HRchat Podcast

In this HRchat episode, we'll be exploring the benefits of minimalism in the workplace. In a world that often values excess and material possessions, the concept of minimalism is gaining popularity as a way to simplify our lives and reduce stress. But what about in the workplace? How can embracing minimalism benefit employees? Listen as we discuss how a clutter-free workspace can increase productivity, reduce distractions and stress, and even foster creativity. By prioritizing the essentials and letting go of the unnecessary, employees can feel more focused, organized, and in control of their work environment. Our guest this time is Chris Lovett, leadership coach at NatWest Group, TEDx speaker, disruptive thought leader, minimalist, and author of the book Discovery of Less. Simply, he supports individuals and teams to be less busy and have more impact.Chris will also be a speaker at DisruptHR London on May 9.Questions for Chris include:What made you try the concept of minimalism in the workplace?What is making people so busy?How / where can employees start to become less 'busy'?What quick tips can you share with us to be less busy and have more impact?You will be speaking at DisruptHR London on May 9. Tell us about your session.About Chris LovettChris Lovett is a leadership coach, TEDx speaker, disruptive thought leader, minimalist and author of the book Discovery of Less.You would have seen him on global chart-topping podcasts such as Private Parts, Law of Attraction Changed My Life or Self Care Club and maybe read his words on Marie Claire, lifehack, or HR Magazine.Following his own decluttering journey in 2017, Chris is now one of the leadingvoices in the less-is-more movement, supporting talented individuals and teams to simplify their personal and professional lives in order to be less busy and have more impact.We do our best to ensure editorial objectivity. The views and ideas shared by our guests and sponsors are entirely independent of The HR Gazette, HRchat Podcast and Iceni Media Inc.   Support the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here. Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter Check out our in-person events

The guest this time is Sandy Langhart Michelet, Director of Human Resources at Sparkhound and speaker at the SHRM Talent Conference happening today in Orlando, Florida.Sandy joined Sparkhound in 2014 with 20 years of senior human resources leadership, including tenure at a Fortune 500 company, experience in the public sector, and work in both the healthcare and technology industries. Sandy leads Sparkhound’s people-focused strategies and initiatives to develop a high-performing, engaged culture. Sparkhound works with clients to help them make better use of business technology. They help mid-market companies that often find themselves needing to improve their use of technology and IT services in order to realize business efficiencies, discover better processes for carrying out the work they do, improve outputs, reduce overhead, and positively impact their bottom line.Questions For Sandy Include:Who are your HR heroes and why? Sparkhound helps clients harness the power of technology. So what are your thoughts on the rise of generative AI such as ChatGPT in the workplace? How will generative AI impact HR?Tell us about your session at SHRM Talent, 'Do Your Unofficial Childless Employee Policies Impact Your Recruiting and Retention?'. Share some of the hoped-for learning outcomes.More About SandyWith responsibilities including performance management, organizational development, employee relations, talent acquisition, compensation, and benefits, she embraces two Sparkhound core values essential to the creativity and individuality that define a Sparkie: “Create Value” and “Have Fun.” Sandy is actively engaged in the human resources community and frequently serves as a keynote and session speaker for multiple local and national HR conferences and associations. She is the immediate past State Director Elect of Louisiana SHRM. Sandy previously served as President of GBRSHRM in 2013 and is currently the co-chair of the GBRSHRM Fall Conference. She holds both the Senior in Professional Human Resources designation and the SHRM-SCP. She earned a master’s degree in workforce development from the University of Southern Mississippi and a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University where she proudly served as a member of the LSU Tiger Band.  We doSupport the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here. Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter Check out our in-person events

Welcome to this country-profile special episode of the HRchat show. Guyana's economy registered a staggering real growth of 62% last year and it has been forecasted to expand by another 25% this year. Revenue from oil exports and royalties is expected to climb 31% to $1.63 billion this year, fueled by an average $83 per barrel price for Guyana's export basket. With new oil revenue flooding into Gayana comes an opportunity to rapidly develop infrastructure and the skills of its working citizens. Joining Bill Banham on the pod today is Rita Sookrit, Canada Learning Lead at Hemsley Fraser. Skilled in aligning business goals with L&D strategy, Rita helps companies implement innovative solutions using technology, tools, and frameworks. Check out episode 535 with Rita to learn more. Also joining Bill is Dr. Vishnu Doerga, Ph.D., MBA, DME – Chairman of ActionINVEST Caribbean Inc. As past president, chairman and councillor of many Business Support Organizations including the Georgetown Chamber and the Guyana National Bureau of Standards, Vishnu has over 20 years of private sector development service. Vishnu comes from a Mechanical Engineering background and, having evolved into business, he is now a certified business coach, mentor, trainer and speaker.  Questions for Rita and Dr. Vishnu Include: Vishnu: Talk about ACI and your personal vision for Guyana.Rita: What initial impressions do you have of corporate learning in Guyana?Vishnu: Guyana is quickly becoming a country of interest to many foreign corporations – how do you plan to upskill employees to enable them to work on a global platform?Rita: Talk to us about how you plan to introduce global learning strategies, trends, and best practices in the Guyanese market.Vishnu: ACI is known for its coaching strategies – do you coach internal employees and how does it differ from external clients?Both: In 60 seconds or less, what is your hope for the future of learning in Guyana?We do our best to ensuSupport the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here. Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter Check out our in-person events

The repercussions of the Great Resignation created a long-lasting global talent crisis. Organizations must adapt and adjust strategies to succeed in attracting and retaining top talent. At the SHRM Talent Conference & Expo starting today, talent professionals will learn about new tools, research and processes to help them thrive in 2023 and beyond. In this special event preview episode of the HRchat show, Chris Bjorling and Bill Banham look ahead to the April 16-19 event designed to help folks update practices, re-shape the future of talent management and build better workplaces for all.Listen too, as we offer some snippets from recent conversations with SHRM Talent 2023 speakers Natalie Massey, Former EA at NASA and current Operations Coordinator at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab and Sandy Michelet, Director of Human Resources at Sparkhound. We do our best to ensure editorial objectivity. The views and ideas shared by our guests and sponsors are entirely independent of The HR Gazette, HRchat Podcast and Iceni Media Inc.   Support the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here. Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter Check out our in-person events

In an era where burnout, ‘quiet quitting’, and work-life balance have permeated the conversation around employment, how can employers stand out? The implementation of a shorter work week is the most equitable way to strive towards this universal goal of balance and happiness. While a Canadian pilot of a four-day week is still underway, recent results from a similar UK trial show a four-day workweek can significantly improve employee wellness. Key findings include:54% of employees reported a reduction in negative emotions43% reported an increase in mental health    71% reported a decrease in burnout        54% reported a better work-life balanceHelping Bill Banham to delve into these findings today is Joe O’Connor a globally recognized expert in shorter working weeks. Joe leads the Toronto-based Work Time Reduction Centre of Excellence (WTR-CoE) that's focused on how a four-day week might work in the HR field and what it might mean for recruitment, retention and employee happiness.Questions for Joe Include: Can you tell us what inspired you to get involved with the four-day workweek movement?What are some of the benefits of a shorter working week?How does a shorter workweek affect retention and recruitment?What are some key obstacles to the four-day week you’ve seen that HR professionals might encounter and how can we best overcome them?What’s your hope for the future of the shorter workweek movement?What are some things HR professionals can implement (such as training, tools and technology) to make a shorter work week a reality?More About Joe O'Connor, Director &Co-founder, Work Time Reduction Center of ExcellenceJoe is the Director and Co-founder of the world's first Center of Excellence in Work Time Reduction, a new global initiative based in Toronto, Canada, which has been launched in partnership with leading people-first transformation company Curium Solutions.Previously, as the chief executive officer of 4 Day Week Global, Joe led the design and implementation of four-day week trials all over the world, supporting hundreds of employers and thousands of employees to make the transition to reduced-hour, proSupport the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here. Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter Check out our in-person events

Today's guest expert says that the way we pronounce colleagues' names is a big deal. Our names, he explains, are central to our unique identities, and saying them correctly is the first step in connecting with, respecting, and appreciating one another.Bill Banham is joined on the show by Dr. Praveen Shanbhag, Founder & CEO at Namecoach Inc., a tool offering users access to accurate audio name pronunciations to promote inclusion, belonging, and rapport.Questions For Praveen Include: How common are mispronunciations in the workplace?Is tackling mispronunciations getting more share of DEI and HR budgets than in past years? Give us a sense of the size of investments going into efforts to fix this workplace issue.What is Namecoach and what's the mission and what inspired you to start the company?What makes Namecoach different from just Googling the pronunciation of a name?What has been the most pivotal moment for Namecoach so far?Why do educational institutions and organizations work with NameCoach? Can you also offer any use cases?What difference can Namecoach make in one's organization?We do our best to ensure editorial objectivity. The views and ideas shared by our guests and sponsors are entirely independent of The HR Gazette, HRchat Podcast and Iceni Media Inc.   Support the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here. Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter Check out our in-person events

In this episode of the HRchat show, we preview the Benefits and Wellness Superhero Symposium, happening May 18 in downtown Toronto and the virtual edition of the event series happening two weeks later.Bill's returning guest is Roger Thorpe. Roger is the President of the integrated benefits and wellness consulting company, Thorpe Benefits. Having joined the firm in 1997 and later acquiring ownership of the company in 2005, Roger has built a team of senior consultants that understand Group Benefits inside out.Listen as Bill Banham and Roger Thorpe Discuss: In terms of the benefits and wellness space, how is 2023 different from the pandemic years? Future trends in benefits & wellness Designing the better group benefits plans What employees want in the area of Health & Wellness Developing a better relationship with your benefits consultant/broker Preview of the Benefits and Wellness Superhero Symposium in TorontoRegister for the in-person and/or online edition of the Benefits and Wellness Superhero Symposium here. We do our best to ensure editorial objectivity. The views and ideas shared by our guests and sponsors are entirely independent of The HR Gazette, HRchat Podcast and Iceni Media Inc.   Support the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here. Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter Check out our in-person events

The focus of this HRchat episode is 'Your Admin Staff: Tapping HR’s Golden Natural Resource'. Listen as we consider such questions as: How will redefining Admin’s role create a new pipeline of talent? How can HR and admin staff work together in the new workplace? And what challenges can admin and HR staff better tackle together? Our guest this time is Natalie Massey, Operations Coordinator of the Space Exploration Sector at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.Natalie leads the team that runs the SES office and supports the Sector Head and members of the Executive Leadership Team. She provides oversight and analysis of operations and prioritizes day-to-day operations. Natalie has been the recipient of a NASA Honor Award in Administrative Excellence and will be speaking at SHRM Talent Conference later this month!Questions For Natalie Include:You’re presenting at the upcoming SHRM Talent Conference. The session is called “Your Admin Staff: Tapping HR’sGolden Natural Resource”. Tell us more!Why SHRM Talent? Given the onset of generative AI and machine learning, what does the admin professional role and job description look like in the new workplace?More About NataliePreviously, Natalie served as Executive Assistant to NASA’s Deputy Administrator, where she directly contributed to the overall Agency vision and independently performed administrative management functions that serviced organizational requirements. She demonstrated critical, institutional familiarity of agency process and history to enable thoughtful decision-making on behalf of the Deputy Administrator.Natalie joined NASA in September 1996 as a Cooperative Office Experience student at Goddard Space Flight Center and has served in a variety of roles at the agency, including at Headquarters in 2010.  Natalie has over 25 years of progressive experience in programs and projects related to NASA strategy formulation, science, and technology investments. She has had significant experience in the development and implementation of strategies to maintain a viable administrative community.Ms. Massey earned a B.A. in Communication Studies – Technical Writing and a certification in Desktop Publishing from the University of MarySupport the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here. Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter Check out our in-person events

As employers look to the future, creating a workplace where employees feel heard, where they feel that their voice matters, and where they feel a sense of belonging is vital for the future success of any business.  Employee engagement is an excellent barometer of organizational health. The companies that get employee engagement right can enjoy a competitive advantage that's hard for others to replicate.  With this in mind, the All Access: Employee Engagement and Experience 2023 online event, produced by IQPC's HR Network Exchange, will focus on such issues as:Is employee engagement on the downturn and, if so, where are we going wrong?Prioritizing diversity, equality and inclusivity in your employee engagement strategyHow do you evolve your business to embrace a culture change of digitization?Placing wellbeing first and preventing burnout in a hybrid environmentThe event includes a panel called Prioritizing diversity, equality and inclusivity in your employee engagement strategy and features Heather Laychak - Vice President & Chief People Officer of People Operations, The Aerospace Corporation, and today's guest, Dr Stephanie Murphy - former Head of People Insights & Assessments at Dell Technologies and current Adjuct Professor at the University of Texas at Austin.Stephanie is passionate about people analytics. What Stephanie appreciates about the numbers, she says, is how Human Resources leaders can connect them to human stories. Questions For Stephanie Include: In terms of raising the DEI bar at Dell, what are you most proud of from your time there?You serve on several boards and committees including the HR Exchange Network, the IT Survey Group, and the Society of I-O Psychology. Why get involved with these groups and how are they helping to push the needle in the world of work?How have companies reprioritized DEI efforts since the murder of George Floyd and which companies are getting it right?What are typical challenges HR leaders face when it comes to getting leadership buy-in to prioritize DEI in their employee engagement strategies? You'll be on the IQPC's HR Network Exchange panel at the Employee Engagement and Experience 2023 online event called 'Prioritizing diversity, equality, and inclusivity in Support the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here. Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter Check out our in-person events

Our returning guest is Bobby Umar, an inspirational speaker and storyteller. Bobby has delivered 1,000+ keynotes and workshops across 4 continents in the past two decades. Inc Magazine named Bobby one of the Top 100 Leadership Speakers, alongside such noteworthy giants as Sir Richard Branson, Brene Brown, and John Maxwell. Bobby is a 5x TEDx speaker, and one of the top digital influencers in the world, with over 650,000 global followers. You can check out Bobby's previous appearance on the HRchat show here.Questions For Bobby Include:You love to talk about thought leadership and one of the trends you talk about is Multi-Platform content strategy. Why is that so important?What are the benefits or outcomes of building thought leadership?Are companies scared to hire thought leaders because of their reach and the potential for negative consequences? Obviously, you are on Twitter, what is your take on the recent Elon Musk changes and shifts?Given the clients you work with, what are the biggest challenges they have to build their brands and how do you help them overcome them?More About BobbyTo date, his social media influence has garnered over 2 billion impressions. He's been named the 2nd best business coach to follow on Twitter and the 4th best leadership influencer according to Kred. Bobby is an international author of three books, including a #1 bestseller and most recently, he was named a Top 7 Networking Guru to follow. A dad and a board game nerd who champions authentic connection and heart-based leadership, Bobby has appeared on hundreds of podcasts, TV & radio shows. With a background in brand marketing (Kraft & Unilever), engineering (Bombardier) and the performing arts (Second City), Bobby has led Raeallan for two decades, and runs two other companies. He is now a recognized thought leader in Digital Marketing, Personal Branding and Building Meaningful Relationships.We do our best to ensure editorial objectivity. The views and ideas shared by our guests and sponsors are entirely independent of The HR Gazette, HRchat Podcast and Iceni Media Inc.   Support the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here. Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter Check out our in-person events