HR Unplugged BambooHR

Modern tech tools can make managing HR more efficient and solve common pain points for HR teams. But how do you decide what tech you really need?
Each HR team has different needs and priorities, but building an efficient tech stack is a game-changer for modern HR teams. With the right tools, you can save time and energy, leaving your team free to focus on the things you’re best at – building and maintaining relationships for the good of the wider business.
If you’re new to building a tech stack, you might be wondering where to start. Or, if you already have one in place but it’s not working as well as you’d hope, how to streamline things.
In this episode, BambooHR’s Head of HR, Anita Grantham sits down with Lauren Nathanson, VP of People Operations at Axios, to talk about what really needs to be in your tech stack. We discuss how you can get started, which tool types to prioritize, how to make decisions based on company goals and pain points, and how to refine an existing tech stack.
Key moments:
The biggest challenges to building a tech stackThe first step for building a tech stackHow to prioritize what problems to solve firstAligning your tech stack to business strategiesConsolidating your existing tech stackWhat every HR team needsMetrics to measure with tech toolsHow to get the timing rightHow to manage your tech stack as a large vs. small HR team
Key links:
Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/Join HR Heroes Slack Community: https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw/Bamboo HR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/

Is it time to scale your HR team? Deciding when and how to scale the HR department can be a delicate task. Who do you hire? What role should your second HR person play? How do you scale in a small or large company?
If these questions are on your mind, then this episode is for you. BambooHR’s Head of HR, Anita Grantham, and HR Business Partner, Vanessa Brulotte, sit down to explore the best practices for making your next HR hire.
They explain why you should always start with a solid strategy that reflects the company’s mission and values, how to decide what type of role to hire for next, and the best ways to scale your team effectively.
Key moments:
Why you need a solid strategy to scale your HR teamHow to decide what type of role to hire for nextWhy you should consider retention and employee experience in your strategyWhy scaling your HR team is good for the overall companyHow teams should scale Advice for small companies looking to grow their HR teams
Key links:
Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/Join HR Heroes Slack Community: https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw/Bamboo HR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/

When CEOs team up with their HR leaders, it can only mean good things for the wider business. It means a more strategic recruitment drive, better performance management, and more alignment on company goals.
In this episode of HR Unplugged, Vanessa Brulotte and Anita Grantham sat down with Sam Devyver, the CEO of EasyLlama, live from Vegas at the Transform 2024 event to talk about how to make that all-important relationship happen.
Sam shares his take as a CEO who works closely with HR professionals on how to build that relationship, mistakes to avoid, and the benefits of integrating HR into other business functions.
Key moments:
Why a close working relationship between HR and CEOs is importantThe benefits of HR being aligned on business initiativesSam explains his experience as a CEO working closely with HRAdvice for CEOs and HR leaders to build that relationshipWhy trust is keySam’s advice on bringing HR into different areas of the business
Key links:
Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/Join HR Heroes Slack Community: https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw/Bamboo HR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/Connect with Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samueldevyver/

Firings and layoffs are never an enjoyable part of HR or leadership. But it’s important that there’s a robust process in place to manage the transition and it’s handled with compassion.
In this episode of HR Unplugged, our Head of HR, Anita Grantham and HR Business Partner, Vanessa Brulotte, discuss how to manage firings and layoffs in the right way. We discuss the best practices, do’s and don’ts, and how to build a process that protects the company and provides the best chance of the employee parting on good terms.
We dive into some of the common questions on how to handle a contract termination, who should be in that meeting, when to hold these meetings, and whether you should offer to be a reference for the person in question.
Key moments:
Dos and don’ts of layoffs and firingsWhy you should have a detailed process in place How to break the news of firing or layoffs to employeesHow to tie your process to your company mission What to do in the event of a crisis How to reassure remaining employees
Key links:
Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/Join HR Heroes Slack Community: https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQwBamboo HR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/

How do you compensate team members fairly so that they’re happy and don’t start looking elsewhere?
In this episode of HR Unplugged, we welcomed back Alex Bertin, BambooHR’s Head of Total Rewards, to talk more about compensation and benefits strategies. Alex sits down with our Head of HR, Anita Grantham, to discuss when leaders should talk to employees about compensation, how to build efficient pay processes, pay transparency, and more.
Alex and Anita also tackle the debate on whether on-site workers should be paid more than remote workers and how to assess compensation based on business impact.
Key moments:
What the data on compensation levels saysHow often should leaders bring up compensation with their teamWhy leaders need to build and understand the compensation processThe debate on pay transparencyShould on-site workers be paid more than remote employees?How to assess the impact of a role/employee on the business
Key links:
Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/Join HR Heroes Slack Community: https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQwBamboo HR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/

Recruitment is always a tricky part of HR, but there are ways to be more strategic in your approach to ensure a high quality of hire. 
In this episode, we welcomed Casey Bailey, Head of People at Deel, to talk about recruitment and interviewing strategies. Casey and Anita Grantham break down their favorite interview questions to ask, how to decide which questions to prioritize, and how to approach different types of interviews. 
Casey explains how you don’t always need a formal applicant tracking system, but you probably need a scorecard to measure the suitability of candidates for a role. We also look at how interviews for internal and external candidates may differ.
Key moments:
How to decide what interview questions to askHow many interviews should we conduct while recruiting?Managing your applicant tracking systemHow to hire internal vs. external candidatesMistakes that hiring managers often make
Key links:
Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/Join HR Heroes Slack Community: https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQwBamboo HR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/Connect with Casey on LinkedIn