Summary:

Tonille Miller is the founder of EXT - Experience and Transformation, a boutique consulting firm that helps organizations thrive in the ever-changing world of work. Tonille has over 15 years of experience working as a management consultant, an organizational psychologist, and an executive coach; and she has recently authored The Flourishing Effect: Unlocking Employee Thriving as Your Competitive Edge. 

In this episode, Tonille defines good (and bad) company culture; explains how toxic company cultures arise; and advises on how to create and foster great company culture. 

Chapters:

[0:00 - 2:43] Introduction

• Welcome, Tonille!
• Today’s Topic: How to Identify and Reverse Toxic Company Culture

[2:44 - 7:27] What are the many forms of company culture?

• Why company culture is about more than just “Taco Tuesdays”
• Who should be driving a company’s culture?

[7:28 - 18:21] How toxic culture manifests within an organization

• Examples of situations that create a toxic company culture
• How a company survives toxic culture coming from leadership

[18:22 - 26:49] What you can do to create a great company culture

• Setting clear goals for the organization and then reverse engineering the best company culture to achieve those goals
• The many ways to effectively measure company culture

[26:50 - 28:00] Closing

• Thanks for listening!

Quotes:

“What data is showing is that most organizations that do focus on their culture see 4 times more revenue growth and stock prices over 800% higher [than] those that don’t.”

“There are surprisingly a lot of great ways to measure company culture…”

Resources:
Tonille's book
Tonille's website

Contact:
Tonille's LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Production by Affogato Media

Summary:

Nicholas Rhodes is the Founder and Creative Director of OutSnapped.com and an experience specialist in leveraging generative AI and machine learning to create memorable and engaging company events. In this episode, Nicholas defines generative AI and talks about how HR professionals can use it in the workplace to streamline processes, save valuable time, and possibly even eliminate biases. 

Chapters:

[0:00 - 10:04] Introduction

• Welcome, Nicholas!
• Today’s Topic: How AI in the Workplace Can Improve Employee Experiences

[10:05 - 17:53] What is generative AI and what will it mean for the average HR professional?

• Generative AI can be used as an entirely new (conversational) operating system
• Using custom AI tools to assist with time-consuming tasks

[17:54 - 29:41] How can generative AI help HR?

• AI is not currently influenced by human emotion
• The pros and cons of the data used to build current generative AI tools

[29:42 - 39:35] How can HR professionals get started with generative AI?

• Generative AI tools are currently more accessible than they may ever be
• How organizations can use generative AI privately without putting proprietary data online

[39:36 - 41:26] Closing

• Thanks for listening!

Quotes:

“[When using generative AI], no longer am I utilizing the operating system of the computer, I’m using literally a conversational operation system.”

“AI is really scary right now to a lot of folks . . . but it’s free right now, and these tools are not going to be free forever. ”

Contact:
Nicholas' LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
Dwight's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Production by Affogato Media

Summary:

Amber Ontiveros is the Founder and President of Ontiveros and Associates, LLC, a professional change management firm. She’s been working in change management around equity and civil rights for about 25 years and has written federal civil rights laws used to determine discrimination. Amber is also the author of Heal the Four Woundings: A Guide to End Discord and Discrimination. 

In this episode, Amber talks about the four woundings; why healing woundings has never been more relevant than it is today; and how people can overcome their woundings and overcome imposter syndrome. 

Chapters:

[0:00 - 3:59] Introduction

• Welcome, Amber!
• Today’s Topic: The 4 Woundings That Drive Imposter Syndrome and Oppression at Work

[4:00 - 17:35] What are woundings? 

• Identifying the 4 woundings
• Who can benefit from identifying and working on their woundings?

[17:36 - 29:50] How healing woundings can be applied to today’s environment

• How today’s political turbulence can be viewed as beneficial
• Why the first step is learning to stop caring about what other people think of you

[29:51 - 36:40] How can people overcome their woundings and imposter syndrome?

• The importance of adopting a mindfulness habit
• A tool to help you navigate difficult or upsetting events at work

[36:41 - 37:35] Closing

• Thanks for listening!

Quotes:

“Neuroscience describes [the four woundings] as protective mechanisms to ensure you can keep self-esteem intact so you can overcome any situation and ultimately eat.”

“One of the very first things that I tell my clients is: you have to stop caring what other people think of you.”


Resources:
Ontiveros and Associates, LLC
Amber's Book

Contact:
Amber's LinkedIn
amber@aoassociates.biz

David's LinkedIn
Dwight's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Production by Affogato Media

Summary:

Lybra Clemons is an executive coach and human capital and culture strategist with 20 years of experience in HR, DEI, and talent management. She has previously held HR leadership positions at major financial and fintech companies including Twilio, PayPal, and Morgan Stanley. 

In this episode, Lybra talks about the difference between data driven and data informed decision making; the major issues surrounding making decisions without data; and how AI might affect our data focused processes. 

Chapters:

[0:00 - 7:02] Introduction

• Welcome, Lybra!
• Today’s Topic: Move Don’t Prove With Data Informed Decisions

[7:03 - 17:08] “Data driven” vs. “data informed”

• The importance of using data to “move not prove”
• How data-rich and data-poor processes affect decision making

[17:09 - 26:15] What major issues surround non-data-informed decision making?

• Using data (or implied data) to fit a narrative
• AI’s role in data informed decision making

[26:16 - 37:16] How to prepare for AI assistance in the workplace

• The importance of healthy skepticism
• Leaders have an obligation to think critically and qualitatively about data

[37:17 - 38:08] Closing

• Thanks for listening!

Quotes:

“Data informed goes along the lines of ‘we want to use data to move the needs’... versus to prove something.”

“This idea that everyone wants to be back in the office five days a week... this is where I think it’s the opposite of data driven; where there’s a lot of data and people just ignored it.”

Contact:
Lybra's LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
Dwight's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Production by Affogato Media

Summary:

Heather Bussing has been a California employment attorney for over 30 years, has worked in the HR tech space for nearly 20 years, and is a newly published author! In this episode, Heather talks about why pay equity is so closely related to DEI&B, why American legislators are finally breaking new ground with pay equity laws, and what employers can do to improve pay equity in their organizations. 

Chapters:

[0:00 - 9:07] Introduction

• Welcome, Heather!
• Today’s Topic: Unpacking Pay Equity and What It Really Means for Employers

[9:08 - 18:22] Why is pay equity a large part of DEI&B?

• Pay equity is much more visible now thanks to HR technology
• Reliable data is still critical for pay equity analysis

[18:23 - 27:19] Why is pay equity now a topic of discussion for American legislation?

• Unpacking the evolution of pay legislation
• Why more states haven’t yet passed pay equity legislation

[27:20 - 33:52] What can employers do to improve pay equity?

• Pay equity is a compliance issue which can be very expensive
• (Not legal) advice on how to follow the various pay equity regulations from various states

[33:53 - 34:55] Closing

• Thanks for listening!

Quotes

“Along with [pay] transparency, needs to come education.”

“It is so much cheaper to throw money at your [employees] instead of your lawyers.”

Resources:
Get Pay Right book
Pay Equity

Contact:
Heather's LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Production by Affogato Media

Summary:

This episode is a recording of panel discussion that took place during the recent NYCA event in which Sean Luitjens, General Manager of total rewards analytics at Visier, Jackie Rubin, Associate Director of talent and rewards at Willis Towers Watson, and K.C. Weinraub, VP of total rewards at eHealth, answer questions posed by our very own David Turetsky. 

In this episode, Sean, Jackie, and KC talk about the past, present, and future world of pay and tackling the new complexities of compensation planning.

Chapters:

[0:00 - 9:46] Introduction

• Welcome, Sean, Jackie, and KC!
• Today’s Topic: Tackling the New Complexities of Compensation Planning

[9:47 - 17:30] In what surprising ways does pay affect compensation planning?

• Communication of compensation plans is increasingly becoming HR’s scope
• Developing a data strategy before rolling out an AI strategy

[17:31 - 36:01] What pay decision issues are we anticipating for the rest of 2024?

• Developing managers as opposed to “knighting” managers
• How employees weigh compensation vs. benefits when looking for a jobs

[36:02 - 49:39] Predicting for changes in compensation planning in 2025

• Why it might make sense to revise compensation plans more frequently
• How pay increases might change in the future

[49:40 - 62:36] BONUS: What scares you about the future of pay?

• Legislation regarding exempt vs. non-exempt employees

[62:37 - 63:28] Closing

• Thanks for listening!

Quotes

“We have to train our managers and our leaders on how to talk about [compensation plans] to the populations within our organizations.”

“I think compensation planning will become more cyclical—three or four times a year. . . . I think that will help with the employee experience and with the manager experience.”

Contact:
Sean's LinkedIn
Jackie's LinkedIn
KC's LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Production by Affogato Media

Summary:

Jonathan Whistman is the author of The Sales Boss and current CEO of WhoHire, an AI-powered talent intelligent platform for the trades. In this episode, Jonathan talks about problems with current recruitment processes, how AI integration can fix those problems, and why leaders and managers may need to reframe how they think of AI in the workplace. 

Chapters:

[0:00 - 6:08] Introduction

• Welcome, Jonathan!
• Today’s Topic: How to Use AI to Improve Recruitment

[6:09 - 11:29] What’s wrong with the current recruitment process?

• People can inadvertently fall into patterns
• High-value recruiters can spend a lot of time on application review

[11:30 - 23:31] Will HR’s implementation of AI eliminate the need of HR practitioners?

• Pairing AI with automations for a more active recruitment process
• AI should not discount the fact that HR processes still affect real people’s livelihoods

[23:32 - 43:47] Do leaders and managers need to reframe how they think about AI nowadays?

• Technological growth is accelerating at an unforeseen rate
• How the ever-changing world affects how leaders should view and run their businesses

[43:48 - 45:26] Closing

• Thanks for listening!

Quotes

“When you’re looking at your hiring process, look at it as a two-sided coin where you really want to give as much control [as possible] to the applicant.”

“I think in the future we’ll have a life concierge that is an AI that knows us more intimately than we know ourselves and can proactively go out and find opportunities that we’re uniquely suited for. ”

Resources:

Real-time Job Postings Salary Data
Jonathan's Book
WhoHire

Contact:
Jonathan's LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
Dwight's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Production by Affogato Media

Summary:

Kathy Hammond is a B2B sales recruitment specialist who helps companies recruit and hire high-performing salespeople with the power data analytics. In this episode, Kathy talks about the biggest mistakes that both hiring managers and talent acquisition teams make when hiring for high-performance sales roles and how most of them can be avoided with a little bit of data analysis. 

Chapters:

[0:00 - 5:08] Introduction

• Welcome, Kathy!
• Today’s Topic: Why Data is Critical When Hiring High-Performance Sales Professionals

[5:09 - 11:33] The biggest mistakes hiring managers make when hiring for sales positions

• Not being able to able to identify (or even describe) a high-performing salesperson
• How hiring managers build bias into their processes

[11:34 - 19:21] Common mistakes recruiters make when hiring for sales positions

• Not referring to the data surrounding discovery and assessment of prospective hires
• On the lack of relevant training for those involved in the hiring process

[19:22 - 30:56] How can hiring managers and the talent acquisition team get along?

• It’s critical for leaders to understand the ins and outs of the sales process
• How breaking down a job into its core responsibilities paves the path for more productive interviews

[30:57 - 32:03] Closing

• Thanks for listening!

Quotes:

“There’s so much bias in the hiring process . . . and there are a lot of misconceptions around it.”

“You have to understand what the sales process is. It’s shocking that a lot of sales leaders have no idea—they cannot identify the various stages of their sales process.”

Resources:

Real-time Job Postings Salary Data
RecruitSolut

Contact:
Kathy's LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
Dwight's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Production by Affogato Media

Summary:

Kimberly Bowen is the Senior VP of Global Talent & Inclusion at Unum, a global financial protection benefits company. In this episode, Kimberly talks about recruiting talent in niche labor markets, how recruitment has changed since the pandemic, and why recruiting nationally (instead of locally) could benefit your company. 

Chapters:

[0:00 - 7:51] Introduction

• Welcome, Kimberly!
• Today’s Topic: Recruiting Talent in Niche Labor Markets

[7:52 - 17:52] What’s the biggest challenge in recruiting and retaining talent in today’s job market?

• After the pandemic, many workers moved to different parts of the country
• Back-to-office vs. continuing remote work post-pandemic

[17:53 - 27:06] How do you approach recruiting employees after the pandemic?

• Consider each employee’s unique situation and meet them in the middle
• Building in-office expectations into company culture

[27:07 - 32:52] Should you consider recruiting nationally instead of locally?

• Does your company have other offices where employees can work from?
• There are more jobs than there are people looking for jobs

[32:53 - 35:24] Closing

• Thanks for listening!

Quotes:

“[When recruiting for niche roles] companies have to look at what makes sense for their business from a cultural perspective and from a labor market perspective.”

“There’s a cultural component for us working on [projects together and in-person] that is very important for our growth as an organization. It strengthens and deepens our commitment to our values and our purpose.”

Resources:

Real-time Job Postings Salary Data

Contact:
Kimberly's LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
Dwight's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Production by Affogato Media

Summary:

Scott Greenberg is a business keynote speaker, a business coach, and the author of Stop the Shift Show and The Wealthy Franchisee. 

In this episode, Scott talks about the difference between salaried workers’ and hourly workers’ roles, needs, and expectations; what managers can do to genuinely motivate their employees; and why so many managers get company culture wrong. 

Chapters:

[0:00 - 4:15] Introduction

• Welcome, Scott!
• Today’s Topic: What Managers Get Wrong About the Hourly Workforce

[4:16 - 12:15] What is the difference between hourly workers and salaried workers?

• Why many hourly workers are not receiving the management and leadership they need
• Why so many workers have leaned more on gig work in recent years

[12:16 - 19:52] What managers get wrong about hourly workers vs salaried workers

• Why it’s important to distinguish hourly workers from salaried workers
• How to tap into what actually motivates employees

[19:53 - 28:34] What can managers do to better work with hourly workers?

• Why so many managers misunderstand company culture
• Why mission statements are critical for workers and how to properly write one

[28:35 - 30:11] Closing

• Thanks for listening!

Quotes:

“[Hourly workers have] really, really hard jobs and they need great management—they need great leadership. Most [hourly workers] are not getting it.”

“One universal soft need [of employees] is wanting to feel part of something, and that’s where culture comes into play. In my experience, most business owners, most managers, [and] most leaders don’t know what culture is.”

Resources:
Books by Scott Greenberg

Contact:
Scott's LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
Dwight's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Production by Affogato Media

• Welcome, Sean!
• Today’s Topic: Why and How to Share HR Data Effectively

• Different roles within an organization may use people data quite differently
• The importance of communicating the context around the data you’re sharing

• Addressing the “why” of how managers’ employees get paid
• Where the science of compensation intersects the art of being a manger

• Deciding what data to show and how to communicate it to those outside HR
• Consider how other departments (e.g., finance and marketing) leverage company-wide data

• Thanks for listening!

“[Managers] want to be nice, but . . . everyone can’t be a 5 because then you can’t create the dispersion to keep the talent you want. ”

Contact:
Sean's LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
Dwight's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Production by Affogato Media

Summary:

Robyn Rodriguez is the Founder and CPO of Her HR Help Desk, an HR consulting firm that focuses on supporting women-owned businesses, career women, female founders, and women in c-suite roles.   In this episode, Robyn talks about the challenges that women leaders face and the strategies they can employ to overcome those challenges without burning out. 

Chapters:

[0:00 - 3:12] Introduction

• Welcome, Robyn!
• Today’s Topic: Empowering Women Leaders in HR

[3:13 - 10:38] What unique contributions do women bring to HR?

• The power of leading with soft skills
• Closing the gap between leading and decision making for women

[10:39 - 34:09] The consistent challenges women leaders in HR face

• On being set up for failure due to unrealistic expectations
• Why you have to take the time to advocate for yourself 

[34:10 - 41:03] Robyn’s advice for women leaders looking to overcome the challenges they face

• Why you should invest time in developing soft skills
• Leveraging the younger generations’ push for change in the workplace

[41:04 - 42:54] Closing

• Thanks for listening!

Quotes:

“I want to see more CHROs stepping up to develop the next leaders and making sure they’re prepared for the job. I think that would help alleviate impostor syndrome.”

“I’ve seen a lot of females in HR roles be the scapegoat for failures beyond their capacity of what they can do within an organization.”

Resources:
Her HR Helpdesk

Contact:
Robyn's LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
Dwight's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Summary:

Becky Evan is an Associate Professor at Metro State University’s College of Business and Management. Prior to her career in academia, she was a training and operations executive at Fortune 500 companies. She also a published researcher of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in organizations. 

In this episode, Becky talks about her research on white DEI professionals' perception of their contribution to advancing workplace DEI. 

Chapters:

[0:00 - 6:46] Introduction

• Welcome, Becky!
• Today’s Topic: How White DEI Professionals Can Decenter Whiteness

[6:47 - 14:53] What led to Becky’s research on white DEI professionals? 

• On the demographics of DEI leaders and teams
• Defining, leveraging, and decentering whiteness

[14:54 - 21:02] What is the value in researching whiteness?

• How to research an emotional topic, like whiteness, ethically and objectively
• How workplace identities and external perceptions affect DEI

[21:03 - 33:47] How can we measure DEI?

• Pulling qualitative information from quantitative data
• How Becky’s research might help HR leaders

[33:48 - 34:52] Closing

• Thanks for listening!

Quotes:

“I felt like there was a desire and a need to understand the role of dominant culture . . . within an organization”

“Many times when we’re looking at [HR] data, dominant culture becomes the comparison point.”

Resources:
Becky's Full Research Paper

Contact:
Becky's LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
Dwight's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Summary:
Sally Loftis is the Managing Director at Loftis Partners, an HR consulting firm focused on pay equity and organization development, especially within non-profits and small businesses. 

In this episode, Sally talks about why and how more organizations should analyze their pay data.

Chapters:

[0:00 - 4:37] Introduction

•   Welcome, Sally!

•   Today’s Topic: Pay Equity Isn’t Scary: Here’s How and Why to Do It

[4:38 - 14:27] Why you can discover from analyzing pay data

•   Comparing pay to other demographic markers

•   Where do you begin?

[14:28 - 21:03] 

•   Pay equity extends beyond base pay into benefits, opportunities, and more

•   Why it’s important for managers to have mature conversations about pay with their employees

[21:04 - 28:05] 

•   Start by simply having conversations

•   How pay data analysis can lead to change management

[28:06 - 28:56] Closing

•   Thanks for listening!

Quotes:

“It’s important to look at some of the demographic markers [around pay data] like department, gender, race and ethnicity, tenure, age—things like that. That’s when you start uncovering more of the inconsistencies in your data.”

“We need to communicate [pay data analysis] results with some actions.”

Contact:
Sally's LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
Dwight's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Jacob Morgan is the author of best-selling books Leading With Vulnerability,
The Future Leader, and many more.
In this episode, Jacob talks about the key differences between simply being
vulnerable at work and leading with vulnerability, the power in leading with
vulnerability, and how doing so can improve your work relationships.

Chapters
[0:00 - 4:13] Introduction
• Welcome, Jacob!
• Today’s Topic: Leading With Vulnerability
[4:14 - 14:48] Vulnerability vs leading with vulnerability
• Why it’s important to pair vulnerability with solutions and action items at
work
• When and how to be vulnerable
[14:49 - 26:44] Why most people do not lead with vulnerability at work
• How to address the fear of being perceived as weak
• Promoting the wrong employees could “pollute the pond”
[26:45 - 32:38] Vulnerability at work vs vulnerability in our personal lives
• How relationships at work differ from relationships at home
• Why vulnerability and authenticity are not the same thing
[32:39 - 34:01] Closing
• Thanks for listening!

Quotes
“Leading with vulnerability is about talking about a gap [in competence,
knowledge, experience, etc.] that you have and then demonstrating what
you’re trying to do to close those gaps. ”
“The #1 response that came back [from 14,000 employees who were asked
why they were scared to lead with vulnerability at work] was, ‘I don’t want to
be perceived as weak or incompetent.”

Contact:
Jacob's LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
Dwight's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

During ADP Meeting of the Minds 2024, David led a panel discussion about the current and future state of Compensation. He was joined by Demetrice Saulsberry, Sr.  HRIS Manager at Trulite Glass & Aluminum Solutions, Garrett Valencia, Total Rewards & Payroll Manager at BSH Home Appliances Corporation, and Lyndsey Benson, VP of HR at Steve Madden.

In this episode, David and the panel of experts discuss some of the present day issues that Compensation practitioners face, upcoming events in 2024 that will
impact the world of HR, and how future technologies could help HR teams save valuable time and effort.

Chapters
[0:00 - 11:38] Introduction
• Welcome, Demetrice, Garrett, and Lyndsey!
• First, some context for the current state of HR
[11:39 - 26:33] Top 3 surprising HR events from 2023
• Surveys say that people do not think they’re being compensated fairly
• The relationship (or lack thereof) between compensation, cost of labor,
and cost of living
[26:34 - 41:52] Anticipations for HR changes in 2024
• How companies should approach job descriptions, pay ranges, and
career frameworks
• Total direct compensation and long-term incentives
[41:53 - 53:30] Looking forward to 2025
• How changes near the end of 2024 will impact organizations in 2025
• What about 2025 scares HR experts?
[53:31 - 54:12] Closing
• Thanks for listening!

Quotes
“If you haven’t published [geographic differentials for employee pay], then
it’s going to be a bigger problem for you because you’re making a one-off
decision if an employee decides to move.”
“When you’re deciding [an employee’s] pay, it’s the only time when you
have to reference the person [not the job].”

Contact:
Demetrice's LinkedIn
Garrett's LinkedIn
Lyndsey's LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
Dwight's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Robynn Storey is the owner of Storeyline Resumes, the largest privately held resume-writing service in the US. Storeyline has been helping senior-level and executive professionals write better, story-driven resumes for over 24 years.  

In this episode, Robynn talks about how to use the power of storytelling to your advantage as your write or update your resume and how to find success in job searches. 

Chapters

[0:00 - 5:01] Introduction

•   Welcome, Robynn!

•   Today’s Topic: Writing Better Resumes with Storytelling

[5:02 - 13:26] How can you build a better resume?

•   Why your resume should tell a meaningful story and how

•   How to navigate keyword requirements for ATS

[13:27 - 29:15] How to conduct the best possible job search

•   Leverage multiple tools and people connections; don’t just rely on job boards

•   What it means when a company instantly rejects you

[29:16 - 36:50] How to focus on your story when writing your resume

•   Every story should be rooted in success

•   How long should your resume be and how much of your experience should it include?

[36:51 - 37:55] Closing

•   Thanks for listening!

Quotes

“What you need to be describing [on your resume] is your impact [at your company] and how that is being measured.”

“Use a combination of [job search tools]—don’t get so caught up on just using the job boards.”

Contact:
Robynn's LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
Dwight's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Mei Kim is the Executive Director of Global Workforce Analytics at the 
Estée Lauder Companies, and Heidi Perloff is the SVP of Global HR 
Strategic Initiatives and Delivery Solutions at the Estée Lauder Companies. 
In this episode, Mei and Heidi talk about some practices that made 
adopting new technologies easier, whether they believe AI-based 
technologies pose a threat or present an opportunity to the workforce, and 
why it’s important to embrace data mindfulness in HR processes. 

Chapters
[0:00 - 4:25] Introduction
• Welcome, Mei and Heidi!
• Today’s Topic: How to Make New HR Technologies Approachable for 
Everyone
[4:26 - 14:06] What’s the difference between “digital” and “technology”
• “Technology is a thing; digital is a way of doing things”
• It’s ok for new technology to be difficult to adopt
[14:07 - 27:03] AI: opportunity or threat?
• AI helped Mei’s team win back 10+ hours of their week by minimizing 
tedious processes
• The major threat lies in HR not knowing how to use AI technologies or 
being curious about it
[27:04 - 37:24] What is data mindfulness? 
• Analyze not only the data, but also the data flow and input processes as 
well
• Will AI lull us into losing our critical thinking skills?
[37:25 - 39:14] Closing
• Thanks for listening!

Quotes
“HR VPs who embrace being digital and embrace the use of technology . . . 
tend to go farther ahead in their careers than others who don’t.”
“Yes, we can get automation from AI, but it’s really the augmentation of 
what it enables us to do as human beings that is super exciting.”

Contact:
Mei's LinkedIn
Heidi's LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
Dwight's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Martin Low is the Founder and CEO of On Plane Consulting, a consulting firm that helps small businesses and startups optimize and scale. Having held HR Director positions at multiple successful companies, Martin bring a wealth of experience to the table. 

In this episode, Martin talks about the fact that despite the evergreen landscape of new and emerging technologies, businesses still need one essential resource: people. 

Chapters

[0:00 - 9:17] Introduction

•   Welcome, Martin!

•   Today’s Topic: Why A Business’ People are More Important Than Its Technologies

[9:18 - 18:23] Why can’t businesses just rely more on technology and less on people?

•   If you rely less on people, those you do rely on will matter much more

•   Emerging technologies likely won’t replace people so much as improve their productivity

[18:24 - 27:15] As someone in HR, how do you facilitate technological change within your business?

•   Good data and insights into a business’ current state are essential

•   Why HR practitioners should be business minded (and vice-versa)

[27:14 - 38:00] How HR practitioners can drive progress within their business

•   Data will help you identify problems and build a business case for the solution

•   Building a solution for reducing the people cost of a business

[38:01 - 38:55] Closing

•   Thanks for listening!

Quotes

“[HR] data will do a couple of things for you: . . . it’ll tell you if you really have a problem, and it’ll help you show others that it might be.”

“If you can [reduce the people cost of a business] by 1 or 2%, it’s night-and-day for the profitability because that can all drop straight down to the bottom line.”

Contact:
Martin's LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
Dwight's LinkedIn
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With over 25 years of leadership in DE&I, Jason R. Thompson is the
creator of the CAPE Inclusion model and the author of Diversity and
Inclusion Matter. He led DE&I programming for a community of 150K
students and faculty at Western Governors University; he influenced DE&I
strategies for over 1,000 global startups at Techstars; and he helped the
US Olympic Committee set new standards for DE&I in sports.

In this episode, Jason talks about how HR data can help businesses take
practical steps toward improving their DE&I and growing strategically.

Chapters
[0:00 - 4:52] Introduction
• Welcome, Jason!
• Today’s Topic: Using HR Data to Progress from Theoretical DE&I to
Practical DE&I
[4:53 - 15:01] How has Jason done DE&I differently than those around
him?
• Outsource consultants and data scientists to help clean up HR data
• The problem with over-assigning unpaid special projects for the sake of
employee growth
[15:02 - 23:12] How to use HR data to create a DE&I scorecard
• Exploring the DE&I journey of US Olympic teams
• How DE&I and strategic growth are directly connected
[23:13 - 28:04] How does a DE&I scorecard help an organization move
forward?
• Creating reasonable DE&I expectations based on turnover rates
• Diversity in leadership
[28:05 - 29:35] Closing
• Thanks for listening!

Quotes
“Diversity is a noun—it’s the outcome of actually managing some [HR]
data.”
“From a strategic point of view . . . if you looked at the [DE&I] data, you
would say, ‘In which demographics do we have the best opportunity to
grow?’”

Contact:
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Garry Straker is a Senior Compensation Consultant at Salary.com. As a
total rewards professional with over 20 years of experience, he’s worked
with a diverse range of businesses, higher education institutions, and
non-profit entities.

In this episode, Garry talks about some surprising trends from 2023 and
whether he thinks they will carry into 2024.

Chapters
[0:00 - 3:07] Introduction
• Welcome, Garry!
• Today’s Topic: Will HR Trends from 2023 continue into 2024 and
beyond?
[3:08 - 10:15] Surprising trends of 2023
• Pay transparency legislation lost some of its momentum
• Labor unions had a high-profile year and made some big moves
[10:16 - 25:16] HR trends that will impact 2024
• AI and its role within HR
• Employers will benefit from better managing their internal labor markets
and developing employee skills
[25:17 - 40:22] Garry’s predictions for 2024, 2025, and beyond
• Even in the event of a change in administration, the economy is probably
going to chug along
• Salary budgets and their tie to the labor market
[40:23 - 49:05] Q&A and Closing
• Answering some questions from the webinar audience
• Thanks for listening!

Quotes
“The labor market is going to look very different in 2024, and it’s going to be
important for employers to better manage their internal labor markets.”
“If [employees] are underperforming, . . . [companies] need to have the
systems and processes in place to be able to identify that and address it
quickly.”

Contact:
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David's LinkedIn
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Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
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Amy Butchko is the Talent Acquisition Vice President at Maximus, where
she’s focused on helping organizations recruit IT talent at scale. Her
experience brings insights into both acquiring talent and communicating
talent acquisition data.
In this episode, Amy talks about the challenges surrounding talent
acquisition data and the steps you can take to solve them.

Chapters
[0:00 - 5:45] Introduction
• Welcome, Amy!
• Today’s Topic: 4 Steps to Better Enterprise Talent Acquisition
[5:46 - 12:16] What is the biggest challenge with talent acquisition today?
• Challenges with where are how quickly are you going to find your next
hire
• Solving the data problems within talent acquisition
[12:17 - 21:20] How do you develop talent acquisition acumen within HR
teams that yield desirable results?
• Identify the core requirements needed for candidates
• Considering skill level vs legacy requirements (e.g., degree requirements)
[21:21 - 29:07] How do you create a narrative around recruitment data?
• The narrative should be built around the circumstances and goals
surround recruitment
• Learn who you’re presenting to and how to best communicate the data to
them
[29:08 - 30:09] Closing
• Thanks for listening!
Quotes
“The thing that’s really important is finding people who can help bridge the
gap between all those seemingly irrelevant data points and turn them into
something that looks like an executive could understand it.”
“If you can home in on a couple of things that are really, strongly impacting
your business, measure them effectively, and tell a story consistently, [you
will be able to transfer data narratives]."

Contact:
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Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
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Perry Doody is the owner of Above the Rings Consulting and Performance. After
over 10 years as the founding partner and president of CompTrak, Perry sought
to continue his career in consulting with a newfound approach that combines
insights from the worlds of business and fitness.

In this episode, Perry talks about how people are an important asset to
companies and why it’s critical for HR teams to be more strategic.

Chapters
[0:00 - 6:12] Introduction
• Welcome, Perry!
• Today’s Topic: How HR Teams Can Pivot From Being Tactical to Being
Strategic
[6:13 - 12:57] What differentiates a good HR department from a great HR
department?
• The CEO must recognize that HR is a critical component to the overall
business
• People need to focus on doing less and doing it well, instead of doing a lot of
things in a mediocre way
[12:58 - 17:07] Is busy work holding HR back from being more strategic?
• Adapting legacy systems to new needs can often be more difficult than building
new systems from scratch
• HR teams should add people from diverse backgrounds
[17:08 - 29:27] What enables a company to pivot from being tactical to being
more strategic?
• What is the CEO’s relationship with HR and its goals?
• How bad administrative decisions can antagonize HR strategies
[29:28 - 30:53] Closing
• Thanks for listening!

Quotes
“People are [a company’s] capital—they are an asset, and I don’t think every
company looks at it that way. The strategic ones do.”

“Becoming more strategic involves change, and a lot of us are resistant to
change, . . . but the way you get over this is by looking to competitors, other
industries, and even your personal life.”

Contact:
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David's LinkedIn
Dwight's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
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Jason Averbook is a Senior Partner at Mercer and a global leader in HR
transformation. He has more than 25 years of experience in the HR and
technology industries, and he has guided industry-leading companies
through strategic HR transformations.
In this episode, Jason presents his takeaways from 2023 and talks about
how current HR trends will shape the future of the industry.

Chapters
[0:00 - 5:10] Introduction
• Welcome, Jason!
• Today’s Topic: Perspectives on HR and Emerging Technologies
[5:11 - 20:51] Jason’s takeaways from 2023
• 2023’s geopolitical events had significant mental health implications for
American workers
• Many organizations who have ignored their data are just now starting to
uncover its flaws
[20:52 - 29:20] Is 2024 the year of mass AI integration for HR?
• Generative AI will help us see where our data problems are, but we may
still need to solve the problems themselves
• Data fitness should be prioritized before a generative AI rollout
[29:21 - 35:20] How will emerging technologies affect HR one year from
now, in 2025?
• HR will be doing much less “hands work” and much more “heads work
and hearts work”
• Will HR roles be replaced by new technologies?
[35:21 - 36:24] Closing
• Thanks for listening!

Quotes
“AI has exposed the fact that organizations that don’t have good data can’t
use [tools like large language models].”
“The unlearning effort of 2024 to prepare for 2025 is more than the
technology effort—it’s more than the data effort.”

Contact:
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Dwight's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
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Summary:

As Season 6 of HR Data Labs comes to a close, David and Dwight take a look back at its episodes, guests, and key takeaways. They also revisit their predictions from last season and put forth some new predictions for the future of HR. 

Chapters:

[0:00 - 5:51] Introduction

• Welcome, David and Dwight!
• Today’s Topic: Season 6 Recap

[5:52 - 15:26] Looking back at Season 6

• Revisiting episodes, topics, and common themes
• Key takeaways from Season 6

[15:27 - 24:30] Looking forward to Season 7

• Training, job searching, and other topics to look forward next season
• Continuing coverage of HR conferences

[24:31 - 36:30] David and Dwight’s predictions for the future of HR

• ESG and DEI will see a lot of pushback as they continues to grow
• AI’s time in the headlines will slow down its rollout in HR

[36:31 - 40:03] Final Thoughts & Closing

• Thanks for listening—we’ll be back soon with Season 7!

Quotes:

“My prediction is that we’re going to see a ton of upheaval in the ESG space as well as the DEI space [in the next six months].”

“Because of some of the court cases and backlash, . . . I think we’re going to start to see more clamping on what AI can do in the world of HR.”

Contact:
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Dwight's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
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Production by Affogato Media