I Hate It Here

Spotted in the Podcast studio this week: Hebba Youssef and Rodney Evans chatting about the role of gossip in the workplace and how sometimes, it can actually be a good thing (IKR?). Brave New Work podcast host and Partner at The Ready, Rodney Evans was heard talking up a storm about the unseen emotional labor of HR professionals in the workplace and breaking free from the codependent caretaker role they often take on. I also heard a juicy rumor that HR might go the way of the dinosaurs. Out with a bang, amiright?My sources heard Rodney say, “It’s an evolve-or-die situation for HR. If HR doesn’t take the evolution game seriously, it’s just going to become a non-function. It will ultimately be disbanded if it doesn’t change into the thing that HR people know it should be.”Later, Rodney and Hebba were overheard discussing the pitfalls of performance management, the power of influencing and politicking, and the importance of having a clear vision and obtaining the necessary permissions to drive change. But don’t take it from me. Tune in to hear all the hot tea they spilled in the podcast for yourselves. Trust me, it’s a game-changer. XOXO-Gossip Girl 00:00:09 - The Cycle of Rescuing and Regret00:01:12 - Exploring Workplace Cultures with Rodney Evans00:01:46 - The Evolution of HR: Adapt or Perish00:03:54 - The Unseen Emotional Labor of HR00:07:43 - Breaking Free from Codependent HR Behavior00:12:27 - The Role of Gossip in Establishing Rules00:20:39 - The Impact of Influencing in the Workplace00:28:17 - Transforming HR: Permission, Not Perfection00:32:10 - Navigating the Challenges of HR Initiatives00:39:32 - Creating Psychological Safety in Meetings00:44:09 - The Evolution and Challenges of HR00:45:59 - Connect with Rodney for HR Insights For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page.  Follow Rodney: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodneyeevans/Website: https://www.theready.com    Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videosLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssefTwitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef 15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness.  Find out more about 15Five here. 

Enrique Esclusa, co-founder and co-CEO of Assemble, discusses the challenges of achieving equitable pay, the importance of transparent compensation, and the role of market data in decision-making. He emphasizes the need for fair practices and highlights the benefits of using a platform like Assemble. The podcast explores the misalignment between leadership and HR, the downsides of traditional compensation management, and the root cause of compensation problems.

Who needs Halloween night, when we barely survive our own horror story each and every day? Join Hebba as she shares hair-raising HR horror stories that will send shivers up your spine and make you double-check each and every email and document you send in this Halloween special.From ghostbusting in the workplace to employees submitting unusual receipts, she’s got audience stories that will leave you even more scarred for life than *that one* scene from “Signs.” …Yeah, you know the one we’re talking about. But it's not all fright and fear—Hebba also discusses some real-life workplace issues, such as morale, growth, and talent retention. Discover the challenges of creating a dog-friendly office and the unexpected consequences of implementing new benefits.And if you have your own HR horror story to share, don't be afraid to submit your own spine-chilling tales through Hebba’s anonymous form.So grab your favorite Halloween treat, lock your computer, strap down you last shred of sanity, and prepare for a descent into the upside-down world of HR! 00:00:00 - HR Horror Stories Shared on Podcast00:02:44 - Employee Discovers Termination Email on Manager's Computer00:04:05 - The Hilarious Expense Receipt Fail00:06:38 - AI Notetaker Bots Transforming Meeting Efficiency00:09:17 - Avoid HR Mistakes: Double Check00:11:29 - Solving Morale, Growth, and Talent Retention Issues00:13:18 - Halloween-Inspired HR Horror Stories00:14:40 - Manager's Inappropriate Relationships Cause Scandal For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page.  Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videosLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssefTwitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef 15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness.  Find out more about 15Five here. 

Burnout and failure are inevitable in HR. So how can we grow and learn from our own mistakes?Tracie Sponenberg, Chief People Officer of the Granite Group, joins Hebba to discuss her storied career in HR and to share her love/hate relationship with the industry as a whole. She reveals why open communication and having conversations with your employees, whether it’s good, bad, or anything in between is vital to anyone working in HR. Then, she and Hebba delve into various topics, including the challenges of maintaining a small company culture while scaling, the changing landscape of HR roles, and the shift towards leading with humanity rather than compliance.And stay tuned because later, Tracie opens up about her own experiences with burnout and offers advice on setting boundaries and protecting yourself from burnout in the HR field.00:01:36 - HR Hot Take00:03:43 - From Personnel to HR: Finding My Passion00:07:40 - Key Inflection Points in Tracy’s HR Career00:11:53 - The Changing Landscape of HR00:18:08 - The Emotional Burden of HR00:22:59 - The Evolution of HR and Internal Communication00:26:35 - Maintaining Company Culture as You Scale00:28:52 - Preventing and Healing from Burnout00:37:19 - The Future of HR and People: More Advisory and External Roles00:43:29 - The Importance of Communication with CEOsFor even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Tracie:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traciesponenberg/Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videosLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssefTwitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. Find out more about 15Five here.And if you'd like to keep learning, Hootsuite’s new 2023 Social Media Career Report is loaded with insights about social marketers’ pay, promotions, job satisfaction, challenges, gender pay equity, mental health, and more—to help you attract, hire, and retain the best social marketers.Uncover the state (and state of mind) of the social media marketer in the full report!

Jessica Winder, Senior VP of People at Refine Labs, discusses the importance of workplace compatibility and transparency in the interview process. She emphasizes the significance of work-life balance, career growth, and compensation. The podcast also covers red flags in job interviews, navigating temporary jobs, remote work, and the problem with the phrase 'culture fit'.

Startup founders aren’t always building their companies with equity in mind…On this week’s pod, Hebba sits down with Desiree Morton, a DEI practitioner and tech founder, to discuss the importance of building companies with equity in mind from the beginning. From managing expectations to prioritizing equity initiatives, Desiree shares valuable insights and advice for creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace. Bonus: Hebba and Desiree chat about why manipulation isn’t always a bad thing when it comes to equity, why it’s okay to admit your baby’s ugly (because, let’s face it, not everyone thinks it’s cute), and how “He’s Just Not That Into You” is applicable to just about everything.Plus, everyone’s got baggage—so how can we approach difficult situations (and er… people) using a more empathetic framework?  00:01:24 - The Influence of DEI in Operations00:03:30 - Building a Company with Equity00:14:19 - Addressing Equity Problems in HR00:15:59 - Building Strong Employee Resource Groups00:18:22 - Challenges of Building with Equity00:24:47 - Prioritizing Equity Initiatives in Business00:29:36 - How to Juggle Business and HR Priorities00:36:09 - Creating an Equitable Environment for Employees00:39:41 - Equity Issues: Advice for First-Time Founders00:44:49 - Innovate, Not Rely on Tech for HR Equity00:50:15 - Building Equity and Exit Strategies For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page.  Follow Desiree:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desireekmorton/Website: https://www.aginci.com/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videosLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssefTwitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. Find out more about 15Five here.And if you'd like to keep learning, Hootsuite’s new 2023 Social Media Career Report is loaded with insights about social marketers’ pay, promotions, job satisfaction, challenges, gender pay equity, mental health, and more—to help you attract, hire, and retain the best social marketers.Uncover the state (and state of mind) of the social media marketer in the full report!

Is it possible to eliminate bias in the workplace? Not really, no. However, we can, at the very least, strive to minimize our unconscious biases.In this episode, Hebba sits down with Dani Herrera, an expert in talent and recruiting with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, to discuss the various challenges recruiters face and how they often lack the necessary tools and resources to excel in their roles.Dani also shares her insights on mitigating the lesser-known biases in hiring while emphasizing the importance of utilizing more inclusive and equitable hiring practices.Plus, is anyone actually reading your cover letter? Tune in to hear Dani’s personal case for doing away with cover letters and her thoughts on why hiring processes are in desperate need of modernization 00:00:02 - Improving Workplace Cultures00:01:32 - Separating DNI and HR Departments00:03:12 - The Importance of Inclusive Hiring00:09:19 - Mitigating Unconscious Bias in Hiring00:16:30 - Rethinking Resumes and Cover Letters00:25:14 - The Importance of Inclusive Hiring for Diversity Recruitment00:34:57 - Building Inclusive Talent Practices for Hiring Success00:41:43 - The Untapped Potential of Recruiters00:44:23 - The Importance of Diversity in HR00:45:58 - Connect with Dani on LinkedIn For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page.  Follow Dani: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielagherrera/Newsletter: https://www.deibydani.com Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videosLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssefTwitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. Find out more about 15Five here.And if you'd like to keep learning, Hootsuite’s new 2023 Social Media Career Report is loaded with insights about social marketers’ pay, promotions, job satisfaction, challenges, gender pay equity, mental health, and more—to help you attract, hire, and retain the best social marketers.Uncover the state (and state of mind) of the social media marketer in the full report! 

What separates the good from the great HR leaders?Adam Weber, host of HR Superstars and Chief Evangelist at 15five, has talked to thousands of HR leaders and in this episode he shares his observations about what characteristics make an HR leader exceptional.From the importance of understanding the business to activating your managers, Adam shares what he’s learned and how you can deploy it tomorrow. 00:02:53 - What Separates Good HR Leaders from Great Ones?00:04:45 - Improving Employee Departures00:07:21 - Helping HR Leaders Overcome Obstacles00:09:58 - Learning from HR Leaders: 5 Tips for Success00:12:27 - The Traits of Courageous HR Leaders00:24:08 - Key Metrics for HR Success00:30:54 - The Impact of Managers on Employee Experience00:38:51 - Improving Manager Activation in HR00:42:27 - Revolutionizing Performance Management in HR00:44:31 - Adam Weber Shares Insights on Strategic HR For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page.  Follow Adam: Podcast: HR SuperstarsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetadam/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videosLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssefTwitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. Find out more about 15Five here.And if you'd like to keep learning, Hootsuite’s new 2023 Social Media Career Report is loaded with insights about social marketers’ pay, promotions, job satisfaction, challenges, gender pay equity, mental health, and more—to help you attract, hire, and retain the best social marketers.Uncover the state (and state of mind) of the social media marketer in the full report!

People trust their next-door neighbor more than they trust their HR department—and that’s a massive problem. So how can HR work to create an environment built upon trust and transparency?Minda Harts, author of "The Memo," joins Hebba to discuss the importance of trust in the workplace and how HR professionals can rebuild it after layoffs. Minda and Hebba explore the challenges of transparency and confidentiality and the role of HR in shaping the future of work. How do you bridge the gap between what the people need and what the business needs? Turns out there is a solution!Tune in for the answer and an insightful conversation that will leave you inspired to bring your authentic self to work and foster a culture of trust. 00:00:00 - Minda Hartz Discusses HR Challenges00:00:24 - Mindar's Journey: From Author to HR Professional00:02:07 - Building Workplace Trust: Common Challenges00:03:44 - The Impact of Trust in Workplace Communication00:10:09 - Restoring Trust in the Workplace00:14:49 - Rebuilding Trust After Layoffs: Tips for Employers00:21:07 - Building Trust in Remote Communication00:25:49 - Building Trust Requires Fixing Bad Habits00:31:59 - The Importance of Trust in HR00:33:00 - Balancing Transparency and Confidentiality in HR00:40:35 - Reframing the Role of HR00:42:56 - Mindaharsh's Close Second to Beyonce Concert For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page.  Follow Hebba: LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssefTwitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef  Check Out Minda’s Books: Website: https://www.mindaharts.com/Follow Minda:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindaharts/ Follow Hebba: LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssefTwitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. Find out more about 15Five here.

In this week’s pod, Hebba sits down with Jessica Zwaan, COO of Whereby and the author of "Built for People,” to chat about AI’s potential impact on the structure of compensation and equity in the workspace and the evolving landscape of HR.Jessica unleashes a few of her hottest HR takes, predicting a shift towards employees demanding more equity stakes in something she affectionately calls "tech space communism." Then, she and Hebba speculate on the future of compensation structures before bonding over the importance of long-term incentives in companies.Plus, Jessica reveals why HR professionals need to get more obsessed with the numbers— and explains why being obsessed with the metrics is one of the best things you can do for your HR career.  And if you love HR Therapy, sign up to I Hate it Here, the newsletter for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ 0:00 Jessica’s Background3:59 HR Hot Take10:34 The Tech Startup Equity Model18:41 The Role of HR in Equity21:02 HR and Structuring23:50 How HR Can Improve at Business Ops31:00 Market Shifts36:52 Setting Yourself Up for Future HR Success41:16 An HR Hill to Die On For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page.  Follow Jessica: Get the Book: https://www.koganpage.com/hr-learning-development/built-for-people-9781398608023Website: https://www.jessicamayzwaan.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicamayzwaan/ Follow Hebba: LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssefTwitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. Find out more about 15Five here.