We're Only Human

"Oftentimes they're looking for a quick fix. But what I will say is those that are doing [hiring] well and really moving the needle are those that are looking at this issue holistically. What is our employment brand in the market? Who are we competing with in our market? How does our total compensation package compete? Do we know how to sell to candidates?" Pam Verhoff, President, Advanced RPO We're Only Human -- Episode 142 Everyone's talking about hiring. And we all want an easy button.  In this episode, Pam Verhoff and Tim Oyer of Advanced RPO talk with Ben about their experiences helping clients hire thousands of candidates in recent years, including key practices that lead to success (plus what has and hasn't changed over time). In our research, we see that 8 in 10 hiring leaders say that recruiting has become a business-level priority in the last year. During the discussion, Pam talks about how to elevate that conversation with concrete dialogue and numbers that drive attention, investment, and results.

"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 opportuniti

"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 individual

"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.    Sho

"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 singl

"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 Ra

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 abo

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 st

"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.

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://

"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

"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  See the show archives and sign up for episode updates

"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 br

"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 passiona

"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 insigh

As we provide, billions and billions of data points of pay, job descriptions, skills, information about the organization, information about people... We have all this data and talent intelligence is an emerging super category. Kent Plunkett, CEO, Salary.com   We're Only Human -- Episode 127   Today, more than ever, compensation is a priority for business leaders in fast-moving organizations. Not sure that's true? Try mentioning pay equity or competitive job offers and see what comes up.  In this episode, Ben interviews Kent Plunkett, CEO of Salary.com, about the company's priorities today. A key item on that agenda? The rise of Talent Intelligence as a category of AI-enabled talent technologies that drive better people and business outcomes.    Connect with the Salary.com team: http://salary.com/  See the show archives and sign up for episode updates

"That's step one is you have to build that partnership. And hopefully now that the iron is hot,  strike it. If you have been supporting your business and organization through this pandemic,  how do you take advantage of that and make sure that now your voice is in the room. Make sure that now you're using your voice and you're saying some of these things. I think HR has a unique perspective to your point--we don't cause a lot of these issues, but we help solve a lot of these issues." Julie Salomone, VP of Global Human Resources, Televerde   We're Only Human -- Episode 126   In all the factors that wrap into what a company does, the people are the key enablers, doers, and makers. And HR is the keeper of the people.  In this heartfelt episode, Julie Salomone of Televerde and host Ben Eubanks discuss how HR can step up and drive success for all initiatives, both talent-oriented and not. Julie talks about what inspires her as an HR leader and offers a clear call to action for today's talent professionals to step

"The job of a talent acquisition leader is actually like five or six functions put together. You're a marketing leader doing outbound and branding. You're a sales leader, leading a team of individuals having conversations, converting candidates, or an operations leader by coordinating and scheduling and setting up interviews through the funnel. You're an analytics leader, trying to build dashboards and reporting."  Teddy Chestnut, BrightHire   We're Only Human -- Episode 125   In the hiring process, we collect a lot of data. We look at costs, timing, responsiveness, candidate qualities, and so much more. But the majority of companies don't capture much, if anything, around interviews. And when they do, that happens on a notepad or piece of paper, which is virtually impossible to analyze. In this episode of We're Only Human, Teddy Chestnut from BrightHire talks about how his company is enabling powerful insights from interviews at a massive scale, allowing business leaders to use that data for DEI hiring, proc

Thousands of people have been our dataset this year that we've been talking to and analyzing and understanding what's happening. There's so much research and evidence here to help you. Transparently, I've never seen a market like we're in today. I hope this gives you some good insights and good ideas to solve for the current challenges and an extremely difficult hiring market. Ben EubanksChief Research Officer, Lighthouse Research & Advisory Host, We're Only HumanHost, HR Tech Talks Livestream Show   We're Only Human -- Episode 124   In the rare solo episode, Ben talks directly to talent and HR leaders who are struggling to find the right staff in the unprecedented job market employers are facing. This episode brings a ton of resources to bear: Ben's hands on experience in recruiting hard to find talent in the special operations aviation community Interviews with more than a dozen forward-thinking talent and HR leaders that are taking a proactive approach to the current situation Data from more than 800 em

"I think openness to failure is as important as openness to success, because if you're not open to failure, you're not open to trying new things. Full stop. You're going to keep rolling out the same trite things that maybe aren't the best things. So it's really as important to try new things, and where you give yourself the credibility is the fact that you are measuring and you are looking at whether or not this works objectively." Caitlin Bigsby, Visier   We're Only Human -- Episode 123   Want to be more successful? Fail more often.  In a recent conversation with an executive that works with numerous high-performing organizations, he explained that the critical differentiator for the best firms is a willingness to iterate and experiment, knowing that some of those will inevitably fail.  In today's episode, Ben speaks with Caitlin Bigsby about the importance of analytics, measurement, and data when it comes to HR and talent practices. Caitlin shares how to identify problems that data can solve, what to do nex