HR Unplugged

Many of us fall into our roles without actively planning our career paths. But just because you’re in a role today doesn’t mean you’re stuck forever. 

In this episode of HR Unplugged, host Vanessa Brulotte is joined by returning guest Kelsey Tarp, Director of HR Business Partners at BambooHR, and executive coach Maria Kyriakos. Together, they discuss how HR professionals can take control of their career growth and mindfully plan their next steps.

They share valuable insights on how to spot when you’re off track, the importance of experimenting in your career, and how to make bold moves even if you’re unsure of the next step. It’s never too late to pivot, and this episode will help you take the reins of your growth.

Key takeaways:

• How to align career growth with personal and professional goals
• Tips for pivoting your career at any stage
• Ways to build a diverse skill set 

Key topics:

(00:00) Introducing Kelsey Tarp & Maria Kyriakos

(05:18) Reflecting on what excites you at work

(09:51) One-way or two-way door decisions

(12:48) Growing faster through actionable feedback

(17:30) Self-leadership and limiting beliefs

(21:33) How to advocate for yourself at work 

(28:48) Assessing your goals and current situation

(34:16) Spotting opportunities for growth

(37:57) Benefits of lateral career transitions

(41:12) Using reflection to move forward with purpose

Key links:

Read BambooHR’s blog, “4 Simple Steps for Better Employee Development Plans”: https://www.bamboohr.com/blog/employee-development-plans

Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/

Join HR Heroes Slack Community: https://www.bamboohr.com/about-bamboohr/customers/hr-community/

BambooHR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/

Connect with Kelsey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseytarp/

Connect with Maria on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-kyriakos/

Read Maria’s Book, Work it!: How to Rock Your Career Intentionally: https://www.amazon.com/Work-Rock-Your-Career-Intentionally/dp/B0DRHTXSKZ

Visit the Leader Assist website and sign up for their newsletter: https://leader-assist.com/

Are you leading your team or just managing them?

The difference between a manager and a mentor can make all the difference. It shapes your team’s performance and longevity in the organization.

In this episode of HR Unplugged, host Vanessa Brulotte talks with Clint Pulver, speaker, author, and President of The Center for Retention, to explore the deep connection between mentorship and employee performance. Clint shares insights from his groundbreaking undercover research across 400+ organizations and 11,000 employee interviews, revealing what makes people say “I love it here”—and mean it.

Key takeaways:

• What employees want from their leaders
• Why emotional safety drives performance
• A practical approach leaders can use to check in effectively

Key topics:

(00:00) Introducing Clint Pulver

(03:28) Why mentorship matters more than management

(06:44) Lasting change is about being consistent over time 

(10:07) High performance comes when there's a connection

(15:09) Be the mentor you were lucky enough to have

(17:50) How to conduct a status interview

(23:25) Four leadership styles and their impact

(27:18) Mentorship happens through trust and choice

(33:14) Building connections in a remote environment

(35:07) A reminder for leaders: You’re doing great

Key links:

Read BambooHR’s research, “The Hostile, the Unfair, and the Toxic: Bad Boss Index 2025”:

https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/assets/ebooks/bad-boss-index.pdf

Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/

Join HR Heroes Slack Community:

https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw

BambooHR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/

Connect with Clint on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clintpulver/ 

Read Clint’s Book, I Love It Here: How Great Leaders Create Organizations that People Never Wanted to Leave.:

https://clintpulver.com/book/

Read Great Place to Work’s blog, “How Much Leaders Care Drives Employee Performance at Best Small and Medium Workplaces”:

https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/how-much-leaders-care-drives-employee-performance-at-best-small-and-medium-workplaces

HR is a strategic function, and one of the best ways to prove it is by bringing data to the table.

In this episode, host Vanessa Brulotte chats with Dr. Mallory Vachon, Chief Economist at LaborIQ, about how HR professionals can use labor market insights to influence hiring, pay, and retention strategies. 

With broad headlines often missing the full story, Mallory shares why labor data shouldn’t be taken at face value. She explains how to focus on what’s most relevant to your organization and where to find reliable sources. She also offers simple ways for both new and experienced HR pros to start using data more confidently.

Whether you’re a team of one or leading a department, learning how to interpret labor data can help you become the trusted advisor your company needs.

Key takeaways:

• How to interpret labor data and apply it to your org
• Where to find trustworthy data sources
• Why headline statistics can be misleading

Key topics:

(00:00) Introducing Mallory Vachon

(02:48) Becoming a trusted advisor in your org

(05:41) Recommended sources for news and trends 

(10:22) When headlines feel different from reality

(14:18) Interpreting 4% wage growth and what it means for compensation

(17:23) How to practice thought leadership in your org

(19:07) Being cautious in the face of disruption

(22:52) Why generational shifts matter for employers

(24:10) Sharing actionable insights on labor market data

Key links:

Download BambooHR’s “2025 Compensation Benchmarking Report”: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/ebooks/compensation-benchmarking-2025

Subscribe to the HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/

Join the HR Heroes Slack Community: https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw

BambooHR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/

Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallory-vachon-phd/

Follow LaborIQ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/laboriq

Learn more about LaborIQ Pay Band Manager™: https://laboriq.co/pay-band-manager/

A new hire’s first few months can make or break their long-term success at a company. This crucial period shapes their understanding of company culture, their role, and ultimately, whether they decide to stay or go. 

In this replay episode of HR Unplugged, former host Anita Grantham is joined by Megan Galloway, Founder of Everleader, to discuss how onboarding can make all the difference. 

Megan shares insights from her work with BambooHR to improve their onboarding process, highlighting the importance of leadership buy-in, manager involvement, and creating an experiential onboarding experience. Megan and Anita explore how values can be integrated from day one and why it’s essential for onboarding to go beyond orientation to engage new hires.

Key takeaways:

• Why onboarding should be immersive and experiential
• The critical role of managers in onboarding new hires
• How to measure the success of your onboarding process

Key topics:

(00:00) Introducing Megan Galloway

(01:29) How onboarding affects employee engagement and retention

(03:56) The importance of communicating company values

(06:41) Creating experiential onboarding for new hires

(14:07) Metrics to measure onboarding success

(18:10) Common onboarding mistakes

(24:12) How to ensure values are lived throughout the organization

(30:01) Company values should constantly evolve

Key links:

Read BambooHR’s blog, “Why Is the Onboarding Process So Important? 5 Key Purposes”: https://www.bamboohr.com/blog/the-many-purposes-of-the-onboarding-process

Read BambooHR’s blog, “The 5 Most Common Onboarding Mistakes to Avoid”: https://www.bamboohr.com/blog/most-common-onboarding-mistakes

Read BambooHR’s blog, “5 Strategies for Building Company Culture with Your New Hires”: https://www.bamboohr.com/blog/onboard-company-culture

Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/

Join HR Heroes Slack Community: https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw

BambooHR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/

Connect with Megan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megalloway/

Today's workplaces are more diverse than ever. With employees spanning five generations, each with unique expectations, how can companies create a culture that works for everyone?

In this episode, host Vanessa Brulotte sits down with Tara Martell, Chief Customer Officer at BambooHR, and Kate Noel, SVP Head of People Operations at Morning Brew, to discuss the challenges and opportunities of managing a multigenerational workforce.

They explore how generational differences shape communication, technology use, and career expectations—and why it’s crucial to move beyond stereotypes to focus on individual needs. Plus, they share practical ways to adapt leadership, training, and benefits to better support employees at every stage of their careers.

Key takeaways:

• How to better understand the changing needs of each generation
• Strategies for adapting leadership and training to different age groups  
• Practical ways to design benefits that appeal to all employees   

Key topics:

(00:00) Introducing Tara Martell and Kate Noel

(03:13) How generational needs vary in today’s workforce 

(07:22) The rise of work-life flexibility and mental health awareness

(10:15) Learning about your employees’ needs

(15:51) Compensation and benefits for different generations

(20:30) Addressing unique needs through support and training

(24:50) The importance of adapting to a multigenerational workforce

(26:51) Setting expectations for career growth

(32:53) Resources on building inclusive workspaces

(34:58) How to screen applicants for authenticity

Key links:

Read BambooHR’s blog, “4 Tips for Managing a Multigenerational Workforce, From Boomers to Gen Z”:

https://www.bamboohr.com/blog/manage-multigenerational-workforce

Read BambooHR’s blog, “How Different Generations Want To Be Recognized at Work”:

https://www.bamboohr.com/blog/how-different-generations-want-to-be-recognized

Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series:

https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/

Join HR Heroes Slack Community:

https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw

BambooHR Homepage:

https://www.bamboohr.com/

Connect with Tara on LinkedIn: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-martell-b5600b4b

Connect with Kate on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-noel-2b895242/

Sign up for Morning Brew’s Newsletter:

https://www.morningbrew.com/issues/latest

People spend a huge portion of their lives at work, so it’s no surprise that workplace relationships happen. But without clear policies, they can lead to conflicts of interest, unprofessional behavior, and even legal risks.  

When should employees disclose a relationship? How can HR set expectations without overstepping? What role does HR play in preventing harassment at work? A good workplace dating policy answers these questions while keeping things fair, professional, and easy to understand.

Join us as Vanessa Brulotte, Employee Relations Partner at BambooHR, interviews Kelsey Tarp, Director of HR Business Partners at BambooHR, about creating proper dating policies to protect employees and the company. 

  Kelsey shares real examples of how unclear policies can create workplace tension and why disclosure matters for preventing favoritism and bias. Most importantly, Vanessa and Kelsey explore how to ensure workplace relationships—whether they begin or end—don’t disrupt team dynamics.

Key takeaways:

• Why every workplace needs a dating policy
• How to create a policy that employees understand
• Navigating tricky situations with discretion

Key topics:

(00:00) Introducing Kelsey Tarp

(02:20) Craft a workplace dating policy

(05:55) Ensure employees understand your dating policy

(12:37) Which relationships need disclosure?

(18:44) Code of conduct for professional behavior and anti-harassment

(23:03) Build psychological safety through transparency

(30:24) Encourage respectful relationships and accountability

(34:35) Situational judgment for out-of-the-box situations

(37:49) When in doubt, always disclose 

Key links:

Download a free, customizable template for creating your own workplace dating policy:

https://www.bamboohr.com/pl-pages/employee-dating-policy

Read BambooHR’s blog, “Workplace Romance 101”:

https://www.bamboohr.com/blog/workplace-romance

Read BambooHR’s blog, “8 Workplace Romance Facts You Need to Know”: https://www.bamboohr.com/blog/8-workplace-romance-facts-need-know-right-now

Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/

Join HR Heroes Slack Community:

https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw

BambooHR Homepage:

https://www.bamboohr.com/

Connect with Kelsey on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseytarp/

AI has been one of the biggest talking points in HR for the past five years and it has already transformed the way HR operates. Whether you are already using it in your processes or are keen to experiment, this episode offers plenty of actionable tips on the best practices and use cases for AI.

Joining the episode are Ben Eubanks, Chief Research Officer at Lighthouse Research and Advisory and BambooHR’s Head of AI, Alan Whitaker, to share their experiences and advice for using AI the right way.

Ethical considerations around bias are a conundrum for HR pros, but did you know that AI could actually help you stamp out those biases in the recruitment process? Alan and Ben share their tips on how you can use what you know about bias and train AIs to help rather than hinder the process. We hear how to best use AI across different levels of HR, including recruitment, retention, employee satisfaction, and learning and development.

Key moments: 

• Ben explains what’s new in his recent book edition of Artificial Intelligence for HR
• The problems with recruiters and candidates using AI
• The upside of using AI in recruitment
• How AI can help to improve employee retention
• Use cases for AI in HR
• How AI can help in L&D
• Tips for ensuring you use AI ethically 

Key links:

• Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/
• Join HR Heroes Slack Community:
• https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw
• Bamboo HR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/
• Connect with Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beneubanks/
• Connect with Alan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/digiduke/ 

In between ongoing technological developments, new expectations from leaders, and lurking challenges, 2025 is promising to be a big year for HR teams. But how will the average HR leadership role change in the year ahead?

For this episode, we grab the crystal ball and share our top predictions on how roles like Chief People Officer and more are changing as expectations broaden and tech makes new things possible. Vanessa Brulotte speaks with Brandon Welch, Head of Talent Acquisition at BambooHR, and Brad Warga, Partner at Heidrick & Struggles, to hear their takes on the top challenges facing HR professionals this year.

We look at what CEOs want from CPOs today, the current state of AI implementation in HR, how HR teams can plan out a training roadmap for leaders, and much more.

Key moments:

• Why shortage of HR talent remains a top challenge
• How the average role of Chief People Officer has changed
• Why a good balance of hard and soft skills are needed more than ever
• The current state of AI implementation in HR
• How HR teams of one can get ahead in 2025
• The biggest challenge facing HR leaders today
• Attributes that companies need from HR professionals
• Advice for HR professionals in 2025
• Why training remains the biggest asset to a team like HR
• Why employee wellness initiatives are still a major focus for companies in 2025

Key links:

• Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/
• Join HR Heroes Slack Community:
• https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw
• Bamboo HR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/

What were the hottest HR topics of 2024? From navigating tricky hiring challenges to setting employees up for success, join Anita Grantham and Vanessa Brulotte as they break down the ten most popular conversations from HR Unplugged in 2024!

We discuss everything from how the "cake” framework connects to HR strategy to attracting bilingual candidates, and why recruiters shouldn’t feel subordinate to hiring managers.

You’ll also hear about some of the guests we’ve had on the show, including Tim Sackett and Casey Bailey, along with tips on how HR professionals can earn credibility as new hires. Plus, we discuss the importance of deciding on milestones and metrics to ensure transparency in the hiring and onboarding process, as well as how to make the most of performance reviews.

Key moments:

• Why job onboarding is often overlooked compared to paperwork and company onboarding
• The importance of tone and approach when dealing with sensitive topics, such as firing
• Why developing a scorecard for hiring is essential
• How to set employees up for success by demonstrating what winning looks like
• Why performance in a role should be tied back to performance management
• How to maximize the impact of performance improvement plans
• How to structure the first forty-four days of employee success

Key links:

• Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/
• Join HR Heroes Slack Community:
• https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw
• Bamboo HR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/

From writing job descriptions to scheduling interviews, selecting applicants to assessing candidate quality, the hiring process is time-consuming and difficult. And after all that, the person who gets the job may not be the right fit! However, hiring well is vital to the ongoing success of any organization. In short, hiring needs to be done right.

In this episode, we sit down with Tim Sackett, President of HRU Technical Resources and a best-selling HR author, to discuss how to make the hiring process as smooth as possible. We discuss measuring quality of hire, the reality of selecting bad candidates, and some common TA pitfalls.

Tim also recounts some of his most memorable HR experiences and discusses how generative AI is impacting the work that hiring teams do.

Key moments:

• Why a job sample is the best way of assessing candidate quality
• Why it’s important not to blame one another for bad candidates
• How to use data to judge quality of hire
• Why TA and HR are not a cost center, but an essential business function
• The importance of well-thought-out job descriptions and why hiring managers often ‘skate’ on writing these
• Why quality of hire is industry-specific
• The ways in which the idea of ‘quality of hire’ can be problematic

Key links:

• Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/
• Join HR Heroes Slack Community:
• https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw
• Bamboo HR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/
• Connect with Tim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsackett/