Welcome to Season 4 of HR Nightmares. Today, Lisa Leath (Chief People Officer at Vantaca), Beth Looney (Senior Consultant at Leath HR Group), and Amy Conway (Senior Consultant at Leath HR Group) tackle artificial intelligence in the workplace. Is AI revolutionizing business or threatening jobs? Let's find out.

Our hosts examine how differently businesses are adopting AI tools—from hesitant small companies to organizations seeing dramatic productivity gains. The conversation shifts to practical AI applications in HR and business operations, revealing how these tools are transforming everything from administrative tasks to complex assessments.

Submit your anonymous workplace questions at LeathHRGroup.com and follow us/subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Join us next time for more straight talk from the frontlines of HR on HR Nightmares!

Welcome back to HR Nightmares, where every "growth opportunity" is just one awkward coaching conversation away from a full-blown crisis. In this episode, hosts Lisa Leath, Amy Conway, Beth Looney, and guest, Lakesha McDay tackle one of the spiciest HR hot potatoes — embedding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into workplace culture. Spoiler alert: It’s more than just a catchy LinkedIn post.

HR isn't for the faint of heart, and neither is embedding DEI into your company’s DNA. But with intentionality, coaching, and a willingness to lead with hospitality (shoutout to Cameron Mitchell’s playbook), even the messiest workplace nightmares can have a happy ending.

Lakesha stresses that DEI should be woven into the organization’s fabric, not treated as a side project. Building psychological safety is key, encouraging employees to share perspectives without fear of repercussions. The Leath HR Group ladies highlight the "Buddy to Boss" journey, showing how leaders can transition from peer to manager through coaching, self-awareness, and understanding human communication styles.

They all explain how belonging in the workplace isn’t just "being on the team" but having a say in the plays being called. This requires intentional inclusion, not just surface-level gestures. Amy uses her Nordstrom experience to emphasize how frontline employees and customers often hold the answers leaders seek. Emotional intelligence, she notes, isn’t optional — it’s essential for effective leadership.

Pro tip: skip "HR Jams Vol. 1" and ask your people what playlist makes them feel at home.

The latest episode of the HR Nightmares podcast took a deep dive into the role of workplace design in boosting employee well-being and productivity—because, as Lisa quipped, “If your office looks like a dungeon, don’t be surprised if morale’s in the basement.”

HR Nightmares’ guest, Rick Snyder, a furniture design guru, shared how thoughtful office design can alleviate common HR headaches, from privacy issues in open spaces to the hybrid work puzzle.

The episode spotlighted the rise of hybrid work—with 41% of U.S. companies operating hybrid, 34% fully remote, and 23% in-office only. The hosts, Lisa Leath, Beth Looney and Amy Conway emphasized that a “room with a view” isn’t just a perk; it’s a productivity driver. Creating spaces for collaboration, individual work, and community gathering is key to fostering connection and camaraderie. Their advice? Get employee input during design—because no one wants to be stuck in a "cubicle farm" nightmare.

The conversation wrapped with a call to action to prioritize employee well-being—not just in spirit, but in seating. Ergonomic chairs are a must, since “if you’re going to have employees glued to their seats, at least make sure it’s a throne.” Companies were also urged to improve hybrid collaboration spaces, upgrade office furniture, and consider wellness areas to support mental health. As Lisa said in closing, “Design matters. It’s not just about where you work—it’s about how you feel while you’re there.”

In this episode of HR Nightmares, Lisa Leath and Beth Looney are diving into one of the most polarizing, yet unavoidable, challenges we face in the workplace: navigating sensitive situations around election season. As we get closer to election day, we see more political conversations, social media posts, and yes, even heated debates creeping into the workplace. So how do we as HR leaders manage this delicate balance? How do we protect our company culture, promote inclusivity, and support our employees—without letting politics divide us?

Join us and explore everything from handling political tensions in the office to managing social media activism, and even the potential for unconscious bias creeping into our decision-making processes during these turbulent times. This episode covers the tough, real-world scenarios that HR leaders and companies can’t afford to ignore. #hrnightmares #2024election

This week, the HR Nightmares crew tackled the legal spaghetti bowl that is non-compete agreements and the proposed FTC ban, and they brought in the big legal guns—Katie Greene from Michael Best. Lisa dove into the hot topics keeping employment lawyers and HR leaders up at night—non-compete bans, overtime thresholds, and employee classifications. She managed to make compliance sound almost exciting! Katie Greene from Michael Best chimed in with the latest on how courts are treating non-competes and the non-exempt/ overtime rollercoaster. Fun times ahead when those 2nd round January FLSA salary floor exemption changes hit!

In classic HR Nightmares style, the group offers some (semi-)comforting words to those recently canned. Lisa suggests turning your non-competes into "barely-competes" by keeping them specific and narrow—otherwise, see you in court. With remote work a norm, Katie and Lisa remind us that if your trade secrets are spilling out of Zoom calls, it's time to get serious about information security.

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This episode of HR Nightmares was a ride through the choppy waters of HR. Joined by guest, attorney Geoff Losee, the Leath HR Group hosts navigated topics from open container laws to office romances with the grace of a seasoned sailor This episode of HR Nightmares dives into a whirlwind of workplace issues. From the complexities of maritime law to the everyday challenges of managing employees, pitfalls of open container laws and the importance of solid workplace policies, these four tackle an array of employment nightmares and how to navigate to calmer waters. It's a reminder that even the calmest workplace can unexpectedly turn into a hurricane.

Ever feel like HR is stuck in a filing cabinet from the dark ages? This week on HR Nightmares, the Leath HR Group crew – your friendly neighborhood HR exorcists – are here to slay those workplace woes!

We're throwing down the gauntlet. We're talking clueless HR reps, policy-obsessed robots, and service levels that make the DMV look like Disneyland. Is your HR department more of a roadblock than a resource?

But fear not! We'll also delve into the secrets of a kickass HR leader. Learn how to spot the good, the bad, and the downright scary when it comes to HR leadership. Hint: experience, grit, and a willingness to ditch the rulebook are key!

Plus, we are serving up some serious HR philosophy. It's time to ditch the dusty policy manuals and embrace a more human-centered approach. Because let's face it, robots with hearts make way better HR reps than robots with red tape.

We'll also hear war stories from the trenches of employee management. Learn how to deliver tough news with compassion (even if you have to fire someone who keeps bringing their pet ferret to work – yes, that's a real story!).

And the episode wouldn't be complete without some laughs! Stick around for a lighthearted (and slightly embarrassing) moment with the ladies.

So, tune in! Let's turn those HR nightmares into hilarious cautionary tales (and maybe some valuable takeaways).

Tired of team meetings that sound like a pack of hyenas arguing? This episode's all about unlocking the secret weapon of assessments!

We delve into the Tracom Social Styles model, where Ashley breaks down the four basic human types: the charging Drivers, the lovable Amiables, the bubbly Expressives, and the meticulous Analyticals. Think of it as your guide to navigating the office jungle! Great assessment facilitators train you to speak fluent "people" by adapting your communication style to each type. Imagine a world where your colleagues actually understand what you're saying!

Lisa throws down the "Don't Be a Quizmaster" gauntlet, reminding us that these assessments are tools, not fortune cookies. We dish on the misuse of assessments in hiring, like bombarding candidates with unpaid quizzes or letting unqualified managers decipher their deepest desires. Assessments are all about self-awareness and communication, not replacing good old-fashioned emotional intelligence. Let us know what your favorite assessments are and why!

Firefighter Jarvis Harris joins the Leath HR Group HR crew to share his journey through adversity to becoming a first responder. You’re sure to be inspired by Harris’ dream to become a firefighter since childhood, and how he overcame setbacks to achieve his goal. Lisa Leath, Amy Conway, and Beth Looney talk to Harris about effective interview techniques (emphasizing the importance of authenticity and storytelling), expanding non-traditional talent pipelines (landing high school kids in full-time jobs after graduation), the importance of stepping outside one's comfort zone to get what you want and even inspire others in the process of doing so.

Don’t miss your chance to get FREE HR ADVICE by visiting www.leathhrgroup.com and submitting your anonymous questions to be answered by our team of senior HR experts on the next episode of HR Nightmares!

Struggling to build your dream team? Drowning in HR paperwork?  This isn’t your father’s HR! Lisa Leath, Amy Conway & Beth are here to LEVEL UP your people game!  

Join them as they dish their favorite secrets for hiring rockstars, staying compliant, and keeping your crew happy. Legal & financial jargon got you stressed?  Change got your team overwhelmed?  We have you covered! 

Buckle up for Season 3 - it's going to be epic! 

#HR #Entrepreneur #SmallBusiness #GrowthMindset #BusinessUnusual #nccareercoast