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There's certainly the opportunity cost that comes with assigning someone from your learning team or frankly finding anybody to work on this if it's not gonna fix the problem. There's also the frustration that comes with that. I've experienced that personally and as a leader of learning professionals. It is really frustrating to spend your time and effort doing something that you think is not gonna work. Ben Sieke, Director of Talent Development and Learning, Delta Dental We're Only Human -- Episode 156 When training is the answer to a problem, it can improve performance, satisfaction, and results.  When it's not the answer, it just increases frustration, drives down motivation, and increases unnecessary costs.  In today's episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Ben Sieke from Delta Dental about when issues are training problems and when they aren't. More importantly, Sieke shares insights as a learning executive for how to adapt and respond to the situations in a positive, productive way. If you've ever been told "it's a training problem" and weren't sure that assessment was correct, this episode is for you.  Note: This episode is a replay from HR Summer School 2022. HRSS 2023 is now open for registration. Show Notes Connect with Ben on LinkedIn Check out our show archives and sign up for updates so you don't miss an episode  

"So there's a massive amount of insights coming from this. We measure things like net promoter score -- we have an average NPS of around 73, which as we all know is pretty great. And a big one for me is that 41% of people we actually go on to hire actually have used the platform once or more than once. That's a really big figure to show this is actually supporting employees to apply with us and attracting them to us and being successful in getting a role with us." Lisa Brignall, Head of Talent Acquisition GB at Coca Cola Europacific Partners We're Only Human -- Episode 155 One of the things every company struggles with is sharing a realistic preview of the job with candidates. Job applicants expect recruiters and hiring managers to smooth over the rough edges, and it's tough to have a transparent and honest conversation. But Lisa Brignall and the team at Coca Cola Europacific Partners have found a way to solve for this. They actually give candidates access to employee Insiders that are empowered to talk about the culture, work conditions, and other realities of employment.  In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben and Lisa talk about the program, how it's set up, and what results and impact it has already demonstrated in a relatively short time. If your company is hiring and wants to create a more open dialogue with candidates, this episode is for you.  Show Notes Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn Check out the recruitment marketing episode with Kelby Tansey from Southwest Airlines Check out the show archives and links to subscribe on Spotify, Google, Amazon, and more

"The joke is pilots get in the plane, they read their checklist, and they take off. They push the [autopilot] button and sit back and wait for the plane to land itself. But when something goes wrong, suddenly the pilot's got to take control. And then everybody's life's in that pilot's hands. I think autopilot turned off for compensation people 18 months ago." Bryan Briscoe, VP Global Compensation at Marriott International   We're Only Human -- Episode 154   There's not a company in existence that hasn't needed to take a fresh look at compensation in the last year. The general consensus? "Wages are up." But this conversation offers a deeper look for those that really want to dig into how compensation is changing. In today's episode, Ben chats with Bryan Briscoe of Marriott International about critical trends in compensation like pay transparency requirements, how crowdsourced pay data compares to traditional salary survey data, and the biggest lesson Bryan recommends that other HR and compensation leaders follow if they want to be successful.  Show Notes Get a copy of Ben's new book Talent Scarcity, a #1 bestseller on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3XbCFw4  Connect with Bryan Briscoe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-briscoe-76584b5  Listen to our show archives: https://lhra.io/were-only-human-podcast/   

We can talk about DEI and belonging in that space. We can talk about culture, but really those powerful impacts that can happen internally and externally are really dictated on the leadership. When I think of leadership, I believe leadership is an example of love, trust, and grace.  George Rogers, Chief Culture Officer, Lighthouse Research & Advisory We're Only Human -- Episode 153   There's no shortage of conversations today about DEI and the newest addition to that set of perspectives--belonging. But one of the challenges talent and DEI leaders have is making belonging more than just a buzzword or an empty phrase. To get real investment, support, and focus on this critical topic, they need a business case.  In today's episode, you'll hear from George Rogers, a new addition to the team at Lighthouse. George is going to be focusing his research on DEI, culture, leadership, performance, and engagement. In this conversation with Ben, George highlights some of the new research on belonging, such as how much it impacts someone's plans to quit their job (spoiler alert: there's a clear link!) or their intent to recommend their employer as a great place to work. If you are curious about employee belonging, this evidence-based approach will help you make it come to life within your organization.    Show Notes This is a replay of a session from our State of DEIB event held in November 2022. Get the free replay here: https://hrsummerschool.org/deib  Connect with George Rogers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thegeorgerogers/  Listen to our show archives: https://lhra.io/were-only-human-podcast/ 

"Our main priorities right now are not unlike all people leaders. We're focused on hiring and we're focused on retention. On the hiring front, it's less about volume hiring. I think that everyone's slowing down just a little bit. With this economy we're focused on smart hiring and making sure that we're bringing in the right people for the right roles. Making sure not just to check a box or to make sure we're getting people in, but we want them to be happy in that role." Allison Lee, Chief People Officer, Persado   We're Only Human -- Episode 152   When we select candidates, bias enters the process. There's no other way to say it. But increasingly companies are using tools to help them make selection decisions based on data. In Persado's case, the company uses Bryq to help create a clear picture of what each candidate brings to the table so hiring managers can select the best fit candidate for the role, not just one that makes them feel comfortable.  As we hear from Allison Lee, Chief People Officer at Persado, this type of tool also makes internal mobility and employee career development a more structured and valuable process, turning it from a reactive challenge to a proactive opportunity.    Show Notes Connect with Allison on LinkedIn Learn more about Bryq Watch the whole replay for the State of DEIB event Check out the show archives and get free updates for new episodes  

"One of our ramp agents interacted with our CEO during one of his station visits and mentioned that he had taught himself how to code and that he was interested in technology. Our CEO was able to come back and connect him with recruiters and with our career mobility center [to] learn about a new program that we were just standing up. That employee actually moved from a ramp agent into this program, and our CEO was the one to call and make him an offer."  Kelby Tansey, Manager of Recruitment Marketing, Southwest Airlines We're Only Human -- Episode 151 Most companies put at least some thought into how they promote their jobs to candidates outside the company. But what about promoting those jobs within the organization? Research shows that two out of three workers have quit a job because of a lack of growth, but 90% of them would have stayed if they had seen a path ahead! In this episode, Ben talks with Kelby Tansey of Southwest Airlines about how the company makes positions and career choices known to its internal staff. Kelby opens the playbook on how to communicate, what to share, and why they prioritize it at Southwest. If your company is trying to get better at moving people within the business, get ready to take notes.    Show Notes Connect with Kelby on LinkedIn Watch the YouTube video Kelby mentioned on the show Check out the show archives and get free updates for new episodes

"One day he challenged me and he said, 'Listen, I want you to help our 477 store directors be great. But listen, I don't want you to go and teach them about engagement. They don't need like a history lesson. But I want you to teach them how to be engaging.' As I've navigated through various organizations, what I realized is that most organizations have the same challenges around manager performance." Kamaria Scott, Manager Enablement Expert at Accenture We're Only Human -- Episode 150   During a recent livestream event, when first-time managers was brought up as a conversation topic, multiple attendees quickly pointed out their own follies and challenges when it came to first time leadership roles.  Yet most companies still don't have a structured way to identify, select, and equip managers to be capable professionals.  In today's conversation with Kamaria Scott from Accenture, Ben and Kamaria talk about: Some of her favorite methods for helping to create more openness around manager performance enablement Supporting open dialogue with "manager circles" Carefully applying training where it needs to go instead of wielding it as a weapon. This is a powerful discussion for any organization or leader who has wondered how to create a more capable and connected manager.    Show Notes Connect with Kamaria on LinkedIn Check out the show archives and get free updates for new episodes

"What I've seen over the last six to 12 months is that companies are literally craving this information to understand: are they still competitive? Because they've made so many moves, whether it was with pay or benefits, they want to understand where they stack as it relates to their competition."  Terry Terhark, Founder and CEO, NXTThing RPO We're Only Human -- Episode 149 If you want to be an Olympian, you'd look at what Olympians do and learn from their approach. If you want to achieve that same world-class level of success in hiring, you should look at what world-class organizations are doing in hiring.  NXTThing RPO is a recruitment process outsourcing partner for innovative companies that desire support in their hiring operations. The leader of NXTThing is Terry Terhark, a veritable legend in the RPO industry and a wealth of information about what creates successful hiring outcomes.  In today's discussion, Ben talks with Terry about how hiring is evolving, what's next for the economy, and how cultural alignment between employers and service providers plays a role in success of outsourcing relationships.  Show Notes Connect with Terry on LinkedIn See the report on how the modern candidate is evolving Check out the show archives and get free updates for new episodes

And so we experimented and said, let's have a trial run at being a manager. We took about 25 people that wanted to be a manager as a cohort.  We said, okay, for a period of six to nine months, we would give you a small team you'd be responsible to learn how to interview and make hiring decisions. Then you get to decide whether or not you want to continue the manager path or not. Pat Wadors, Chief People Officer, UKG We're Only Human -- Episode 148 Managers are an essential part of getting work done. But many times managers and talent leaders end up butting heads, having mismatched expectations, or simply not getting along. In this episode, Chief People Officer Pat Wadors shares her experiences and advice for creating stronger manager relationships and outcomes that benefit not just HR and line managers, but their teams as well. Pat also dive into belonging and what it means in the modern workplace, giving each of us some ideas on how to make it a part of what we do every day.  Links and Show Notes Connect with Pat on LinkedIn Check out the show archives and get free updates

"I guarantee there is a direct correlation between a fantastic culture to business success.  They are always together. I would say that the strong culture is the insurance policy of every business." Ronni Zehavi, CEO, HiBob We're Only Human -- Episode 147 What if we had a way to shield our businesses from unnecessary turnover, disinterested staff, and other similar challenges? It turns out that we do. It's called culture. In some new research, we found that just 52% of HR leaders say their technology supports the employee-focused culture they desire. That's a big gap.  In today's interview with Ronni Zehavi of HiBob, Ben dives deep with Ronni into culture, why it matters, and how HR technology helps to support an employee-focused culture in practical ways. Ronni talks about transparency, teamwork, flexibility, and other tangible examples based on his experience as a business leader.    This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.    Links and Show Notes Learn more about Workplace from Meta at workplace.com/future Learn more about HiBob and the Bob platform Check out the show archives and get free updates

"When we select leaders, what we have found is leaders may have great, innovative ideas. They may be very driven to achieve. But if they're not inspiring people, if they're not demonstrating those interpersonal qualities that people see them as servant leaders, we've noticed that people are not willing to follow them. So we really emphasize that [serving] is exactly the quality that we want to see in leaders." Ji-Yun Kang, Leadership Assessment and Selection, Mayo Clinic We're Only Human -- Episode 146   All of the data indicate that a leader can make or break someone's experience at work. In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Ji Yun Kang, head of leadership assessment and selection at Mayo Clinic. Ji-Yun shares the key attributes the organization looks for in its leaders, including the things that push someone into the "no" pile when under consideration.  Ms. Kang also suggests how to evaluate if leaders are actually successful or not, offering examples that help to make this conversation very practical for companies that want to use their leaders to engage, develop, and retain their workforce.    This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.    Links and Show Notes Thanks to SHL for putting us in touch with our guest for this episode! Learn more about Workplace from Meta at workplace.com/future Connect with Ji Yun Check out the show archives and get free updates

"The first thing is 100% look for difference [when mentoring]. If you are only looking for more of the same, you are hurting yourself. Cloning was bad in Star Wars, and cloning is bad in real life. The second one is related: get away from the rock stars and the duds when you are mentoring." Lt. Col. Chaveso "Chevy" Cook, PhD, Executive Director, MilitaryMentors.org   We're Only Human -- Episode 145   Mentoring has been a bigger conversation in the last year as more companies are looking for ways to develop women leaders, move diverse professionals up the ranks, and support the workforce in a more tangible way. But employers often look at just the top 10% and bottom 10%, according to today's guest, missing the chance to connect with the 80% of employees who are typically excluded from mentoring opportunities. In this conversation, Ben speaks with Lt. Col. Chevy Cook about key ideas in successful mentoring based on research and practice. They not only tie in the science of mentoring but also the art of relationship dynamics and more.    This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.    Links and Show Notes Learn more about Workplace from Meta at workplace.com/future Connect with Chevy Check out the show archives and get free updates

"The more that we could be pushing that on the business side to say beyond revenue and profitability, what is the quality metric? What is the wellbeing metric? Obviously, employee engagement many companies measure. Are we measuring the investments in learning that we're putting out there for our people, even if they are people that end up leaving, if we're improving the future employability of a workforce, surely that's a good business and  society metric." Bhushan Sethi, People & Organization Joint Global Leader, PwC We're Only Human -- Episode 144 In the last 24 months, HR and People leaders have been in the spotlight more than ever before, and this has given birth to opportunities to influence and change the workplace for the better. But how do you know which priorities to set, where to put your focus and effort, and what to do first?  In this episode, Ben talks with Bhushan Sethi, a global people leader from PwC, to understand how he makes these decisions. Using a blend of research and practical perspectives, Bhushan offers helpful advice to people leaders at every company that is proven to drive employee retention and the organization's employer value proposition.  This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.    Links and Show Notes Learn more about Workplace from Meta at workplace.com/future Connect with Bhushan Download the new hiring research report Check out the show archives and get free updates

"I think the danger that we tend to run as people analytics teams is that we're not willing to take slightly bolder stances and say, "Hey, we have a better collective picture of the labor market. We have a better collective picture of what enterprise trends and behaviors are like." We need to give strategic guidance and not just be turning over data products." Zach Frank, Senior Manager of People Analytics, Freeman Company (formerly at Aramark) We're Only Human -- Episode 143 When it comes to analytics and AI usage in the business, we don't always think about HR and people first. However, there are tremendous opportunities to create and deliver value using both of those tools, even for something as personal and human-centric as the work of HR.  Zach Frank believes that, and he's used those principles in his different roles to bring new value for the workforce, managers, and executive leadership through smarter people practices. In this episode, Zach shares with Ben some of the ways that teams can do this well, including one area where they need to step up their game if they want to be relevant and valuable contributors to the business.  Note: Zach worked for Aramark when this was recorded but recently moved to Freeman Company prior to publication of this episode in a new Senior Manager of People Analytics role.  This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.    Links and Show Notes Learn more about Workplace from Meta at workplace.com/future Connect with Zach Download the new hiring research report Check out the show archives and get free updates

"Oftentimes they're looking for a quick fix. But what I will say is those that are doing [hiring] well and really moving the needle are those that are looking at this issue holistically. What is our employment brand in the market? Who are we competing with in our market? How does our total compensation package compete? Do we know how to sell to candidates?" Pam Verhoff, President, Advanced RPO We're Only Human -- Episode 142 Everyone's talking about hiring. And we all want an easy button.  In this episode, Pam Verhoff and Tim Oyer of Advanced RPO talk with Ben about their experiences helping clients hire thousands of candidates in recent years, including key practices that lead to success (plus what has and hasn't changed over time). In our research, we see that 8 in 10 hiring leaders say that recruiting has become a business-level priority in the last year. During the discussion, Pam talks about how to elevate that conversation with concrete dialogue and numbers that drive attention, investment, and results.  Show Notes Get a copy of the report with the data discussed on today's episode: https://www.advancedrpo.com/top-talent-acquisition-trends-for-2022/   See the show archives, subscribe for free updates, and more: https://lhra.io/podcast 

"How can you build things that are as small as they can be so that you can plug and play and you can pivot and change? The way that I think about manifesting that in talent programs is thinking about more of a skills culture. If we have the skill of adapting and coping, for example, and we know that's a critical element in a lot of areas of our organization. Let's go ahead and build programs around building that skill up, then we can quickly pivot and change as the organization's needs change." Becky Layana, Global Talent Program Manager, H.B. Fuller We're Only Human -- Episode 141 In today's dynamic workplace, employers need to think about how they can create high-impact talent programs that deliver results like engagement, performance, and retention. At H.B. Fuller, this is a top priority. In today's discussion, Ben and Becky Layana, Global Talent Program Manager at H.B. Fuller, examine how the company prioritizes talent, what that means from a culture and values perspective, and how it opens up opportunities to get the best from people while still supporting the business.  Most importantly, listen to this episode and how much importance is placed on talent management as a business process/practice, not just a siloed HR activity. There are some excellent takeaways on that front.    Show Notes Connect with Becky on LinkedIn Thank you to the team at SHL for making this connection for us! See the show archives and learn more about how to listen to We're Only Human on your favorite music and podcast apps

"I think the the one stat that came out of this research, that nine out of 10 employees would be more likely to stay with their employer if they had this benefit, I was just kind of blown away." Rob Whalen, CEO, PTOExchange We're Only Human -- Episode 140 One of the most common employee benefits is paid leave. Employers offer a variety of options, from more standard accrued leave during every pay period to a newer option for "unlimited PTO." But how do people feel about these benefits?  Well, the data are in, and you might be surprised by what you learn.  In a new research study of 1,000 North American workers, we found that many of them have issues with the Paid Time Off (PTO) programs their companies offer. In this episode, Ben dives into the data with Rob Whalen to understand how workers feel, what they desire, and how employers can embrace flexibility in a powerful, tangible way.  Listen in to learn: how men and women see this differently, what this means for low-income workers, and why diverse individuals may have different feelings about PTO plans.  Show Notes Get a free copy of the report to see all of the data Listen to our show archives and sign up for free updates

"Stay interviews are highly under-rated, but yet can provide , so much insight to your employees and so much data. It's almost like a secret weapon or secret tool that  companies just don't take advantage of." Amanda Turbeville, Global Head of Human Resources, Montway Auto Transport We're Only Human -- Episode 139   In today's challenging hiring environment, employers need a way to connect with their people. Compensation? It's a start, but it doesn't motivate long-term. What about autonomy, training, and support? Those can create lasting connections with staff and drive retention in a powerful way.  But where do you start? In this conversation with Amanda Turbeville, Global Head of HR for Montway Auto Transport, you'll hear how the company leverages stay interviews not just to keep people, but to help define custom career paths to keep them engaged and connected with the organization. Amanda opens her play book and shares the questions they ask in these stay interviews as well as how they are utilized.    Show Notes Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aturbeville/ Check out the show archives and sign up for free updates: https://lhra.io/podcast 

"In 2021, our employees asked about 27,000 questions from the chatbot and completed about 16,000 transactions. So this year our focus is really on reinforcing awareness and adoption while we're working to continue to improve our processes, our content, and our support structure." Nicole Sloan, Employee Experience Leader, Kimberly Clark We're Only Human -- Episode 138 For many workers at large companies, the only way to get help is with a phone number or a web portal. While there's nothing wrong with those actions, they can be disruptive to the daily flow of work and even difficult for those working in positions that don't lend themselves to office or desk work.  Kimberly Clark's Employee Experience team knew this and set out to change the fundamental interaction points for the firm's 46,000+ global workforce (including everything from desk workers to front line workers and everything in between). The plan hinged on the implementation of KayCee, a chatbot that drove rapid, tailored interactions for every single request that came in. Listen to this episode to hear how Nicole Sloan and her team approached this challenge. In addition, we get to hear from Melissa Swisher from Socrates about how she and her team helped to enable these positive outcomes with a personalized, responsive chatbot experience for the workforce.  If your company is thinking about a chatbot for employee self service, this story is going to give you good ideas and insights for your journey. If you're already on that path, this conversation has good ideas for process improvement that you won't want to miss.  Show Notes Connect with Nicole on LinkedIn Learn more about Kimberly Clark Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn Learn more about Socrates See our show archives and sign up for free updates

"We're talking ISO 45003 that I highly recommend people look at . Or you can talk to people like me who can break it down into regular language. Those three components of psychological health and safety, which are the structure, the environment and the expectations of behavior." Dr. Allessandria Polizzi We're Only Human -- Episode 137 In the workplace today, one of the common phrases that gets thrown around a lot is "psychological safety." But what is it, and how does it fit into the bigger conversation about resilience at work?  In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Allessandria Polizzi about this intersection, exploring practical ways to bring this from idea to reality. While it's easy to feel like these elements are "soft" or unimportant in the bigger scheme of things, they are emerging as critical leadership skills. Listen in to dive into concepts like self compassion, organizational dysfunction, and more.  If you enjoy this episode, you'll probably also like our talk with Faye Ekong from RavelWorks Africa on how to diagnose culture issues within the business. Show Notes Connect with Allessandria on LinkedIn Check out the show archives, sign up for updates, and more