In this podcast interview with Karen Stevens of RiseSmart, we talk about some of the data discovered in RiseSmart's upcoming 2014 Study on Severance and Workforce Transition. Among the insights unpacked in this session are the risks to employer brand when organizations are missing a sound severance strategy, the reasons why this severance study is unique to those conducted in the past, and a glimpse into other creative severance benfits from forward-thinking organizations.

In this exclusive HCI podcast for the 2014 Talent Pulse: The Mindful Employee research report, we talked to author and meditation expert, Sharon Salzberg. Sharon is also the co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts.In this 10 minute interview, we asked Sharon Salzberg: What is the driving force behind the popularity of mindfulness? What are the benefits of using mindfulness techniques at work? What are some activities and techniques that employees can use both within the workplace and when they are away from work? What advice would you give to organizations looking to start mindfulness program and activities, and how can organizations demonstrate the advantages of mindfulness to their senior leaders?

In this exclusive HCI podcast for the 2014 Talent Pulse: The Mindful Employee research report, we talked to experienced talent management professional, Joanne Colautti. She is the Associate Director, Office of the Global Chairman at KPMG. In this 10 minute interview, we asked Joanne Colautti: What are the most pressing distractions for employees and how is your organization addressing these distractions? What is your organization doing to reduce or modify travel or meetings for employees? Do you see any advantages for allowing employees to engage in activity that is not directly related to their work?

In this exclusive HCI podcast for the 2014 Talent Pulse: The Mindful Employee research report, we talked to Gloria Mark professor of informatics at the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences at University of California, Irvine. In this 10 minute interview, we asked Dr. Mark: What are the effects of multi-tasking on employee performance? What are some tactics that employers and employees can use to alleviate the effects of these distractions? Is it important for individuals to disconnect from technology, and what can individuals do to help them disconnect?

Listen to an interview with Matt Kaiser, Employer Branding and Digital Recruitment, Global Talent Acquisition at Ericsson, as he discusses his upcoming keynote session, Talent Acquisition Transformed: Driving Innovation from Methods to Measurement which will be featured at HCI’s 2014 Talent Acquisition Innovation Forum.

Miguel Joey Aviles, Chief Learnig Officer, Young Government Leaders, offers advice from his experiences as a millennial leader and frames this within his own 10 principles to prepare future leaders. Miguel believes in a shared responsibility to develop employees, and that without the guidance of organizational leaders, the high potential employee will seek opportunities elsewhere.

Niamh Cassidy, Global Head of Talent Acquisition for Novartis Vaccines, joins HCI for a podcast exploring the role HR plays in mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Niamh begins sharing some useful metrics firms should be tracking leading up the M&A or joint venture and explains the value a data scientist/data storyteller brings to the process. Diving into the challenges firms will face, Niamh describes the pitfalls of merging to different cultures and gives some tips to protect the employer brand during the M&A. Niamh wraps up her conversation sharing some tips to rebuild the trust and team morale after the M&A completion.

Elaine Orler, President and Founder of Talent Function, joins HCI for a discussion on the future of HR technology and the role mobile will play. Elaine begins with explaining the role well crafted job descriptions play in establishing the brand and culture of the firm and segues into some advice on how to get the firm mobile along with some common pitfalls to avoid. Next, Elaine shares what she would do differently if she could reinvent the application process to eliminate the frustration and waste. Orler concludes the conversation with some predictions of the future of wearables for HR.

Does it matter how your office is set up? How big should your cafeteria tables be and why does that matter? What role can wearables play in increasing the efficiency of your office? Ben Waber, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sociometric Solutions joins HCI for a special podcast exploring the science behind communication in the workplace and the role of wearables can play for human capital.

David Cory from The Emotional Intelligence Training Company, Inc. looks at organizations that are currently struggling to acknowledge that leadership has changed. In order to get the best results from the next generation of employees, there needs to be a social contract between employer and employee that adheres to the principles of new-school leadership.