Transform Your Workplace

You've gone to school, done the internships, gotten the certifications, landed the dream job, and spent 10 years establishing yourself in the field...but eventually you burn out and miserable, for myriad reasons. Is it too late to change? What else could you do? How do you continue to support yourself while starting over, especially if that involves going back to school? How do you determine your...

It's straightforward stuff: retaining your talented employees is necessary for your organization to grow and thrive. What's less straightforward is where to start with accomplishing that task. What kind of turnover is healthy turnover, and what can you do about the preventable turnover? What kind of data tracking should you be doing, and how do you use those numbers to make improvements? What's an...

To be a great leader, you must first establish and follow your own life plan. That's the premise of the book Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want , co-written by Daniel Harkavy, founder and CEO of Building Champions. On this week's episode, Angela Perkins of Xenium HR guest hosts the podcast and talks with Daniel on why big-picture life planning is as important...

The recruiting and onboarding process allow an employer to set the tone and expectations for a new employee's experience with a company. So how do you ensure that it's a successful process that attracts not only someone with the skills for the job, but someone with the right personality for your company? Jenny Berkedal, Director of Employee Experience at Metal Toad Media, joins the podcast to shar...

Getting your company off the ground to a sustainable place should be the hardest part of starting a company, right? That's what many think, and how the growing pains and problems that occur within larger organizations go unanticipated or considered until it's too late. Rick Thomas, business advisor at Pilot Wealth Management, joins Brandon Laws in a discussion of the common issues companies experi...

Fear can often be a helpful emotion – it keeps us from ending up in risky, potentially harmful situations. But when does fear hold us back from reaching our full potential either as individuals or organizations? Darrin Murriner, author of Corporate Bravery: Eliminate Fear-Based Decision Making, joins the podcast to discuss how mistrust and being overly cautious can set us back personally as well a...

Time is precious. So why is it so challenging for us to prioritize and effectively manage where our time goes? Are there proven methods that could help us take back control of our time, easing our stress and improve many aspects of our work and personal lives? Bethanne Kronick, owner and CEO of Simplify Northwest, joins Brandon Laws in a discussion of all sorts of time management hacks and tricks,...

In this unusual podcast episode, Senior HR Business Partner Molly Kelley opens up about her decision to transition out of her role at Xenium. She and Brandon discuss the ideal process and communication for smooth transitions for key employees, from the angles of both employee and employer. Listen in for recommendations on timelines, employee communication, client communication, as well as how to h...

Episode number one started with Lacey Halpern, a Senior Human Resources Business Partner at Xenium HR, so we brought her back to celebrate episode number 100. In this "mailbag" episode, Lacey answers rapid fire questions on everything from defining illegal interview questions to how much time managers should spend with low performers versus high performers to what she believes the future workplace...

What's the difference between bullying and harassment, and when do they become the same thing? What are the stages of bullying and how can you catch the signs early before it escalates into a real issue that emotionally impacts people, both those involved and those observing? Catherine Mattice, author of Back Off! Your Kick-Ass Guide to Ending Bullying at Work , founder of Civility Partners, inter...

There's a lot of buzz around establishing a compelling mission, vision, and values for your company. But what are the real world impacts of having these in place, and how do you use them to create value for your employees and customers? Shawn Busse, CEO of Kinesis Inc., joins Brandon Laws in a discussion of how their work as marketing leaders overlaps and coexists with the work of human resources...

Conflict and disagreement are inherent parts of human existence. The simple fact is that no matter how congenial and friendly and inclusive your organization is, problems should and will arise. The real question is how we respond to those problems. Maybe an employee chooses to say nothing, hoping the problem will go away, until their anger bottles up and bursts out one day. Then what happens? As a...

In honor of our upcoming 100th episode, we're turning the mic on our regular host, Brandon Laws. Listen in as Angela Perkins, VP of Sales & Marketing, gets Brandon's take on HR trends, what it's like to be a marketer for Xenium, inside of a human resources consulting company, and all things podcast—from favorite episodes to lessons learned to a little sneak peek of what's to come.   How to Support...

So often, we measure and talk about our work day in terms of time - the 40 hour week, the 9-to-5 job, the flex-time perk, and more. Jody Thompson, co-author of Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It: The Results-Only Revolution and Why Managing Sucks and How to Fix It: A Results-Only Guide to Taking Control of Work, Not People , offers a new way of viewing our own work and others': with a results-only f...

How much of our decision making is truly born out of our own deeply held beliefs and values rather than a product of messaging from brands and media or the social influence of our family, friends, and peers? Tyler Meuwissen , Xenium's Compensation & HR Analyst, joins Brandon Laws in a discussion of Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior by Jonah Berger, in which they delve into...

We've all been the new person at a company, trying to get our footing in a new role and within a new industry. It can be a lot to take in, particularly when each company has its own set of acronyms and internal jargon they frequently rely on. "Think out of the box," "I'll ping you," "let's be sure to bake that into the process," "we should avoid any tissue rejection on this specifically," - the li...

As human beings, we are attuned to detect trustworthiness. It's often a gut feeling we get about a person, an organization, a brand, a place - almost anything. So how do we make sure that the people around us find us trustworthy? How do we broach tough conversations about our own areas for improvement, or someone else's, without it going south or just getting awkward? And what can trust really do...

When it comes to social media, the lines between public and private are blurred—especially in the workplace. There's certainly nothing wrong with coworkers connecting via social. But what happens when an employee starts posting about their political views? Or their workplace? Or other employees? Listen in as Suzi Alligood and Brandon Laws discuss what's protected and expected under Oregon law, com...

The open office is definitely having a moment. One of many workplace trends that's made its way from Silicon Valley to offices everywhere, it's meant to fuel collaboration and productivity, increase visibility and knock down hierarchy. But Lindsey Kaufman, a creative director in NYC and Washington Post author of "Google got it wrong. The open-office trend is destroying the workplace," would beg to...

Your company has fallen on hard times, and you have no choice but to let go of highly skilled, talented employees - who you may have a hard time tracking down or finding qualified replacements for once you're financially able to rehire for those positions. Or is there another way? The Work Share program in Oregon (name varies in other states) offers an alternative that involves an hour reduction f...

Informational interviewing can give you or your employees the opportunity to gain perspective and hear tips and advice when at a career crossroads. So why isn't it talked about more, and why aren't employers actively encouraging their employees to interview or be interviewed themselves more often? Lacey Halpern, Sr. HR Business Partner at Xenium, joins Brandon Laws in a discussion of the do's and...

Gaining direct access to the knowledge and skills of others can be a challenge for those who have the desire to grow professionally. But what if employers could build an effective mentor program that that granted access to internal and cross-company mentors? What would effect would that have on the growth, development, and engagement of employees? Heidi Holmes, Co-Founder of Mentorloop joins the p...

Millennials are continuing to pour into the workplace, and by 2020 they are expected to represent nearly half of the workforce. As managers and leaders, how do we best communicate with this generation? What are their common behaviors that we need to adapt to, and what do millennials want and hope to get out of their work? Lee Caraher, author of Millennials and Management: The Essential Guide to Ma...

At Xenium, it's our job to stay on top of the various workplace and HR trends that come our way. And in this podcast, we'll talk about the belief that HR should be replaced or absorbed into other business departments. Is it a good idea? Listen in to find out. We'll be discussing the viability of this approach, the role of HR and the real duties of the department. Whether it skews administrative or...

When it comes to hiring fresh talent, there's a new demographic in town. With boomers retiring and Gen Xers aging, millennials are taking over the workforce and changing the way companies attract and retain new talent. In this episode, we'll be discussing all the ins and outs of recruiting and hiring millennials—why it's worth it and what to expect. Listen in as we decode the values and behaviors...