Let’s get one thing straight: People Leaders are tired of companies pretending they care about equity while quietly rolling back DEI initiatives and gaslighting employees into thinking they’re the problem.

So I brought in someone I admire DEEPLY, Cierra Gross, Founder of Caged Bird HR and Wrk Receipts, to drag corporate America’s favorite lies—and yes, it got spicy!

We’re discussing why “accountability” is a corporate buzzword for “we’ll investigate ourselves and find no wrongdoing,” how Gen Z is forcing much-needed change at work, and the invisible barriers that sabotage equity.

Cierra’s app, Wrk Receipts, is also about to be a problem, in the absolute best way possible!

Choosing the wrong HR platform is rife with regrets: losing a top performer, promoting the wrong person, or failing to engage your team when the business needs it most.

Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between investing in people programs and consolidating your tech stack. With Lattice, you can have both. Visit ⁠lattice.com⁠ to learn more.

Multi-state compliance is a nightmare—but SixFifty makes it easy. Get instant answers to employment law questions, generate a compliant multi-state handbook in minutes, and stay ahead of changing laws with automated updates. Visit ⁠SixFifty.com⁠ to learn more!

0:02:22 - One Truth About Work Cierra Wishes More Leaders Understood

0:04:42 - Why Accountability and Equitable Outcomes are Top Priorities Right Now

0:12:31 - What Accountability and Equity ACTUALLY Means in the Workplace

0:15:24 - What Happens if Companies Don’t Care About Adapting?

0:23:10 - The Gap Between What Employees Expect and What Companies Deliver

0:25:12 - Why Don’t Companies Have an Incentive to Live Up to Their Ideas?

0:41:03 - Invisible Systems and Habits That Quietly Sabotage Equity and Fairness

0:49:55 - A Necessary Shift to Make Accountability and Equity Non-negotiable at Work

And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration.

https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/

And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!

Follow Cierra:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cierragross/

Follow Hebba:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

197 - From being Homeless to Mastering The Markets