Too often, people blame workplace problems on another generation. Baby Boomers won't change. Gen X is disengaged. Millennials are needy. Gen Z won't work hard.

I have always wondered if this was mostly wrong. And... it is.

Generational researcher Cam Marston has spent decades studying how different age groups work together, and he joined me to bust some myths. In this conversation, we get into what's actually true about generational differences versus what's just convenient stereotyping.

The big revelation: most of what we label as "generational" is actually about *life stages*—and those life stages are happening five years later than, say, 30 years ago. A 25-year-old today is more like a 20-year-old from previous generations in terms of independence, career clarity, and adult responsibilities.

Cam explains why this matters for how our leaders lead, give feedback, and build teams. It matters a lot of HR when we hear the complaints about generations. Now you'll have some facts!!

- Org culture beats generational differences every time.

- When you have strong leadership and a good workplace environment, these supposed generational conflicts mostly disappear.

- It's FAR easier to blame "kids these days" than our leaders to examine their leadership

- Different age groups receive feedback differently and this is a LIFESTAGE.

If you've ever heard a leader complaining about a particular generation at work, this episode will give you better tools for understanding what's really going on and how to coach for different results!

Guest: Cam Marston - generational researcher, speaker, and author of five books on workplace generations

Topics:

• Why every generation gets called "entitled" when they're young
• How affluent societies keep people younger longer
• The five-year life stage gap changing workplace dynamics
• Why Gen Z might struggle with taking responsibility
• How to give feedback that actually works across age groups
• What makes some teams gel across generational lines
• 
  

**Connect with Cam Marston**Website: https:/CamMarston.comPodcast: What's Working with Cam Marston**Connect with Andrea Adams**LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/Website: https://thehrhub.ca/

Are reference checks worth the effort?

Most HR professionals have never actually changed a hiring decision based on a reference check. So are we wasting our time, or are we doing wrong?

James Lord has spent 10 years in the reference checking industry and argues we're missing the point entirely. Instead of using references to confirm decisions we've already made, he explains how to turn them into a hiring tool that reveals information you can't get anywhere else.

In this episode:

• Why most reference checks feel pointless (and how timing could fix this)

• The "highlight reel" problem with resumes and interviews
• Why James calls references a "SWOT analysis of a candidate"
• The risks of doing unstructured references
• How technology can automate the process without losing valuable insights
• What to do when companies have "no reference" policies
• The difference between reference checking a CEO vs. a cashier

About James Lord:James works with RefApp and has been in the talent industry for over a decade, specifically focusing on reference checking companies.

Connect with James:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameswlord/Email: [email protected]: refapp.com

Connect with Andrea:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Email: [email protected]

Website https://thehrhub.ca

As an HR Consultant I'm commonly asked "how much severance should I pay?" and the answer is it depends and maybe you should consult a lawyer.

This episode is for Americans. I spoke with employment lawyer Leah Stiegler from Woods Rogers who outlined what drives severance decisions in America.

We cover the critical difference between what you're legally required to pay (often nothing) and what makes business sense when you're trying to avoid litigation which is likely to cost you a lot more than severance.

What you'll learn:

• Why severance is almost purely a business decision in the US
• The biggest mistake people teams make around severance
• The importance of employment contracts
• When you need a lawyer
• Factors that determine severance amounts: age, position level, and litigation risk

Leah is engaging and shared why paying severance without a legal release is like giving someone a bonus and then letting them sue you anyway. We also talked about disparagement clauses - how do you enforce them anyhow?

No matter why you are terminating, this episode gives you a framework for thinking through the risks and costs involved.

About Leah Stiegler Leah is a management-side employment lawyer and partner at Woods Rogers. She hosts the YouTube series "What's the Tea in L&E" and was recently interviewed by the New York Times for her workplace romance article (also a podcast episode!).

Find me at https://thehrhub.ca

Have you ever wondered why payroll seems so inflexible? Even annoying? Or why they seem to get upset over minor things? I certainly have.

Steven Van Alstine from the National Payroll Institute joined me to break down the typical relationship between HR and payroll departments. And, of course, give us advice.

In this episode:

• The hidden complexity behind what looks like "just pressing a button"
• Why payroll professionals are sooo risk-averse
• What keeps payroll people awake at night
• Simple fixes
• The strategic value payroll brings which is a missed opportunity for HR

There were insight behind the payroll scenes as well as tactical advice. Pay is at the heart of the customer experience and we, in HR, have an obligation to get this right.

About Steven Van Alstine:Steven is the Vice President of Professional Standards and Education at the National Payroll Institute. He's worked in payroll for decades and recently presented at the National Payroll Conference on HR-payroll collaboration.

Connect with me:This is The HR Hub - practical insights for mid-level HR professionals who want to advance their careers and do better work. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts for weekly episodes with HR experts.

The hybrid work debate isn't going away, so we need to consider the research. Most companies sent people home during the pandemic and didn't do much to support a different work style. And they haven't fixed this post-pandemic either. Spoiler alert: it's not working.

Dr. Peter Cappelli, Director of Wharton's Centre for Human Resources, and workplace strategist Dr. Ranya Nehmeh joined me to discuss their new book "In Praise of the Office: The Limits to Hybrid and Remote Work."

This isn't about forcing everyone back to the office - it's about being honest about what's actually happening in most hybrid workplaces.

What we unpack:

• A lot of people coffee badge - show up, get coffee and leave
• Meeting overload in remote and hybrid work
• How proximity bias is skewing promotions (and what HR can do)

• The red flags that signal your hybrid setup is failing
• Why individual KPIs might be sabotaging teamwork
• Practical strategies for companies mandating return-to-office

The bottom line: Flexibility can work, but we cannot assume that hybrid or remote work manages itself. Whether you're defending remote work or pushing for office returns, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and give you practical tools for whatever arrangement you choose.

"In Praise of the Office" releases September 30th, 2025

Find me, Andrea, https://thehrhub.ca

Is AI in recruiting revolutionizing or just hype? Matt Alder, talent acquisition futurist and host of the top 1.5% Recruiting Future podcast, separates fact from fiction in this conversation about what AI can actually do for your hiring process right now.

If you've been wondering whether the hype is worth paying attention to - or if you're tired of vendors promising AI will solve all your hiring problems - listen up.

What we cover:

Matt explains

- where AI is genuinely useful today (interview scheduling, candidate communication, standardized job descriptions) versus where it's still mostly hype.

-why putting resumes into ChatGPT is a legal and privacy nightmare waiting to happen. Some dedicated companies are already being held accountable!

- interview intelligence - AI that records interviews and coaches interviewers.

We also discuss if AI can handle entire interviews. Well it can, but should it? Matt uses the airplane pilot analogy - autopilot can technically fly the whole flight, but passengers still want a human in the cockpit. The same principle applies to recruiting.

Find Matt on LinkedIn, his website or via his book.

Find me at https://thehrhub.ca

Is AI going to replace your entire workforce or transform how we perform talent management. To some degree? The answer is more nuanced than the extreme hype would suggest.

Dr. Reece Akhtar, organizational psychologist and CEO of Deeper Signals, cut through the hype to talk about what's actually happening in talent management. As someone who teaches at NYU and writes for Forbes and Harvard Business Review, Reece brings both academic rigor and practical experience.

In this episode, we talked how AI will impact virtually every stage of the employee journey - from recruitment to development to succession planning. But instead of the usual "AI will change everything" narrative we typically hear , Reece explained why he thinks it will be somewere in between and why soft skills are so important.

What we cover:

• Why AI adoption will follow two parallel paths one of which is replacing as many people as possible with AI
• The three lasting skills that will always matter in any workplace
• How to evaluate AI tools
• Why you should plan for AI
• Real examples of AI making talent insights more accessible for someone without a phD

Key takeaway: The future isn't about humans vs. machines - it's about humans WITH machines doing better work together.

Connect with Reece on LinkedIn or visit deepersignals.com

Find me [email protected] or via LinkedIn

#TalentManagement #AIinHR #FutureOfWork #EmployeeEngagement #HRStrategy

60% of people have been in a workplace romance - and 43% of those apparently end in marriage! So maybe we shouldn't be trying so hard to prevent them? But we should take precautions.

Management-side attorney Leah Stiegler from Woods Rogers joined me to discuss the messiest workplace romance situations she's encountered (think: affairs, stalking, and executives caught on video with prostitutes). More importantly, we cover what HR should actually be doing about workplace relationships.

In this episode:

• Why prevention might be the wrong strategy
• The three policies that can save your sanity (including "love contracts")
• When awkwardness becomes harassment
• Real stories that'll make you cringe
• Practical advice for navigating romance drama at work

Guest: Leah Stiegler, Partner at Woods Rogers law firm and creator of "What's the Tea in L&E" video series

Do you have a workplace romance horror story? Please comment! Preferably keeping it safe for work - even if things happened at work! LOL

I always wondered if my workaholic dad's habits were healthy. Or if he was driven by the urge to be a dedicated provider?

Turns out there's a big difference between working hard and being a workaholic - and workaholics could be costing organizations.

Dr. Catherine Connelly from McMaster University is shared more eye-opening research on an HR topics - this time workaholism and the connection to workplace ethics. We talked about why your most dedicated employees might actually be the ones cutting ethical corners.

In this episode:

• The real difference between being busy and being a workaholic
• Why workaholics are more likely to morally disengage at work
• The surprising connection between dedication and tunnel vision
• "Idiosyncrasy credits" - how high performers build up goodwill to get away with bad behavior later
• Red flags to watch for when hiring (and managing) potential workaholics
• Building systems that keep even your best employees ethically grounded

Catherine's research challenges what we think we know about workplace dedication. Sometimes the people most invested in "organizational success" are the ones who'll justify anything to achieve it.

This is a must-listen for any HR professional managing high performers or trying to build truly healthy cultures. Plus, Catherine's research is open source, so you can dive deeper after listening.

Connect with Dr. Catherine Connelly on LinkedIn or at : connellyresearch.com .

What's your experience with workaholism in your workplace? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

So I just learned about PEOs (Professional Employer Organizations) and these are so well established in the USA but news to me!

Paul Aemisegeo from Payroll Mart gave me the straight talk on what PEOs actually do versus what they promise to do. If you're a smaller organization dealing with expensive health insurance, multi-state compliance headaches, or just trying to offer competitive benefits without the enterprise budget, this one's for you.

The key insight? PEOs can solve your benefits and compliance backend, but don't expect them to handle your day-to-day HR tasks. That performance conversation? Still yours. That tricky leave situation? Also, still yours.

We dive into who should consider a PEO (spoiler: if you're in New York with under 100 employees, definitely listen), how to evaluate them, and why so many companies end up switching PEOs multiple times.

Plus Paul shares the real considerations if you're thinking about leaving a PEO - because apparently that's a whole thing too.

Perfect listen if you're evaluating HR vendors or wondering if there's a better way to handle benefits and compliance.

Find Paul on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulaemisegeo/ or at Payroll Marthttps://payrollmart.com/As usual you can find me on Linkedin or through my website https://thehrhub.ca/