Friends with Employee Benefits

Dee Gore, Senior Vice President of People and Business Resources at Propark, joins host Jeff Cross to dive deep into operating in a world of mergers and acquisitions. The two uncover the top priorities for companies considering a merger or acquisition and for those being acquired, lessons learned throughout the many different deals Propark has done in their 40 years of business, and best approaches to bringing people and operations together as one. Whether you’re a business leader, human resource professional, or just curious about the intricacies of operationalizing M&A, this episode is packed with valuable insights and practical advice to help you understand and succeed in the world of corporate consolidation.

Music By: Colin Cross Music

In today’s competitive job market, finding skilled workers has become a pressing challenge for employers across various industries. Jim Bologa, President and CEO at Porter & Chester Institute, joins Jeff Cross to share valuable insights and strategies to help bridge the skills gap. The two speak on workforce shortages and explore how Porter & Chester works with employers across New England to help solve this problem. 

Music By: Colin Cross Music 

100% retention in 24 months in this labor market? Sounds impossible - but that's been the reality for The Walker Group and co-CEO, Jessica Rich, who over the past year helped her organization turn to a Perpetual Purpose Trust (PPT) ownership structure. PPT for short, made most popular by Patagonia recently turning to this structure in 2022, legally empowers a company to organize around its purpose, rather than just profit. In this episode, Jeff Cross, podcast host, and Jessica Rich dive into why the Walker Group looked into PPT, what it has done for their business, their employees, and the community as well as why employers are reaching out to learn more about this ownership structure.

Join Jessica and her team for a virtual panel discussion on Wednesday, September 25th, from 12-1 PM EST on their transition to a Perpetual Purpose Trust. Click here to get more details!

Check out The Walker Group's website for more details on PPT: https://www.thewalkergroup.com/perpetual-purpose-trust

Music By: Colin Cross Music

Generative AI is, and will continue, to transform the American Workplace. How can HR and business leaders prepare for this change?

Vinay Gidwaney, Chief Product Officer and our go-to AI expert at OneDigital, joins Host Jeff Cross, Client Executive, for a discussion around artificial intelligence (AI) - including what it is, where we currently stand with AI, how it's impacting the workplace and what employers can do to protect their business and their people, while also taking advantage of the opportunities that come with new technology. 45 minutes packed with what you can expect to continue to see from AI, what AI will never replace and how those who take advantage now will be well positioned in the future. 

Music By: Colin Cross Music

Mental health awareness is more than just one month out of the year.

It's a year-round opportunity to continue to show up for your employees so they can do their best work and live their best life. And that's how Lisa Harris, Chief People Officer, and Jody Breault, Manager of Benefits and Wellness at VEIC, view their workforce strategy. In this conversation, host Jeff Cross chats with Lisa and Jody about the innovative ways they are supporting their employees' mental health and wellbeing to create a positive workplace environment. Topics include their mental health initiatives, "focus + finish Fridays," employee engagement ideas for a remote workforce, and leadership buy-in. 

Music By: Colin Cross Music

With the workforce becoming increasingly diverse year over year, employers are struggling with finding the right type of benefits that fit all their employees' needs. But there's one benefit that's ranked as the second most valuable employee benefit among all age groups, demographics, and industries: lifestyle spending accounts (LSAs). Tune into this episode as the host and guests dive into what LSA's are, why they are gaining traction amongst many different types of employers, how they work, and the success stories - directly from an employer who's leveraging them.   

Music By: Colin Cross Music

In this quick hit episode, we'll cover why SECURE 2.0 was created, what the impact will mean for your organization + your people, what deadlines are approaching, and what employers should be thinking about now to implement in the future.

This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, accounting, legal or tax advice. Any tax advice contained herein is of a general nature. You should seek specific advice from your tax professional before pursuing any idea contemplated herein.

Music By: Colin Cross Music

In this episode, Host Jeff Cross is joined by Travis Dommert, SVP of Talent at OneDigital, for a candid conversation around why retaining your employees is not the answer when an organization is building their workforce strategy. Travis challenges the status quo by identifying how changing one word can completey alter the way leaders show up for their people and how employees view their managers - in the best way. 

Music By: Colin Cross Music

Paul LaVoie, Chief Manufacturing Officer for the State of Connecticut, joins Host Jeff Cross for a conversation about the state of manufacturing in CT and the impact the current workplace challenges are having on this. The two dive into topics such as staffing, the great resignation, the impact of a recession, bringing more work to CT and more. If you are a business leader in the CT manufacturing space, you do not want to miss this episode.

Music By: Colin Cross Music

Before you press play, make sure you go back to Part 1 released on January 10th to hear the first part of this conversation between Host Jeff Cross and David Tate.

Being able to promote accountability is essential for organizational success. But the realities of how work has changed demand a new approach to accountability that supports results, people, and a culture of continuous improvement. Host Jeff Cross sat down with David Tate, Psychologist, Executive Coach, Professor at Yale, and Co-Author of his recently released book, "Conscious Accountability", to discuss why accountability is so important and how can leaders can leverage this idea of "conscious accountability" to make their organization more effective and a better place to work. An episode that is full of golden nuggets and great insights - perfect for any employer looking to make their business a destination workplace.

Music By: Colin Cross Music