A clear, thought-out paid time off (PTO) system brings a plethora of benefits to your organization, including improved job satisfaction, staff retention and recruitment help.

Plus, it can encourage employees to be more loyal, motivated and productive.

So how can business leaders build a PTO strategy that truly benefits their team?

On this episode of HR Unplugged, our Head of HR and HR Business Partner, Anita Grantham and Vanessa Brulotte, explore how leaders can instill a culture that empowers employees to take self-care seriously and make use of PTO, for the benefit of themselves, their bosses and the business.

Key moments:

• Why employees not taking PTO can cause poor job satisfaction
• How PTO benefits productivity and happiness
• Why employees feel guilty taking PTO
• Advice for taking PTO in a small business
• How HR managers can align PTO policies with their teams
• How PTO improves your recruitment

Key links:

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

If you don’t have a compensation philosophy tied to your mission, vision and values, it’s time to start building one. Carefully considering compensation allows you to gauge how transparent you will be with your employees as well as attract and retain top talent. 

But what are the first steps towards building a philosophy that works for you? 

Alex Bertin, Head of Total Rewards, is back on HR Unplugged to walk us through brand-new BambooHR data on compensation. He shares what lessons businesses can take to build stronger bonds with their employees, increase job satisfaction and improve retention rates. 

Key moments: 

• How to create a better bond between employees and employers 
• Why it’s crucial employees understand your pay strategies 
• The equitable best practices to add to your hiring strategy 
• Advice for those who can’t see progression in their company 
• How to decide what pay transparency means in your workplace 
• Why HR should not be directly responsible for monitoring performance 

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/ 
• Total Compensation Calculator: https://www.bamboohr.com/blog/total-compensation-calculator-measure-improve-your-comp[…]ffline&utm_source=webinar&utm_content=blank&utm_term=Webinar  
• Find Alex’s previous appearance on HR Unplugged: https://www.bamboohr.com/webinars/hr-unplugged-episode-31  
• Compensation Trends for 2024: Deflation, Transparency, and Benefits: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/guides/compensation-trends

Many companies want to improve their efforts when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). But progress doesn’t happen overnight. So what first steps can leaders take to ensure it becomes and remains a top priority? 

Hiring isn’t easy, period…and adding DEI into the mix can often make it harder, especially when recruiting in industries that typically aren’t diverse. That’s why your DEI strategy needs to be long-term, so you can identify and nurture the people you want to hire. 

Lauren Leader, co-founder and CEO of All In Together, joins this episode of HR Unplugged to discuss how to build a more diverse and welcoming team. We hear her takes on the biggest DEI challenges, what makes diverse teams thrive and how to improve hiring and promotion practices.   

Key moments: 

• The biggest challenges companies face around diversity, equity and inclusion 
• What makes diverse talent thrive in the workplace 
• Why organizations need policies on personal social media 
• How to assess and track your DEI strategy 
• Why middle management need more support to prioritize DEI 
• The best ways to improve hiring and promotion practices 

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 Lauren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenleaderchivee/  

Every company wants the best talent out there, so it can be challenging to stay ahead of the competition. What worked for your recruitment process in the past may no longer be the best option, as recruitment and onboarding expectations change. 

A great way to stay ahead of the recruitment game is to embrace network hiring. Network hiring means tapping into your network and connections to find talent. Part of that is building a great referral process to encourage current employees to refer people they know and trust. 

Joining this episode of the podcast is Scott Sinatra, CEO and Co-Founder of Bountiful. With vast experience in companies such as Glint and Glassdoor, we wanted his take on what it takes to find and keep top talent in the workplace. He shares his thoughts on network hiring and tips on how to manage an employee referral program.

Key moments:

• The top challenges in recruiting today
• Why the recruitment process is broken
• How to engage in network hiring
• Advice for those who want to hire within their network
• How to manage a referral program
• Tips for finding the best talent

Key links:

• Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/
• Join HR Heros Slack Community: https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw
• Connect with Scott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-sinatra-b399312/

Company culture sits at the heart of every organization, whether it’s been carefully defined or otherwise. But how can managers ensure they’re building a culture of collaboration, compassion and strong communication? 

To foster a positive company culture, you must connect it to your mission, vision and values, establish clear goals and respond positively to employee feedback. Get the culture right and passionate employees, satisfied customers and improved business performance will follow. 

On this episode, our Head of HR, Anita Grantham, and HR Business Partner, Vanessa Brulotte, explore how you can take your company culture from good to great. They discuss how to identify if your culture is working, develop culture in a fully remote team and promote teamwork and collaboration. 

Key moments: 

• How to establish clear goals in your culture strategy 
• Making space for compassionate conversations 
• The best ways to improve your communication 
• How to connect your culture to your mission, vision and values 
• Identifying how to foster collaboration and teamwork 
• The best ways to measure employee feedback and adjust your culture strategy 
• How to communicate how you want your teams to focus on collaboration and culture 

Key links: 

• Culture Checklist: 12 Ways to Improve Your Company Culture: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/whitepapers/culture-checklist?formSubmit=success  
• The Definitive Guide to Company Culture [eBook]: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/ebooks/definitive-guide-company-culture?formSubmit=success  
• Your Guide to Creating Company Values [eBook]: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/ebooks/guide-company-values?formSubmit=success 
• Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/ 
• Join HR Heros Slack Community: 
• https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw

As HR leaders, we’re in the business of people – and if your people aren’t happy, it can cause major roadblocks for a business, drive top talent away, and affect company culture. 

We invited Jennifer Decker, Director of HR and Senior Client Services Manager at Donaldson Capital Management, to join HR Unplugged and share her insights into what HR can do to boost employee happiness, wellbeing, and engagement. 

Jennifer and BambooHR’s Anita Grantham and Vanessa Brulotte explore the actions HR leaders can take, why employee happiness is decreasing across industries and the best practices for improving morale.  

For more, don’t forget to subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/     

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

Key Moments: 

• Why employee happiness is decreasing  
• How the economy is affecting employee satisfaction 
• Why HR leaders should focus on increasing employee engagement 
• Best practices for improving employee morale 
• Pro tips for boosting engagement 
• Actions HR leaders can take to enhance employee wellness 

Key Links: 

• Connect with Jennifer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmdecker/  

With employee retention remaining one of the biggest challenges for companies, it’s more important than ever that you build a great benefits package that keeps top talent on board. Building a comprehensive benefits package for employees can go a long way in helping them feel supported and valued – and it can do wonders for employee retention. 

To build a total rewards package, you need to think beyond base pay. In fact, in a competitive talent market, competing on compensation alone is no longer enough. To help attract and retain top talent, companies need to go further and offer benefits that employees truly want and need.  

In this episode, we welcomed Alex Bertin, Head of Total Rewards at BambooHR, to share his thoughts and advice on building a total rewards package that makes employees feel valued and happy in their roles.  

Key Moments: 

• What is the employee value proposition? 
• Why you should connect rewards to your company mission 
• Defining total rewards strategy 
• Why you may need to “re-recruit” employees 
• How to decide which benefits to offer 
• How to make data-driven decisions about benefits 
• How we approach benefits at BambooHR 

For more insights into becoming a great HR leader, subscribe to the HR Unplugged series or join our HR Heroes Slack community. 

Competition for talent is at an all time high, and this trend extends to the HR industry as well. To optimize recruitment efforts, processes need to be rigorous. So what are the most effective best practices for identifying ideal candidates?  

On this episode of HR Unplugged, Anita Grantham, Head of HR, and Vanessa Brulotte, Human Resources Business Partner, are joined by Mason Calaiaro, Leadership Talent Acquisition Manager at Greenhouse Software. 

Mason shares expert tips on choosing the right hires, eliminating bias and implementing quiet hiring the right way. Plus, she provides advice on building a positive candidate experience and tells us why scorecards form the perfect foundation for a structured hiring process. 

Key Links: 

• Connect with Mason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-calaiaro-10267634/  
• Subscribe to the HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/ 
• Join the HR Heros Slack Community: 
• https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw 

It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, leaders are absolutely crucial to the future of your business.  

$366 million is spent globally on leadership development per year and around half of that is in the US alone. There’s also proof that this figure will grow, so what should businesses and HR teams be thinking about when it comes to fostering the next generation of leaders? 

In this HR Unplugged episode, BambooHR’s Human Resources Business Partner, Vanessa Brulotte, joins Head of HR, Anita Grantham, to discuss how to best equip the next generation of leaders. 

Plus, they explore how leadership is changing, the power of mentorship and why leadership strategy should be directly linked to company strategy. 

Key Moments: 

• The importance of building tomorrow’s leaders 
• Why leadership development spend will continue to rise 
• How leaders can align with business strategies 
• What leaders should consider for their leadership development programs 
• Applying ‘radical candor’ to your system 
• The skills required of tomorrow’s leaders 
• Navigating the next generation of leaders through rapid change 
• Managing multi-generational teams 
• Should leadership development programs be led by founders of HR staff? 

Key Links: 

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

The use of AI tools is growing in just about every industry right now, and HR is no exception. In fact, many HR leaders are using it as part of their day-to-day processes and are seeing great results.  

However, AI is not a replacement for HR professionals, and it’s important to be aware of the shortcomings as well as the benefits. To get a well-rounded picture of the state of AI in HR, we welcomed the Head of AI at BambooHR, Alan Whitaker, to the podcast. 

Alan explores the pros and cons of using AI, as well as some important elements to be aware of, such as security, bias, and compliance issues. He also explains a little about how we’re using AI at BambooHR and our plans for the future. 

Key Moments: 

• Why we use AI at BambooHR 
• What AI tools are useful for in the workplace 
• The shortfalls of AI  
• The state of AI in HR today 
• Different use cases for AI in HR 
• How AI can benefit HR leaders 
• How to protect data while using AI tools 
• AI problems that we need to overcome in HR  
• BambooHR’s AI plans in the future 

Key Links: 

Connect with Alan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/digiduke/