Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast REL Talk
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hiring Globally with Valerie Bowden | 28 Dec 2022 | 00:25:49 | |
In today’s episode of RelTalk, Michelle and Maria talk to special guest Valerie Bowden, who is originally from Indiana and has experience working in HR. She shares her insights on sourcing talent internationally and why outsourcing is a smart move for filling critical positions. She also discusses her experience living in Ethiopia and working to help make it an outsourcing hub. Valerie also talks about the benefits of remote work and how it can open up the talent pool to include international workers. She then joins our hosts in a discussion regarding the importance of getting out of your comfort zone and gaining new perspectives in order to better integrate diversity and inclusion policies in the workplace. The Finer Details of this Episode:
Quotes: "When you outsource internationally, you do have the opportunity to tap into a much larger talent pool and find people who have a different skill set or a different perspective." "Living in Ethiopia and being involved in the outsourcing industry there taught me a lot about the value of different perspectives and different ways of thinking." "Remote work can open up the talent pool to include people from all over the world, which is really exciting." "Getting out of your comfort zone and gaining new perspectives can help organizations better integrate diversity and inclusion policies." "Diversity and inclusion are important for so many reasons, but one of the key benefits is that it can lead to better decision-making and more creative solutions." Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Recruiting 201 with AJ Vollmoeller | 15 Dec 2022 | 00:18:39 | |
In this week’s episode of the RelTalk series, Maria and Michelle once again welcome AJ Vollmoeller. AJ is a tenured recruiter and current staffing agency owner. He’s also a resume writing and career services advisor and the author of ‘How To NOT Get Hired.’ If you’re looking for an insider perspective on recruiting, AJ is your go-to guy. First, AJ starts by shedding some light on what a job recruiter’s role actually is. As he nicely puts it, recruiters are on your side - they want the best possible outcome for both you and the company. So, don’t pretend to be someone you’re not during your first interview. Be yourself and show your personality. Next, AJ shares some valuable tips for acing any first job interview with a company. According to him, you shouldn’t lie to get in for one specific role because the recruiter may have something else that’s even a better fit for your actual skillset. Finally, Maria, Michelle, and AJ address the current market environment and the real reason why companies are losing employees at a rapid pace. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “You never know waking up what you're going to get, what market shift is going to happen, what the new headline or the new trend or the new TikTok trend is going to be.” “Recruiters, whether they're internal at the company you're applying directly to, or on the staffing agency side, they're on your side.” “Don't lie. Don't fabricate. Be honest and truthful, especially to the recruiter.” “It's not polishing a lie at all. It is stating what you're comfortable telling.” “Sometimes people just don't connect. As long as you connect with that recruiter, you feel they're doing good; you get the warm and fuzzies about them, work with that recruiter and see where it goes from there.” “When you have a transition like that overnight, there's going to be 5% of your staff, 10% of your staff that is not well versed or just can't grasp working from home.” “If you're losing workers because you're still what I would consider to be an old-school type of culture, that's on you. The writing has been on the wall.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn AJ Vollmoeller on LinkedIn | |||
| Authoritarian vs. Influencer | 29 Jul 2022 | 00:28:18 | |
In today's episode, joining Michelle and Maria is Keith, who brings up a topic that impacts a broad spectrum of people: influential versus authority power. Together, they look at how we spend a lot of time discussing how leadership is not a position and how anybody can be a leader. But when it comes down to day-to-day operations, sometimes people are fearful about stepping outside the parameters of what's always been done. They go on to review that one important thing for people moving up their ladder in their career is to remember that the most potent power they're going to have is the power of influence. If somebody is given power based on a title, they don't have to exert much influence on the people reporting to them. Positional or authority power is only going to maintain the status quo. It's not going to help anything grow. So even for those in positions of authority, our panel today clearly advises that the more you develop and flex those skills of influential power, the more impact you will have on your career. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: "The stronger your ability to influence others is, the less you will have to rely on the power of authority." "If somebody is challenging your power as an authority figure, there's a problem with your influential power because that means people are not willingly following." "The only time that you're going to be followed for your authoritarian or positional power is when you're being followed out of fear, when people are fearing losing their position, when they're fearful of being reprimanded." "Influential power leaves the choice up to the employee whether or not they're going to follow you, whereas authoritarian power is you are not giving them any choice; you're giving them an ultimatum." "If the only tool in your bag is a hammer, you will treat everything like a nail." "My style is more of an influential style, where I want people to follow me because they believe in the message. They believe in the value of our organization." "The best leaders can positively influence the thoughts, feelings, and actions of others that promote growth. If you were to look up a psychological definition of love, it is thoughts, feelings, and actions that promote growth." "The influential leader genuinely cares about the people following them." Show Links & Resources: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action How to Win Friends and Influence People How to Lead When You're Not in Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack AuthorityLeaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't | |||
| I Hate My F*n Job: Challenging Coworkers | 19 Aug 2020 | 00:31:06 | |
Welcome to the third installment of the ‘I Hate My F*n Job’ series where Maria and Michelle not only delve into some of the reasons that people can come to hate their jobs, but also offer some sage advice about what can be done to help rectify the situation. While the first two installments dealt with the topic of working with toxic bosses, this week, the focus is on the issue of dealing with toxic co-workers. Our hosts begin by identifying the different types of these co-workers, finding out whom you can and cannot trust, and why Michelle feels it’s easier to deal with a toxic co-worker than a toxic people leader. Michelle continues by reviewing her experience with Kinko’s peer accountability culture, Brene Brown’s ‘It’s okay…not okay’ advice, and the necessity for tough conversations, complete with examples from her own past. She and Maria continue by sharing how to identify a lack of teamwork and/or signs of volatility, and also how HR professionals and companies such as REL Talent can help remedy such situations. Throughout their conversation, the need to take action and the dangers of not addressing such situations is emphasized. Whether you are an employee, employer, or people leader, today’s podcast offers valuable information and advice to assist you in working through the ubiquitous issue of dealing with toxic co-workers. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “I literally personally left an organization because of an abusive co-worker.” “I do tend to plant seeds to find who I can trust.” “If I’m not willing to say what I need to say, I’m going to get run over.” “I need you to show up different in the future than you’re showing up right now.” “Nothing’s going to change if you do nothing.” “They don’t have to be buddies…but they do have to work together effectively.” “There’s a lot of stuff we can do from a team perspective, but, frankly, sometimes it is just coaching a person.” “Our only goal is to get you what you need so that your work becomes a great place to be.” Show Links: REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/ | |||
| I Hate My F*n Job: Abusive Leaders Pt. 2 | 12 Aug 2020 | 00:38:45 | |
Today’s episode is the second installment in the ‘I Hate My F*n Job’ series, and Maria and Michelle continue their dialogue from last week’s episode all about working for horrible bosses. While there is so much to cover under this topic, today our hosts focus on managing the ups and downs of the abusive boss cycle. They begin by looking at the possibility that you may have set expectations for your boss that are unrealistic and impossible for them to achieve, and then they analyze the different types of bosses and their own experiences with them. They emphasize the importance of communication between yourself and your boss, and share some of the services that REL Talent offer that may prove beneficial to you. Given that finding a new job may be a possibility, they also share their advice on the steps to follow in this search. Terrible bosses are a fact of life – how you respond to working with such a person is where Maria and Michelle’s expertise can provide support and guidance, and that’s precisely what they do in this episode today. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “People don’t leave companies, people leave poor leadership.” “I set the bar so low that if they slightly exceed my expectations, it’s actually a win for me…that way I never get let down.” “When you are micro-managing at the right time, people don’t actually call it ‘micro-managing’, they call it ‘support’. “When you have someone who isn’t quick, who is waiting…for that alignment with everyone…those Type A’s in the world get really frustrated by that.” “If your full time job isn’t the place that you should be, then you should make looking for a new job your full time job.” “What people are looking for now is your experience and your ability to talk through those experiences.” “Make sure that social footprint mirrors what you are trying to brand yourself as.” Show Links: REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/ | |||
| I Hate My F*n Job: Abusive Leaders | 05 Aug 2020 | 00:25:37 | |
Today marks the 11th episode of the podcast and begins the new series, ‘I Hate My F*n Job!’, a logical progression from the previous series, ‘Shut the Culture Up’. Joining Michelle and Maria for her third episode is their special guest, Olivia, and together they look at one of the top reasons people hate their job – abusive leaders. In their discussion, they explore some effective questions to ask prospective leaders during interviews, share some of their own experiences with poor leaders and the lessons these experiences can 0ffer, and look at the notion of leadership as manipulation. Communication styles, leadership training and HR’s role within that, advice for those working with abusive leaders and the importance of acting on feedback are also covered in this enlightening episode. If you have ever dealt with poor leadership in your job – and, let’s face it, everyone has – today’s frank and insightful discussion is a ‘must listen’. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “My leadership style really depends on the person that I’m talking to.” “Everyone has had a bad boss – I guarantee it.” “I literally left a company because of a shitty leader and a shitty feeling.” “It was either, she would give you the silent treatment, or she would yell at you and throw things at you in front of customers.” “It’s not the intention, it’s the perception.” “Abusive bosses probably get snappy with their kids.” “You have to be able to adapt to your team’s style.” “HR is there to recommend, not require…we are here to be a partner to make sure lawsuits don’t happen.” “Eventually I found the greener grass.” Show Links: REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/ | |||
| Shut the Culture Up: Dear Rel Talk | 29 Jul 2020 | 00:23:08 | |
Special guest, Olivia, rejoins Michelle and Maria today to finish their ‘Shut the Culture Up’ series by taking a look at a letter from one of their listeners, and responding to it in the ‘Dear Abby’ style. The letter asks our hosts for their advice in improving a toxic work culture which includes the HR team, and they definitely rise to the challenge. Olivia begins by offering her suggestions to help with this issue, and then all 3 hosts share their experiences working in toxic work environments. They also explore ways that leaders can help in these situations, before coming back around to share more ideas for the employee themself. This episode of ‘Dear Rel Talk’ provides the straightforward advice the listener’s letter requests – advice that will undoubtedly prove beneficial to all listeners at some point in their careers. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “It’s really more analyzing and asking those ‘whys’ of what is happening to really understand it.” “I don’t know if managers are always aware of what’s going on amongst their team, or the toxicity.” “These changes keep happening, and these stories become part of the fabric of who you are as an organization.” “They’re playing you like you’re a chess piece, and then they want that loyalty at the end of the day?” “I’m not going to be a fucking number!” “Assess, coach, re-evaluate…the last step would be…find some opportunities elsewhere.” “It’s okay that this bothers you, it is never okay that you talk to me like that again.” “Finish the bottle.” Show Links: REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/ | |||
| Shut the Culture Up: Do Outside Companies Impact Your Culture | 22 Jul 2020 | 00:21:25 | |
Today’s installment of the ‘Shut the Culture Up’ series focuses upon a topic which is a sensitive and possibly uncomfortable one, and which contributes to your culture in ways you can’t even quantify. How an organization responds to events or movements in society - the stand that they take and how they approach it – is of critical importance, rendering it a vital topic for today’s episode. Maria and Michelle begin by looking at the necessity of organizations taking such stands using the examples of Black Lives Matter and Nike’s support of Colin Kaepernick. They then offer the best approach for organizations when doing so, and stress the importance of culture and engagement teams, conversations, listening, and resources within this approach. Remaining silent during times of moral dilemma cannot be an option for organizations, and today’s episode offers valuable insight and advice in helping to address such situations with dignity and integrity. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “Being silent takes the stance.” “You can’t just take those moral situations and say, ‘I don’t have an opinion’.” “We need you to acknowledge that there are specific populations in your organization that this is important to.” “You better be damn well certain that you are making the 1000% correct choice.” “At the very minimum, teach your leaders to be brave, to have conversations.” “Pay attention to the silent stuff because it impacts how your employees see your organization.” Show Links: REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/ | |||
| Shut the Culture Up: What Now? | 15 Jul 2020 | 00:35:44 | |
The ‘Shut the Culture Up’ series continues today with this third instalment which builds upon the previous two episodes. Having established the importance of culture and followed the steps from last week’s episode in determining your company’s culture, today Maria and Michelle’s lively discussion will outline for you what exactly you need to do next. Toward this end, they explore the very practical steps necessary to act upon the information uncovered when surveying employees about the state of culture within the organization. For each of these steps, they offer insights and examples which help to clarify them all fully. While each organization is different and will naturally require some variation, these steps provide straightforward and clear direction for those involved in the critical and highly beneficial task of improving company culture. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “It’s okay to not be perfect.” “I think companies overcomplicate this process of identifying their culture.” “Having a company picnic is not going to fix your culture problems.” “When we say ‘Culture Committee’, we really are talking about a cross-functional group of people who are kind of the gatekeepers of all of the actions that you do moving forward.” “That free meal is not the reason we come to work, and it’s not what we believe our culture is.” “Change does not happen unless people are uncomfortable.” “They wove it through everything.” “Promote those people to be a customer of yours, not a people leader.” “Keep it simple, keep it real.” Show Links: REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/ | |||
| Shut the Culture Up: Getting it Right | 08 Jul 2020 | 00:45:01 | |
This week Michelle and Maria continue their ‘Shut the Culture Up’ series, and welcome Nicole Metzel back to share her experience and perspective. In this episode, they look at how culture is defined within an organization, how to determine it, and how to make improvements to it. They begin by exploring how to help upper management understand their organization’s culture, and taking an in-depth look at the varied approaches to transparency within a business, particularly during the current pandemic. The importance of beliefs, the roles and preparation of effective leaders, and the tools to help fix culture issues through such exercises as facilitating feedback sessions, and performing pulse checks are discussed as well. Admittedly, no organization is perfect, but today’s episode is filled with insight and advice on how to make the necessary improvements to the culture of any business that will ultimately benefit all of its stakeholders. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “If we sit back as leaders and take no active role in defining what our value system is, it means that we sort of have to accept what we get.” “No one will ever tell the Emperor that he is naked.” “Being transparent about your challenges as a company, and allowing people to openly share their transparent challenges with you…that’s how you create that trust relationship.” “They will make assumptions about your beliefs if you do not take a position…particularly with large issues.” “There is not a perfect organization on planet Earth – it does not exist.” “If we were ‘perfect world’ what would it look like…what are the things that are getting in our way of being in that perfect place, and what are the solutions to solve those things?” “You can’t fix culture overnight.” “People in your organization are your most valuable asset above anything else.” Show Links: REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/ An Everyone Culture: https://www.amazon.ca/Everyone-Culture-Deliberately-Developmental-Organization/dp/1625278624 | |||
| Shut the Culture Up: Why is it so Hard? | 02 Jul 2020 | 00:26:29 | |
Today marks the beginning of the ‘Shut the Culture Up’ series in Michelle and Maria take an in-depth look at workplace cultures in businesses of all sizes. Special guest, Olivia, also joins our hosts to contribute her vast amount of knowledge and experience to this fascinating series of discussions. In this first episode of the series, they explore the impact that the size of the organization has upon its ability to establish or influence the culture, as well as the role that leaders play in this area. The difference between the culture a corporation promotes in their marketing and the culture that actually exists there is also reviewed and they take a look at the examples that both Google and Amazon provide. Finally, they define just what culture means, and briefly touch upon two ways it can become defined within a business. Over the years, there has been no shortage of talk about cultures within organizations, and today’s episode begins a valuable series demonstrating how to change all that talk into some real action. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “I don’t know that I believe that a company has the ability to establish a top down culture when you exceed a certain size.” “You’ve got to have a strong foundation for your message to be heard.” “Corporations try to sell this culture mentality and they don’t allow it to organically happen.” “We’ve created this monster which is impossible.” “You also have to be genuinely caring about the people that are working for you.” “Amazon treats their workers like a sweatshop.” “You can either try to play an active role in defining what the culture of your company is, or you can let the loudest person on your team decide what that culture is.” Show Links: REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/ | |||
| The Next Chapter of Work Flexibility: Did COVID-19 Push Us to Evolve Too Quickly? | 24 Jun 2020 | 00:47:27 | |
Today, Michelle and Maria are back to give their take on one of the most talked about topics these days – the potential changes that the current pandemic will make on the workforce. There are so many varying opinions out there on this subject, and while no one can predict exactly what’s in store, today you get to hear the enlightened opinions and advice of these two remarkably knowledgeable and experienced professionals. Their discussion begins with observations from their own organizations, some struggles and advice surrounding working from home, and the potential effects of limited day care. They then move onto emphasizing the role that human resources professionals play in ever evolving policies and procedures, what the future workforce and workplace may look like, and they offer some valuable guidelines for working to ensure a successful re-entry. As always, our hosts finish by making recommendations regarding resources, this time looking at those which will prove beneficial to all as we move forward through this pandemic. Everyone is wondering just what the future holds for the workforce, and today’s episode offers a great deal of insight, advice, and food for thought for us all to seriously consider. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “I think that there’s a way we can do it, to make it work, but it’s going to change.” “There has to be that clear guidance.” “We’ve built this fear that the only way you live is to stay away from people.” “It’s going to be interesting trying to pull people back into the workforce and recreate that routine for them.” “Communicate often, communicate before it happens, and communicate with consistency.” “It’s a different level of fear that our employees are coming to us with…we are talking about their lives…keep that in mind when you’re talking to people.” “Now is the time to really push or propel your people agenda forward.” “Can you use this forced situation to make positive change in your workforce?” Show Links: REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/ ‘Work Rules’ homepage: https://www.workrules.net/ ‘Originals’ homepage: https://www.adamgrant.net/originals | |||
| Corporate Cracks? How Corporate America Fails to Meet the Needs of its People. | 17 Jun 2020 | 00:51:58 | |
Nicole Metzel of Hot Mess Success and Chalk Couture joins Michelle and Maria once again this week for another lively discussion. In today’s episode, they look at the culture of Corporate America and the reasons why there has been a mass exodus from it over the past 5 years. Drawing upon their own experiences, Nicole and our hosts review the reasons why they left large corporations and the impact it has had upon their lives. They then go on to explore the changes in corporate culture over the years, the ways in which corporations establish both positive and negative cultures, and suggest the ‘must haves’ for these organizations to retain employees. They finish by sharing their recommendations for some valuable resources in this area. At times controversial, but always valuable and grounded in knowledge and expertise, the information and advice in this episode offers a clear picture of what is right and wrong in the culture of today’s corporations and how it can be improved overall. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “I work more than I did in a 40 hour work week, but I do it on my time.” “The company doesn’t give a shit about you – let’s be real.” “Put the ‘human’ back in ‘human resources’.” “I got used to a culture where I was treated like an adult.” “Diverse means celebrating the differences between humans.” “I think disrupting the status quo is exactly what a lot of these companies need to do.” “Who are you to demand perfection of others while simultaneously being unwilling to fix your own imperfections?” “We have to identify what our priorities, what our values are, and really prioritize our people.” Show Links: REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/ Hot Mess Success Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nicolemetzelsuccess/ Dare to Lead: https://daretolead.brenebrown.com/ Think Big, Act Small: https://jason-jennings.com/books/think-big-act-small/ Sticking Points: https://www.amazon.ca/Sticking-Points-Generations-Working-Together/dp/1414364717 Talk Like Ted: https://www.carminegallo.com/books/talk-like-ted/ Leaders Eat Last: https://simonsinek.com/product/leaders-eat-last/ | |||
| Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Notable Tips | 25 Jul 2022 | 00:24:47 | |
Changing a company's culture is as hard as turning a ship in the ocean. It's not like in the Fast & Furious movies where they slam the brakes, shift gear, and do a 180 without thinking about it. With a ship, you turn the rudder a little at a time, and the bigger the ship, the slower you go because you don't want to tilt and bring down the ship. People are the same way, so to move culture takes slow progression. In today's episode, Michelle and Maria talk about what it takes to create a more inclusive company culture and introduce a valuable resource, The Leader's Guide to Unconscious Bias along the way. They discuss how to revamp the systemic issues all over corporate America and positively impact diversity, equity, and inclusion. Michelle gives some tips on infusing DE&I into a culture, including assessing and revamping your recruitment process, employee resource groups, institutional boarding programs, and mentorship. Finally, the hosts recommend resources to guide you to inclusive company culture. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: "We're going to keep revisiting this topic until we start to see the progression that we need to be a more inclusive society." "To be a more inclusive society, it's going to take a village." "What makes you you is part of how you grew up. What makes you better than you is how you start incorporating other positive things into your life." "This is a great time to look at your recruiting process and identify what is working and what is not, but also use this as a chance to step up your game from a DE&I perspective." "Most people who do not fit into the norm of your culture do not bring their authentic selves to work. Instead, they show how you have communicated that it's acceptable to show up. And so by having that mentor, that connector, who is a voice within the organization, you help to give authenticity to their voice." "This is one of her first books. It works well as the toolkit for anyone hoping to address institutional or individual unconscious bias. And the very first step of the process, Pamela writes, is discounting the idea that bias means one is inherently ill-intended or morally flawed. And discounting that concept opens people up to own their bias, so people don't become defensive." "It's incredibly uncomfortable, but we can't allow lack of comfort to stop us from progressing." Show Links & Resources: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn The Leader's Guide to Unconscious Bias | |||
| COVID Can't Bring My Business Down | 10 Jun 2020 | 00:28:38 | |
Joining Michelle and Maria this week is Nicole Metzel, an entrepreneur in network marketing who owns her own brand, Hot Mess Success, and is also a distributor for Chalk Couture, a high end home décor company focusing on the DIY space. Nicole works with women and men from all walks of life who are looking to build a business and to coach their network marketers on how to successfully build a home-based business. Today, Nicole engages in a lively discussion with our hosts regarding the impact that COVID-19 is having upon both large and small businesses. They begin by looking at the business areas that are actually thriving during this pandemic, and continue by exploring the importance of employees clearly understanding the mission and vision of the business. Nicole’s core values and the role they play in her messaging, as well as the adjustments she’s making to her business as a result of the pandemic and just how important such adaptability is to the success of a business, are also discussed. Finally, Nicole shares her top 3 tips for being proactive and some valuable resources are introduced. What sets this podcast apart from all the other advice that is floating out there is that this is information and advice gleaned from years of professional experience and a variety of valuable perspectives. These are people who are living these issues, and who have a great deal to offer employers and employees alike navigating these unprecedented times and beyond. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “People are sitting at home, and they’re noticing all the things they wanted to change about their home.” “Bezos is, like, making a ton of money, and…I don’t think he wants anything to recover from COVID.” “The message had to be there, your ‘why’ had to be there before COVID.” “If it’s that critical that it is your mission and your vision, then it needs to be consistently repeated to your employees so that they understand what their purpose is when they clock in.” “My core values were specifically to empower women to create the life that they love.” “The market dictates how I do business…that adaptability, that chameleon, that is critical to business survival.” “If you are caught in this space where you have not prepared for the worst case scenario, you have set yourself up for failure.” “Spend 10 minutes a day, at the end of your day, being proactive for your future instead of reactive.” Show Links: REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/ Hot Mess Success Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nicolemetzelsuccess/ John C. Maxwell books: https://store.johnmaxwell.com/How-Successful-People-Think-Change-Your-Thinking-Change-Your-Life-Hardcover_p_810.html https://store.johnmaxwell.com/JumpStart-Your-Thinking-Hardcover_p_1499.html Switch homepage: https://heathbrothers.com/books/switch/ The Compound Effect homepage: | |||
| My Living Room is My Office | 03 Jun 2020 | 00:46:15 | |
Maria and Michelle are back this week to discuss a topic of great importance these days – working from home. Given the current circumstances throughout the world these days, everybody is talking about this subject right now, and it can become a little overwhelming because it seems everyone has an opinion about it. Today, our hosts bring their wealth of expertise and experience with working from home to offer you their remarkably valuable and practical advice and strategies. They begin by discussing their own experiences with working from home, and then review the struggles that can arise for both those working from home and those managing them. They also offer some suggested strategies for dealing with these struggles, and caution listeners about the perils of ‘the downward spiral’ and emotional exhaustion, while promoting the importance of mental stability. Today’s episode is one which is valuable at any time for those working from home, and it is one which you will discover is particularly relevant to the many who now find themselves in this position due to the current pandemic. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “COVID-19, it’s taken what more progressive companies had already started trying and it’s made it important everywhere.” “You won’t necessarily get all the pieces right when you’re trying to work from home.” “Even for introverts this becomes emotionally exhausting.” “How your company handles this is going to be huge.” “Where you can’t give someone a break is going back to that quality of work and the timeliness of the projects.” “Mental and physical clarity is the most important aspect of being successful in your position.” “As leaders, reach out to the members of your team.” Show Links: REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/ | |||
| Intro to REL | 27 May 2020 | 00:42:07 | |
Welcome to the premiere episode of the REL Talk podcast, the home of real conversations about real HR topics for the real world, brought to you by RelTalent.com. Co-hosted by REL Talent’s Managing Director of Culture and HR, Maria Rodriguez, Managing Director of Talent and Organizational Development, Michelle Elder, and Managing Director of Team Development and Coaching, Keith Leonard, this is a podcast created by three professionals who are decidedly passionate about their work. By way of introduction, our hosts discuss the circumstances which led to the creation of RelTalent.com, and introduce themselves, their stories, and their roles. They then go on to share the reasons why they started this podcast, just what you can expect from it each week, and touch briefly on some examples of upcoming topics and segments. While it is very true there will be many times when the opinions of these passionate professionals will differ in the episodes to come, one thing that they all agree upon, and which will be woven throughout the series, is the importance of companies maintaining a policy of putting people first. Today’s opening episode of the REL Talk podcast presents the first of many powerful conversations about elevating people perspective in organizations that will positively impact the lives of business owners, leaders, and employees along the way. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “It was just so motivating to sit there and listen to a CEO talk about how passionate they are about their people, and how they put people as their first priority.” “Companies have to have the right philosophy for me to stay…do they put people first?” “For the most part, there is clear, clear linkage between good HR practices, good HR policies, and the success of a business.” “If your biggest concern is that your employees are going to be saying negative things about you on social media, I think your biggest concern…is your culture.” “What we know confidently is that there has to be a balance.” “From a podcast perspective, we want to help not only business leaders in an organization help elevate their people perspective, but we also want to help those of you listening that are employees of an organization.” Show Links: REL Talent homepage: https://www.reltalent.com/ | |||
| Trailer | 23 May 2020 | 00:01:04 | |
Have you worked for a shitty company or people leader? Are you a business owner or HR professional that wants new ideas to improve your focus on people? We see things on social media everyday telling us why work sucks. This podcast will identify what businesses do wrong when it comes to people. And we will give our thoughts and raw candid feedback surrounding these issues. You’ll also hear from guest speakers (both employees and business owners) who have opposing opinions to these topics. They will share their point of view and experiences on how to improve. | |||
| Outsourcing Talent Acquisition | 08 Jul 2022 | 00:23:25 | |
Michelle's voice still isn't back fully, so Dan joins Maria for today's episode. Together, they discuss the pros and cons of outsourcing recruiting to a third-party firm, the current trend being seen in companies, and what Dan calls 'the great rescinding' that is taking place globally. Dan and Maria delve into the need for creating wellness initiatives in order to assess the well-being of employees despite the rise of remote jobs, and also explore the impacts of outsourcing recruiting efforts to a firm and why internal recruiting should be considered first. 'The great rescinding' and how it is shifting the market to an employer’s market is explained as well in this insightful and informative episode. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “There's a lot of key decisions that come into changing organizations.” “Are we providing enough work-life balance, or at least reiterating what we expect from a work-life balance?” “A lot of folks are ready to leave because they don't feel fulfilled at work, and they don't feel like the work they're doing matters.” “The talent team internally can tell a better story, and can facilitate a better candidate experience. It can also have that close relationship with the hiring managers.” “Hiring managers and HR folks need to put a little bit more emphasis on emotional intelligence these days, especially in the selection process.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn Emotional Intelligence Power vs Force | |||
| Outsourcing HR | 30 Jun 2022 | 00:31:22 | |
Michelle and Maria are back again this week to discuss some of the reasons behind businesses outsourcing HR, as well as the accompanying problems that can arise as a result. They also take the opportunity today to explain the importance of building relationships with employees by inspiring a shared vision. Our hosts discuss the different categories of HR and how they differ in the roles they play. They explain the reason why employers have to inspire a shared vision amongst their staff and how they can go about it, and conclude with recommendations on how to set futuristic goals that include involving your team in your plans. Rest assured, today's episode is yet another one filled with invaluable insight and advice for all listeners from the REL Talk, REL Talented team. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “Do your research, and understand how working from home impacted your business. And if you decide that you're going to go with a flexible work environment, or you're going to make them come back completely, or you're going to let them go home, whatever decision you make, tie it to information that is relevant to those people.” “Your inability or unwillingness to communicate your reason treats people like children.” “It is my hope that you guys did not eliminate your HR team during a social crisis and a global pandemic, that would have been as dumb as getting rid of your safety team.” “It's helpful for you to have sometimes a third party conducting your investigations because then there's no biased situations or issues transpiring.” “Inspire a shared vision.” “What we've got to make sure is that not only do the people that work for us, see themselves in that finished place, that they need to see themselves getting us to that place, they need to be a part of the journey, as well as an integral part of the final destination.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Outsourcing Learning and Development | 23 Jun 2022 | 00:50:20 | |
Studies have shown that employee learning and development usually takes a significant drop in spending during a recession. With the increasing likelihood of recession today, this episode could not have been more timely as Michelle and Maria make a case for L&D. To kick off, Michelle asserts that however much you love your job, you still have bills to pay; therefore, you need to get adequately compensated for your time and effort. Our hosts get into the crux of the episode, reflecting upon why L&D is usually the first place to get cut during times of recession. Discussing the implications of this, Michelle and Maria segue into looking at outsourcing L&D as a cheaper alternative and highlight its pros and cons. Finally, they talk about people leadership and why leaders must be trained before a promotion. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: "Most of us would not work for other people if we did not require money to live our lives successfully. So is money the only reason people come to work? Absolutely not. Surveys show it over and over again. Is it the motivator to get people to apply? Yes, it is." "We come to work because we have bills. So pay us." "In every situation, there are reasons that make something easy to do as well as reasons that make it hard. You have to consider all of those in relation to what's happening in your business to see if the pros outweigh the cons." "Even if it's just the three years that this pandemic has screwed the world, what's the potential impact of three years with little to no training from orientation to development?" "If you're behind on staying up to speed and being challenged in technology, even one year, you're like five years behind in technology. You're not going to stay innovative with an innovative company." "Cutting your L&D organization and making it into zero investment is worse than not doing anything at all, including outsourcing." "What are the strengths and weaknesses of getting rid of your L&D department and outsourcing it to someone else?… I'm going to go with a big con of outsourcing: it is a super-short-term solution because those people are not engrained in your business the same way an internal L&D department would be." "When you look at a lot of the initiatives in outsourcing your L&D, you get a lot of different expertise. Sometimes when you're honing in on one person, you either get instructional design, OD, or somebody focused on training. But when you outsource it, you get the best of all worlds from anybody because they have different skill sets that they can apply to you and use in different formats." "You cannot afford three years of untrained people. There's no way to recover if they learn the wrong way." "By having a consultant come in and look at the bigger picture for where those gaps are, they can quickly identify the headcount you need to bring in." "In our world, the ability to manage or use the analytical side of your brain is as important as the ability to inspire and motivate people, which is equally as important as your ability to move people's progress and skill set to the direction that you need it to be to be effective within your group." "We at REL Talent believe that you must be able to inspire, develop, and lead your team into the future by having a well-thought-out strategy." "If I could be paid to be a full-time student where I'm constantly learning stuff, I would be all in every day of the week." Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Mental Health and Wellbeing | 09 Jun 2022 | 00:25:12 | |
In today’s episode, Michelle and Maria shine the light on mental health issues in the workplace. Throughout their discussion, they provide tips on how employers can provide necessary resources to help their staff maintain physical and emotional wellbeing. Delving into the subject at hand - the mental health issues observed in employees – our hosts address the current burnout rate being seen globally. Due to the pandemic, more employees are seen to take on more roles, causing this burnout and stress. In this extremely timely and crucial episode, Maria and Michelle offer advice to leaders to focus on how their employees are functioning, and to provide resources that can benefit them and their organizations as a whole. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “Mental health continues to increase as a priority concern for employees.” “We keep talking about those things like you need to be resilient, you need to bounce back quickly. But what we're ignoring is the fact that it's not always that easy. Sometimes, where people are, it's hard to be there. And it's also hard to bounce back from it without the right support and the right resources.” “If you want to maximize your employees, it means that you have to look out for their well-being physically and mentally, at least to the point that you're giving them resources.” “It's not your job to keep someone else healthy. But as an employer, it is your job to find solutions that can help your employees stay healthy if they choose to do so.” “We live in a culture where we don't acknowledge the stress and the burnout that comes from mental stress.” “It's funny when it comes to respecting people's time, we do things passive-aggressively to create the stigma that you have to work harder.” “There's this lack of loyalty to organizations because they have lacked loyalty to their employees.” “It's time to shift that paradigm, to stop just focusing on what is new, or what's happening or when the new benefits are rolling out. Maybe it's time to engage your leaders in conversations about how their people are doing.” “You also need to process how, as an organization, or how you as a leader, or how you as an employee are functioning during time off and how you want to re-pivot them.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| The Great Employee Engagement Survey Debate | 18 May 2022 | 00:32:32 | |
Today’s episode of REL Talk features Michelle and Maria as they continue their series about the companies that are doing things really well. They are joined by a special guest, John, a “long time listener, second-time caller” (he’s been on the podcast before!), to talk about employee engagement surveys. John expressed an interest in returning to the podcast to debate Michelle and Maria on this subject. Maria and Michelle have mentioned several times over the course of the podcast’s history that they believe employee engagement surveys--specifically the process surrounding them--are crap. John, however, disagrees. So get ready for today’s great debate, and listen in as Michelle, Maria, and John opine and discuss employee engagement surveys--the good, the bad, and the ugly. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “So somebody told me once before that while they recognize a lot of things I say are opinions, I say them so emphatically that if someone is not informed on the topic, they just assume it to be fact.” “I have seen companies do other things to collect feedback and be successful, just not a climate survey.” “You can over-survey a population or over-collect data.” “Just the average company, collecting feedback at least annually is appropriate… If they’re in a place of crisis already, obviously, we would start with more frequent and more thorough data collection. If they had a very stable culture, we’d fall into something cyclical.” “Yeah, that’s appropriate. But I would argue a smaller collection… that’s part of a regular cadence… That way you can track change over time… if you’re only making your survey collection once a year, you’re not actually going to know if it worked until 12 months later.” “So that’s problem number one: organizations are not good at doing this. I also believe, number two, that most organizations, HR does not have enough authority to usurp executive decisions. And when it comes to engagement surveys, they should be driven by someone who understands… Then problem number three is human nature or employees’ reluctance to be completely honest in a survey for whatever reason.” “Give people the option to add comments or not add comments... Surveys aren’t going to catch everything… you’re not going to get perfect data from this especially because it’s an opinion-based survey. But if you’re not going to ask, you’re not going to at least give them the opportunity.” “I just think you should do both. Create an environment with a trained facilitator who can draw this information out in a small group setting, and do an employee engagement survey, and check those results against each other… If there’s a difference there, that’s something to explore.” “Before you even do an employee engagement survey, you need a champion. Is your CEO, is the C-Suite on board with this? And if they’re not, …don’t do it. If your CEO, if your C-Suite executives are not on board with taking this information, analyzing it, and making meaningful change, …you’re just going to end up upsetting your employees.” “I think the great companies that truly are wonderful, and maybe they’re not the most profitable companies, but the great ones: the C-Suite gets it, that employee engagement is a benefit for all.” “Engaged employees are more productive, more productive employees have better ROI. You want to increase your bottom line? Have engaged employees.” “It’s about a culture of trust, a culture of common vision and goals.” “But Google builds an atmosphere around what their employees or desired employees want… It was the culture around allowing people to be innovative, make mistakes, try things that other companies weren’t willing to invest in. That culture is what brings people to Google.” “It’s ultimately human failure and not a tool failure.” “At the end of the day, if you’re not taking action on anything, it’s not really going to help support anything.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Who Does it Well? | 11 May 2022 | 00:16:07 | |
Join Michelle and Maria as they talk today about the companies that are out there and doing things really well. Today’s episode focuses specifically on DE&I, a topic that was inspired by two articles Michelle recently read, which highlight eight companies who are addressing this area effectively. Michelle focuses much of today’s episode on the Rock Family of Companies and their CEO’s response to George Floyd’s murder, and how they implemented a six-point plan to address their response to and implementation of DE&I. Don’t miss today’s episode, as Maria and Michelle acknowledge that it’s vital to evaluate policies and practices often, as things are changing and evolving rapidly. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “So they hired a Chief Diversity Officer and started making momentum here, which is a critical role in your organization.” “If you’re not in a place where you can hire someone, you’re not in a place where you can get a consultant, at the very minimum, you can start looking at what other companies do well. Then you can start to implement that within the teams you have.” “But one of the downfalls was how they brought people into the organization to begin with. Their recruiting strategy… they were primarily word of mouth, which meant people were likely to hire ‘like’ individuals, to hire people they could get along with because that’s human nature.” “Essentially, when you’re talking about setting up a DE&I strategy, that’s what you need to look at. You need to have it fully well-rounded; you need to have everybody educated on what that means within your organization, and how you’re going to apply it.” “They’ve done some incredibly good things, including taking a look at their benefits, because benefits can either include or exclude people in the process.” “A company that has not only looked at diversity, equity, and inclusion, but also started to integrate remote or digital aspects that allow them to recruit from anywhere in the world, which changes your applicant pool pretty dramatically.” “If you want to understand the impact of doing an employee resource group well… so an employee resource group isn’t just about letting people of the same religion hang out together, right? It’s about having that group of people use the knowledge of their religion to help the entire organization see what they bring to the table.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Did You Know? | 04 May 2022 | 00:25:52 | |
In today’s episode, Michelle and Maria begin a new series discussing the positive things going on around the world. Join them today as they start this series with a recap and update on REL Talk, REL Talent, what’s going on with them, and what they have to offer. Their new series will focus on their continued assessment of the things going on around the world from an HR perspective. Make sure to also tune in for the next few episodes where they will talk about current trends, who are doing those things well, and how to prioritize and incorporate those things into your role or organization. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “My greatest personal growth has happened when someone was willing to take an opposite opinion of mine on a hard topic... that’s when some of my greatest professional growth happens as well.” “We’ve had incredible opportunities to help organizations launch procedures and processes, help organizations launch software that makes learning easier, we’ve been able to jump into leadership development…” “Leadership development is critical, and how you set up your business and set it up for success is also critical. If you take a look right now, Amazon and Starbucks are unionizing. That’s a result of people not feeling heard, or not getting the benefits or items that are important and critical to them as employees within an organization.” “It just means that you, as the owner, take a stand and say ‘Here’s who we are and this is the way we behave’.” “You have to be invested in them in some way, you have to know what’s going on with them, you have to care what matters to them. And when you become invested in another person that’s really when the teamwork clicks, and people start to step up for each other.” “Some of those are really great products that people at any company can obtain from us whether or not you just want it sent to you, reporting wise, or you actually want us to come in and facilitate any sort of conversation.” “We just wanted to spend some time and create a relatable moment again, where you guys know what we’re working on, what we’re doing, and what’s keeping us busy and motivated.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Impact: Data Analytics and Showing ROI | 27 Apr 2022 | 00:19:11 | |
Join Michelle and Maria for today’s Impact episode, part of their series on those aspects currently impacting human resource departments. Today’s installment features a short chat about how to utilize and identify the right data and metrics to be successful and impact business for the better. This topic comes from a recent survey showing that 59% of HR professionals interviewed not only don’t use data properly, but they also do not know how to do so. While data analytics and showing ROI is not something that has been traditionally done within the scope of HR, it is vital and requires time. Today, Michelle and Maria demonstrate the benefits that come from evaluating and using metrics properly to make decisions. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “People don’t want to know what my gut thinks. They want to know how it’s going to matter.” “Even if you do it conservatively and don’t aim for the stars, imagine for a second if you, as a leader, were able to say, ‘Here’s what it takes, here’s how I’m gonna fix it, here’s what “good” is gonna look like when it’s done,’ you would open up the doors for virtually anything that you needed. If you were a leader or a department that could show a track record of predicting your impact in a measurable way, people would listen to you.” “Ultimately, it’s not ‘butts in seats’ that most organizations care about. They care about whether or not you actually reduced defects by a certain percentage, if that’s what you’re proposing.” “So maybe I negotiate a better deal on benefits and I’m able to show that I spent less money on benefits this year than I did last year. That’s one example… Notice I said because I negotiated a better deal, not because some benefits got cut. So cost savings can always be something that you can show as an actual contribution to the business.” “More often than not, your contribution will be an aspect of another department’s success, which means that you’re going to have to partner with that other department in order to come up with numbers that feel successful.” “You have to be very thoughtful and methodical about how you’re going to be saving the organization money. And it’s not just about what’s impacting your department, but how what you do in HR impacts other departments.” “What are the benefits of actually digging into data and looking at the metrics? First of all, it helps you plan for the future, and you can get beyond what I call crisis management… It helps ensure that not just you, your HR team, is making informed decisions, but it gives the other executives within the organization the information they need to make informed decisions.” “This entire topic is not the sexiest or most attractive, but it is the most important. How you’re outlining your data, your metrics, your return on investment back to the business is most critical.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Applying and Hiring | 12 Dec 2022 | 00:18:39 | |
In this week’s episode, Doug Levin joins Maria and Michelle on the RelTalk series. Doug is the Owner of JobStars, a platform dedicated to delivering top-notch career services for professionals of all industries and experience levels. He's also a certified professional resume writer and a career coach. Doug knows the ins and outs of resume writing, and he’s happy to share his wisdom with the world. First, Doug talks about the most common mistake that people make when writing their resumes. They overstuff it with graphics and unnecessary content. This can cause issues with applicant tracking systems that companies use to manage the flow of applications - so, make your resume ATS-friendly. Then, Doug continues to unpack some of the key tips for making your resume stand out. As he points out, you shouldn’t neglect the importance of structure and formatting when creating your curriculum. Finally, Doug explains why you need to first reflect on who you are as a professional before finding suitable jobs to apply for. Once you know what you bring to the table, it’ll be much easier to find your ideal position. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “The important thing to think about as a job seeker to remember is that these systems automate the process oftentimes of evaluating your resume. So before your resume ever gets to the eyeballs of a human being, it’s going through this applicant tracking system.” “When you kind of try to pretty up the resume, it might look good to the human or viewer, but at the same time, it can cause issues with the applicant tracking system.” “You want to paint the picture for the reader of what was this person's scope of responsibility.” “Once you know those things, you know your seniority level, you know your functional role and you know the industry specialization. At that point, it's selecting the right keywords, the right core competencies, and the right kind of language to just align with those types of roles.” “Definitely, it takes some work to have a conversation, explore things, ask difficult challenging questions, and then once you do that, oftentimes the client provides all this really valuable information, and we can formulate it into a powerful message. ” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn JobStars Website Doug Levin on LinkedIn | |||
| Impact: Benefits That Matter | 20 Apr 2022 | 00:27:32 | |
Join Michelle and Maria as they continue discussing some of the biggest challenges facing HR departments--and employers in general. Their goal is to discuss and help businesses raise the bar on the things that matter. As with the previous episode in their Impact series--Employee Experience--our hosts address the issues head-on and are careful to offer suggestions and solutions. Join Michelle and Maria today as they discuss benefits that matter. They emphasize building a benefits package that goes beyond the essentials of healthcare or time off. Listen in as they summarize some of the stand-out benefits they’ve seen offered, what their non-negotiables are, and make suggestions for how to step up your comprehensive benefits package so that your company can stand out and attract the top talent. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “I prefer the term ‘paid time off’ because it’s none of their business what you do with your time off.” “Part of it is going to result from… collecting really great employee feedback from employees within your organization on: What do they want? What do they expect?” “You could have some that are performance based and some that are just in that ‘extras’ column.” “Do you offer anything related to… public transit? Do you offer opportunities to give back within the community? …There are a significant number of organizations who will offer your employees discounted prices… Do you have additional investment opportunities?” “Do a survey to identify the perception of benefits as well as what employees are looking for, so that you could actually implement some things that are most critical to employees.” “I think it’s ever evolving; will those still be what’s important to the organization next year? Every year there’s a change in dynamic of what’s going to be the most critical. It also evolves with your population.” “There are two groups that you really need to look at when it comes to those extra things. First are your employees. But you can start to build an awareness of what ‘good’ might look like by also looking at other companies and organizations.” “I’m going to give you a handful of examples of things that I’m willing to bet you hadn’t thought about. Get ready. Shared leave… fertility and adoption… CPR or crisis training… paying for higher education… Volunteer paid time off… Dress code policy…. Lunch and learns…” “I’ve seen things in organizations that are built around helping you understand how to get out of debt, helping you understand how to invest… [these] help make their lives successful. And when someone’s happier in their lives, and it’s a result of their job, they’re going to be happier in their jobs.” “Do you have wellness programs? Do you have referral programs? Do you offer relationships with other vendors like car washes or childcare or salons in the area? …We worked with an organization once who offered very discounted health trackers and in addition to a discounted rate on the health tracker, if you got 10,000 steps every day for the month, they put $25 in your health care spending account.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Impact: Employee Experience | 15 Apr 2022 | 00:43:56 | |
This week, Maria and Michelle continue talking about the biggest challenges HR departments face, and their topic today is the employee experience. In this episode, they advocate for employers to address the overarching needs of their people--in everything from training and coaching to providing feedback and development opportunities, workplace setup, expectations, and culture. They maintain that employee experience should be evaluated often with a diverse group of employees from every department, and that employers should also figure out a way to collect honest, accurate feedback from their employees, even if that means using an external group to conduct some research and interviews. Tune in to find out our hosts’ best suggestions and practices for defining, evaluating, and communicating the employee experience and why they feel this process should be a frequent endeavor. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “But the truth is, we don’t always pause and think about every aspect of the [employee] experience with your organization, from the moment you send them onboarding documentation, until potentially the moment you offboard them or they terminate their employment with the organization.” “It’s literally the entire internal life cycle… I think it’s really critical for us to think and talk through how to clearly define and communicate what that entire experience looks like.” “It’s how you treat them on their way out that shows their value and worth.” “The problem is, we tend to build our strategies for the resistor group.” “Build your communication strategy around the fact that all of these groups of people are going to need a different level of interaction.” “Your frontline leaders are usually the group of leaders in your organization that have the highest headcount reporting to them, and means their message impacts the greatest number of people within your organization.” “We make sure executives, senior leaders, are well-informed. But when we come to that last lever, those frontline leaders or even that first level of multi-unit leaders, they don’t get the same level of detail. And yet, they’re impacting, on average, 30 employees for every leader.” “So it really does start with defining every aspect of what makes up the employee experience… and then you’ve got to find a truly honest way to collect feedback because the experience is going to be different for every person.” “So bringing in an external group can often open that up so that you get better feedback.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| We Found Everyone | 06 Apr 2022 | 00:23:19 | |
As a follow-up to their last episode (Where is Everyone?), Maria and Michelle spend today’s episode discussing things they are seeing across the board during the hiring and interview process as a result of the pandemic. They’ve “found everyone”, but hiring managers and recruiters are still having a hard time filling open positions, which translates to employees having a hard time as well. Today’s discussion moves from the length of time it’s now taking for people to find a job to the fact that the entire specialty of recruiting is getting a bad rap. So much of what they’re seeing is a lack of follow-up, and in some cases, recruiters and employers are “ghosting” their applicants. But that’s not all; they maintain that the screening process many employers use is too trivial and does not work in the “world of work” right now. Tune in and find out what Michelle and Maria are seeing, and more importantly, find out their suggestions for how to make things better. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “I’ve seen people cycle through dozens of interviews, they are ghosted or ignored completely from the beginning. In some cases, it starts from the beginning, completely ignored, no follow up. In other cases, it is ghosting, where you get to start the process, but you never get any further. And in more cases than I care to admit to, there’s no follow up or no contact based on why you did not receive the offer.” “From a hiring perspective, it makes zero sense.” “Do I know you’ll stay? Because that’s the big question. When it comes to “overqualified”, is there a fear that you’re going to have to replace that person when they find a better gig?” “The entire recruitment process needs to be re-evaluated because the candidates are there, they’re just being weeded out before conversations can happen… the talent is there, but they are just overlooking them in the recruitment process.” “If you cannot hire and fill your positions within a reasonable amount of time with someone who is capable of doing the job, then clearly something about your process is broken.” “Instead of having a recruiting team who believes their job is to weed out bad choices, why not approach it from the perspective that ‘your job is to find the right people’.” “It’s also very easy to start implementing changes in your organization.” “Start with your teams, have them do some introspection, have them assess what’s working and what isn’t working, and then start to brainstorm some solutions.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Where is Everyone? | 02 Apr 2022 | 00:30:04 | |
Maria and Michelle spend today’s episode talking about what HR professionals and employers are continuing to see as a result of the pandemic, where employers are having difficulty finding workers. Michelle cites an article from Harvard Business Review as the inspiration behind today’s episode, and recalls when she came to a similar realization as what the article discusses--that many employers do not know how to make their employees feel valued. In light of so much change, Michelle and Maria share some ideas and help dig in a little to give tangible examples so that you can leave today’s episode with solutions and suggestions for keeping your employees. They end today’s episode with a reminder that they are open to book and have a strategy session with you, to help employers and HR teams plan for current and future states of the business. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “And so, if we really want to talk about where the people are, it’s important that not only do we talk to the missing people, because guys, they’re not missing - they’re just not at your business anymore.” “At the beginning of the pandemic… you had employees who wanted their employers to come up with safe solutions. And you had employers who had no idea what those safe solutions were, because no one did. And yet those employees were still counting on those employers to make good decisions on their behalf.” “People decided that if they weren’t going to be valuable enough, they would find different solutions.” “It’s not just something transpiring in the U.S., right? We’ve seen this across different countries… people are willing to put up with a lot less now than they have in the past.” “It did create a system where people were thinking what their capabilities were before, and wanting to be solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, or just identify something a little bit less stressful.” “It’s still important that you have people show up… so you’ve got to do something to keep your people.” “There’s got to be some adjustment in expectations… I think you need to create an environment, allow people to bring their whole self to work.” “Make sure your employees know that you value their contributions… but everyone likes to be recognized differently… everyone wants different types of recognition. Everybody wants different types of encouragement and motivation to move forward.” “Provide on the job opportunities for people to grow within your organization.” “I am a big fan of new talent. I believe that they are more likely to come in and question the status quo, probably push you outside your comfort zone a little bit more, if you find the right external talent. However, if people are still showing up at your work every day, maybe it’s time to start doing an analysis of the talent you have already. And who there will stretch themselves… Provide more opportunities for people to grow and stretch internally.” “Look at independent workers. The reality is we may never see this shift back… Consider whether a position can be effective with a contract worker versus a full-time staff. It’ll open up a wealth of other candidates for you.” “It is time for you, as a business owner, to flex and adjust with the world, to start to think creatively, to start to look at not just what your customer, but what your employees, need from you, for you to be successful.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Executive Leaders: Influencing Top-Down | 24 Mar 2022 | 00:27:26 | |
Maria and Michelle continue their series on executive leadership with today’s episode. Focusing their conversation on the importance of successful top-down leadership, our hosts believe it is even more important than great HR leadership because executive leaders define culture, performance, and influence how HR is leveraged. After introducing today’s topic, Maria and Michelle go on to discuss the steps you can follow to first, determine the strengths of senior leadership and then to get them to where you want and need them to be. Clearly, it's time for leaders to do their job of implementing top-down initiatives, and our REL Talent professionals are here to explain exactly the why and the how for listeners today. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “HR should not have to fight for a seat at the table; it should be a given.” “Get to know your executives deeper than just how involved they are. If you really want to gather their support, you’ve got to understand what makes them tick, how they think, what’s important to them. How long can you get their attention span for? You’ve got to know what topics are going to garner their attention quickly and which ones are going to shut them down.” “The more you understand what they see as successful, the easier it will be for you to frame any of your initiatives in a way to get them involved.” “It’s almost like HR has no positional power, because we are here to recommend and advise, but we can’t necessarily make the impact or change… we do have a lot of power based on influence, right?” “Coming from a place of good intent, you are trying to influence people to support you in a way that does the right thing for a larger group of people. So with great power, great responsibility.” “Stepping away from the idea of ‘Let’s just do this because it’s right for people’ to framing it as a business problem with supporting data.” “Go into this with an implementation plan that includes communication and have the foresight to go in with a recommendation… that has them rolling out this program, or these initiatives top-down.” “I love it. I feel like that was like a mic drop. Like we should just leave it there. Suck it up, do your damn job of top-down leadership. HR is not going to do the dirty work.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Executive Leaders: The Role | 17 Mar 2022 | 00:38:11 | |
The last couple of episodes of REL Talk have featured Maria and Michelle discussing toxicity in the workplace. Today’s episode, however, pivots and begins a three-week series on leadership, an important topic at any time, and especially so given the current state of the world. In the premier episode of the series, Maria and Michelle talk about executive/senior leadership and how it’s crucial that leaders are consistently and wholly involved. They need to be instrumental in casting vision, hiring and developing people who can also communicate their vision, and in creating communication that flows just as well top to bottom, as it does bottom to top. Inspired to tackle this crucial topic after seeing several articles on leadership recently on LinkedIn, as well as from a quote from Simon Sinek, our REL Talent professionals do so in their usual insightful and informative way here today. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “Ultimately, people will listen to the person they report to.” “Leadership is not a rank to be achieved. Leadership is a responsibility. And it’s a responsibility to see those around us rise. There’s no CEO on the planet who’s responsible for the results. You’re responsible for the people who are responsible for the people who are responsible for the people who are responsible for the results. That’s a difficult and different skill set.” “Communication was very strategically planned. It was coordinated. And it was very well thought out, from top-down leadership to where individuals at the bottom had no doubt and no questions that things were aligned and why things were done”. “You forget to think that your employees are people, and everything impacts them.” “A good HR department should be planning. They come in as the expert around, yes, legalities around people, practices, and labor practices, but they also come in from a perspective of how people are motivated and how to best communicate.” “How do we do that in a way that will be responsive, where people will come to leadership to ask questions instead of gossiping and talking crap around the water cooler?” “You’re relying on HR to be the people-people, where we’re suggesting that you be the people-people. And if you step up to be the people-people, it’s not always about the tough decisions. You get to be there for the good ones, too. You get to be there when the rewards are given out to praise that employee, when promotions are given out, when people get extra training and development to grow within the organization. That gets to be the message from your mouth, not from HR… we’re saying you as the leader: take the message to your people.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Toxic Femininity in the Workplace | 09 Mar 2022 | 00:25:50 | |
Michelle and Maria continue their conversation from the last episode and spend more time addressing toxic workplace environments. While the last episode was more about toxic masculinity, today’s episode focuses on toxic femininity. Maria mentions an article that defines toxic femininity, and then Michelle makes sure to outline what they mean when they use the phrase “toxic femininity”. To be clear once again, in exploring this term, REL Talk is not maligning all feminine traits; rather, toxic femininity is when specific, stereotypical feminine traits are used to demean or sabotage others. Today, our hosts explain this concept further, how it differs from toxic masculinity and feminism, and how is shows up and should be dealt with in the workplace. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “But I could come up with a half a dozen examples of where other women stood in my way of progress, whether that was passive aggressively or straight out chopping me off at the knees in order to be successful themselves.” “I get bullied and harassed by the other females in my organization more than I do anyone else.” “Poor behavior is poor behavior. It does not matter who it comes from. You are still empowered to tell people that their behavior is unacceptable.” “Whereas toxic masculinity absolutely has a detrimental impact on other men, it also has an equal impact--a negative impact--on women. In this case, women who display these traits tend to stick to intimidating other women”. “If there’s only one seat for females, it means that every other female in that building has automatically become a competition… when there’s only one seat, the claws tend to come out, particularly for those women who have a slightly different moral compass.” “If a man is assertive, he’s often referred to as an assertive man. If a woman demonstrates those same behaviors, we have historically been referred to as emotional or aggressive, and told we need to calm down.” “The point of feminism is equality… it’s a movement to ensure that women are afforded the same opportunities as men in the workplace. And when you think about how we describe toxic femininity, it’s the exact opposite of that.” “Equal treatment does not equal sameness. I recognize there are certain things that I may not be qualified to do. But equal treatment means that we all get the same opportunities based on the skills, the experience, and the positions that are open.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Identifying and Addressing Toxic Workplace Culture | 02 Mar 2022 | 00:31:03 | |
Today’s episode features Maria and Michelle continuing their discussion on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) in the workplace and resolving to make it a common theme throughout the year, or however long it takes. They refer to and use a recent Fast Company article to help frame their discussion about toxic masculinity -- and toxic culture, in general -- in the workplace. Before getting too deep into their discussion, Michelle is careful to outline what they mean when they use the phrase “toxic masculinity”. They are not attacking all traits that are typically considered masculine; they are addressing a set of attitudes and behaviors that are stereotypically associated with men, but are detrimental not only to men, but also to society as a whole. After exploring the many costs and issues surrounding such a work culture, our hosts finish up with their sound advice for all listeners. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “The concept is to address attitudes and behaviors that keep you, as a male, from expressing yourself as a whole person.” “We wanted to start by addressing that this is not about attack. It’s about attitudes that are detrimental.” “There were times when brute strength was the difference between surviving and not surviving, but the evolution we’ve gone through has changed that. And we have not necessarily changed along with it.” “What if the guy that said that really didn’t mean or think anything about it? What if he literally just thought, ‘Hey, can you get lunch for us?’ What if he wasn’t trying to hold you back?” “Those discussions often need to be had in the moment. You can’t train on every single phrase in the workplace… you could do code of conduct training and sensitivity training, and DE&I, all that stuff, right? But until someone says something…” “When we are living in a job market where the employee dictates their demands, it is not the right time to be a bad place to work. It’s never a good time, but now is absolutely not the right time.” “Studies show that less than 13% of individuals that face harassment make any kind of formal complaint… So they’re not going to HR about it, they’re not going to their leaders about it. They’re probably talking about it over break with the one or two friends that they can trust. And I’m not suggesting that you break your friend’s confidence, but you can’t just be an ally. That’s why things do not change, we never actually take action to do anything about it. You can absolutely start to collect evidence or proof that a toxic culture exists.” “We’re going to intertwine these different types of articles, books, discussions, in regard to DE&I and how it’s really impacting your organization. We can continue to elaborate on some of the discussions we just had here today, so stay tuned for more within our series throughout this year.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Celebrating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Every Day | 10 Feb 2022 | 00:24:49 | |
After going MIA for a little while (thanks to COVID), Michelle and Maria are back today and they have brought Keith along to once again discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) in companies. This time around, they look at how some organizations celebrate these important issues once a year, say during Black History Month, rather than embracing them all year long and having them become part of their business' culture. They begin by reiterating the importance of DE&I, and revealing how potential employees can actually determine the values of the organizations they apply to during the interview process. They also offer up some solid advice on how companies can do better in terms of diversity and aligning their values. Far from being celebrated only one day or one month each year, diversity, equity and inclusion need to become part of the very fabric of every company so that they are brought to life and celebrated each and every day. Listen in today to learn how to make this a reality in your organization. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “When you have a company that has a culture that's built on specific values, that honors and appreciates the employees in the organization, then it's not something that you only talk about once a year.” “We should be celebrating diversity every single day.” “Past behavior is absolutely a reflection of future behavior. What someone did in the past is probably aligned with what they will do in the future.” “A sensible place to start for me would be, I would want to talk, I would want to get some insight from our employees that are long term employees. I want to know what makes them stay.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Navigating New Jobs in 2022 | 20 Jan 2022 | 00:28:06 | |
In today’s episode, Michelle and Maria discuss one thing the new year is known for - new jobs. They discuss how to position ourselves for new positions and also advise business owners how to navigate filling new positions to avoid employee burnout. Michelle starts the conversation by describing her love for newness, and then discussing the changes she experienced while working at FedEx. Michelle and Maria also look at the different experiences that arise when working in different companies or different industries. They conclude by advising business owners to redefine positions amidst this great reshuffle, and also encourage job seekers and employees to self-reflect and find what makes them happy. As you will hear, today’s episode is yet another one filled with knowledge, experience and, especially, sage advice from your REL Talent experts. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “I don't know if tenure is as important as it once used to be.” “Companies change.” “It's time to start redefining positions. If you are not willing to fill empty positions, or if it is taking significantly too long to backfill those positions, then you need to think about true redefinition of roles and responsibilities so that your existing employees don't get completely stressed out and leave you.” “It's time to reassess what or how people do jobs in your current environment.” “If you can just increase doing the things that you are good at by 10%, you'll increase your happiness in your job two-fold.” “I believe that a career should be about growth, and growth does not necessarily mean climbing.” “Employers need independent, self-motivated folks. They need people who will think creatively. But they also need to know that you're willing to jump in the box when your creativity is overwhelming.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| How Do Applicants Stand Out? | 03 Nov 2022 | 00:13:40 | |
Join Maria and Michelle for today’s short REL Talk episode, where they discuss how things have quickly shifted from an employee’s market to an employer’s market. Much of this is due to predictions of an impending recession, but the fourth quarter also plays into it a bit. Where applicants could, during and immediately following COVID, make more demands of potential employers and even had their pick of multiple options, this is no longer the case. Now applicants need to stand out. Today’s episode is the first in a series, where our hosts plan to spend 20-30 minutes on each step of the recruiting process. So don’t miss today’s episode of this new series! In each episode, Michelle and Maria will offer three to four tips to help applicants find success. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “Organizations are being overly cautious and we’re starting to see some layoffs.” “This is a great time for everybody to get their resume in order.” “You’re probably not going to get headhunted unless you are in a really critical position that’s hard to fill, or in senior leadership or executive positions, which are almost always hunted.” “You have to look attractive on paper.” “What are those key words you’re using to describe your experience and skill, and do they link back to the keywords that are part of the job description?” “You also want to make sure that your professional social media… are aligned and have the same message that you are presenting through the applicant tracking system.” “We highly recommend, if you’ve been searching aggressively for more than three months, that you seriously consider reaching out to a professional. Whether it is us at REL Talent, one of our partners, or people that we collaborate with, reach out to someone to get help either with your resume, the screening process, or the hiring process.” “Find a way to talk to a recruiter to get feedback.” “Even when…you’re not looking, this is a good time to sit with recruiters and get some insights.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Hikes in Base Wage | 13 Jan 2022 | 00:42:55 | |
Maria and Michelle discuss inflation and how they are seeing that people’s salaries are not aligned with it - people are living paycheck to paycheck, the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer. Today, our hosts weigh in on what employees should be getting paid in these unique times and beyond, and also explore how businesses are determining starting pay and pay range for their employees. Maria and Michelle start the conversation by advising business owners to carry out performance appraisals and by also discussing that pay increases need to be partially based on the cost of living. They talk about situational leadership and how it is essential for business, and also mention that the easiest way to set bigger policies for your organization is to look at what fits for the most part. Michelle addresses several reasons businesses have been announcing pay increases for all employees and why people are not being paid what they deserve. Maria discusses the economic disaster that would happen if everybody suddenly bumped up their starting rates and other matters to consider as businesses grow. She also explains how to compensate for the money that goes into the labor bucket which is what is causing the great resignation and the great reshuffle. They finish up by advising companies, HR, and leaders to use the SWOT analysis when dealing with inflation. As you will hear today, with inflation remaining a fact of life these days, companies need to address its impact upon their employees effectively if they want to move forward successfully together. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “The intent of your action as a leader is irrelevant. How the follower receives your message is how they're going to behave.” “If you want your workforce to give you the same effort and energy that they did when they were first on the job, or their first year or their first six months, then you, as an employer, have got to find ways to continue to make their job as exciting as it was when they first got it.” “If you want people to do the job you want them to do, then you've got to find a style that meets their needs.” “If the people that currently work for you get a pay bump, there are things that you need to consider from the skill set. That might mean their pay bump should be bigger than someone you are hiring off the street, who doesn't have experience.” “Why would I work for $12 an hour when I can take a fast-food order on a very similar system for a different company, and make $5 more?” “If you're paying out more in your biggest expense, then you either have to reduce supplies, equipment, machines, etc. or you have to increase the cost of the goods sold.” “Even if someone loves their job, they also love eating and having a roof over their head, and knowing that their children have shoes and clothes. Ultimately, regardless of how much I may love you as an employer; may admire you as a leader, if you are unable to allow me a lifestyle that is comfortable enough that I'm not struggling every day financially, I'm probably going to leave you.” “Focus solely on your people and pay because the two go hand in hand. Their opinions about pay impact what your pay ranges are, and your pay range may very well impact their opinion about your business.” “Start asking yourself what is right for your business. It may be right that you increase the cost of your services or your goods. But that also means that you better bring in customer feedback to make sure that whatever your goods or services, your customers feel there's enough value in it for that increase.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| 2021 Recap | 06 Jan 2022 | 00:35:10 | |
Michelle and Maria welcome us to 2022 in this episode with a recap of the year that was 2021. Together, they take a look at the highs and lows of the past year, goals they were able to accomplish, and also what to look out for in the new year. They kick off the discussion with Michelle talking about her word for 2021 - connect - and how she was able to do just that by spending more time with friends and family, and also making more business connections. Maria shares her commitment to working out more as her resolution for the year 2021 was centered on self-care. They then go on to discuss the speakers that were hosted on the show over the year, and review the great advances that have been made in ensuring diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Finally, they round things up by sharing some of the excitement you can expect from REL Talk in 2022, so stay tuned! The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “The new year brings on new excitement.” “If we stop this conversation, we're gonna quickly rubber band back to the bullshit we had before.” “What 2020 taught the world was that you have to find the good, even around the bad, because there's going to be bad and it's still showing up.” “We didn't really get in our headspace. We got into things like TikTok in order to distract us from our headspace.” “I believe that my soul will know what word is best for me.” “We've always been taught that the idea of emotions - particularly love - at work is a bad thing. And now we're at a place where we're starting to say we are whole people with emotions, whether we're at work or at home.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| The Great Resignation: A Headhunter’s Perspective | 23 Dec 2021 | 00:29:14 | |
AJ, a headhunter and founder of Future Force, is back on the show in today’s episode to discuss the great resignation with Maria. Drawing upon his vast amount of experience and insight, AJ reveals how the great resignation has affected recruiting for staffing agencies, managers, and businesses as a whole. He starts the conversation by explaining what the great resignation is and how candidates have been ghosting interviews and not showing up. AJ also talks about Future Force and also what they are experiencing as even small businesses are finding it difficult to fill open positions. He then discusses factors that help with customer retention apart from benefits and compensation. Finishing up, AJ addresses the key question of whether or not this great resignation phenomenon will continue in 2022, by sharing his opinion that there will be a turnaround and it will become an employer’s market as opposed to what we see now. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “We're getting ghosted nonstop. People are setting up interviews and never showing.” “Is the Tinder culture of ghosting transferring to the professional culture?” “A lot of these leaders, nowadays, are completely overworked.” “Leaders are starting to lead organizations rather than lead people.” “Just because you have an open position that needs to be filled, do not sacrifice what values you're looking for in the person or in the candidate to fill that”. “Don't just grab somebody because you're in a pinch.” “One bad apple can poison an entire team” “Companies are understanding what needs to be done for retention and attraction.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn AJ’s Instagram Future Force Website AJ@futureforcetalent.com | |||
| The Great Resignation: Experiencing the Great Reshuffle | 16 Dec 2021 | 00:20:50 | |
In this week’s instalment of the REL Talk ‘The Great Resignation’ series, Dan joins Maria today to share his views on this phenomenon which we have been experiencing over the past few years. Together, our experts delve into what Dan calls the ‘great reshuffle’ where many people are leaving their fields of expertise to learn new skills and move into other fields. Dan starts off by explaining the great reshuffle and recounting some stories he has experienced in this area. He also addresses why open positions are not getting filled amidst the great resignation and why some employees tend to come back after resigning. Dan finishes off with offering valuable advice to employees who are experiencing a heavier workload and suffering burnouts by reviewing the need to take time to self-manage and care for themselves. The great resignation and great reshuffle deserve great analysis, insights, and advice, and that is precisely what you get in today’s great new episode. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “The great resignation is now shifted to a great reshuffle because people are pivoting to other skills and other areas that they want to learn.” “Now, it's the game of just mentoring and fostering the talent that you do have.” “Burnout is a real thing.” “You have to put more time into self-managing yourself and actually put time for self-care.” “We, as humans, work better in a resonant space. We operate better, make better decisions, thrive better in a resonant space.” “We’ve got to stop listening to our saboteurs and listen to our, you know, leader within, start working at it from a place of resonance and start valuing who we are and how we want to show up.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Toxic Work Environment: How to Move On From Toxicity | 25 Nov 2021 | 00:18:43 | |
Maria and Michelle finish up their series on toxicity in the workplace this week by talking about how to move on from a toxic environment. A lot of advice says there are only two options in this situation: deal with it or leave. Our hosts, however, know that there are more options, and in today’s episode, they discuss what those options are and how to know which approach is right for you. They kick things off by discussing the four possible approaches to a toxic work culture: Avoid, Survive, Thrive, or Get the Eff Out. Michelle points out that while getting out may be the best option in some scenarios, in others it’s possible to work around toxicity, whether by avoiding it in the first place, managing the situation to survive without damaging your mental health, or even working with the toxic element to end up thriving. She and Maria talk about the levels of toxicity and how staying in a highly toxic environment can have a long-lasting impact on your well-being, potentially requiring weeks or even months of recovery time. They also discuss the importance of asking for help, whether through career coaching or self-help books, advising those dealing with toxic work environments to look at advice for those suffering domestic abuse as the situations can be strikingly similar. Finally, they wrap up the series by reiterating two main pieces of advice: ask for help, and be part of the solution, not part of the problem. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “If you are in a truly toxic environment, our goal can’t be ‘how do we make you the queen of the castle or the king of the castle’? It has to be ‘how do we keep this from having long-term implications on your well-being?’” “If you are trying to manipulate someone who has zero empathy or compassion, and you’re trying to beat them, if you will, the only way you’re going to do that is to do it from a place of zero compassion or empathy.” “I’m gonna be honest with you, your happy face is not going to help anything that’s happening inside your head. The stories inside your head are not going to change because you bring your happy face to work.” “Am I really that person who’s like, ‘My boss was mean to me’? Yes, you need to be that person. You need to get out. And you need to seek someone to talk to. And you need to go through some truth chats so that you realize the shit you’re hearing was not actually true.” “Feedback from a work environment is just too glib because corporate America, in particular, was built on the concept of ‘emotions don’t belong at work.’” “Ask for help. There are lots of career coaches in the world - we’re not the only ones. I would tell you to look for someone who is focused on helping you through a difficult situation and not just trying to help you find your dream job.” “The mental abuse that results from a toxic work environment is all of our problem. It is every single person’s problem.” “If you see it and don’t say something, I need you to go home and put a little check in the mirror saying that you made it acceptable for someone to behave that way. If you walk away, if you spread your own lies because you’re trying to protect yourself, all of those things that you are doing to avoid being the target of a toxic person, it makes you part of the problem. And so that means we’re all part of the solution.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn First 90 Days | |||
| Toxic Work Environment: The Impact of Toxicity in the Workplace | 19 Nov 2021 | 00:22:45 | |
This week’s episode continues the discussion of toxicity in the workplace with a look at how toxic elements can negatively affect an entire company. Not everybody realizes the impact that toxicity can have on an organization, and while businesses are doing better at dealing with problematic elements, it’s still too easy to label it an emotional problem and push it to one side. Today, Maria and Michelle show why ignoring the impact of toxicity could have a disastrous effect company-wide, and how to avoid falling into that trap. Michelle starts things off with a look at how toxic leaders can manipulate those around them to disguise the damage they do in the workplace and how difficult it can be to deal with them as a result. She advises that a high turnover can be a sign of a toxic manager and is one of the areas to keep an eye on when toxicity is suspected. Next, she and Maria discuss the perception of manipulation as a leadership tactic and how to push back against the idea that this approach is a necessary part of doing business. Michelle points out that while immoral business practices can be effective, their cost on a moral and practical level is too high, potentially resulting in sick and demotivated employees and big problems for the company. Finally, they wrap up with some advice to work with HR to identify and deal with the toxic element in your company. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “It’s easy to take anything that is ‘people-y’ or ‘feeling-y’ and just push it aside and say that it doesn’t matter, or it’s not important.” “So what I found in some of my research is the senior leaders, or the owners of the company have literally promoted someone because it appears that they’re doing a great job and they get results. They show numbers or justification, and they just don’t realize how toxic that leader is because the leader doesn’t demonstrate toxicity around them.” “I’m not a fan of leaders who come in and clean out immediately. I think that leaders who come in and clean out immediately aren’t leaders, they’re actually jerks who don’t know how to lead people. Because if they did, they’d come in, and they’d learn who was there and how to influence the people that were there.” “If you are going to go out in public around other people, you have basically signed yourself a non-written social contract to behave in a way that is acceptable in a civilized society. And if you can’t do it, go live on an island by yourself.” “It used to be that you walked to the cafeteria to get a coffee and took a ten-minute stroll. And now you’re taking five ten-minute strolls a day. You used to take an hour-ish for lunch, and now lunch is three hours and includes a cocktail or two, just putting it out there, guys. And this is that person who’s not willing to not show up because they don’t want to lose the job or they don’t want to risk being called out for something, but it’s worse than them staying home.” “I promise you, they know exactly who the assholes are because they’ve been looking at your numbers dwindle in those departments, they’ve seen increased interpersonal problems, they probably interacted with the manager as well. So my advice to you would be to seek counsel from your HR team. Just be prepared for what they might tell you.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Toxic Work Environment: Sorting Through What's Toxic | 12 Nov 2021 | 00:22:42 | |
Maria and Michelle continue their examination of toxic work environments this week by looking at just what constitutes toxicity. It’s simply a fact of life that every workplace will experience some situations where employees won’t agree with their leaders or each other, but at what point does that situation reach the level of toxicity? In today’s episode, our experts not only offer a common definition of toxic work environments, but also delineate the steps you can follow to help you determine whether or not yours meets the criteria. They begin by clearly defining the word ‘toxic’ as it applies to workplaces, and then walk through some enlightening steps that you can take, including self-reflection and trying to understand your boss’ situation, in order to determine the level of toxicity where you are employed. They go on to stress the importance of communication, review a resource that helps tremendously in this regard, offer some questions to ask yourself, and finish up with some valuable tips for all listeners. The use of the term ‘toxic workplace’ can easily be overused these days and, as a result, lose its true meaning along the way. Tune in today to learn from the REL Talent professionals precisely what it entails and how to analyze your own situation to see if it has truly reached this level. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “There are some bigger problems that stem from the overuse of a phrase like ‘toxic’.” “Your boss turning down your vacation doesn't necessarily make a situation toxic.” “Micromanaging a high performer is always going to result in bad things for you and for the high performer.” “Today, when I look back at that, I really think that I contributed to the frustration in that relationship as much as my boss did.” “I would say step one is to start with some internalization and some reflection.” “If I paused, I might have changed my behavior then.” “A lot of those conversations…in the beginning, would be so much easier because you're setting the expectations up front.” “To what extent do they negatively impact your ability to do your job effectively?” “If you ignore the conversation completely, you give the two of you no chance to align so that you become more effective.” “I think that's critical for individuals to stop and assess, because I think the emotions get in the way of trying to sort through what's transpiring.” “The closer you get to them having a negative impact on your emotional well being, it's time to seriously consider walking away. You want to do that smartly. We can help you do that in a smart way. But if you want to maintain your emotional stability, it might be time to get away.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn First 90 Days | |||
| The Great Resignation: Toxic Work Environments | 05 Nov 2021 | 00:44:32 | |
"The Great Resignation" persists and, on the show today, Maria and Michelle address the issue of toxicity in the work environment as a driving force behind it. If people find being unemployed more appealing than working in an organization, then there is something wrong. Our hosts today dissect what toxicity in the work environment looks like and how to deal with that toxic leader. They begin by addressing what essential workers tend to face in recent times - customer frustration – and then Michelle goes on to describe past experiences she has faced in toxic workplaces and different levels of toxicity ranging from mildly annoying to mentally destructive. Our hosts also shed light on how gaslighting shows up in work environments and how to deal with the different levels of toxicity. This impactful episode concludes with a practical solution to self-blaming and handling shame that comes from being on the receiving end of workplace toxicity. These are undeniably challenging times, and, as is their mission, today our REL Talk experts shine the spotlight on another prominent issue, offering effective and practical advice to help listeners deal with it along the way. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “We've got to take a hard look at ourselves.” “If you are lucky enough to be someone’s employer, then you have a moral obligation to make sure people do look forward to coming to work in the morning.” “When people are dropping like flies, when people are leaving you left and right, you need to ask yourself some questions.” “It would be unrealistic for anyone to believe that they're not going to work for a toxic leader at some point during their career.” “So these people literally said, ‘I would rather be broke and live on ramen noodles than come to work for you.’” “Emotions layer on top of each other.” “Sometimes you can speak out, and you can conduct a number of different initiatives as a customer, but what the business decides to do with that information is completely up to them.” “There are levels of toxicity.” “The damage is, you walk away, and you still hear the words.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Future of Work: Building and Accessing the Working From Home Toolbox | 28 Oct 2021 | 00:26:54 | |
Joe is back this week to run through his toolbox of tips and tricks for working from home with Maria and Michelle. So many initiatives are taking place in companies these days, and this is definitely one that is front and center. Today our experts weigh in on how to best handle this evolving work arrangement, and to also explore just where it may be heading in the future. Joe starts things off by sharing how he got into Learning and Development and working from home. The rest of the episode is made up of his advice for those working from home including how to incorporate the ‘watercooler chat’, the future of work and hybrid work, virtual fatigue, and his advice for leaders. With the vast amount of experience that members of our panel have in this area, you can be assured that everything shared here today will prove immediately valuable and effective for all those navigating any and all versions of working from home. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “What's interesting that comes up is that people who have been working from home the last 18 months, some may think they're successful - their people leaders don't. And then some may actually truly be successful at it.” “If you don't take the tools out of the toolbox, you can't fix or build anything.” “Setting clear expectations, having fun with it, and kind of having something in the toolbox of tricks to pull from is really, really important.” “It's totally okay to not always be sitting in front of a webcam, right? That's a part of a work-life balance.” “I still believe in paper and pen, and that having a strong list at your desk is so mission critical, especially when working from home… if it ain't on the list, it doesn't exist.” “I think the hybrid thing is pretty cool. I would love to be around people again, but I also love the idea of being home in shorts and flip flops in my nice dress shirt, and doing what I do best from my home environment where I can manage my work life balance.” “As an organization, you need to start with that center group, and you need to say, ‘What's right for my customers?’” “It's not about what your employee wants. It's about what's going to make your customers willing to spend the money. And hopefully, that fits within a model that your employees can appreciate.” “You may have to get started by giving your leaders some over the top tools like weekly updates, or a shared Trello calendar, something where you can see that progress every single day, until the leaders get comfortable not having line of sight.” “So leaders, please consider changing your swing on the golf club to something different than what you're doing today. Because we all know that what worked 18 months ago does not work now, including have a conference call or meeting for every single thing.” “It is a gift that many of us can work from home. Don't waste it by sitting in front of a computer 12 to 15 hours a day. Be sure to spend time with your husband, your wife, your loved ones, your kids, the dog, the cat, and your hobbies, and the people that you love who love you.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Tough Talk: Growth within Organizations | 21 Oct 2021 | 00:21:15 | |
The tough talk on random topics continues this week as Maria and Michelle return to the topic of growth within organizations and just how important it is. As they have noted before, good people leave organizations if they do not receive that development that challenges them and instills that innovative spirit so critical to the success of any company. Organizations that ignore this crucial component do so at their peril, and today our REL Talk hosts explain precisely why that is, and how you can avoid that fate. The need to address each level within departments when elevating them, as well as the different sets of skills involved, kick off today’s discussion. Our hosts then look at the value of investing in leadership team development, challenging your organization and team members, and the relationship between strategic thinking and change. The episode finishes up by outlining the danger of ending up in a vicious cycle of mistakes and the key takeaways for listeners. The critical nature of growth and development within an organization cannot be overstated, and, as you listen in today, you will understand the reasons for this and what steps you can take to make it a reality in your workplace. The Finer Details of This Episode: · Addressing each level when elevating departments · The different sets of skills · Investing in leadership team development · Challenging your organization and team members · Strategic thinking and change · Vicious cycles of mistakes · Key takeaways Quotes: “It's insane how organizations can get passed by because their employees don't have the right development or growth to challenge them and create and instill that innovative spirit within them to stay ahead for the future.” “As people, we want to be challenged and pushed to the next level.” “Depending on where you are in that kind of continuum, if you will, it changes the type of growth or development that you need.” “Thinking strategically, building purposeful relationships, that could be something that needs to be delivered from a corporate level. But to supplement that, each department should have a budget of development that they can use how it is necessary within their team.” “If Apple didn't have Steve Jobs challenging each and every person to be innovative, where would Apple be today?” “Growth means constantly challenging your organization, constantly challenging your team members.” “Thinking about, like, how you get your employees the tools and resources they need to be cross collaborative, which creates that growth, which creates that development, which creates communications and opportunities for them to have resources to present differently to elevate themselves, is going to be a critical component moving forward.” “A lot of times that change in that innovation that you're trying to get people comfortable with has nothing to do with you being innovative. It's that you didn't think things through strategically in the beginning, and now you're paying the price of trying to backpedal and change things.” “I find your ability to challenge a leader as the best example of whether or not your company is innovative.” “One of the things that we try to do here at REL Talent is keep things real for you.” “As an employee, you've got to learn to own your own development.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| The Impact a Workforce Can Make | 27 Oct 2022 | 00:23:46 | |
In this week’s episode, Maria and Michelle continue their RelTalk series about the workplace buzzwords, such as quiet firing, quiet quitting, Great Resignation, etc. We’ve been hearing about these buzzwords everywhere lately, but what is really happening? What is changing the world of work? And how can companies discover the root of the problem and stack the odds in their favor? Tune into this episode to get some helpful insight from Maria and Michelle. They open up the episode by addressing the impact of current world affairs on the working world. From the global pandemic to the unprecedented rise in social unrest, there are many reasons why workers around the globe are deciding to put their foot down and finally walk away from toxic jobs. But unfortunately, some employers haven’t been able to deal with these challenges adequately, and they’ve only managed to dig the hole deeper through unfair stay bonuses and ultimatums. To help out, Maria and Michelle share some proven tips for leaders who want to turn the situation around. So, if you’re looking for some advice on how to become a desirable employer that attracts employees instead of chasing them away, make sure you tune into this episode today. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “People are living through some pretty extreme conditions. And because of that, it's forced people to have to be able to sit in their lives, and in some cases sit in their house by themselves and the lives that they've created.” “It's exciting and scary. So it's exciting because opportunities are popping up around the world. It is scary because there are lots of really talented people looking for jobs right now.” “You're digging the hole deeper; they're already disengaged. They're already frustrated at the belief that they can't change their environment. They are already stressed out because they don't see development opportunities in their near future.” “If HR has brought these items as areas of opportunities and attention to you, as they've been coming up, or in surveys and assessments, and you select not to do anything because of the financial constraints or risks to your organization, you have created this problem for yourself. And now it's going to cost you more money.” “People are willing to work in a way that works for their life; they are no longer willing to work in one way. ” “Here's the problem - most companies don't want to say they have a problem.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn | |||
| Tough Talk: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 14 Oct 2021 | 00:39:34 | |
Michelle and Maria continue their Tough Talk series of random discussions here today by once again addressing the critical topic of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Joining them today is Joe Gast, a professional who trains on DEI initiatives, and who absolutely lives, eats, and breathes this topic each and every day, and whose insights are, as you will hear, incredibly valuable in this area. They begin by looking at ‘The Great Resignation’ which the workforce is currently experiencing, and then they go on to explore labels and identity, the impact of biases, the importance of being open and accepting, and the evolving nature of gender and sexual orientation nomenclature. How companies use the information they gather on applications, gender based restroom issues, the necessity for starting to have conversations in this space, and how DEI is defined and applied are all discussed as well. This informative and instructive episode comes to a powerful close with Joe offering his highly regarded advice for listeners navigating this all important component within organizations – practical wisdom that all should take to heart. The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes: “Surround yourself by people who are different than you, and build a relationship with them to a point where you can have tough questions, or you can ask tough questions, and not just immediately shut down during that conversation.” “There is a difference between a label and someone's identity.” “No one wants to be invisible, no one wants to be unnoticed, no one wants to be ignored, and most people are looking for representation.” “Nobody wins until we all win, until everyone makes it across the finish line.” “I think that DEI is important because it starts to redefine what normal is.” “The best way for us to learn about DEI is just watch children.” “If we could start to look at employees, managers, applicants, candidates, trainees, that person sitting in my office, that person I'm interviewing on Zoom, in that lens that we don't care what they are, what those labels and identity things are, but I care who you are, and I hear what you're bringing to the table, I think we'd be a lot further ahead.” “I think that for us to be successful in an HR training organization at this point, and even in regards to organizational development evenly, we just have to be open to the conversation, be willing to listen. People want to be listened to.” “I had to realize that that was just my defense mechanism to stay in a place that is comfortable for me that I'm used to.” “I want people to know I'm a safe space.” “It's okay to say, ‘You know what? I don't have all the answers, but you know what? Let's seek the answers together.’” “If someone is a child molester, they're gonna molest a child no matter what. They don't need to run to a restroom dressed as the opposite sex to do it.” “If...one of your listeners listens to this conversation, and brings that to the workplace, or brings that to a manager or to a team member or an employee that they've not known how to address or talk to before, well, then we've already been part of the solution, not part of the problem.” “It is your responsibility as an employer to keep all your employees safe, and that means you're going to have to start having conversations with people. They're going to be super uncomfortable, and you're not going to know how to have them, and I would advise you to seek out someone who is comfortable leading those conversations in uncomfortable places.” “We need to start to see people and recognize people for not what they are, but who they are. That will be the game changer.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn Jesus CEO | |||