The HR Life Podcast

What does a foreman burning a coworker with a cigarette have to do with a submarine imploding two and a half miles under the Atlantic? On this episode, Tony and Steve sit down with Bryan McCurdy, HR Director at Hughes General Contractors, to find out. Bryan didn't set out to work in HR (nobody really does, apparently), but nearly twenty years later he's running people operations for a seventy-year...

The guys sit down with Rhonda and Jacob from Weltrio and talk maximizing effective use of benefits.  Rhonda and Jacob give the history of Weltrio and how they are helping companies manage their plans.  What would happen if you didn't have a group open enrollment meeting this year and instead sat down and had a personal conversation with every employee?  Why are HR people so afraid of change or roc...

Ryan Kohler, founder of Applicant Pro, joins the guys and blows Tony's mind in the first minute of the podcast.  As Tony picks up pieces of his skull, Ryan unfolds the nature of AI, what it is really capable of, and the opportunity HR has to drive the AI bus in American business.  In this episode you'll learn the real impact AI will have on your company, what job searches will look like in the fut...

Joe Tate got into HR because his handwriting was better than the other guy's. He left one of his biggest roles because he refused to let his HRIS manager take the fall for a company-wide data breach. And somewhere in between, he built Boost HR, mentored hundreds of professionals through his six-week HR essentials course, and took a ski trip to Japan that ended up reshaping the way he thinks about...

Tony and Steve welcome Aric Bostick, keynote speaker, former classroom teacher, professional crowd-energizer, and the man Steve publicly credits for telling him to get on a stage when he was just some guy with a book idea and a lot of enthusiasm. Aric brings the science of attachment theory out of the therapy room and drops it straight into your org chart.  You'll learn why people leave companies...

Steve and Tony attended the Fuel HR conference on May 14, 2026.  They talked the EEOC's case against the NY Times, diversity, and interviewed several attendees. The most pertinent piece of advice they got from the conference is "If you're going to discriminate, don't advertise and document it."   Note: There were two interviews that were lost due to computer and sound issues.   We apologize to tho...

A CEO returns to his struggling startup, looks around at the wreckage, and decides the HR team is the problem. He fires them. All of them. Then tells the world about it at a conference. Tony and Steve have opinions. Surprising, nuanced, occasionally loud opinions, and they're not entirely on the side you'd expect.  In between the Star Wars tangents and Tony's deep philosophical feelings about perf...

Tony and Steve welcome Derik Clark — Army counterintelligence veteran, body language expert, and apparently a crowd favorite on par with Steve (high praise). Derik breaks down his HEED framework for reading nonverbal cues in HR investigations and job interviews, and why the thing you think you're seeing (lying) is almost never the thing you're actually seeing (discomfort). He also shares the true...

Tony and Steve kick off the show in full Star Wars mode — it's May the Fourth, Steve spent $19.77 on themed donuts from Lehi Bakery, and the great AT-AT pronunciation debate is finally settled (hint: Steve is wrong). The real guest of honor is Albert Foster, founder of Express Evaluations. The episode digs deep into one of HR's most stubbornly unsolved problems: why performance evaluations, invent...

We're not choked up, you're choked up.  Wow!  The guys spend an afternoon interviewing students at JAG's (Jobs for America's Graduates) National Career Development Conference (NCDC).  In this episode, you'll hear how lives changed, doors opened, and how a group of young people is making the most of their opportunities, all because of JAG. A list of Guests Interviewed:  Bailey, Jamarcus, Gabe, Madi...

Steve and Tony talk international remote workers and retention methods with Troy Blanchard from ZConnect.  Steve talks about implementing COVID early and often.  Tony talks about Ford Verses Ferrari and how the bureaucracy so prominent in that movie was real... and was probably the fault of the CEO.  And finally, Tony introduces everybody to the "Slug Line" in DC.  Learn more about Troy Blanchard:...

Tony and Steve break down parts of SHRM's annual State of the Workplace report, but only after venturing into stories of strange women playing footsies with Steve on a cruse.  Who is the most optimistic that employers are meeting the needs of their employees?  Employees, HR professionals, and HR Executives, are all in agreement that the second biggest need n the workplace is...?  Want to know what...

Tony and Steve talk about the state of HR, AI, eating catnip, and the fact that HR is both doing well and in trouble.  Tony's cynicism is both peaking and ebbing as he discusses HR with a wandering choo choo.  The guys discuss what is going on in the world of HR consulting and fractional HR.  Tony reads a post from Facebook and Steve gives a great HR in Life segment.  But don't drop out of the pod...

In this episode Tony and Steve tackle toxic work environments and Tony's fantastic ability to kill wasps from more than 10 feet away.  What is a toxic work environment? What role do front line managers play in creating or toxic environments?  Do front line managers or the C-suite have a bigger impact in your efforts to improve culture?  In this week's HR in Life Segment the guys talk about misunde...

In this episode Tony and Steve expose some insights into how to train your managers to interview.  What are they interviewing for? The guys debunk the myth that you can only ask the same set of questions in the exact same order to every candidate.  Steve sheds light on the number one things candidates complain about, the number one things interviewers complain about, and Tony loses his choo choo....

In this episode Steve and Tony discuss Steve’s Four Myths of HR and define the difference between administrative and strategic HR.  For HR professionals looking to contribute in a strategic manner at an executive level, this discussion forms a guide to what that entails.  Of course, the guys talk about Project Hail Mary and the upcoming He-Man Movie as well.  The four myths: HR is administrative H...

Listen as Tony and Steve are once again joined by Andrea Hollingsworth.  In this fantastic episode Andrea lays out the SAFE Framework that helps HR and leaders cope with RIF's, Layoffs, and survivors.  They discuss how to survive extremely difficult conversations with those leaving the business and those who are staying.  They also touch on gamifying the workplace and performance reviews. Quote of...

In this episode Tony and Steve welcome back Rachel Child in iambic pentameter and great hazas to talk about the intersection of HR education and real-world practice. Rachel shares how she found her way into the profession — and what she’s seeing from the next generation of HR professionals.  This episode touches on leadership accountability, HR education, culture vs. compliance, the realities of e...

In this episode of The HR Life Podcast , Tony and Steve sit down with Shaina Burgoyne to talk about something many HR professionals quietly wrestle with: stepping away from your career — and finding the courage to come back.  From navigating an acquisition at Omniture/Adobe to leaving the workforce to raise her children, to re-entering HR during COVID and rising into leadership at Domo, Shaina’s s...

In this episode of The HR Life Podcast , Tony and Steve go from red couches and movie plot twists to one of the most important HR conversations happening right now: AI in hiring, reverse discrimination, and why the EEOC is very active. If you think AI tools are just making recruiting easier, think again. From insider panic in the AI world to federal subpoenas and a groundbreaking lawsuit against E...

In this episode of The HR Life Podcast , "Fantastic" Tony Benjamin and Stephen “Big Deal” Smith tackle one of the biggest villains in today’s job market: the Applicant Tracking System.  The guys kick things off with a slightly terrifying (and mildly hilarious) detour into rogue AI bots that call you when you ignore them — because nothing says “future of work” like software that won’t let you ghost...

In this episode the guys talk to Stacee Pedersen about everything from PEO's to groundhog day.  They talk about why PEO's don't work for many companies, why its harder sometimes for consultants to affect the daily operation of a company, and of course, Stacee's entrepreneurial rise to power.  The guys introduce a new segment called HR In Life.  What happens when your star performer runs off every...

The guys talk to Ben Eden about HR practitioners view of themselves, how to begin to build trust when you have a seat at the table, his partnership with SHRM around the PMQ+, and other brilliant things you'll have to listen to the podcast to learn.  Steve introduces listeners to Vinagaroons and what happens when they sting you as well as recounts his recruiting days on Tatooine. We want to thank t...

Amy Adler has the proof that she's the best resume writer in the world.  The guys talk to her about professional resume writers, the first resume ever written, pink jeeps, the scams that job hunters face, the state of HR, and a lot more.  What is the worst word you can use on your LinkedIn profile? Find out in this fantastic episode.    Learn More about Amy Adler at: https://fivestrengths.com Sche...

In this episode the guys lay out SHRM's dirty laundry for everybody to see.  They discuss the $11.5M case specifics, the rumored toxic work environment at national SHRM, and how politics play into it all.  It needs to be said.  They mention the HR Besties podcast and critique their takes and the attempts of some to take down SHRM and its local affiliates.  Learn more about Tony "Two Weeks' Notice"...