We're Only Human

"For me it's always been about focusing on how we can use technology to transform the way we develop, grow, and care for our employees." Christopher Lind, learning technology leader at GE Healthcare and founder of Learning Sharks

We're Only Human episode 89

In today's discussion, host Ben Eubanks digs in with Christopher Lind on how to use technology as a piece of the bigger picture of supporting the workforce from a learning perspective. Discussion topics include knowing the business, what your learning culture looks like, and how to stay current on the technologies that enable better business performance. 

Connect with Christopher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherlind/

Learn about the Learning Health Check Assessment: http://learningsharks.com/

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"This year has really redefined what compassion means to me. The need to have compassion for others, whether it's wearing a mask for those at high risk when I'm going into a store or what role I can personally play in social injustice, it really is all just coming back to compassion."

Lesley Lyons, PeopleStrategy

We're Only Human - Episode 88

In this conversation Ben interviews Lesley Lyons, a marketing executive with PeopleStrategy, to talk about the themes of connection and compassion and how they play a part in helping each of us support each other during challenging times. Lesley also announces the new Antiracism Forum, a free event for business leaders to get expert insights on how to build antiracist cultures. 

https://www.peoplestrategy.com/AntiracismForum

Connect with Lesley: [email protected] 

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"That hiring maanger still has a view of the candidate's abilities and skills without being exposed to their race, gender, or ethnicity." Scot Sessions, Talvista

Did you know that there are nearly 200 cognitive biases that affect our decisions every day? While a decision about where to eat or what to wear is unlikely to have negative consequences, making a biased choice in hiring can lead to negative outcomes for people of color, women, and other minorities. 

In this conversation, Ben speaks with Scot Sessions and Elaine Orler from the Talvista team to understand how technology can help minimize hiring biases and lead to better, more equitable outcomes. They discuss resume blinding and how it works and other practical advice for employers looking to hire more inclusively. 

Connect with the Talvista team: talvista.com

On Twitter: @scotsessions @elaineorler 

To get the HR Summer School on demand replay with five separate sessions on inclusion and equity at work,visit https://www.humanresourcesacademy.org/courses/hr-summer-school-on-demand and use promo code "onlyhuman" at checkout for 20% off for being a podcast listener!

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"What really excites someone to join a company? Why do they stay at the company? Every person you talk to has a different story." Amit Pamar, HR executive at Unisys

This conversation happened at IAMPHENOM, one of the last live events prior to the COVID-19 shutdown. 

In today's episode, Ben interviews Amit Parmar, an HR executive at Unisys, a technology firm with 20,000+ employees. Ben and Amit talk about talent, AI, analytics, digital transformation, and more. The discussion digs into why it doesn't matter if chatbots are AI or not, how personalization creates better experiences for the workforce, and how we can automate the "grunt work" of HR and focus on the strategic work we need to be doing. 

To connect with Amit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parmar79/

To get the HR Summer School replay:

Visit https://www.humanresourcesacademy.org/courses/hr-summer-school-on-demand and use promo code "onlyhuman" at checkout for 20% off for being a podcast listener

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"We need to own what we do. We've been apologizing and apologetic for being in HR instead of owning what we do. Every other profession says, I'm a salesperson, I'm a finance person. I'm a marketer. We go, I'm sorry. I'm in HR." Steve Browne

In this conversation, a replay from the most popular session at HR Summer School 2020, Ben talks with Steve Browne, the most connected person in HR, about how to be an intentional connector, how to add value to relationships, and why HR is an essentially human profession. 

If you enjoy the talk with Steve, his new book HR Rising is now available! 

You can also see the full video replay in addition to the 50+ other speakers on HR Summer School On Demand at HumanResourcesAcademy.org here: https://www.humanresourcesacademy.org/courses/hr-summer-school-on-demand

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"And then the other piece of it was just the fear of losing a job increased dramatically... So the top line headline was one of anxiety in the marketplace."

Jeff Rohrs, Jobvite

In recent months things have turned upside down not just for many employers but for job seekers as well. In this episode Ben talks with Jeff Rohrs of Jobvite to discuss the company's annual Job Seeker Nation study and the key findings that HR and talent leaders need to know, from how job seekers feel right now to what place internal hiring and mobility practices have in the recruiting process (hint: they are the #1 thing candidates are looking for). 

Learn more at: https://www.jobvite.com/lp/2020-job-seeker-nation-report/

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"The assessment traditionally has seemed a bit disconnected from the job role. This can come across as friction. You've worked hard to find a candidate and you want them to join--this can seem disjointed."

Jora Gill, SHL

Hiring is a balancing act. We want to drive candidates into the funnel, create positive experiences, and bring the best candidates into the organization, but we also need data to help make the right choice. While AI has been challenged for its impact on hiring, new evidence shows that it can help to minimize erroneous decisions. In this conversation, Ben talks with Jora Gill from SHL about how assessments can be blended into the hiring process for better, more objective decision-making without sacrificing candidate experience. 

Learn more about SHL at http://shl.com 

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"We are wasting talent. We can't afford as a nation, as a society, to waste talent." 

 Brenda Weitzberg, Founder and Executive Director of Aspiritech

When we talk about diversity in the workplace, we often overlook the concept of neurodiversity, which encompasses the broad range of intellectual capabilities that individuals have. In today's episode, Ben interviews Brenda Weitzberg about her company, Aspiritech, and how it is able to hire individuals on the autism spectrum for specific tasks that suit the unique strengths of individuals with autism.

The capabilities of each person, regardless of the color of their skin, their gender, or their mental clarity, are unique. As Brenda says in the interview, "When you've seen one person with autism, you've just seen one person. You haven't seen them all." Let's learn more about how to open up opportunities for those that are neurodiverse.

Learn more at aspiritech.org

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"People don't want flexibility. they want complete control over their time."

Today, we keep hearing that flexible work is the way to go. People want it. They crave it. 

Yet in today's episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Jody Thompson, creator of the ROWE movement. ROWE stands for "results only work environment," and it has been around for some time (the first book, Why Work Sucks, was published in 2008). 

Today the workplace looks different than it did then, but according to Thompson, employers are still chasing the wrong things. We're looking at when work gets done and where work gets done, but we're not focusing enough on the what in terms of results. 

That lack of focus on the right things sometimes forces our people to fight for control over their work. How? By looking for workarounds, playing the "I'm busy" game, arriving early or staying late, and more. Instead of looking at managers as controlling figures, we should look at them as performance coaches. Expect to explore all of this and more in today's conversation. Enjoy!

Learn more about Jody and ROWE at: https://www.gorowe.com/resource-library

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In recent weeks the podcast has covered critical topics like the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and how HR technology providers are supporting businesses during this time. Today, we're going to take a step toward engaging those workers that are working remotely, many of them doing so for the first time. 

In this solo episode, Ben covers 11+ ways HR leaders and line managers can support and engage their workers, from simple concepts like one on one's to more complex ideas for how to run company all hands briefings. Working remotely may be a challenge right now, but for those workers that enjoy the experience and want to remain remote after the COVID-19 scare is over, managers will need new tools and ideas to help them support workers they can't see on a daily basis. 

If you have your own ideas to add to the list, please send them to [email protected] and we'll add them to the show notes here. Thanks!

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