HR Superstars

Explore the art of pitching HR ideas to executives by mastering the business language. Discover how aligning HR strategies with company goals enhances support from leadership. Gain insights on the importance of role clarity and goal alignment for better efficiency. Learn actionable steps through a practical role-playing scenario. This episode is a goldmine for HR professionals aiming to elevate their influence within the corporate landscape.

What if the secret to extraordinary organizational success lies in being playful and fearless? Anita Grantham believes it does.  A leading people leader and Head of HR at BambooHR, Anita shares her unique approach to building a company that outperforms the market. Her journey to running HR at a top SaaS company is filled with lessons in embracing curiosity, learning from pain, and maintaining positive energy. Anita emphasizes the importance of showing up consistently as a leader, viewing work through a lens of gratitude, and creating an environment where values and mission drive every action. Join us as we discuss: 00:00 Introduction to the episode with Anita Grantham 03:00 Anita's unconventional journey to becoming an HR leader 05:57 Initial challenges when entering the HR field 09:11 How to build and sustain company culture 11:07 Aligning company values with daily actions and performance reviews  19:47 How to address difficult issues while maintaining a positive culture  28:11 The importance of setting boundaries to balance work and personal life 30:33 Key skills Anita had to develop for HR leadership Resources: For the entire interview, subscribe to HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube, Or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo. Want to connect with thousands of other strategic HR leaders like you? Join the HR Superstars Community! Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player.* Hear Adam’s thoughts on elevating your HR career by following him on LinkedIn. Click  here to download 15Five’s Manager Enablement Playbook! For more on maximizing employee performance, engagement, and retention, click  here. Anita Grantham’s LinkedIn - click here!  

Is it possible to create a high-performance culture without losing the human touch?  Katie Burke believes it is.  On this episode, Katie Burke, former Chief People Officer of HubSpot, shares how her unique journey from media relations to chief people officer shaped her view on progressive people operations. Reflecting on her 11-year journey at HubSpot, Katie discusses the critical importance of on-the-job coaching and regular feedback for team performance.  Katie and Adam discuss the traits of top HR leaders, balancing employee satisfaction with high-performance demands, and the art of trusting one's intuition in HR. Tune in to learn more on sustaining high performance, motivating employees, and maintaining authenticity in company culture. Join us as we discuss: 00:00 Introduction to the episode with Katie Burke 06:56 HubSpot's counterintuitive bets on non-traditional hires 12:56 The importance of reflective learning and growth in leadership roles 17:54 How addressing minor issues helps retain employees 20:30 Balancing entitlement and meaningful feedback in organizations 25:26 How to strive for high performance through intentional choices 29:27 Why clear leadership and feedback is essential for performance 32:41 Be thoughtful, picky, and intentional in seeking opportunities Resources: For the entire interview, subscribe to HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube, Or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo. Want to connect with thousands of other strategic HR leaders like you? Join the HR Superstars Community! Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player.* Hear Adam’s thoughts on elevating your HR career by following him on LinkedIn. Click  here to download 15Five’s HR Outcomes Playbook! For more on maximizing employee performance, engagement, and retention, click  here. Katie Burke’s LinkedIn - click here!  

While many equate company culture with perks like ping pong tables and free food, Melissa Daimler challenges this superficial view and emphasizes the profound impact of well-defined behaviors and processes. In this episode, Melissa Daimler, Chief Learning Officer at Udemy, shares insight on creating a culture grounded in core values and constructive debate. Melissa also discusses how observable behaviors should be tied into every aspect of talent management, from hiring and development to rewards and promotions. Melissa and Adam explore the concept of culture as an action, examining how systems thinking can bridge connections and enhance collaboration in HR leadership. They provide insights on measuring key talent metrics, improving manager effectiveness, and fostering a continuous learning environment for managers.   Resources: For the entire interview, subscribe to HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube, Or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo. Want to connect with thousands of other strategic HR leaders like you? Join the HR Superstars Community! Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player.* Hear Adam’s thoughts on elevating your HR career by following him on LinkedIn. Click here to download 15Five’s Manager Enablement Playbook! For more on maximizing employee performance, engagement, and retention, click here. Melissa Daimler’s LinkedIn - click here!

How do you navigate shifting priorities during life’s big moments while maintaining team chemistry and a strong company culture? Lee Rubin, founder and CEO at Confetti, shares her insights as she prepares for maternity leave. In this episode, Adam and Lee discuss the balancing act leaders face during significant life changes. From reorienting priorities to combating burnout, their conversation is rich and insightful. Learn about prioritizing employee well-being, the evolving role of HR, and practical strategies for maintaining team chemistry in a fully remote setup.   Join us as we discuss: [00:00] Introduction to the episode [05:07] Understanding shared goals and accountability for success [09:44] Maintaining communication and alignment during company growth [13:27] How testimonials fuel company mission for remote workplaces [17:26] How HR was transformed during the pandemic [23:29] Promote a healthy and happy work-life balance [26:07] Prioritize tasks, be mindful of urgency [29:20] Crush goals, streamline team, focus strategically [32:58] Family or work: priorities shape your actions   For the entire interview, subscribe to HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube, Or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo. Want to connect with thousands of other strategic HR leaders like you? Join the HR Superstars Community! Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player.* Hear Adam’s thoughts on elevating your HR career by following him on LinkedIn. Click here to download 15Five’s Manager Enablement Playbook! For more on maximizing employee performance, engagement, and retention, click here. Lee Rubin’s LinkedIn - click here!

As remote work has become the new norm, the role of managers in shaping the employee experience has never been more critical. Carmen Amara, Chief People Officer at Yelp, delves into the importance of empathy in management, especially amid the challenges introduced by the pandemic. With work and life increasingly intertwined, Carmen shares practical measures Yelp has implemented, like setting core hours and managing meetings more effectively, to support their remote workforce.   Resources: For the entire interview, subscribe to HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube, Or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo. Want to connect with thousands of other strategic HR leaders like you? Join the HR Superstars Community! Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player.* Hear Adam’s thoughts on elevating your HR career by following him on LinkedIn. Click here to download 15Five’s Manager Enablement Playbook! For more on maximizing employee performance, engagement, and retention, click here. Carmen Amara’s LinkedIn - click here!

We’re all humans first and leaders second. In this conversation, Paul Wolfe, author of Human Beings First, shares how leaders can stay grounded in their humanity and cultivate deeper connections with the people around them. Paul invites leaders to implement three simple behaviors to help them create safe spaces for their teams. He discusses what it means to be a human-centered leader, how the workforce's values have changed, and what causes leaders to forget that they're human. Over two decades of work at industry-leading organizations like GE and American Express have given Paul a wealth of insights. He shares the good and the bad from his experiences, emphasizing the importance of vulnerability and curiosity in leadership.   Resources: For the entire interview, subscribe to HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube, Or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo. Want to connect with thousands of other strategic HR leaders like you? Join the HR Superstars Community! Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player.* Hear Adam’s thoughts on elevating your HR career by following him on LinkedIn. Click here to download 15Five’s HR Outcomes Playbook! For more on maximizing employee performance, engagement, and retention, click here. Paul Wolfe’s LinkedIn - click here!

Eric Termuende, a keynote speaker and bestselling author, delves into the talent crisis, revealing its root cause: a lack of trust between individuals and organizations. He emphasizes that trust is vital for high-performing teams and shares actionable strategies for building it at scale. Termuende also discusses the future of workplace flexibility, highlighting challenges in balancing remote and in-office work. His insights on evolving company culture underscore the importance of nurturing personal connections for improved collaboration and business success.

Before the pandemic, only 5% of Americans worked from home. Now, half of the population spends at least one day a week doing so. What effect has the shift to remote work had on productivity, profitability, and employee satisfaction? Nick Bloom is here to tell us. Nick is a Stanford professor who has researched remote work for over two decades. He’s even informed presidential policy regarding remote work. In this conversation, Nick shares his measured, research-based opinions on remote work and its influence on organizations and individuals. The rise in remote work has also introduced the controversial concept of location-dependent compensation. Nick shares his data-driven insights on how employers should manage pay for employees scattered across the country or globe.   Resources: For the entire interview, subscribe to HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube, Or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo. Want to connect with thousands of other strategic HR leaders like you? Join the HR Superstars Community! Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player. Hear Adam’s thoughts on elevating your HR career by following him on LinkedIn. Click here to download 15Five’s HR Outcomes Playbook! For more on maximizing employee performance, engagement, and retention, click here. Nick Bloom’s LinkedIn - click here!

Offboarding doesn’t have to be awkward. When done well, it can be an empowering experience for both the individual and the organization. In this conversation, Becky Consolvo, CEO and Founder of 9Box Consulting and former HR leader at Telsa and Apple, delves into the art of onboarding. She’s on a mission to bring excellence to employee exits through transparent communication and employee empowerment. Becky also shares how saying yes to new experiences has accelerated her career. She reflects on her time at Apple and Tesla, explaining that humility and eagerness to learn were crucial to her success.   Resources: For the entire interview, subscribe to HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube, Or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo. Want to connect with thousands of other strategic HR leaders like you? Join the HR Superstars Community! Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player. Hear Adam’s thoughts on elevating your HR career by following him on LinkedIn. Click here to download 15Five’s HR Outcomes Playbook! For more on maximizing employee performance, engagement, and retention, click here. Rebecca Consolvo’s LinkedIn - click here!