

Punk Rock HR
WRKdefined Podcast Network
Welcome to the Punk Rock HR Podcast, hosted by the influential and unconventional Laurie Ruettimann. This podcast breaks away from the traditional constraints of the HR world to bring you candid and compelling conversations with some of the most disruptive and innovative minds in the business. Each episode, Laurie dives deep into critical topics surrounding the real world of work, exploring the modern workplace's nuances, and challenging the status quo of HR.Guests range from renowned thought leaders, authors, and entrepreneurs to HR professionals and individuals who have reshaped the way we approach work and organizational culture. Punk Rock HR is not your usual HR talk. It’s a blend of insight, wit, and irreverence, aiming to bring a fresh, unfiltered perspective to the challenges and opportunities facing today’s workforce.Whether you’re an HR professional looking to revamp your approach, a leader trying to understand the people side of the business better, or just someone interested in the dynamics of the modern workplace, this podcast is your ticket to engaging discussions and actionable insights. Expect energizing conversations, guests with big ideas, and a punk rock twist, with episodes released every Monday.Follow the Punk Rock HR Podcast to keep your finger on the pulse of work, leadership, and human resources. Your journey towards a more progressive and enlightened workspace starts here!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 3, 2019 • 31min
062: Sexual Harassment and Virtual Reality with Morgan Mercer
Namely believes there’s one team that can help make your workplace great: HR. When their days are filled with administrative to-dos, they can’t focus on the big stuff—like parental leave and promotions. Namely’s all-in-one HR, payroll, and benefits platform makes their lives easier, saving them an average of 11 hours each week. Over 1,000 companies use Namely to build a better workplace. Get a free demo at Namely.com/podcastHave you ever been in a situation at work where you witnessed something uncomfortable but you didn’t say anything? Or have you seen leaders exhibit behaviors that are rude or offensive but you were unsure what to do about it? I’ve been there and it was highly uncomfortable. In fact, the situation still bothers me to this day. Here’s the CliffNotes version: Very early in my career, I watched a VP come on strong to a coworker, he befriended her and gave her some additional opportunities at work. Then he loaned her money and they started dating “in secret.” Eventually he had a meltdown and abandoned her. Her career stalled and she ultimately quit. Guess what, everyone? Nobody ever got mad at that VP. Not a single person! Well, that’s not true. I started asking questions of her, but I didn't know what to say.On today's show I'm talking to Morgan Mercer, founder and CEO of Vantage Point. She is an expert in this field and I am hopeful we can all learn a thing or two from her. Vantage Point uses virtual reality (yes, you read that correctly) to immerse employees, leaders, and managers into scenarios just like the one I described. They then train and test the same individuals on how to respond to difficult situations at work, appropriately.If you want to hear some of the best ways to handle sexual harassment at work and how virtual reality is paving the way to help us learn how to deal with these scenarios with compassion and empathy, then sit back and listen to this episode of Let’s Fix Work. In this episode, you’ll hear:
What standalone virtual reality is and how it can help with anti-sexual harassment training
How virtual reality scenarios help people allocate all of their resources to solving an issue and how it helps people to translate feelings into information
Why and how Vantage Point started with anti-sexual harassment training
The idea that technology can teach you to be compassionate and can teach you empathy, but can it actually change behaviors and change attitudes through this type of training?
Why sexual harassment training through virtual reality is important for employers, what they learn, and how they can set future training scenarios
Morgan shares some stories of how Vantage Point’s technology has been shown to change behaviors, outcomes, or moved organizations forward
Morgan shares her personal why, including why she is interested in fixing work from this perspective
Why Morgan does the work she does: “Women don't speak out unless they speak up in unison. When you realize the level of inequality that so many people live with and face across the board, from economic background to various genders, their ethnicity to whatever it may be, it's really impossible for me not to care. When I leave the world one day I want to look back and I want to feel like I made an impact.” Morgan Mercer, Founder and CEO, Vantage PointResources from this episode:Thanks to our sponsor: Namely.com/podcastTryvantagepoint.com Can VR teach us how to deal with sexual harassment? Can VR make us more empathetic? How Virtual Reality Is Helping To Empower WomenCan Sexual Harassment Training Come of Age?

May 27, 2019 • 15min
061: Exploring the Sides of Lifecasting with Laurie Ruettimann
Do you love listening to other people’s stories and experiences from their daily lives? If so, you are not alone! This has become a major industry, with “influencers” showing up across multiple social media platforms and playing a role in the decisions people make. Being an influencer may seem like the perfect job. After all, some of them make huge incomes from their blogs, vlogs, and YouTube channels! But is it right for everyone?I’ve been sharing my experiences with others since very early in my HR career. I emailed stories about myself to illustrate elements of my life so that people could learn something from those experiences I was having. Today we refer to this practice as “lifecasting,” and on this episode, we’re going to talk about the ins and outs of lifecasting.Through my lifecasting, you've got a front row seat to my life! I've always been a lifecaster, even when I worked in human resources and I only had access to email years ago. That was my original way to get my message out. However, as the technology has changed, the distribution methods for my message have as well. In today’s episode, we’ll explore the idea of lifecasting, and I’ll give you my thoughts on the practice.In this episode, you’ll hear:
How I got into lifecasting and my success with it
What lifecasting is and reasons to do it or not to do it
Knowing what is inbounds and what is out of bounds for sharing
Ways to test out this lifestyle to see if blogging/vlogging/sharing is for you
Resources from this episode:Thanks to our sponsor: Greenhouse.ioBrittany Hennessy “Influencer” Lifecasting: What It Is and How It Will Change Societygreenhouseopen.com/ Use code fixwork for 25% off your ticket Thank you to our sponsor, Greenhouse Software! At Greenhouse OPEN 2019, their annual conference, they are celebrating the Talent Makers – the people who have figured out how great hiring drives business growth. Registration is open for the conference. I’ll be there speaking and I would love to see you! Head on over to GreenHouseOpen.com and use code fixwork for 25% off discount your conference ticket. Then I’ll see you in New York in June!

May 20, 2019 • 28min
060: The Future of Work and Outplacement with Pat Lynch
What does the future of finding work look like? Well, my friends, it is challenging, of course. We all know that. Our guest today will help guide us through some of the struggles people face in a transition between jobs. Patrick Lynch is the President of CMP Southeast Region, a talent and transition firm that helps HR leaders develop their people and teams across the full talent life cycle – from talent acquisition and leadership development to organization development and outplacement support.In this conversation, we speak honestly about the challenges of finding work, especially if you're over 50, you're a woman, or you're differently abled. We talk about the ways in which outplacement can help you develop a network, grow your network, and find a job that you can actually be successful in. Plus, we talk about some of the challenges workers of all types are facing in today’s job economy. So if you want to think more strategically about the future of finding work or learn more about outplacement, check out this episode of Let’s Fix Work.In this episode, you’ll hear:
What outplacement is and the ways this service can benefit you
How getting a new job is changing and how to look at networking in the 21st century
How an introvert really can be effective at networking
Pat’s take on the future of work
That older candidates must be creative at finding new work
The importance of taking control and being a lifelong learner
“Things are moving at such a fast rate that you have to be always keeping yourself current because some industry darling all of a sudden could be disrupted in a matter of a few short years. Now what do you do? And so you have to have that ability to adapt and be flexible.” ~ Pat Lynch, CMPResources from this episode:Thanks to our sponsor: Greenhouse.ioConnect with Patrick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricklynchcmp/CMP website: https://www.careermp.com/greenhouseopen.com/ Use code fixwork for 25% off your ticketThank you to our sponsor, Greenhouse Software! At Greenhouse OPEN 2019, their annual conference, they are celebrating the Talent Makers – the people who have figured out how great hiring drives business growth. Registration is open for the conference. I’ll be there speaking and I would love to see you! Head on over to GreenHouseOpen.com and use code fixwork for 25% off discount your conference ticket. Then I’ll see you in New York in June!

May 13, 2019 • 14min
059: Human Resources and The Commoditization of Work with Laurie Ruettimann
The commoditization of work is real and it's not just for people at Uber and Postmates. The future of work has nothing to do with humans and has everything to do with worker metrics.From retail to healthcare to hospitality, algorithms and machines that can do certain jobs are doing them and they're doing them better than humans. We don't get to digitization and automation without first having an honest discussion about how jobs are commodities. If a company can commoditize and outsource your job and remove the financial and emotional burden of being responsible for your overall experience, they will.Guess what, folks? We're not having an honest conversation about these topics. Until now, that is. In this episode of Let’s Fix Work, I'm talking about human resources and the commoditization of work. I share some strategies HR professionals and leaders can employ to put the focus back on humanness in human resources.In this episode, you’ll hear:
The future of work and examples of commoditization
Full-time jobs are being replaced by contractors or freelancers
The reason HR professionals need to start to pay attention to the gig-economy
Why HR must get involved and start thinking about the whole talent pool
Resources from this episode:Thanks to our sponsor: Greenhouse.io https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-end-of-employees-1486050443https://www.ipse.co.uk/about-us/ipse-us.htmlhttps://blog.freelancersunion.org/greenhouseopen.com/ Use code fixwork for 25% off your ticketThank you to our sponsor, Greenhouse Software! At Greenhouse OPEN 2019, their annual conference, they are celebrating the Talent Makers – the people who have figured out how great hiring drives business growth. Registration is open for the conference. I’ll be there speaking and I would love to see you! Head on over to GreenHouseOpen.com and use code fixwork for 25% off discount your conference ticket. Then I’ll see you in New York in June!

May 6, 2019 • 29min
058: Advancing Onboarding Policies to Empower Organizations with Dane Hurtubise
I have another exciting episode of Let’s Fix Work for you this week! My guest is Dane Hurtubise, Vice President of Platform and Partnerships at Greenhouse Software. In today’s episode, we talked about moments that matter, whether it's in the interview process, the hiring process, pre-boarding or onboarding, whatever moment you're in regarding the world of work. Those moments matter and they also better be great, especially in our current talent-driven economy.We discussed the relationships that exist in the corporate world between employers and their employees and how software can enhance that relationship and how to empower employees so that they can be as productive as possible. Plus, we discussed how hiring managers or recruitment teams can now get beyond the point of being bogged down with administrative paperwork and focus on the employee instead. All of this leads to having the best experience possible at work to help people have meaningful lives. So, are you ready to fix work? If you want to hear how Greenhouse Software can help bring meaning back to your office, how to advance the onboarding process, or how to empower employees, then listen to this episode of Let’s Fix Work.In this episode, you’ll hear:
How the relationships between companies and employees are changing
Opportunities for employers to connect with potential employees that have often been missed, and how employees can now be heard and taken care of
The idea of onboarding and development cycles between employers and employees
The differences between good and bad onboarding
What or who is responsible for good onboarding to occur
How the best practices for recruiting are included in Greenhouse’s software product
What the future of technology holds for enhancing the employer/employee relationship and the innovation that is being developed
Encouraging a proactive nature in recruiting and empowering companies with the technology they need for recruiting
The importance of work in people’s lives and how meaningful that work should be
“Think about all the different crucial moments that happen in someone's life as an employee. Things like termination, a relocation, a promotion, and of course, onboarding. These are the kind of moments that really matter, the ones that you tell your friends and your loved ones about.” -Dane Hurtubise, Greenhouse Software“If we're having 10 jobs or more or even a short career, we want to be able to make those moments really matter. When you leave the organization, what are you going to say about your time at that company? Are you going to say great things? I really think there's a moment of feeling empathy that we can capture, create, and build trust with employees.” -Dane Hurtubise, Greenhouse SoftwareResources from this episode: Thanks to our sponsor: Greenhouse.ioConnect with Dane Hurtubise on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hurtubise/ https://greenhouseopen.com/ Use code fixwork for 25% off your ticketGreenhouse Software is a new sponsor of Let’s Fix Work. At Greenhouse OPEN 2019, their annual conference, they are celebrating the Talent Makers – the people who have figured out how great hiring drives business growth. Registration is open for the conference. I’ll be there speaking and I would love to see you! Head on over to GreenHouseOpen.com and use code fixwork for 25% off discount your conference ticket. And then I’ll see you in New York in June!

Apr 29, 2019 • 36min
057: Well-being in the Workplace with Dr. Laura Hamill
This week’s show is all about well-being. Joining me is an expert in the well-being field, Dr. Laura Hamill. Laura is the co-founder, Chief Scientist, and Chief People Officer of Limeade. Limeade is a software company that elevates the employee experience and helps build great places to work. Their focus is on the whole person and the whole company, with tools and programs to support both.Laura and I had a great conversation about what it means to be a whole, healthy functioning adult, plus non-toxic work environments and the actual work it takes to get there. Additionally, we talked about how to build a productive environment where people enjoy their jobs, respect one another, have boundaries, and actually can go home and enjoy their lives.if you've ever thought about well-being and wondered if it's just a fad, I think you're going to love this episode, so sit tight and listen to this episode of Let’s Fix Work with my special guest, Dr. Laura Hamill.In this episode, you’ll hear:
Limeade: who they are, what they do, and who they help
Dr. Laura’s journey from the world of psychology and research to Chief People Officer and Chief Scientist at Limeade
Burnout: the science behind it, why it happens, and how to prevent it
The power of gratitude and recognition
Dr. Laura answers the question, “Does it do gratitude and recognition a disservice when we create a formal program around it?”
Laura shares what she is most optimistic about when it comes to the future of work
The evolution of caring about people in the workplace
“There's a lot of great research to say that the more gratitude you have in your life, the higher levels of well-being you have. This kind of overall quality of life is enhanced by being grateful.” ~Dr. Laura Hamill, Ph.D“What if we thought about all these things we do in human resources from the perspective of the employee? Instead of thinking about... we have these benefits and we have learning and development and we have a recognition program, what if we really tipped all of this on its side and said, how do we show our employees that we care about them and how do we create an amazing employee experience?” ~ Dr. Laura Hamill, Ph.D Resources from this episode:Thank you to our sponsor: Ultimatesoftware.com/LFWConnect with Laura on LinkedInLimeade Learn more about LauraLaura is one of the top 100 HR tech influencers Ebooks:
Inclusion in Your Workplace
Organizational Support Lightpaper
The Big E: Employee Engagement
Can You Spot Burnout?
***We're proud to be sponsored by Ultimate Software. They're a leading cloud provider of people management solutions with a commitment to continuing education for HR, talent, and payroll professionals. Ultimate Software is hosting dozens of free educational HR workshops around the country. Check out ultimatesoftware.com/LFW for more information on how to earn free HRCI, SHRM, and APA recertification credits.

Apr 22, 2019 • 19min
056: Success, Failure and Goal-Setting with Laurie Ruettimann
This week on Let’s Fix Work I am going to be talking about goals and goal setting. The topic is timely because I’m heading down to Atlanta to meet with my business coach, Jesse Itzler. I'm going to stand in front of him and my entire cohort of about 100 and I'm going to talk about why I didn't achieve my fourth quarter goals in 2018. Yes, it’s going to be hard. But, I am all about owning up to why I didn’t make things work and learning the steps needed to fix what wasn’t working. In this episode, I share how and why I began working with Jesse. One of the things you will hear is about how Jesse coaches his clients using a system that prioritizes goals while focusing on your health, work, family, and creativity. When I began working with Jesse, I also wanted to layer that approach of prioritizing goals on top of a time management tracking tool and really learn how to spend my time doing the things that would move my life and my business forward. I wanted to put myself first.At the beginning of the year, I took a page out of the corporate playbook and I got my head out of my ass. Once I started to have boundaries, I started to have goals. I began setting standards for myself and 2019 came into focus. I've been doing more writing, I've been doing more speaking and I've been doing more business development. But yet, I've been missing some goals because I'm human. Today, I also share insights and lessons about the best laid plans, because I’ve learned that even when you map it out and you create rock-solid systems, life happens. If you want to hear about my successes and failures with goal setting, the importance of putting yourself first, and making an effort to at least try to attain a specific goal, then listen to this episode of Let’s Fix Work.In this episode, you’ll hear:
My method for creating a system and plan for goal setting
Writing a book proposal even if when I was scared and my pre-mortem told me I was sure to fail - but I got a book deal!
Running life on your schedule and with integrity
The importance of putting yourself first
When to consider getting a coach or therapist
Resources from this episode:Thank you to our sponsor: Ultimatesoftware.com/LFWJesse Itzler: https://jesseitzler.com/***We're proud to be sponsored by Ultimate Software. They're a leading cloud provider of people management solutions with a commitment to continuing education for HR, talent, and payroll professionals.Ultimate Software is hosting dozens of free educational HR workshops around the country. Check out ultimatesoftware.com/LFW for more information on how to earn free HRCI, SHRM, and APA recertification credits.

Apr 15, 2019 • 32min
055: How to Build Relationships as a Leader with Kevin Kruse
I am so excited to share this episode of Let’s Fix Work with you! My guest this week is Kevin Kruse, founder and CEO of LeadX. Kevin is also a New York Times bestselling author of nine books. He has a brand new book hitting the shelves titled Great Leaders Have No Rules: Contrarian Leadership Principles to Transform Your Team and Business. I have been following Kevin’s career for around ten years, and it is wonderful to finally have him as a guest on the show.Besides talking about a “no-rules” work zone, we discussed the role of “love” in leadership. That's right, love. We explored the idea that you don't actually need to like someone who works for you or with you, but you do need to love that person. It's smart and interesting conversations like this one that keeps me excited about doing this podcast! So if you enjoy learning about the interconnectivity between love and work, leadership principles, or “no rules” work zones, join me for this conversation with Kevin Kruse.In this episode, you’ll hear:
How rules can get in the way of relationships
Success and understanding that can develop when leaders connect with employees, explain the company culture, and the “why” behind certain actions
Leadership is a superpower - not a choice
The importance of the “close the open door” principle and the power of creating a sense of psychological safety in others
The “crowd the calendar” idea and the importance of scheduling open-office times and your work
How to personalize your leadership approach
The reasoning behind not over-investing in one person but rather leveraging the talents of top performers
Kevin’s perspective on why leaders must lead with love by putting the needs of others ahead of their own
That whatever rules you have, it’s important to have a conversation about them...then the rule will be strengthened because of the relationship that develops
Resources from this episode:Thank our sponsor: https://Ultimatesoftware.com/LFW Great Leaders Have No Rules: Contrarian Leadership Principles to Transform Your Team and Business: https://amzn.to/2U59biVJohn Wooden Quotes https://www.success.com/27-quotes-by-john-wooden-to-motivate-you-to-be-better/Kevin’s website: https://www.kevinkruse.comKevin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kruseKevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinkruse67***We're proud to be sponsored by Ultimate Software. They're a leading cloud provider of people management solutions with a commitment to continuing education for HR, talent, and payroll professionals.Ultimate Software is hosting dozens of free educational HR workshops around the country. Check out ultimatesoftware.com/LFW for more information on how to earn free HRCI, SHRM, and APA recertification credits.

Apr 8, 2019 • 37min
054: Technology, Authenticity, and Creativity at Work with Rana Stanfill-Hobbs
This week on Let’s Fix Work, I am excited to introduce you to Rana Stanfill-Hobbs. She wears many hats, including Director of Insights at Ultimate Software (our sponsor), mom, step-mom, musician, and consummate learner. On today's episode, Rana and I talk about enterprise software and technology, of course. We also talk about her journey from someone who recognizes patterns to an individual who's living a full and authentic life at work. Rana is also the founder of Compass Credo, a website that helps people achieve their best lives and live according to their own set of values. I love it! It's not often that I speak to someone who's an artist, singer, and songwriter, as well as the Director of Insights at a technology company. Rana’s background and expertise are really fascinating. If you love strong women, technology talk, and learning how to live an authentic life, then sit tight and listen to this episode of Let's Fix Work.In this episode, you’ll hear:
The influences of creativity and understanding how to create the best work environments
Recognizing what you’re good at and how you excel
The importance of having an open dialogue with customers to determine where they are in their journey, everyone is at different experience points
Balancing the excitement of introducing a new technological platform in a company and why it’s important to slow the pace when onboarding
Moving towards an honest conversation about imperfect solutions that can help move an organization forward
How technology can help with positive conversations such as continuous performance management
How to be your authentic self at work
“The more that you can be human, more authentic, and the more holistic you are thinking about life and the work that you're doing, the better you can navigate all of this. And the more powerful the connections are that you have with your customers, your colleagues, and with people in general.” ~ Rana Stanfill-HobbsResources from this episode:Thank our sponsor: Ultimatesoftware.com/LFWRana Stanfill-Hobbs on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranahobbs CompassCredo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/compasscredo CompassCredo on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/compasscredo/Compass Credo https://www.compasscredo.com***We're proud to be sponsored by Ultimate Software. They're a leading cloud provider of people management solutions with a commitment to continuing education for HR, talent, and payroll professionals.Ultimate Software is hosting dozens of free educational HR workshops around the country. Check out ultimatesoftware.com/LFW for more information on how to earn free HRCI, SHRM, and APA recertification credits.

Apr 1, 2019 • 35min
053: Training, Leadership, and Being Vulnerable in the Workplace with Max Yoder
This week on Let’s Fix Work, I'm talking to Max Yoder, Co-Founder and CEO of Lessonly. Lessonly is an online service that provides bite-sized learning with big impact to today’s trainers, managers, and subject-matter experts to help them create training content in minutes. Max is also the author of Do Better Work: Finding clarity, camaraderie, and progress in work and life.In today's episode, Max and I flex our Midwestern accents and talk about training in the workplace. We also talk about vulnerability, leadership, and nonviolent communication. Not bad for a kid from Goshen, Indiana, right? So if you like tech entrepreneurs who don't pat themselves on the back for simply being CEOs, you're going to love Max!In this episode, you’ll hear:
How Lessonly got started and how it addressed the need for training software in the workplace
Max’s impression of Human Resources in the workplace today
About Max’s book, Do Better Work, and what drove him to write it
What is actually means to “do better work”
Vulnerability: why Max doesn’t use the word and what he thinks it has to do with work. Plus, what to tell someone who has no space to be vulnerable in their job
How Max got to a point in life where he actually gave a shit about work
The Lessonly conference, some speakers that will be attending and what attendees can look forward to in 2019
Max shares his thoughts on broken workplaces and what he thinks the first step is in fixing them
Resources from this episode:Thank our sponsor: Ultimatesoftware.com/LFWBook: Do Better Work: Finding clarity, camaraderie, and progress in work and lifehttps://amzn.to/2USQlg7Megan Jarvis, PHR: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-jarvis-phr-41961327/https://www.indystar.com/story/money/2015/05/22/lessonlys-max-yoder-next-tech-star/27743731/Lesson.ly: https://www.lessonly.com/yellowship/***We're proud to be sponsored by Ultimate Software. They're a leading cloud provider of people management solutions with a commitment to continuing education for HR, talent, and payroll professionals.Ultimate Software is hosting dozens of free educational HR workshops around the country. Check out ultimatesoftware.com/LFW for more information on how to earn free HRCI, SHRM, and APA recertification credits.


