Leaving a toxic work environment can be a difficult and emotional endeavor. You might be fearful of what happens when you leave a job you know so well. Will you fail? Will your next workplace be just as bad?

We sat down with Milly Christmann, Owner of Maratho Growth Management, to talk about why employees have to put their own mental health first—especially when working in a challenging or toxic work environment.

As a consultant and coach, Milly helps small- and medium-sized businesses get their HR teams up to speed, ensuring that they’re maximizing the potential of their people and processes. And she’s seen—and experienced—her fair share of toxic work environments.

In this episode, we talked about:

• Why being a people person doesn’t guarantee success in HR

Human Resources is shifting the focus from the employer to the employee. If you work in HR at a small business, you’re likely the jack of all trades for anything related to HR. How can you make sure to create a positive employee experience and keep your employees happy?

Stephen Fortuna, the Community Organizer at Eddy, has set out to create a free community of information sharing for HR professionals. Leveraging the knowledge and experiences of real HR professionals, he aims to democratize the industry through Eddy’s HR Mavericks community and joined the podcast to share his thoughts on the ever-changing HR industry.

What we discussed:

• The biggest changes in HR including the shift from HR to employee experience

Employee well-being encompasses the physical, mental, and social well-being of your people. And it’s more important than ever for companies to focus on supporting employee well-being, not only because your people are your brand ambassadors, but their health and happiness also have a direct impact on your bottom line.

We sat down with Wendy Kelly, HR Consultant and Owner of Kelly's HR Services, LLC, to learn how she supports small businesses with building out their HR teams and policies. She emphasized the importance of HR teams thinking strategically about employee well-being—even if you’re a team of one.

In this episode, we also talked about:

• Why companies are starting to make employee well-being a top business priority

According to Aristotle, we are what we repeatedly do. And that notion applies directly to building a company culture. More than ever, it’s important to have a healthy company culture that not only helps to attract new talent, but is also a reason why people want to stay at your company. 

We sat down with Marshall Hooper, Director of People & Culture at Bullfrog Spas, to understand the role HR should play in fostering company culture. In his view, the future of HR lies not only in being more strategic (i.e., moving away from administrative duties), but also making an impact on culture. 

In this episode, we also talked about: 

• Why culture is so important and why HR should focus on it

• Where to get started building the culture you want—or shifting the one you have

• How to strategically drive the right behaviors

• Why focusing on building a great culture helps alleviate some of the other issues that come across HR’s desk

From the first interview to their first day of work, a new employee’s initial impression of your company makes or breaks their experience—and ultimately, whether they want to stay. 

We sat down with David Blake, Human Resources Manager at K2 Electric, to learn how small business HR teams can onboard new hires more effectively to deliver a better employee experience that supports engagement and retention. 

David shared with us his 4-step framework for effective onboarding:

Step 1: Setting new hires up for success.

Step 2: Making a great first impression.

Step 3: Establishing and communicating a training plan. 

Step 4: Giving feedback. 

We also talked about: 

• How onboarding sets the tone for new hires

• Why prioritizing onboarding—even when you’re on a small HR team—is critical for business success 

• How onboarding makes a direct impact on productivity and retention 

• How to work together with your hiring manager to ensure a seamless onboarding experience 

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs builds the foundation for employee engagement. But meeting employees’ basic needs (like pay, safety, and belonging) are just that—a foundation. And without a solid foundation, organizations can’t expect employees to be engaged, never mind feeling driven to outpace the competition. 

We sat down with Kelley McCart, Vice President of Human Resources at J.R. Hobbs Company, to learn why employee engagement is crucial for business success—and what HR professionals can do to help drive better engagement and retention in the workplace. 

We also talked about: 

• “Why we [organizations] hate HR”—and the lessons professionals can glean from that sentiment 

• Why there’s so much talk about employee engagement—and what it really looks like in the workplace

• How to apply Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as a framework for HR 

• Why engagement is more than something an employee just has (or doesn't) 

• Practical tips for retaining talent in today’s market 

Can your HR department demonstrate its ROI? Ariel Leonard, Chief Human Resources Officer at RugDoctor, says you can—especially as it pertains to filling the gaps and supporting the talent lifecycle. 

We sat down with Ariel to learn about her experience in HR and how, when she joined RugDoctor, she needed to ramp up her team before she could deliver on the vision she had for the organization. It took some convincing, but she knew giving the talent lifecycle (and ultimately, employees) the TLC it deserved would get the results she was after. 

We also talked about: 

• Why she used to have a love/hate relationship with HR—and the role that finally won her over 

• Why more businesses need to ensure HR is built to support business leaders 

• What she recommends small businesses do to improve their talent lifecycles and give them a bit more TLC

Whether you’re a small business or a global organization, all HR teams should focus on three core things: 

1. People

2. Organizational health

3. Leadership

But for one reason or another, that doesn’t always happen. We sat down with Joe Nabrotzky, Managing Director at Global Leader Group, to pull back the curtain on how world-class HR teams operate—and what they do differently that sets them apart. 

We also talked about: 

• What caused him to pivot from a role in leadership to a career in HR

• How to help the “accidental HR person” go from tactical to strategic 

• What companies can do to help employees return back to the office with engagement and energy while also reducing stress and burn out

• The concepts of mind management and emotional intelligence—and why they matter

Are you interviewing job applicants as efficiently as you can? Are you asking the questions that will ultimately lead you to knowing whether you want to hire someone, or not? 

We sat down with Bryce Ericson, Director of HR at Blue Fire Leads, to talk about how to interview applicants with purpose. That is, how to use your interview time efficiently and ask the right interview questions that will establish whether someone is the right candidate for the job. 

We also talked about: 

• What should impress you about an applicant—and what you shouldn’t hold against them—in an interview

• Why you should iterate on the questions you ask candidates (especially when they’re not helping you narrow down your applicant pool)

• How to assess whether an applicant is a good fit for your company

• How to inject your culture and values into the interview process

• Why it’s important to "sell" your company to the applicant

From truck bodies to roller coasters, building tangible structures is a large part of the appeal of working in the skilled trade industry. And you get to work in places like football stadiums and amusement parks. Cool, right? So, why has the industry been hit particularly hard when it comes to attracting new talent? 

We sat down with Shawn Kaufman, Director of Human Resources at Riggs Industries, Inc, to talk about what’s unique about manufacturing and construction companies and the challenges they face when it comes to attracting prospective workers. In particular, we discussed the shift that occurred away from getting an education in the form of apprenticeships or at a trade school and towards getting a four-year degree only—and how that shift has hurt the industry.

We also talked about: 

• What he’s done to help improve the perception of careers in skilled trades with students

• How education doesn’t just occur at a four-year university; for some, an apprenticeship or trade school is a better fit 

• Playing the long game when it comes to attracting talent 

• His recommendations to other HR professionals and companies in skilled trade industries who are also struggling to attract prospective workers