The HR Sound Off Podcast Show

Let‘s Sound Off on Celebrating Milestones

This is a special episode where I get the opportunity to interview Jon Thurmond and Wendy Dailey as I celebrate two years in podcasting, and they get ready to celebrate 200 episodes.
 
I have learned a lot about podcasting from Jon and Wendy, and they have been so unselfish in what they share with me, I wanted to give a little something back to them to thank them.
 
In this episode, we :
🦸🏽‍♀️ Geek out about Marvel comics, movies & cartoons (15 minutes, stay with us)
🦹‍♀️ Learn how Jon and Wendy met and started their show HR Social Hour
🦸‍♂️ Listen to their advice on creating and maintaining a podcast
🦸🏾 Learn what is next for Jon and Wendy
 
Also, listen out for our debate as to whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie 🤣🤣🤣
 
The only resources we shared related to Marvel and Christmas Movies, so be sure to catch:
📽 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
📽 Super Hero Squad
📽 Fantastic Spiderman
📽 M.O.D.O.K.
📽 Hit Monkey
📽 Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengence
📽 Hawkeye
📽 Hawkeye Vol 1,  My Life As A Weapon
📽 Home Alone 1 & 2
📽 Die Hard
📽 Raya and the Last Dragon
📽 Captain Marvel
📽 It's a Wonderful Life
📽 A Christmas Story
 
Be sure to follow Jon and Wendy on LinkedIn and listen to the HR Social Hour
HR Social Hour on Twitter
All things Jon Thurmond
Wendy - My Dailey Journey

Let‘s Sound Off On HR Tech: Introducing ‘Unpacking‘

Kristina Ashley Williams (she/her) is a leading voice in organizational cultures, futurist thinking, and inclusive design, known for her illuminating personality and experiential learning innovations. She currently serves as CEO of two dynamic ventures. Focused on the future of work, Unpacking is an online learning & certifications platform for diversity, equity, and inclusion. As the great-great niece of Jackie Robinson, her award-winning work is not just about passion; it is legacy. Williams has received notable recognition from the NAACP, Beyoncé's BEYGood Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Techstars, Verizon, TechCrunch, and more.  
 
In this episode, Kristina and I discuss:
🎯 Why she created Unpacking
🎯 What customers can expect as they experience the platform
🎯 The challenges faced as a black woman building a tech startup
🎯 Why she believes that HR teams in the US need to become more diverse 
 
Kristina shares her joys and fears as a black female business owner in the DEI space, and I could not be more proud of her. This episode is a bit longer than usual, but you will soon see why and hope that you, too, will respect the power of the pause.
 
Kristina's resource picks
Building For Everyone - Annie Jean-Baptiste
Brené Brown Podcasts
Real Housewives - Every superhero needs some downtime 🙃
 
Please check out Unpacking and follow Kristina to learn more about her excellent work, and she continues to support organizations in extending their DEI strategies.

Let‘s Sound Off on HR Community: Introducing CollabHR

Alisha Harris describes herself as a Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister, Friend, and your HR Advocate, and she means it. This week Alisha joins me to talk about the new HR community she has created called CollabHR.
 
In this episode, you will learn:
🎯 What is CollabHR
🎯 Why Alisha Created the community
🎯 What CollabHR can do for you as an HR professional and lots more
 
It is no secret that I love HR tech and so excuse Alisha and me while we geek out a bit on HR tech and why she chose to combine her love for HR and startups together to be her own boss.
 
Be sure to follow Alisha on LinkedIn, check out CollabHR and join the community. The more we support each other, the better.
 
Alisha Book Choice 📚
The Wake Up - Michelle MiJung Kim

Let‘s Sound Off on HR Learning: Introducing The Academy To Innovate HR (AIHR)

Upskilling and Reskilling in HR are words that we hear all the time. We work very hard to develop learning opportunities for the employees we serve,  but what about HR? Where can we go to effectively upskill and reskill to prepare us for that next role or to widen our scope of knowledge and expertise in HR? I am very honoured today to introduce you to The Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR).
 
In this week's episode, I talk to Erik van Vulpen one of the Founders of AIHR. In this episode, we discuss:
🎯 Why Erik and his business partner Nando Steenhuis started AIHR
🎯 Their course content and structure
🎯 The AIHR T-Shaped HR Assessment and why you should take it.
🎯 The AIHR Community
 
Listen out for Nando's view on the purpose of HR and advice that we would give to his younger self.
 
Nando's book pick:
The Leadership Pipeline by Ram Charan, Steve Drotter and Jim Noel

Let‘s Sound Off on HR Tech Introducing: The Happiness Index

Matt Phelan joins me live and direct from this years CIPD conference in my home town of Manchester. Matt is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of The Happiness Index and is passionate about his mission to improve the way organizations treat people. A mission that completely aligns with my values.
 
The Happiness Index helps organizations measure the key employee engagement and happiness drivers to power their people strategy. Underpinned by neuroscience, The Happiness Index platform will help you understand how your people think, feel and behave. Their data-driven insights will enable you to boost retention, productivity and performance.
 
In this episode, Matt and I discuss:
Why measuring emotions at work matters
How measuring engagement and happiness impacts your people decisions
Why we need to rethink the statement "if you can measure it, you can manage it."
How to become more proactive in recognizing disengaged or unhappy employees
How to gain freedom through disconnecting from social media
 
Matt has also graciously agreed to send ten free copies of his book "Freedom To Be Happy" to the first ten listeners of this show. So if you want to win a free copy of his book, send the words #freedomtobehappy along with your address to contactus@hratheart.co, and I will share your information with Matt so that you can get your free copy of his book. Winners of this competition will be announced across our social media.

Let‘s Sound Off on HR Tech: Introducing Bonusly

Victoria Yang joins me this week to introduce you to Bonusly. Bonusly is a fun and easy-to-use employee engagement platform that has an incredible impact on motivation and morale. If you have been searching for a platform to help you to encourage frequent and timely recognition, then Bonusly is the one for you. 
 
Recently I shared my thoughts on compassion and empathy in the workplace in one of Bonusly's blogs, so I thought it would be great to learn more about them and share their platform with you.
 
Victoria is their VP of People Operations, and so while we talked shop, we also took some time to discuss:
🎯 Victoria's HR origin story
🎯 Advice she would give to her younger self
🎯 How working at Bonusly has affected the way she looks at employee engagement
🎯 Why she is proud to be in HR
🎯 Advice for HR professionals on how to get leadership to support your engagement initiatives
 
Victoria's Book Pick's
📚 Just Work - Kim Scott
📚 The Making of a Manager - Julie Zhuo
 
The future looks bright for Victoria and Bonusly, so please be sure to connect with Victoria on LinkedIn and learn more about Bonusly.

Let‘s Sound Off on: Managing Conflict in Leadership

Do you struggle with having difficult conversations with your leadership? Are you tired of being seen as the cleanup crew instead of being a part of the immediate response team? Then you are going to love today's show.
 
Liz Kislik is one of the most wonderful human beings I have ever met. Today, she shares her insights on how HR can manage difficult conversations when we feel misaligned with our leadership.
 
Liz works as a consultant, coach, and facilitator to help leaders move their companies and careers forward. She shares her professional advice as a contributor to Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Entrepreneur and speaker for TEDx and other organizations.
 
In this episode, Liz shares:
🎯 Her career journey
🎯 Tips on how to have courageous conversations with your leadership
🎯 Reasons why misalignment with leadership occurs
🎯 Why HR should be taking vitamins instead of aspirin
🎯 Why HR needs to start accepting help
🎯 How to stay on top of critical issues in our profession
 
Listen out for Liz' take on coaching, her broom analogy and that one misconception about HR that bothers her and why.
 
Be sure to follow Liz on LinkedIn and check out her website for her free download to help you identify and resolve interpersonal conflicts in the workplace.
 

Let‘s Sound Off On HR Community - The Boston HR Council

Sean Glavin and Paul Roberts of the Boston HR Council join me this week to talk about the community they founded just before the start of the pandemic.
 
Established specifically for HR senior-level executives, #BostonHRCouncil provides key decision-makers with trend updates, profiles of fellow HR visionaries, success stories, and human resources ideas and innovations. 
 
In this episode we discuss:
🎯 Why two guys with no HR experience decided to create this community
🎯 What to expect at a council meeting
🎯 How you can get involved in the Boston HR Council
 
Listen to Sean and Paul as they share words of encouragement to HR professionals that are missing #hrcommunity in their lives.
 
Resources:
📚 Surrounded By Idiots - Thomas Erikson
📚 Atomic Habits - James Clear
📚 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey
📺 Documentaries on 911 on Netflix
 
Be sure to connect with Sean and Paul on LinkedIn and Follow the Boston HR Council to learn more

Let‘s Sound Off on Building #hrcommunity - Black Women In HR

I love to share HR communities with you because it is not easy being in this profession, and community is everything. This week, I have the privilege of magnifying the voice of Adese Okojie, who is the Founder of the Black Women in HR (BWHR) community. In this week's episode, we will learn:
🌟 Adese' HR origin story
🌟 The origin story of BWHR
🌟 What the BWHR community can do for you
🌟 The upcoming BWHR conference in November
🌟 The highs and lows of putting the conference together
We will also learn about the biggest misconception about HR that bothers Adese.
Adese' resources:
Amend - Netflix
Be sure to connect with Adese on LinkedIn and pick up your conference tickets using this link.

When HR Goes Gig

Known as authentic, transformational business leaders, Co-Founders Hema Crockett and Jamie Jacobs believe that people should do what they love and love what they do. Synthesizing decades of combined experience as business and HR executives across a broad range of companies and industries, Hema and Jamie provide their vast consultant and client base with the tools and resources they need to succeed.
In this episode, we discuss:
🌟 Their HR origin stories
🌟 The birth of Gig Talent
🌟 The transformation of HR careers
📚 Their book Designing Exceptional Organizational Cultures
Resources:
📚 Drunk tank pink - Adam Alter
Check out Gig Talent
Be sure to connect with Jamie and Hema on LinkedIn