HR Works Podcast: Balancing Data with Decency in Layoffs and Return to Office (Part 2)

Welcome back to part two of our conversation with Chris Michalak, CEO of Personify Health. Listen in as we wrap up our discussion on shame and how to overcome it to become a better leader. We’ll discuss how organizations can navigate sensitive conversations around taboo topics at work, how HR leaders can build resilience to navigate life’s ups and downs (both personally and professionally), the importance of being an ally in the workplace, ways HR leaders can demonstrate true connection and commitment to their colleagues, fostering a sense of belonging, and more.

In this episode of HR Works, Chris Michalak, CEO of Personify Health, joins to discuss shame and how to overcome it to become a better leader. Additionally, by demonstrating true connection and commitment to his colleagues, Chris has transformed his workplace into a haven where discussions surrounding mental health topics like guilt and shame are stigma-free. In part one of this two-part episode, listen in as we discuss the power of acknowledging shame, being comfortable with your authentic self, the journey from shame to acceptance, the importance of being self-accountable, and more.

In honor of HR Daily Advisor’s 2024 HR Employee Experience & Company Culture Now event, this week’s episode of HR Works is a popular gem from our archive. As the employee experience continues to become more and more personalized, how can HR teams help ensure their company culture remains shared and unified? What are the most-effective ways for HR teams to measure and truly understand the impact of their employee experience? Kamaria Scott, founder and CEO of consulting firm Enetic, joined the HR Works Podcast to help us answer these questions and more! Listen in as Kamaria discusses the path to creating effective corporate cultures and building an employee experience that supports personalization, while maintaining a shared and distinct identity. Don’t forget to register for our Now event, which kicks off today and runs through Wednesday, July 5th!

Let’s face it – sometimes the conversations we need to have are the ones that make us squirm. But what if I told you that by avoiding these “uncomfortable” discussions, including those around world events and their impact on employees, we’re actually creating a less safe, less inclusive workplace? We need to shift the paradigm. By creating a space where open dialogue is encouraged, even when it’s messy or emotional, we build psychological safety—a foundation where employees of all backgrounds feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work, where vulnerability isn’t a weakness but a sign of trust. In part one of this two-episode series, Hannah Yardley, Chief People and Culture Officer at Achievers, takes a seat at the table to discuss how companies can help increase employee trust and set up organizations – from top leaders to entry-level employees - to foster a culture of safety and belonging for all employees. Additionally, she also shed light on how diversity and inclusion plays a role in all of this too.

Welcome back to part two of our episode with Eric Ryan, a Marine Corps veteran and senior director of Military Operations at the University of Phoenix. In honor of Memorial Day, we give flowers to our veterans not just for their service, but for the valuable skills they bring to the civilian workforce. Listen in as he discusses how companies create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for transitioning veterans, best practices for attracting and recruiting veterans, and more.

This Military Appreciation Month, we honor our veterans not just for their service, but for the valuable skills they bring to the civilian workforce. In this episode, Eric Ryan, a Marine Corps veteran and senior director of Military Operations at the University of Phoenix, joins to explore the unique challenges and opportunities faced by veterans transitioning to new careers. In part one of this two-part episode, listen in as we discuss some of the biggest challenges you face when transitioning from the military to a civilian career, how can veterans effectively translate their military experience and skills into civilian job descriptions, and more.

In part two of this two-part episode, Sam Naficy, CEO of Prodoscore, a leader in employee visibility and productivity intelligence software, discusses how HR leaders can approach layoffs with empathy and respect, best practices for maintaining trust with remaining employees during difficult times, using the layoff experience as a learning opportunity to improve company culture and employee relations, and more.

The return to office battle continues as Dell recently announced that its fully remote employees will not be promoted. Dell cites that its policy change is to improve productivity. On the other side of this coin, the debate around layoff etiquette has begun to resurface. With policy changes like these, many are asking if in-person time really that important? And could this all be a ploy to push people out or will this inadvertently push top talent out? And if you are undergoing a workforce reduction, can you do it with empathy? In part one of this two-part episode, Sam Naficy, CEO of Prodoscore, a leader in employee visibility and productivity intelligence software, discusses how to incentivize employees to return to office, the value of leveraging data to measure the success of a return to office policy and identify areas for improvement, the importance of reimagining employee engagement and teams in a hybrid and remote environment, and more.

As we prepare to kick-off HR Mental Health & Wellness Day at HR Daily Advisor, this week’s episode of HR Works spotlights our sister publication’s podcast, Nine to Thrive HR. In this episode, host Cindi Koetzle talks with Dave Barnett, Chief HR and University Relations Officer at DeVry University, framing the conversation around Devry’s 2023 Talent Outlook Study. Listen in as Barnett offers insights for HR professionals about the underutilization of professional development benefits and the significance of mental health in the workplace and access/awareness of both. Additionally, don’t forget to register for HR Mental Health & Wellness Day. Join us for a day full of free online events and digital resources around employee mental health and wellness! Post navigation

The latest episode of HR Works is all about superpowers. Although we're not discussing any of your favorite Marvel characters, we are highlighting our favorite heroes here at HR Daily Advisor: people leaders. So, how can people leaders tap into what Darcy Mackay, SVP of HR and Client Services at Rippling, calls HR's superpower? It starts with understanding the business they serve. According to Mackay, HR professionals not only deeply understand the business their company is in, but they also become experts in the demands each business unit faces and the success factors for every function. Listen in as we discuss how Mackay acquired HR's superpower, what holds people leaders back from even starting to flex their superpower, why continuous learning is important, and more.