POPS! The People Ops Podcast

Sometimes you extend a job offer to someone, and, due to various reasons, it just isn’t going to work out. So how do you revoke the offer?

In this episode, Dan Marzullo, Founder of Drafted, gives some pointers on how to go through this process and shares insight on how to reduce the risk of it happening in the future.

Additional Resources:

• Order your copy of our book People Operations: Zenefits.com/pops-book
• Submit your People Ops questions: https://www.zenefits.com/workest/ask-a-question/

On this episode, you’ll hear:

• [01:03] What to do if you need to revoke an offer
• [02:13] How to mitigate this from happening again
• [03:08] Why you shouldn’t revoke a job offer

Many steps in the income verification process can lead to headaches for your HR team and your employees. So how can you simplify it to get people what they need without unnecessary stress?

To answer this question, Adam Kerin, VP of Product Marketing at Truework, explains how SMB leaders can automate this process for free.

Additional Resources:

• Order your copy of our book People Operations: Zenefits.com/pops-book
• Submit your People Ops questions: https://www.zenefits.com/workest/ask-a-question/

On this episode, you’ll hear:

• [00:38] What the process should look like
• [01:37] Problems that can arise
• [02:30] How to avoid frustrations using Zenefits and Truework

According to a recent AARP article, 48% of Americans age 55 and older have no retirement savings. This is a staggering number is what we call the “retirement crisis.” And it’s even more exaggerated within small businesses.

To help share the importance of offering a 401(k) plan and doing so easily is Richard Lane, Partnerships Manager at Guideline, a FinTech retirement platform. Listen in as he discusses how a Safe Harbor 401(k) can add flexibility to your company's retirement plan.

Additional Resources:

• To learn more about the terms and conditions that apply visit https://www.guideline.com/blog/safe-harbor-401k-plan/
• AARP article: https://www.aarp.org/retirement/retirement-savings/info-2019/no-retirement-money-saved.html
• Order your copy of our book People Operations: Zenefits.com/pops-book
• Submit your People Ops questions: https://www.zenefits.com/workest/ask-a-question/

On this episode, you’ll hear:

• [00:52] The 401k access gap
• [02:00] Three tests your plan has to pass
• [03:15] How you can ensure your plan remains compliant
• [05:09] Details around employer match
• [05:47] 401(k) deadlines to be aware of

In April 2021, more than 4 million US workers quit their jobs—the biggest spike on record. And the turnover is expected to continue. What can businesses do to retain employees during the Great Resignation?

On this episode of POPS! Zenefits Senior HR Advisor Lora Patterson explains the key reasons why people are leaving their jobs and strategies companies can use to keep their best employees.

Additional Resources:

• Order your copy of People Operations: https://www.zenefits.com/pops-book/

On this episode, you’ll hear: 

• [00:00-00:41] What is the Great Resignation? 
• [00:41-01:40] How the pandemic altered how workers view their careers and lives
• [01:40-03:31] The key reasons why employees may be considering a job change
• [03:31-05:03] Why work-life balance matters to workers more than ever before
• [05:03-05:49] Why it’s important to survey your workforce on their preferences
• [05:49-06:37] Steps you can take to keep your workforce
• [06:37-07:39] Step 1: Involve managers
• [07:40-08:09] Step 2: Develop mentoring programs and build career paths
• [08:09-10:16] Step 3: Identify at-risk workers
• [10:17-10:35] Step 4: Identify departments or teams with particularly high turnover
• [10:35-10:57] Reeling in employees who are checked out or disengaged

42% of the core skills needed to perform most jobs are expected to change by 2022. Rather than recruiting new employees for these shifting roles, is it possible to up-skill the people you have?

Reena Chawla, a product leader at EdCast, explains how to build your business by upskilling employees, and how technology can lift this burden from entrepreneurs.

Additional Resources:

• Why Spark by EdCast is the Spotify of Learning: https://www.edcast.com/corp/why-spark-by-edcast-is-the-spotify-of-learning/ 
• Order your copy of our book People Operations: Zenefits.com/pops-book

On this episode, you’ll hear: 

• [02:20 - 06:00] How small businesses are adjusting to pandemic-induced pivots
• [07:00 - 10:45] Why core job skills are shifting rapidly
• [11:30 - 13:50] Reasons to provide upskilling as a benefit
• [14:00 - 16:30] Steps to create a scalable education strategy

As the future of work continues to evolve, employers and HR leaders are seeing a steady increase in the importance of how we treat the people who make up our organizations. But unfortunately, HR employees themselves might get forgotten.

On this episode, Lora Patterson, Senior People Ops Advisor at Zenefits, joins to share where employees working in HR should turn to when they're the ones facing an internal conflict.

Additional Resources:

• Order your copy of our book People Operations: Zenefits.com/pops-book
• Submit your People Ops questions: https://www.zenefits.com/workest/ask-a-question/

On this episode, you’ll hear:

• [00:46] Who HR should report to
• [01:36] When to approach and when to quit
• [02:45] Hiring outside help with HR
• [04:02] Involving a legal team or expert
• [05:45] When there might not be a solution to the problem

From long COVID to major injuries, life hits us hard when we least expect it. As an employer, how do you support an employee through a health crisis like this?

Ankur Patel, Director of Product Marketing at Zenefits, and Shelley Dorais, Director of Customer Success and Renewals, both recently experienced major health challenges. They learned firsthand about best practices for caring for employees when life hits them hard.

Listen in to hear their stories and their top takeaways for employers caring for employees through illness and injury.

Additional Resources:

• Order your copy of our book People Operations: Zenefits.com/pops-book
• Submit your People Ops questions: https://www.zenefits.com/workest/ask-a-question/

On this episode, you’ll hear:

• [01:00] The personal and professional challenges of long COVID
• [05:30] The importance of flexibility and empathy in battling illness
• [09:45] Un-learning unhealthy work habits
• [11:00] Supporting employees through recovery from major injuries
• [16:00] Believing the best of people
• [17:00] Respecting both privacy and authenticity
• [19:00] Top takeaways for caring for employees through a health crisis
• [23:00] Silver linings of health challenges

Why do 80% of people hate performance reviews? Before opening that can of worms, we have to first understand why companies even conduct performance reviews in the first place.

To help unpack this topic is David Watson, Product Marketing Manager at Zenefits, joins this episode to share the three most common pitfalls of the performance review process companies fall into. While different, tune in to hear how they often go hand in hand and what you can do to avoid them.

Additional Resources:

• Order your copy of our book People Operations: Zenefits.com/pops-book
• Submit your People Ops questions: https://www.zenefits.com/workest/ask-a-question/

On this episode, you’ll hear:

• [00:42] The purpose of performance reviews
• [01:37] Conduct reviews more frequently
• [02:15] Focus on the present and future, not the past
• [02:50] Shorten the performance review
• [03:33] Make it easy for everyone

Every hiring manager wants to find the absolute best candidate they can for an open position at their company, but is that the best approach?

Lora Patterson, Senior People Ops Advisor at TriNet Zenefits, says the answer is actually no. If you want to find the best new hires for your company, you should strongly consider imperfect candidates.

What does that mean? And why on earth would anyone do that? Listen to this episode to find out.

Additional Resources:  

• Order your copy of our book People Operations: Zenefits.com/pops-book 
• Submit your People Ops questions: https://www.zenefits.com/workest/ask-a-question/

On this episode, you’ll hear:

• [00:54] The perfect candidate doesn’t exist
• [01:34] Men vs. women, diversify your pool
• [03:34] Develop and coach their employees
• [04:42] Start small

Summer has arrived! And you know what that means? Vacations of all types and sizes. That being said, 46% of workers feel nervous about taking PTO because of either too much work or they are afraid of the career repercussions.

Jean Spencer, Director of Integrated Marketing at TriNet-Zenefits, joins the show to share what organizations can do to help their employees take some time off to rest and recharge this summer season.

Additional Resources:

• The State of PTO Report: https://www.zenefits.com/learn/state-of-pto-guide/
• Order your copy of our book People Operations: Zenefits.com/pops-book
• Submit your People Ops questions: https://www.zenefits.com/workest/ask-a-question/

On this episode, you’ll hear:

• [01:58] Benefits of taking PTO
• [02:52] Physical and mental benefits of taking time off
• [04:12] What employers should offer as a PTO policy to employees
• [06:40] The benefits of either unlimited or limited PTO
• [10:43] How Trinet-Zenefits can help you manage time off