The HR Hub

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

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

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

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

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

We discussed:

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

💼 The importance of good retention strategies and avoiding ageist practices

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

🎓 Everyone wants learning and development - including older workers

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

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

She is super knowledgeable! Check it out!

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

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

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

In this episode, you will learn:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cat owners need not apply!

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

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

Some unfortunately real questions we discussed:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

🎯 You have to measure the right things

.

💡 Training. Training. Training.

Find Sue on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sueingram1 Her email: Sue@conversewell.com Her book: https://www.amazon.ca/Fire-Well-Staff-They-Thank/dp/1781331464 Find me (Andrea) for consulting support andrea@thehrhub.ca

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

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

In this episode, I review:

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

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

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

📝 An HR cliché: take notes!

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

https://www.thehrhub.ca/

andrea@thehrhub.ca

I would also love to connect via LinkedIn:

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

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

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

Here's a sneak peek into our conversation:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In this episode, I discuss:

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

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

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

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

🛠️ Finally, I discuss how to avoid compliance problems.

Find me at andrea@thehrhub.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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here's a sneak peek of what to expect:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Centre for Evidence Based Management cebma.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

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

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

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

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

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

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

⚖️The risks of doing nothing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The push-pull of remote versus in-office continues. You CAN make remote work well, but there's skills and clarity to develop. A thoughtful policy is a good place to start so you get the advantages of remote without losing all the spark of in-person. If you are trying to articulate an effective remote work policy... here you go! I sat down with Kaleem Clarkson, the Chief Operations Officer for BlendMe, a company that assists hybrid and remote teams with their people operations and their policy! Kaleem highlighted the importance of connection - really that's the purpose of being in-person so for focused work... in-person is not the place to be. See the 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. 😆

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

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

Here's a sneak peek into our conversation:

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

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

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

✅ It's a great development tool.

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

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

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

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

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

Find Corina at shiftpd.com

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

Three questions: What makes your organization remarkable? 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

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

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

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

Her insights:

🎉 Most AI is legal!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

🎯 She thinks strategy when someone says 'tactics'

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

💡 Use whatever data you have even if its limited!

🔄 Think about alignment. Deep alignment.

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

Find Britni and stokefire.com or on LinkedIn

Find Andrea for consulting in Western Canada at thehrhub.ca

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pam discussed:

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

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

🫱 Her approach to supporting leaders

🤔 Why she thinks HR sometimes steps in anyhow.

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

By tuning into this episode, you will learn about:

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

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

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

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

Find Pam on LinkedIn. Find Andrea at thehrhub.ca

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some of his insights about business strategy:

4️⃣ Business strategy has 4 pieces.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have you had a great mentor? It was really helpful right? And if it was helpful to you, wouldn't it be powerful for organizations? So, finally, I have covered mentoring - and with a global leader in mentoring! It's been on my list for quite a while and so I was delighted to talk to Dr. Laura Lunsford. She wrote the book "Handbook for Managing Mentoring Programs" and she was a pleasure to talk to! She knows it inside and out and some of what she shared includes: 🌱🤝 We think mentoring needs to be organic, but programs DO work. Even when you artificially link two people who might not have formalized a relationship otherwise, you can have great results. The caveat: you must be clear about the purpose! See the video below. 🗣️🤔 There's more debate around mentorship than you'd think. If you and I tried to define mentoring we would likely get different answers! ❌ Mentoring and coaching aren't the same thing. 🙏 Back to my first point: There is a reason young professionals want a mentor: it's because they know how powerful it can be for their career. Take note HR: helping a career will help the organization.

Dr. Lunsford's Book: The Mentor's Guide: Five Steps to Build a Successful Mentor Program Other resources: The International Mentoring Association https://www.mentoringassociation.org/ The European Mentoring & Coaching Council https://www.emccglobal.org/ Brad Johnson: Athena Rising The Center for Mentoring Excellence https://www.centerformentoring.com/ I (Andrea) am available for HR consulting in Western Canada. Email me at andrea@thehrhub.ca

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

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

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

I did an episode on ROI in HR!!! That's return on investment. I found someone who knows a lot about it and it was a good opportunity to understand how we might do this in HR! Even HR can leverage standard financial techniques to analyze our projects and make our case. This was the conversation I had with Evelyn McMullen from Nucleus research. She is NOT a finance, business or economics major and maybe this is why she is pretty good at explaining it! She says: 🔔 When you are thinking about the bells and whistles... remember there is no ROI on things we don't actually use. ∞ ROI is greatest when a task is repetitious and applies to a wide range of people. Think payroll. 🤩 Often, we tend to rely on intangible benefits like "increased employee happiness" when promoting our projects. While these are valid considerations, but ROI is better.

Find Evelyn at Nucleus Research https://nucleusresearch.com/ She mentioned an ROI Tool (free!): nucleusresearch.com/research/single/nucleus-research-standard-roi-calculator/ She mentioned ROI University: https://nucleusresearch.com/roi-university/ Ian Campbell (her boss) published a book on called the Value Sale. Find it on Amazon. You can also reach out to me for HR consulting in Western Canada! www.thehrhub.ca

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Workplace culture is crucial for high performance and a big part of that is psychological safety: can your employees express themselves without fear of negative consequences? Stephan Weidner, coach and CEO of Zarango and Noomii, took me to task when I asked (on behalf of my husband) if this means we have to talk about feelings a lot more. The answer is yes. Yes: we need to talk about feelings, but we don't have to become therapists. Other tidbits from Stephan: 🟰 He sees psychological safety as a proxy for high performance because there is considerable evidence about the correlation. 1️⃣ Google conducted a significant study that found psychological safety to be the #1 predictor of the teams they rated as high performing. 🍁 Canadians beware! Politeness is not psychological safety! This was a great conversation - I definitely built on my previous knowledge and I'm sold! Thanks Stephan!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Find Stephan on LinkedIn or at Zarango https://www.linkedin.com/in/swiedner/ zarango.com Find Andrea for HR consulting at www.thehrhub.ca

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

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

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

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

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

- Decolonization is about inclusion and truth through reconciliation and relationships.

- It starts with the individual.

- There are many colonial practices in HR. For example, many benefits are based on Western medicine, and our definition of "family" for bereavement leave is often narrow.

- A lot of the changes will benefit all employees - especially as we get more diverse overall.

- HR has the power to make a difference by helping decide what the problem is and what the solution might be.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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