Tech ​f​ounders, CEOs, and venture capitalists alike have cracked the code to eliminate ​H​R departments in just three easy steps. Step ​O​ne: replace recruiters with an AI that promises to "remove bias" but somehow keeps hiring people named Chad. Step ​T​wo: turn performance management into a gamified app where employees earn badges instead of raises. Step ​T​hree: declare that workplace culture will now be managed by a Slack emoji poll, because nothing says "values-driven organization" like reacting with a thumbs-up. ​T​here you have it! HR is officially "disrupted," and the humans in human resources are conveniently out of the way—just as the ​t​ech bros intended.

Tech Bros Video: Get Rid of Your HR Department in 3 Easy Steps

HRDLY Guest: A serial early HR leader at tech startups, Stacey Nordwall is currently the VP of People Strategy at Pyn. She created Pyn's 50 Over 50 Women in Tech list and the Guide to Inclusive and Equitable Workplace Communications. Previously, she helped to scale the people team at Culture Amp as it grew from Series A to Series E. Stacey is passionate about creating inclusive workplaces where people can thrive and helping People teams evolve to meet the new world of work. She has an MA in Counseling Psychology from St. Mary's College of California and a BA in Psychology and Communication from Stanford University.

Stacey is also the host of the podcast Toot or Boot: HR edition

Follow Stacey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceynordwall/

Hosted by Emily McMahon -- an HR Executive who happens to be a raging introvert, is skeptical about people, and deeply loves the work of HR.

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HR is looking to shake up the benefits game by offering psychedelic therapy as a way to help employees tackle stress, spark creativity, and maybe even make peace with Karen from accounting. With a growing body of research supporting the mental health benefits of substances like Ketamine (in controlled, legal settings, of course), HR sees this as the next frontier in wellness. It's time to ditch your standard benefit stack—this isn’t about gym discounts or free coffee pods; it’s about providing a transformative experience that could redefine personal growth and workplace harmony. Plus, let’s be honest, a few breakthroughs during a guided session might just lead to the most innovative Q4 strategy yet.

HRDLY Guest: Sherry Rais, CEO and Co-Founder of Enthea, has helped dozens of organizations raise funds, operate according to their mission and values, and implement processes that enhance their overall efficiency. Sherry believes in living and working in alignment with purpose and is currently focused on expanding access to psychedelic-assisted therapy to alleviate human suffering. Sherry holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and International Development from McGill University.

Follow Sherry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherryrais/

Check out Enthea: https://www.enthea.com/

Hosted by Emily McMahon -- an HR Executive who happens to be a raging introvert, is skeptical about people, and deeply loves the work of HR.

Follow Emily: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ememcm/

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Not even Shakespeare himself could breathe life into HR’s storytelling. Give HR a “To be, or not to be” line, and they’d turn it into “To be aligned with the mission statement, or to not meet quarterly objectives.” 

The poetry of human experience gets lost somewhere between the jargon and the performance metrics. HR could have Shakespeare’s quill and still end up with an email that starts​ with, “Dear valued employee​s,” and ends with “​T​hank you for your cooperation.” No sonnet, no soliloquy—just a play written in the language of corporate policies, where every tragedy ends with mandatory training and every comedy is… well, unintentional.

HRDLY Guest: Rebecca Taylor spent over 10 years in HR before co-founding SkillCycle. After spending too much time watching cultures erode and good people leave companies, she wanted to create something that improved the relationship between companies and employees - and between HR and, well, everyone else. She spends her time at SkillCycle diving deep into the challenges customers face, and helping them leverage SkillCycle to impart solutions that positively impact performance and development.

Follow Rebecca: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccataylor2/

Check out SkillCycle: https://www.skillcycle.com/

Hosted by Emily McMahon -- an HR Executive who happens to be a raging introvert, is skeptical about people, and deeply loves the work of HR.

Follow Emily: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ememcm/

Follow HR Doesn't Like You: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hrdoesntlikeyou/

Distinguished colleagues, valued partners, and cherished members of our workplace community, thank you for gathering here today. As a humble representative of the HR department, it is my distinct honor, and undeniable displeasure, to present to you: The State of the HR Union.

Compliance training is now shorter with a 'skip to the end' button, because we know you'll never read them. Performance reviews have a new system, "Remember, Remember, the Performance in November," because we know managers forget everything until the last minute. Our wellness program introduces "Stretch and Snack" every Wednesday, and team-building now includes HR-organized escape rooms with company policy riddles — fun and educational.

In closing, thank you for your efforts, not that we’re really keeping track. Remember, HR is here — mostly because we have to be. Whether you need vague guidance, questionable support, or just someone to pretend to care about your wellbeing, we’ve got you covered.

HRDLY Guest: Hebba Youssef is the Chief People Officer at Workweek and founder and creator of “I Hate it Here.” Her weekly newsletter has over 130,000 engaged readers and focuses on how HR/People teams can build great work cultures. Hebba has led a global learning and development team, ran talent management teams, and was most recently the Head of People at fintech startup. She's built People Ops teams from the ground up and scaled companies to double their size. Hebba has worked across several industries like tech, fintech, and media and was most recently at Axios and Lithic. In her free time, you can find her reading sci-fiction or fantasy novels and playing board games with her family. 

Subscribe to "I Hate It Here" newsletter: https://hateithere.co/

Join Safe Space: https://hateithere.co/community/safe-space/

Follow Hebba: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef/

Hosted by Emily McMahon -- an HR Executive who happens to be a raging introvert, is skeptical about people, and deeply loves the work of HR.

Follow Emily: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ememcm/

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Oh, HR, wanting a seat at the table — how quaint! They meticulously crafted the leadership table, selecting the perfect mahogany and ensuring every seat was ergonomically designed for optimal decision-making comfort. It's almost endearing how they built the table, only to realize they forgot to save themselves a seat.

They wrote the job descriptions, orchestrated the recruitment processes, and even planned the team building retreats that forged the executive camaraderie; it's adorable how they think juggling all of that qualifies them for the big leagues. After all, when was the last time an HR strategy saved a major account or launched a groundbreaking product?

HRDLY Guest: Denise Moss is the dynamic founder of Pinnacle Solutions, whose passion for transformative HR leadership is matched only by her dedication to excellence. Denise is currently furthering her education at Purdue University (Go Boilermakers), demonstrating her commitment to continuous learning and expertise in the field. As a member of DallasHR, SHRM, and a holder of both SHRM-CP and PHR certifications, she embodies the innovative spirit and strategic thinking that Pinnacle Solutions stands for. When not meeting with clients you can find Denise spending time with her family including three sons, traveling, in the gym, or catching up on the latest business podcasts.

Follow Denise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisemoss/

Hosted by Emily McMahon -- an HR Executive who happens to be a raging introvert, is skeptical about people, and deeply loves the work of HR.

Follow Emily: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ememcm/

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Is a $15,000 raise the golden fleece of the working world? Employees often set their sights on this magical number for a multitude of reasons. First off, there's the relentless march of inflation, whispering sweet nothings of higher living costs into their ears. Then, there's the siren call of market trends, with dreams of greener pastures and juicier paychecks tantalizing their career aspirations. And let's not forget the ol' comparison game, where colleagues flaunt their upgraded lifestyles like peacocks in a salary showdown, leaving others yearning for their own slice of the fiscal pie.

Oh, and let's not overlook the sheer audacity of ambition—because who doesn't dream of swimming in a pool filled with cash? So, $10,000, $15,000, $20,000 raises? It's not entitlement; it's just the modern-day quest for financial valor in the kingdom of capitalism.

HRDLY Guest: Jessica D. Winder is a working mother of twin daughters, celebrated for her expertise as both a keynote speaker and career coach. With a pragmatic “burn this shit to the ground” approach and a passion for fostering leadership development, she leads Hidden Gem Career Coaching and authored "The Hidden Gem Within" to guide individuals and organizations toward unlocking their true potential.

Follow Jessica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicadwinder/ 

Hidden Gem Career Coaching

The Hidden Gem Within (Book)

Hosted by Emily McMahon -- an HR Executive who happens to be a raging introvert, is skeptical about people, and deeply loves the work of HR.

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Ah, the lexicon of HR, where words don't just describe, they dance around the office like mischievous sprites, leaving a trail of corporate jargon in their wake...

"Future of Work" whispered with a knowing smirk, as if the future were a clandestine rendezvous instead of another meeting about meetings.

"Top Talent" the crown jewel of HR vocabulary, where everyone's a gem until the quarterly cull.

"High Performer" the golden child of performance reviews, until the metrics change like the weather.

"Engagement" the elusive elixir that HR seeks to distill from the waters of team-building exercises and trust falls.

And oh yes, the pièce de résistance, the "Rockstar" that mythical creature supposedly lurking in cubicles, ready to dazzle with their code or conquer with their spreadsheets.

And when HR escapes to the copy room for dirty talk, these are the words they murmur, alongside the secret handshake of workplace absurdity.

HRDLY Guest: Alex Seiler has 15+ years of global experience in the People/HR space. He has spent time working in different industries and for companies like Citi, NBCUniversal and WeWork, amongst others. His specific expertise has centered on creating, transforming and building out systems that foster an equitable, innovative and inclusive workplace culture. His background is as a Chief People Officer and he is currently consulting with clients on a fractional basis. He is also a start-up advisor in the HR tech space, currently working with When Insurance, Kindred Minds and ChangeEngine.

Follow Alex: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexseiler/

Hosted by Emily McMahon -- an HR Executive who happens to be a raging introvert, is skeptical about people, and deeply loves the work of HR.

Follow Emily: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ememcm/

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Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) are like the circus of the corporate world, complete with high stakes, tight deadlines, and the constant fear of being thrown to the lions. Just as the circus performers must impress the audience with their death-defying acts, employees on a PIP are under intense pressure to dazzle their managers with a dramatic turnaround in performance. It's a spectacle of hope and desperation, where every missed deadline feels like a tightrope walk over a pit of failure, and every completed task is met with the applause of reluctant optimism.

With managers cracking the whip of accountability and employees desperately trying to keep all their plates spinning at once, there's always the lingering question of whether the show will end in triumph or disaster. So grab your popcorn and take your seat, because the PIP circus is about to begin, and the only thing certain is that with a sprinkle of luck, you just might emerge from the PIP purgatory as a better, stronger, and slightly more traumatized employee.

HRDLY Guest: Kim Minnick is the People Ops leader you shouldn’t take out in public. She brings a modern take to old practices and has a healthy obsession with Performance Management. After spending a decade building People Ops functions in high growth start-ups, she recently launched an independent fractional business with the goal of making work suck less.

Follow Kim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-minnick/

Code Traveller HR: https://www.codetravellerhr.com/

Hosted by Emily McMahon -- an HR Executive who happens to be a raging introvert, is skeptical about people, and deeply loves the work of HR.

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In the swirling currents of corporate life, HR does not share a fin-tastic bond with its employees. In fact, HR longs to escape to the serene shores of solitude, where the only small talk is with the gentle hum of the photocopier.

They'd rather not be where the people are, with their endless requests for more money and demands for more office parties. No, HR would much rather be where the files are neatly stacked and the policies are unchallenged, content in their kingdom of confidentiality and compliance. But don't be fooled, HR remains on watch and ready to outwit the SEA(EO) Witch and emerge victorious, with their integrity and employee morale intact.

HRDLY Guest: Kim Rohrer is a seasoned HR professional with over 15 years of tech startup experience under her belt. While working in tech, Kim also spent time building communities and advocating for working caregivers through her work at OrgOrg and TendLab. She is currently the co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of PeakHR, a training program for HR professionals, as well as a consultant, advisor, writer, and mom of two. 

Follow Kim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimrohrer/

Hosted by Emily McMahon -- an HR Executive who happens to be a raging introvert, is skeptical about people, and deeply loves the work of HR.

Follow Emily: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ememcm/

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In a stunning revelation, recent studies have shown that the HR department might just be outsmarted by a school of sardines. While the sea creatures adeptly navigate complex underwater currents, HR seems to struggle even with the simplest of administrative tasks. Rumor has it, if you ever need a lesson in efficient communication, just observe a pod of dolphins—they'll have better interpersonal skills than your average HR rep.

Perhaps it's time for the company to consider promoting some jellyfish to managerial positions; after all, they seem to have mastered the art of stingingly honest feedback. As for the HR department, well, they might want to enroll in some underwater basket weaving courses for a shot at intellectual redemption.

Hosted by Emily McMahon -- an HR Executive who happens to be a raging introvert, is skeptical about people, and deeply loves the work of HR.

Follow Emily: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ememcm/

Follow HR Doesn't Like You: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hrdoesntlikeyou/