Human Resources For Small Business

Sit down with recent guest Phil Simon, technology and collaboration expert and author of The Nine: The Tectonic Forces Shaping the Workplace, for a discussion relevant to virtually every business leader in today’s changing workplace. Get insight into worker engagement and productivity, burnout, the labor market imbalance, the power of AI, and the role of blockchain in creating boundaries amidst chaos. This is one eye-opening conversation that you don’t want to miss.   TAKEAWAYS The workplace is undergoing significant transformation and won't revert to its pre-pandemic state. Nine transformative forces are shaping the modern workplace. One hypothesis about a drop in workplace productivity is its correlation with a forced return to work. A leading cause of burnout is technology and collaboration overload. Management shouldn’t dismiss new tools, like Generative AI, just because of their disadvantages, but they should also be wary of leaning too heavily upon them. Blockchain seems to be the best safeg

Our latest bonus episode of Transform Your Workplace with Nicole Blevins, where we discuss mentorships. Nicole shares her experience with formal and informal mentor relationships and how to make the most of them. Listen in as we discuss the importance of being prepared as a mentee and how to drive the relationship forward. Don't miss out on this insightful conversation!   A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 

SHOW NOTES In this episode of Transform Your Workplace, Eli Blackman, the Co-Founder and CEO of Field Day, discusses his career journey and the importance of community engagement in the workplace. He shares how his experience at Elemental, a small startup later acquired by Amazon, inspired him to start Field Day, a program that connects employees with volunteering opportunities at local nonprofits. Give this episode a listen, and learn how volunteering can have a positive impact on your team’s morale, job satisfaction, and company culture.   TAKEAWAYS Creating a culture of giving back to local nonprofits boosts employee morale, job satisfaction, and retention. Recognizing the value of this outlet for employees, Eli Blackman co-founded Field Day, aiming to fill the gap in the market for tools that empower companies and employees to participate in volunteer activities together. Volunteering shouldn’t be forced; instead, once employees participate of their own accord, they make connections that inspire and

In this episode, we talk to Michelle about career pathing and how employees can own their career growth. Michelle shares her journey from customer service to HR and how she landed her current role as an HR business partner. We also discuss the benefits of career pathing programs for employers and metrics to measure success. Tune in to learn more about career pathing and how to empower your employees to take control of their career growth.   A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 

According to recent guest, Shane Kovalsky, Co-Founder and CEO of Glue, meaningful relationships are the lynchpin for authentic employee engagement. In this episode of Transform Your Workplace, we take a closer look at the challenges of connecting with others when it comes to the “distributed” workplace. Learn how to gain insight into employee sentiment and make data-informed decisions regarding connection.    TAKEAWAYS If you’re not intentional about fostering a sense of belonging — if you leave it to chance — it won’t happen. Employee surveys have significant limitations as employees’ sentiments change quickly and the surveys offer only a glimpse at one “point in time.” The big difference between using observability and input data versus survey data is it allows leaders to see early indicators of disengagement and be proactive about solutions. Making meaningful connection is about converting similarity into familiarity.   A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 

Sit down with Hareta McMullin, founder of Third Space People, and dive into a discussion on the misconceptions and challenges facing HR and what it takes to transform the employee experience. It’s time to reject outdated approaches to HR and take real steps toward building trust with the people you lead.   TAKEAWAYS Employees often see HR professionals as rule-loving and unapproachable people who are disconnected from the workforce. By managing the perception gap and addressing employee needs, HR professionals can create an environment where people willingly share concerns, enabling them to address challenges and retain valuable talent. Policies and procedures are important, but if we're leading the employee experience with that, we're telling our people that we don't trust them from the outset. We need to take a serious look at how HR policies and procedures are embedded in and support the culture. When we trust, involve, and empower leaders, changes can be rolled out successfully. To understand

This week's podcast guest host Lacey Partipilo sits down with Xenium employee Annie Oxenfeld to discuss the topic of workplace flexibility and its importance in retaining employees. They touch on workplace flexibility, from shift schedules to fully remote work or a four-day workweek. This episode also addresses common concerns and misconceptions employers may have about implementing flexible work arrangements, such as productivity, logistics, availability, and fairness. They agree the key ingredient to workplace flexibility is building a culture of trust.    A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 

In this episode, renowned performance psychologist Jim Loehr delves into the crucial topic of decision-making, a unique capability of our species that allows us to shape the direction of our lives. His book, Wise Decisions, offers a research-based approach to intentional decision-making, empowering readers to enhance their own abilities and teach others. Tune in to gain valuable insights and strategies for making wise decisions that can positively impact your future.   TAKEAWAYS Decision-making is a unique feature of our species, as humans have the ability to pause between stimulus and response and consciously choose the direction of their lives.  Most of our daily decisions are made without any intentional thought. Oftentimes, small decisions often become the greatest levers for the big decisions that will change the trajectory of our lives. Your inner voice, not your public voice, reflects your true perspective and approach on all decisions. The pause between the stimulus and response is the most sa

In this episode, Nicole Blevins and Brandon Laws of Xenium HR dive into ChatGPT and AI and their potential impact on the HR profession. Together, they discuss various applications of the technology in HR, how to optimize its usage through prompt engineering and address potential problems, such as plagiarism, inaccuracies, bias, and non-critical thinking. In this episode, they cover: Exploring ChatGPT's use in HR tasks: Crafting job descriptions Composing and updating employee handbooks and policy manuals Drafting e-mails and offer letters to job candidates Checking HR laws and regulations Summarizing research and reports Generating employee surveys and sentiment analyses Streamlining administrative tasks (e.g. event and holiday reminders)

In this episode, host Brandon Laws sits down with Randeep Purewal, CEO and Founder of Divercial, an all-in-one B2B SaaS solution for building an inclusive workplace culture. Randeep believes that, unlike the subjective human perspective, technology can help remove bias and gather reliable data, with the ultimate goal of engaging employees and boosting productivity. Listen in and learn how to prioritize cognitive diversity and position your employees for success.   TAKEAWAYS Divercial is a B2B SaaS platform that specializes in building inclusive workplaces by placing a more diverse group of decision-makers in every aspect and dimension of business. Technology is less biased than humans and could be used to make more objective business decisions. Using a third-party company for collecting employee feedback protects anonymity as data collected is scrubbed and provided in aggregate form. Unlike traditional consulting work where recommendations are given and not always implemented, Divercial provides recom

It’s time to change the game when it comes to providing effective feedback in the workplace. In this podcast episode, Brandon Laws sits down with an executive coach, speaker, and author Jen Ostrich to discuss the importance of focusing on strengths, growth, and allyship when giving feedback to employees. It’s about moving beyond simply pointing out ineffective behaviors and painting a picture of what true growth and progress look like.   TAKEAWAYS Effective feedback should focus on strengths, growth, and allyship. Research shows that strength-based feedback improves well-being and engagement by making employees feel appreciated and seen. Be clear about desired behaviors instead of only focusing on the negative. Focusing solely on someone's weaknesses without providing guidance on how to improve is insufficient for change. Delivering feedback on what more effective behavior would look like provides specific guidance for improvement, which is less likely to trigger defensiveness. When leaders show v

SHOW NOTES In our latest episode, HR expert Keri Olrich discusses the misconceptions surrounding the HR profession. Despite popular perception, Keri talks about the significant impact that a skilled HR team can have on staff and business development. People are complex, so the HR field isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s about finding a balance between fighting for employees and meeting the needs of the business, all while prioritizing healthy company culture.    TAKEAWAYS HR is often seen as a necessary evil for compliance purposes and not as a valuable department that can accelerate business growth.  The HR profession is complex because people aren’t like machines, as arising personal and professional circumstances are impossible to predict. Pursuing a career in HR solely out of love for people can cause HR professionals to become jaded due to the excessive time spent with the “rule-breakers.”  There are so many things that HR professionals can do to fight for employees while, at the same time, balan

In this special 400th episode of the transform your workplace podcast, host Brandon Laws and guest Angela Perkins, VP of Sales and Marketing at Xenium HR, reflect on key moments throughout the last 400 episodes of the podcast. The two discuss past predictions about the future of work, leading with vulnerability, and more! Don't miss this milestone episode! A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 

In this episode of Transform Your Workplace, host Brandon Laws sits down with workplace culture strategist Jessica Kriegel. The two discuss tech burnout, the downside of employee engagement initiatives, and the struggle to create authentic culture. Listen in and discover how to align on purpose and foster employee fulfillment in the world of remote work.   TAKEAWAYS “Collaboration overload” was the first instinct of most organizations that were moving into a remote environment in the early pandemic.”  Leaders’ attempts to “intentionally create culture” led to overwhelming tech burnout and increased levels of stress, both of which contributed in part to the Great Resignation. The Anti-Work Movement isn’t made up of people who don't want to work but rather people who want to work with intention and purpose. Replace the idea of employee engagement with employee fulfillment, which is the extent to which your character and abilities are being fully developed at work.  Every leader needs to be the Chief R

Are traditional business practices hindering your team from maximizing productivity in this changing world of work? Sit down with Art Mazor, Global Human Capital Practice Leader at Deloitte, and get fresh insights from the company’s 2023 Global Human Capital Trends Report. Learn best practices for shedding boundaries and sparking innovation in the emerging workplace ecosystem.     TAKEAWAYS Constructs “interwoven into the fabric of work as we know it” are falling away, and a new world of work is emerging. Deloitte’s latest report found that more than 70% of workers are already performing work outside of their stated job responsibilities, and only 24% are doing the same work as others with the same job title.  Workers have more choices and influence than they've ever had before, and leaders must harness that passion to create benefits for all. Many businesses recognize the importance of these shifts, but there is also a significant gap between desire and readiness to take these changes on.  The eleva

Guest host Al Nodarse interviews Kendall Miller, owner and president of Interlaken, a premier excavator in Portland, Oregon. The two talk about how Miller got into the construction world, her industry's trials in the pandemic and beyond, and how to get more young people interested in the field.    A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 

In this episode, host Brandon Laws sits down with Erica Scott to learn how to transform the workplace environment, relationships, and productivity with best practices for fostering honest communication. Make the shift from “taboo” to “transparent” when it comes to saying “no” and asking for what you want.    TAKEAWAYS Consent culture fosters feelings of safety and freedom that are not only possible but critical for a healthy culture at work. Consent is involved in every interaction between ourselves and others. Learning and practicing consent skills helps us create an environment where interactions are mutually agreeable for everyone involved.  It’s normal for us to struggle with saying “no” or asking for what we want. Healthy communication cannot abound if one set of people is taught that the most important thing is to avoid conflict while another set is taught to pursue their desires and needs.   A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 

Brandon Laws is joined by David Rizzo, Principal of Talent Strategy and Operations at Deloitte US, and deep dive into talent retention and development strategies. In this episode, you’ll learn what makes Gen Z and Millennial employees tick, how to retain top talent, and what it means to develop capabilities in your people for an impact far beyond the here and now.   TAKEAWAYS Gen Z and Millennials have very real concerns about how the rising cost of living will impact their daily lives. Employers must invest in employee growth and development, specifically in capabilities that will be portable and useful in the future. Employers should not be fearful of developing employees only for them to leave; instead, they should embrace growth initiatives as an opportunity to attract talent and retain talent. Creating in-demand and portable capabilities in employees has real benefits for the communities in which we live and work.   A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 

Struggling to measure the success of your projects or initiatives? Listen in to this conversation with Dr. Jack J. Phillips, Chairman of ROI Institute and consultant in accountability, measurement, and evaluation. Host Brandon Laws asks all about how to help your team gain traction and make an impact on current or future projects.   TAKEAWAYS   Every project or initiative must have measurable value.  Impact is what people can see and really want, so start with that end in mind and clearly define measures to make sure you get there. Today’s HR contributes significantly to the business and is less about the traditional administrative, legalistic, and compliance aspects of the past. Be proactive about collecting data instead of waiting until the project’s completion to measure success.   A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST