We're Only Human

And so we experimented and said, let's have a trial run at being a manager. We took about 25 people that wanted to be a manager as a cohort.  We said, okay, for a period of six to nine months, we would give you a small team you'd be responsible to learn how to interview and make hiring decisions. Then you get to decide whether or not you want to continue the manager path or not.

Pat Wadors, Chief People Officer, UKG

We're Only Human -- Episode 148

Managers are an essential part of getting work done.

But many times managers and talent leaders end up butting heads, having mismatched expectations, or simply not getting along. In this episode, Chief People Officer Pat Wadors shares her experiences and advice for creating stronger manager relationships and outcomes that benefit not just HR and line managers, but their teams as well. Pat also dive into belonging and what it means in the modern workplace, giving each of us some ideas on how to make it a part of what we do every day. 

Links and Show Notes

• Connect with Pat on LinkedIn
• Check out the show archives and get free updates

"I guarantee there is a direct correlation between a fantastic culture to business success.  They are always together. I would say that the strong culture is the insurance policy of every business."

Ronni Zehavi, CEO, HiBob

We're Only Human -- Episode 147

What if we had a way to shield our businesses from unnecessary turnover, disinterested staff, and other similar challenges?

It turns out that we do. It's called culture. In some new research, we found that just 52% of HR leaders say their technology supports the employee-focused culture they desire. That's a big gap. 

In today's interview with Ronni Zehavi of HiBob, Ben dives deep with Ronni into culture, why it matters, and how HR technology helps to support an employee-focused culture in practical ways. Ronni talks about transparency, teamwork, flexibility, and other tangible examples based on his experience as a business leader. 

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta. 

Links and Show Notes

• Learn more about Workplace from Meta at workplace.com/future
• Learn more about HiBob and the Bob platform
• Check out the show archives and get free updates

"When we select leaders, what we have found is leaders may have great, innovative ideas. They may be very driven to achieve. But if they're not inspiring people, if they're not demonstrating those interpersonal qualities that people see them as servant leaders, we've noticed that people are not willing to follow them. So we really emphasize that [serving] is exactly the quality that we want to see in leaders."

Ji-Yun Kang, Leadership Assessment and Selection, Mayo Clinic

We're Only Human -- Episode 146

All of the data indicate that a leader can make or break someone's experience at work. In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Ji Yun Kang, head of leadership assessment and selection at Mayo Clinic. Ji-Yun shares the key attributes the organization looks for in its leaders, including the things that push someone into the "no" pile when under consideration. 

Ms. Kang also suggests how to evaluate if leaders are actually successful or not, offering examples that help to make this conversation very practical for companies that want to use their leaders to engage, develop, and retain their workforce. 

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta. 

Links and Show Notes

• Thanks to SHL for putting us in touch with our guest for this episode!
• Learn more about Workplace from Meta at workplace.com/future
• Connect with Ji Yun
• Check out the show archives and get free updates

"The first thing is 100% look for difference [when mentoring]. If you are only looking for more of the same, you are hurting yourself. Cloning was bad in Star Wars, and cloning is bad in real life. The second one is related: get away from the rock stars and the duds when you are mentoring."

Lt. Col. Chaveso "Chevy" Cook, PhD, Executive Director, MilitaryMentors.org

We're Only Human -- Episode 145

Mentoring has been a bigger conversation in the last year as more companies are looking for ways to develop women leaders, move diverse professionals up the ranks, and support the workforce in a more tangible way. But employers often look at just the top 10% and bottom 10%, according to today's guest, missing the chance to connect with the 80% of employees who are typically excluded from mentoring opportunities.

In this conversation, Ben speaks with Lt. Col. Chevy Cook about key ideas in successful mentoring based on research and practice. They not only tie in the science of mentoring but also the art of relationship dynamics and more. 

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta. 

Links and Show Notes

• Learn more about Workplace from Meta at workplace.com/future
• Connect with Chevy
• Check out the show archives and get free updates

"The more that we could be pushing that on the business side to say beyond revenue and profitability, what is the quality metric? What is the wellbeing metric? Obviously, employee engagement many companies measure. Are we measuring the investments in learning that we're putting out there for our people, even if they are people that end up leaving, if we're improving the future employability of a workforce, surely that's a good business and  society metric."

Bhushan Sethi, People & Organization Joint Global Leader, PwC

We're Only Human -- Episode 144

In the last 24 months, HR and People leaders have been in the spotlight more than ever before, and this has given birth to opportunities to influence and change the workplace for the better. But how do you know which priorities to set, where to put your focus and effort, and what to do first? 

In this episode, Ben talks with Bhushan Sethi, a global people leader from PwC, to understand how he makes these decisions. Using a blend of research and practical perspectives, Bhushan offers helpful advice to people leaders at every company that is proven to drive employee retention and the organization's employer value proposition. 

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta. 

Links and Show Notes

• Learn more about Workplace from Meta at workplace.com/future
• Connect with Bhushan
• Download the new hiring research report
• Check out the show archives and get free updates

"I think the danger that we tend to run as people analytics teams is that we're not willing to take slightly bolder stances and say, "Hey, we have a better collective picture of the labor market. We have a better collective picture of what enterprise trends and behaviors are like." We need to give strategic guidance and not just be turning over data products."

Zach Frank, Senior Manager of People Analytics, Freeman Company (formerly at Aramark)

We're Only Human -- Episode 143

When it comes to analytics and AI usage in the business, we don't always think about HR and people first. However, there are tremendous opportunities to create and deliver value using both of those tools, even for something as personal and human-centric as the work of HR. 

Zach Frank believes that, and he's used those principles in his different roles to bring new value for the workforce, managers, and executive leadership through smarter people practices. In this episode, Zach shares with Ben some of the ways that teams can do this well, including one area where they need to step up their game if they want to be relevant and valuable contributors to the business. 

Note: Zach worked for Aramark when this was recorded but recently moved to Freeman Company prior to publication of this episode in a new Senior Manager of People Analytics role. 

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta. 

Links and Show Notes

• Learn more about Workplace from Meta at workplace.com/future
• Connect with Zach
• Download the new hiring research report
• Check out the show archives and get free updates

"Oftentimes they're looking for a quick fix. But what I will say is those that are doing [hiring] well and really moving the needle are those that are looking at this issue holistically. What is our employment brand in the market? Who are we competing with in our market? How does our total compensation package compete? Do we know how to sell to candidates?"

Pam Verhoff, President, Advanced RPO

We're Only Human -- Episode 142

Everyone's talking about hiring. And we all want an easy button. 

In this episode, Pam Verhoff and Tim Oyer of Advanced RPO talk with Ben about their experiences helping clients hire thousands of candidates in recent years, including key practices that lead to success (plus what has and hasn't changed over time).

In our research, we see that 8 in 10 hiring leaders say that recruiting has become a business-level priority in the last year. During the discussion, Pam talks about how to elevate that conversation with concrete dialogue and numbers that drive attention, investment, and results. 

Show Notes

Get a copy of the report with the data discussed on today's episode: https://www.advancedrpo.com/top-talent-acquisition-trends-for-2022/

See the show archives, subscribe for free updates, and more: https://lhra.io/podcast 

"How can you build things that are as small as they can be so that you can plug and play and you can pivot and change? The way that I think about manifesting that in talent programs is thinking about more of a skills culture. If we have the skill of adapting and coping, for example, and we know that's a critical element in a lot of areas of our organization. Let's go ahead and build programs around building that skill up, then we can quickly pivot and change as the organization's needs change."

Becky Layana, Global Talent Program Manager, H.B. Fuller

We're Only Human -- Episode 141

In today's dynamic workplace, employers need to think about how they can create high-impact talent programs that deliver results like engagement, performance, and retention. At H.B. Fuller, this is a top priority. In today's discussion, Ben and Becky Layana, Global Talent Program Manager at H.B. Fuller, examine how the company prioritizes talent, what that means from a culture and values perspective, and how it opens up opportunities to get the best from people while still supporting the business. 

Most importantly, listen to this episode and how much importance is placed on talent management as a business process/practice, not just a siloed HR activity. There are some excellent takeaways on that front. 

Show Notes

Connect with Becky on LinkedIn

Thank you to the team at SHL for making this connection for us!

See the show archives and learn more about how to listen to We're Only Human on your favorite music and podcast apps

"I think the the one stat that came out of this research, that nine out of 10 employees would be more likely to stay with their employer if they had this benefit, I was just kind of blown away."

Rob Whalen, CEO, PTOExchange

We're Only Human -- Episode 140

One of the most common employee benefits is paid leave. Employers offer a variety of options, from more standard accrued leave during every pay period to a newer option for "unlimited PTO." But how do people feel about these benefits? 

Well, the data are in, and you might be surprised by what you learn. 

In a new research study of 1,000 North American workers, we found that many of them have issues with the Paid Time Off (PTO) programs their companies offer. In this episode, Ben dives into the data with Rob Whalen to understand how workers feel, what they desire, and how employers can embrace flexibility in a powerful, tangible way. 

Listen in to learn: how men and women see this differently, what this means for low-income workers, and why diverse individuals may have different feelings about PTO plans. 

Show Notes

Get a free copy of the report to see all of the data

Listen to our show archives and sign up for free updates

"Stay interviews are highly under-rated, but yet can provide , so much insight to your employees and so much data. It's almost like a secret weapon or secret tool that  companies just don't take advantage of."

Amanda Turbeville, Global Head of Human Resources, Montway Auto Transport

We're Only Human -- Episode 139

In today's challenging hiring environment, employers need a way to connect with their people. Compensation? It's a start, but it doesn't motivate long-term. What about autonomy, training, and support? Those can create lasting connections with staff and drive retention in a powerful way. 

But where do you start? In this conversation with Amanda Turbeville, Global Head of HR for Montway Auto Transport, you'll hear how the company leverages stay interviews not just to keep people, but to help define custom career paths to keep them engaged and connected with the organization. Amanda opens her play book and shares the questions they ask in these stay interviews as well as how they are utilized. 

Show Notes

Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aturbeville/

Check out the show archives and sign up for free updates: https://lhra.io/podcast