Kimberly Prescott, founder of Prescott HR, joins the podcast to discuss the critical role of courage and confidence in the HR profession. Drawing from her background in the Air Force and her experience as a minority in corporate environments, Kimberly explains why HR professionals must move past the desire to "be liked" and instead focus on providing honest, fact-based feedback. She argues that avoiding difficult conversations erodes trust and lowers performance standards across the entire organization.

Kimberly also introduces her "Hierarchy of Needs" for HR, asserting that strategic initiatives like culture statements cannot succeed without a solid foundation of clear policies, manager training, and consistent practices. Using the analogy of a construction site, she warns against hanging "fine art" before the drywall is up. The episode concludes with practical advice on managing investigations and coaching managers to handle conflict with clarity and accountability.
Hosted by Jocelyn King, founder and CEO of VirgilHR. VirgilHR provides instant, trusted answers to HR compliance questions—helping teams navigate federal, state, and local employment laws with accuracy and ease. To learn more, visit ⁠⁠www.virgilhr.com⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠follow Jocelyn on LinkedIn⁠⁠ for ongoing guidance and industry updates.

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Jocelyn King sits down with Benjamin Langner to discuss the profound shifts currently hitting the HR profession, which he compares to the era when email first revolutionized communication. As a Vice President for a global recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) organization, Ben acts as "HR for 1,000 other HR professionals," giving him a unique vantage point on the "AI boom" and the evolving world of work. He shares a practical framework for HR leaders in global settings, emphasizing the need to simplify and streamline core processes like onboarding and the employee lifecycle to maintain a consistent experience across different countries while managing regional nuances.

The conversation dives deep into repositioning the HR Business Partner (HRBP) from a reactive role to a proactive strategic partnership. Ben argues that the key to gaining a seat at the table is solving actual business problems—such as operational bottlenecks—rather than simply launching new HR programs in a vacuum. He provides actionable advice on tailoring ROI metrics for different C-suite stakeholders, noting that while a CFO requires data-driven facts, other leaders may respond better to storytelling. Looking toward the future, Ben predicts that as automation and AI become standard, high-value human interactions will become a "premium experience" that HR must protect and prioritize.

Hosted by Jocelyn King, founder and CEO of VirgilHR. VirgilHR provides instant, trusted answers to HR compliance questions—helping teams navigate federal, state, and local employment laws with accuracy and ease. To learn more, visit ⁠www.virgilhr.com⁠ and ⁠follow Jocelyn on LinkedIn⁠ for ongoing guidance and industry updates.

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Erica McMannes, Chief Experience Officer at Instant Teams, joins the podcast to share her expertise in building high-performing, fully distributed workforces. Having moved 14 times as a military spouse, Erica founded Instant Teams to create a talent marketplace that connects companies with the highly skilled but often overlooked community of over 12 million military spouses. She discusses the "ethos to remote communication" that her company established long before the pandemic, highlighting that in a remote setting, connection and camaraderie do not happen by chance—they require intentional, driven structures to replace the accidental "water cooler" moments of a physical office.

The episode explores the transition toward skills-based hiring and the flaws in traditional resume-focused recruitment. Erica explains how HR professionals can shift their focus to "durable" and transferable skills, using customer experience as a prime example of where military spouses excel due to their natural empathy and adaptability. For leaders struggling with distributed teams, Erica recommends "maniacal organization"—using processes and visibility systems to track productivity without resorting to micromanagement. She encourages HR to support managers through proactive communication and expectation management, ensuring that remote work environments remain transparent and trust-based.

Hosted by Jocelyn King, founder and CEO of VirgilHR. VirgilHR provides instant, trusted answers to HR compliance questions—helping teams navigate federal, state, and local employment laws with accuracy and ease. To learn more, visit ⁠www.virgilhr.com⁠ and ⁠follow Jocelyn on LinkedIn⁠ for ongoing guidance and industry updates.

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Lisa Elowson brings over 30 years of HR experience and a specialized background in mediation to discuss the unavoidable reality of workplace conflict. Lisa explains that many professionals dread conflict because they are naturally "conflict adverse," but she argues that conflict doesn't have to be toxic if it is addressed early. She compares unresolved disputes to a "Titanic iceberg," where the hidden costs, such as mental disengagement (the "quit and stay" phenomenon), investigation time, and potential lawsuits, are often far greater than what is visible on the surface.

Through the lens of a certified mediator, Lisa provides HR leaders with specific techniques to navigate high-stakes employee relations issues, such as "shuttle mediation" and active listening to uncover the "gold nuggets" of what is truly driving a disagreement. She stresses the importance of HR maintaining a neutral stance, clearly communicating to all parties that they have "no dog in the fight" other than reaching a fair resolution. Lisa challenges the traditional "handbook" approach to management, urging HR to lead by culture and respect rather than strictly by policy. By meeting people where they are and facilitating face-to-face "conscious conversations," HR can move past "win-lose" scenarios to restore functional working relationships.

Hosted by Jocelyn King, founder and CEO of VirgilHR. VirgilHR provides instant, trusted answers to HR compliance questions—helping teams navigate federal, state, and local employment laws with accuracy and ease. To learn more, visit ⁠www.virgilhr.com⁠ and ⁠follow Jocelyn on LinkedIn⁠ for ongoing guidance and industry updates.

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Employment law is often reactive, but Joel Greenwald argues for a "preventative medicine" approach to protect businesses before litigation strikes. In this episode, Joel breaks down the most common legal pitfalls HR leaders face, including inadequate documentation and the rampant misclassification of independent contractors and exempt employees.

The conversation turns to the cutting edge of HR compliance: Artificial Intelligence. Joel warns of the legal risks surrounding AI hiring tools, specifically "disparate impact" discrimination, and advises HR leaders on how to vet technology to avoid joint liability lawsuits.

Hosted by Jocelyn King, founder and CEO of VirgilHR. VirgilHR provides instant, trusted answers to HR compliance questions—helping teams navigate federal, state, and local employment laws with accuracy and ease. To learn more, visit www.virgilhr.com and follow Jocelyn on LinkedIn for ongoing guidance and industry updates.

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From "failed tennis pro" to leading a global network of over 150 recruiters, Walter Sabrin joins Jocelyn King to explore the high-stakes world of talent acquisition. Walter discusses how Vensure Employer Solutions scaled from 120 to over 6,000 employees by treating HR as a strategic business alliance rather than a roadblock.

The discussion tackles the "Empty Seat Syndrome"—the danger of hiring the wrong person out of desperation—and the critical importance of upskilling to retain top talent. Walter also provides a candid look at the current state of AI in recruiting, noting that while the industry buzz is loud, many candidates and hiring managers remain hesitant to broach the topic during interviews.

Hosted by Jocelyn King, founder and CEO of VirgilHR. VirgilHR provides instant, trusted answers to HR compliance questions—helping teams navigate federal, state, and local employment laws with accuracy and ease. To learn more, visit www.virgilhr.com and follow Jocelyn on LinkedIn for ongoing guidance and industry updates.

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In this episode of By HR For HR, host Jocelyn King sits down with Joey Price to discuss the evolution of the HR professional from administrative support to the "operating system" of modern business. Joey shares insights from his journey as an HR consultant and author, explaining why HR leaders must act as diplomats who balance the needs of employees with the strategic goals of the C-suite.

The conversation also dives into the acquisition of Aspect 43 and the latest research on HR tech buying trends. With budgets flattening and C-suite executives taking a more active role in purchasing decisions, Joey reveals why 40% of HR buyers still lack a clear AI strategy and how practitioners can close that gap to remain competitive.

Find out more about Joey Price on LinkedIn.

Hosted by Jocelyn King, founder and CEO of VirgilHR. VirgilHR provides instant, trusted answers to HR compliance questions—helping teams navigate federal, state, and local employment laws with accuracy and ease. To learn more, visit www.virgilhr.com and follow Jocelyn on LinkedIn for ongoing guidance and industry updates.

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John Baldino, President of Humareso, joins us live from HR Tech 2025 to discuss the evolution of the industry, from the days of "Personnel" and manual payroll to today’s data-driven people analytics. John challenges HR leaders to stop obsessing over "time to hire" and start calculating the real cost of vacancy: quantifying the lost productivity when managers have to cover open roles and the financial impact of burnout on remaining teams. He also explains why geographic cost differentials should be a primary factor in modern hiring strategies, urging leaders to look beyond major tech hubs to optimize budget.

The conversation pivots to a critical struggle for many practitioners: how to move from reactive to strategic, especially within an "HR Department of One." John offers a liberating, incremental approach to shaving down the 92% of time spent on transactional tasks starting with letting employees manage their own data. He wraps up with the single most effective question HR professionals can ask managers to spark transformative, strategic partnership. It is a masterclass in proving HR’s financial value while keeping the "human" in human resources.

Hosted by Jocelyn King, founder and CEO of VirgilHR. VirgilHR provides instant, trusted answers to HR compliance questions—helping teams navigate federal, state, and local employment laws with accuracy and ease. To learn more, visit www.virgilhr.com and follow Jocelyn on LinkedIn for ongoing guidance and industry updates.

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Jessica Miller-Merrell joins us from HR Tech 2025 for a fast-moving, highly practical discussion about how HR leaders can get tech-ready in a world where AI, compliance demands, and integrations are evolving faster than most teams can keep up. Jessica shares how HR pros should approach learning new tech, the right questions to ask vendors, and the biggest mistakes she sees during vetting and implementation.

She also breaks down how to build change-management muscles, why HR teams should lean on their IT partners early, and how performance management completely shifted after COVID exposed major gaps in communication and coaching. From training managers effectively to proving ROI for people programs, Jessica provides clear, actionable guidance that every HR leader, especially those in departments of one, can put into practice immediately.

Find out more about Jessica Miller-Merrell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmillermerrell/

Hosted by Jocelyn King, founder and CEO of VirgilHR. VirgilHR provides instant, trusted answers to HR compliance questions—helping teams navigate federal, state, and local employment laws with accuracy and ease. To learn more, visit www.virgilhr.com and follow Jocelyn on LinkedIn for ongoing guidance and industry updates.

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Live from HR Tech 2025, Katrina Kibben brings their signature clarity and storytelling to a conversation about employer brand, EVP development, and the linguistic data that reveals what employees actually value. Katrina explains why every strong EVP starts with deep listening, not leadership soundbites, and how interviewing people across levels produces the most accurate, actionable picture of company culture.

The conversation moves into the surprising history of job postings, what truly makes a compelling job description today, and how scope, scale, and impact matter far more than tired “years of experience” clichés. Katrina also shares lessons from their book The Bounce Back Factor, shaped by three years of running a business from a van, and how leaders can navigate uncertainty with more confidence and humanity. It’s a refreshing, insightful look at building clarity into your recruiting process and using language as a strategic asset.

Find out more about Katrina Kibben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrinakibben/

Hosted by Jocelyn King, founder and CEO of VirgilHR. VirgilHR provides instant, trusted answers to HR compliance questions—helping teams navigate federal, state, and local employment laws with accuracy and ease. To learn more, visit ⁠www.virgilhr.com⁠ and ⁠follow Jocelyn on LinkedIn⁠ for ongoing guidance and industry updates.

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