Change doesn’t come easy— in fact, it can be downright disruptive, And worse yet, it’s often at the forefront of employee turnover. So how can HR leaders prevent change from becoming an unmanageable force?  Keynote speaker Tiffany Lanier drops by to chat with Hebba about the widespread impact of organizational change, and to explain how massive restructuring can impact employee well-being.  Having helped thousands of leaders develop systems of support during intense change, Tiffany reveals...

How can you help employees when a company is small and has limited growth opportunities? What happens when an employer insists there’s a dress code… but only for curvier employees?   Hebba and talent strategist/culture connoisseur Erica Spitale tackle some super juicy questions submitted by listeners. From navigating terminations without legal repercussions to encouraging CEOs to offer more health benefits, they’re tackling a wide range of topics that any HR professional or leader can relate...

Retaining top talent looks easy on paper. So why then, do so many companies have difficulty with their retention strategies?  Hebba chats with “Modern People Leader” podcast hosts Daniel and Stephen Huerta about personalization in the age of information, the rise of AI, and the best ways companies can boost their retention strategies. Having spoken to over 200 people leaders on their pod, Daniel and Stephen understand a thing or two about the importance of a great people ops team. They break...

Oil and water. Fire and ice. CEOs and CPOs.  Some things just don’t go together like they should. But does it always have to be that way?  In this super candid conversation, Hebba chats with her IRL CEO at Workweek, Adam Ryan, to discuss the complex relationship between CEOs and CPOs. Adam opens up about the CEO’s perspective on HR and shares his thoughts on how HR leaders can build a better relationship with their CEO.  What role can honesty, vulnerability, and empathy play in building a...

Feeling stuck in your career? You’re not alone. Join Hebba and special guest Tori Lazar, a strategic storyteller and executive coach, as they discuss how to recognize career quagmires and turn stalemates into personal growth.  What are the top three warning signs of career unhappiness, and how can leaders be more personally aware of their own internal red flags? Tori shares insights on tapping into your inner child, overcoming fear, and pinpointing the source of unhappiness in your current...

Why do employees quit?  Compensation, growth opportunities, and environment are usually the top 3 reasons cited.  But what does all that actually mean to the employees and is there anything HR can really do to stop employees from fleeing?  Jessica returns to sit down with Hebba to clear up what growth actually means, the biggest misconceptions about compensation, and red flags to look out for to identify toxic cultures. You’ll hear their take on why counter-offers shouldn’t be a regular...

Whether employers like it or not, greater pay transparency is the future. So why do HR leaders need to start embracing pay transparency rather than fearing it?   Lulu Seikaly, a senior corporate employment attorney with Payscale, sheds light on the topic in a candid conversation with Hebba about the impact of pay transparency laws on employees, the challenges employers face when implementing them, and the future of pay transparency on a global and local scale. How has Gen Z become the poster...

 “How much do you make?”  It’s the one question that sends chills up corporate spines and the one question every employee is secretly dying to ask one another. But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if pay was… *gasp* actually transparent? Meet the viral TikTok sensation daring to bring pay transparency to the forefront of the social media conversation, Hannah Williams. Sick of corporate America making employees feel powerless in the pay cycle, Hannah’s viral TikTok series, “Salary...

Puberty. Periods. Motherhood. Menopause.   Let's be real—women go through a lot of challenging life stages. So why then, do employee benefits often feel like a one-size-fits-all? How can HR find a way to help women throughout all stages of their life, in a way where they feel fully supported? Hebba sits down with Isha Vij, Vice President of Sales at Maven Clinic, a digital health organization focused on women’s and family health, to chat about the challenges and solutions surrounding women’s...

Too often, HR is expected to bet the jack of all trades for a business. But what do you do when it leaves you feeling like a master of none? Hebba sits down with Sarah Rose Hattem, a former HR team of one and currently a Senior HR Consultant for Rippling, to discuss the challenges of being a one-person HR department. How, as a one-person department, can you more effectively communicate your value to leaders who may not view you as a primary function of the business?  Sarah Rose shares why...

It’s not just in your head—we’ve all felt underappreciated at work at one point or another. So how can managers and HR cultivate an environment where people, not just their accomplishments, are appreciated?  Megan Paige, CMO of Snappy, stops by the pod to chat with Hebba about the art of appreciation and implementing employee appreciation strategies that go beyond simply recognizing workplace accomplishments. Hear why she believes there is no ROI for gratitude and why, sometimes, recognition...

Treat others the way you want to be treated. It’s a lesson as old as time—so why are we still fighting so hard to make it a priority in the workplace?  Hebba and the CPO of Greenhouse, Donald Knight, discuss the importance of authenticity, transparency, and continual evolution in the workplace. How can HR practitioners prioritize employee well-being in a meaningful way that connects to crucial business outcomes?  Discover the crucial role of HR in caring for employees, and why empathy,...

“The Proposal.” “Two Weeks Notice.” “The Office.” “500 Days of Summer.” What do these things have in common? They all taught us to believe in the power of the good old-fashioned office romance.  So what happens when the workplace rom-com turns into an IRL horror movie? Just ask HR expert Kim Rohrer, as she and Hebba unleash some absolutely WILD horror stories submitted by viewers about the office love story gone horribly, horribly wrong. Because sometimes, Jim and Pam don’t get together and...

Should DEI live within HR? And what’s the importance of prioritizing diversity in the workplace?  Hebba chats with Tara Turk-Haynes, founder of Equity Activations, about transforming businesses through the power of diversity, equity, and inclusion.  They chat about what can be performative during Black History Month, ruminating on why companies are so quick to utilize it for marketing purposes, but so slow to understand the true purpose behind the month itself. Are some companies simply...

Nearly 50% of employees say that their productivity is impacted by ineffective communication.  So does that mean the average person is bad at communicating at work? Maybe…  Dinah Alobeid, Senior Director of Content and Communications at Greenhouse, joins Hebba this week to discuss the importance of being direct, authentic, and straightforward in your communication with employees.  Hebba and Dinah delve into the challenges of communicating during times of change, the role executives play in...

80% of workers report they’re disengaged when it comes to work. So what’s the driving force behind employees’ increasing discontentment, disengagement, and rejection of the status quo?  Hebba chats with the Fractional Chief People Officer who’s led more than 100 worldwide companies to scale, Anessa Fike about the importance of transparency, feedback, and revolutionizing work to create a better experience for employees.  Anessa shares her thoughts on the disengagement crisis in the workforce...

98% of HR professionals are burnt out, stressed out, and just plain fed up with the functions of the job. If you’ve ever considered changing positions, just know you’re not in the minority.  How can building a safe space help us to stay motivated and fulfilled in HR? How do we remind ourselves of the reasons we got into HR to begin with? And is Gen Z the key to vanquishing toxic hustle culture for good? Laura Garcia Courrau, the Global HR Director for Our World Energy, joins Hebba to discuss...

New year, new perspective? As we get ready to face the new year, we may need some inspiration to tackle the never ending dumpster-fire that can be HR and People Ops.    In this special episode, we've gathered insights from some of the top HR experts around. Join Hebba in the all-star studded episode where she asks her guests one important question:    “What’s your one wish for HR in 2024?”   From prioritizing employee well-being to reevaluating the job candidate experience and reassessing...

Did you know that 63% of workers who receive low-quality feedback are likely to quit within the next year?  Performance feedback isn’t just an HR problem, it’s a business problem. And in this week’s pod, Hebba’s sitting down with Kieran Snyder, CEO and Co-founder of Textio, to dive deep into the world of performance management and fairness in the workplace.  Is being labeled an overachiever really just coded language for exceeding management’s low expectations? And what role can...

Spotted in the Podcast studio this week: Hebba Youssef and Rodney Evans chatting about the role of gossip in the workplace and how sometimes, it can actually be a good thing (IKR?).  Brave New Work podcast host and Partner at The Ready, Rodney Evans was heard talking up a storm about the unseen emotional labor of HR professionals in the workplace and breaking free from the codependent caretaker role they often take on.  I also heard a juicy rumor that HR might go the way of the dinosaurs. Out...

It’s not that HR doesn’t want to pay you equitably… It’s that sometimes we just can’t. The odds are… rarely ever in our favor. So what can we do to eliminate the constant source friction that pay inequity causes?    Hebba dives into the complex world of compensation management with guest Enrique Esclusa, co-founder and co-CEO of Assemble. They unravel the reasons why understanding equity as an employee is so important, the role of market data in decision-making, and the challenges HR...

Who needs Halloween night, when we barely survive our own horror story each and every day?  Join Hebba as she shares hair-raising HR horror stories that will send shivers up your spine and make you double-check each and every email and document you send in this Halloween special. From ghostbusting in the workplace to employees submitting unusual receipts, she’s got audience stories that will leave you even more scarred for life than *that one* scene from “Signs.” …Yeah, you know the one we’re...

Burnout and failure are inevitable in HR. So how can we grow and learn from our own mistakes? Tracie Sponenberg, Chief People Officer of the Granite Group, joins Hebba to discuss her storied career in HR and to share her love/hate relationship with the industry as a whole. She reveals why open communication and having conversations with your employees, whether it’s good, bad, or anything in between is vital to anyone working in HR.  Then, she and Hebba delve into various topics, including the...

Determining if employee-workplace fit should be a two-way street. So why does the recruitment process feel like a one-way street for so many job-seekers?  Jessica Winder, Senior VP of People at Refine Labs, shares her insights on how workplaces should rethink compatibility, and the steps employees can take to ensure a potential workplace is right for them.   From considering factors like transparency in the interview process to creating lists and asking the right questions, Jessica provides...

Startup founders aren’t always building their companies with equity in mind… On this week’s pod, Hebba sits down with Desiree Morton, a DEI practitioner and tech founder, to discuss the importance of building companies with equity in mind from the beginning. From managing expectations to prioritizing equity initiatives, Desiree shares valuable insights and advice for creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace.  Bonus: Hebba and Desiree chat about why manipulation isn’t always a bad...