Welcome to a brand new episode of Voice Activated: Tuning Employee Insights At Work. Our host Sean Fitzpatrick, CEO of TalentMap, is joined by Greg Waechter, Managing Partner at Super Simple HR, to unpack how to build scalable, human-centered HR practices that actually work, reduce administrative burden by 60%, and boost employee engagement by 40%.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to implement a continuous feedback system that replaces outdated annual reviews
• The three core pillars of employee satisfaction
• Why simplicity beats complexity when scaling HR systems and culture
• How to support middle managers through tools, training, and practical frameworks
• Why treating HR as a product strategy can lead to better employee outcomes
• How to align HR systems with company values while maintaining authenticity
  
  

Greg Waechter is the Managing Partner at Super Simple HR, where he specializes in helping high-growth startups build lean, human-centered people operations. With over 20 years of HR experience, including leading organizations through three IPOs and four exits, Greg has demonstrated expertise in scaling companies from 50 to 500+ employees while reducing administrative burden by 60% and increasing employee engagement by 40%. His approach focuses on three core pillars: fair compensation, growth opportunities, and meaningful recognition.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here: https://www.fame.so/follow-rate-review 
Highlights and YouTube Chapters:

• [00:00] Introduction
• [02:14] From IPOs to Independency
• [04:23] Seeing Around Corners
• [07:44] The 3 Pillars of Employee Satisfaction
• [10:09] Job Architecture and Clarity
• [14:28] The Danger of Inaction
• [18:56] Culture Isn’t a Poster
• [22:08] Rethinking Performance Management
• [27:45] Coaching the Uncoached
• [30:42] The Middle Manager Crunch
• [37:12] Gen Z, Screens, and Soft Skills
• [38:38] Building Trust as an HR Consultant
• [46:00] Mindset Shift for HR

Quotes:

• “From an HR perspective, what are the programs, processes, philosophies of tenants? So, it's typically going to be some sort of performance management system. And I don't mean annual reviews. I'm really talking about feedback mechanisms.”
  
  
• “Think about HR in people stuff as a product role, a product strategy, where your product is your people.”
  
  
• “If you truly wanna make an impact on the business, you gotta focus on your employees and make sure you're giving them what they want.”
  
  
• “I tell founders when they're trying to keep their culture strong through growth, you have to talk about something about culture every single meeting, every single communication point, to the point that you're gonna be so sick of talking that you're gonna wanna beat your head against the wall.”
  
  

Episode Resources:

• Greg Waechter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregwaechter/ 
• Super Simple HR on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/super-simple-hr/ 
• Sean Fitzpatrick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-j-fitzpatrick/?originalSubdomain=ca 
• TalentMap Website: https://talentmap.com/ 

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Welcome to a brand new episode of Voice Activated: Tuning Employee Insights At Work. Our host Sean Fitzpatrick, CEO of TalentMap, is joined by Priyanki Amroliwala, Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition for 42 North Dental, to explore why culture matters more than perks in healthcare recruitment, how to effectively navigate rural hiring challenges, and the importance of slowing down the hiring process to ensure better long-term fits.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to shift from transactional recruiting to relationship-based hiring that drives long-term retention
• Why slowing down the hiring process leads to better matches and reduced turnover
• How to effectively sell rural healthcare opportunities by focusing on lifestyle benefits and earning potential
• Why culture fit matters more than perks, and how to assess it during interviews
• How to maintain recruiter wellbeing through mindfulness and work-life balance strategies
  
  

Priyanki Amroliwala is the Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition for 42 North Dental, where she leads recruitment strategy for over 100 dental practices across the Northeast. With more than a decade of healthcare recruiting expertise, she has established herself as a thought leader in dental talent acquisition through her consulting work at Healthcare Talent Solutions and role on the editorial board of Group Dentistry Now. Since 2015, Priyanki has been instrumental in developing innovative recruitment approaches that emphasize culture, trust, and team dynamics over traditional transactional hiring methods.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here: https://www.fame.so/follow-rate-review 


Highlights and YouTube Chapters:

• [00:00] Introduction
• [02:40] It’s Not About the Party, It’s About the Hard Days
• [06:36] Slow Down to Speed Up
• [10:50] Interviewing Beyond the Resume
• [14:28] Culture Is in the Details
• [18:35] The Employer Brand vs. Reality Gap
• [24:25] Reframing Rural Hiring
• [34:44] Staying Grounded in a High-Pressure Field
• [39:36] The #1 Mindset Shift for Hiring

Quotes:

• “Gone are the days when it's the candidate that needs the job. In the dental industry, we're in need of that candidate.”
• “Take your time to interview. Don't just quickly meet a candidate for five or ten minutes. Spend a full hour, sit down with someone and get to know them.”
• “Most hiring teams have communication gaps during the interview process. If you can just bridge that communication gap and really make sure that you set the expectations and the tone from the beginning, they'll know what they're getting into.”
• “Don't hire out of desperation. Get to know the candidate. Any position it is, they are all important positions.”

Episode Resources:

• Priyanki Amroliwala on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyanki/ 
• 42 North Dental on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/42northdental/ 
• Sean Fitzpatrick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-j-fitzpatrick/?originalSubdomain=ca 
• TalentMap Website: https://talentmap.com/ 

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Welcome to a brand new episode of Voice Activated: Tuning Employee Insights At Work. Our host Sean Fitzpatrick is joined by Phillip Wilson, CEO of LRI Consulting and founder of Approachable Leadership, to explore why approachability is the true foundation of leadership. They dive into the three essential habits of approachable leaders, the transformative “Hero Assumption” mindset, and practical tools to prevent workplace conflict. Discover how closing the power gap between leaders and teams creates stronger relationships, a better culture, and lasting organizational success.
What You’ll Learn:

• How approachability serves as the foundational component of strong leadership
  
  
• Three essential habits of approachable leaders: openness, understanding, and support
  
  
• Why the "Hero Assumption" mindset transforms leader-team relationships
  
  
• How to use the "Stop, Listen, Confirm" technique to demonstrate active listening
  
  
• How to recognize signs that you may not be as approachable as you think
  
  
• The connection between approachability and preventing workplace conflicts
  
  
• Why seeking and accepting feedback is crucial for leadership development
  
  
• The importance of believing in your team's potential to create positive outcomes
  
  

Phillip B. Wilson is CEO and General Counsel of LRI Consulting Services, Inc. (LRICS) and Approachable Leadership, organisations dedicated to building extraordinary workplaces that boost engagement and reduce turnover. Author of seven books, including Left of Boom, The Approachability Playbook, and his upcoming The Leader-Shift Playbook (April 2025)—Phil is a sought-after keynote speaker on leadership, employee retention, and labour relations. Featured in outlets such as Fox Business, The New York Times, and Forbes, he also brings expertise as a former congressional expert witness.
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here: https://www.fame.so/follow-rate-review 

Highlights & YouTube Chapters:

• 00:00 Stop, Listen, Confirm: A Powerful Leadership Tool
• 02:40 What Makes a Leader Truly Approachable?
• 09:31 Three Essential Habits of Approachable Leaders
• 12:36 The Stop-Listen-Confirm Framework for Better Listening
• 17:18 Why Frontline Supervisors Face the Toughest Leadership Challenge
• 20:08 The Hero Assumption: A Revolutionary Leadership Mindset
• 30:51 Preventing Labor Issues Through Better Leadership
• 36:28 Three Signs You're Not as Approachable as You Think
• 39:14 Key Takeaways: Making the Hero Assumption Work

Quotes:

1. "Being approachable means your teammates feel safe and comfortable coming to you if they've got a suggestion, if they've got a concern, they feel comfortable coming to you, their leader."
2. "If you are approachable, you have vastly different outcomes than if they say you're not, and you get a little bit of a pass for the rest of the stuff that leaders are supposed to do."
   
   
3. "The people who are willing to give you that tough feedback, those are gifts in your life, and how do you get more of those gifts? You have to ask for them."
   
   

Episode Resources:

• Phillip Wilson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pbwilson/ 
• LRI Consulting Services Website: https://lrionline.com/ 
• Sean Fitzpatrick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-j-fitzpatrick/?originalSubdomain=ca 
• TalentMap Website: https://talentmap.com/ 

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Welcome to a brand new episode of Voice Activated: Tuning Employee Insights At Work. Our host Sean Fitzpatrick, CEO of TalentMap, is joined by Greg Roche, founder of Retention Rewards and longtime Total Rewards leader. Today, we explore why people leave long before they resign, why counteroffers rarely work, and how simple, intentional conversations across the organization can create the kind of culture people don’t want to leave. 

What You’ll Learn:

• Why do people leave months before they resign
  
  
• How internal networking boosts retention and mobility
  
  
• Why counteroffers fail and what to do instead
  
  
• The five-step playbook for building a relationship-first culture
  
  
• How listening (not surveys) becomes a core leadership skill
  
  
• Why retention is a systems problem, not a one-time fix
  
  

Greg Roche is the founder of Retention Rewards and creator of The Introverted Networker, a coaching platform helping people build authentic connections at work. With more than 20 years of experience leading Total Rewards strategies through mergers, transformations, and growth phases, Greg has served in roles across compensation, benefits, and HR analytics. He now teaches organizations how to build cultures of connection, where trust, not transactions, drives employee engagement.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here: https://www.fame.so/follow-rate-review 
Highlights & YouTube Chapters:

• [00:00] Introduction
• [03:21] From SAP to HR: Greg’s Unlikely Career Path
• [07:02] What Total Rewards Really Means
• [11:26] Why Counteroffers Don’t Work
• [13:10] Crossing the Line: The Real Moment People Decide to Leave
• [16:38] Internal Networking and Talent Visibility
• [23:18] Building Connection in a Hybrid World
• [29:05] The Leadership Habit That Builds Trust
• [33:08] Why Mentorship Should Be Employee-Led
• [38:28] Turning Surveys into Dialogue
• [45:55] Greg’s 5-Step Playbook for a Relationship-First Culture
• [47:48] Listening as a Core Value
• [48:54] How to Reach Greg

Quotes:

• “By the time someone hands in their resignation, they have already left two or three months ago.”
  
  
• “It doesn't matter how much you pay them. If they feel disconnected from the organization... nothing you pay them is gonna keep them.”
  
  
• “Listening is our core value. That it is one of the most important things we can do.”
  
  

Episode Resources:

• Greg Roche’s Website: https://www.retentionandrewards.com/
  
  
• Greg Roche on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregsroche/
  
  
• The Introverted Networker: https://theintrovertednetworker.substack.com/
  
  
• Sean Fitzpatrick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-j-fitzpatrick/?originalSubdomain=ca 
  
  
• TalentMap Website: https://talentmap.com/ 
  
  

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Welcome to a brand new episode of Voice Activated: Tuning Employee Insights At Work. Our host Sean Fitzpatrick, CEO of TalentMap, is joined by Michael VanDervort, a seasoned labor relations strategist and trusted voice in the employee experience space, to discuss how organizations can build extraordinary workplaces through better employee relations, whether unionized or not.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to transform labor relations from risk management to relationship building
  
  
• Why approachability is the key leadership trait for preventing union organizing
  
  
• How to create effective listening systems beyond annual surveys
  
  
• Why responding to feedback matters more than collecting it
  
  
• The critical role of middle managers in building employee trust and engagement
  
  
• Why organizational culture change must start with executive commitment and modeling
  
  

Michael VanDervort is a seasoned labor relations strategist and trusted voice in the employee experience space. He’s also a key voice behind LRI Consulting Services and HR Acuity, where he leads communications, content, and events focused on building extraordinary workplaces. With over 35 years of experience in labor and employee relations, including roles at the United States Postal Service and various private sector organizations, he brings a unique perspective from both union and management positions. Michael is also Co-Host of The Left of Boom Show and Drive Thru HR.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here: https://www.fame.so/follow-rate-review 
Highlights and YouTube Chapters:

• [00:00] Introduction
  
  
• [02:53] From Law School to Labor Relations
  
  
• [05:18] Is Labor Relations More Collaborative Today?
  
  
• [10:49] What Makes a Workplace Extraordinary
  
  
• [13:47] The Approachable Leadership Training Philosophy
  
  
• [17:31] Union vs. Non-Union Listening Cultures
  
  
• [28:01] When Surveys Fail and How to Fix Them
  
  
• [31:03] Why Leaders Don’t Close the Loop
  
  
• [36:39] If I Were a CEO…
  
  
• [39:36] The Hero Assumptions

Quotes:

• “Trust your people, know your people, assume the best. That doesn't mean everybody's great or everybody's perfect, but don't manage your business because of the bad apples.”
  
  
• “If leaders are approachable, that's like one of the biggest, best starting points.”
  
  
• “Unionized companies do not necessarily have bad labor relations. Unions and companies don't necessarily have to hate each other.”

Episode Resources:

• Michael VanDervort on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelvandervort/ 
  
  
• HR Acuity on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hr-acuity/ 
  
  
• LRI Consulting Services on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/labor-relations-institute/ 
  
  
• The Left of Boom Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/pt/podcast/the-left-of-boom-show/id1740403761 
  
  
• Drive Thru HR: https://drivethruhr.online/ 
  
  
• Sean Fitzpatrick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-j-fitzpatrick/?originalSubdomain=ca 
  
  
• TalentMap Website: https://talentmap.com/ 

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Welcome to a brand new episode of Voice Activated: Tuning Employee Insights At Work. Our host Sean Fitzpatrick, CEO of TalentMap is joined by Michael Trevino, a Human Resources Manager for Parking Management Company (PMC), to discuss what really happens when you trade your uniform for a suit.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to effectively translate military leadership experience into private-sector success
• Why providing specific feedback during hiring processes can transform veteran recruitment
• The critical differences between military and private sector organizational cultures
• How to build trust and credibility when transitioning between leadership environments
• Why customer experience and employee care are intrinsically linked in service industries
• How to create effective feedback mechanisms that drive performance and engagement
  
  

Michael Trevino is a Human Resources Manager for Parking Management Company (PMC)'s Savannah Region, where he leads people strategy across multiple hospitality-based parking operations. With over eight years of experience as a trainer, mentor, and leader in the US Marine Corps, Michael brings unique insights into leadership transitions from military to private sector environments. His expertise spans rebuilding underperforming units, developing training programs, and managing large-scale operations across the Southeast US.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here: https://www.fame.so/follow-rate-review 
Highlights and YouTube Chapters:

• [00:00] Introduction
• [03:03] Why Michael Joined the Military
• [07:07] The Toughest Test of Resilience
• [12:14] Getting the Key to the City and Serving the Community
• [15:08] No Chain of Command in Civilian Life
• [28:43] What is PMC?
• [35:32] Hustle, Respect, and Little Details Matter
• [43:21] One Thing CEOs Should Change for Veterans
• [48:34] Why PMC Cares Is More Than a Tagline
  
  

Episode Resources:

• Michael Trevino on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-trevino-a0684254/ 
• Parking Management Company on LinkedIn: https://parkingmgt.com/ 
• Sean Fitzpatrick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-j-fitzpatrick/?originalSubdomain=ca 
• TalentMap Website: https://talentmap.com/ 

Welcome to a brand new episode of Voice Activated: Tuning Employee Insights At Work. Our host Sean Fitzpatrick, CEO of TalentMap is joined by Bruce Temkin, Chief Humanity Catalyst at Temkinsight and the host of the Humanity at Scale podcast, to discuss how organizations can create more meaningful employee experiences through better leadership practices and systematic listening.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to transform HR from an administrative function to a strategic driver of employee potential
• Why middle managers are crucial for scaling human experience management across organizations
• The "Catch and Redirect" technique for leaders to build more collaborative, empowering conversations
• Why vulnerability in leadership matters and how to balance it with executive presence
• The "Measure, Incentivize, Celebrate" framework for driving lasting behavioral change in organizations
  
  

Bruce Temkin is the Chief Humanity Catalyst at Temkinsight and the host of the Humanity at Scale podcast Known as the "Godfather of Customer Experience," he is a pioneer in experience management with an extensive background in strategy and operations. As founder of the Temkin Group and former leader of the  XM Institute at Qualtrics, Bruce has shaped how organizations approach both customer and employee experience management. His work has revolutionized how companies measure and manage stakeholder experiences, developing foundational frameworks including competency models for customer experience and voice-of-customer programs.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here: https://www.fame.so/follow-rate-review 
Highlights and YouTube Chapters:

• [00:00] Introduction
• [02:10] Becoming the Godfather of CX
• [04:20] The Hidden Link Between EX and CX
• [07:22] Why HR Change Lags
• [09:36] How to Actually Start Listening
• [13:03] Measure, Incent, Celebrate
• [17:58] Small Rituals, Big Shifts
• [22:16] The Delta Airlines Story
• [32:38] The AI-Integrated Employee
• [41:03] Bruce’s Simple Listening Tour
• [42:05] Bruce’s Secret Leadership Habit
• [42:53] One Thing to Take Back to Your Team

Episode Resources:

• Bruce Temkin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucetemkin/ 
• Temkinsight on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/temkinsight/ 
• Humanity At Scale: Redefining Leadership Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/humanity-at-scale-redefining-leadership/id1798239022 
• Sean Fitzpatrick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-j-fitzpatrick/?originalSubdomain=ca 
• TalentMap Website: https://talentmap.com/ 

Welcome to a brand new episode of Voice Activated: Tuning Employee Insights At Work. Our host Sean Fitzpatrick, CEO of TalentMap, goes solo to share a powerful leadership lesson from his early consulting days in the Alberta oil sands, revealing how this experience shaped his understanding of organizational listening and led to the founding of TalentMap.

What You’ll Learn:

• How frontline employees often hold the most valuable insights for operational improvements
• Why executive leaders care more about sustainable culture change than individual improvement ideas
• The "FAIR Framework" for effective employee listening
• How to transform maintenance operations by treating them like Formula 1 pit stops
• Why small to mid-sized businesses require unique approaches to employee engagement
• The critical difference between treating employee listening as a checkbox versus a leadership skill

Sean Fitzpatrick is the host of the Voice Activated podcast and Founder of TalentMap, bringing over 30 years of experience in organizational culture and employee feedback. With a background in implementation consulting at RLG International and extensive work in the oil sands industry, Sean specializes in helping organizations unlock employee potential through effective listening strategies. His unique approach combines hands-on operational experience with strategic cultural transformation, particularly focused on organizations with 100-5000 employees.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here - https://www.fame.so/follow-rate-review 

Highlights and YouTube Chapters:

• [00:00] Introduction
• [02:24] From MBA to Mud Boots
• [05:40] The FAIR Framework for Listening
• [11:40] Pit Stops for Haulers
• [12:32] Rethinking Coffee Breaks
• [15:37] Why TalentMap Was Born
  
  

Quotes:

• “The real lesson that I learned is that those closest to the work really do have some of the best ideas on how to improve it. The true work of leadership is to listen and learn how to release all that potential.”
• “Employee listening is really a leadership skill. It's a muscle that you need to work - it's not a checkbox, it's not just a survey, it's a skill.”
• “You don't need to have all the answers. You just need to ask the right people.”
  
  

Episode Resources:

• Sean Fitzpatrick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-j-fitzpatrick/ 

TalentMap Website - https://talentmap.com/ 

Welcome to a brand new episode of Voice Activated: Tuning Employee Insights At Work. Our host Sean Fitzpatrick, CEO of TalentMap is joined by Marta Taylor, Manager of Strategic Initiatives at the City of Port Moody, to explore successful employee feedback programs in municipal organizations and how to turn survey results into actionable improvements. 

What You’ll Learn:

• How to structure employee focus groups for maximum impact
• The "Champion Strategy" for gaining leadership buy-in
• How to use benchmarking data to prioritize actions and contextualize survey results
• Why simple communication initiatives can dramatically improve employee engagement
• The "Two-to-Three Action Rule" for helping department managers implement targeted improvements
• How to balance comprehensive organizational development plans with department-specific initiatives
  
  

Marta Taylor is the Manager of Strategic Initiatives at the City of Port Moody, where she leads corporate planning, diversity, and equity initiatives, indigenous relations, and accessibility programs. With vast experience in employee engagement and organizational development, she has successfully transformed employee feedback into meaningful operational changes. Her innovative approach to employee surveys and focus groups has helped create a more responsive and inclusive workplace culture within the municipality.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here.

Episode Resources:

• Marta Taylor on LinkedIn
• City of Port Moody Website
• Sean Fitzpatrick on LinkedIn
• TalentMap Website

Great leadership starts with truly listening to your people. Join Sean Fitzpatrick, founder and CEO of TalentMap, to hear insights and strategies that can help you do just that. In each episode of Voice Activated: Tuning Employee Insights At Work, we’ll dive into real stories of how leaders have transformed their employee experience. Explore topics like: innovative ways to build leadership skills by focusing how to ask the right questions of your people, learning how to listen and understand what they are really saying and, most importantly, strategies to involve them in change you want to make.