Hiring can fill immediate skills gaps, but developing talent builds for the future. SHRM26 speakers Amy Jauman, HR director for the DNA Doe Project, and Amber Watts, chief everboarding officer at Radical GrowthWorks, explore how HR professionals can balance talent acquisition and employee development — and build a stronger talent strategy in the process. They discuss when to hire versus develop, what metrics can help leaders find the right balance, and how to make employee growth a strategic investment. 

 Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz  

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

Nearly three-quarters of U.S. workers experience financial stress, from worrying about unexpected expenses to navigating major life decisions — and those concerns don’t disappear during the workday. Explore new SHRM research on the state of employee financial wellness with Ragan Decker, director of commercial research at SHRM, and Kristen Koluch, retirement plan advisor at Raymond James. They discuss how financial wellness influences engagement, productivity, and retention — and why closing the gap between employee needs and employer support is becoming a business imperative. 

Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz  

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

HR rarely happens exactly as planned. From difficult conversations to organizational change, leaders need to think on their feet. Dave Collins, founder and CEO of Oak & Reeds, a training company that combines improv techniques with proven learning strategies to help organizations tackle communication and collaboration challenges, shares how improvisation can strengthen decision-making, build resilience, and help HR professionals navigate uncertainty with more confidence. 

Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz  

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

New hires don’t need more portals; they need clarity, support, and time to breathe. Hannah Toney, consultant at Serendipity Sellers and author, discusses how HR professionals can use AI to streamline onboarding, define meaningful milestones, deliver personalized support, and establish privacy-conscious guardrails that strengthen both engagement and performance. 

Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz  

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

HR leaders are expected to influence business decisions, but gaining executive buy-in requires more than great ideas. In this live recording of Honest HR, Bruce Waller, vice president of corporate relocation at the Armstrong Company and bestselling author, shares practical strategies for building trust, developing business acumen, and communicating the value of HR initiatives.

Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz  

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

Successful SHRM certification candidates spend significant time preparing — but how you study matters just as much as how long you study. Charles Glover, director of certification & assessment products at SHRM, breaks down the structure of the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP exams, discusses proven preparation strategies, and shares advice for navigating test day with confidence.

Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz  

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

With growing employee interest and increasing healthcare costs, GLP-1 medications are creating new challenges for HR and benefits leaders. Ginny Crisp, CEO of Prescription Benefit Solutions, discusses the evolving role of GLP-1s in employer-sponsored health plans and what organizations should consider before adding coverage to their benefits programs.  

This podcast is approved for .5 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. Listen to the complete episode to get your activity ID at the end. ID expires July 1, 2027. 

Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz  

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

AI may be transforming hiring, but identifying the right talent still requires human judgment. David Cohen, executive consultant and author of Selecting the Best, joins Nicole Belyna, SHRM-SCP, for a live recording of Honest HR to explore how behavioral interviewing, culture-driven hiring, and values-based selection can improve retention and long-term performance. Together, they discuss the promise and pitfalls of AI in recruiting, the rise of “skillfishing,” and how organizations can balance efficiency with ethics, transparency, and human connection. 

Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz  

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

Compliance doesn’t begin with a background check — it starts at the very first touchpoint with a candidate. In this live recording from Talent 2026, Debra Keller reveals the most common and costly compliance mistakes organizations make long before a background check is run. Learn how to properly navigate criminal record considerations, candidate consent, individualized assessments, and adverse action. 

Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz  

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

As AI tools and personal branding make it easier than ever to appear highly skilled, HR teams are facing a new challenge: skillfishing. Alex Alonso, SHRM’s Chief Knowledge Officer, and AJ Faraj, founder of SorsX, join Nicole Belyna, SHRM-SCP, to unpack why more candidates are appearing qualified without the skills to match. Together, they explore how AI, credential inflation, and performance in interviews can mask real capability, and what HR leaders can do to better validate skills and improve hiring outcomes. 

This podcast is approved for .5 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. Listen to the complete episode to get your activity ID at the end. ID expires May 1, 2027.

Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz  

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Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r