The HR Hub (Andrea Adams)

What are some examples and pitfalls of incentive compensation? And how  do you get incentive compensation right?  Communication, referring to  your compensation philosophy, and letting your bonus program fulfill its  purpose are just some of the things we discuss in this episode.    

There are definitely incentive compensation challenges to avoid too,  which we also discuss like favouritism and allowing the incentive to,  psychologically, become base pay in the minds of employees.  David Pan  is a Director of Global Compensation and Analytics and has so much to  share!

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

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

In this episode, I discuss:

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

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

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

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

🛠️ Finally, I discuss how to avoid compliance problems.

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

Reorgs can seem like a painful exercise.  And in some cases they might be.   What can HR do to make sure they go right?  What should we avoid?  I  talk to Don Adams about the good, the bad, and HR's role. 

Will it make a difference if you can say "time-to-hire has improved 2.5%  compared to this time last year"?  Of course we can create more complex  or creative metrics like  'retention rate per manager' or 'HR cost per  employee'.  Still... are they really helpful?  

The thing is, metrics measure the past. We track these things to make  sure we are efficient and accountable.  They rarely tell us about the  strategic things we should be doing.    

This is what I spoke with David Simmonds about.  He is the Chairman of  HCM Metrics and an early supporter of the HR ISO standard.  I didn't  even know there was an ISO standard for HR!    

∞ With a decent HRIS you could measure a million things.  How do you  pick?   🤔 The ISO standards will provide insight on what you should measure.    🥱 While I am a bit tired of the expression 'a seat at the table', it  still had meaning and HR data plays a big role in getting and staying  there.  We have a wealth of data.  Are we using it to track the past or  provide useful insight into business problems and solutions?   🗣 We need to speak their language. See it from the perspective of  business problems.  

Find David on LinkedIn or at https://www.hcmmetrics.co.uk/  

Find Andrea for consulting support in Canada at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Soft skills is a misnomer.  These skills are so critical to your success  that 'power skills' is far more appropriate.    

The concept adds a lot of value to our careers in HR as well as the work  we do! Focusing on the right power skills can help us create more  effective organizations through skills development, identify the right  high potential employees and create meaningful training programs.   

Susie Tomenchok teaches a course on power skills with the  Intrapreneurship Academy. I have seen other iterations of 'power skills'  but I think Susie is onto something with the ones she includes in her  course.  They are:   

1. Lead with your strengths. 

2. Take the time to clarify your purpose, vision, and values. 

3. Take control of how you are perceived. 

4. Corporate politics isn’t about manipulation. 

5. Don’t be afraid of feedback, both giving and receiving. 

6. Self-advocacy is essential to achieving goals. 

7. Building a strong network makes you a valuable resource.  

Few of us are good at most or all of these... imagine what would happen  if you were!

What is organizational restructuring and how should we go about it?  Maybe it is driven by a merger or financial loss, but now what? Should  we reorganize a part of the organization or force everyone to deal with  the change equally? Jim Utley offers tips on this and when to involve  more people.

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

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

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

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

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

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

💥 Dangerous trust-breaking behaviors to avoid at all costs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can find me andrea@thehrhub.ca

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

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

Engaging hybrid teams is hard, so recognize them! We miss the unplanned  meetings, jokes, and smiles. But EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION can definitely  help.  And the good news: it's cheap, easy and something most of us instinctively understand. It improves morale and builds the connective  tissue that keeps us working well together.    

Sarah McVanel is a recognition expert, author, keynote speaker and more.   

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmcvanel/  

Her website: https://greatnessmagnified.com/ 

Cool, free stuff:  https://greatnessmagnified.com/cool-stuff/ 

Sarah's Courses including 'Retain Top Talent: How to Build a Recognition Program That Makes People Stay': https://greatness-magnified.newzenler.com/courses

Does your organization and HR department REALLY want the best candidates  or is it just words?    SHOULD recruitment and selection be in human  resource management at all???  

HR tends to be put junior people in recruitment who don't like it and leave as soon as possible.  So recruiters aren't developing the skillsets they really need to be effective recruiters.  Their most  important role is to connect with potential candidates and work with  hiring managers to understand the organization.  

Too often HR doesn't provide the budget that good recruitment needs.   AND, as Serge Boudreau says, good recruiters should act more like sales  and marketing people than your typical HR person.  

There's a lot to learn from Serge's perspective on recruitment  that challenges our preconceived notions of recruitment's place in  organizations.  Many HR departments can certainly do better.

Find Serge on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/serge-boudreau-861b267/ 

The Recruitment Flex:  https://www.therecruitmentflex.com/podcast

I have been to sooooo many presentations where the presenter says "and this will increase retention!!!" as a selling feature for their product or initiative. But will it? Actually, it might if it improves management quality. This was the main point of my conversation with Cara Silletto, Chief Retention Officer of Magnet Culture. She wrote a book called "Staying Power" and helps companies address retention. She said: 🤑 Too many leaders conveniently attribute employee departures to the character flaws of their employees: "They just want a buck more an hour!" Sorry. Not true. Their own behaviour has a much bigger impact than they want to believe. 👂 Leaders need to listen to their employees. Ask questions and don't defend. ✈️ Your new employees have the highest flight risk especially in low-pay positions. Retention efforts here may have a big impact! 🗑️ TRY not to give new employees the crap work and crap equipment.

Find Cara at https://www.magnetculture.com/ Find Andrea for HR consulting in Western Canada at www.thehrhub.ca

WCB Claims. Did you know you should prepare (not just avoid or respond)?   

Organizations implement elaborate OH&S policies to avoid injuries  and then, when someone is injured we do things to respond.  But we should also be PREPARED for workplace injuries so that we can act  quickly to mitigate the financial impact to the organization.    

What does preparation involve?  Well, things like having reporting  processes in place, a plan to support employees, and modified work  ready.  This episode was particularly interesting for the compelling  insight into WHY you should do all of this.  @Kessie Stevens is a WCB  and safety expert.  

Kessie Stevens, Artis Solutions https://www.artissolutions.ca/

Learning and development is, obviously, not all about training.  But you might think they do a lot more than they do.  This is a overview of all of  L&D with many useful tips for seasoned HR professionals in addition  to those with a specific interest.  

Irina Ketkin is an L&D professional who teaches Udemy courses on the  subject and has a YouTube channel as well - the L&D Academy.    This video covers a more accurate view of L&D with some tips you ,  the keys to L&D success and, my favourite, some of the adult  learning principles.  I will be applying her tips in the the future and  some are sure to resonate with you:  

- Only 10% of learning occurs in training (this is not an adult learning  principle, but still useful!)  

- Adults are focused on achieving goals when they attend training  

- Adults use their life experiences to help them learn and remember  

- Adults are more self-directed in their learning  

- Adults like to have choice in how they learn  These few tips will help me improve future training.  They'll probably  help you too!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Find Tim at https://timborys.com/

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

HR support for a remote workforce is not the same as an office. What  about culture? Engagement?  Managing poor performers? HR will have a key  role in creating an effective remote/hybrid workplace.  It's also an  opportunity to create a more flexible work environment for employees  which can increase engagement and retention.    

I talk to Dr. Laura Hambley-Lovett  who has been studying remote/hybrid work for over 15 years! She has a lot to share including some of the following sources of better information:

Dr. Hambley-Lovett's podcast 'Where Work Meets Life': https://drlaura.live/ 

Humance: https://humance.ca/ 

Work EvOHlution:  https://www.workevohlution.com/ 

Global Workplace Analytics: https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/ 

SIOP https://www.siop.org/Research-Publications/SIOP-White-Papers 

Dr. Tom O'Neill https://psyc.ucalgary.ca/itplab/

It's very hard to predict if a person will succeed after they've been promoted.   Sorry but your awesome interview, or the opinion of someone's manager is not reliable.  Fortunately there is a more  effective alternative!

Psychometric testing may be one of the most valid and reliable tools to  assess employees potential.  The only down side is you need a  psychologist to do it.   I spoke with Marina Kolesnikova of Stefan, Fraser and Associates about  how to make the best use of psychometric testing.  She has a PhD in  psychology and has worked in the field a long time.

This interview was as fascinating as the last one a few weeks ago.  Some  of the revelations:   🗣 They are used as expert witnesses at arbitration.   👺You are not going to identify dark side personalities in an interview.  😬 Psychometric testing can help someone strategically understand where  they need to develop and selectively go outside their comfort zone  (rather than going outside your comfort zone in areas that won't be that  useful).  

Getting the right person is so important. Psychometrics isn't perfect  but it is makes science out of what might otherwise be an art.

Find Marina at https://stefanfraser.com/  

Find Andrea at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Improving the employee experience can be done in 5 steps. I didn't say easy - but it also isn't that hard considering that step 1 is simply to CARE. I interviewed Prem Bhatia from Cooleaf this week. He's the cofounder of a platform designed around improving the employee experience (EX) and they live and breathe it. He said: 1️⃣ Recognition has an outsized impact on employee engagement. So don't forget that piece - it can go a long way for relatively little cost. 2️⃣ As I said at the beginning of this, you need to truly care. It's not something that will work if you're half-hearted. 3️⃣ Tech can help. EX is ultimately a totally human thing, but tech can improve communication, integrate platforms, and just make it easier. 4️⃣ It's good business: Beyond the inherent value of caring for our employees, investing in the employee experience is also a smart business move. Research consistently shows that organizations with highly engaged employees outperform their competitors.

Find Prem at Cooleaf www.cooleaf.com Find Andrea for HR consulting at www.thehrhub.ca

Project management in HRM?  It could be so useful RIGHT?  We implement  systems, policies, and programs in response to business needs and  legislative changes.  Having done project management myself, I know how  helpful it can be.  Other guests on the show have also said that it's  important!   

Steve Lemmex is a project management professional who has had a long  career in project management.  He is familiar with bosses who think you  should be able to do it for free in 2 weeks.  Or those organizations  that overdo project management - as well as those that underdo it.  He  teaches courses to HR professionals and others and shares some of his  knowledge.

Lemmex Williams Training https://www.lemmexwilliams.com/  

Project Management Institute https://www.pmi.org

Hi HR. Are you tired of making presentations, only to feel like you did everything right but it still fell flat? And you don't know what you did! Ugh! This is part of what I went to find when I did this interview. In our discussion, we dive deep into the key pieces that truly elevate your presentation game. Brenden Kumarasamy was my partner in this discussion. He has his own youtube channel called MasterTalk on public speaking. He says: 🎙️ Practice the parts that matter. And you'll be surprised by what that is. 🎯 Focus on the presentation that matter - you don't need to practice all of them. 📊 Slide decks aren't in - or out! 🚀 Practice will a solid start which creates momentum in the moment! Whether you're a seasoned speaker or just starting out, these insights will transform your approach to presentations.

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

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

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

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

Some of his insights about business strategy:

4️⃣ Business strategy has 4 pieces.

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

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

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

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

Is it your first time in a leadership role or are you thinking about it?   In this video you will get practical insight and tips from someone who  is studying leadership. You won't just learn things in this video, you  might FEEL better about your leadership style and your journey.  Because  leadership is a journey.    

Ryan Rex has been an HR Director and is doing a doctorate in leadership.   He says we all have characteristics that aren't ideal in every  leadership situation - it's important to be self-aware.  Are you aware  of your own leadership drivers?  While also mindful of the well-being  and effectiveness of the people on your team?  Do you know what your  leadership philosophy is?  This was such an informative conversation for  those considering leadership roles - or already in one.

https://www.cros.ca/

Recognition is a cheap and powerful tool to drive a positive culture, the employee AND customer experience, and a true sense of connection between employees and with the organization. Yet we don't do it or we don't do  it well.    

Organizations create expensive rewards programs meant to recognize  employees. But, let's be clear, long service awards don't do a lot to  motivate great employee performance.    So how do we do it better?  

That was the subject of this week's  interview with Sarah McVanel - recognition expert!  Well, of course she  has thoughts:  😾 Everyone does something well.  Don't avoid recognizing someone  because there's an aspect of their personality you dislike.  😩 Along the same lines, you'll find something positive to recognize  even in persistent complainers.   🤩 When the same people do the recognition and the same people get  recognized all the time... your program is failing.   🟢 It's everyone's job to participate in recognition not just the  leader.

Find Sarah at greatnessmagnified.com  

Find Andrea just to connect or for HR Consulting support (Western  Canada) via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

What are the collective bargaining basics?  Some things covered in this  video include the steps in bargaining, bargaining in good faith,  communication during bargaining (what's allowed and how to do it), the  roles that are 'at the table' and why it's an attractive thing to do -  if you can handle the late nights and pressure!   

Jody Fraser has negotiated many collective agreements and sits on the  Alberta Labour Relations Board.  She shares some of her experience with us.

Leadership theories abound.  Can you make sense of them?  Regardless, how do we apply those theories about leadership in HRM? 

In this video we talk about transformational leadership theory, which is (as I learned) the most common leadership  theory.  Knowing more about leadership in your organization can help you  become a leader, but it can also change how you deliver HR service and  support.  

Ryan Rex has been an HR leader and director.  He is currently in the midst of his doctorate studying transformational leadership and makes sense of it for us.

Ryan's organization: https://www.cros.ca/

What is organizational coaching in an HR context?  We often describe  ourselves as coaching our clients but are we?  Maybe we are just  providing instruction or giving advice.  With a better understanding of  coaching and training we can use this powerful method of enabling our  clients and making the organization better one leader or employee at a  time.

Susan discusses the International Coaching Federation: https://coachingfederation.org/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He takes a financial view on HR:

- HR needs a standard measure and he argues for eNPS. Really nothing is going to be perfect, so why not eNPS?

- eNPS is the collective answer to the question: On a scale of1-10, how likely are you to recommend your place of work to a friend or colleague?

- The point is: if you can move eNPS a quartile up, you will add between $10 and $25,000 EBITDA PER EMPLOYEE!

- Psychological safety plays a huge role in eNPS and he has a methodology for driving it.

- The key is better conversations not magic.

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

Do yourself a favour and tune in!

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

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

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

Find Andrea https://thehrhub.ca/

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

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

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

1. 🌎 Understand the various visa categories and their qualifications: TN, L1, E2, O1, H1B.

2. ⏱️ You need to plan ahead with foreign recruitment, but sometimes maybe not as long as you thought.

3. 📚 For anything other than hiring a Canadian, you may want to secure an immigration lawyer. And maybe even with hiring Canadians.

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

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

Should you conduct reference checks in recruitment process?  Yes or no?   This is just one element of the recruitment debates! Some other  aspects of the debate: behavioural interviewing or something else?  Sourcing or Posting?  Internal or external recruiters?    

There seem to be quite a few opinions around recruitment so I ask two  experts.  Kim Wilkinson is an external recruiter with her own company,  Verve Recruitment Group and Pascal Theriault has, so far, worked as an  internal recruiter.   These are all the things we talk about in this episode and more.  It's  also the first episode with more than one guest! Admittedly it was more  fun. I might have to do it again.

Kim Wilkinson: https://www.ververecruitmentgroup.com/ 

Find Pascal Theriault on LinkedIn!

Implementing an HRIS is a big endeavour which could garner you much  support and credibility in the organization.  Or it could do the  opposite.  Let's try to make sure you it helps your career?!

Phil Strazzulla helps advance HR by sharing information about HR tech on  his site, Select Software, and he gives all his advice to us for free!!  And it's pretty darn good advice.  Frankly, it applies to a lot more  than just HRIS implementation.  

🤬 Just about everyone uses the HRIS, so everyone is likely to have an  opinion about what they like and hate.    

🙉 Related to the above point: don't just talk to people in HR.  

⁉️ Phil thinks a gut check is a decent measure. Just back it up with  some facts.   

📈 Measure the financial impact - but some of the softer things too!   And, don't measure too many things.  

🥳 Throughout the process... blow your own horn.  Tell them how hard you  worked and all the ways you considered their input.  This will impact  adoption and approval rates.  See the video below.  

You can get support material for just about all of this on his website.   It's pretty great.  Take a listen and you'll understand why I think so.

Find Phil at https://www.selectsoftwarereviews.com/

Find Andrea at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Do you have large workplace conflict to resolve? Maybe an employee was  brought back to work after a contentious disciplinary process.  Maybe  two groups have lost respect for each other and seek to undermine each  other's work.    Whatever the conflict, workplace restoration is a process for bringing  harmony back to the workplace.  It is not mediation, training or  facilitation although all of that may be a part of it.  Michelle Phaneuf  talks about the process and how how it can make a difference in  conflict-ridden workplaces.

Michelle's website: https://workplacefairnesswest.ca/

What is the employee experience (EX)?  Why is this an important idea in  HR?  Employers can use the EX to achieve their business goals while  making the workplace a better place to be.  It's related to culture and  engagement. It will help employees be happier but, of course, not  perfectly.    Gil Cohen has built his career around the employee experience and shares  his insights with us.

http://www.employeeexperience.ca/

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

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

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

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

- All motivation is valid, but you have to know what yours are.

- Maybe you want to climb the ladder, but maybe you want something else as well. There may be trade-offs.

- He resists the idea of work life balance because it's limiting, a zero-sum game. For him it's 'work-life integration' and it enables more possibilities.

- Passion is important. Think about what Tiger Woods said in his prime "I'm not the best golfer in the world because I have the most talent. I'm the best golfer in the world because I practice the most." It would be hard to 'practice the most' without passion.

It was wonderful conversation full of good stories and good advice

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

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

Find Corina at shiftpd.com

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

Privacy in the workplace is a matter of legislation, common law, and  policy.  Some aspects of privacy in the Canadian context are set out in  legislation - and it can be a wide variety of legislation. BC, Alberta,  Quebec and federally regulated businesses are subject to specific  privacy legislation, but the rest of the provinces and territories rely  on common law. Then there is employee privacy expectations which can be  greatly impact by employer policy.  How do you make sense of it?   

Gayle Wadden speaks to us about this.  She is the cofounder of  Compliance Works which is software helping employers stay up-to-date on  their compliance obligations.  One key area is privacy.

Gayle Wadden and Compliance Works https://complianceworks.ca/

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

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

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

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

- As we discussed in a separate video, toxicity is an easy label, but rarely describes actual behaviour.

- You are not without power even as an HR advisor.

- You can change things, but need to think strategically.

- Toxicity has its roots in culture. Focusing on anything else will be a bandaid fix.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World

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

This episode is for those people who want to do a better job of managing  your boss. How do you that without being manipulative?  How do you  demonstrate your value? Susan McGuire has been a leader for a long time  and talks about how that has looked for her both as a leader and as an  employee.   And there a bonus discussion about HR demonstrating its value to the organization!

Authenticity (and integrity) are hot topics.  Integrity is a key value  for at least half of the Fortune 500 companies.  So how do you define  each AND how can you create organizations where authenticity and  integrity can flourish?   

Mike Horne has written a book on the topic. He shares his understanding  of these topics, how they are related and other insights for HR.   These  include how to work towards organizations that support both  authenticity and integrity and how HR will be different if WE practice  it!

Mike Horne www.mike-horne.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

🥇Top tip: plan around building social connection.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

☁️ The AI sky might fall on HR!

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

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

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

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

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

Find Megan on LinkedIn

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

Find Andrea for consulting in Western Canada at thehrhub.ca

What is people analytics and how is it different than what HR has always  done?  

I looked at my 4-year old HR textbook and people analytics was not  mentioned anywhere (nor was 'workforce analytics' or just 'analytics').  My guest, Allen Hornung, thinks this is because it is a quickly emerging  element of HR.   

This episode goes into the basics of people analytics - what it is and  how it differs from the activities we are more accustomed to.  There is  so much power for insights and decision-making in this work! Check it  out!

Allen mentioned these resources:  

Excellence in Analytics by David Green and Jonathan Ferrar: https://www.amazon.ca/Excellence-People-Analytics-Workforce-Business/dp/1789661188  

Coursera: https://www.coursera.org/ 

Udemy: www.udemy.com

Compliance in HR is simple right? We have to obey the laws.  It's easy!   

But of course it's not easy: where do you find the relevant legislation  (and regulations) and then make sure you have seen all the parts that  matter to you?  

Gayle Wadden is a lawyer and the Chief Compliance Officer for Compliance  Works. We talked in general about compliance in Canada because we have a  lot to concern ourselves with:    OH&S,    Labour Relations,    Privacy,    Human Rights,    Employment Standards,    Pay Equity,   and  Accessibility.  She explains how to find what you might need and what it would really  take to stay on top of it all.

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

Employment Lawyer: How are you accommodating them?  

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

Employment Lawyer: 😐  

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

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

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

How long does it take you to bounce back after some failure?  Do you  stay sad and ruminate for a long time or dust yourself off, incorporate  some lessons and keep going?  The latter is resilience and it's pretty  obvious that it would be helpful.

I was also curious about the origins of resilience. Is it something we  develop in childhood or is it something we can learn as adults?  And,  for HR, how can we help our workforces become more resilient so, that  when individuals or teams fail, they learn and keep going?  This is what  this episode was about.

Roxanne Derhodge is a psychotherapist, mental health and wellness expert, keynote speaker, podcast host and more. Find her at https://roxannederhodge.com/  

Find me (Andrea) for HR consulting support in western Canada at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

The cliche (probably true) is that most of us are terrified of public speaking. This is likely true in HR too and yet the skill will increase our effectiveness, improve support for our work and help us advance. But how? And how can we avoid the same tired tips we were taught inhighschool? Enter Brenden Kumarasamy. He has a his own YT channel called MasterTalk and, at a relatively young age, is a public speaking coach! I see why (and need to take a lot of his suggestions to heart). 🗣️ He shares three impactful exercises that, with consistent practice, would significantly enhance your skills. They will definitely help me. 😈 I tested Brenden's skill and he totally delivered! 🌟 Talent is not a prerequisite for success. It helps, but practicewill help most of us far more. 🙏 He avoided all the tired public speaking cliches like "picture your audience naked" and "speak clearly" and "tell a story". Although we did talk about telling stories. Don't miss out on this opportunity to transform your public speaking skills and make an impact at your next presentation! Check this out!

Find Brenden at his youtube channel MasterTalk. He offers free workshops at rockstarcommunicator.com. Find Andrea at thehrhub.ca for HR consulting in Western Canada.

Bullying and harassment are thrown about and sometimes as jokes - but  what do those words really mean?  How do you know if some behaviour  really is bullying or harassment in the workplace?  What if you are in  HR and it's your job to investigate!!?  

A bully is not someone who is miserable.  A bully is someone who is nice  to some people but picks on an individual or group with the intent of  undermining their dignity at work.  A more complete definition is in the  episode.  

Denise Koster has been working in this area most of her career as a  member of the union, management, and now her own consulting business.   She wrote a book about bullying and harassment - the link is below.

Denise Koster, CEO Koster Consulting & Associates http://www.kosterconsultingassociates.com/  

Denise's Book: Refusing to Accept the Unacceptable https://www.amazon.ca/Refusing-Accept-Unacceptable-Tribulations-Harassment/dp/1777079500/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=bullying+and+harassment+koster&qid=1630356945&sr=8-2

Surveying employees before or just after a merger or acquisition could  change how you manage the people.  There are two aspects to explore: the  deal itself and the similarities and differences between the two  workplace cultures that are being brought together.  Are the cultures  more similar or less?  Do you need to  protect the culture of the  company being acquired? Because maybe the culture is why it is  effective.    

These surveys may also help with merger and acquisition communications.  Do you know what employees are concerned about?  Not really? Survey  them.

Adam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamzuckermanphd/

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

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

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

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

Dimple explained:

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

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

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

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

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

Find Dimple at Roots in the Clouds: https://www.rootsintheclouds.com/ Her book, Tell Me My Story: https://www.amazon.ca/Tell-Me-Story-Challenging-Narrative/dp/B0CN3TYYP7 Find Andrea at https://thehrhub.ca/

Are you thinking about designing an onboarding process for your company?   Or you are revamping your orientation program?  I talk to Bev Somers  who consults to small business about the onboarding she designs for clients.  

Most importantly what are we striving for in an onboarding process?  Bev  looks for opportunities to WOW new employees and make sure they feel   like moving to the organization was the right thing to do.

Bev Somers, Principal Consultant, SMART Human Resource Solutions Inc. http://www.smarthrsolutions.ca/

We don't all know how to use job boards properly. Frankly, everyone has  jobs advertised so I wasn't even sure what made a job board.   

Steve Rothberg answered all my questions and the ones I didn't know I  had! He's founder of College Recruiter and host of the High Volume  Hiring Podcast.    

🔢 First he clarified job boards: job boards have jobs from multiple  employers.   

📑 There's thousands of job boards because they are so easy to create.   Word Press even has a job board template.   

🤔 If you want to figure out which job boards you should post on: Google  it.    

1️⃣ Recruiters tend to use too few job boards.  

5️⃣ The optimal number of job to apply to?  5.  Just FIVE.  

Probably the most important advice was that job seekers hide behind  their screens and use too many job boards. He says you shouldn't do  that.  Find those few jobs and companies you want to work for and then  network and learn as much as you can.  So much good stuff in this!

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

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

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

- It is important to start with ground rules.

- Humans are emotional creatures. There are stages a group goes through and you can't skip the step in which they talk about their emotions.

- If your client wants you to get the group to 'come up with the right answer themselves' beware. This is as much manipulation as facilitation.

- Robin has many HR people in her classes because we know we need the skill but didn't learn it in university.

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

https://ica-associates.ca/

https://www.parsonsdialogue.com/

https://thehrhub.ca

What happens when there is a threat of violence at work?  Hopefully you  are prepared to do a threat assessment in the workplace.    

This is a concept that our American neighbours might be more familiar with; however Canadians are not immune.  Furthermore, we practice and  are prepared for the possibility of a fire, why not violence as well?    

There are a number of steps and training involved in conducting threat assessments.  One of the first is to establish a team and process so  that subjective judgments like "Oh I know that person.  They wouldn't do that"  do not drive your response.  Do you really know what someone  would do under extreme stress?  

I talk with Denise Koster of Koster Consulting and Associates about  this.  She has been trained to do threat assessments and shares some of  her knowledge with us.  Here of some of the resources she shares as well:

• Koster Consulting & Associates: kosterconsultingassociates.com/home 
• MOSAIC: mosaicmethod.com 
• Canadian Association of Threat Assessment Professionals: catap.ca 
• Association of Threat Assessment Professionals: atapworldwide.org 
• Advanced Threat Assessment Academy: training.gdba.com

How to grow in your HR career?  Think laterally not just vertically!  Take ownership! Know your values.  Run when you aren't respected.  These  are just some of the tips from this episode.   Steve Brierley has been in HR for a 20+ years and has done many HR  things.  He has also thought about it a lot and coached HR  professionals. I honestly wish I had had this conversation years ago.   Let me know what you think!

The Power of Purpose by Richard J. Leider  

https://www.amazon.ca/Power-Purpose-Meaning-Longer-Better/dp/1626566364  

Discover Your True North by Bill George  

https://www.amazon.ca/Discover-Your-True-North-George/dp/1119082943/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=True+North&qid=1624332341&s=books&sr=1-1

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

In this video we talk about equity, diversity and inclusion in the  workplace with an HR lens.  Sometimes HR is tasked with this - but is  that the right approach?  Marcie Hawranik of Canadian Equality  Consulting says HR plays a critical role and can help get it set up  right including ensuring leadership from the top and accountability -  but then make sure that the organization knows and accepts that it's  their responsibility as well.

Canadian Equality Consulting: https://canadianequality.ca/ 

(Ex)clusion Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ex-clusion/id1468598869

Whether you are in Alberta or not, you likely have a human resources association working to advance the profession.  CPHR Alberta works to advance the HR profession in Alberta.  Rod Miller,  the President and CEO of CPHR Alberta, talks about what the  organization is focused on and where our profession is headed. https://www.cphrab.ca/

What goes into collective bargaining preparation?  Lots - and a lot  sooner than you might think.  We talk about what 'collective bargaining'  means, the steps in preparing for bargaining, who is on the bargaining  team, preparing proposals and more.  

I speak with Jody Fraser who is a Director of Labour Relations and has  negotiated many agreements.  She describes two main types of bargaining:  traditional and interest-based bargaining.  She also talks about  generational bargaining and implementation.  This episode is packed with  information!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A few things I noted:

- A lot of what she talks about aligns with what we know of engagement - but not all.

- The most intriguing part for me was about hope. Why don't we talk about hope at work more often? It makes total sense.

- We need employee creativity and ideas. So working them to burnout is not the answer.

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

Find Beverly at Work Smart Live Smart

https://worksmartlivesmart.com/

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

In HR we deal with many upset people. Perhaps it's not daily but it's  pretty frequent.  This video will give you some tips on how to deal with  situations like:  

"My leader is an a**hole... RIGHT?"  

You: "Look at my nice presentation about [policy]."    Employee: "We don't want to talk about that, let me tell you about  🧨!" 

"My compensation is so unfair compared to..."   

As HR we need to deal with the issue, but we also need to arm ourselves  to deal with the situation professionally and bring back some calm.  As  Roxanne Derhodge points out when people are emotionally worked up, they  stop using the reasoning brain.  EVERYONE knows what I'm talking about  because it happens to all of us.    

Roxanne is registered psychotherapist, corporate consultant, keynote  speaker, trainer and author.  She has her own podcast called Authentic  Living with Roxanne.

https://roxannederhodge.com

https://roxannederhodge.com/quiz/

https://roxannederhodge.com/chat/

How can you go about managing the cost of benefits in your organization?  This and making the most of what you spend on benefits were the focus  of this episode.  Because employee benefits are not cheap!   

Shannon Hughes is a benefits broker and helps her clients get complete  benefits packages that meet their needs.   Find Shannon at https://www.captivatebenefits.com/

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

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

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

🎯 She thinks strategy when someone says 'tactics'

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

💡 Use whatever data you have even if its limited!

🔄 Think about alignment. Deep alignment.

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

Find Britni and stokefire.com or on LinkedIn

Find Andrea for consulting in Western Canada at thehrhub.ca

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

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

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

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

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

🔍 You wlll weather difficult storms if you have organizational alignment

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

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

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

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

Want to become a CPHR?  Listen up.  

I intended to talk to Erica Blain about the new CPHR competencies. We  talked about that and then everything else related to becoming a CPHR.    Erica is the Director of Professional Standards and Registrar at CPHRAB.  We reviewed the revised competencies that were published a year ago  AND: 

 - What's changed in the NKE  

- What it means to the experience validation assessment (EVA)  

- Maintaining your CPHR status once you have it  

- What qualifies as 'certified professional development'  

- CPD credits  - Getting your SHRM too!

Check out your provincial association for more information!  Find me at www.thehrhub.ca.

Let's talk about handling those "difficult" employees we encounter at work. You know, the ones who seem to make our lives a bit more 'interesting'? 😅 We're supposed to be giving advice in HR, but sometimes it's hard for us to know! I spoke with Emily Lord, Senior HR Consultant with HR West. She is a master of reframing (not spinning) and handling people with decency. She recognizes these are tough and says: 1️⃣ Oops! Mis's Happen: Miscommunications. Mistakes. Misunderstandings. Watch for them and don't be afraid to acknowledge them! 2️⃣ Shine a Light on Blind Spots: Ever had a team member genuinely miss a problem? This is when performance management is most likely to work well. 3️⃣ Reflecting on Leadership: Sometimes it's not the employee and we have to walk a fine line in HR. 4️⃣ Don't Wait, Take the Plunge: Procrastination won't solve anything, my friends. Don't let probation pass knowing there's a problem to solve!

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

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

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

In this episode, Kate shares her insights on:

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

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

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

📚 Resources to help.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So don't do an HR audit if you think anything less than an A+ is failure. We don't assign grades, but an absence of suggestions leave no opportunity for growth. I suppose you might want an A+ for the purposes of a certification, but that's not what I explored this week with Elissa Lok. Elissa has one of the most diverse skillsets of any HR person I know. She is an HR Consultant with HR Wests, a facilitator of Spacemakers and a trainer. She also does audits. She says: 🤭 Don't be embarassed! We all have our own journeys including our HR functions... It's an opportunity to learn and get a sense of priorities. 🤷🏻‍♀️ You won't make decision in an HR audit. It's really just a summary of risks, opportunities and strengths. 🛞 You can structure it following the employee lifecycle. From recruitment to departures. ≠ A large sophisticated business will not get the same audit as a small business. We are all trying to improve, but obviously starting in different places.

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

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

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

For example:

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

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

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

❣️ Ultimately, individuals and organizations have to change together.

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

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

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

Centre for Evidence Based Management cebma.org Evidence-Based Managment by Eric Barends and Denise Rousseau Corporate Research Forum crforum.co.uk Conference Board conference-board.org

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

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

There's been a lot of talk lately about psychological health and safety  in the workplace. Does that mean we have to be nice all the time? What  about underperformers?  Well, there are guidelines - in Canada it's from  the Mental Health Commission of Canada.  They have identified what  factors will exist in a psychologically healthy and safe workplace.  Michelle Phaneuf is an expert on this topic as well as conflict and we  explore these topics!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is trending in employee benefits that HR folks need to be watching?  A few things and the fact that there are trends is a change from ten years ago! 

This whole episode was really interesting because,  even if you are not in benefits, it gives you insight into changing  employee expectations. I spoke with Meghan Vallis, the author of the GAB (the Group Advisor  Blog).  She's also a VP, Group Sales, Western Canada for Equitable Life.   So she knows a thing or two about benefits.

The G.A.B. https://www.thegroupadvisorblog.com/

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

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

Here's a sneak peek into our conversation:

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

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

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

✅ It's a great development tool.

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

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

So many HR jobs have 'business partner' in the title.  So what does an  HR business partner do?  The BP model of HR service puts more emphasis  on strategic partnership and less on administration. But how does it  help us and, more importantly, our organization, succeed? I talk to Todd  Bassett about these questions.

Where do you start with people analytics?  A lot of us HR folks aren't  that numerically gifted to begin with and this can seem daunting.  So  hire someone (really)!  

Getting dedicated support for people analytics is one of the first steps  in developing your people analytics capacity.  It isn't something you  can really do off the side of your desk.    

Of course you might need to do a business case, address data quality and  governance... check out all the insight Allen Hornung has to share on  the topic!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

😳 Microaggressions are unintentional.

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

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

😇 Microaggressions are not about bad people doing mean things.

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

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

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

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

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

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

- Be a generalist. Many NFPs are smaller so you will have to do a lot of things.

- You have to be realistic. NFPs often have small budgets and you have to make do.

- Maybe you can also be really creative and get some great things done

- The mission of the organization will fuel you. It's not the only thing that matters, but it helps a lot.

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

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

info@tpfa.ca

What colour are you???  This is a common result of personality tests at work - although maybe you are an ENTJ or do odd things when stressed. 

So what are personality assessments at work good for?  And not good for?   That's the basic question of this episode plus how to pick a test that will work for you.  

I was a little skeptical, but Heather Johnson provides practical and  useful advice on how to have conversations with your clients about  personality assessments.  She is certified in the application of  Personality Dimensions, but has insight into the pros and cons of  others.  No matter which one you choose, they are a tool!  As with all  tools they are only useful if you use them.

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

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

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

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

Pam discussed:

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

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

🫱 Her approach to supporting leaders

🤔 Why she thinks HR sometimes steps in anyhow.

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

By tuning into this episode, you will learn about:

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

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

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

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

Find Pam on LinkedIn. Find Andrea at thehrhub.ca

In this episode, we answer the question: what is performance management and how do you make the most of it?  We talk about how to get the most out of people at work using performance management processes considering unions, processes and training.

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

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

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

Also:

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

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

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

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

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

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

So you need to write an employee manual.  Or maybe you want to improve  the one you have.  I talk to Beverly Somers who writes manuals for her  clients. Manuals, while not that exciting, are a fundamental piece in  the employee experience.  They create consistency and fairness which  creates trust and allows employees to focus on their work.

Bev Somers, Principal Consultant, SMART Human Resource Solutions Inc. http://www.smarthrsolutions.ca/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HRM is transactional in many organizations.  If you want to transform HR  and decrease the amount of administration, how can you go about it?  In this episode Michele Bush of Elevating HR will share insights and tips on how to lessen the  transactional nature of your work and become more of a strategic HR business partner.

What HR metrics and numbers are most important? Well we need to start with the business math.  Find out about the income and expenses of your  business and how you can make a difference.  Foster Williams of Everlast Consulting Solutions advises us in HR to make sure we know the numbers and focus our own role on making a difference.