Transform Your Workplace

Having trouble scaling your business when it comes to HR? According to our most recent guest, you’re not alone. In this week’s episode, host Brandon Laws sits down with HR aficionado Matt Tanner. The two discuss common HR blunders that business leaders make when trying to keep up with company growing pains. Ultimately, Matt explains that whether you outsource or hire, passing the “HR Hat” to an expert is vital to the growth of your business. TAKEAWAYS In smaller organizations, it’s not uncommon for someone to wear the “HR Hat” who isn’t trained or lacks the experience to do the job effectively. Many small businesses are terrified that they are “missing something” when running HR, putting them at risk for being sued. Employees are often wearing many hats, but oftentimes, the HR Hat is one of the last that small teams pass off. Once a business has an official employee, an HR expert is necessary. When untrained or inexperienced employees are wearing the HR Hat, they tend to lean toward staying out of trouble instead of working with a specific strategy in mind. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.” Contact Brandon and Xenium HR:  Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram. Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com Follow Xenium on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Avoiding the “uncomfortable” has become so common that we have a famous term for it: it’s “the elephant in the room.” But according to guest Sarah Noll Wilson, author of Don't Feed the Elephants, it’s possible to free yourself and your team from that overwhelming awkwardness. In today’s episode of Transform Your Workplace, our guest provides tips on how to address your elephants and create a transparent culture in your workplace.  TAKEAWAYS “The elephant in the room” creeps into the workplace when we avoid talking about or acknowledging something uncomfortable. Avoiding honest discussion is a harmful barrier to business success. A leader’s response in moments of disagreement or feedback sets the tone for how safe others will feel speaking up. Freeing the elephant from the room is a process that happens one conversation at a time, not all at once. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.” Contact Brandon and Xenium HR:  Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram. Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com Follow Xenium on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

If you’re a business owner, you know that scalability is crucial to a company’s success. Listen in as Brandon Laws interviews Chris Ronzio, author of The Business Playbook, and learn what you can do to ensure that your company grows in healthy ways. Gain a fresh perspective on how to document and delegate when it comes to your company’s profile, people, policies, and processes.  TAKEAWAYS Owners shouldn’t be stepping in to do every job in the business; instead, they should create and implement solid systems. Leaders and employees must be aligned because consistency equals growth. A complete business playbook is made up of the company’s profile, people, policies, and processes. A business playbook isn’t a top-down assignment to be passed off to employees but rather a living set of documents that leaders and employees alike can own. Scalability is about giving employees clear expectations and letting them take ownership of improving their area of the business. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.” Contact Brandon and Xenium HR:  Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram. Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com Follow Xenium on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

What’s the key to productivity and engagement in the workplace? According to recent guest Dr. Noelle Nelson, it’s all about making your employees happy. Listen in to get the latest research from her book, Make More Money by Making Your Employees Happy, and get an inside glimpse into how some companies survived and thrived during the pandemic by focusing on employee engagement. Avoid common pitfalls and implement best practices so that you too can ensure your employees feel appreciated and heard. TAKEAWAYS Companies that thrive no matter what are companies who truly appreciate their employees Successful companies create a culture where employee feedback is encouraged, rewarded, implemented, and acknowledged. In today’s business world, individual preference matters, so leaders should pay more attention to what their employees want. The most powerful thing you can do to engage an employee is to catch them in the act of doing it right. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.” Contact Brandon and Xenium HR:  Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram. Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com Follow Xenium on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

We’re long overdue for a candid discussion about mental health and mental illness in the workplace. In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, Brandon Laws sits down with Melissa Doman, an Organizational Psychology expert, to talk about the necessity of breaking the stigma and cultivating a culture of transparency when it comes to mental wellbeing. And, as the Great Resignation continues to take its toll on businesses of all industries and sizes, it’s a conversation we can’t afford to ignore. TAKEAWAYS Many employees don’t feel comfortable broaching the topic of mental health in the workplace. Mental health is more than workplace wellness; it is about accessibility, diversity, equity, inclusion, leadership development, and learning and development across an organization. People are nervous to speak up about mental health issues because they may be misunderstood and compromise their jobs or career paths. We must normalize experiencing and talking about uncomfortable negative emotions. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the “go button,” forcing businesses to realize that they really need to talk about and change their approach to mental health. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.” Contact Brandon and Xenium HR:  Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram. Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com Follow Xenium on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Listen in to the latest episode of Transform Your Workplace, where the conversation is all about effective talent acquisition. Brandon Laws talks with top recruiter and talent acquisition expert, Tatiyana Cure, about her book, Hire to Win: Managers Practical Guide for Attracting and Interviewing Top Talent. Learn about best practices for writing job descriptions, interviewing candidates, and selecting the right hire, all while cutting out the tedious and time-consuming methods that we’ve all grown accustomed to. TAKEAWAYS The biggest cost of a bad hire is your own mental health and productivity. A vague job description attracts a high number of candidates, so hiring managers end up investing too much time scratching the surface instead of determining if it’s the right fit. When interviewing, ask the same questions to all candidates so that you can adequately compare them to one another to find the best for the job. Set aside substantial time to look at resumes instead of glancing at the candidates and making hasty decisions. Address salary expectations upfront so that you and potential candidates can move forward in the interview process. Rejection is inevitable, but the best approach for rejected candidates is one of kindness. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.” Contact Brandon and Xenium HR:  Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram. Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com Follow Xenium on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Returning guest Victoria Dew sits down with Brandon Laws to discuss Dewpoint Communications’ latest report, The New Rules of Employee Experience and Communications in 2022. Get an up-to-date glimpse into what organizations of all sizes and across all industries had to say about the past year and its impact on their people and communication as a whole. TAKEAWAYS We’ve learned that change is a constant and that the need to adapt is not going to go away anytime soon. This new era of innovation means that we get to recreate, reimagine, and reinvent so many aspects of the employee experience, communication, and connection. The silver bullet for the employee experience is embracing chaos and complexity instead of implementing a one-size-fits-all approach. Employees are tired of offering their ideas and opinions only to realize that leaders won’t take action. Being proactive versus reactive when it comes to employee retention is the most strategic, smartest way to run a business.

SHOW NOTES Let’s face it. Remote work can be difficult, especially when it comes to leading teams and facilitating successful collaboration. In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, Brandon Laws sits down with Anneke Victorica, HR expert and founder and director of BloomHR. Listen in as the two discuss approaches, resources, and best practices for navigating HR challenges in the ever-changing remote workplace. TAKEAWAYS The key to remote HR is finding great external support and service providers. When it comes to culture, the hiring process plays a critical role because it determines whether new employees will contribute to a positive culture. If new to HR, it’s important to be self-aware and true to your strengths, interests, and struggles.  Relationships will always matter, so those trying to navigate remote HR must be intentional about making and deepening these connections. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.” Contact Brandon and Xenium HR:  Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram. Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com Follow Xenium on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Considering taking a remote position? Or just in need of some tips to boost your remote performance? In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, Brandon Laws sits down with Jill Duffy to talk about Jill’s book, The Everything Guide to Remote Work. Listen in to learn how to maximize the benefits and navigate the challenges of a remote position. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Research says that the more autonomy workers have, the more likely they are to be productive and loyal to their organizations. One prominent challenge in remote work is difficulty in creating boundaries that support work-life balance. Many remote companies offer an unlimited paid-time-off policy, which means that you earn or accrue PTO as time goes on, and you can take time off with manager approval. When working remotely, it’s easy to miss body language and signals, so over-communication is key. A specific job description is critical to the success of the remote employee. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.” Contact Brandon and Xenium HR:  Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram. Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com Follow Xenium on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Brandon Laws is joined by a colleague, Lacey Partipilo of Xenium HR for a bonus episode to share an oral history of the pandemic from their perspectives.  They share their experience at work and at home, and what they believe the future holds for the workplace.  Connect with Lacey Partipilo. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.” Contact Brandon and Xenium HR:  Email Brandon.Laws@xeniumhr.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram. Learn more about Xenium HR at xeniumhr.com Follow Xenium on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.