Building Organizational Culture: Tips to Understand and Build Yours

The future of DEI is murky. So the purpose of this panel discussion was to reflect on the recent developments in DEI and consider how we might evolve our effort to become more effective. We collectively dove into DEI around the murder of George Floyd - often with little to no experience. And it was a great discussion! The following were just a few of the ideas I took away: - We HAVE made progress. - And this problem is 400 years (or more) in the making. While we want to see change now, this is the work of generations i.e. a marathon not a sprint. - Much of our effort has been spent on diversity where the real work should focus on inclusion and equity. - To be effective we need to meet people where they are at. - If you are on the extreme right or extreme left, you may be contributing to the polarization. Overall, I'm left with a sense of hope and a reframed perspective. Thank you to the panelists: Amy E. Hull M. Ed. Amy is the Head of DEI for Paycor. She is a consultant and Former School Administrator. She recently won bronze from Brandon Hull for her DEI strategy. She is working on authoring her first book on the relationship between power and empathy.   / amyehull6   Toby Mildon. Toby is the author of 'Inclusive Growth' and Host of a podcast by the same name. This year, he also released another book 'Building Inclusivity'. He runs Mildon consultancy and previously worked for Deloitte, Accenture and the BBC. https://www.mildon.co.uk/ Dr. Leeno Karumanchery has PhD in Sociology and Equity Studies from the University of Toronto. He is an author of a number of books including an upcoming book called 'The Old Black Lesbian Elephant in the Room: Why the Woke Need to Wake Up'. He is the head of Mesh diversity which takes a numbers and data science approach to helping organizations with DEI. https://meshdiversity.com/ Sara Taylor. Sara is the author of recent book called Thinking at the Speed of Bias, and another bestselling book called 'Filter Shift'. She is a consultant, owner of deepSEE consulting and has 35 years of experience in the field. https://www.deepseeconsulting.com/ You can find me [email protected]

Curious about how Indeed is using AI to help employers and candidates? And how they apply it as an Employer? I certainly was. I spoke with Hannah Calhoon about how Indeed is using AI. She is the VP, Product at Indeed and AI is her responsibility. They've recently launched some generative AI improvements like Smart Sourcing. Smart Sourcing enhances the our user experience and improves the quality of matches. In the discussion, we ALSO learn about how to incorporate AI in our own organizations - Indeed aside. Here are just a few insights: ♾️ Indeed has been using AI for a long time but now they are incorporating generative AI. It will help with personalized job recommendations, skills extractions out of resumes, and recommendations to employers. 📈 There are already signs of success. They can do deeper analysis of resumes and help employers and candidates make better matches. 🎓AI can lessen the use of proxies in hiring decisions e.g. we use education as a proxy for assessing intelligence, ambition, perseverance, and industry knowledge. There might be other clues elsewhere in the resume of these same qualities that are harder to spot. ❌ They won't be using AI to make final decisions. That would go against their set of AI principles. 🛠️ TOIL. It's my new favourite word. And AI will help reduce it. Woohoo! How have you been using proxies? Do you have AI principles? How have your older systems been using AI? Are you tired of toil? There were a remarkable number of insights in this discussion that extend well beyond Indeed. Find out more about Indeed's Approach - AI Principles: https://www.indeed.com/esg/responsible-ai Hiring Lab: https://www.hiringlab.org/ AI Articles: https://www.indeed.com/lead/artificial-intelligence SmartSourcing - Just Google it. Find me for HR consulting https://thehrhub.ca

I think we know that "culture is not about ping pong tables and snacks." Too often, company culture gets reduced to these superficial perks. Or perks like this become the symbols of culture everyone points to. But true culture runs much deeper - it's about your core values and how those get lived out through behavior, communication, leadership and more. I spoke with HR consultant Tiffany Castagno of CEPHR consulting about culture. She helps her clients with it all the time and breaks down the key dimensions of workplace culture that you need to be intentional about shaping. She says: 📝 Assess your current culture through surveys, conversations, audits - but make sure to take action on the findings. 🏆 Leaders play a crucial role in modeling the values and norms you want to reinforce. 🔍 Look at metrics like engagement, belonging, growth opportunities to measure if you're living your desired culture. ⚠️ Common culture mistakes: Lack of consistency, not listening to employees, and having the wrong hires misaligned with your values. 0️⃣ And none of what we talked about has to do with perks. Although those are nice and we like them! So want to build a magnetic culture that attracts and retains top talent? Check out this episode!

Mindset is harder than rocket science according to NASA scientists. So all you HR people out there? Give yourselves a pat on the back! The people stuff is hard! In this episode, I spoke with Mitch Warner, managing partner at the Arbinger Institute, which is responsible for the book "Outward Mindset". Mitch helped with the latest edition and shares his insight into mindset generally. He focuses particularly on the value of having an outward (rather than inward) mindset. He's worked with clients like NASA and this is how he knows what the rocket scientists think! An "outward mindset" has all employees (including HR) focusing on others' needs and objectives alongside one's own. This approach, he argues, is key to fostering a productive, connected, and innovative workplace culture. Key insights from our conversation: • There are many mindsets (growth, safety, positive, scarcity etc) but many of them would have us focus on ourselves rather than others around us. • Changing mindset has been shown to be far more effective in creating change than simply prescribing new behaviours. • We can use an outward mindset to help our employees redefine what it means to have a job in terms of impact on others including our customers and coworkers. • He gave examples of how an outward mindset can revolutionize areas like workplace safety and debt collection. HR is often instrumental in creating the kinds of organizations we need. An outward mindset has a so much potential. Forget silos, remember our customers, ditch bickering... This is an idea I am thinking about a lot! Mitch's insights offer a fresh perspective on organizational culture and leadership, challenging HR professionals to rethink their approach to employee engagement and performance. Whether you're looking to boost productivity, enhance teamwork, or drive innovation, this episode provides strategies for leveraging the power of mindset in your organization. Find Mitch and the Arbinger Institute at https://arbinger.com/ You can find their books (The Outward Mindset and Leadership and Self-Deception) anywhere you buy your books but also via their website: https://arbinger.com/store/ Find me, Andrea Adams, at https://thehrhub.ca/

"We (need to) talk to people not about people." Talking about people (unless you're venting with a trusted friend), greatly harms trust. Building trust within teams is critical for high performance, but it's often an overlooked aspect of team dynamics. It came up recently for me in relation to consulting so I sat down with trust expert Ila Edgar to dive deep into the key behaviours and mindsets needed to foster trust on teams. Ila is a coach, former recruiter, and co-host of the "Trust on Purpose" podcast. We did a couple episodes year before this one and they were some of the episodes I refer to most often at work. She shares her invaluable wisdom on: 💥 Why distrust can actually be a good thing and how to manage it productively 💥 The 4 key domains of trust (competence, sincerity, reliability, care) and how to cultivate each on your team 💥 The vital role leaders play in modeling trust-building behaviors 💥 Dangerous trust-breaking behaviors to avoid at all costs Whether you lead a team or are part of one, this episode is packed with practical insights to create an environment of psychological safety where people can do their best work. Don't miss Ila's perspectives on this crucial but often overlooked team dynamic. Find Ila at https://www.bigchangeinc.com/ This is her podcast: https://trustonpurpose.buzzsprout.com/ Andrea is an HR consultant in Western Canada. Find her at https://thehrhub.ca

"You have to think about [retirement], it doesn't just automatically happen." How are organizations supporting the retirement of their employees? Are they getting pushed out the door or supported in making informed decisions? Having recently embarked on her own retirement, Dr. Melanie Peacock offered her account of reimagining life's next steps and how to improve your employer brand by informing your employees. She is an HR expert; she's also an author, keynote speaker, and a fellow with CPHR Alberta, making her insights informed from both an HR and retirement perspective. Melanie provides insights on: 📝 Why retirement planning goes far beyond just finances - the emotional and physical health aspects are critical 💡 How employers can support transitioning employees while building their employment brand 🧠 Simple ways to start normalizing retirement conversations from your first steps out of school 👵🏻 The benefits of alumni programs and allowing phased retirement Check out this conversation on how organizations could support their employees, decrease turnover and improve their employer brand. Find Melanie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelaniepeacock-cphr-doublem/ https://www.doublemconsulting.net/ourteam/ Find Andrea for consulting support: https://thehrhub.ca

'The difference between the skill of job seekers and those who are employed is often significant.' So, for executive search, you are almost exclusively looking for leaders who are in good jobs that they probably like. So how do you entice them away? If you think about it, this has many implications to the talent acquisition process. I had a great conversation with Adam Pekarsky of Humanis Advisory. Adam started out as a lawyer, but has been in executive search for 20+ years. He has one of the best newsletters that I have ever read (the Ampersand) and his own podcast. He has an inspiring way of connecting the details to the big picture and to his values and ethics. It's apparent in everything he says. For instance: 🫨 Ethics are critical. In addition to personal values, there is no ethical wiggle room especially in smaller communities. Word will get out. 🤔 He defines sourcing differently. I thought it was reaching out directly to potential candidates. He defines it as asking people who might know the candidates. 🎙️ Authentic, honest, story-telling is important: the story of the organization and the story of the candidate. 🌟 The role of the client who wants to fill a job is critical. In executive search they must SELL the job. ... And shouldn't ask "So why do you want the job?" Adam approaches his work and role with such respect and insight. Watch it. You will learn a lot on many levels! Find Adam Pekarsky on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adampekarsky/ Humanis Advisory: https://humanisadvisory.com/ The Ampersand Blog (highly recommended): https://humanisadvisory.com/blog/ Find Andrea for HR Consulting https://thehrhub.ca

"Without conflict, you don't have innovation. So I want to make sure people use their voices." And use it effectively in a leadership team when there are a number of strong voices present. I spoke with Tish Squillaro of CANDOR Management Consulting about the art of building leadership teams. This is something you'll do more as you progress, but the principles apply to any team. Tish, is a candid consulting expert who has worked with Salesforce and IBM. She knows her content inside and out and one of her core interests is team dynamics, a crucial aspect of scaling organizations. Tish shared her insights on her approach to leadership team dynamics or what she calls team chemsitry. She talks about the qualities that a leadership team should possess, and why these are so crucial for organizational success. She also discusses the challenges of recruitment, the evolution of leadership teams as companies scale, and the tools she uses. Here's a peek into some of what we covered: 🎯 The importance of a leadership team that not only drives the business but works well together. It's the first team first. 🔍 The complexity of the interview process when you're looking for skills and personality. 📊 The use of DISC behavioral profiles as a tool for understanding team dynamics. 🔧 The actionable steps to improve team chemistry after identifying gaps in leadership teams. 🎙️ The significance of effective communication and conflict resolution. I've already applied what I learned so I know this episode is a treasure of useful information! You can find Tish at https://candor-consulting.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tishsquillaro/ Find Andrea for consulting [email protected] or https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Our entitled employees are irritating. Or should we look in the mirror? Are YOU driving THEM crazy?? This was just one part of the conversation I had with Wendy Sellers, The HR Lady. Wendy has authored books, has a podcast, is on the radio and has even been on USA Today. She is wonderfully outspoken. For example one of her books is called "Suck it Up, Buttercup." It was awesome. Wendy shared the following: 😈 Most employees don't wake up in the morning and say "How can I be irritating today?" ❺ There are five primary ways employees are irritating. 📺 I won't tell you all 5 (you have to watch the episode), but one is that employees are entitled. 🪞Spoiler: In all cases she suggests we get a little introspective. What have we done to drive the behaviour? 🤗 Caring would help managers and HR. Caring has been a theme on my channel coming up in a number of ways. This was a frank and pretty amusing take on some really basic issues in organizations. Find Wendy the following ways: https://thehrlady.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendythehrlady/ Find her book, 'Suck it Up, Buttercup' on Amazon. Find Andrea for consulting at https://thehrhub.ca/

Employer Brand: "Ultimately, it’s about reverse engineering. What does the business need? And getting to the point of ‘Now we understand that, how do we tell a story and talk about the strength, benefits, and opportunities balance with the harsh realities adversities to craft a proposition that’s both authentic and compelling.'" I had a fantastic conversation with Bryan Adams, founder and former CEO of ph-creative and founder and CEO of HappyDance - a platform that means business when it comes to candidate experience. He has consulted to brands such as Apple and Nike and knows what he's talking about. It would be difficult to consolidate what I learned but here's a few things: $ You can do it on a budget. If you're autthentic and compelling you've won with respect to your employer brand. 😣 The most important and interesting part is uncovering what might DISSUADE someone from working there. 💡 Something beautiful or slick is a nice-to-have, you have to get coherence, clarity and alignment first. 🪞The most common mistake it to make it look beautiful and shiny, but brush over the harsh realities. I was privileged to participate in this conversation. Bryan was able to articulate what we are striving for in many elements of our life - authenticity AND effectiveness. Take a listen! Links are in the comments. Find Bryan on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanadams1/ HappyDance: https://www.happydance.love/ Ph-Creative: https://www.ph-creative.com/ And don't forget to look up his book 'Give and Get: Repel the Many and Compel the Few with Impact, Purpose and Belonging' on Amazon Find me, Andrea Adams, for consulting support http://thehrhub.ca