I Hate It Here

New year, new perspective?

As we get ready to face the new year, we may need some inspiration to tackle the never ending dumpster-fire that can be HR and People Ops. 

In this special episode, we've gathered insights from some of the top HR experts around. Join Hebba in the all-star studded episode where she asks her guests one important question: 

“What’s your one wish for HR in 2024?”

From prioritizing employee well-being to reevaluating the job candidate experience and reassessing the value of DE&I, if you’re looking for some inspiration for your own HR goals into the new year, you won't want to miss out on this episode! 

For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. 

Follow Hebba: 

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. 

Find out more about 15Five here.

And if you'd like to keep learning, Hootsuite’s new 2023 Social Media Career Report is loaded with insights about social marketers’ pay, promotions, job satisfaction, challenges, gender pay equity, mental health, and more—to help you attract, hire, and retain the best social marketers.

Uncover the state (and state of mind) of the social media marketer in the full report!

Did you know that 63% of workers who receive low-quality feedback are likely to quit within the next year? 

Performance feedback isn’t just an HR problem, it’s a business problem. And in this week’s pod, Hebba’s sitting down with Kieran Snyder, CEO and Co-founder of Textio, to dive deep into the world of performance management and fairness in the workplace. 

Is being labeled an overachiever really just coded language for exceeding management’s low expectations? And what role can accountability and quality feedback play in creating a fairer system?  

Kieran sheds light on the vicious cycle between performance feedback and confirmation bias and explains why true accountability at all levels is essential. She unpacks how women and people of color often face different feedback standards than other groups, and reveals why management must face the same performance standards as everyone else in order for a system to truly be equitable.  

And stay tuned to discover how Textio is working to bridge the gap between HR leaders' intent for fairness and the tools available to them.

00:00:00 - Improving Communication at Work 

00:02:52 - The Truth About Training and Performance Management

00:04:53 - Improving Fairness in Performance Management

00:09:07 - Common Challenges in Traditional Performance Reviews

00:17:10 - The Impact of Confirmation Bias in the Workplace

00:24:45 - Improving Employee Feedback with Software

00:27:00 - Improving Quality Feedback from Managers

00:30:35 - Closing the Gap on Pay Equity

00:32:56 - Addressing Systemic Racism in the Workplace 

00:35:24 - Closing the Gender Feedback Gap

00:39:58 - The Importance of Feedback Culture

For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page.  

Learn More About Textio: 

Website: https://textio.com/

Follow Kieran:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kieran-snyder-60572987/

Follow Hebba: 

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. 

Find out more about 15Five here.

Spotted in the Podcast studio this week: Hebba Youssef and Rodney Evans chatting about the role of gossip in the workplace and how sometimes, it can actually be a good thing (IKR?). 

Brave New Work podcast host and Partner at The Ready, Rodney Evans was heard talking up a storm about the unseen emotional labor of HR professionals in the workplace and breaking free from the codependent caretaker role they often take on. 

I also heard a juicy rumor that HR might go the way of the dinosaurs. Out with a bang, amiright?

My sources heard Rodney say, “It’s an evolve-or-die situation for HR. If HR doesn’t take the evolution game seriously, it’s just going to become a non-function. It will ultimately be disbanded if it doesn’t change into the thing that HR people know it should be.”

Later, Rodney and Hebba were overheard discussing the pitfalls of performance management, the power of influencing and politicking, and the importance of having a clear vision and obtaining the necessary permissions to drive change. 

But don’t take it from me. Tune in to hear all the hot tea they spilled in the podcast for yourselves. Trust me, it’s a game-changer.

XOXO

-Gossip Girl

00:00:09 - The Cycle of Rescuing and Regret

00:01:12 - Exploring Workplace Cultures with Rodney Evans

00:01:46 - The Evolution of HR: Adapt or Perish

00:03:54 - The Unseen Emotional Labor of HR

00:07:43 - Breaking Free from Codependent HR Behavior

00:12:27 - The Role of Gossip in Establishing Rules

00:20:39 - The Impact of Influencing in the Workplace

00:28:17 - Transforming HR: Permission, Not Perfection

00:32:10 - Navigating the Challenges of HR Initiatives

00:39:32 - Creating Psychological Safety in Meetings

00:44:09 - The Evolution and Challenges of HR

00:45:59 - Connect with Rodney for HR Insights

For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. 

Follow Rodney: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodneyeevans/

Website: https://www.theready.com   

Follow Hebba: 

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. 

Find out more about 15Five here.

It’s not that HR doesn’t want to pay you equitably… It’s that sometimes we just can’t. The odds are… rarely ever in our favor. So what can we do to eliminate the constant source friction that pay inequity causes?   

Hebba dives into the complex world of compensation management with guest Enrique Esclusa, co-founder and co-CEO of Assemble. They unravel the reasons why understanding equity as an employee is so important, the role of market data in decision-making, and the challenges HR departments face in managing pay equity and transparency.

Enrique shares insights on how misalignment between leadership, HR, recruiting, and finance can lead to compensation problems, and emphasizes the need for fair and consistent practices. 

Plus, can we finally just be done with the shortcomings of spreadsheet compensation management? Enrique certainly thinks so—he explains the benefits of using a platform like Assemble to streamline the process and ensure pay transparency and equity.

00:00:00 - Assemble: Revolutionizing Compensation Management Platform

00:01:02 - HR Hot Take

00:02:50 - Avoiding Common Mistakes in Compensation Management

00:05:57 - Aligning Leadership and HR

00:10:56 - The Downside of Traditional Compensation Management

00:16:48 - Boosting Employee Morale with Transparent Compensation

00:25:08 - Understanding Equity: 3 Key Factors

00:31:46 - The Importance of Data in HR Compensation

00:40:50 - Addressing Pay Equity in DEI Programs

00:47:52 - The Root Cause of Compensation Problems

00:53:57 - HR's Potential to Fix Compensation Problems

For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. 

Learn More About Assemble: 

Website: https://www.assemble.inc/demo

Follow Enrique:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/enrique-j-esclusa/

Follow Hebba: 

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. 

Find out more about 15Five here.

Who needs Halloween night, when we barely survive our own horror story each and every day? 

Join Hebba as she shares hair-raising HR horror stories that will send shivers up your spine and make you double-check each and every email and document you send in this Halloween special.

From ghostbusting in the workplace to employees submitting unusual receipts, she’s got audience stories that will leave you even more scarred for life than *that one* scene from “Signs.” …Yeah, you know the one we’re talking about. 

But it's not all fright and fear—Hebba also discusses some real-life workplace issues, such as morale, growth, and talent retention. Discover the challenges of creating a dog-friendly office and the unexpected consequences of implementing new benefits.

And if you have your own HR horror story to share, don't be afraid to submit your own spine-chilling tales through Hebba’s anonymous form.

So grab your favorite Halloween treat, lock your computer, strap down you last shred of sanity, and prepare for a descent into the upside-down world of HR!

00:00:00 - HR Horror Stories Shared on Podcast

00:02:44 - Employee Discovers Termination Email on Manager's Computer

00:04:05 - The Hilarious Expense Receipt Fail

00:06:38 - AI Notetaker Bots Transforming Meeting Efficiency

00:09:17 - Avoid HR Mistakes: Double Check

00:11:29 - Solving Morale, Growth, and Talent Retention Issues

00:13:18 - Halloween-Inspired HR Horror Stories

00:14:40 - Manager's Inappropriate Relationships Cause Scandal

For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. 

Follow Hebba: 

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. 

Find out more about 15Five here.

Burnout and failure are inevitable in HR. So how can we grow and learn from our own mistakes?

Tracie Sponenberg, Chief People Officer of the Granite Group, joins Hebba to discuss her storied career in HR and to share her love/hate relationship with the industry as a whole. She reveals why open communication and having conversations with your employees, whether it’s good, bad, or anything in between is vital to anyone working in HR. 

Then, she and Hebba delve into various topics, including the challenges of maintaining a small company culture while scaling, the changing landscape of HR roles, and the shift towards leading with humanity rather than compliance.

And stay tuned because later, Tracie opens up about her own experiences with burnout and offers advice on setting boundaries and protecting yourself from burnout in the HR field.

00:01:36 - HR Hot Take

00:03:43 - From Personnel to HR: Finding My Passion

00:07:40 - Key Inflection Points in Tracy’s HR Career

00:11:53 - The Changing Landscape of HR

00:18:08 - The Emotional Burden of HR

00:22:59 - The Evolution of HR and Internal Communication

00:26:35 - Maintaining Company Culture as You Scale

00:28:52 - Preventing and Healing from Burnout

00:37:19 - The Future of HR and People: More Advisory and External Roles

00:43:29 - The Importance of Communication with CEOs

For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. 

Follow Tracie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traciesponenberg/

Follow Hebba: 

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. 

Find out more about 15Five here.

And if you'd like to keep learning, Hootsuite’s new 2023 Social Media Career Report is loaded with insights about social marketers’ pay, promotions, job satisfaction, challenges, gender pay equity, mental health, and more—to help you attract, hire, and retain the best social marketers.

Uncover the state (and state of mind) of the social media marketer in the full report!

Determining if employee-workplace fit should be a two-way street. So why does the recruitment process feel like a one-way street for so many job-seekers? 

Jessica Winder, Senior VP of People at Refine Labs, shares her insights on how workplaces should rethink compatibility, and the steps employees can take to ensure a potential workplace is right for them.  

From considering factors like transparency in the interview process to creating lists and asking the right questions, Jessica provides valuable advice for job seekers like the importance of work-life balance, career growth, and compensation in the decision-making process. 

00:01:43 - The Truth Behind Corporate Math

00:02:55 - How to Determine Company Compatibility

00:03:45 - The Importance of Flexibility and Innovation in the Workplace

00:06:30 - Interview Tips: The Power of Lists

00:07:47 - Red Flags to Watch for in Job Interviews

00:11:47 - Navigating Temporary Jobs During Unemployment

00:16:15 - The Rise of Remote Work

00:18:18 - The Importance of Leadership in Job Interviews

00:22:13 - Ensuring Candidates Understand Company Culture

00:25:43 - The Problem with the Phrase "Culture Fit"

00:28:57 - Ranking the Importance of Workplace Factors

00:32:09 - Research Before Accepting a Job

For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. 

Follow Jessica:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicadwinder/

Buy Her Book “The Hidden Gem Within”

Follow Hebba: 

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. 

Find out more about 15Five here.

And if you'd like to keep learning, Hootsuite’s new 2023 Social Media Career Report is loaded with insights about social marketers’ pay, promotions, job satisfaction, challenges, gender pay equity, mental health, and more—to help you attract, hire, and retain the best social marketers.

Uncover the state (and state of mind) of the social media marketer in the full report!

Startup founders aren’t always building their companies with equity in mind…

On this week’s pod, Hebba sits down with Desiree Morton, a DEI practitioner and tech founder, to discuss the importance of building companies with equity in mind from the beginning. From managing expectations to prioritizing equity initiatives, Desiree shares valuable insights and advice for creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace. 

Bonus: Hebba and Desiree chat about why manipulation isn’t always a bad thing when it comes to equity, why it’s okay to admit your baby’s ugly (because, let’s face it, not everyone thinks it’s cute), and how “He’s Just Not That Into You” is applicable to just about everything.

Plus, everyone’s got baggage—so how can we approach difficult situations (and er… people) using a more empathetic framework? 

00:01:24 - The Influence of DEI in Operations

00:03:30 - Building a Company with Equity

00:14:19 - Addressing Equity Problems in HR

00:15:59 - Building Strong Employee Resource Groups

00:18:22 - Challenges of Building with Equity

00:24:47 - Prioritizing Equity Initiatives in Business

00:29:36 - How to Juggle Business and HR Priorities

00:36:09 - Creating an Equitable Environment for Employees

00:39:41 - Equity Issues: Advice for First-Time Founders

00:44:49 - Innovate, Not Rely on Tech for HR Equity

00:50:15 - Building Equity and Exit Strategies

For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. 

Follow Desiree:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desireekmorton/

Website: https://www.aginci.com/

Follow Hebba: 

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. 

Find out more about 15Five here.

And if you'd like to keep learning, Hootsuite’s new 2023 Social Media Career Report is loaded with insights about social marketers’ pay, promotions, job satisfaction, challenges, gender pay equity, mental health, and more—to help you attract, hire, and retain the best social marketers.

Uncover the state (and state of mind) of the social media marketer in the full report!

Is it possible to eliminate bias in the workplace? Not really, no. However, we can, at the very least, strive to minimize our unconscious biases.

In this episode, Hebba sits down with Dani Herrera, an expert in talent and recruiting with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, to discuss the various challenges recruiters face and how they often lack the necessary tools and resources to excel in their roles.

Dani also shares her insights on mitigating the lesser-known biases in hiring while emphasizing the importance of utilizing more inclusive and equitable hiring practices.

Plus, is anyone actually reading your cover letter? Tune in to hear Dani’s personal case for doing away with cover letters and her thoughts on why hiring processes are in desperate need of modernization

00:00:02 - Improving Workplace Cultures

00:01:32 - Separating DNI and HR Departments

00:03:12 - The Importance of Inclusive Hiring

00:09:19 - Mitigating Unconscious Bias in Hiring

00:16:30 - Rethinking Resumes and Cover Letters

00:25:14 - The Importance of Inclusive Hiring for Diversity Recruitment

00:34:57 - Building Inclusive Talent Practices for Hiring Success

00:41:43 - The Untapped Potential of Recruiters

00:44:23 - The Importance of Diversity in HR

00:45:58 - Connect with Dani on LinkedIn

For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. 

Follow Dani: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielagherrera/

Newsletter: https://www.deibydani.com

Follow Hebba: 

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. 

Find out more about 15Five here.

And if you'd like to keep learning, Hootsuite’s new 2023 Social Media Career Report is loaded with insights about social marketers’ pay, promotions, job satisfaction, challenges, gender pay equity, mental health, and more—to help you attract, hire, and retain the best social marketers.

Uncover the state (and state of mind) of the social media marketer in the full report!

What separates the good from the great HR leaders?

Adam Weber, host of HR Superstars and Chief Evangelist at 15five, has talked to thousands of HR leaders and in this episode he shares his observations about what characteristics make an HR leader exceptional.

From the importance of understanding the business to activating your managers, Adam shares what he’s learned and how you can deploy it tomorrow.

00:02:53 - What Separates Good HR Leaders from Great Ones?

00:04:45 - Improving Employee Departures

00:07:21 - Helping HR Leaders Overcome Obstacles

00:09:58 - Learning from HR Leaders: 5 Tips for Success

00:12:27 - The Traits of Courageous HR Leaders

00:24:08 - Key Metrics for HR Success

00:30:54 - The Impact of Managers on Employee Experience

00:38:51 - Improving Manager Activation in HR

00:42:27 - Revolutionizing Performance Management in HR

00:44:31 - Adam Weber Shares Insights on Strategic HR

For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. 

Follow Adam: 

Podcast: HR Superstars

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetadam/

Follow Hebba: 

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. 

Find out more about 15Five here.

And if you'd like to keep learning, Hootsuite’s new 2023 Social Media Career Report is loaded with insights about social marketers’ pay, promotions, job satisfaction, challenges, gender pay equity, mental health, and more—to help you attract, hire, and retain the best social marketers.

Uncover the state (and state of mind) of the social media marketer in the full report!