

Honest HR
SHRM
Honest HR is the go-to podcast for aspiring and informed HR professionals intent on transforming workplace challenges into golden opportunities. This podcast brings you insights, trends, and actionable advice through relatable stories from the REAL world of HR.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 14, 2026 • 33min
Not Everyone Can Be HR — Resilience and Trust Set It Apart
HR is often seen as the people function, but the reality is far more complex. Warren Wang, founder of Double Fin, joins host Nicole Belyna, SHRM-SCP, to unpack the hidden weight HR leaders carry as they balance trust, compliance, and business performance. Together, they dismantle outdated views of HR, showing how speaking the CHRO language — and aligning closely with finance — elevates credibility and drives real business outcomes.
This podcast is approved for .5 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. Listen to the complete episode to get your activity ID at the end. ID expires February 1, 2027.
Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz
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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

Jan 6, 2026 • 35min
From Perks to Purpose: The Rise of Choice in Employee Benefits
Employee perks are evolving beyond traditional benefits, with workers expecting more personalization, choice, and support than ever before. Jordan Peace, CEO and co-founder of employee experience platform Fringe, joins host Monique Akanbi, SHRM-CP, to explore how non-traditional perks, recognition programs, and employer-covered AI tools are reshaping the employee experience in 2026 and beyond. Learn how creative approaches to benefits can strengthen workplace culture, reduce burnout, rebuild trust, and become essential tools for attracting and retaining talent.
This podcast is approved for .5 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. Listen to the complete episode to get your activity ID at the end. ID expires February 1, 2027.
Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz
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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

Dec 17, 2025 • 33min
The New Rules of Recruitment: From Posting Jobs to Building Pipelines
Posting a job and waiting for candidates to apply is no longer enough in today’s competitive labor market. Tim Sackett, CEO of HRUTech.com, joins host Nicole Belyna, SHRM-SCP, to explore how HR leaders can use creative sourcing strategies, social media, and networking to find top talent where it’s actually active. They dig into the uncomfortable realities of recruiting, how to attract culture-fit candidates, measure ROI in hiring, and build proactive talent pipelines that go beyond the job board.
This podcast is approved for .5 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. Listen to the complete episode to get your activity ID at the end. ID expires January 1, 2027.
Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz
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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

Dec 9, 2025 • 41min
Helping Employees Grow with AI-Powered Coaching
AI coaching is reshaping how employees learn, grow, and navigate their careers — but the real story is what it means for the humans at the center of it all. Theresa Fesinstine, AI educator and founder of peoplepower.ai, sits down with host Nicole Belyna, SHRM-SCP, to explore how HR can use AI coaching to personalize development, support diverse learning styles, and make growth more accessible across the workforce.
This podcast is approved for .5 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. Listen to the complete episode to get your activity ID at the end. ID expires January 1, 2027.
Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz
---
Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

Dec 2, 2025 • 34min
Rethinking the Modern Workforce with Freelancers, Gig Workers, and Consultants
As businesses face faster timelines and shifting skill needs, flexible talent has become a core part of the modern workforce — not a backup plan. Sunita Solao, CPO of Upwork, the freelance marketplace to hire top talent, joins host Monique Akanbi, SHRM-SCP, to unpack what that shift means for HR pros, how organizations can use flexible talent strategically, and why freelancers and contractors are rewriting the rules of talent planning.
This podcast is approved for .5 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. Listen to the complete episode to get your activity ID at the end. ID expires January 1, 2027.
Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz
---
Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

Nov 19, 2025 • 19min
Building a Better Employee Handbook
Updating your employee handbook isn’t just about compliance — it’s about connection. With major workplace law changes coming in 2026, now’s the time to refresh your policies. Kiri Grant from SHRM’s HR Product Solutions team joins host Monique Akanbi, SHRM-CP, to explain how HR professionals can get ahead of upcoming changes, make their handbooks more engaging, and use SHRM’s Employee Handbook Builder to ease the stress of updates.
Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz
---
Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

Nov 5, 2025 • 33min
The Legal Tightrope Between Employee Politics and Employer Rights
As politics continue to dominate the headlines, HR professionals find themselves on the front lines of free speech at work. Can employees be fired for expressing political opinions — or does the First Amendment protect them? Attorney Tom Spiggle joins host Nicole Belyna, SHRM-SCP, to unpack the legal limits, HR policy challenges, and real-world scenarios workplaces must navigate when politics and employment collide.
For SHRM members tuning into this episode, we have an exclusive bonus: a SHRM HR Knowledge Advisor answering real member questions about political expression in the workplace, direct from the SHRM HR Knowledge Center! View the Honest HR Q&A: https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/tools/hr-answers/ask-an-advisor-navigating-political-affiliation-and-activity
This podcast is approved for .5 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. Listen to the complete episode to get your activity ID at the end. ID expires November 1, 2026.
Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz
---
Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

Nov 4, 2025 • 39min
Caught in the Middle: Supporting Sandwich Generation Caregivers
Many employees juggle significant responsibilities beyond their professional roles. Those in the “sandwich generation” are balancing careers alongside caring for children and supporting aging parents, managing a complex and demanding load. Marvell Adams Jr., CEO of the Caregiver Action Network, speaks with host Marjorie Morrison to discuss the emotional and financial strains often faced by this growing segment of the workforce, how their competing responsibilities can affect productivity, and the steps HR can take to recognize and support employees who may be struggling to “do it all.”
This podcast is approved for .5 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. Listen to the complete episode to get your activity ID at the end. ID expires December 1, 2026.
Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz
---
Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

Oct 31, 2025 • 36min
When Old Ideas Refuse to Die: Confronting Zombie Leadership
When outdated leadership ideas linger, they don’t just slow progress — they shape how people think, act, and connect at work. Alex Haslam, co-author of “Zombie Leadership: Dead Ideas That Still Walk Among Us,” joins host Nicole Belyna, SHRM-SCP, to uncover why these poor leadership practices keep coming back and what it takes to break the cycle. Together, they unpack the myths, behaviors, and cultural patterns that haunt organizations. As an extra trick-or-treat for this episode, Belyna joins some of her SHRM colleagues for “HR Horror Stories": real jaw-dropping moments submitted by our subscribers to make you laugh, cringe, and maybe even update your HR policies.
Got an HR Horror Story? Tell Us!
https://shrm.formstack.com/forms/hrd_2025_10_03_hr_horror_stories
This podcast is approved for .5 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. Listen to the complete episode to get your activity ID at the end. ID expires November 1, 2026.
Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz
---
Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

Oct 21, 2025 • 35min
The Evolving Role of Internships in a Shrinking Entry-Level Market
As entry-level roles shrink, internships are filling the gap and reshaping how businesses grow talent. Ranked number one on Yello’s Top 100 Internship Programs of 2025, engineering consulting firm Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., demonstrates how a well-designed program can fuel long-term success for both interns and employers. Lane Greene, Kimley-Horn’s college recruiting leader, joins host Nicole Belyna, SHRM-SCP, to share how HR leaders can make internships more inclusive, valuable, and sustainable for the future workforce.
This podcast is approved for .5 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. Listen to the complete episode to get your activity ID at the end. ID expires November 1, 2026.
Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz
---
Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r


