HRchat Podcast

DEI is front and center in the corporate world, and for good reason. Highly inclusive companies innovate faster, attract top talent, and, according to Forbes, are more likely to hit their financial targets by up to 120%. Unfortunately, however, too often we see diversity initiatives like hiring diverse applicants turn DEI into performative quotas. Today's guest says that, by combining remote work with new technologies, companies can turn the tides of their company’s DEI programs to focus more on building inclusive work environments to help all employees feel valued and safe. Bill Banham is joined by Dionn Schaffner, Chief Diversity Officer of enterprise software company Aurea. Listen as Dionn shares ways she is incorporating DEI into the tech Aurea and its clients use in order to make teams feel more included within their company’s virtual culture. Be it including pronoun distinction in their video conferencing tools or prioritizing accessibility design elements in virtual workplace environments, technology has the ability to foster inclusion and connection. Questions include: Why is psychological safety so important in work settings?What are ways leaders can build psychological safety in their workplace?Is it always the leadership's responsibility to set the tone for this? Are there things an average employee can do to help their peers feel psychologically safe?In two mins or less, what results do we see when a workplace is psychologically safe? How does this fit into the broader DEI conversation?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 HR tech space has been consolidating heavily over the past few years while money is pouring into this space like never before amid the pandemic and upheaval of the workforce. Funding in the sector totaled nearly $7.5 billion at the end of 2021 – more than the totals for 2019 and 2020 combined. Kazoo, the all-in-one employee experience platform, recently announced the acquisition of WorkTango, the Toronto-based employee experience survey and people analytics company.Bill is joined by WorkTango Chief Engagement Officer & Co-Founder, Rob Catalano. Questions Include: Why partner with Kazoo? Before we get into the functionalities, what was the brand fit? Short term: Kazoo and WorkTango will initially operate their platforms individually as they work to fully integrate both the teams and the solutions. You will join Kazoo’s executive team as Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer. Tell me about the transition period and what it will; mean for your customers in the short term. Longer-term: Through this acquisition, Kazoo will expand its capabilities with WorkTango's comprehensive employee listening solution that gathers employee feedback via configurable templates, intelligently analyzes the data in automated dashboards, and recommends next steps for people leaders based on those insights. Additionally, Kazoo will leverage WorkTango's expertise in data, analytics, and AI across the platform to unlock a more complete understanding of an employee's day-to-day experience. Tell me about the new combined functiSupport 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

Now more than ever employees highly value their everyday work experience. Company culture is evolving to encompass the things that make people want to come to work. In this HRchat episode, we consider the power of music in the workplace. Bill's guest this time is Jamie Sura, Senior Vice President of Sales for TouchTunes, the jukebox mobile app bringing team-sourced music to help create vibrant and engaging office environments.Jamie is responsible for driving continuous revenue growth through effective channel management and strategic sales initiatives. Questions Include: Given the context of the Great Resignation and the difficulty of attracting and retaining employees, why do you believe companies must find new and innovative employee benefits to attract talent and keep existing employees happy? TouchTunes has launched a new music solution for workplaces called TouchTunes Unlimited to help create a vibrant and engaging workplace culture for employees. ​Who should select the music played in offices? HR, leaders, employees, all? What checks can be in place to ensure the music is apt for office culture? How do you believe tools like TouchTunes Unlimited help to improve workplace culture?More About Jamie SuraPreviously at TouchTunes, Jamie was responsible for National Accounts, the Technical Services team and Canada, and also supported the transformation and reorganization of the Inside Sales team. Prior to joining TouchTunes, Jamie served as Vice President, Small and Medium Business at Bell Canada. Mr. Sura previously held a number of leadership, operational and strategic sales and management roles with small and large companies including IBM and Snap-On Tools. Mr. Sura holds a BA with a major in Physics from Colgate University.About TouchTunesTouchTunes is an interactive music platform that has over 70,000 digital jukeboxes in bars, restaurants and beyond. With TouchTunes Unlimited, TouchTunes is expanding to bring an interactive music experience, enjoyed by millions of people every week, to offices and workplaces nationwide.We do our best to ensure editorial objectivity. The views and ideas shared by our guests and sponsors are entirely independentSupport 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 we talk about employee benefits and the dangers of burnout. Our guest today is Karen Mangia, VP of Customer and Market Insights at Salesforce. She is a TEDx Speaker and best-selling author, now publishing her latest book, Success From Anywhere, detailing the shifting landscape of working from home and what that means for the success of your business. Incredible figures have endorsed Success From Anywhere, including Arianna Huffington, Founder of the Huffington Post, and Toni Rodoni, CEO of Salesforce! Questions Include:What will it take for us to close the gap between what employers are willing to offer and what employees expect?What are some of the most innovative new benefits organizations are offering now? What new benefits are being offered to Salesforce employees? What matters more: employer brand or benefits? Burnout is the topic of our time. What advice do you have for employees who are struggling with burnout?What are your top 3-5 predictions about the future of work?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

There were 11.3 million job openings in the US at the end of January 2022 – a number that has been surging as an unprecedented proportion of employees leave their companies. The Great Resignation is being driven by a range of factors – from greater labor mobility to rapidly shifting employee demands. This means companies have to be capable of hiring the right employees quickly and at scale through broadening their talent pools, cutting time-to-hire, and onboarding employees who will improve the company’s culture, increase diversity, and drive productivity. In an era of high turnover and constantly shifting talent pools, can assessment technologies help to predict long-term talent outcomes or is it a resource only designed for the hiring and onboarding stages? That's a key question today's guest tries to answer. Listen too, as we consider the challenges faced by larger organizations when competing to attract talent faster is a post-pandemic world of work. Bill is joined by Josh Millet, Founder and CEO of Criteria, a talent decisions platform on a mission to help companies make objective, evidence-based talent decisions that both reduce bias and drive outcomes.Josh founded Criteria in 2006 with a vision to create a SaaS-based pre-employment testing service that would make the highest quality employee assessment tools accessible to companies of all sizes. Criteria helps organizations make objective, evidence-based talent decisions that both reduce bias and drive better outcomes for their teams.Questions Include:Much of the help you offer is top-of-funnel - can you talk about the assessments and pre-hire tools you offer?You also help with talent mobility. What do you do to help with internal movement?How can assessments cut down on the number of interview stages and speed up time-to-hire?  Criteria has a broad range of assessment and related tools. That includes purchases of an EQ assessment company out of Australia and, recently, a video recruitment platform. EQ - assessment - how reliable? Video recruiting - what more can be gained for virtual face-to-face screening? Later this year you'll be administering 1 million assessments in a single month and you project 10 million assessments will be conducted by Criteria software in 2022! What kind of data does that offer?In a time when it's hard to find tSupport 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, Bill Banham talks with Norm Smallwood, a recognized authority in developing businesses and their leaders to deliver results and increase value. In 2000, Norm co-founded The RBL Group, an advisory firm to the world's top HR leaders, with Dave Ulrich. His current work relates to increasing business value by building “outside-in” organizational, leadership, and people capabilities that measurably impact market value. Questions For Norm Include: How would you describe the evolution of HR?What are some trends you're seeing in human capital analytics?What are the KPIs to consider when hiring a CEO?What about the KPIs for hiring and measuring HR leaders?What is your take on succession planning? Is there a best way to do it?  What have the best companies done to develop the leaders with the right capacity to lead successfully? Can you give some examples of companies getting it right?More About Norm SmallwoodNorm partners with clients to increase the contribution of people to the business by aligning the organization to foster high-performance cultures that resonate with customers. Outputs include distinctive organizational capabilities and a recognizable leadership brand. Success is defined as increased confidence in the future by investors, customers, and employees. This translates in publicly traded firms to a higher stock price and a strong reputation for the business.In 2010, the Harvard Business Review recognized Norm in an ad for the magazine as doing “innovative and ground-breaking work on effective leadership.” Norm has co-authored eight books, and he has published more than a hundred articles in leading journals and newspapers. Norm has been a frequent blogger on HBR Online where his blog on Personal Leader Brand was highlighted as one of ten most read of 2010. He was a faculty member in executive education at the University of Michigan in the Ross School of Management between 2001 and 2003. For several years, Leadership Excellence magazine has ranked  Prior to co-founding The RBL Group, Norm was a founding partner of Novations Group, Inc. where he led business strategy, organization design, and human resource management projects for a wide variety of clients spanning multiple industries. Before this, he was an organization development professional at Procter and Gamble in a start up 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

During the Great Resignation, many recruiters are looking for refreshing ways to find new talent. In technology, a field that requires candidates of such particular and refined expertise, the challenge is even more nuanced. Our guest today is Lauren Waters, Talent Experience Manager, Americas at  Xero, accounting software that provides tools for small businesses, accountants, and bookkeepers. Lauren understands the process of trying to land a job in the tech industry and has first-hand experience of what sticks and what doesn’t. Questions For Lauren Include: How has the growth of the Gig Economy and more need for accounting software for start-ups over the past couple of years impacted Xero? What are some of the unique challenges TA pros when attempting to hire folks into tech companies and when trying to fill tech roles? Why is it vital for a candidate to be truthful during the hiring process? What can happen if the candidate misleads a hiring manager/TA pro? Why do you believe it's so vital that candidates demonstrate they care about culture fit and the DEI efforts of a potential employer's brand? What does that say about their motivations and likeness to stay with an org for the longer term? Mastering the art of phone impressions - Your team stresses the importance of bringing on your energy and enthusiasm when interviewing or networking over the phone. As the interviewer is not able to see a candidate's body language over the phone, it is vital to approach the call with vigor – within reason. It’s also important to balance between being excited and not seeming too desperate. Tell me more.Debunk the “fake it til’ you make it” mantra – most of the time people think they need to have an answer to every question thrown at them. Why is it okay to say “I do not know”!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 today's HRchat episode, Bill is joined by Leigh Mitchell. Leigh has successfully built a career as a diversity-driven Recruiter & Marketer, Brand Consultant, Diversity & Inclusion Trainer, and Talent Strategist, as well as a Marketing Professor at the University of Guelph Humber. Leigh is committed to equality and belonging in workplaces and founded Bee Happy HR & Marketing Co. to improve diversity and inclusion results within organizations committed to making a difference but not sure where to start. Bee Happy HR is a full-service brand management and diversity-driven HR company.  Leigh supports business owners, busy recruiters & HR departments to provide a variety of HR and business branding services with a certified team of experts in her Bee Happy HR Hive. Leigh is also the founder of Women in Biz Network, she coaches clients, speaks with influential guests on her Time to Thrive Podcast, curates mentorship initiatives, promotes Women in Biz Network’s vetted diversity-driven career board, and delivers skill-building events to a variety of audiences. Questions:What trends do you see coming out of the great resignation in relation to employer branding and reputation management? Why is having inclusive hiring practices and a strong diversity and inclusion plan of action good for business? How can brands attract more diverse applicants?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

Professional goals can be very impactful, especially for managers and business owners. In this episode of the HRchat show, we consider actionable goals that can be incorporated into a company’s culture and daily operations. Listen too, as we talk about the latest priorities and requirements in the world of employee benefits.Our guest in episode 429 is Becky Seefeldt, VP of Strategy for Benefit Resource. Listen as Becky gives her take on 7 important targets businesses should strive towards and ways HR pros can implement them.Questions Include: How do you see approaches to employee benefits changing?How is the legislative/regulatory environment affecting benefits?What types of things should employers be looking at in regard to benefits?How is the Great Resignation affecting benefits? What are employers doing to attract and retain talent?Let's now discuss your seven actionable goals that can be incorporated into a company’s culture and daily operations. Please take some time and run through each and why it mattersMore About BeckyBecky has spent the last 20 years dedicated to the education, marketing, product development and advancement of consumer-driven benefit solutions. She is currently responsible for product strategy, company-wide strategic initiatives, and industry advocacy and education efforts.Becky currently serves on the Board and Communication Committee Chair of ECFC, an industry organization dedicated to the education and advancement of consumer-driven benefits. Becky is a member and active contributor of the Forbes Business Council. Becky has contributed to publications such as SHRM, BenefitsPro, Employee Benefit News, and California Business Journal. Becky currently serves as the primary host of BRI’s podcast– The BRIght Side of Benefits.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, we hear from Cole Evans, Marketing Officer at Workzinga, a job search and hiring platform emphasizing company culture fit. Prior to his role at Workzinga, Cole raised money for non-profits, managed multiple teams, made many payrolls, secured investments, started multiple businesses - growing to $1.5m in 3 years. Cole has also started a New & Noteworthy podcast on iTunes, producing over 100 episodes so far. Questions Include: You lead efforts to share the mission and values of an exciting start-up within Recruitment tech. What opportunities and challenges does that present? Can you share your unique take on the connections between successful recruiters and effective marketers?Workzinga is focused on helping companies and candidates match, based on culture fit. What does culture fit mean to you? Workzinga Founder, Dan Hunter, presented at the April 2022 SHRM Talent Conference and Expo. Can you tell me about the session and what attendees learned?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