Explore every episode of the podcast People Managing People
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surveillance, Burnout, and Pickup Lines? The Realities of AI in the Workplace | 04 Nov 2025 | 00:26:20 | |
We’ve reached the point where “AI in HR” isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a mandate. But with every vendor promising a smarter, faster, more predictive future, it’s getting harder to tell the difference between innovation and smoke and mirrors. In this episode, Alana Fallis and I go deep on how to navigate the noise: What should you actually invest in? How do you build real AI readiness, not just compliance theater? And how do you make sure your “data-driven” decisions don’t quietly erode employee trust? We also tackle the people-and-technology dilemmas that HR leaders are facing right now. From scaling culture without losing soul, to drawing red lines on surveillance and privacy, to the sheer absurdity of AI-generated workplace flirtation—we’re not short on material. These aren’t hypotheticals. They’re real, messy, and urgent. Let’s get into it. Related Links:
| |||
| AI Readiness Starts with Documentation: Lessons from Remote Work | 28 Oct 2025 | 00:26:19 | |
If you’re out there being told to slap AI tools onto everything and call it “digital transformation,” this episode is your reality check. I sat down with Darren Murph—yes, the remote‑work oracle behind GitLab’s all‑remote strategy—to pull back the curtain on what needs to exist before you ever type “chatbot” or “LLM integration” into your roadmap. We dug into why good documentation isn’t optional anymore, why remote‑work lessons are now directly relevant to AI adoption, and how companies who rushed ahead without building infrastructure are setting themselves up for a trust disaster. In short: if your data, your knowledge systems, your culture aren’t ready for AI, this technology is not your solution—it’s your liability. Related Links:
| |||
| AI Risks in HR: Bias, Leadership Buy-In, and Employee Trust | 28 Aug 2025 | 00:28:44 | |
What happens when an executive quietly outsources performance reviews to ChatGPT? Or when your C-suite is loudly preaching about AI adoption while refusing to touch the tools themselves? In this episode, I sit down with Talk HR to Me columnist and Head of People at Quantum Metric, Alana Fallis, to tackle real listener questions in a live advice-column format. We dig into the messy realities of AI in the workplace—from misplaced trust in automated reviews, to the awkward theater of “innovation” at the executive level, to the human side of employee fears around automation. And yes, we even unpack the HR dilemma of whether an employee in recovery should be allowed to stock the breakroom fridge with non-alcoholic beer. Related Links:
| |||
| How To Find Balance In Our Online And Offline Lives (with Dr. Anastasia Dedyukhina from Consciously Digital) | 14 Sep 2022 | 00:41:00 | |
Tim Reitsma and Dr. Anastasia Dedyukhina—TEDx speaker, bestselling author, and Founder of Consciously Digital—talk about the importance of digital wellbeing. You will learn what you can do as a leader to model to your team what digital wellbeing means and learn a few strategies on how to balance your on and offline self. | |||
| From Scared To Thriving: How to Lead Confidently Through Uncertainty | 08 Sep 2022 | 00:37:16 | |
Do you thrive on uncertainty or does it make you clam up and jump into survival mode? In this episode, Tim Reitsma and Vanessa Akhtar—Change Expert, Author, and Director at Kotter Inc.—talk about how to lead through uncertainty. | |||
| The Importance Of Cross-Cultural Skills & How To Develop Them As A Leader | 31 Aug 2022 | 00:37:39 | |
A few things are certain when we globalize our workforce, we need to develop our cross-cultural skills as leaders. In this episode, Tim Reitsma and Dr. Rajesh Kumar—expert in cross-cultural business, international business and leadership—talks about the key skills leaders must develop in order to create high performing global teams. | |||
| Honesty & Why It's Important In The Hiring Process | 24 Aug 2022 | 00:46:58 | |
Have you ever accepted a job and after a few weeks or months realized that what you were “sold” isn’t what you expected? In this episode, Tim Reitsma and AJ Vaughan—founder of Beyond Brands Studio—talk about a new approach to the interview process. It’s called honesty! | |||
| Data-Driven Decision Making, Its Importance, & How To Build It Into Your Culture | 16 Aug 2022 | 00:39:39 | |
Do you make decisions based on data or based on your gut? In this episode, Tim Reitsma and Darren Person—Global CIO at The NPD Group—talk about the importance of a data-driven culture and how we should approach creating this culture. | |||
| How To Create A Holistic Approach To Employee Wellness (with Anjan Pathak from Vantage Circle) | 11 Aug 2022 | 00:37:32 | |
What would the world of work look like if we genuinely asked our team members how they are doing? Tim Reitsma and Anjan Pathak—Co-Founder at Vantage Circle—talk about Anjan's approach to employee wellness. | |||
| The Talent Crisis & How To Navigate Your Way Through It | 01 Aug 2022 | 00:39:20 | |
Have you recently left a job? Or perhaps your organization has seen a lot of turnover. Why do people continue to leave and what can we do about it? Tim Reitsma and Lee Frederiksen—Managing Partner at Hinge Marketing—dive into the practical things we can do to navigate this talent crisis. | |||
| 7 Crucial Conversations For Effective Business Transformation | 27 Jul 2022 | 00:43:08 | |
Have you ever tried to implement a business change, whether it’s a system, restructure or change in strategy and it was met with resistance? Tim Reitsma and Richard Hawkes—Founder, CEO, and author—unpack insights from his new book—Navigating The Swirl—around the 7 conversations that are crucial for business transformation. | |||
| How To Onboard The Right Way In A Remote Workplace (with Jordan Boogaard from EddyHR) | 18 Jul 2022 | 00:33:46 | |
In this episode, Tim Reitsma and Jordan Boogaard—HR Evangelist at EddyHR—talk about onboarding and Jordan shares his perspective on how to onboard the right way. | |||
| How To Lead Well While Balancing People & Profits (with Simon Bray from REW) | 10 Jul 2022 | 00:39:58 | |
Is there such a thing as balancing people and profits? As leaders, do we prioritize one over the other or do we strive to keep this in check? Tim Reitsma and Simon Bray—President at REW—discuss how Simon focuses his time on progress, people and profits and how this intentional way of leadership drives trust and impact. | |||
| From Layoffs to Loyalty: Building Alumni Networks That Work | 19 Aug 2025 | 00:22:30 | |
Layoffs are often treated like a dirty secret—a rushed, impersonal process designed to move people out the door with as little friction as possible. But the way you offboard employees says just as much about your company culture as the way you welcome them in. In this episode, I sit down with Jena Dunay, founder of Recruit the Employer and host of Culture Uncovered, to talk about how organizations can approach layoffs, exits, and alumni relations with dignity—and why that matters more than ever. We dig into the bad habits that keep companies scrambling at the eleventh hour, the power of communication over cash, and why alumni networks and boomerang employees should be a core part of your talent strategy. Offboarding isn’t just the end of the employee lifecycle—it’s the part that makes the circle whole. Related Links:
| |||
| How To Create A Culture Of Balance And Belonging (with Amy Spurling from Compt) | 06 Jul 2022 | 00:36:37 | |
What is a culture of belonging? And, what is its benefit? Tim Reitsma and Amy Spurling—Founder and CEO at Compt—take a deep dive into how to create a culture belonging. | |||
| Psychological Safety & How To Foster It In Your Own Workplace | 29 Jun 2022 | 00:35:56 | |
Have you heard the term psychological safety? What can you do to build a psychologically safe environment? Tim Reitsma and Sarah Wirth—President of EcSell Institute and Amazon best-selling author—talk about her research on how to create a psychologically safe environment and the four behaviors necessary to create and foster psychological safety. | |||
| How To Improve Business Operations Through Internal Communications (with Lizabeth Wesely-Casella from L-12 Services) | 22 Jun 2022 | 00:37:30 | |
How is your company's internal communication? Communication is part of the foundation of any organization and yet we often get it wrong. Tim Reitsma and Lizabeth Wesely-Casella, Founder & CEO of L-12 Services, discuss why communication is important and how you can level up your communication game through interviewing, surveying and documenting. | |||
| How To Do Employee Recognition The Right Way (with Tom Short from Kudos) | 14 Jun 2022 | 00:35:08 | |
Have you ever told an employee "good job!" without explaining why? Well, this is an example of how not to give recognition! Tim Reitsma and Tom Short, Founder and CCO at Kudos—a leading employee recognition and engagement platform—dive into how to recognize people’s work the right way. | |||
| How To Work Asynchronously In The Future Of Work (with David Hanrahan, Former CHRO At Eventbrite) | 08 Jun 2022 | 00:33:28 | |
Has your organization successfully figured out the world of asynchronous work? Learn from David Hanrahan, former CHRO at Eventbrite, how to implement asynchronous work in your organization and the three ways you can embrace the future of work. | |||
| The Importance Of Kindness & How To Foster It In Your Leadership | 27 May 2022 | 00:43:42 | |
What does it mean to be genuinely kind? Tim Reitsma and Thomas Giles, Founder and Managing Director at TG Consultancy, walk through the four conditions that enable genuine kindness. | |||
| The Real Intent Of OKRs - It's About Purpose (with Nolan Hout from Unlock OKR) | 17 May 2022 | 00:42:26 | |
In this episode, Tim is joined by Nolan Hout, the Vice President of Marketing at Unlock OKR. Listen as they walk us through the real intent of OKRs. And no, they're not just something that we use to plan out our task lists. They're meant to provide us purpose, direction, performance, and accountability. | |||
| How To Maximize Employee Engagement In This New World Of Work | 10 May 2022 | 00:42:50 | |
In this episode, Tim is joined by Debra Corey, a highly experienced and award-winning HR leader, consultant, world-class speaker, and four time bestselling author. Listen as they dive into the topic of employee engagement. | |||
| How To Build A True Employee-First Company (with Andy Alsop from The Receptionist) | 04 May 2022 | 00:44:26 | |
In this episode, Tim is joined by Andy Alsop, President of The Receptionist—the company behind the original iPad-based visitor management system. Listen as they dive into the topic of employee supremacy, why it matters, and how to implement change by identifying your business’s purpose, values and operating system. | |||
| Top Reasons Why It's Better To Prepare Than Repair | 27 Apr 2022 | 00:56:09 | |
In this episode, Tim is joined by Iain Montgomery, Founder of Now or Never Ventures—an innovation studio for new ventures. Listen as they unpack the idea of preparing rather than repairing when it comes to leading teams, customer insights, and workplace culture. | |||
| Beyond Corporate Astrology: The Science and Strategy of Personality Assessments in Hiring | 12 Aug 2025 | 00:26:53 | |
If you’ve ever sat through a personality test during hiring and thought, “This feels a bit like corporate astrology”—you’re not wrong. In this episode, I talk with Jason Hreha, Founder & CEO of Persona, about why so many workplace assessments are built on outdated theories and questionable science, and how to separate the gimmicks from the tools that actually help you hire better. We dig into what reliability and predictive validity really mean, why they’re non-negotiables for any credible test, and where most HR teams go wrong in applying behavioral science to talent decisions. Jason also shares his work on a new leadership-focused assessment that aims to measure two very different—but equally valuable—leadership archetypes: transformational and operational. From structuring interviews to making personality data a meaningful (but not overblown) part of your hiring process, this conversation is a crash course in evidence-based talent evaluation. Related Links:
| |||
| How To Own Your Emotion And Lead With Vulnerability (with Jason Yee from GrantMe) | 13 Apr 2022 | 00:43:37 | |
In this episode, Tim is joined by Jason Yee, CEO at GrantMe. Listen as they talk about Jason's transition from pro hockey to tech and how his ability to be vulnerable has helped him build not only an amazing company but gave him the tools he needed to build self-awareness. | |||
| Unlearning Leadership: How To Lead In The New World Of Work (with Bev Attfield from Within People) | 30 Mar 2022 | 00:51:33 | |
In this episode, Tim is joined by Bev Attfield, Partner at Within People. Listen as they talk about how to unlearn leadership and how to lead in today’s new way of working. | |||
| How To Build An Energized And Productive Team (with Brendon Baker from Valuable Change Co.) | 15 Mar 2022 | 00:48:19 | |
In this episode, Tim is joined by Brendon Baker, Managing Director at Valuable Change Co. Listen as they dive deep into an idea called the momentum path that enables you to diagnose the current momentum level of each member of your team. | |||
| Daring Leadership Requires Self-Leadership (with Megan Warren) | 02 Mar 2022 | 00:46:26 | |
In this episode, Tim is joined by Megan Warren, an Executive Leadership Coach specializing in emotional resilience and self-leadership. Listen as they dive deep into the topics of self-leadership, becoming a daring leader, and how to stop leading from a place of fear and start leading from a place of love. | |||
| The Secret Code To Exceptional Leadership (with Ian Mills from Transform Performance International) | 15 Feb 2022 | 00:42:34 | |
Tim is joined by Ian Mills, CEO and Founding Director of Transform Performance International—a global advisory firm offering solutions to clients' business performance challenges. Listen to learn more about the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors linked to being a top performer and influential leader. | |||
| How To Lead A High-Growth Company (with Sam Chang from VTMEMBER) | 02 Feb 2022 | 00:47:29 | |
Tim is joined by Sam Chang, Founder of VTMEMBER—a virtual talent company that he scaled from $0-65k in monthly recurring revenue in 6 months. He is a serial entrepreneur who started his journey as a door-to-door meat salesman in college, and has since helped scale companies of all industry types and sizes. Listen to learn more about Sam’s philosophy around leading and scaling, and how this can be accomplished through strategic training and by creating a sense of ownership, connectivity, and community development. | |||
| Diversity Is More Than A Metric (with Anthony Clay from Indi) | 19 Jan 2022 | 00:46:06 | |
Tim is joined by Anthony Clay, CEO of Indi, a SaaS platform that helps organizations democratize internal opportunities and networking. He also co-founded and led Microsoft’s fastest-growing Employee Resource Group, BlackLight, helping increase the tenures of Black marketers at Microsoft. Listen to learn more about the true meaning of DEI, how to measure it, and how to build a diverse organization. | |||
| The Way We Work Isn't Working (with Ruth Penfold from Pancakes and Peacocks) | 03 Jan 2022 | 00:39:07 | |
Tim Reitsma is joined by Ruth Penfold, Founder of Pancakes and Peacocks—a people and culture organization that partners with startups and corporations to help create space for leaders and teams to thrive. Ruth has spent the past two decades building and rebuilding teams with organizations including Shazam, Onfido, and bp Launchpad. Listen to learn how the way we work isn't working, how we can build something better, and to learn Ruth’s golden rules for innovation leadership. | |||
| How To Grow Fast In A Sustainable Way (with Manuj Aggarwal from TetraNoodle) | 08 Dec 2021 | 00:34:09 | |
In this episode, Tim is joined by Manuj Aggarwal, Founder of TetraNoodle—a boutique big data and AI consulting company based in Canada. TetraNoodle helps companies of all sizes unlock the power of data and provide compelling technology solutions. Tune in to the full episode to learn how to grow your business quickly in a sustainable way using Manuj’s winning formula. | |||
| Office Snacks: Jenn Oswald | 03 Dec 2021 | 00:39:53 | |
Interview with influential HR professional and consultant, Jenn Oswald. Contains valuable insights into building company culture, growing remote teams and leadership. | |||
| Redefining Engagement in a Post-Trust Era | 05 Aug 2025 | 00:32:41 | |
The word “engagement” gets thrown around a lot—but what does it really mean in today’s workplace? In this candid, first-half conversation with Kamaria Scott, industrial-organizational psychologist and founder of Enetic, we take a hard look at how the definition of engagement has drifted, how the psychological contract between employees and employers has frayed, and why trust is harder to come by in the aftermath of layoffs, AI hype, and corporate euphemisms. Kamaria brings the receipts. From the history of engagement theory to the real human consequences of gig work and bad layoffs, she unpacks what it means to create work that actually matters—and why loyalty isn’t what it used to be. This episode sets the stage for a broader dialogue about how we redefine value, trust, and meaning in a world of accelerating automation and shrinking safety nets. Related Links:
| |||
| The One Thing That Will Derail Your Career If You’re Not Prepared (with Berta Aldrich, Author of Winning the Talent Shift) | 23 Nov 2021 | 00:43:34 | |
Tim Reitsma is joined by Berta Aldrich, Author of Winning the Talent Shift: Three Steps to Unleashing the New High-Performance Workplace. She is a highly sought-after expert and speaker on the topics of leadership, high-performance, diversity, and transformational change. Berta shares her insights on the danger of imposter leaders, the threat of career derailment to high performers, and the exodus of female employees in the workplace. Listen to learn the one thing that will derail your career if you’re not prepared and what you can do about it. | |||
| How to Manage Insecurities in the Workplace (with Melanie Pump, Author of DETOX: Managing Insecurity In The Workplace) | 09 Nov 2021 | 00:34:02 | |
In this episode, Tim is joined by Melanie Pump, CFO of Brane Inc. and author of DETOX: Managing Insecurity In The Workplace. Melanie’s unique journey to the C-Suite is like few others—starting her career without a high school diploma to becoming an accomplished financial executive and business leader. Along the way, she’s faced her fair share of workplace insecurities and toxic work environments. But, through these experiences, she has learned to overcome them and increase her own sense of security. Listen to learn Melanie’s strategies for managing insecurity and increasing confidence in the workplace. And, get inspired to take action in your own workplace. | |||
| Office Snacks: Karen Weeks | 05 Nov 2021 | 00:35:16 | |
Interview with influential HR professional and career coach, Karen Weeks. Contains valuable insights into employee engagement, growing leaders, remote working and using employee feedback. | |||
| How To Maximize The Power Of HR Through The Lens Of The Employee Experience (with Marcus Buckingham from the ADP Research Institute) | 28 Oct 2021 | 00:31:36 | |
Tim Reitsma is joined by Marcus Buckingham — Head of Research, People + Performance at ADP Research Institute. He is a global researcher and New York Times bestselling author focused on unlocking strengths, increasing performance, and pioneering the future of how people work. Listen to learn how to maximize the power of HR through the lens of the employee experience. | |||
| Office Snacks: Sarah-Jayne Lehtinen | 28 Sep 2021 | 00:39:53 | |
Interview with influential HR professional Sarah-Jayne Lehtinen. Contains valuable insights into training and development, employee experience design, and using data. | |||
| Office Snacks: Anthony Clay | 14 Sep 2021 | 00:36:08 | |
Interview with influential HR professional and consultant, Anthony Clay. Contains valuable insights into hybrid working, diversity and inclusion, employee feedback and HR trends. | |||
| How To Become A 10x Company (with Rishon Blumberg from 10x Management) | 25 Jan 2021 | 00:43:04 | |
Rishon Blumberg, co-founder of a tech talent agency that's skyrocketed to the forefront of the industry, sheds light on how to find and cultivate high performing individuals and teams. | |||
| How To Create An Org Built On Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (with Katie Zink from Social Construct Consulting) | 12 Jan 2021 | 00:38:40 | |
Tim chats with Katie Zink about diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as getting buy-in and supporting employees in leading initiatives. New episode here! | |||
| How To Keep Virtual Teams Connected (with Ben Hoffman from cityHUNT) | 11 Dec 2020 | 00:46:00 | |
Tim chats with Ben Hoffman, CEO of cityHUNT, about connected virtual teams, the importance of empathy, and considering team member needs. Listen here! | |||
| How To Build Resilience In Your Company (with Madison Campbell from Leda Health) | 25 Nov 2020 | 00:39:15 | |
Tim chats with Madison Campbell of Leda Health about building resilience in your company, even after 16 cease and desists. Listen to the episode here! | |||
| No Secrets, No Surprises: Inside a Firm with 15 Years of Open Books | 29 Jul 2025 | 00:21:10 | |
Most leaders assume that transparency around pay and finances will sow discord or fuel envy. Mel Price is living proof that the opposite is possible. As co-founder and CEO of Work Program Architects, she’s spent the last 15 years running a firm with full salary and financial transparency—by design, not by accident. The result? A company where people understand how money moves, why decisions are made, and how their own work ladders up to business outcomes. In this episode, we talk about what it really takes to implement radical transparency—from open books and compensation committees to staff-run hiring and contract signing. Mel shares what she's learned from building a distributed leadership model where every employee is given the tools and data to think (and act) like an owner. Related Links:
| |||
| How To Bring Creativity & Fun To Remote Teams (with Paul Lopushinsky from Playficient) | 05 Nov 2020 | 00:36:08 | |
Learn about the 8 play personalities and using them to bring fun and creativity to your remote teams. Listen to Tim's conversation with Paul Lopushinsky here! | |||
| How Trust & Empathy Build Strong Companies (with Victor Tam) | 26 Oct 2020 | 00:35:46 | |
Victor built several companies before founding D2C luggage brand Monos. Here are the two values that have guided his entrepreneurial journey. | |||
| How To Manage Through A Crisis (with Mike Gibbons from Culture Assassins) | 10 Oct 2020 | 00:31:38 | |
HR and business leader Mike Gibbons talks about how to manage through a crisis that affects your organization by creating a crisis management plan, getting buy-in from stakeholders and learning from past experience. | |||