Happy end of 2024!

The #1 reason hiring fails? Not treating recruitment like the project it really is.

So project mistake are you guilty of maybe: Not revisiting the job description? Forgetting to ask the client if they'll be on vacation (I've done this one)? Not pushing back when client says the want the talent but don't want to pay?

Mostly we just need to treat recruitment like a project. Meet with the client, set the goals, check in when goals aren't being bet etc etc.

My guest this week, Wendy Sellers aka The HR Lady dropped more truth bombs about what it really takes to attract top talent in 2024. She's hilariously outspoken so it's unlikely you'll misunderstand anything she says.

Wendy is an author, podcast host, and plain spoken HR expert. She has been featured in USA Today and even has radio show. Completely 'on brand' she wrote a book for HR called "Suck It Up, Buttercup". Really! And in this discussion she brought her practical, no-fluff approach to talent attraction.

Some other insights

🎯 Recruitment is 50% marketing and 50% HR. This is probably why another guest though recruitment should be part of marketing.

💰 If you want a less expensive employee, you'll probably have to train them. You'll have to pay anyhow.

💰 If you want top talent... you'll have to pay.

📋 You need to look at the job description.

🎯 Sometimes you need a bum in a seat. Even so, there are strategies.

It was full of the basics of getting the job done right. Which too often aren't done right. Check out the full conversation!

Find Wendy on her podcast or YouTube channel The HR Lady!

Sometimes it takes fresh eyes to see solutions for problems you've been struggling with forever.

That's what this episode on culture change felt like.

My guest was Israel Peck - head of Cratic Ai. He used to be a consultant on massive cost-cutting projects and discovered that culture has a huge financial impact. So he started Cratic Ai to help companies successfully shape their cultures. As you might think, given cost-cutting, he has a finance background not HR.

So the conversation was overflowing with fresh perspectives and insights. Like:

- HR needs one metric. All the other departments have them. He suggests that employee net promoter score (eNPS) could be that number (see the video below).

- It's been shown that EBITDA will increase by $10-25,000 PER EMPLOYEE for every quartile shift in eNPS.

- He know how to move the needle on eNPS and you could use his software, but you don't have to.

- We often implement programs to change culture. His methods change it from the inside out.

- The secret is: conversation. Not so secret right? He has a weird way of encouraging it.

- In my opinion, you have to be brave to reap the rewards on this.

I have had other guests who reinforced the power of great conversation in helping to create better teams. Having done a lot of this work and accidentally did some of what he talks about, I believe he is on to something. I believe we will see more of Israel and his ideas! Check it out!

Find Israel on Linkedin or https://cratic.ai/

Not for profit organizations have different HR considerations. In part, their employee tend to be incredibly passionate about the organization's purpose. They'll often sacrifice their own well-being in service of it. And in many cases, they're expected to do it.

Dimple Dhabalia, a lawyer, humanitarian and this week's guest, has a powerful story about what she learned after years of humanitarian service around the world. She burned out, but instead of doing what the rest of us would do, she wrote a book. Her book is called "Tell Me My Story: Challenging the Narrative of Service Before Self." For anyone working in service of people, there is a lot to learn from this thought-provoking conversation about unique consideration of doing HR in NFPs.

For example:

❣️ "Being human is messy. And serving humanity is even messier."

❣️ Systems and culture drive employees to put the organization and their humanitarian service ahead of themselves.

❣️ It isn't all on the organization. Change starts with individuals.

❣️ Ultimately, individuals and organizations have to change together.

❣️ We (and especially women) are taught to give, give, give and that will only take us so far.

Find Dimple through her book:

Organizational development is what we strive for in HR. It brings all the strategic pieces of HR together in service of organizational strategy.

All of us in HR have to build relationships with clients. So how?

It is a skill and what happens when things go wrong?

I interviewed Tiffany Castagno, an HR consultant and leader, and I sensed had a gift for building relationships with clients. Because she was building a relationship with me so quickly! I could see she has a unique and effective way of balancing professionalism with authenticity. I concluded that we have a lot to learn from her.

Some thoughts and questions:

- What are your intentions about your clients? She signs emails saying "In your corner." A person can only do this if they mean it and she does.

- Showing your human side strengthens relationships and vulnerability is a piece of that. How do you show your human side?

- You will have to have difficult conversations with good intentions - so considerable courage is required.

- Onboarding a new client is important!

There was a lot to learn from Tiffany and you'll smile with her. As I said at the end, she has some magic and I'm glad she shared!

Find Tiffany at

Linkedin: / tiffanycastagno-people-culture-consultant  

LinkedIn:  / andrea-adams1  

Does your EVP attract potential employees or push them away? Is it a bad thing if it DOES repell people?

You want your EVP to help you attract the RIGHT people.

EVP was the focus of a fantastic conversation with Bryan Adams of Happy Dance. Not Bryan Adams the singer of course. Our Bryan recently left the role of CEO of Ph.Creative which is an Employer Brand agency. He has written a few books - the most relevant of which is 'Give and Get: Repel the Many and Compel the Few'. He has consulted to the likes of Apple and many others so he knows what he is talking about. We had a fantastic conversation during which I was actually surprised (the video below). And delighted.

These are some of the insights that delighted me and hopefully will delight you:

‼️ EVPs should be authentic - AND aspirational??

🥪 The EVP is the meat in the Employer Brand sandwich. Watch the video to see which parts are the bread.

➡️ A quote which should go on walls: "You could achieve any number of tactical steps, but if it doesn't strategically add up to what the business needs... then you're set to fail."

😭 One creative metric for the success of his results is how many people cry.

So fantastic. Check out the full discussion!

Do you feel trepidation at the thought of looking for talent outside the country? It's an intimidating process for sure!

You can find Sergio at https://sergiolaw.com or [email protected]

"Labelling, though it provides ease of conversing about something, it muddies up meaning."

This is certainly the case for "toxicity". It's really easy to label someone or a workplace as toxic and not have to think constructively about them anymore. It's easy say a leader is creating a toxic work environment when someone objects (maybe strongly) to something they're doing.

This muddiness has been on my mind a while so I reached out to Dr. Kevin Sansberry. He is a behavioural scientist, host of the Toxic Leadership Podcast, executive coach and deeply thoughtful and articulate human. Especially when it comes to organization leadership and toxic workplaces. We don't get muddy thinking from him.

There were many insights in this conversation about toxic workplaces and far more:

🕺🏻 Label behaviour not people. And be careful about the labels themselves. They may be a means to minimize a whole person.

😖 Performance management is not toxicity although someone who is being performance managed may feel deeply uncomfortable and unwelcome.

⤵️ Toxicity is destructive to relationships and connection and thus business outcomes.

☣️ Toxicity can spread reducing psychological safety and all the related positive outcomes.

🏃‍♂️‍➡️ Someone who is prone to action may come across as toxic if they're in a slow culture.

🔥 Don't gaslight yourself into thinking you're the problem. AND don't avoid considering your role. It’s a fine balance.

This conversation was wonderful. As I said at the beginning and the end, I felt lighter for it.

And if you're wondering what HR's role in managing toxicity is, that will be coming in towards the end of October.

Do your employees experience trauma at work or are some of their 'off' behaviours a result of trauma somewhere else?

I spoke with Dimple Dhabalia about what she learned about trauma. She started out as a lawyer and then worked with refugees around the world. I think we can all appreciate how hard it might be to hear those horrifying and heart-breaking stories over and over. Unsurprisingly, she burned out.

However, instead of getting therapy and going on leave like the rest of us might do, Dimple wrote a book: "Tell Me My Story: Challenging the Narrative of Service before Self" In it she shares her insights on recognizing and addressing trauma at work.

The experience of our employees might not be as remarkable as Dimple's but we also don't know what people have experienced. How can we be mindful of that?

Dimple explained:

- the difference between "big T" and "little t" traumas, emphasizing how seemingly minor stressors can accumulate and impact an employee's ability to function effectively

• How recognizing the humanity in employees can lead to better decision-making and a more supportive work environment.

• Exploring practical methods for managing stress responses and improving emotional intelligence in the workplace.

• Creating a psychologically safe workplace: Gain insights on fostering an environment where employees feel comfortable expressing themselves without fear of retaliation.

After this discussion, I may have more questions than answers. HR has a job to do that sometimes can cause or trigger trauma. How do we get the job done with sensitivity? It's a big question - and this episode will get you thinking.

Find Dimple at Roots in the Clouds: https://www.rootsintheclouds.com/