Good Morning, HR

In episode 61, Coffey talks with Brandon Jordan about the "quiet quitting" phenomenon; employee experience; using behavioral assessments to improve new-hire fit; hiring with long-term retention in mind; and improving employee engagement.   Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—premium background checks with fast and friendly service . For more information about our commitment to quality...

In episode 60, Coffey talks with Ashley Smalley about leading with authenticity to create teams that connect. They discuss what it means for leaders to be connected to their teams; the difference between the means of communication and the way leaders communicate; the importance of authenticity in building relationships; avoiding transactional communication styles; communication challenges in remot...

In episode 59, Coffey talks with CPA Ashley Taylor about corporate finance and its relationship to human resources. They discuss the difference between Accounting and Finance; how the financial function serves the organization; how HR and Accounting can partner to improve employee retention, compliance, and the organization’s bottom line; delivering customer service with shared goals in mind; how...

In episode 58, Coffey talks with Jimmy Taylor about frequently misused HR terminology and leadership development. They discuss Texas SHRM and its mission to help individuals transform their careers and the importance of being involved in local SHRM chapters. They discuss often misused employment terms, including right-to-work, at-will employment, insubordination, and Jimmy’s favorite: retaliation....

In episode 57, Coffey talks with Michael J. Mirarchi about training leaders to avoid employment litigation rather than simply training for compliance. They discuss the difference between defending against employment litigation and avoiding employment litigation; the importance of teaching leaders what they should focus on instead of what they should avoid; the key components of "good faith efforts...

In episode 56, Coffey talks with Richard Froeschle about unraveling the workforce and economic market trends in Texas. They discuss the "COVID-based recession" affecting the Texas economy; its correlation to inflation and the labor market; the effect of stimulus spending on the labor force participation; how the born-digital generation defines "work" and their new expectations; the Texas labor sho...

In episode 55, Coffey talks with Andrew Bartlow about "the perfect storm" hitting HR for the last few years and how to navigate it. They discuss the importance of creating a simple but efficient HR plan that aligns with the company; essential considerations for developing goals; how to deal with uncertainty and stay focused; what HR in traditional companies can learn from start-ups; the future of...

In episode 54, Coffey talks with Lauren Pearce about the unique world of hospitality talent management. They discuss post-pandemic people management in the hospitality industry; how operations, recruitment, and retention were affected by COVID; how a shift in management style helped create a better work environment; training strategies that have improved attraction and development of talent; succe...

In episode 53, Coffey talks with Kristine Conway about leadership development through coaching. They discuss the misconceptions of coaching; the difference between leaders who fix and leaders who develop; strategies like self-awareness and feedback to become an authentic leader; the importance of assessments and using information properly; how to deescalate difficult conversations and build a safe...

In episode 52, Coffey talks with Dr. Robyn Short about the impact of respecting individuals’ dignity on organizational performance. They discuss how conflict in an organization can be fueled by the organizations’ structure; Frederick Laloux’ six organizational paradigms and their impacts on human dignity; how an organization’s respect for human dignity impacts employee engagement; whether organiza...

In episode 51, Coffey talks with Dwan Bryant about the great retention. They discuss the importance of creating a process that allows attracting and ultimately retaining talent; how viewing individuals as long-term assets improves engagement in the workplace; what employee engagement actually means; authenticity and transparency as tools for leaders to build stronger teams; how to address critical...

In episode 50, Coffey talks with Leiza Dolghih about noncompete agreements; the recent scrutiny about the kinds of workers asked to sign noncompetes; the elements of enforceable noncompetes in Texas; the practicality of actually enforcing noncompetes; and the potential impact of a new hire’s noncompete agreement with a previous employer. Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—premium bac...

In episode 49, Coffey talks with Joe Folkman about the factors affecting workplace trust. They discuss Joe’s background as a psychometrician (psychologist who uses data to predict outcomes) who studies leadership; and the correlation between trust and leadership effectiveness; how expertise, consistency, and relationships affect trust; why leaders should be asking for feedback; six competencies le...

In episode 48, Coffey talks with Ravi Swaminathan about engaging the “whole employee” when considering nontraditional benefits. They discuss how "the Great Resignation" has changed employee expectations and needs; the difference between “work-life balance” and “work-life integration; managing productivity in a remote or hybrid environment; using benefits to enrich work culture; the relation betwee...

In episode 47, Coffey talks with Liz Kislik about leadership and the interpersonal aspects of conflict. They discuss how leaders can identify situations of conflict, moderate and manage them; the importance of context to understand the nature of a confrontation; what happens when a high performing employee shows patterns of conflicting behavior and how it affects culture and team dynamics; helpful...

In episode 46, Coffey and Bob Cartwright have a freewheeling hour-long conversation about compensation strategies in a time of inflation; geographic cost of living differentials; the trap of adjusting wages to match inflation; the importance of culture in retaining employees; and Americana bluegrass music. Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—premium background checks with fast and fri...

In episode 45, Coffey talks with Cathy DeWitt about legislative advocacy. They discuss the role of professional lobbyists; how and why businesses should be involved in politics; the importance of being involved in the legislative process even when the legislature is out of session;  how to develop relationships with legislators and staff; the impact of contributing to industry PACs; whether party...

In episode 44, Coffey talks with Debbie Waggoner about upping your game in one-to-one meetings. They discuss how often one-to-one meetings become transactional; how to prepare leaders to identify insightful questions; why taking into account the personality of the team member is an important factor in picking the best approach and gathering better information; the appropriate times to schedule a s...

In episode 43, Coffey talks with Julian Sado about how to adapt the mind, train and retain talent using new science. They discuss what new science tells us about how we make decisions; the importance of  learning how to define what we feel to react appropriately; how every situation is subjective; how our personal interpretations can change the outcome of our immediate physical and emotional respo...

In episode 42, Coffey talks with Jodi Daniels about data privacy. The discuss the credentials businesses should look for when evaluating a privacy professional; online consumer tracking and targeting; state, national, and international privacy regulations; the difference between security, confidentiality, and privacy; individuals’ right to own data about them; how organizational ethics play into b...

In episode 41, Coffey talks with Amber Vanderburg about giving and receiving performance feedback. They discuss why annual performance reviews aren’t enough; the importance of defining what successfully meeting expectations looks like; the importance of communicating why specific behaviors are important to the organization; the difference between skill and behavior coaching; the importance of bein...

In episode 40, Coffey discusses “career impact” coaching with Brad Smith, an experienced HR leader and executive coach. They discuss the great advice Brad gave Coffey almost 30 years ago; preparing for “career impact” conversations; creating a structure in which a coaching recipient can receive helpful feedback; the importance of including stakeholders in the coaching process; “amplifiers and damp...

In episode 39, Coffey talks with Andrew Pryor, CHRO at ECI Software Solutions, about building and maintaining a great company culture in a remote work environment. They talk about Andrew’s initial pandemic experience; his company’s continued growth throughout the pandemic; how ECI has thrived in a remote and hybrid environment over the past two years; how employee engagement actually increased dur...

In episode 38, Coffey talks with employment law attorney Sarah Glaser about the pandemic’s impact on employment law and employee relations. They discuss how significant a change in public policy was Congress’ passing of temporary paid family leave at the beginning of the pandemic; the changing roles of HR; how the misalignment of employer and employee preferences for remote or in-person workplaces...

In this special edition (episode 37), Coffey talks with Vladimir Gendelman about supporting his Ukrainian team during the Russian invasion.  They discuss Vladimir’s experience growing up in the Soviet Union; his entrepreneurial journey in the US and Ukraine; how he helped his Ukrainian employees when Russia seized portions of Ukraine in 2014; how even his Ukrainian employees were surprised by the...