Good Morning, HR

In episode 160, Coffey talks with Matt Morris about various health insurance options and strategies for employers, particularly small to medium-sized businesses. They discuss recent trends in health insurance cost increases; comparing traditional fully-insured plans to alternative funding methods; health savings accounts (HSAs) and health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs); level-funded and self-fu...

In episode 159, Coffey talks with Mark Smith about employers’ shift towards skills-first hiring. They discuss the evolution of applicant evaluation to skills-first hiring; the diminishing relevance of college degrees in hiring; the importance of soft skills in employee retention; the process of developing a skills-based hiring approach; the use of assessments and structured interviews in hiring; p...

In episode 158, Coffey talks with Ashley Smalley about recent HR trends and news items related to employee engagement and workplace culture.  They discuss Gallup's global survey on gender differences in employee engagement; the importance of leadership communication and employee feedback; the concept of "personality hires" and its potential drawbacks; productivity anxiety among employees; and the...

In episode 157, Coffey talks with Kristine Conway about the evolution of HR roles from generalists to business partners to trusted advisors. They discuss the difference between “business partners” and  “trusted advisors;” the importance of resilience and emotional intelligence; developing listening and coaching skills; building relationships to establish trust; and growing from transactional to re...

In episode 156, Coffey talks with Dee Maddox about the business impact of “putting people first.” They discuss the meaning of a “people-first” approach; balancing people-first practices with business objectives; common mistakes companies make in implementing people-first strategies; the consequences of neglecting people in favor of processes; the concepts of reboarding and retooling employees; and...

In episode 155, Coffey talks with Tony Buffum about the evolving freelance workforce and its impact on the labor market. They discuss the growth of the freelance workforce; differences between gig jobs and freelance work; the increasing preference for freelance work among younger generations; the use of platforms like Upwork for accessing diverse talent; the benefits of hiring fractional executive...

In episode 154, Coffey talks with Michele Haugh about employee engagement and how to enhance it within organizations. They discuss the definition of employee engagement; the importance of operationalizing engagement activities; creating a 12-month roadmap for engagement; the necessity of ongoing leadership training and development; integrating company values into employee experiences; the impact o...

In episode 153, Coffey talks with Brandon Jordan about the use of assessments in the employee selection and development process. They discuss the different types of employee assessments available in the market and when each might be appropriate; the right questions to ask assessment providers; types of assessments and what they measure; the potential risks of using only cognitive assessments; thre...

In episode 152, Coffey talks with Dr. Kenneth Nichols about how a company's people practices can positively impact their community. They discuss sustainability and corporate citizenship; the importance of visible leadership in the community; recruitment practices reflecting community diversity; the benefits of local recruiting and training programs; mentorship and coaching for developing employees...

In episode 151, Coffey talks with Kelly Bubolz about the causes of burnout and how to address it within an organization. They discuss the distinction between burnout and stress; the factors contributing to burnout in industries like hospitality and among remote workers; the changing work environment leading to increased burnout; the shift away from grind culture in younger generations; the organiz...

In episode 150, Coffey talks with Suzanne Lucas about her Evil HR Lady articles from May. They discuss the kerfuffle that arose after she released an article suggesting that employees who change their work location without coordinating with their employee should be fired; the tax and regulatory issues employers and employees face when working in other states or countries; a private wealth manager’...

In episode 149, Coffey talks with Kurt Wilkin about people leadership in entrepreneurial firms. They discuss the premise behind Kurt's book "Who's Your Mike," which focuses on the different kinds of workplace personalities encountered as an entrepreneurial firm matures; the evolution of HR in entrepreneurial businesses; common misconceptions that entrepreneurs have about people practices; what HR...

In episode 148, Coffey talks with Krystal Yates about the US Department of Labor's revised rules for classifying independent contractors. They discuss the difference between an employee and an independent contractor; “1099 employees”; the reasons employers might misclassify employees as independent contractors; “gig” workers; the changes brought about by the final rule; employer considerations whe...

In episode 147, Coffey talks with Darryl Owens about navigating the multigenerational workplace with emotional intelligence. They discuss the importance of emotional intelligence (EQ) in the workplace; the five components of emotional intelligence; the impact of the pandemic lockdown on EQ; current challenges in multigenerational workplaces; how emotional intelligence affects communication; unders...

In episode 146, Gabriela Norton and Coffey discuss whether HR is meant to protect the interests of the company or the employees. They discuss the challenges faced by HR in finding a balance between the two; whether HR professionals can be friends with employees; how feedback, coaching, and mentoring can help to bridge the gap and drive results for both employees and employers; the importance of sh...

In episode 145, Coffey talks with Karen Cunningham about recent HR news around whether layoffs are “a failure of leadership” and “fear” of returning to the office. They discuss recent layoffs; employee loyalty, engagement, and management; balancing regular and temporary employees; the pros and cons of remote work; how leaders can be more intentional in a remote environment; and “overemployment.” L...

In episode 144, Coffey talks with Vianei Braun about employers' responsibilities and employees' rights under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Note: As predicted in the podcast (recorded on April 1st), the EEOC issued the final regulations implementing the PWFA on April 15th for official publication on April 19th. The final regulations can be found at https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspec...

In episode 143, Coffey talks with Neil Katz about how companies utilize fractional leadership. They discuss the distinction between a consultant and a fractional leader; the two types of fractional leaders and their level of control within a business; the typical profile of a fractional leader; how to assess the need for a fractional leader; the cost analysis of employing permanent staff compared...

In episode 142, Coffey talks with Crystal Lay about employer brand and culture. They discuss the definition of an "employer brand" and why companies need to pay attention to theirs; whether marketing or HR owns employer branding; understanding the process of building an EVP (Employee Value Proposition); how branding impacts recruiting and retention; the importance of building a community; and how...

In episode 141, Coffey talks with Catherine Clifton about recent news about sexual harassment, discrimination, and what’s next for DEI programs. They discuss employer lessons to be learned from California's Sunshine Raisin $2 million sexual harassment lawsuit; Florida's Stop Woke Act; two “reverse discrimination” cases; and the shift away from “diversity” to “inclusion.” Links to stuff they talked...

In episode 140, Coffey talks with Marci Sogan about the state of skilled trades and manufacturing workforce. They discuss how modern manufacturing jobs are different from those in years past; challenges in the labor market; the impact of remote work and flexibility on talent acquisition within the manufacturing workforce; education, certifications, and career paths; and (admin/clerical) support ro...

In episode 139, Coffey talks with Shelley Goodrum about coaching as a leadership skill. They discuss the definition of being a coach; the difference between managing and coaching; the significance of coaching in creating employee autonomy; the fundamental skills that leaders need to establish a coaching culture; and how to provide feedback while maintaining a balance between accountability and emp...

In episode 138, Coffey talks with Jim Zadeh about legal issues related to the use of AI in business. They discuss the legal issues companies face when using AI, including privacy and confidentiality, international and local regulations, liability for errors made by AI tools, the use of others’ intellectual property, ownership of AI-generated content, and the near-term positive and negative impacts...

In episode 137, Coffey talks with Sarah Glaser about office romances, working while sick, and employee surveillance. They discuss the post-Covid increase in office romances and appropriate policies to protect the company and workforce; the reasons behind conflicting attitudes about working when ill; and a backlash against employee surveillance. Links to stuff they talked about are on our website a...

In episode 136, Coffey talks with Michael Sherrod about the impact of artificial intelligence on business strategy and management. They discuss how old news media’s failure to adapt their business model to the digital age may be a predictor of how businesses succeed or fail with the advent of artificial intelligence and other disruptive technologies; how organizational structures are changing to m...