We're Only Human

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

The days of a recruiter having to really remember or jot down different iterations, skills, synonyms, acronyms... Those days are gone. We are constantly learning based off of the resumes that we're parsing.  Terry Bustamante, DaXtra Technologies   We're Only Human -- Episode 133   Back in December, Ben and over 100 other business leaders and technology providers attended the HR Tech Connect Summit in Jacksonville, FL. At the event, one key session was called Mythbusting AI for HR, and it dove into the specific areas where myths abound because of misinformation or lack of insight into algorithm-based technologies.  Today's conversation with Terry from DaXtra, recorded live on site during the HR Tech Connect Summit, dives into mythbusting AI specifically around hiring, giving ideas about how AI can increase the number of candidates available for a role, drive diversity and limit bias, and so much  more.  Links:  Interested in checking out what DaXtra is doing? Here is how they are supporting employers: https://www.daxtra.com/solutions-for/corporates-2/  Connect with Terry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrybustamantebusdev/  Learn more about the HR Tech Connect Summit: https://hrtechconnectsummit.com/  See our show archives and sign up for free updates: https://lhra.io/podcast 

"Many employees these days may feel disconnected from their jobs or the company culture as a whole." Ralf Hofmann, Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Drake Star   We're Only Human -- Episode 132   One of the things that makes us all better is hearing from people outside of our bubble. In this episode, Ben talks with Ralf Hofmann, an investor and business leader that helps with funding and business deals across the HR technology industry. They dive into some of the things that are top of mind for this business leader, such as the inclusion of artificial intelligence into HR operations, the need to consider virtual and remote employees when making decisions, and more.  But Ben also asks a hard question towards the end: should HR, talent, and learning professionals be looking at the company behind the technology, not just the software, when making a purchasing decision?  Check out this conversation to hear Ralf's answer and other trends his firm is watching for the coming year.    Show notes and links: Check out the previous episode on HR's role in cybersecurity: https://onlyhumanshow.com/e/owning-hrs-cybersecurity-responsibilities-with-erika-lance-on-were-only-human/ Learn more about Drake Star: http://drakestar.com Check out the show archives, sign up for updates, and more: https://lhra.io/podcast 

"We all want to be seen, heard, and recognized." Abby Hamilton, Chief People Officer, LiveIntent   We're Only Human -- Episode 131   When it comes to performance processes at most companies, the expected outcomes are compliance and completion. But in this episode, Ben talks with Shane Metcalf of 15Five and Abby Hamilton of LiveIntent to understand what it takes to create not just a process, but a true culture of performance within an organization. Shane and Abby share ideas, insights, and suggestions that every employer can leverage to create a better and more equitable performance process.    Resources:  Check out the HR Superstars podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hr-superstars/id1551858336  Connect with Shane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-metcalf-55620213/  Connect with Abby on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbyhamilton/  See the We're Only Human show archives and more: https://lhra.io/podcast 

"We collect three to 4 billion talent signals in the platform. That number is so large that if you were to spread it out over each second, it's 30 years of data. It's a crazy large number, but machine learning can look at that and in a millisecond find the patterns that you're looking for and apply it to what you want in a heartbeat."  Cliff Jurkiewicz, VP Global Strategy at Phenom   We're Only Human -- Episode 130   Join Phenom's Industry-first AI Day at http://ai.phenom.com   Artificial intelligence is polarizing. It's either going to save us all or destroy life as we know it.    Okay, that's a bit tongue in cheek, but you know what I mean. The headlines paint one picture, but users (especially in HR and recruiting) are seeing incredible value. And that includes not just admins but employees and candidates as well. Put simply, AI can create amazing, personalized experiences . In this episode, Ben speaks with Cliff Jurkiewicz, VP of Global Strategy at Phenom, about the use of AI technology by some notable brands like Southwest Airlines to create better experiences for candidates. In addition, they dive into some of the basics of how AI works. Most importantly, though, they tease the new AI Day that Phenom is hosting on December 9th, 2021. It's a limited seating virtual event with some BIG announcements. You won't want to miss this if you plan on hiring or retaining employees in the coming year.    Thanks for listening to We're Only Human! Check out our show archives and/or subscribe at https://lhra.io/podcast 

"And as I have these conversations with hiring managers and my peer executives, I often ask them things like, 'Who is the best person that works with you that comes from a non-traditional background--would you take more of them?' And of course the answer is always yes. You can! You can do that. And why not risk the possibility of getting somebody amazing?" Peter Sursi, Talent Executive, Federal Bureau of Investigation   We're Only Human -- Episode 129   In today's talent market, employers need to be willing to flex, change, and iterate. "The way we've always done it" was always a poor strategy, but today it could be crippling.  In this episode of the podcast, Ben talks with Peter Sursi, a talent executive with the FBI. Peter's belief is that employers should open up their hiring to nontraditional backgrounds. This not only supports diversity efforts, but it also helps to diversify talent pipelines and create a more rich and varied set of skills that your organization can tap into.  Listen to Peter's passionate plea for companies and hiring leaders, and take him up on the challenge to "risk getting someone amazing" into your next hiring funnel.    Links and Show Notes Connect with Peter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petersursi/  This episode is a replay from our 2021 State of Hiring in Today's Talent Market event. To hear the entire event and get 3.0 HRCI/SHRM credits, get the free replay on demand here: https://lhra.io/hire21  Check out our new research on The Great Reprioritization: https://lhra.io/blog/data-preview-the-great-resignation-nope-its-the-great-reprioritization-new-research/ 

"No one likes leaving the comfort zone, but change forces you to leave your comfort zone, your known area. That is also an aspect of why it's important to start early because you also need to transport the vision for why you change, why you transform things, because if people don't understand why things are changing and what is the greater strategy, they will find it even harder to change themselves and their behavior."  Manuela Brede, Senior Consultant Transformation & Change Management at Siemens We're Only Human -- Episode 128   Changing workplace technology, practices, or almost any factor in the employee experience is guaranteed to create friction. Why? Because humans are inherently drawn to stability. New data from Lighthouse Research & Advisory shows that while all employees don't want remote work, many of those that have it want to keep it.  Today's discussion with Manuela Brede of Siemens dives into change, change management, organizational transformation, and more. With a robust background of insights into how human and organizational behavior integrate, listeners will quickly pick up on key ideas to help communicate and reinforce change of all types.    Thank you to the team at IBM for connecting us with Manuela. IBM is doing tremendous work with organizational strategy and transformation for organizations like UnitedHealth Group, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, PayPal, and more. https://www.ibm.com/about/transform-your-work/    Show notes:  Listen to our show archives and get free updates on new episodes: https://lhra.io/podcast