HR Unplugged

Do you feel safe to express ideas and opinions at work without the fear of judgment or even punishment?In today's workplaces, we have a greater understanding of just how important mental wellbeing is to our teams, to us individually, and to our performance. And part of that is driven by our ability to feel safe and supported in the workplace. In this episode, we explore the important topic of psychological safety with Dr. Vaneeta Sandhu, Head of Operations and Emotional Fitness at Coa. Vaneeta breaks down what psychological safety looks like on an individual, team, and company-wide level, and what organizations can do to improve it. We explore the business case for prioritizing psychological safety and how demonstrating the positive impact on retention, job satisfaction, innovation, and productivity can help you get leadership buy-in to make it a priority.Key moments: What is psychological safety?Tips for effective feedback delivery and the importance of the 5:1 positive to negative feedback ratioWhat organizations can do to boost psychological safetyThe business case for psychological safety and how to get buy-in from leadership What leaders get wrong about psychological safetyKey links: Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/Join HR Heroes Slack Community: https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw/Bamboo HR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/Connect with Vaneeta on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vaneetasandhu/

In this insightful discussion, Megan Galloway, Founder of Everleader and an expert in learning and development, shares her experiences with BambooHR's new onboarding program. She explores the evolution of onboarding, emphasizing the integration of company values to foster connections from day one. Megan addresses challenges in remote onboarding and presents practical strategies for effective communication. Listeners will gain valuable tips for enhancing their own processes, ensuring new hires are welcomed and equipped to thrive quickly.

What does effective leadership look like when it feels like there’s never enough time to do all the things that HR leaders need to do?In this episode of HR Unplugged, host Anita Grantham sits down with Johnny C. Taylor Jr., President and CEO of SHRM, to explore the critical elements of leadership. We investigate some of the overlooked traits that make good leaders great, like empathy and courage, and how the expectations of modern leaders have changed. We tackle key topics like how leaders can balance celebrating the diversity of opinion in the workplace with managing conflict. Johnny brings some great insights to the table on the importance of civility in the face of disagreements and how leaders can take an active approach to make sure people are culturally aligned on what matters most. We hear some of Johnny’s methods for dealing with conflicting opinions, how he screens candidates during talent acquisition, and what he believes are the top three Cs of successful HR leadership. Key moments: Why empathy is an overlooked but core skill for leaders How to create a culture of civility How to ensure cultural alignment during the hiring processThe importance of establishing boundaries and company cultureJohnny’s framework for dealing with conflicting opinionsKey links: Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/Join HR Heroes Slack Community: https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw/Bamboo HR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/

With job interviews, we’re always on the lookout for that gold star candidate. But how do you spot them in a sea of applications? Nailing your interviewing process and asking the right questions are key, but there’s an art (and some science) to getting it right. In this episode, we sit down with Brandon Welch, Head of Recruiting at BambooHR, to get his take on what makes a great interview and how to plan discussions with candidates that help you get to know who you’re potentially hiring. Brandon, Anita, and Vanessa share their favorite questions to ask at an interview and how to get candidates to paint a picture of their experience, skills, and on-the-spot thinking. We look at how interviewing processes differ for different types of roles, how long interviews should take, and why giving candid feedback is a must (especially for internal hires!). Brandon also shares his thoughts on personality tests and how to use scorecard data to assess candidate suitability. Key moments: How to balance consistency in interviews with leaving space for hiring managers to add their own style The top things people get wrong in the interview processWhy job titles alone don’t tell us enough about a person’s experience The best interview questions to pinpoint top talent How to use personality tests the right way How hiring managers can prep candidates for interviews Why giving feedback and being intentional about the candidate's experience is so importantHow to determine the right amount of time for an interview Key links: Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/Join HR Heroes Slack Community: https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw/Bamboo HR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/

How effective is a personal improvement plan (PIP) really? PIPs have a bad rap, with some people seeing them as a formality before the inevitable firing. But they can be an invaluable tool in helping to raise and nurture performance across an organization if you get them right. 58% of people on average see an improvement after getting a PIP. But with such a huge percentage of people seeing poor results, how do you make sure your PIP approach is successful? Anita Grantham and Vanessa Brulotte dive into the tricky world of PIPs and performance management in this episode. They explore how we can reframe the purpose and perception of PIPs in an organization, how to manage performance effectively, and the common pitfalls to avoid. We hear why context and communication are key and why PIPs should be a two-way street, with clear expectations of leaders and a more collaborative approach to working toward goals. Key moments: Why PIPs sometimes failDifferent approaches to performance improvementHow to set the right expectations for both teammates and leaders Ways to maintain momentum in personal development What leaders can do to make sure improvement plans are a successAlternatives and things you should do before using a PIPHow to deal with leaders who don’t want to improve performanceKey links: Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/Join HR Heroes Slack Community: https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw/Bamboo HR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/

Did you know that 45% of employees say they’re more likely to stay in a role if they get training opportunities? And yet, training and development for employees isn’t always a priority for managers. Sometimes it’s seen as unnecessary, low-priority, or simply too costly. So what can HR leaders do to help managers prioritize a culture of learning?In this episode of HR Unplugged, we explore the vital role of training in not only enhancing skills and job satisfaction, but also improving retention and hiring across the organization. Throughout the episode, Anita and Vanessa explore ways HR can collaborate with leaders to create impactful training programs and how to identify the most worthwhile opportunities for training. We also cover how to foster a culture of continuous learning, training opportunities for HR leaders, and how to implement training with a low budget.Key moments: Why learning and development is so important for businesses and employees How HR can help managers identify training opportunities Balancing individual career goals with business goals How to encourage a culture of continuous learning Ideas for training with a low budgetTraining opportunities for HR leaders How to build a talent development programKey links: Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/Join HR Heroes Slack Community: https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw/Bamboo HR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/

Join John Barrand, Chief HR Officer of the Utah Division of Human Resource Management and conflict resolution expert, as he discusses transforming workplace disagreements into opportunities for growth. He introduces Utah's innovative 'Disagree Better' campaign, emphasizing that a little conflict can spark important conversations. John shares practical strategies to promote a culture of healthy disagreement, explores how to tie company values into conflict resolution, and underscores the need for empathetic listening to reduce cynicism and boost engagement.

Have you ever wondered how a single bad hire can ripple through an organization, costing it not just money but also time and morale? The true cost of a bad hire has implications that stretch beyond that job role. So what can recruiters and HR leaders do to counteract that?In this episode, we welcome BambooHR’s Head of Recruiting, Brandon Welch, who helps us get to the bottom of the top mistakes that recruiters make during the hiring process. The conversation emphasizes the importance of a well-structured hiring process, highlighting that hiring mistakes can also cause tensions between different departments and erode trust in those responsible for hiring. Brandon shares how inefficiencies in recruitment can lead to lost opportunities and explains that a smooth process not only attracts top talent but also reflects the company’s operational efficiency to candidates. Brandon, Anita, and Vanessa also discuss practical strategies to enhance the hiring process, including clear communication, pre-work before even posting a job, and aligning everyone on job descriptions. Key moments: The true costs of a bad hire Unseen issues that crop up as a result of poor hiring strategiesThe biggest mistakes recruiters make How teams can get aligned on the hiring missionThe debatable value of reference checks How to do the “pre-work” before you even post a job ad Strategies for hiring and interviewing candidates Key links: Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/Join HR Heroes Slack Community: https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw/Bamboo HR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/Connect with Brandon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbwelch/

As the conversation around different work modes continues, the trend toward returning to the office has been met with very different reactions. We recently published a report that looks at what employers and employees think about returning to the office, productivity, and remote work. In this episode, Anita and Vanessa dive into the surprising insights and what HR leaders can learn from work mode preferences. Anita explains why we need to elevate the conversation beyond simply deciding whether people should be in the office. She encourages a focus on the bigger picture to determine the best way forward to achieve our goals. The report also signified a worrying trend – that both remote and in-office workers feel the need to demonstrate their productivity through actions like keeping the green ‘active’ status on at all times. But while people may look productive, it doesn’t mean they are. Vanessa and Anita explain that businesses need clear metrics and goals aligned with their mission no matter which side your organization takes in the RTO vs. remote debate.Key moments: Introducing BambooHR’s new report Why we need to look at the bigger picture when it comes to returning to the office The green status effect and the need to prove productivity How to avoid focusing on the wrong things Why employers need to make the work mode align with goals How companies get intentional about in-office vs remote days How hybrid working arrangements during COVID have affected flexibility and the work-life balance Why the secret to perfecting this is in good leadership Advice for businesses doing something newKey links: Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/Join HR Heroes Slack Community: https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw/Bamboo HR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/Visibility Beats Productivity for RTO & Remote Report: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/guides/return-to-office

Did you know: 91% of mentored employees report higher job satisfaction? And 40% of those without mentor support at their workplace have even considered quitting!Having the right mentor can be invaluable for your career, but it’s also very beneficial for mentors themselves and the wider organization. That’s why in this episode of HR Unplugged, we dive into the importance of and benefits of building a great mentorship program.Our special guest is Cara Baldwin, Chief Legal Officer at Torus, who brings her expertise on how to create a successful program. We hear why investing in mentorship is time well-spent, how it can help to develop new leaders, and ways it can benefit the wider business. Along with hosts Anita and Vanessa, they explore the worries that organization have about developing people who may leave soon after and why HR isn’t the only department that can work on a mentorship program.Key moments: The benefits of investing in a mentorship program The positive impact on leaders who implement a mentor program Why mentors need training to be mentors Addressing the concern that people will leave after being trainedTips on building a program from scratch Advice for refreshing an existing program Key links: Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/Join HR Heroes Slack Community: https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw/Bamboo HR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/Connect with Cara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cara-baldwin-43388620/