across 20 countries, centralizing recruiting processes, and leveraging data to make informed hiring decisions. Key topics include the importance of calibration, data-driven decisions, and building a cohesive global TA strategy. Marcus also provides actionable advice for TA leaders facing similar challenges in alignment and data utilization. 00:00 Introduction and Welcome Connect with Marcus on LinkedIn | |||
07 Oct 2024 | Accelerating Business Agility with Poornima Farrar of Rival | 00:28:00 | |
In this episode of We Are Only Human, host Ben Eubanks is joined by Poornima, Chief Product Officer at Rival. Together, they discuss the latest research in Talent Acquisition, focusing on the importance of flexibility and agility within organizations. They delve into the challenges employers face in forecasting hiring needs, the necessity of personalized onboarding processes, and the evolving role of AI in talent acquisition. The conversation highlights the significance of having integrated systems to maintain data accuracy and compliance. They also touch on the evolving landscape of ATS and the critical role of skill development in maintaining an adaptable workforce. Poornima emphasizes the importance of engaging deeply with vendors and understanding the real capabilities of their solutions. 00:00 Introduction and Welcome | |||
21 Oct 2024 | Empowering Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia's Managers in Compensation Transparency | 00:21:09 | |
Building Trust in HR: Kathy White on Compensation and Communication 00:00 Introduction and Preview Check out the FREE HR Summer School replay for 7.5 HRCI/SHRM Credits Connect with Kathy on LinkedIn | |||
25 Aug 2021 | 20 Hiring Strategies, Ideas, and Tips for a Tight Talent Market on We‘re Only Human | 00:47:42 | |
Thousands of people have been our dataset this year that we've been talking to and analyzing and understanding what's happening. There's so much research and evidence here to help you. Transparently, I've never seen a market like we're in today. I hope this gives you some good insights and good ideas to solve for the current challenges and an extremely difficult hiring market. Ben EubanksChief Research Officer, Lighthouse Research & Advisory Host, We're Only HumanHost, HR Tech Talks Livestream Show
We're Only Human -- Episode 124
In the rare solo episode, Ben talks directly to talent and HR leaders who are struggling to find the right staff in the unprecedented job market employers are facing. This episode brings a ton of resources to bear:
Take notes! And if you have had a conversation with someone in the past 30 days about the challenges of hiring, take a minute to share this episode with them. After all, a rising tide lifts all ships!
Show notes/resources:
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18 Jan 2023 | New Research on the Impact of Employee Belonging | 00:19:48 | |
We can talk about DEI and belonging in that space. We can talk about culture, but really those powerful impacts that can happen internally and externally are really dictated on the leadership. When I think of leadership, I believe leadership is an example of love, trust, and grace. George Rogers, Chief Culture Officer, Lighthouse Research & Advisory We're Only Human -- Episode 153
There's no shortage of conversations today about DEI and the newest addition to that set of perspectives--belonging. But one of the challenges talent and DEI leaders have is making belonging more than just a buzzword or an empty phrase. To get real investment, support, and focus on this critical topic, they need a business case. In today's episode, you'll hear from George Rogers, a new addition to the team at Lighthouse. George is going to be focusing his research on DEI, culture, leadership, performance, and engagement. In this conversation with Ben, George highlights some of the new research on belonging, such as how much it impacts someone's plans to quit their job (spoiler alert: there's a clear link!) or their intent to recommend their employer as a great place to work. If you are curious about employee belonging, this evidence-based approach will help you make it come to life within your organization.
Show Notes This is a replay of a session from our State of DEIB event held in November 2022. Get the free replay here: https://hrsummerschool.org/deib Connect with George Rogers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thegeorgerogers/ Listen to our show archives: https://lhra.io/were-only-human-podcast/ | |||
07 Feb 2022 | Mythbusting AI in Talent Acquisition on We’re Only Human | 00:18:46 | |
The days of a recruiter having to really remember or jot down different iterations, skills, synonyms, acronyms... Those days are gone. We are constantly learning based off of the resumes that we're parsing. Terry Bustamante, DaXtra Technologies
We're Only Human -- Episode 133
Back in December, Ben and over 100 other business leaders and technology providers attended the HR Tech Connect Summit in Jacksonville, FL. At the event, one key session was called Mythbusting AI for HR, and it dove into the specific areas where myths abound because of misinformation or lack of insight into algorithm-based technologies. Today's conversation with Terry from DaXtra, recorded live on site during the HR Tech Connect Summit, dives into mythbusting AI specifically around hiring, giving ideas about how AI can increase the number of candidates available for a role, drive diversity and limit bias, and so much more. Links: Interested in checking out what DaXtra is doing? Here is how they are supporting employers: https://www.daxtra.com/solutions-for/corporates-2/ Connect with Terry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrybustamantebusdev/ Learn more about the HR Tech Connect Summit: https://hrtechconnectsummit.com/ See our show archives and sign up for free updates: https://lhra.io/podcast | |||
28 Sep 2021 | Talent Intelligence and Compensation with Salary.com‘s CEO on We‘re Only Human | 00:22:10 | |
As we provide, billions and billions of data points of pay, job descriptions, skills, information about the organization, information about people... We have all this data and talent intelligence is an emerging super category. Kent Plunkett, CEO, Salary.com
We're Only Human -- Episode 127
Today, more than ever, compensation is a priority for business leaders in fast-moving organizations. Not sure that's true? Try mentioning pay equity or competitive job offers and see what comes up. In this episode, Ben interviews Kent Plunkett, CEO of Salary.com, about the company's priorities today. A key item on that agenda? The rise of Talent Intelligence as a category of AI-enabled talent technologies that drive better people and business outcomes.
Connect with the Salary.com team: http://salary.com/ | |||
11 Aug 2022 | Mentoring the 80% - Avoiding the Rock Stars and Duds | 00:27:04 | |
"The first thing is 100% look for difference [when mentoring]. If you are only looking for more of the same, you are hurting yourself. Cloning was bad in Star Wars, and cloning is bad in real life. The second one is related: get away from the rock stars and the duds when you are mentoring." Lt. Col. Chaveso "Chevy" Cook, PhD, Executive Director, MilitaryMentors.org
We're Only Human -- Episode 145
Mentoring has been a bigger conversation in the last year as more companies are looking for ways to develop women leaders, move diverse professionals up the ranks, and support the workforce in a more tangible way. But employers often look at just the top 10% and bottom 10%, according to today's guest, missing the chance to connect with the 80% of employees who are typically excluded from mentoring opportunities. In this conversation, Ben speaks with Lt. Col. Chevy Cook about key ideas in successful mentoring based on research and practice. They not only tie in the science of mentoring but also the art of relationship dynamics and more.
This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.
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19 Aug 2022 | How Mayo Clinic Selects Leaders: A Case Study | 00:28:08 | |
"When we select leaders, what we have found is leaders may have great, innovative ideas. They may be very driven to achieve. But if they're not inspiring people, if they're not demonstrating those interpersonal qualities that people see them as servant leaders, we've noticed that people are not willing to follow them. So we really emphasize that [serving] is exactly the quality that we want to see in leaders." Ji-Yun Kang, Leadership Assessment and Selection, Mayo Clinic We're Only Human -- Episode 146
All of the data indicate that a leader can make or break someone's experience at work. In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Ji Yun Kang, head of leadership assessment and selection at Mayo Clinic. Ji-Yun shares the key attributes the organization looks for in its leaders, including the things that push someone into the "no" pile when under consideration. Ms. Kang also suggests how to evaluate if leaders are actually successful or not, offering examples that help to make this conversation very practical for companies that want to use their leaders to engage, develop, and retain their workforce.
This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.
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08 Jul 2021 | Personalizing Talent Practices at an Individual Level with Juan Betancourt on We're Only Human | 00:33:07 | |
"Companies can now optimize things like rewards and training and development. HR and the way companies communicate with employees is going to be based on personalization." Juan Betancourt, CEO, Humantelligence
We're Only Human -- Episode 119
The "one size fits all" approach is being replaced with the "one size fits one" approach at some of the most forward-thinking companies. In your personal life, you expect personalization. Customized movie, dining, or clothing recommendations are becoming the norm. But at work, this hasn't been the case in the past. Now, with intelligent technologies, we can personalize how we interact with everyone at work, creating deeper levels of understanding and collaboration. In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Juan Betancourt of Humantelligence about how the company is enabling these personalized experiences for the workforce and executive leaders. Use cases for personalization include everything from who to fits a job or company to how they learn best to what kinds of rewards they want and so much more. Check out this conversation to learn how you can personalize your approach to your people.
Connect with Juan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juanluisbetancourt/ Connect with Humantelligence: https://humantelligence.com/ Check out our archives and learn more about the show: https://lhra.io/podcast | |||
11 Jul 2022 | The One Thing People Analytics Teams Often Get Wrong | 00:30:41 | |
"I think the danger that we tend to run as people analytics teams is that we're not willing to take slightly bolder stances and say, "Hey, we have a better collective picture of the labor market. We have a better collective picture of what enterprise trends and behaviors are like." We need to give strategic guidance and not just be turning over data products." Zach Frank, Senior Manager of People Analytics, Freeman Company (formerly at Aramark) We're Only Human -- Episode 143 When it comes to analytics and AI usage in the business, we don't always think about HR and people first. However, there are tremendous opportunities to create and deliver value using both of those tools, even for something as personal and human-centric as the work of HR. Zach Frank believes that, and he's used those principles in his different roles to bring new value for the workforce, managers, and executive leadership through smarter people practices. In this episode, Zach shares with Ben some of the ways that teams can do this well, including one area where they need to step up their game if they want to be relevant and valuable contributors to the business. Note: Zach worked for Aramark when this was recorded but recently moved to Freeman Company prior to publication of this episode in a new Senior Manager of People Analytics role. This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.
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17 Sep 2020 | Groundbreaking Research on Organizational Agility with Oracle on We're Only Human | 00:27:40 | |
"What we're telling customers is that we can help make work more human. First is really putting empathy at the forefront of the employee experience. It's up to HR to work with leadership and create this human experience." Munjal Munshi, Oracle
We're Only Human - Episode 93 Organizational agility is a critical part of adapting to and overcoming change. What does this mean in the context of the work HR does? Everything. Our newest data at Lighthouse Research & Advisory show that 96% of employers that claim to be future-ready also say that their HR technology plays a critical role in enabling that agility at an organizational level. In today's discussion, Ben talks with Munjal Munshi of Oracle to discuss the concept of organizational agility, how HR technology plays a role in that, and the practical lessons and ideas for today's business leaders. One critical part of the talk? How HR and IT can work more closely together to create better relationships and better outcomes. Check out the free research report: http://oracle.com/goto/lighthouse | |||
22 Jan 2024 | Can You Really Prove the Value of Learning and Training Activities? | 00:25:40 | |
"So when it comes to training and learning as a viable solution for helping people be the best that they can be in the roles that they serve, I believe that that's always been important. We've just not always been able to illustrate impact in the past the way in which we're able to now. That is because of the different types of tools and resources and knowledge that we've gained about the science of measuring the impact of training and learning." Kevin M. Yates, The L&D Detective We're Only Human -- Episode 170
It's an age-old problem: We're training people, but how do we know if it's working? What's the impact? What's the result? What's the ROI? In this interview with Kevin M. Yates, the learning detective and a daily practitioner with experience in learning analytics and measurement at organizations like Meta and McDonald's, you'll learn about how measuring and proving training value is closer than ever before. Show Notes
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31 Mar 2022 | Case Study: Kimberly Clark Revitalizes Employee Self Service | 00:32:25 | |
"In 2021, our employees asked about 27,000 questions from the chatbot and completed about 16,000 transactions. So this year our focus is really on reinforcing awareness and adoption while we're working to continue to improve our processes, our content, and our support structure." Nicole Sloan, Employee Experience Leader, Kimberly Clark We're Only Human -- Episode 138 For many workers at large companies, the only way to get help is with a phone number or a web portal. While there's nothing wrong with those actions, they can be disruptive to the daily flow of work and even difficult for those working in positions that don't lend themselves to office or desk work. Kimberly Clark's Employee Experience team knew this and set out to change the fundamental interaction points for the firm's 46,000+ global workforce (including everything from desk workers to front line workers and everything in between). The plan hinged on the implementation of KayCee, a chatbot that drove rapid, tailored interactions for every single request that came in. Listen to this episode to hear how Nicole Sloan and her team approached this challenge. In addition, we get to hear from Melissa Swisher from Socrates about how she and her team helped to enable these positive outcomes with a personalized, responsive chatbot experience for the workforce. If your company is thinking about a chatbot for employee self service, this story is going to give you good ideas and insights for your journey. If you're already on that path, this conversation has good ideas for process improvement that you won't want to miss. Show Notes
See our show archives and sign up for free updates | |||
30 Mar 2021 | Hire Internal Employees to Drive Engagement and Career Ownership with Jerome Ternynck on We're Only Human | 00:39:28 | |
"The platform was up and running literally weeks after the pandemic hit. And through this platform they saved 2,000 jobs, so it's also about saving jobs by redeploying people effectively when the times are needed." Jerome Ternynck, Founder and CEO, SmartRecruiters
We're Only Human -- Episode 111
In some brand new research, we found that internal hiring and talent mobility is a key priority for employers in the coming year, and they measure success through increased diversity, lower cost to hire, and better performance and retention. These factors all feed into today's conversation.
In this interview with Jerome Ternynck, Founder and CEO of SmartRecruiters (and one of the most passionate people about hiring on the planet), we dive into what virtual recruiting looked like in 2020, how employers are adopting internal talent marketplaces to support internal hiring and employee mobility, and what it takes to lead the business as a talent acquisition leader. We also look at SmartRecruiters' intense commitment to equitable hiring and share the playbook SmartRecruiters uses to support these practices internally.
Resources: See the DEI hiring playbook: hiringsuccess.com Check out new research on priorities for 2021/2022 in talent acquisition: https://lhra.io/blog/new-research-virtual-hiring-recruiter-skills-and-internal-mobility/ | |||
22 Jul 2020 | We're Only Human 87: This Company Screens Thousands of Candidates to Improve Inclusive Hiring Outcomes | 00:35:14 | |
"That hiring maanger still has a view of the candidate's abilities and skills without being exposed to their race, gender, or ethnicity." Scot Sessions, Talvista
Did you know that there are nearly 200 cognitive biases that affect our decisions every day? While a decision about where to eat or what to wear is unlikely to have negative consequences, making a biased choice in hiring can lead to negative outcomes for people of color, women, and other minorities.
In this conversation, Ben speaks with Scot Sessions and Elaine Orler from the Talvista team to understand how technology can help minimize hiring biases and lead to better, more equitable outcomes. They discuss resume blinding and how it works and other practical advice for employers looking to hire more inclusively.
Connect with the Talvista team: talvista.com On Twitter: @scotsessions @elaineorler
To get the HR Summer School on demand replay with five separate sessions on inclusion and equity at work,visit https://www.humanresourcesacademy.org/courses/hr-summer-school-on-demand and use promo code "onlyhuman" at checkout for 20% off for being a podcast listener! | |||
11 Dec 2023 | The #1 Pay Transparency Priority for Employers | 00:29:07 | |
"Pay transparency is here (or coming) depending on where you're located and where you're hiring people. It's kind of like a snowball rolling down the hill getting bigger and bigger. It's something to really stop and think about and prepare for now, because it's not easy. I think the biggest thing around transparency is thinking about what your education plan is for your people." Megan Nail, Vice President, Total Rewards Practice at NFP We're Only Human -- Episode 167 In our research with employers, we find many of them believe that salary transparency puts more power into the hands of candidates and employees, but there's also a lot of value for employers, too. If your organization wants to stand out from the crowd, it's not as simple as bumping up pay and walking away. In today's interview with Megan Nail, she tells some of the best strategies for evaluating your compensation competitiveness against internal and external measurements. Plus she gives her best advice on how to manage pay transparency in a healthy, employee-focused manner. Show Notes
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02 Nov 2022 | Don’t Teach Managers About Engagement: Teach Them to Be Engaging | 00:39:15 | |
"One day he challenged me and he said, 'Listen, I want you to help our 477 store directors be great. But listen, I don't want you to go and teach them about engagement. They don't need like a history lesson. But I want you to teach them how to be engaging.' As I've navigated through various organizations, what I realized is that most organizations have the same challenges around manager performance." Kamaria Scott, Manager Enablement Expert at Accenture We're Only Human -- Episode 150
During a recent livestream event, when first-time managers was brought up as a conversation topic, multiple attendees quickly pointed out their own follies and challenges when it came to first time leadership roles. Yet most companies still don't have a structured way to identify, select, and equip managers to be capable professionals. In today's conversation with Kamaria Scott from Accenture, Ben and Kamaria talk about:
This is a powerful discussion for any organization or leader who has wondered how to create a more capable and connected manager.
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23 Feb 2022 | The CHRO of Memphis on Getting to HR’s Purpose | 00:23:05 | |
The first advice I would say is be extremely clear about what your purpose is. When I came into this role, we were extremely clear about what not only my goal, but my purpose as a leader in what I was here to do. I think is important for all HR professionals to understand really the critical business needs for the organization that you're a part of, and what is your role in your purpose within that? Alex Smith, CHRO of the City of Memphis We're Only Human -- Episode 135 One of the things we're tasked with as HR leaders? Helping other people find their purpose in the business. The data are clear: purpose is one of the key levers of engagement and connection with the business. But have we ever stopped to think about our own purpose? What it is? Why it matters? How it can serve as a guiding light for our efforts? In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Alex Smith, head of HR for the City of Memphis, about her suggestions on how to create a more dynamic HR function through continuous learning, a strong purpose, and more. Just like the relatively small rudder steers a much bigger ship, this purpose can steer each of us into more impact than we could have without it. Show Notes Connect with Alex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/consultalexsmith/ See our show archives, sign up for free updates, and more: https://lhra.io/podcast
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17 Jul 2023 | 3 People Leaders Share Frontline Employee Engagement Secrets | 00:50:11 | |
"One of the things that a lot of our industry struggled with was trying to regulate employees and not let them have their phone in their hand, but we actually encourage it. We ask them to help us do TikToks. Everybody gets involved. It really brings in a sense of camaraderie. We're not constantly saying, 'Get off your phone. Get off your phone. Get off your phone.' We're encouraging them: get on your phone, take the pictures, take the videos, promote the brand." Michele Corkins, Senior Manager, People Solutions, Hawaiian Bros Island Grill We're Only Human -- Episode 162 Think about this research stat: One out of every two frontline workers thinks they aren't treated equitably with corporate staff. In our 2022 Frontline Worker Study that covered thousands of frontline staff around the world, we found so many different insights that are helpful for understanding how to build an employee experience that supports, connects, and engages these critical employees. Today's podcast episode is a replay of a conversation between Ben and three HR leaders at frontline employers:
Listen in to hear what tools they use to support their people, what resources they think are more relevant to frontline staff, and more. Thanks to Harri for connecting us! Show Notes
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17 Aug 2021 | Openness to Failure as a Critical HR Skill on We're Only Human | 00:28:59 | |
"I think openness to failure is as important as openness to success, because if you're not open to failure, you're not open to trying new things. Full stop. You're going to keep rolling out the same trite things that maybe aren't the best things. So it's really as important to try new things, and where you give yourself the credibility is the fact that you are measuring and you are looking at whether or not this works objectively." Caitlin Bigsby, Visier
We're Only Human -- Episode 123
Want to be more successful? Fail more often. In a recent conversation with an executive that works with numerous high-performing organizations, he explained that the critical differentiator for the best firms is a willingness to iterate and experiment, knowing that some of those will inevitably fail. In today's episode, Ben speaks with Caitlin Bigsby about the importance of analytics, measurement, and data when it comes to HR and talent practices. Caitlin shares how to identify problems that data can solve, what to do next, and how to leverage evidence as a powerful tool for positive change in the business.
Connect with Caitlin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-bigsby Connect with Visier: https://www.visier.com/ Learn more about We're Only Human and check out our archives: https://lhra.io/podcast | |||
30 Sep 2020 | Why Learning is the Superpower We All Need: The Upskilling Imperative on We're Only Human | 00:25:54 | |
"And to me, just hands down learning is the future of work. Let's just put a period on that. That's how I feel about this. We've entered this era of where there's continuous, rapid change. It just keeps coming for us. Every day we're faced with a new change. And the only way that we can sort of ride those changes or rise to them is through continuous learning." Shelley Osborne We're Only Human - Episode 95 If that statement doesn't convey the sentiment of this episode, nothing will. In this discussion with Shelley Osborne, the conversation explores key points and ideas from The Upskilling Imperative, Shelley's new book. Ben and Shelley dig into why we learn the way we do, what it takes to shake up corporate learning practices, and how to drive better outcomes with manager involvement, feedback, and so much more. Want to get the book? Check it out here: https://amzn.to/3iG8o55 | |||
07 Sep 2021 | Interviews as a Source of Rich, Actionable Data with BrightHire on We‘re Only Human | 00:33:04 | |
"The job of a talent acquisition leader is actually like five or six functions put together. You're a marketing leader doing outbound and branding. You're a sales leader, leading a team of individuals having conversations, converting candidates, or an operations leader by coordinating and scheduling and setting up interviews through the funnel. You're an analytics leader, trying to build dashboards and reporting." Teddy Chestnut, BrightHire
We're Only Human -- Episode 125
In the hiring process, we collect a lot of data. We look at costs, timing, responsiveness, candidate qualities, and so much more. But the majority of companies don't capture much, if anything, around interviews. And when they do, that happens on a notepad or piece of paper, which is virtually impossible to analyze. In this episode of We're Only Human, Teddy Chestnut from BrightHire talks about how his company is enabling powerful insights from interviews at a massive scale, allowing business leaders to use that data for DEI hiring, process improvement, and so much more.
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02 Mar 2021 | Making Magic for Candidates with Paradox.ai on We're Only Human | 00:24:55 | |
"We are what we call a conversational AI platform, the main product being our AI assistant, which was built with a really simple kind of mission to create magical experiences for candidates." Josh Zywein, Paradox.ai
We're Only Human -- Episode 108
Chatbots aren't new. Most of us have used them as consumers to get support when we visit a website for a cable or mobile phone provider. Plus, in our last report on chatbots in the recruiting technology space a few years ago, we found over 25 different companies offering bots and tools to help employers automate and streamline their hiring. But not all of them are cut from the same cloth. In this interview with Josh Zywein from Paradox.ai, we talk about how recruiting chatbots have evolved and how the company's bot (Olivia) has served customers like Nestle, McDonald's, CVS Health, and others. We also talk about why chatbots aren't a "DIY" project and what you can get with a dedicated, purpose-built system.
Check out the show archives, subscribe, and more
Connect with Josh, Olivia or the Paradox team: http://paradox.ai (you can even chat w/Olivia on the website!) Email: josh@paradox.ai
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06 Jan 2022 | Creating a Vibrant Performance Process: Insights from Two Chief People Officers | 00:24:06 | |
"We all want to be seen, heard, and recognized." Abby Hamilton, Chief People Officer, LiveIntent
We're Only Human -- Episode 131
When it comes to performance processes at most companies, the expected outcomes are compliance and completion. But in this episode, Ben talks with Shane Metcalf of 15Five and Abby Hamilton of LiveIntent to understand what it takes to create not just a process, but a true culture of performance within an organization. Shane and Abby share ideas, insights, and suggestions that every employer can leverage to create a better and more equitable performance process.
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12 Apr 2022 | How Montway Auto Transport Uses Stay Interviews and Employee-Centric Training | 00:24:45 | |
"Stay interviews are highly under-rated, but yet can provide , so much insight to your employees and so much data. It's almost like a secret weapon or secret tool that companies just don't take advantage of." Amanda Turbeville, Global Head of Human Resources, Montway Auto Transport We're Only Human -- Episode 139
In today's challenging hiring environment, employers need a way to connect with their people. Compensation? It's a start, but it doesn't motivate long-term. What about autonomy, training, and support? Those can create lasting connections with staff and drive retention in a powerful way. But where do you start? In this conversation with Amanda Turbeville, Global Head of HR for Montway Auto Transport, you'll hear how the company leverages stay interviews not just to keep people, but to help define custom career paths to keep them engaged and connected with the organization. Amanda opens her play book and shares the questions they ask in these stay interviews as well as how they are utilized.
Show Notes Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aturbeville/ Check out the show archives and sign up for free updates: https://lhra.io/podcast | |||
04 Mar 2020 | WOH 76: What a Study of 1,000 SMB Companies Tells Us about HR | 00:32:41 | |
"HR is representing the people at your organization that deliver the results of whatever mission you have... There is no greater voice for the people than HR." We hear so much about large employers and enterprise firms in the news. These organizations are a key part of the global economy, but did you know that over 99% of employers in the US have fewer than 1,000 employees? Yes, really! This market of smaller organizations employs more than half of the US workforce and creates incredible value not just globally but in millions of communities where these firms create jobs and opportunities in their respective areas. In this episode, Ben interviews Tom Hammond from Paychex to talk about this critical SMB (small and mid-sized business) market and how these firms operate. Last year Lighthouse Research ran an analysis of 1,000 employers to understand how they buy technology, hire HR staff, and outsource HR activities. This study offers critical insights as Ben and Tom talk about how many of these firms have HR technology, what drives decisions about hiring HR staff, and more. To see the research Ben and Tom discuss, check out https://lighthouseresearch.lpages.co/hr-adoption-curve/To learn more about Paychex, visit Paychex.comTo connect with Tom, reach out on Twitter: @thammondhr | |||
06 Apr 2020 | WOH 79: How Employers Are Responding to Shutdowns, Quarantines, and Coronavirus | 00:32:24 | |
"As the head of HR, I'm now suddenly expected to be a doctor, virologist, and epidemiologist." That quote came from a discussion with an HR leader in the last few days, and it clearly outlines what many companies are going through right now. In today's conversation, Ben talks with Brett Meager of Paycor to learn how employers are responding to the dynamic situations happening across the country as well as how the company is supporting its small and mid-size clients in the middle of the chaos. Brett talks about how the firm is helping to keep people informed on legislation and other details as they arise (see the links in the show notes below for more on that). The best thing we can all do right now is share positive, helpful resources and information with each other, so if you would be willing to share this episode with a friend or colleague as a way of making work better and safer, I would greatly appreciate it.
For pandemic preparedness plans, advice, resources, webinar and communication templates check out the Paycor Coronavirus Support Center for SMB Leaders. Paycor posts on Twitter and LinkedIn daily with our latest COVID19 resources, we encourage you to follow along! Brett also shared a few tips on Working From Home with Kids: https://www.paycor.com/resource-center/how-to-work-from-home-with-kids | |||
10 Jun 2020 | WOH 82: Hiring for Neurodiversity - A Case Study | 00:28:39 | |
"We are wasting talent. We can't afford as a nation, as a society, to waste talent." Brenda Weitzberg, Founder and Executive Director of Aspiritech When we talk about diversity in the workplace, we often overlook the concept of neurodiversity, which encompasses the broad range of intellectual capabilities that individuals have. In today's episode, Ben interviews Brenda Weitzberg about her company, Aspiritech, and how it is able to hire individuals on the autism spectrum for specific tasks that suit the unique strengths of individuals with autism. The capabilities of each person, regardless of the color of their skin, their gender, or their mental clarity, are unique. As Brenda says in the interview, "When you've seen one person with autism, you've just seen one person. You haven't seen them all." Let's learn more about how to open up opportunities for those that are neurodiverse. Learn more at aspiritech.org | |||
22 Jan 2021 | Empowering Your Internal Experts for Better Learning Outcomes on We're Only Human | 00:33:29 | |
I really do believe this is a moment for learning and training that could see a transformation that benefits learners. Simon Greany, Elucidat
We're Only Human -- Episode 103
How many times have we in HR and learning been forced to create content in subjects we knew little to nothing about? In today's episode, Ben talks with Simon Greany from Elucidat about how the company supports employers through technology that enables subject matter experts to cocreate learning content. At the end of the day, learning is about performance. It's not about making people happy (though that can be a byproduct). And having targeted training that meets the needs of the workforce is the best option for creating sustained performance over time.
Learn more about Elucidat: https://www.elucidat.com/
Learn about myHRfit: http://myhrfit.com See where you can find the podcast: https://lhra.io/podcast | |||
27 Nov 2020 | Ashley Furniture Saved ~$5 Million with Employee Retention: Featuring Humantelligence on We're Only Human | 00:34:46 | |
"So you're about to go into a meeting physically or remotely, you click on the team on the calendar invite and it'll pull up the culture of that meeting. Imagine EQ everywhere, and you're delivering emotional intelligence insights where every person can communicate, collaborate, and connect." Juan Betancourt, Humantelligence We're Only Human -- Episode 99 One of the issues with the tools, the technology, and the processes we use in HR is that we sometimes get away from the human at the core of it all. This episode includes an incredible case study of how Ashley Furniture reduced turnover by approximately 30% and saved nearly $5 million in the process by focusing on the real drivers and values of each individual they hire onto their team. In today's discussion, Ben and Juan dig into how we can use more emotional intelligence insights in everyday interactions, creating more human and people-focused workplaces. From hiring decisions to team alignment, there are many different types of opportunities to support and enable better communication and connection. Connect with Juan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juanluisbetancourt/ Learn more about Humantelligence: https://humantelligence.com/ | |||
19 Sep 2022 | Better Managers, Better Support, Better Results | 00:30:50 | |
And so we experimented and said, let's have a trial run at being a manager. We took about 25 people that wanted to be a manager as a cohort. We said, okay, for a period of six to nine months, we would give you a small team you'd be responsible to learn how to interview and make hiring decisions. Then you get to decide whether or not you want to continue the manager path or not. Pat Wadors, Chief People Officer, UKG We're Only Human -- Episode 148 Managers are an essential part of getting work done. But many times managers and talent leaders end up butting heads, having mismatched expectations, or simply not getting along. In this episode, Chief People Officer Pat Wadors shares her experiences and advice for creating stronger manager relationships and outcomes that benefit not just HR and line managers, but their teams as well. Pat also dive into belonging and what it means in the modern workplace, giving each of us some ideas on how to make it a part of what we do every day. Links and Show Notes | |||
26 Apr 2022 | The Data Behind Paid Leave and What Workers Really Want | 00:27:26 | |
"I think the the one stat that came out of this research, that nine out of 10 employees would be more likely to stay with their employer if they had this benefit, I was just kind of blown away." Rob Whalen, CEO, PTOExchange We're Only Human -- Episode 140 One of the most common employee benefits is paid leave. Employers offer a variety of options, from more standard accrued leave during every pay period to a newer option for "unlimited PTO." But how do people feel about these benefits? Well, the data are in, and you might be surprised by what you learn. In a new research study of 1,000 North American workers, we found that many of them have issues with the Paid Time Off (PTO) programs their companies offer. In this episode, Ben dives into the data with Rob Whalen to understand how workers feel, what they desire, and how employers can embrace flexibility in a powerful, tangible way. Listen in to learn: how men and women see this differently, what this means for low-income workers, and why diverse individuals may have different feelings about PTO plans. Show Notes Get a free copy of the report to see all of the data Listen to our show archives and sign up for free updates | |||
27 Jul 2021 | SMB Employers, Complexity, and Compliance with Jordan Conley on We're Only Human | 00:29:33 | |
"I had a client that in February of last year had 72 employees, all in Boulder, Colorado. By September of last year, they eliminated their office and went remote. They went from having all their employees in one state to having those same 74 employees, but across 14 different states." Jordan Conley, President, Obsidian HR
We're Only Human -- Episode 120
In the United States, approximately 98% of the employers that exist have fewer than 100 employees. It's easy to get caught up in the headlines that focus on enterprise companies, but a massive segment of the economy (and job market) are tied to small businesses. In this episode, Ben talks with Jordan Conley, President of Obsidian HR, about the challenges facing small businesses today. The discussion covers topics like outsourcing for a greater focus on strategic HR, how remote work makes compliance and HR work more difficult, and more.
Connect with Jordan and Obsidian HR: Thanks to isolved for connecting us with Jordan! Learn more about We're Only Human, subscribe, see our archives, and more: http://lhra.io/podcast | |||
14 May 2021 | Workplace Performance is 90 Percent Mental with Roger Kitchen on We're Only Human | 00:25:50 | |
"So the nerdy neuroscience about the brain is that your brain can't distinguish between a real-time event or if you visualized it. But when you when you walk yourself mentally, emotionally, visually through those things, and you just see yourself doing them and being successful, that's the really key piece." Roger Kitchen, Mental Skills Coach
We're Only Human -- Episode 115
High-performing individuals in music, athletics, and even business use coaches to help them accomplish their goals, but have you ever thought about the importance of mental skills at work? For knowledge workers (and HR leaders), the vast majority of performance isn't physical in nature, it's mental. And yet we let ourselves continue doing what we've always done, missing opportunities to create better performance and work habits. In this fun interview with Roger Kitchen, a mental skills coach, Ben and Roger dive into the key aspects of creating good work habits, focusing mental performance, and driving better satisfaction and resilience. Connect with Roger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerkitchenjr/ Learn more about We're Only Human, see previous episodes, and subscribe: http://lhra.io/podcast | |||
04 Aug 2022 | Making ”No Regrets” Changes as People and Business Leaders | 00:19:41 | |
"The more that we could be pushing that on the business side to say beyond revenue and profitability, what is the quality metric? What is the wellbeing metric? Obviously, employee engagement many companies measure. Are we measuring the investments in learning that we're putting out there for our people, even if they are people that end up leaving, if we're improving the future employability of a workforce, surely that's a good business and society metric." Bhushan Sethi, People & Organization Joint Global Leader, PwC We're Only Human -- Episode 144 In the last 24 months, HR and People leaders have been in the spotlight more than ever before, and this has given birth to opportunities to influence and change the workplace for the better. But how do you know which priorities to set, where to put your focus and effort, and what to do first? In this episode, Ben talks with Bhushan Sethi, a global people leader from PwC, to understand how he makes these decisions. Using a blend of research and practical perspectives, Bhushan offers helpful advice to people leaders at every company that is proven to drive employee retention and the organization's employer value proposition. This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.
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01 Jun 2021 | Don't Judge for Feelings, Judge for Actions - Featuring Faye Ekong on We're Only Human | 00:24:48 | |
"There's a lot of blame going around. Rumors, gossip, people are on their guard. So this kind of hidden anger and passive aggressiveness that I have seen, [what's] always an eye-opener with clients is how many people need to be CC'd on any given email. So the more people that are CC'd in anything gives you an indication: there's a bit of fear, and so that shows that there's generally low trust." Faye Ekong, Managing Director, RavelWorks Africa
We're Only Human -- Episode 116
In the organizational context of change management, it's easy to become frustrated or flustered with people about how they feel about policies and decisions. But as Faye Ekong so clearly illustrates in this conversation on We're Only Human, we should hold them accountable for their actions, not how they feel. In addition, Faye shares insights on organizational health (and a lack of it) with examples that will make you smile and nod along with her. Her work in Africa in may ways reflects the work of HR leaders around the globe, and her advice is helpful for driving better change and HR outcomes.
Connect with Faye and RavelWorks: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ravelworks/?originalSubdomain=ke https://www.linkedin.com/in/faye-ekong/?originalSubdomain=ke
Learn more about We're Only Human, check out past episodes, and more: | |||
19 Jun 2020 | WOH 83: Balancing Candidate Experience and Objective Hiring with AI | 00:27:07 | |
"The assessment traditionally has seemed a bit disconnected from the job role. This can come across as friction. You've worked hard to find a candidate and you want them to join--this can seem disjointed." Jora Gill, SHL Hiring is a balancing act. We want to drive candidates into the funnel, create positive experiences, and bring the best candidates into the organization, but we also need data to help make the right choice. While AI has been challenged for its impact on hiring, new evidence shows that it can help to minimize erroneous decisions. In this conversation, Ben talks with Jora Gill from SHL about how assessments can be blended into the hiring process for better, more objective decision-making without sacrificing candidate experience. Learn more about SHL at http://shl.com | |||
21 Jun 2023 | Case Study: How to Automate Hundreds of Hours of Onboarding Tasks | 00:44:14 | |
"I was deleting 24 Google Calendar placeholders one day and manually copy/pasting new hire email addresses into the 17 ones we were going to keep. It was at least 30 minutes of hundreds of just mindless clicks. And I said, wait a minute. I'm gonna figure out how to do this [better]. So I looked at our Google Calendar integration, saw that I could both delete calendar events and add participants to calendar events. It worked so well. I took hundreds of clicks down to two clicks to complete those two actions, which is huge for me. And then I said, what else can I automate? So I just kept going from there." Ashley Priebe Brown, Onboarding Manager, Zapier We're Only Human -- Episode 160 Onboarding is one of the most critical moments in the employee experience. The latest data from Lighthouse Research & Advisory shows that two out of three new hires know if they will stay at a company within the first week on the job. But that's not all. There are so many transactional, repetitive tasks that it's easy to get bogged down as an HR leader. In this episode of We're Only Human, Ashley Priebe Brown from Zapier talks about how she automated hundreds of hours of onboarding tasks, minimizing busy work and maximizing impact on their new hire cohorts. If you are looking for ideas on how to streamline your onboarding and make it more relevant and useful, this episode is for you. Show Notes
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19 May 2022 | Prioritizing Skills to Drive Talent Agility at H.B. Fuller | 00:34:02 | |
"How can you build things that are as small as they can be so that you can plug and play and you can pivot and change? The way that I think about manifesting that in talent programs is thinking about more of a skills culture. If we have the skill of adapting and coping, for example, and we know that's a critical element in a lot of areas of our organization. Let's go ahead and build programs around building that skill up, then we can quickly pivot and change as the organization's needs change." Becky Layana, Global Talent Program Manager, H.B. Fuller We're Only Human -- Episode 141 In today's dynamic workplace, employers need to think about how they can create high-impact talent programs that deliver results like engagement, performance, and retention. At H.B. Fuller, this is a top priority. In today's discussion, Ben and Becky Layana, Global Talent Program Manager at H.B. Fuller, examine how the company prioritizes talent, what that means from a culture and values perspective, and how it opens up opportunities to get the best from people while still supporting the business. Most importantly, listen to this episode and how much importance is placed on talent management as a business process/practice, not just a siloed HR activity. There are some excellent takeaways on that front.
Show Notes Connect with Becky on LinkedIn Thank you to the team at SHL for making this connection for us! | |||
12 Mar 2020 | WOH 77: Implementing the Agile Talent Acquisition Methodology at BBVA | 00:45:16 | |
Agile talent acquisition? What's that? Many of the talent leaders we encounter have heard of agile as it pertains to the software development industry, but what lessons does this methodology have for today's talent leaders? Agile, at its core, is about prioritizing (ruthlessly) on the things that need to get done. In agile talent acquisition, managers hold more power to set priorities. At the same time, recruiters and talent advisors get the benefit of clearer communication, a framework that sets them up for success, and a true partnership with their customers (the hiring managers in the organization). In today's discussion, Ben talks with Trent Cotton, a key figure in the implementation of agile talent acquisition methods at BBVA, a global financial firm with more than 10,000 North American employees and a global workforce of over 100,000. Cotton explains how the process works, what benefits BBVA has seen from the approach, and offers specific advice for how to make it a reality in any organization. If you'd like to connect with Trent, you can find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trentcotton If you found this episode valuable, you might also enjoy episode 58, which was an intriguing conversation with Paul Shane about how Northwestern Mutual created its hiring playbook: https://upstarthr.com/were-only-human-58-open-sourcing-the-recruiting-playbook-from-northwestern-mutual/ This is somewhat like our conversation with the H&R Block head of TA on episode 25: https://beneubanks.podbean.com/e/were-only-human-25-how-to-forecast-hiring-needs-and-lead-a-recruiting-team/ | |||
26 Feb 2020 | WOH 75: What if Your Employees Could Use PTO For Anything They Want | 00:24:14 | |
Employee paid leave is often overlooked because it has been around for what seems like forever. It's fairly standard, and the biggest advancement in recent history has been moving from a split vacation/sick model to a paid time off or "PTO" model, where employees can use the leave flexibly for illness, vacation, or other personal needs as they see fit. The problem, though, is that people still don't use that time as they should. They carry heavy leave balances, which creates liability for their employers. They don't take the time off because they feel like they can't be away from the office. Whatever the case, it's not serving the purpose that it should. Research shows that people return from time away from work with better mental health and reduced anxiety (even when they have an overflowing inbox), so how can we solve this? In today's discussion, Ben talks with Rob Whalen of PTO Exchange. Rob shares some sobering statistics on PTO usage by employees and how much is forfeited annually, failing to serve the employee population it was designed to help. Rob also explains how PTO Exchange is helping employers to help employees by converting PTO into retirement savings, emergency funds, charitable donations, and more. It's time to start thinking strategically about paid leave benefits to help employees with a diverse set of needs.
Contact Rob or PTO Exchange: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-whalen-1287077/ https://www.ptoexchange.com/contact Resource: 4 ways to get employees to use more vacation time | |||
26 Apr 2021 | Stop Anonymizing Employee Feedback--Insights from Joyous on We're Only Human | 00:35:31 | |
"If this week a leader acknowledges [employee feedback], next week, the person is eight times more likely to participate again than if the leader said nothing the week before." Ruby Kolesky, Co-CEO and Head of Product, Joyous We're Only Human -- Episode 113
What's your stance on employee feedback and anonymity? In today's conversation with Mike and Ruby from Joyous, they share a bold proposal: stop making employee feedback anonymous, because you're telling them that it's something to be worried about. Instead, they advocate for open feedback that can help to identify issues, engage support, and drive the best outcomes. In the discussion, the team talks about research they've done among employers asking for and acting upon feedback from their people, and they also talk about what it takes to create the environment where people can share their best ideas with the rest of the organization, making everyone's work (and workplace) better. Connect with Mike and Ruby: Ben's favorite Joyous case study: https://joyoushq.com/blog/post/launching-lockdown-genesis
See the We're Only Human archives, subscribe, and learn more about the show: https://lhra.io/podcast | |||
04 Aug 2023 | Can HR Really Work Remotely? How Eco’s Head of People Does It | 00:23:42 | |
I'm really excited we are a fully remote organization. It's why I get to do the work I do from Hawaii. It does mean I have really early mornings, so be aware of what you're signing up for, but I get to work fully remote. In supporting fully remote organizations, we have to be incredibly intentional about the culture and the way we work. Diana Brown, Head of People, Eco We're Only Human -- Episode 163 Working remote. It's a polarizing topic overall, but perhaps even more so when it comes to HR positions. Should HR be in the office, or is it okay if People professionals work remotely? In this episode, Ben talks with Diana Brown of Eco about how she and her team manage the remote/distributed aspects of creating a connected, employee-focused culture through intentional design, communications, and more. Show Notes
goody ongoody.com https://www.ongoody.com/business | |||
02 Feb 2021 | Engaging a Field-Based Workforce-Lessons from Nussbaum Transportation on We're Only Human | 00:26:41 | |
"You can reconcile accounting, but you can't always reconcile people." Jeremy Stickling, Chief Administrative Officer at Nussbaum Transportation
We're Only Human -- Episode 104
Turnover in some trucking and transportation companies runs nearly 100% a year, meaning they turn over virtually every employee over a 12 month period. But at Nussbaum, the turnover runs under 30% a year. What's the secret, and how can other employers with a field-based or remote workforce apply those principles to create better employment outcomes for their people? In this episode, Ben talks with Jeremy Stickling, Chief Administrative Officer at Nussbaum Transportation, about how the company has cracked this code. It's a great case study on caring for people and delivering a great experience, regardless of where employees are based.
Learn more about Nussbaum's purpose-driven culture: https://www.nussbaum.com/purposedriven/ Connect with Jeremy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-stickling-71a5b112/
Find out how to align your own values and work style with the kind of company you want to work with: https://mailchi.mp/upstarthr/5-hr-career-questions | |||
15 Apr 2021 | Introversion-The HR Super Power with Tim Gardner on We're Only Human | 00:30:57 | |
My preference in work was not towards optimizing machinery, but helping optimize work processes for people. Tim Gardner, Former Organizational Development Consultant at Kimberly-Clark (retired)
We're Only Human -- Episode 112
If you're an introvert in HR, you're not alone. Recently I shared a piece on LinkedIn about introverts in HR and the value of introversion, and the piece received thousands of likes and comments. Apparently my own preference for introversion is in good company! In today's podcast discussion, Tim Gardner, an admitted introvert and experienced organizational development leader, talks about designing work around people instead of forcing people to bend around the work. His background as an engineer (yes, really!) gives him a unique and powerful perspective on HR, process design, and business operations. Towards the end of the discussion, I ask Tim to talk about legacy and impact, and it's a great set of ideas for all of us as we think about the lasting impressions of our work and relationships on the world.
Connect with Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timjgardner/ Learn more about We're Only Human and see show archives: https://lhra.io/were-only-human-podcast/ | |||
08 Nov 2021 | Why Not Risk Hiring Someone Amazing? Featuring Peter Sursi of the FBI on We‘re Only Human | 00:28:58 | |
"And as I have these conversations with hiring managers and my peer executives, I often ask them things like, 'Who is the best person that works with you that comes from a non-traditional background--would you take more of them?' And of course the answer is always yes. You can! You can do that. And why not risk the possibility of getting somebody amazing?" Peter Sursi, Talent Executive, Federal Bureau of Investigation
We're Only Human -- Episode 129
In today's talent market, employers need to be willing to flex, change, and iterate. "The way we've always done it" was always a poor strategy, but today it could be crippling. In this episode of the podcast, Ben talks with Peter Sursi, a talent executive with the FBI. Peter's belief is that employers should open up their hiring to nontraditional backgrounds. This not only supports diversity efforts, but it also helps to diversify talent pipelines and create a more rich and varied set of skills that your organization can tap into. Listen to Peter's passionate plea for companies and hiring leaders, and take him up on the challenge to "risk getting someone amazing" into your next hiring funnel.
Links and Show Notes Connect with Peter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petersursi/ This episode is a replay from our 2021 State of Hiring in Today's Talent Market event. To hear the entire event and get 3.0 HRCI/SHRM credits, get the free replay on demand here: https://lhra.io/hire21 Check out our new research on The Great Reprioritization: https://lhra.io/blog/data-preview-the-great-resignation-nope-its-the-great-reprioritization-new-research/ | |||
29 Aug 2022 | Positioning Culture as ”Business Success Insurance” on We’re Only Human | 00:24:34 | |
"I guarantee there is a direct correlation between a fantastic culture to business success. They are always together. I would say that the strong culture is the insurance policy of every business." Ronni Zehavi, CEO, HiBob We're Only Human -- Episode 147 What if we had a way to shield our businesses from unnecessary turnover, disinterested staff, and other similar challenges? It turns out that we do. It's called culture. In some new research, we found that just 52% of HR leaders say their technology supports the employee-focused culture they desire. That's a big gap. In today's interview with Ronni Zehavi of HiBob, Ben dives deep with Ronni into culture, why it matters, and how HR technology helps to support an employee-focused culture in practical ways. Ronni talks about transparency, teamwork, flexibility, and other tangible examples based on his experience as a business leader.
This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.
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10 Jun 2021 | Work Has Changed at DHL - Here's How The Company is Prioritizing Talent | 00:26:48 | |
"Listening without solving... Is really important, because the tendency for a lot of people is when somebody comes to you with an issue, the immediate response is to try and find a solution to the problem when in fact that may not be what you need." Gordon Simpson, SVP Human Resources, DHL Global Forwarding
We're Only Human -- Episode 117
Work is changing. We all know it. We've seen it. Hiring is more difficult than ever, and predictions are that it will get harder. Retaining talent is critical. Development is essential. It's easy to feel like it's a problem that nobody can solve, but in today's conversation, Ben talks with Gordon Simpson of DHL Global Forwarding about how the firm is serving its workforce by putting them first. From shifting to bring PPE into the country during COVID to health concerns with return to work, DHL is adapting to meet the challenges its people face and supporting them at the same time.
Connect with Gordon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordon-simpson-5731736/ See episode archives and learn more about the show: http://lhra.io/podcast | |||
23 May 2023 | Recruitment Process Outsourcing Research: Value and Impact | 00:21:42 | |
"And speaking of changing expectations and what's socially acceptable, this challenge of ghosting is going through the roof, and I've got bad news for you. It's gonna get worse. When we look at the data on ghosting, we see that it's actually age correlated. So someone who is 25 is more likely than someone who's 35, who's more likely someone who's 45, and so on. So the people who are 55 years old and older in the workplace are the least likely to ghost an employer. And guess what? They're gonna steadily age out. And the ones who are doing it the most are gonna continue aging into the workforce." Ben Eubanks, Chief Research Officer, Lighthouse Research & AdvisoryExcerpt from 2022 RPO Association Conference Keynote
We're Only Human -- Episode 158
In this rare solo episode, Ben shares a short portion of his 2022 keynote address at the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association Annual Conference in Chicago, unveiling some brand new research on how employers value RPO relationships, what gaps exist, and more.
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07 Jan 2021 | Mediocrity, Clarity, and Personal Brand with Carla Patton on We're Only Human | 00:27:10 | |
"We allow business leaders to dictate things based on who they like, who they golfed with the last weekend, and things like that when it should be: 'Who is doing the work and who is a benefit to our work environment and our culture?'" Carla Patton, HR Executive
We're Only Human -- Episode 101
One of the challenges in the last year is that the pandemic showed the cracks in the relationships created by poor leadership. In an office environment, there are enough opportunities to smooth over mediocrity from a leadership perspective, but when things are virtual, those kinds of behaviors like favoritism or simply being inept become magnified. In this episode, Carla Patton encourages us to stop accepting mediocrity from our leaders and hold them to a higher standard. It's not just about business results--it's about the kind of environment they create for their team and whether that environment encourages performance or hinders it.
Links: Ben on the Paychex HR Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3F4a4zK3l0PSQEMf9wl5du Connect with Carla on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlahpatton/ Check out The Career Salon podcast with the HR Twins: https://open.spotify.com/show/0zUiPwDUotwiu5dna1WrLa
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17 Aug 2021 | Digital, Secure Document Management for HR Teams on We’re Only Human | 00:24:20 | |
"An HR manager can do whatever they need to do. We do have a vision, and the vision is that all administrative tasks should be done in less than 15 seconds." Leila Laidani, Aconso
We're Only Human -- Episode 122
In the last year, companies have shifted much of their work processes to a digital format. However, legacy files and workflows don't always transition so easily. In this episode, Ben talks with the team from Aconso about how using secure, digital storage solutions can help HR leaders to not only protect and preserve sensitive information, but use their time more effectively than shuffling paper and documents.
Learn more: Check out the Aconso website: https://www.aconso.com/ Check out the We're Only Human archives, subscribe, and more: https://lhra.io/podcast | |||
28 Feb 2024 | Learning in the Age of AI with JD Dillon | 00:34:48 | |
"My refrigerator broke one day and I didn't call a repair person. I didn't go to refrigerator repair school. I went to YouTube, found a person who had a similar problem, followed along, fixed the problem, moved on. And then we go to work and suddenly you can't do that anymore." JD Dillon, Chief Learning Officer, AxonifyWe're Only Human - Episode 172 In this episode, Ben talks with JD Dillon, a learning leader and advocate for frontline workers and the use of technology to support learning outcomes. In the conversation, they discuss the concept of the modern learning ecosystem, emphasizing the importance of enabling frontline workers and exploring the evolution of learning technology and its impact, particularly for frontline employees. The conversation focuses on the practical application of technology to improve work experiences, including personalized learning, language barriers, and the promise of AI. Three takeaways for listeners include: 1. The evolving role of learning technology in supporting frontline workers. 2. The potential for technology to address challenges such as language barriers and accessibility. 3. The importance of rethinking the work experience and leveraging technology to enable personalized, equitable, and effective learning and development. Show Notes
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21 Apr 2020 | 81: Rethinking Work, Productivity, and Engagement in the Modern Workplace | 00:24:55 | |
"People don't want flexibility. they want complete control over their time." Today, we keep hearing that flexible work is the way to go. People want it. They crave it. Yet in today's episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Jody Thompson, creator of the ROWE movement. ROWE stands for "results only work environment," and it has been around for some time (the first book, Why Work Sucks, was published in 2008). Today the workplace looks different than it did then, but according to Thompson, employers are still chasing the wrong things. We're looking at when work gets done and where work gets done, but we're not focusing enough on the what in terms of results. That lack of focus on the right things sometimes forces our people to fight for control over their work. How? By looking for workarounds, playing the "I'm busy" game, arriving early or staying late, and more. Instead of looking at managers as controlling figures, we should look at them as performance coaches. Expect to explore all of this and more in today's conversation. Enjoy! Learn more about Jody and ROWE at: https://www.gorowe.com/resource-library | |||
07 Mar 2023 | When Training Isn’t the Answer with Delta Dental’s Head of Learning | 00:22:58 | |
There's certainly the opportunity cost that comes with assigning someone from your learning team or frankly finding anybody to work on this if it's not gonna fix the problem. There's also the frustration that comes with that. I've experienced that personally and as a leader of learning professionals. It is really frustrating to spend your time and effort doing something that you think is not gonna work. Ben Sieke, Director of Talent Development and Learning, Delta Dental We're Only Human -- Episode 156 When training is the answer to a problem, it can improve performance, satisfaction, and results. When it's not the answer, it just increases frustration, drives down motivation, and increases unnecessary costs. In today's episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Ben Sieke from Delta Dental about when issues are training problems and when they aren't. More importantly, Sieke shares insights as a learning executive for how to adapt and respond to the situations in a positive, productive way. If you've ever been told "it's a training problem" and weren't sure that assessment was correct, this episode is for you. Note: This episode is a replay from HR Summer School 2022. HRSS 2023 is now open for registration. Show Notes
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05 Feb 2021 | HR Analyst Day *Podcast Takeover* Featuring Engagedly on We're Only Human | 00:27:44 | |
"Be gentle with yourself. I think we can all afford a little compassion and we're often able to give that to others easier than we're able to give it to ourselves. Give yourself time for introspection to understand what truly motivates you and let that be your first step." Kristin Richter, Engagedly
We're Only Human -- Episode 105
This is a special edition of We're Only Human! Last fall Ben cohosted HR Analyst Day with Jessica from Workology (who you'll hear on today's show). They talked with a wide variety of HR tech companies covering recruiting, benefits, learning, engagement, and more. This episode was one of the outcomes from that experience. In it, Jessica interviews Kristin Richter from Engagedly about the company's focus and how it helps to create a more human-centered workplace.
Want to know more about HR Analyst Day? Check it out: https://learn.workology.com/hr-analyst-day/
Learn more about Engagedly: https://engagedly.com/
Connect with Kristin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-richter/ | |||
04 Mar 2024 | Unleashing the Power of Good Managers: Insights from CHRO Cheryl Gochis | 00:27:18 | |
"And someone says, 'I don't think management's for me.' Celebrate that! When somebody says that to you, you need to celebrate and say, 'Great decision!' As an individual contributor, you have joy in your job by being excellent, by being a subject matter expert."Cheryl Gochis, Chief Human Resources Officer, Baylor University We're Only Human - Episode 173 In this episode, Ben Eubanks interviews Cheryl Gochis, the chief human resources officer at Baylor University. They discuss the importance of enabling and selecting great leaders. Cheryl highlights the impact of a good manager on their team, the importance of truthful job descriptions for manager roles, and the need for HR professionals to understand and support the business they serve. The interview also highlights the value of sharing real stories and narratives to guide managers, rather than adopting a formulaic approach. Show Notes
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17 Feb 2023 | How Coca Cola Europacific Exposes External Candidates to Internal Culture Champions | 00:22:26 | |
"So there's a massive amount of insights coming from this. We measure things like net promoter score -- we have an average NPS of around 73, which as we all know is pretty great. And a big one for me is that 41% of people we actually go on to hire actually have used the platform once or more than once. That's a really big figure to show this is actually supporting employees to apply with us and attracting them to us and being successful in getting a role with us." Lisa Brignall, Head of Talent Acquisition GB at Coca Cola Europacific Partners We're Only Human -- Episode 155 One of the things every company struggles with is sharing a realistic preview of the job with candidates. Job applicants expect recruiters and hiring managers to smooth over the rough edges, and it's tough to have a transparent and honest conversation. But Lisa Brignall and the team at Coca Cola Europacific Partners have found a way to solve for this. They actually give candidates access to employee Insiders that are empowered to talk about the culture, work conditions, and other realities of employment. In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben and Lisa talk about the program, how it's set up, and what results and impact it has already demonstrated in a relatively short time. If your company is hiring and wants to create a more open dialogue with candidates, this episode is for you. Show Notes
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28 Jun 2021 | How to Bring the HR Community Together with Bill Banham on We're Only Human | 00:22:40 | |
"It all has to link back to practical insights and practical takeaways about how best we can come through the current crisis together." Bill Banham, Editor, HR Gazette
We're Only Human -- Episode 118
One of the fun parts of the last year has been connecting with new people, finding new resources, and building new communities. Someone at the heart of that is Bill Banham, editor and publisher at the HR Gazette. As someone who covers things happening in the HR industry, he brings a unique and balanced perspective on what HR leaders can learn about today's business environment. In this episode, Ben and Bill talk about the learnings of the last year, what he sees as important for HR leaders to pursue in the coming months, and more. Check out the HR Gazette where Bill spends most of his time: https://hr-gazette.com/ | |||
08 Jul 2020 | WOH 85: Stop Apologizing for Being in HR | 00:22:03 | |
"We need to own what we do. We've been apologizing and apologetic for being in HR instead of owning what we do. Every other profession says, I'm a salesperson, I'm a finance person. I'm a marketer. We go, I'm sorry. I'm in HR." Steve Browne In this conversation, a replay from the most popular session at HR Summer School 2020, Ben talks with Steve Browne, the most connected person in HR, about how to be an intentional connector, how to add value to relationships, and why HR is an essentially human profession. If you enjoy the talk with Steve, his new book HR Rising is now available! You can also see the full video replay in addition to the 50+ other speakers on HR Summer School On Demand at HumanResourcesAcademy.org here: https://www.humanresourcesacademy.org/courses/hr-summer-school-on-demand | |||
02 Feb 2022 | Top Concerns for HR in 2022 on We’re Only Human | 00:22:28 | |
"Many employees these days may feel disconnected from their jobs or the company culture as a whole." Ralf Hofmann, Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Drake Star
We're Only Human -- Episode 132
One of the things that makes us all better is hearing from people outside of our bubble. In this episode, Ben talks with Ralf Hofmann, an investor and business leader that helps with funding and business deals across the HR technology industry. They dive into some of the things that are top of mind for this business leader, such as the inclusion of artificial intelligence into HR operations, the need to consider virtual and remote employees when making decisions, and more. But Ben also asks a hard question towards the end: should HR, talent, and learning professionals be looking at the company behind the technology, not just the software, when making a purchasing decision? Check out this conversation to hear Ralf's answer and other trends his firm is watching for the coming year.
Show notes and links: Check out the previous episode on HR's role in cybersecurity: https://onlyhumanshow.com/e/owning-hrs-cybersecurity-responsibilities-with-erika-lance-on-were-only-human/ Learn more about Drake Star: http://drakestar.com Check out the show archives, sign up for updates, and more: https://lhra.io/podcast | |||
06 May 2021 | Human Benefits for a Human Workforce with Maribeth Bearfield on We're Only Human | 00:34:48 | |
"What I see is that we're no longer working from home. We're living at work. And so how do we help employees work differently?" Maribeth Bearfield, Chief Human Resources Officer, Bright Horizons
We're Only Human -- Episode 114
In the last year, employers have struggled with how to support workers in a rapidly changing environment. Even today as some things change, others stay the same. During this episode, Ben talks with Maribeth Bearfield about how she looks at the human side of benefits that her team offers the workforce. Learn about the new Horizons program that allows employees to earn a free education, creating new opportunities for the firm's diverse workforce and an exciting legacy of impact on the communities in which it serves. Did you know that of the various assets on a balance sheet, people don't show up? After all, they aren't property, equipment, or materials. However, they do show up in the skills and innovation that they bring to the table. Maribeth also talks about the value of intangibles, which is where the value of your people really shine.
Connect with Maribeth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maribeth-nash-bearfield-9002822/ Connect with Bright Horizons: https://www.brighthorizons.com/ | |||
28 Aug 2020 | Virtual Open Enrollment and Benefits Communication Strategies on We're Only Human | 00:32:03 | |
"We need help communicating the benefits we pour our hearts and souls into and making them successful for our employees." Jesse Albro, Flimp Communications We're Only Human Episode 90 Heads up: open enrollment will happen this year. While this seems like the strangest year in, well, forever, it also has some predictable elements to it. That said, how do you plan for a virtual approach to open enrollment? How do you measure the impact of your communications/ How do you support your people as they think more carefully about health and wellness than ever before? In today's conversation, Ben talks with Jesse Albro from Flimp about these topics and more. Jump in and learn how your company can plan and implement a more virtual and scalable approach to open enrollment. Learn more about Flimp: http://flimp.net/ | |||
10 Sep 2020 | Identifying the Skills of Enterprise Organizations with Starmind on We're Only Human | 00:28:38 | |
"At the beginning of my career, HR was looked at as a necessary evil. Now it's completely flipped to where HR is the driving force for how companies grow and expand." Eric Storm, Starmind We're Only Human - Episode 92 Skills are the currency of business. Research shows that in the 1980s, 85%+ of organizational value was in tangible assets (property, facilities, equipment, etc.) Today, that has shrunk to just 15% or less, and the rest of value is in intangible assets (ideas, capabilities, intellectual property, etc.) Skills are a key part of organizational value, but very few companies know the skills inside the business well enough to leverage their value. In this interview with Starmind, Ben digs in with Eric Storm to understand how the firm offers employers a way to identify, understand, and leverage the skills of the workforce. To learn more about Starmind, visit http://starmind.ai Also, check out episode 24, which Ben references during the show: https://upstarthr.com/the-secret-to-great-team-performance-may-surprise-you-podcast/ | |||
19 Feb 2021 | 3 Keys to Creating and Becoming a Best Place to Work: Angie Redmon on We're Only Human | 00:26:08 | |
"What different actions can we take going forward? So whether it was an implementation to our benefits plan or whether it was rolling out a new piece to our onboarding process, let's do an analysis at the end... Is there anything that could've made this better? Just one little thing that we could tweak so that we can learn from this." Angie Redmon, striveHR
We're Only Human -- Episode 107
Today there's no shortage of employer award programs. Every magazine, business publication, website, and trade association has a version of these programs, and they all look at different elements of how employers support their people. In today's conversation, Ben talks with Angie Redmon of striveHR about how she works with employers to help them win these awards. As you'll hear in the discussion, this is about more than "teaching to the test." It's about fundamentally changing how you care for and support your people, and the journey towards that end goal is perhaps more important than the end goal itself. In the conversation you'll learn the three critical components that lead to a winning strategy over time. Learn more about Angie and connect with her: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angieredmonbestworkplaceadvisor
Find our episode archive, subscribe options on Spotify, Google, Amazon, and more, and learn more about We're Only Human: http://lhra.io/podcast | |||
23 Sep 2020 | Your Brain on Change Management-Google's Travis Hahler on We're Only Human | 00:49:51 | |
"One of the things that I find most fascinating about using neuroscience in the [change management] work that I do is that there's a lot of really common misconceptions about neuroscience." Travis Hahler, Google We're Only Human - Episode 94 What is neuroscience and why should we be thinking about it as HR and business leaders? Neuroscience is the study of how the brain works, how we make decisions, and what drives our behaviors. If we can understand some of the underlying evidence and contributing factors, we can change behaviors of the people we work with. It sounds easier than it is, but using neuroscience principles to guide these changes can lead to powerful outcomes. In today's discussion, Travis Hahler from Google talks with Ben about some of the elements of brain science that fit into change management and behavior modification. This interview was recorded during the first ever virtual reality conference for HR leaders, the Global HR Summit, in September 2020. Connect with Travis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travisdhahler/ | |||
25 Oct 2023 | Turning Labor Market Insights into Talent Intelligence with Brian Jackson of Southwest Airlines | 00:34:48 | |
So we're looking at how the words are actually formed. When you're hiring for a technology manager, what does that mean? Are you looking for a technical technology manager? Are you looking for someone who grew up in the chops of software development, knows all of the full delivery life cycle, or are you looking for someone who's more project focused? If your job description isn't conveying those skills or that type of clarification in the job description, you're not gonna get the right person. You might get lucky. But when you're hiring at scale, you know you can't do that time and time again. Brian Jackson, Talent Acquisition Consultant, Southwest Airlines We're Only Human -- Episode 166 How can employers use the data from the larger labor market to make decisions on key skills, strategic workforce planning, and other human capital activities? In this episode, Ben talks with Brian Jackson of Southwest Airlines on that exact topic, diving into data sources, how to translate insights, and more. Talent leaders that have considered exploring the new era of talent intelligence will learn Brian's thinking on the topic and how he supports his team with external labor data from beyond the four walls of the organization. Show Notes
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15 Jul 2020 | We're Only Human 86: Working on the HR Tasks that Matter with Amit Parmar | 00:17:43 | |
"What really excites someone to join a company? Why do they stay at the company? Every person you talk to has a different story." Amit Pamar, HR executive at Unisys This conversation happened at IAMPHENOM, one of the last live events prior to the COVID-19 shutdown. In today's episode, Ben interviews Amit Parmar, an HR executive at Unisys, a technology firm with 20,000+ employees. Ben and Amit talk about talent, AI, analytics, digital transformation, and more. The discussion digs into why it doesn't matter if chatbots are AI or not, how personalization creates better experiences for the workforce, and how we can automate the "grunt work" of HR and focus on the strategic work we need to be doing. To connect with Amit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parmar79/ To get the HR Summer School replay: Visit https://www.humanresourcesacademy.org/courses/hr-summer-school-on-demand and use promo code "onlyhuman" at checkout for 20% off for being a podcast listener | |||
04 Oct 2023 | Skills, Potential, and Work Insights from Heidi Perloff of The Estée Lauder Companies | 00:29:28 | |
" I do think that there is so much hidden talent inside our organizations, and we don't even realize it. How do you find that? How do you leverage that? How do you build and develop that? This is what I find so interesting about the skills conversation. Everything that we've just been talking, about the potential and impact for any one of us is huge." Heidi Perloff, SVP, Global HR Strategic Initiatives and Delivery Solutions at The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. We're Only Human - Episode 165 Think about yourself and your work for a moment. Does your job title capture everything you are capable of doing, or does it just highlight a small subset of your skills that make you who you are? In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Heidi Perloff from The Estee Lauder Companies about the importance of knowing our people, understanding our own talents and passions, and how to bring those together in the workplace. Show NotesShow Notes
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05 Jan 2024 | Building a Career in HRIS and HRIT - Insights from the Trenches | 00:21:35 | |
"Like a lot of people, it's something I fell into. I don't think there's anybody out there that woke up and said, "When I grow up, I want to be an HR tech/HRIS person. So I had a background in social work, counseling, and nonprofit, then got into it and then ended up working in an HRIS role implementing a learning management system. That was my first kind of true HRIS and I'd never worked with learning management before. I'd never worked in HR before. So it was a learning experience for me. But since then, I've grown in responsibility and different systems that I've worked with, and I've gotten a lot of experience doing data analytics, people analytics and system support. I just love that blending of technology and people." Tim Whitley, Director of HR Technology, Oklahoma State
We're Only Human -- Episode 168 Everyone knows the core elements of human resources: hiring, training, compliance, payroll... But what about HRIS? What does it take to excel in that type of role, and how do you get into that specific discipline of HR? In this interview with Tim Whitley, the HR Tech Wizard, Ben dives into that background, the transition, and advice Tim might have for others that want to explore the same career path. Show Notes
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13 Mar 2024 | Why HR Should Consider the CEBS Employee Benefits Certification | 00:20:22 | |
"I also enjoy the face to face with employees. And I think I really have chosen this field of benefits, this discipline, because I want to help employees maximize the benefits that are offered to them." Summer Martin, Human Resources Generalist, STRATA-G Solutions We're Only Human -- Episode 174 The episode features a conversation between Ben Eubanks and Summer Martin about Summer's journey in pursuing the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) certification. Summer shares her passion for educating employees on benefits and helping organizations enhance their benefits offerings. She discusses the importance of effective communication in benefits and the value of specialized certifications in HR. The conversation highlights the role of benefits in attracting and retaining talent, as well as the significance of tailoring benefits information to different audiences. Show Notes | |||
10 Jun 2022 | How to Win in the Modern Hiring Environment on We’re Only Human | 00:33:36 | |
"Oftentimes they're looking for a quick fix. But what I will say is those that are doing [hiring] well and really moving the needle are those that are looking at this issue holistically. What is our employment brand in the market? Who are we competing with in our market? How does our total compensation package compete? Do we know how to sell to candidates?" Pam Verhoff, President, Advanced RPO We're Only Human -- Episode 142 Everyone's talking about hiring. And we all want an easy button. In this episode, Pam Verhoff and Tim Oyer of Advanced RPO talk with Ben about their experiences helping clients hire thousands of candidates in recent years, including key practices that lead to success (plus what has and hasn't changed over time). In our research, we see that 8 in 10 hiring leaders say that recruiting has become a business-level priority in the last year. During the discussion, Pam talks about how to elevate that conversation with concrete dialogue and numbers that drive attention, investment, and results. Show Notes Get a copy of the report with the data discussed on today's episode: https://www.advancedrpo.com/top-talent-acquisition-trends-for-2022/
See the show archives, subscribe for free updates, and more: https://lhra.io/podcast | |||
04 Oct 2021 | Leading Organizational Change at Siemens with Manuela Brede on We‘re Only Human | 00:34:14 | |
"No one likes leaving the comfort zone, but change forces you to leave your comfort zone, your known area. That is also an aspect of why it's important to start early because you also need to transport the vision for why you change, why you transform things, because if people don't understand why things are changing and what is the greater strategy, they will find it even harder to change themselves and their behavior." Manuela Brede, Senior Consultant Transformation & Change Management at Siemens We're Only Human -- Episode 128
Changing workplace technology, practices, or almost any factor in the employee experience is guaranteed to create friction. Why? Because humans are inherently drawn to stability. New data from Lighthouse Research & Advisory shows that while all employees don't want remote work, many of those that have it want to keep it. Today's discussion with Manuela Brede of Siemens dives into change, change management, organizational transformation, and more. With a robust background of insights into how human and organizational behavior integrate, listeners will quickly pick up on key ideas to help communicate and reinforce change of all types.
Thank you to the team at IBM for connecting us with Manuela. IBM is doing tremendous work with organizational strategy and transformation for organizations like UnitedHealth Group, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, PayPal, and more. https://www.ibm.com/about/transform-your-work/
Show notes: Listen to our show archives and get free updates on new episodes: https://lhra.io/podcast
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06 Dec 2021 | Stop Avoiding AI and Embrace Human Experiences on We‘re Only Human | 00:34:40 | |
"We collect three to 4 billion talent signals in the platform. That number is so large that if you were to spread it out over each second, it's 30 years of data. It's a crazy large number, but machine learning can look at that and in a millisecond find the patterns that you're looking for and apply it to what you want in a heartbeat." Cliff Jurkiewicz, VP Global Strategy at Phenom
We're Only Human -- Episode 130
Join Phenom's Industry-first AI Day at http://ai.phenom.com
Artificial intelligence is polarizing. It's either going to save us all or destroy life as we know it.
Okay, that's a bit tongue in cheek, but you know what I mean. The headlines paint one picture, but users (especially in HR and recruiting) are seeing incredible value. And that includes not just admins but employees and candidates as well. Put simply, AI can create amazing, personalized experiences . In this episode, Ben speaks with Cliff Jurkiewicz, VP of Global Strategy at Phenom, about the use of AI technology by some notable brands like Southwest Airlines to create better experiences for candidates. In addition, they dive into some of the basics of how AI works. Most importantly, though, they tease the new AI Day that Phenom is hosting on December 9th, 2021. It's a limited seating virtual event with some BIG announcements. You won't want to miss this if you plan on hiring or retaining employees in the coming year.
Thanks for listening to We're Only Human! Check out our show archives and/or subscribe at https://lhra.io/podcast | |||
18 Mar 2021 | Owning HR's Cybersecurity Responsibilities with Erika Lance on We're Only Human | 00:27:18 | |
"I think as HR leaders, one of the biggest things that we have to do is never lose sight of the people." Erika Lance, SVP of People Operations at KnowBe4
We're Only Human -- Episode 110
According to research, organizations face an average cost of over $3 million for a cybersecurity breach. Do we have your attention? In today's episode, Ben talks with Erika Lance of KnowBe4 about the importance of cybersecurity and how HR can play an active role in supporting this critical business issue. At the end of the day, cybersecurity is primarily a people issue more than anything else, and Erika will share tips and strategies for how to make this a priority in your organization. She will also share tips on building better stakeholder relationships with IT and information security teams, which strengthens HR's credibility with the business.
Learn more: Connect with Erika on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikalance/
See our archives and subscribe: http://lhra.io/podcast | |||
12 Jun 2023 | Talent Intelligence is the Future of Hiring | 00:23:02 | |
"If I had to put a bet on the future, where we're headed is about understanding potential future performance and what drives and drains people. I think that's really where I see TA going longer term. We've seen success around using some of that psychometric data to really upskill folks into engineers that wouldn't not necessarily have been on technical paths. So business analysts, old school project managers, and those technical analyst folks... Finding the ones that are really well suited to engineering thought and then upskilling them on the actual technology themselves." Travis Windling, Director Talent Acquisition Strategy & Insights, RBC We're Only Human -- Episode 159 Hiring has changed tremendously in recent years, and one thing is for certain: things haven't settled down yet. As Travis Windling believes, there are going to be big shifts in how employers understand and predict performance for both external and internal candidates. A big part of hiring well is predictability and quality, and unfortunately resumes just don't get the job done there. In this episode Ben and Travis talk about data, analytics, hiring decisions, and more. Show Notes
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12 Feb 2024 | Benefits Broker Turned HR Leader: How to Take Control of Employee Benefits | 00:25:36 | |
"I would be remiss to tell our employees 'you have the power to question your doctors' if I didn't tell HR people 'you have the power to question your consultants and brokers' the exact same way." Melissa Cassidy, Human Resources Leader, Valpak We're Only Human -- Episode 171 In this podcast episode, host Ben Eubanks engages in a conversation with Melissa Cassidy, focusing on the topics of benefits, HR, and employee wellness. They discuss Melissa's background and her experience in the field. Melissa shares the challenges she faced when implementing a new benefit plan and the importance of gathering employee feedback. Moreover, they dig into the strategies they used to educate and support employees in terms of benefits and financial literacy. Key Takeaways:
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15 Jan 2021 | Measuring Productivity in the Modern Workplace: Prodoscore on We're Only Human | 00:26:50 | |
"We can't forget about being human." Tom Moran, Chief Strategy Officer, Prodoscore
We're Only Human -- Episode 102
When workers gathered to work on assembly lines, productivity was easy: you counted the widgets produced per hour. In the modern workplace, it's a much harder proposition. How do you know when knowledge workers are really accomplishing what they need to be? In today's discussion, Ben dives into those questions and more with Tom Moran of Prodoscore. Prodoscore is a productivity intelligence tool designed to help companies understand how the workforce gets things done, who may need help, and where opportunities exist for smarter business practices. Tom shares how Prodoscore helps customers measure individual worker productivity, how the data can serve as a performance coaching tool, and more.
See Prodoscore's ethical pledge: https://www.prodoscore.com/company/#pledge
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28 Aug 2023 | How to Skip 1,500 Interviews and Increase Quality of Hire | 00:32:07 | |
And so that doesn't happen overnight. But over time, as people bought into it and we started to see over the course of one year, we gave the business back 1500 interviews. Imagine the extra time that was available for our product managers. They could do their job, and then when the quality of hire goes up with that, you start to get this [positive] cycle. You've now made a better hire, and because you started with listening, there's a high probability that [they're] gonna be successful and stay longer. Lance Sapera, Former VP Talent Acquisition, Talend We're Only Human -- Episode 164 How do you structure talent acquisition teams to support business growth? Did you know that the best approach isn't to use a very lean team and overwork them? That's the perspective of today's guest, Lance Sapera, who has supported multiple organizations through rapid growth as a talent acquisition executive. The insights he offers are a roadmap to smarter, more effective hiring practices. As the title indicates, Lance shares one change to TA processes that led to 1,500 fewer interviews AND a stronger quality of hire at the same time, which is virtually unheard of. Grab your notepad. This is a great episode and you should have some excellent takeaways. Show Notes
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13 Oct 2022 | This RPO Firm Hires Thousands of People a Year-Here’s How Hiring is Changing | 00:24:20 | |
"What I've seen over the last six to 12 months is that companies are literally craving this information to understand: are they still competitive? Because they've made so many moves, whether it was with pay or benefits, they want to understand where they stack as it relates to their competition." Terry Terhark, Founder and CEO, NXTThing RPO We're Only Human -- Episode 149 If you want to be an Olympian, you'd look at what Olympians do and learn from their approach. If you want to achieve that same world-class level of success in hiring, you should look at what world-class organizations are doing in hiring. NXTThing RPO is a recruitment process outsourcing partner for innovative companies that desire support in their hiring operations. The leader of NXTThing is Terry Terhark, a veritable legend in the RPO industry and a wealth of information about what creates successful hiring outcomes. In today's discussion, Ben talks with Terry about how hiring is evolving, what's next for the economy, and how cultural alignment between employers and service providers plays a role in success of outsourcing relationships. Show Notes
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21 Mar 2022 | Psychological Safety, Resilience, and Work with Dr. Allessandria Polizzi | 00:20:52 | |
"We're talking ISO 45003 that I highly recommend people look at . Or you can talk to people like me who can break it down into regular language. Those three components of psychological health and safety, which are the structure, the environment and the expectations of behavior." Dr. Allessandria Polizzi We're Only Human -- Episode 137 In the workplace today, one of the common phrases that gets thrown around a lot is "psychological safety." But what is it, and how does it fit into the bigger conversation about resilience at work? In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Allessandria Polizzi about this intersection, exploring practical ways to bring this from idea to reality. While it's easy to feel like these elements are "soft" or unimportant in the bigger scheme of things, they are emerging as critical leadership skills. Listen in to dive into concepts like self compassion, organizational dysfunction, and more. If you enjoy this episode, you'll probably also like our talk with Faye Ekong from RavelWorks Africa on how to diagnose culture issues within the business. Show Notes Connect with Allessandria on LinkedIn Check out the show archives, sign up for updates, and more | |||
12 Nov 2020 | How to Drive Business Innovation from Within HR on We're Only Human | 00:32:24 | |
"Human resources is ripe for innovation right now. Innovation is definitely a place of great opportunity within human capital. We should be constantly looking out for how we can leverage what others have done in other areas and apply it to human resources functions." Karin Wagner, Senior Director of Talent Transformation at UnitedHealth Group We're Only Human -- Episode 98 If you've ever wondered why HR seems to struggle with innovation, you're not alone.
In today's discussion with Karin Wagner, Senior Director of Talent Transformation at UnitedHealth Group, Ben and Karin talk about how this process works and Karin opens her playbook on how to build relationship capital in authentic ways, what it takes to go from idea to execution, and more. Karin is incredibly insightful and you don't want to miss her ideas in this special episode.
To learn more about IBM Talent Transformation Services:http://ibm.biz/talentacquisition Connect with Karin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-wagner-b26500 | |||
09 Mar 2022 | The Business and Human Value of Organizational Transformation | 00:30:17 | |
If we want to transform and do things differently, we always have a big "why." We have a purpose we are going after. When I think about transformation, I say, how would you make a preferred way of working which will create delightful experiences for people at the center of that change? Shalu Manan, HR Transformation Strategist We're Only Human -- Episode 136 Change is inevitable, but there is a right and a wrong way we can present and represent change as HR leaders. In today's episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Shalu Manan, an HR Transformation Strategist working at Genpact. Shalu shares her personal stories of leading through change, identifying value points for the business, and driving positive experience for the workforce. If you work for a business that is facing change on any scale (and we all do!), then this episode is going to give you the ideas, insights, and inspiration that you need to see it through.
Show Notes Connect with Shalu on LinkedIn See our show archives and get notified about new episodes | |||
22 Oct 2020 | How Do I Support a Remote Work Culture? A Q&A Episode on We're Only Human | 00:25:05 | |
"My company is going remote because of COVID. How do I transition our culture over?" We're Only Human -- Episode 97 In today's episode, Ben takes three audience questions:
We are trying out this Q&A series and would love to hear your feedback! Let us know if you enjoy it or if you want to ask your own question. Just send it to questions@upstarthr.com or record a short voice question anonymously at http://upstarthr.com/question Quote for today's episode by Kahlil Gibran: Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy. For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man's hunger. And if you grudge the crushing of the grapes, your grudge distils a poison in the wine. And if you sing though as angels, and love not the singing, you muffle man's ears to the voices of the day and the voices of the night. |