The HR Mentor

Today feels pretty special to me because this is my 50th episode of the HR Mentor!! Thank you so much for listening and for supporting me on this journey over the last 2.5 years. It has been an absolute privilege to share this content with you. Today’s episode is also special because I created it for a specific group of emerging professionals. It was inspired by this comment from a listener, Traci...

When I say the word networking, what is your reaction? Do you instantly feel nervous? Confused? Overwhelmed?  If you are presented with an opportunity to go to a networking event, do you start thinking up excuses to get out of it? If the answer is yes, you are in good company. Most of the emerging HR practitioners I talk to have a fear of networking and I was one of them. Despite being extroverted...

One of the best things about being a University professor is getting to meet up-and-coming professionals. I get to see them when they are figuring out what they want to do and how they see themselves contributing. And in some cases, I have an opportunity to play a small role in their thought process. Every once in a while I meet students who I just know are going to make meaningful contributions n...

A lot of HR professionals and new grads shy away from job opportunities in smaller or more remote communities. But my guest in this episode, Justin Hardy, did the opposite and as a result, has been able to gain some incredible experience early in his career. Justin is from a small town in the Interior of BC called Logan Lake with a population of about 2,000 people. He achieved his bachelor’s degre...

On February 24th, 2022 Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This was an unprovoked attack on a sovereign democratic nation that has resulted in the incredible destruction of many cities and villages of Ukraine, their infrastructure, and a significant loss of life to both soldiers and civilians.   As a Ukrainian-Canadian, I am terrified for my family that lives in Ukraine. I fe...

At the start of 2022, I set an intention. I do this every year over the winter break to help me stay aligned with my values and goals. This year, my intention is wellbeing.  Like many of you, 2021 was not kind to my health; both mental and physical. There was so much going on with the pandemic and all of the constant changes and adjustments that came with it. And then of course those of us living...

Welcome to Season 3 and episode 44 of The HR Mentor Podcast! I kick off this season talking about my latest project, The HR Mentor Fan Club! This is a membership site for those of you that are serious about your HR career and who love The HR Mentor. For less than a cup of coffee and a cookie each month, you can get access to bonus episodes, free resources, exclusive discounts, and a chance to keep...

I know it’s been more than a minute of lag time since my last episode, but November was a tough month. Actually the whole fall felt like a three ring circus.  There was not only a lot going on with the day-job, but a lot going on personally which I won’t bore you with. What also impacted so many of us here in B.C. is another series of natural disasters with intense flooding. Once again, many peopl...

I am absolutely thrilled to bring you an incredible conversation I had with a wonderful human who does amazing work in the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion space.   My guest on the show today is Sharon Nyangweso. Sharon is the Founder and CEO of QuakeLab, a full-stack inclusion and change management consultancy that uses human-centered design to help organizations move their commitment to diversity...

  I really love the fall! There is just something so warm, comforting and inviting about this time of year. There is just something so warm, comforting and inviting about this time of year. Plus I hate being cold so a season where its acceptable to bundle up suits me perfectly!   Many people see the fall as a time to make career moves. It’s not often people will want to change positions in the dep...

When I first began my HR career in the mid-90’s I had no clue as to what my career path would look like. In fact, I wasn’t even totally sure what a day in the life of an HR professional looked like. I had taken courses in recruitment and selection, compensation, and training and development in my undergrad degree so from my perspective, these were my choices.   And even though I was confident that...

I am thrilled to have my good friend and colleague, Joel Peterson back on the show this week. Joel is the Founder and Lead Consultant of Arbutus Search Group, a boutique search firm in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. Joel and I spoke last year about all things recruiting and during our conversation, we agreed that an episode on Reference Checks was in our future.   Unfortunately, a lot of e...

If you’ve listened to this podcast for a while or know anything about my background, you know that I have changed roles and employer’s a few times over the course of my twenty-plus years in HR. And when I tell people that until I became a professor, I had never worked five years or longer at any one place they often raise an eyebrow with a “there must be something wrong with you” kind of look. But...

You have probably heard the term branding as it relates to marketing a product or service. You have probably also heard of branding a company or an organization. You might even have a friend or two that pursued marketing and branding as a career path.   What might be less known to you is the term personal branding. Personal branding is how you present yourself and how you are viewed by the world....

I talk a lot on this podcast about the positive aspects of my profession and how to get the most out of an HR career. Mostly, because I really do love my profession and what I do, but also because I believe a lot of emerging HR practitioners would have more positive experiences in their organization and more career satisfaction if they receive some guidance, coaching, and mentoring on how to navig...

Do you ever get that feeling that the role or organization you are in is just not quite a fit? It may be painful or uncomfortable or perhaps you just feel some apathy or a general lack of satisfaction. Maybe you love the organization and the industry, but you feel you have accomplished all you can in your current role and you’re ready for more?   This is a normal occurrence on many career journeys...

As an HR educator I am often approached by new graduates or soon to graduate students for advice. And one of the most frequent questions I get asked is, "can you tell me what I am doing wrong with my job search?"   This usually comes after they tell me that they have been applying on HR jobs for months, they have tried literally everything and they are getting nowhere. And worse, they are now feel...

If you are a regular listener or you follow me on social media, you know that one of my strong beliefs is that building solid relationships is absolutely essential to a successful and fulfilling HR Career. When I look back over my twenty-plus years as an HR professional, I can honestly say that 99.9% of my success and happiness with my career has come from building strong, positive relationships....

Did you know that 1 in 2 Canadians have or will have a mental illness by age 40 and that a lack of mental wellbeing is the leading cause of workplace disability keeping some 500,000 employed Canadians from attending work each week? I think that’s a staggering statistic. And it’s not just in Canada. The estimate worldwide is that 450 million people are currently struggling with their mental wellbei...

As most, if not all of you listening to this are aware, on May 27, 2021, Chief Rosanne Casimir of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc announced the discovery of the remains of 215 children buried on the grounds of the former Kamloops Residential School.   As an uninvited guest who lives, works and plays on the traditional, unceded territory of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc people, I extend my deepest condolences,...

If you’ve listened to this podcast before or follow me on social, you will have heard me refer to a career as a journey. And if you know me or have attended any of my HR career workshops, you also know that my career has been a windy road of ups and downs. And I think this is the case for many professionals, yet this is not the expectation of a lot of people just starting out in their career. They...

This episode features an engaging and fun conversation with two of my former HR students; Himanshi Patel and Nikita Kumar. During our conversation, they talk about their experiences with landing their first HR role. Both of these remarkable people were International students who are new to Canada and both have secured their first HR roles less than a year after graduation. They have some incredibl...

So many of us are learning how to do our jobs in a new way right now. Like me, you may be working from home and doing what you normally do face to face in a virtual format. You may be in a situation where your work routines and requirements for health and safety are also changing constantly. And some of you may be starting a brand new role and are truly a beginner; in the organization, your specif...

Congratulations! You have a job offer to consider, maybe even two! It’s wonderful to be in this position after all the hard work you put into getting noticed and making it through the whole hiring process. But now, you are having doubts about accepting the offer. What if there is something better around the corner? What if it’s not the right opportunity for your career? And if you have more than o...

Feeling kinda meh and blah about where things are at in your HR career or job search? Not exactly in the right frame of mind to market yourself or tackle that next big project? Or perhaps you are just feeling a bit defeated and deflated due to rejection or some negative feedback. As we continue the global battle against COVID-19 so many of us are feeling tired, overwhelmed and fatigued. And honest...