HR Break Room

Guests:

Matthew Paque, Paycom executive vice president of legal and compliance

Tiffany Gamblin, Paycom HR manager

Jason Hines, Paycom compliance attorney

In October 2017, in light of the #MeToo movement, HR Break Room discussed workplace sexual harassment policies. Since that conversation, we have continued to receive questions on the subject, not only from podcast listeners, but Paycom blog readers and webinar attendees. To answer those questions and examine the topic further, HR Break Room assembled a panel of leaders from Paycom's legal and HR departments.

In this episode of HR Break Room, hosts Caleb Masters and Braeden Fair are joined by three Paycom executives to field listener inquiries related to:

• creating safe and fair policies that protect employees and the organization
• best practices for incorporating and utilizing anonymous reports in those policies
• training contractors and volunteers on sexual harassment policies
• handling sexual harassment cases that occur outside normal work hours or between an employee and a nonemployee

To learn more on this issue, access Paycom's free webinar, A Safer Workplace: Discussing Sexual Harassment, on demand.

Guest:

Dr. Larry Barton, Distinguished University Professor of Crisis Management and Public Safety at the University of Central Florida

In the wake of recent tragic events in Parkland and San Bruno, organizations around the country are taking a closer look at their own crisis and threat management plans and policies. HR is essential in planning for workplace emergencies, starting in the conceptual planning stages all of the way through how employees are trained to handle the event.

Dr. Larry Barton, the highest rated instructor at the FBI Academy and U.S. Marshall Service, joins HR Break Room host Caleb Masters and guest Jason Bodin to talk about how organizations can ensure they are prepared in case of a workplace threat. In this episode Dr. Barton will:

• define what types of scenarios qualify as a workplace crisis
• discuss how to identify the warning signs of individuals who may be a threat to your organization
• establish best practices for creating a crisis plan that includes executive leadership, security and local law enforcement
• determine the role of training and simulation in preparing for workplace threats
• examine strategies employers can use to mitigate exposure to dangerous personnel

Guest:

Kris Dunn, Kinetix CHRO and founder of the blogs Fistful of Talent and The HR Capitalist

Between recruiting today's top performers and coaching up-and-coming talent, the much-buzzed-about college basketball tournament shares similarities with many of HR's most critical priorities. Guest Kris Dunn stops by the HR Break Room to examine the most valuable lessons HR can learn from the annual hoops competition.

In this episode of HR Break Room, Dunn joins hosts Caleb Masters and Braeden Fair to discuss the importance of:

• defining an organization's core values and promoting them to the world
• identifying top performers and giving them the tools and opportunities to succeed
• being transparent when promoting your employer brand for prospective talent

Learn even more about what HR can learn from college basketball by signing up for our on demand webinar featuring Kris Dunn, Swish! 8 Engagement Strategies to Drive Game-Winning Performance.

Guests:

Jessica Melo, Paycom executive director of sales training

Andres Traslavina, Whole Foods director of global recruiting

Rachel Feferman, Businessolver advisor relations

Kim Gorsuch, Weeva CEO

John Adcock, RetailMeNot senior vice president of people

Learning how to change workplace culture and what makes an organization unique remain high priorities for companies nationwide. During the 2018 SXSW Conference, Paycom's Jessica Melo attended the Workology HRetreat, where she hosted a panel on the current state of employee culture. Couldn't attend? No worries – now you can!

This special episode of HR Break Room presents the panel, in which will discuss:

• how today's organizations measure culture and adapt to the rapidly changing needs of their workforce
• HR strategies to gain management's buy-in for culture initiatives
• the difference between employee happiness and employee engagement

Learn more about how to build a winning culture that results in greater workforce engagement in our Discover How the Right Self-Service Technology Can Help Deliver an Ideal Employee Experience white paper.

Guest:

Nicole Torres, associate editor at Harvard Business Review and co-host of the Women at Work podcast

According to the UN, there are more than 1.75 billion women in the workforce worldwide. So how can leaders in your organization equip women to climb the ladder and further your company's mission?

In this special International Women's Day episode of HR Break Room, Caleb talks with Nicole Torres from Harvard Business Review and the Women at Work podcast about:

• The benefits of having women in leadership within your organization
• How HR can go above and beyond to promote an inclusive culture
• Identifying and developing the women who are already leading in your organization

Learn more about developing leaders within your organization with our white paper, Discover Fueling Employee Knowledge and Propelling Business Growth Through Learning Management Systems.

Guest:

Coby Turner, associate at Seyfarth Shaw LLP and senior editor of the California Peculiarities Employment Law Blog

Strange California employment laws always seem to be in the news. Despite their peculiarity, the laws emerging from the Golden State often set trends that eventually go nationwide. For example, in 2003, it passed local minimum wages and in 2006 it passed the first sick leave law in nation— just to name a couple. How can organizations be mindful about what's new in California and discern whether it will impact their organization?

In this episode of HR Break Room, Coby Turner joins Caleb and Braeden to discuss:

• why California laws have historically set nationwide trends in employment law
• the consequences of being unprepared for the changes emerging from the Golden State
• the California laws currently gaining traction on the national stage

Learn more about government regulations and how technology can help your organization through them in our executive summary, Squaring Off: Just How Big is the Regulatory Burden for U.S. Businesses?

Guest:

Minkah Fitzpatrick, former defensive back for the Alabama Crimson Tide and winner of the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award

Since 1986, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame has picked the best defensive back in college football as the winner of the Paycom Jim Thorpe award. This year's winner, Minkah Fitzpatrick from the University of Alabama, lead the Crimson Tide to two different national championships, winning the 2018 game against the Georgia Bulldogs.

In this special HR Break Room interview, we will discuss:

• leadership lessons from Minkah
• what makes an organization attractive to today's top talent
• how grit and determination are key traits to a successful team or organization

Learn more about how to find and recruit top talent like Minkah by reading our Discover Better Candidates By Automating the Recruitment Process executive summary.

Around Valentine's Day, conversations about love and romance are everywhere – including the office. And with good reason: According to Career Builder, 38% of American workers said they have dated a co-worker at least once over their career.

But just how should organizations approach creating and enforcing a dating policy in 2018?

In this episode of HR Break Room we will discuss:

• the importance of having a clear, simple dating policy that empowers employees
• best practices for writing different workplace dating policies regarding coworkers, managers and clients
• clearly communicating the difference between sexual harassment and romantic interest within the organization

Learn more about communicating policy to your workforce in our whitepaper, Discover Fueling Employee Knowledge and Propelling Business Growth through Learning Management Systems.

Guest:

John Doorley, Elon University communications professor and best-selling author of Rethinking Reputation: How PR Trumps Marketing and Advertising in the New Media World

Two trends expected to grow in popularity throughout 2018 are employer's brands and reputation swaying consumer behavior, and leaders encouraging more in-person interaction and less working remotely.

Regarding the former, according to CareerBuilder, 58% of employees are less likely to buy from a company they applied to, but never received a response. Meanwhile, related to the latter, IBM has ceased its remote-working program, pushing thousands of employees back into the office. These trends already have changed the way employees work. Is your organization prepared to adjust and adapt?

In this week's episode of HR Break Room, co-hosts Caleb Masters and Chelsea Justice talk with communications expert John Doorley about these emergent workplace trends, as well as:

• the importance of having a strong internal and external brand, cultural values and a reason for being clearly communicated to employees
• the negative impact that poor employee and candidate experiences can have on an organization's reputation, product and bottom line
• how HR and senior leadership must work together to communicate with and engage employees effectively, regardless of location, regardless of location

Learn more about communicating with your workforce in our Drive Performance With Employee Surveys infographic.

Guest:

Leigh Stringer, workplace design specialist and bestselling author of The Healthy Workplace: How to Improve the Well-Being of Your Employees — and Boost Your Company's Bottom Line

In a recent UnitedHealthcare study, 70% of employees expressed interest in taking proactive steps to improve their health. As we settle into 2018, we look at the new trends and best practices your organization can incorporate into health and ergonomics initiatives throughout the year. In this episode of HR Break Room, hosts Caleb Masters and Braeden Fair talk with Stringer about:

• the rising investment in employee mental/emotional wellness programs
• how these programs resonate with the growing millennial workforce
• the role physical space and best ergonomics practices play in nurturing a healthy and productive work environment
• how sustaining a solid wellness program starts with changing an organization's culture

Learn more about communicating your wellness and ergonomics initiatives to employees in our Drive Performance with Employee Surveys white paper.