Transform Your Workplace

We've all been the new person at a company, trying to get our footing in a new role and within a new industry. It can be a lot to take in, particularly when each company has its own set of acronyms and internal jargon they frequently rely on. "Think out of the box," "I'll ping you," "let's be sure to bake that into the process," "we should avoid any tissue rejection on this specifically," - the list goes on! We're all guilty of it, and we're all likely aware of how confusing it can be for a newcomer. So why do we keep using workplace jargon? James Sudakow, consultant, speaker, and author of Picking the Low-Hanging Fruit...And Other Stupid Stuff We Say in the Corporate World joins Brandon Laws in a conversation about conversation and what we can all do to clarify our communication. Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book and/or take our survey and be entered to win a free book! Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium HR Learn about James Sudakow | Buy the book

As human beings, we are attuned to detect trustworthiness. It's often a gut feeling we get about a person, an organization, a brand, a place - almost anything. So how do we make sure that the people around us find us trustworthy? How do we broach tough conversations about our own areas for improvement, or someone else's, without it going south or just getting awkward? And what can trust really do to transform our workplace and our work relationships? Thomas Cox, business consultant and author of over 300 articles on leadership, joins the podcast to discuss the three pillars of trust and delve into how seemingly minor interactions and decisions can have huge impacts on others' perception of the kind of person you are.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium HR Connect with Thomas Cox  

When it comes to social media, the lines between public and private are blurred—especially in the workplace. There’s certainly nothing wrong with coworkers connecting via social. But what happens when an employee starts posting about their political views? Or their workplace? Or other employees? Listen in as Suzi Alligood and Brandon Laws discuss what’s protected and expected under Oregon law, communication tactics for defusing tense situations and leadership approaches to help keep social media in its place.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium HR   Connect with Suzi Alligood

The open office is definitely having a moment. One of many workplace trends that’s made its way from Silicon Valley to offices everywhere, it’s meant to fuel collaboration and productivity, increase visibility and knock down hierarchy. But Lindsey Kaufman, a creative director in NYC and Washington Post author of “Google got it wrong. The open-office trend is destroying the workplace,” would beg to differ. Join us as we discuss the downfalls of the open-office layout and the tweaks that could make things better for everyone.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium HR Connect with Lindsey Kaufmaun

Your company has fallen on hard times, and you have no choice but to let go of highly skilled, talented employees - who you may have a hard time tracking down or finding qualified replacements for once you're financially able to rehire for those positions. Or is there another way? The Work Share program in Oregon (name varies in other states) offers an alternative that involves an hour reduction for multiple employees, while subsidizing partial unemployment insurance benefits to those employees. Salena De La Cruz, Project Manager at Work Share for the Oregon Employment Department, joins the podcast for a deep dive into the mission of the program, how to go about applying as an employer, what benefits employers and employees alike will receive, and highlights of recent improvements that have streamlined the program.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium HR Learn about Work Share Connect with Salena De La Cruz

Informational interviewing can give you or your employees the opportunity to gain perspective and hear tips and advice when at a career crossroads. So why isn't it talked about more, and why aren't employers actively encouraging their employees to interview or be interviewed themselves more often? Lacey Halpern, Sr. HR Business Partner at Xenium, joins Brandon Laws in a discussion of the do's and don't's of informational interviewing and a walkthrough of how to get started getting the most out of this key professional development strategy.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium HR Follow Lacey on LinkedIn

Gaining direct access to the knowledge and skills of others can be a challenge for those who have the desire to grow professionally. But what if employers could build an effective mentor program that that granted access to internal and cross-company mentors? What would effect would that have on the growth, development, and engagement of employees? Heidi Holmes, Co-Founder of Mentorloop joins the podcast to discuss how many organizations are uncovering the secret to building the most effective mentor programs to drive employee engagement and retention of top talent.   Review us on iTunes Take our survey   Learn More: Connect with Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Learn about Xenium HR Learn about Heidi Holmes and Mentorloop 

Millennials are continuing to pour into the workplace, and by 2020 they are expected to represent nearly half of the workforce. As managers and leaders, how do we best communicate with this generation? What are their common behaviors that we need to adapt to, and what do millennials want and hope to get out of their work? Lee Caraher, author of Millennials and Management: The Essential Guide to Making it Work at Work and founder of Double Forte, joins the podcast to discuss these questions and much more as it relates to managing and working alongside millennials.   Review us on iTunes Take our survey   Learn More: Connect with Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Learn about Xenium HR Learn about Lee Caraher | Buy Millennials and Management and Pre-Order The Boomerang Principle

At Xenium, it’s our job to stay on top of the various workplace and HR trends that come our way. And in this podcast, we’ll talk about the belief that HR should be replaced or absorbed into other business departments. Is it a good idea? Listen in to find out. We’ll be discussing the viability of this approach, the role of HR and the real duties of the department. Whether it skews administrative or strategic, we’ll be talking through the ways your HR department can be refocused to do more for your organization.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Connect with Brandon Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Learn about Xenium HR Follow Angela on LinkedIn

When it comes to hiring fresh talent, there’s a new demographic in town. With boomers retiring and Gen Xers aging, millennials are taking over the workforce and changing the way companies attract and retain new talent. In this episode, we’ll be discussing all the ins and outs of recruiting and hiring millennials—why it’s worth it and what to expect. Listen in as we decode the values and behaviors of today’s job seekers to arm you with the knowledge you need to connect with the next generation of top talent.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Connect with Brandon Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Learn about Xenium HR Follow Paige on LinkedIn