HRchat Podcast

In this HRchat episode, Bill Banham talks with Karen Simpson, DEI expert, Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, and founder at Hello Awesome Inc.Questions For Karen Include:You were awarded Canada’s #1 Recruiter in 2019. Why move away from Talent Acquisition? Why do you think focusing on strengths is so important right now? Let’s get into coaching, you’ve taken a unique approach at Hello Awesome Inc. What's the approach and why did you choose this stance?Checking that coaching works: How can HR departments ensure activities are measured and followed through on?What do you think is foundational to success for companies right now? Do you get pushback from leaders or do they understand the importance of EQ and mentorship?You’ve focused significantly on DEI, what do you want to see more companies do in this space? Which companies are currently getting their DEI initiatives right? Can you offer any use cases? More About KarenKaren has a 30+ year career in HR - spanning both corporate and consulting while raising 4 kids to independence. She was awarded Canada’s #1 Recruiter in 2019 and has most recently spent 6 years creating diversity and inclusion sourcing initiatives for one of North America’s largest banks. All this while becoming an endurance athlete and global mountain climber through her 50s.This year Karen launched Hello Awesome Inc and is on a mission to make coaching and expert advice available to everyone.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

Felicia Rickards, Principal Strategist at Felicia Rickards Solutions Limited is the guest in today's episode of the HRchat podcast. She is a Professional Development Coach, Strategic Direction Facilitator & Mediator.  Felicia works with corporate employees, business owners and athletes who are ready to actuate their next level of success. She is currently preparing to host the first DisruptHR speaking event in Bermuda on May 11. Questions Felicia Include:As a leadership development coach, what are some of the biggest challenges facing aspiring leaders at the moment?You are also a Performance Coach who works with corporate employees, business owners, and athletes who are ready to actuate their next level of success. What lessons from the corporate world can help athletes and v.v?How did you come to learn about DisruptHR and what led you to introduce the event to Bermuda? More About FeliciaHer diverse experiences across various industries including Financial Services, Hospitality, and Government have, she says, contributed to her broad knowledge bank. She has leadership experience as a Corporate Vice President, Board Chairman, and Deputy Chairman.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 HRchat episode, we focus on employment law and a new solution designed to offer more accessible and transparent options for those seeking legal counsel and legal services for employees.Bill's guest today is Lena Vartanian, Founder of LawVo, a tech solution designed to connect legal professionals with customers via a fully virtual, transparent, convenient experience.LawVo provides an instant fixed fee quote for legal services along with immediate connection to top-rated lawyers.The LawVo team say they bring “Better Law” to consumers, making the legal industry more accessible as a simple and affordable one-stop shop for finding legal counsel, while also offering legal professionals a flexible way to offer their services on their own terms.Plus, with a proprietary pricing algorithm, LawVo is able to help customers and businesses of all kinds offer instantaneous fixed-fee quotes with 24/7 access to a legal helpline and document library for their own clients.Questions for Lena include:Can you share some of your experience about being a woman lawyer and has that had any impact on where you find yourself today, as the CEO of LawVo?What are some of the challenges lawyers face today? What are the big challenges around access faced by those looking for lawyers?Why is the work LawVo is doing important? How is it changing the legal landscape for lawyers and customers?How do you envision LawVo impacting the employment realm? How will LawVo help employees or employers? What are some of the big employment law challenges facing HR teams at the moment?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

Around half the world’s population is projected to be myopic (or nearsighted) by 2050! Today's guest says that, far from being insurmountable, preventing or delaying the onset of myopia is possible.Dr. Debbie Jones recommends that group benefits administrators and wellness coordinators help their employees consider outdoor time and screen time plans for their children. She also describes a range of therapies that are available to slow myopia progression, including specialized contact lenses and eyeglasses, as well as eye drops.A new podcast designed for non-medical listeners explains the reasons behind the global childhood myopia epidemic and what that means for Canadian families. Featuring Dr. Debbie Jones, a clinical scientist from the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) and internationally known myopia expert, the 22-minute discussion is part of the Don’t Lose Sight interview series from the Canadian Association of Optometrists.The work Debbie and her team do is close to my family's heart and when I received a press release about the new pod, I had to get Debbie on the show. Questions For Debbie Include:What is pediatric myopia… and why should the HR community care?What’s the impact of childhood myopia to employers?Is this kind of health care covered by most benefits plans? While half the world’s population is projected to be myopic by 2050, the crisis is already evident in Canada. Dr. Jones notes that recent work showed a 30% prevalence among 11- to 13-year-olds in the Waterloo-Kitchener region. Remarkably, one-third of those children’s caregivers were unaware of the problem until the research project uncovered the condition. How can employers better educate employees? What do HR teams perhaps not understand about childhood myopia?What can organizations do to encourage that employees’ children received eye exams?What’s ahead for the field of myopia control?You would encourage parents to have their children's eyes examined regularly by an optometrist, so that problems can be identified as early as possible.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

Today's HRchat guest says that, instead of aiming for work-life balance, the goal should be what he calls 'work-life bloom'.Dan Pontefract is the founder and CEO of Pontefract Group, a firm that improves the state of leadership and organizational culture. He is the best-selling author of four books and a popular speaker. Dan has presented at four different TED events and also writes for Forbes and Harvard Business Review. Dan has been listed on the Thinkers50 Radar list. HR Weekly listed him as one of its 100 Most Influential People in HR. PeopleHum listed Dan on the Top 200 Thought Leaders to Follow and Inc. Magazine listed him as one of the top 100 leadership speakers.Questions For Dan Include:Tell us about the Leadership NOW podcastYou don’t believe in work-life balance but rather something you call work-life bloom – what does that mean?What have you discovered in your recent work-life bloom research? What are the four work-life personas?More About DanDan is an adjunct professor at the University of Victoria, Gustavson School of Business and has garnered more than 20 industry awards over his career. Previously as Chief Envisioner and Chief Learning Officer at TELUS, he launched the Transformation Office, the TELUS MBA, and the TELUS Leadership Philosophy, all award-winning initiatives that dramatically helped to increase the company’s employee engagement to record levels of nearly 90%. Prior to TELUS, he held senior roles developing leaders, team members, and customers at SAP, BusinessObjects and BCIT.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 Shay David, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO at Retrain.ai, a talent intelligence platform designed to help enterprises hire, retain, and develop their workforce, intelligently. Questions For Shay Include:ChatGPT has put quite a spotlight on generative AI. Although it’s arguably the most impressive chatbot yet, how does it compare to other generative AI tools? How is it similar to or different from retrain.ai?Given the huge number of Chat GPT users, how will it change the mindset of the average person/employee when it comes to generative AI?We’re also hearing more about Responsible AI, particularly as it relates to the new AI Audit Law coming to New York City in April, and others like it around the country. What does Responsible AI look like? Why is it important?What’s the vision for Retrain.ai in 2023 and beyond?About Retrain Leveraging the power of artificial intelligence and real-time market data, enterprises unlock key talent insights and optimize the hiring and upskilling of their workforce. For employees, the Talent Intelligence Platform seamlessly assesses the skills they have today, the skills they need for the future and delivers the resources they need to get them there. To book a demo today visit: www.retrain.ai/book-a-demo/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

Last week, the HR Gazette team, along with the awesome folks at Bee Happy HR, The Women in Biz Network, and Times Change Women’s Employment Service, hosted a meetup in downtown Toronto. In the build-up to International Women's Day, the focus of the event was Empowering Women in Business. Held at the Xero office, the evening included lots of networking and talks by a bunch of folks focused on ways to help women grow and thrive in their careers. One of the speakers was Rita Sookrit, Canada Learning Lead at Hemsley Fraser. While women still face many challenges in the workplace, including pay disparities, discrimination, and lack of representation in certain fields, progress has been made. In recent years, we have seen more and more women breaking through the glass ceiling and taking on leadership roles in a wide range of industries.Rita's talk focused on the demographic trends showing how women have made significant strides in breaking down barriers and achieving greater equality in the workforce. Rita also discussed some of the ongoing challenges standing in the way of achieving full equity in the workplace. For example, she highlighted some 2022 data from McKinsey showing that, for every 100 men promoted at entry level, only 87 women are promoted. We hope you enjoy Rita's insights as much as we did. Happy International Women's Day! 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

HR leaders should encourage workforce education programs as a way to attract, retain, and develop top talent, address skills gaps, create a more diverse and inclusive workforce, and foster a culture of innovation and adaptability. By investing in workforce education programs, organizations can build a competitive workforce that is better equipped to meet the challenges of the future. As the nature of work continues to evolve, HR leaders must be proactive in identifying new ways to develop and manage talent, and workforce education programs represent a valuable tool in achieving this goal.Today’s HRchat guest says “education can change people’s lives. Workforce education programs can spark that change and provide real life-changing growth opportunities.” And we’ll be delving into the why and how of educating employees in this episode of the HRchat podcast.Bill is joined by Stephen Chu, Chief Legal and People Officer at InStride, a partner for businesses looking for ways to create sustainable advantage and social impact through the continuous growth of their people. In his role, Stephen oversees legal, compliance and HR functions.Prior to InStride, Stephen was the General Counsel at Zwift, a global fitness platform for cyclists and runners. He reported to the Zwift CEO and led all legal and compliance matters.Questions For Stephen Include:InStride’s network of top-tier academic institutions offers skills courses, certificates, industry certifications, and degrees designed to meet the in-demand and future needs of working adult students.Tell us more.In terms of returns on employee engagement, what are the key benefits of investing in learning and development programs for employees?How can HR people make the case to leadership that investing in employees’ education and development will not lead to them leaving for competitors?How can organizations measure the ROI of their investment in employee learning and development programs, and what metrics should they consider?Tell us about Strategic Enterprise Education (SEE) and how InStride’s championing it helps its partners retain and recruit talent.Is there inherent Corporate Social Responsibility in Strategic Enterprise Education?In September 2022, Amazon announced that it would partner with InStride to provide fSupport 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

Business is transforming at a faster pace than ever. It is no longer possible, says today's guest, to hire your way to success or to rely on the locked-in structures of roles and traditional career paths. To ensure your people and their capabilities evolve in support of your business needs you must look deeper and understand people at the level of their skill.Our guest this time is Steve Holder, Vice President, Solution Advisory at Visier Inc. and speaker at the Agility Reimagined Summit on March 9. Questions for Steve include: Why does your team believe it's no longer possible to hire your way to success?You're presenting at the Agility Reimagined Summit on March 9. Your session is called Adopting a Skills-Based Approach. How to transform your HR function to meet the future needs of business. In your session, you will cover 3 main topics. Talk to us about each:The business imperative behind a skills-based approachThe challenges of moving to a skills-based approachHow to start and scale your skills journey effectivelyA skill-based view comes with additional complexity. Why do you think many companies have struggled to get started?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 HRchat episode, we hear from Fermin Diez, Deputy CEO & Group Director at Sector Capability and Transformation Group about why now is an exciting time to be in HR and better ways to use your people data.  Dr. Fermin Diez has more than 35 years of experience in human resources, which includes consulting, corporate and academic roles in 40 countries in all continents. As a consultant, he has advised major multinationals, large local companies and public sector organizations at the Board and C-Suite levels. He has also managed the P&L in several geographical locations and businesses. As an HR leader, he has been the Regional Head of HR for two large MNCs in AsiaPac and in Latin America.  Questions for Fermin Include:Why are you passionate about moving HR forward? Why do you think now is the most exciting time in HR? Talk about the growth in the use of people dataBuilding on traditional HR skillsets: How does your 2019 book, Fundamentals of HR Analytics, make understanding and engaging with data analytics easier for professionals at all levels? More About Dr. Fermin Diez  Fermin is currently Deputy CEO and Group Head of Human Resources for Singapore’s National Council for Social Service. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Singapore Management University and at Nanyang Technological University and is co-author of three books: ‘Human Capital and Global Business Strategy’, ‘The Remuneration Handbook: International Edition’ and ‘Fundamentals of HR Analytics’. He has taught WorldatWork courses for more than 20 years in the United States, Puerto Rico, Australia, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, India, Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong. Fermin has been named a Top HR influencer in Asia. He is a frequent speaker at regional and global forums on compensation, strategic HR, talent management and development, career planning, mergers and acquisitions from an HR perspective, building teams, global HR, education, public sector HR practices and HR analytics.   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