I Hate It Here

You know I love a good HR horror story…there are PLENTY of them! 

I would just prefer fewer of them to involve me personally. 

I’m back with more workplace terrors, including the employee who made me rethink my Instagram follow requests and the company after-after-party that becomes HR’s Monday morning investigation. 

Consider this another installment of somebody did something, and their org needing a new policy as a result. 

I’m getting into social media, off-duty conduct, and AI policies that can help spare you a few future horrors. Buckle up and let’s get spooky!

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Your talent data is only as valuable as the decisions it improves.

Quantum Workplace connects signals across engagement, performance, development, and recognition, giving HR and people leaders a clear view of what’s happening across their workforce. With more context, clarity, and confidence, leaders can focus on what matters, make stronger people decisions, and build thriving teams.

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more.

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If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content!

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Follow Hebba

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Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Your manager has avoided giving feedback for six months, and now they want someone fired by Friday. Guess whose problem that becomes???

This week, I’m joined by Ashley Herd, founder of Manager Method (https://www.managermethod.com), to talk about the managers keeping HR busy and questioning everything! 

We get into performance improvement plans, the beloved HR made me do it excuse, and what SHRM’s courtroom drama can teach the rest of us. 

I also confess to some questionable moments from my own management era, because unfortunately…self-awareness means remembering. 

Come find out why your leadership style might be compared to a pair of deeply uncomfortable pants!

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Your talent data is only as valuable as the decisions it improves.

Quantum Workplace connects signals across engagement, performance, development, and recognition, giving HR and people leaders a clear view of what’s happening across their workforce. With more context, clarity, and confidence, leaders can focus on what matters, make stronger people decisions, and build thriving teams.

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more.

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If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content!

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Follow Ashley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyherd/

Follow Hebba

YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

I invited RyanMae McAvoy Pepin and Josiah Hernández back to talk HR, and somehow we ended up recruiting for a hypothetical cult and debating whether Michael Scott deserves a little credit. 

I also made them play a quote guessing game, because we’re determined to have a little fun around here!

But between the questionable impressions and pop culture detours, we get into invasive interview questions and why having a life outside work shouldn’t require proof of children.

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Your talent data is only as valuable as the decisions it improves.

Quantum Workplace connects signals across engagement, performance, development, and recognition, giving HR and people leaders a clear view of what’s happening across their workforce. With more context, clarity, and confidence, leaders can focus on what matters, make stronger people decisions, and build thriving teams.

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more.

---

If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content!

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Follow RyanMae on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rm80920/

Follow Josiah onLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josiah23/

Follow Hebba

YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We’re back in action, and I gave this season one rule: anything but AI. 

Naturally, Jessica Winder and I immediately tested that boundary, but trust me, we have plenty to say about how this year has turned out so far!

My fellow Cackle Queen is back to revisit our HR ins and outs, unpack why “job hugging” sounds suspiciously cute for being terrified to quit, and discuss the managers getting promoted with absolutely no training. 

There’s also a few work stats that you have to hear to believe!

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Your talent data is only as valuable as the decisions it improves.

Quantum Workplace connects signals across engagement, performance, development, and recognition, giving HR and people leaders a clear view of what’s happening across their workforce. With more context, clarity, and confidence, leaders can focus on what matters, make stronger people decisions, and build thriving teams.

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more.

---

If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content!

---

Follow Hebba

YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

I started this solo episode planning to talk about the evolution of HR, and ended up using one of my fav shows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, to explain why this job can be emotionally unhinged, and suspiciously dependent on one exhausted woman saving everybody. 

We’re getting into the mental-health toll of HR, the workplace chaos currently entering the group chat, and why being the chosen one is actually a pretty terrible operating model if you think about it.

Come for the interesting HR data, and stay for the Buffy lore… filled with spoilers, FYI!

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With Shapes, people management looks completely different.

Think AI agents handling the routine, a secure HR core, and the ability to build any people tool your org needs, just by describing it in plain english in their built in Shapes Vibe studio.

If your systems feel stuck in 2015, go check out Shapes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shapes.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

---

If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content!

---

Follow Hebba

YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Come join Hebba at Safe Space Summit 2026 in Huntington Beach, CA! To learn more, check out:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.safespacesummit.com/

HR keeps getting handed the mop after someone else’s AI strategy floods the building, and frankly, I’m pretty sure you’re already over it! 

I sat down with the wonderful Shirley Baumer, co-founder and CPO at Shapes (https://shapes.co/), to talk about why people leaders should be the ones driving AI transformation, how to develop a builder mindset, and why you don’t need to know how to code to solve the problems making you scream into the mirror every day. 

We’re taking the wheel, babes!

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With Shapes, people management looks completely different.

Think AI agents handling the routine, a secure HR core, and the ability to build any people tool your org needs, just by describing it in plain english in their built in Shapes Vibe studio.

If your systems feel stuck in 2015, go check out Shapes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shapes.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

---

If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content!

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Follow Shirley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirleyjb/

Follow Hebba

YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Come join Hebba at Safe Space Summit 2026 in Huntington Beach, CA! To learn more, check out:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.safespacesummit.com/

AI is already crashing the workplace party, but apparently, the humans were left off the guest list! 

Today, I’m joined by attorney and human-centered leadership strategist Val Jensen to talk about biased tools, performative people-first promises, and why letting AI make decisions about employees is a legal and ethical dumpster fire waiting to happen. 

We’re also getting into who’s actually responsible when AI causes harm, and why most companies are wildly unprepared, while leadership is sprinting toward the robots. 

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With Shapes, people management looks completely different.

Think AI agents handling the routine, a secure HR core, and the ability to build any people tool your org needs, just by describing it in plain english in their built in Shapes Vibe studio.

If your systems feel stuck in 2015, go check out Shapes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shapes.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠

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If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content!

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Follow Val on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-jensen-jd-she-her-hers/

Follow Hebba

YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Come join Hebba at Safe Space Summit 2026 in Huntington Beach, CA! To learn more, check out:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.safespacesummit.com/

Change is inevitable, but apparently at some orgs, explaining it to people is optional! 

In this episode, I’m joined by Kaity Jacobsen (Director, Talent Engagement at Xactly) to talk about why leaders keep obsessing over all these sexy strategies while treating change management like HR’s annoying little side quest.

We get into AI agents, broken trust, typical corporate chaos, and why no robot is ever going to save you from having an actual convo with your employees about any of this stuff. Tragic, I know!

With Shapes, people management looks completely different.

Think AI agents handling the routine, a secure HR core, and the ability to build any people tool your org needs, just by describing it in plain english in their built in Shapes Vibe studio.

If your systems feel stuck in 2015, go check out Shapes at ⁠⁠⁠https://shapes.co/⁠⁠⁠

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If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content!

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Follow Kaity on LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaityjacobsen/

Follow Hebba

YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Come join Hebba at Safe Space Summit 2026 in Huntington Beach, CA! To learn more, check out:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.safespacesummit.com/

AI conversations are everywhere right now, but confidence and competence aren't actually moving together, and that gap should worry you more than it does.

I'm joined by Theresa Fesinstine, founder of PeoplePower.ai and creator of the AI Fluency Compass, an assessment that over 850 HR leaders have now taken. Turns out about 40% of people who take it present way more confidently than they actually perform. Not great!

We get into why HR keeps telling itself it's "not technical enough," the real difference between confidence that's earned and confidence that just performs well in a meeting, and why checking your AI tool settings might be the single most underrated move you can make right now. We also cover agentic AI risk, the pressure to keep up so you don't get left behind, and what it actually looks like to lead your org through this instead of just reacting to it.

If you've ever nodded along in a meeting about AI while quietly having no idea what anyone's talking about, this one's for you

With Shapes, people management looks completely different.

Think AI agents handling the routine, a secure HR core, and the ability to build any people tool your org needs, just by describing it in plain english in their built in Shapes Vibe studio.

If your systems feel stuck in 2015, go check out Shapes at ⁠⁠https://shapes.co/⁠⁠

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If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content!

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Follow Theresa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresafesinstine/

Follow Hebba

YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠⁠⁠⁠

Come join Hebba at Safe Space Summit 2026 in Huntington Beach, CA! To learn more, check out:⁠⁠ https://www.safespacesummit.com/

Featured Guest: Allison Howell (CEO, Hogan Assessments)

This is The Leadership Divide, a special series with Hogan Assessments in partnership with I Hate It Here! 

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We spent this entire series proving that leadership fails because orgs KEEP choosing leaders using criteria held together by bias and outdated tactics!

In this finale, I’m bringing back Hogan Assessments CEO Allison Howell to talk about everything that breaks when bad leadership takes over, why women were never the problem (shocking absolutely no one), and how small acts of workplace rebellion can help us build something better. 

Dare I say, it’s one of those convos that might even give you a little hope for the future!

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Hogan Assessments is the international leader in personality insights.

With the world’s largest database of personality research and decades’ worth of experience in psychometrics, Hogan produces valid, reliable personality assessments that measure everyday strengths, potential shortcomings, and values and motivators.

Hogan’s solutions empower organizations to hire the right people without bias, boost productivity, reduce turnover, promote diversity and inclusion, identify high-potential talent, develop leaders, and inspire employees to do their best. 

To learn more, check them out at ⁠⁠⁠http://hogan.to/ihateithere⁠⁠⁠

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And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration.⁠⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠

And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content!

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Follow Allison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonhowell2/

Follow Hebba: 

YouTube:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠⁠⁠

Twitter:⁠⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠⁠