We're Only Human

"How can you build things that are as small as they can be so that you can plug and play and you can pivot and change? The way that I think about manifesting that in talent programs is thinking about more of a skills culture. If we have the skill of adapting and coping, for example, and we know that's a critical element in a lot of areas of our organization. Let's go ahead and build programs around building that skill up, then we can quickly pivot and change as the organization's needs change." Becky Layana, Global Talent Program Manager, H.B. Fuller We're Only Human -- Episode 141 In today's dynamic workplace, employers need to think about how they can create high-impact talent programs that deliver results like engagement, performance, and retention. At H.B. Fuller, this is a top priority. In today's discussion, Ben and Becky Layana, Global Talent Program Manager at H.B. Fuller, examine how the company prioritizes talent, what that means from a culture and values perspective, and how it opens up opportunities to get the best from people while still supporting the business.  Most importantly, listen to this episode and how much importance is placed on talent management as a business process/practice, not just a siloed HR activity. There are some excellent takeaways on that front.    Show Notes Connect with Becky on LinkedIn Thank you to the team at SHL for making this connection for us! See the show archives and learn more about how to listen to We're Only Human on your favorite music and podcast apps

"I think the the one stat that came out of this research, that nine out of 10 employees would be more likely to stay with their employer if they had this benefit, I was just kind of blown away." Rob Whalen, CEO, PTOExchange We're Only Human -- Episode 140 One of the most common employee benefits is paid leave. Employers offer a variety of options, from more standard accrued leave during every pay period to a newer option for "unlimited PTO." But how do people feel about these benefits?  Well, the data are in, and you might be surprised by what you learn.  In a new research study of 1,000 North American workers, we found that many of them have issues with the Paid Time Off (PTO) programs their companies offer. In this episode, Ben dives into the data with Rob Whalen to understand how workers feel, what they desire, and how employers can embrace flexibility in a powerful, tangible way.  Listen in to learn: how men and women see this differently, what this means for low-income workers, and why diverse individuals may have different feelings about PTO plans.  Show Notes Get a free copy of the report to see all of the data Listen to our show archives and sign up for free updates

"Stay interviews are highly under-rated, but yet can provide , so much insight to your employees and so much data. It's almost like a secret weapon or secret tool that  companies just don't take advantage of." Amanda Turbeville, Global Head of Human Resources, Montway Auto Transport We're Only Human -- Episode 139   In today's challenging hiring environment, employers need a way to connect with their people. Compensation? It's a start, but it doesn't motivate long-term. What about autonomy, training, and support? Those can create lasting connections with staff and drive retention in a powerful way.  But where do you start? In this conversation with Amanda Turbeville, Global Head of HR for Montway Auto Transport, you'll hear how the company leverages stay interviews not just to keep people, but to help define custom career paths to keep them engaged and connected with the organization. Amanda opens her play book and shares the questions they ask in these stay interviews as well as how they are utilized.    Show Notes Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aturbeville/ Check out the show archives and sign up for free updates: https://lhra.io/podcast 

"In 2021, our employees asked about 27,000 questions from the chatbot and completed about 16,000 transactions. So this year our focus is really on reinforcing awareness and adoption while we're working to continue to improve our processes, our content, and our support structure." Nicole Sloan, Employee Experience Leader, Kimberly Clark We're Only Human -- Episode 138 For many workers at large companies, the only way to get help is with a phone number or a web portal. While there's nothing wrong with those actions, they can be disruptive to the daily flow of work and even difficult for those working in positions that don't lend themselves to office or desk work.  Kimberly Clark's Employee Experience team knew this and set out to change the fundamental interaction points for the firm's 46,000+ global workforce (including everything from desk workers to front line workers and everything in between). The plan hinged on the implementation of KayCee, a chatbot that drove rapid, tailored interactions for every single request that came in. Listen to this episode to hear how Nicole Sloan and her team approached this challenge. In addition, we get to hear from Melissa Swisher from Socrates about how she and her team helped to enable these positive outcomes with a personalized, responsive chatbot experience for the workforce.  If your company is thinking about a chatbot for employee self service, this story is going to give you good ideas and insights for your journey. If you're already on that path, this conversation has good ideas for process improvement that you won't want to miss.  Show Notes Connect with Nicole on LinkedIn Learn more about Kimberly Clark Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn Learn more about Socrates See our show archives and sign up for free updates

"We're talking ISO 45003 that I highly recommend people look at . Or you can talk to people like me who can break it down into regular language. Those three components of psychological health and safety, which are the structure, the environment and the expectations of behavior." Dr. Allessandria Polizzi We're Only Human -- Episode 137 In the workplace today, one of the common phrases that gets thrown around a lot is "psychological safety." But what is it, and how does it fit into the bigger conversation about resilience at work?  In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Allessandria Polizzi about this intersection, exploring practical ways to bring this from idea to reality. While it's easy to feel like these elements are "soft" or unimportant in the bigger scheme of things, they are emerging as critical leadership skills. Listen in to dive into concepts like self compassion, organizational dysfunction, and more.  If you enjoy this episode, you'll probably also like our talk with Faye Ekong from RavelWorks Africa on how to diagnose culture issues within the business. Show Notes Connect with Allessandria on LinkedIn Check out the show archives, sign up for updates, and more

If we want to transform and do things differently, we always have a big "why." We have a purpose we are going after.  When I think about transformation, I say, how would you make a preferred way of working which will create delightful experiences for people at the center of that change? Shalu Manan, HR Transformation Strategist We're Only Human -- Episode 136 Change is inevitable, but there is a right and a wrong way we can present and represent change as HR leaders. In today's episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Shalu Manan, an HR Transformation Strategist working at Genpact. Shalu shares her personal stories of leading through change, identifying value points for the business, and driving positive experience for the workforce.  If you work for a business that is facing change on any scale (and we all do!), then this episode is going to give you the ideas, insights, and inspiration that you need to see it through.    Show Notes Connect with Shalu on LinkedIn See our show archives and get notified about new episodes

The first advice I would say is be extremely clear about what your purpose is. When I came into this role, we were extremely clear about what not only my goal, but my purpose as a leader in what I was here to do. I think is important for all HR professionals to understand really the critical business needs for the organization that you're a part of, and what is your role in your purpose within that?  Alex Smith, CHRO of the City of Memphis We're Only Human -- Episode 135 One of the things we're tasked with as HR leaders? Helping other people find their purpose in the business.  The data are clear: purpose is one of the key levers of engagement and connection with the business. But have we ever stopped to think about our own purpose? What it is? Why it matters? How it can serve as a guiding light for our efforts?  In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Alex Smith, head of HR for the City of Memphis, about her suggestions on how to create a more dynamic HR function through continuous learning, a strong purpose, and more.  Just like the relatively small rudder steers a much bigger ship, this purpose can steer each of us into more impact than we could have without it.  Show Notes Connect with Alex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/consultalexsmith/  See our show archives, sign up for free updates, and more: https://lhra.io/podcast   

"According to their Director of DEI and Mental Health, they've reduced short-term disability claims related to mental health by 20%, and they've reduced relapse and recurrence by more than 50%."  Doug Berkowitz - SVP Operations - LifeSpeak We're Only Human -- Episode 134 In the last few years, employee mental health has become a priority for more employers than ever before. And yet the data indicate that while employers are trying to make positive changes, they aren't really being felt by the workforce nearly as much as employers would like. In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Doug Berkowitz from LifeSpeak about some new research that dives deep into what employees want from their companies, including specifics on types of mental health support, what aspects are most important, and how it will impact their performance and retention.  Bottom line: it's time to for employers to take the topic of mental health and wellbeing seriously if they want to attract and retain a high-performing workforce.  To see the full research report, check out the link in the show notes below.  Links Check out the Employer Mental Health Report Card  Learn more about LifeSpeak Check out our show archives, sign up for updates, and more