HR Superstars

Have you ever wondered if CEO favoritism can shape the culture of an entire organization? According to Alex Seiler, it definitely can. Alex, a seasoned Chief People Officer with over 15 years of global experience, shares the often-overlooked impacts of CEO favoritism on organizational culture and how it manifests in promotions, decision-making, and social dynamics. Drawing from his experience, Ale...

Can gut instinct alone guide strategic HR decisions effectively? Adam Weber doesn't think so. In this episode, he discusses the second secret of the top 5% of HR leaders: the pivotal role of data and metrics in advancing bold initiatives. Adam highlights the transformation HR is undergoing, drawing parallels to the marketing industry's shift from intuition to data-driven strategies. He shares insi...

A little bit of empathy makes a big difference in the workplace. In this episode, Adam Weber sits down with Wendy Sellers, known as "The HR Lady," to explore the power of empathy, the value of personality assessments, and the importance of clear communication. Wendy offers valuable insights into recognizing different personality styles and the often misunderstood concept that "common sense is not...

How do top HR leaders successfully pitch new ideas and gain executive buy-in? In this episode, Adam Weber reveals why the key lies in speaking the language of the business. Drawing from his experience with many HR leaders, Adam shares insights on tailoring HR strategies to align with overarching business goals. He explains the importance of understanding company priorities, incorporating business...

What if the secret to extraordinary organizational success lies in being playful and fearless? Anita Grantham believes it does. A leading people leader and Head of HR at BambooHR, Anita shares her unique approach to building a company that outperforms the market. Her journey to running HR at a top SaaS company is filled with lessons in embracing curiosity, learning from pain, and maintaining posit...

Is it possible to create a high-performance culture without losing the human touch? Katie Burke believes it is. On this episode, Katie Burke, former Chief People Officer of HubSpot, shares how her unique journey from media relations to chief people officer shaped her view on progressive people operations. Reflecting on her 11-year journey at HubSpot, Katie discusses the critical importance of on-t...

While many equate company culture with perks like ping pong tables and free food, Melissa Daimler challenges this superficial view and emphasizes the profound impact of well-defined behaviors and processes. In this episode, Melissa Daimler, Chief Learning Officer at Udemy, shares insight on creating a culture grounded in core values and constructive debate. Melissa also discusses how observable be...

How do you navigate shifting priorities during life's big moments while maintaining team chemistry and a strong company culture? Lee Rubin, founder and CEO at Confetti, shares her insights as she prepares for maternity leave. In this episode, Adam and Lee discuss the balancing act leaders face during significant life changes. From reorienting priorities to combating burnout, their conversation is...

As remote work has become the new norm, the role of managers in shaping the employee experience has never been more critical. Carmen Amara, Chief People Officer at Yelp, delves into the importance of empathy in management, especially amid the challenges introduced by the pandemic. With work and life increasingly intertwined, Carmen shares practical measures Yelp has implemented, like setting core...

We're all humans first and leaders second. In this conversation, Paul Wolfe, author of Human Beings First, shares how leaders can stay grounded in their humanity and cultivate deeper connections with the people around them. Paul invites leaders to implement three simple behaviors to help them create safe spaces for their teams. He discusses what it means to be a human-centered leader, how the work...

While HR leaders might be losing sleep over the pace of AI or the return to office debate, Eric Termuende shares that the real concern ought to be the talent crisis. Eric is a keynote speaker and bestselling author of Rethink Work. In this conversation, he reveals the root of the talent problem: a lack of trust between individuals and organizations. Eric explains why trust is at the core of high-p...

Before the pandemic, only 5% of Americans worked from home. Now, half of the population spends at least one day a week doing so. What effect has the shift to remote work had on productivity, profitability, and employee satisfaction? Nick Bloom is here to tell us. Nick is a Stanford professor who has researched remote work for over two decades. He's even informed presidential policy regarding remot...

Offboarding doesn't have to be awkward. When done well, it can be an empowering experience for both the individual and the organization. In this conversation, Becky Consolvo, CEO and Founder of 9Box Consulting and former HR leader at Telsa and Apple, delves into the art of onboarding. She's on a mission to bring excellence to employee exits through transparent communication and employee empowermen...

Want to create a workplace culture that truly embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion. Curious about where to begin? This week's guest suggests this starting point: Understand why having people who think differently together, who trust and respect each other, is better than having people who all think the same or come from similar backgrounds. Then, dive into the right questions. What does that...

HR leaders always think of new and better ways to onboard employees, but they rarely think about onboarding themselves. In this episode replay, Hebba Youssef, an HR leader with a mission to build strong connections with employees, joined the podcast to share what people leaders should focus on during their first 90 days. As the Chief People Officer of Workweek and creator of the popular "I Hate It...

How do you care for others without losing yourself? Tarveen Forrester, VP of People at Kickstarter, shares her experience with this challenge. In this live webinar replay, Tarveen brings her decade-plus experience to discuss how setting boundaries impacts productivity and sustainable success. Tarveen opens up about her career transition from Tastemade to Kickstarter, sharing how she knew it was ti...

Are your managers equipped to lead with both heart and strategy? Dr. Jeff Smith, Chief Product Officer at 15Five and author of "The Meaningful Manager," argues that bridging this gap is key to organizational success. In this episode, Jeff discusses the critical need for managerial skill development and the importance of managers to talk with their employees about their career paths. Adam and Jeff...

When you find the right candidate at the right time in your career for the right role, magic happens. But aligning those stars is easier said than done. That's where AI is a game-changer. In this episode, Khaled Hussein, Co-Founder and CEO of Betterleap, discusses how AI is transforming the talent acquisition space. He also discusses the innovative ways Betterleap is leveraging AI to accelerate re...

After ten years and over a thousand conversations with HR leaders, Adam Weber is sharing five insights you can apply to your work right now. Before we get there, we need to address the challenge HR leaders face today. Despite reduced budgets and flat staff sizes, HR's role is more important than ever. Yet only 50% of executive teams view HR as the strategic partner they are. It's no wonder 98% of...

"As soon as the first bullet flew, the plan was out the window, and we started reacting," General Schwarzkopf said about the Gulf War. The same is true for workforce planning. We put plans in place, but then reality strikes. We need both clear plans and adaptability to adjust on the fly while keeping our strategic vision in place. In this episode, Christopher Bjorling and Bill Banham, co-hosts of...

What would make your competitor's highly valued and performing employees want to leave and work for you? It's not enough to announce that you're hiring or have a great work culture. You must also differentiate yourself in a way that appeals to top talent. In this episode, Jonathan Reynolds, CEO of Titus Talent Strategies, discusses strategies to improve your talent acquisition process, especially...

What if your work schedule was defined by trust and productivity, not the time you spend at your desk? Imagine how this could affect your search for true job satisfaction. We invited Strategic Talent Executive Cali Ressler to discuss the concept of a results-only work environment and the current distrust and misconception surrounding job crafting. Cali shares insights on the post-pandemic workforc...

Tomorrow's HR leaders are challenged to create workspaces that balance efficiency with trusting team relationships. In this episode, Kimberly Carroll, Managing Principal at IA, shares insightful strategies for modernizing HR processes, compelling leaders to embrace delegation and focus on impactful change. She openly discusses why HR's processes often fall short and how the struggle to do it all c...

Amidst a backdrop of burnout, layoffs, and loneliness, belonging at work has never been more important. In this episode, keynote speaker Smiley Poswolsky unpacks the power of belonging in the workplace. He shares how the current loneliness epidemic and his experience at Camp Grounded, an adult summer camp focused on digital detox and authentic connection, solidified his passion for fostering belon...

Does your company culture make every employee feel seen, heard, and appreciated? Or is it deep-rooted in behaviors that cause someone to feel like a number? In this episode, Watchen Nyanue Hampton, Founder and CEO of I Choose The Ladder, shares her unique perspectives on the need for more human-centric approaches in the workplace. She calls upon HR leaders to view employees as full individuals, hi...