Honest HR

AI represents the next wave of technological advancement for society, and is expected to transform how work gets done across every industry. In this episode of Honest HR, SHRM CHRO Jim Link, SHRM-SCP, joins host Monique Akanbi to discuss everything HR professionals and business leaders should know about AI and integrating it into their organizations.

Earn 0.75 SHRM PDC for listening to this podcast; all details provided in-episode.

Episode transcript

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Workplace romance: It’s complicated. But it happens, and employers need to know how to deal with it. In this episode of Honest HR, host Amber Clayton is joined by SHRM researcher Casey Sword to present the findings from her work on SHRM’s latest research in the area of workplace romance, share real stories related to romance in the workplace, and discuss how HR professionals should handle them.

Earn 1 SHRM PDC for listening to this podcast; all details provided in-episode.

Episode transcript

We live in the age of data, and everything important to an organization’s people management function gets measured. In this episode of Honest HR, host Wendy Fong speaks with Dr. Milton J. Perkins, Senior Vice President at ActOne Government Solutions, about the transformative potential of people analytics, their role in helping HR professionals create workplaces where employees genuinely want to be, and steps for leveraging them at your organization.

Earn 1.00 SHRM PDC for listening; details on claiming your credit are provided in-episode.

Episode transcript

In this episode of Honest HR, hosts Amber Clayton, Wendy Fong and Monique Akanbi come together to look back on the biggest HR and workplace trends of 2023, and look ahead with their expectations for 2024.

Earn 0.5 SHRM PDC for listening; details on claiming your credit are provided in-episode.

Episode transcript

In this episode of Honest HR, host Amber Clayton and SHRM Knowledge Center Advisors Robyn Hopper and Rue Dooley continue with Part 2 of their two-part mini-series of listener-submitted stories of bad bosses, give more advice on handling problematic people managers, and close out the session with a set of redeeming stories of outstanding bosses who were there for their employees in amazing ways.

Earn 1.25 SHRM PDCs for listening to both parts of this two (2) part mini-series on Stories About Bad Bosses; details on claiming your credit are provided in-episode.

Episode transcript

If you’ve ever had a bad boss, not only did they make work miserable, but also probably gave you a good story to tell later on.

In this episode of Honest HR, host Amber Clayton is joined by SHRM Knowledge Center Advisors Robyn Hopper and Rue Dooley to read listener-submitted stories of bad bosses, identify their problematic behaviors, and give advice on solving for them in your workplace.

Earn 1.25 SHRM PDCs for listening to both parts of this two (2) part mini-series on Stories About Bad Bosses; stay tuned for Part 2, which will contain info on claiming your credit.

Rate and review Honest HR on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Episode transcript

As both laws and attitudes toward marijuana continue to change, the question for employers is likewise, “Then how does my organization’s HR and approaches to people management need to change?”. In this episode of Honest HR, host Amber Clayton is joined by Holland & Knight attorneys Dana Feinstein and Travis Nelson, who provide insights and guidance for employers navigating the complex issues surrounding marijuana in the workplace, with a focus on legal compliance, accommodation, and policy development.

Earn 1.00 SHRM PDC for listening to this podcast; all info provided in-episode.

Episode transcript

Generative AI programs (like ChatGPT) have tremendous potential to deliver new efficiencies and capabilities to the workplace, but what do these new tools mean for HR, both in using them, and the myriad of concerns they raise? In this episode of Honest HR, host Wendy Fong speaks with Karl Ahlrichs, Senior Consultant at Gregory & Appel, on how HR professionals can use AI ethically and responsibly, and develop the critical thinking skills necessary to do so.

Earn 0.75 SHRM PDC for listening to this podcast; all details provided in-episode.

Episode transcript

Known for their focus on providing quality educational experiences to adult learners, the University of Phoenix wanted to learn more and provide resources to another core group of enrolled students: Individuals with disabilities. 

In this episode of Honest HR, host Wendy Fong speaks with Kelly Hermann, Vice President of Accessibility, Equity & Inclusion at the University of Phoenix, to discuss:  

• Findings from the university’s report on Workplace Accessibility - HR Professionals Accommodations for Employees’ Disability’s Research Report (2023)
• Action steps for HR professionals and people managers focused on creating more accessible and inclusive workplaces for employees
• The future of disability and accessibility inclusion

Complete the SHRM Employing Abilities At Work Certificate

Earn 0.5 SHRM PDC for listening to this podcast; all details provided in-episode.

Episode transcript

Previously brought to the spotlight by the pandemic, organizations’ prioritizing employee mental health and wellness reflects its ongoing importance to employers and employees alike.  

But what does the work of creating workplace cultures of mental health and wellness actually entail? 

In this episode of Honest HR, host Amber Clayton speaks with Rich Safeer, M.D., Chief Medical Director of Employee Health and Wellbeing for Johns Hopkins Medicine and author of A Cure for the Common Company: A Wellbeing Prescription for a Happier, Healthier, and More Resilient Organization about:

• Why the workplace is the perfect venue for achieving real improvements in people’s health
• How mental health and wellness is a team sport
• Steps to begin transforming your organization

Earn 0.5 SHRM PDC for listening to this episode; all details in episode.

This episode of Honest HR is sponsored Calm Business.

Episode transcript

A good mentor/mentee relationship creates a safe, nonjudgmental space to provide guidance and advice, and that’s just as true for mentorships dedicated to the HR profession. In this episode of Honest HR, host Monique Akanbi is joined by Sheila Thomas and Firdosh Bhathena, a real-life HR mentor/mentee pair, to share their HR mentorship story, discuss why mentorship is important in an HR career, and shatter the popular myths of mentorship.

This episode of Honest HR is sponsored by ADP.

Episode transcript

Occurrences of unequal pay between employees with the same qualifications, experience and job responsibilities continue to have a problematic presence in the workplace, and likewise reflect longstanding wage gaps between men, women and people of color. In this episode of Honest HR, host Amber Clayton speaks with SHRM CHRO Jim Link about the importance of pay equity and ensuring fair and equal pay practices for all employees regardless of gender, race, age, or other protected characteristics, but also the business case on why pay equity is in an organization’s best interest, and above all, the steps you can take toward achieving pay equity at your organization.

SHRM's Managing Pay Equity Toolkit

This episode of Honest HR is sponsored by UKG.

Episode transcript

Managing employee attendance is challenging: Employers and people managers need to know not only if employees are showing up to work, but also what to do if they don’t. In this episode of Honest HR, host Amber Clayton speaks with SHRM Knowledge Advisors Barbara Holland and Julie Schweber about handling scenarios such as fishy doctors’ notes, no call/no shows, and above all, the importance of getting all the information before moving toward adverse action.

Learn about SHRM's People Manager Qualification (PMQ)

Earn 0.5 SHRM PDC for listening; all details provided in-episode.

This episode of Honest HR is sponsored by ADP.

Episode transcript

Hiring and talent acquisition is so often premised on a “hurry up and wait” passivity: You announce a position, cross your fingers, and hope qualified applicants come to you. But what if they just don't? If so, apprenticeships are another route that allow you develop your own talent, rather than waiting for it to arrive. 

In this episode of Honest HR, host Monique Akanbi speaks with Mary Wright, Manager of the SHRM Foundation’s Apprenticeship Program on how apprenticeships can help to sidestep the war for talent, and how the SHRM Foundation’s HR Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) has created a path for HR departments to develop their own superstar HR professionals.

Learn about SHRM's People Manager Qualification (PMQ)

Earn 0.75 SHRM PDC for listening; all details provided in-episode.

Episode transcript

The hosts of Honest HR begin 2023 by welcoming Monique Akanbi as a new voice to the podcast, and give a fond farewell to one of their own, Gloria Sinclair Miller.

Amid talent scarcity, the benefits that employers offer their employees have emerged as a key differentiator in attracting and retaining talent. In this episode of Honest HR, Amber, Monique and Wendy discuss the importance of expanding the benefits organizations typically offer and consider more imaginative employee benefits you may not have previously considered.

Earn 0.75 SHRM PDC for listening; relevant details provided in-episode.

Episode transcript

In this episode of Honest HR, host Wendy Fong continues her discussion with HR consulting/talent management specialists Karen DeLise, Adrianna Gabriel and Allison Levine from CCI Consulting to discuss everything to learn from the past, present and future of a multigenerational workplace experience.

Earn 1.00 SHRM PDC for listening to both parts 1 and 2 of this two (2) part miniseries; relevant details provided in-episode.

This episode of Honest HR is sponsored by Mystery.

Episode transcript

In this episode of Honest HR, host Wendy Fong is joined by HR consulting/talent management specialists Karen DeLise, Adrianna Gabriel and Allison Levine from CCI Consulting to discuss everything to learn from the past, present and future of a multigenerational workplace experience.

Earn 1.00 SHRM PDC for listening to both parts 1 and 2 of this two (2) part miniseries; relevant details provided in-episode.

This episode of Honest HR is sponsored by Mystery.

Episode transcript

One of the most contentious events of 2022 was the U.S. Supreme Court's decision (Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization) overturning Roe v. Wade. In this episode of Honest HR, host Amber Clayton is joined by SHRM Chief of Staff Emily M. Dickens and Janell Stanton, senior associate/head of the employment law group at Wagner, Falconer, & Judd, Ltd. to discuss implications for work, workers and the workplace, along with questions including:

• Can employers provide travel benefits to employees who go out-of-state to receive an abortion?
• Does abortion qualify for FMLA leave or leave under the ADA?
• Can employers offer specific paid leave for abortions?

Earn 1.00 SHRM PDC for listening; relevant details provided during the episode.

This episode of Honest HR is sponsored by Mystery.

Episode transcript

Asian-American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are no strangers to adversity in the workplace, but their experience often doesn’t receive much attention because of longstanding positive stereotypes of AAPI as hard workers and good employees. In this episode of Honest HR, host Wendy Fong is joined by Buck Gee (Cisco Systems, Committee of 100) to discuss why AAPI employees go under-promoted, stories on breaking the stereotype of the model minority and how to challenge leadership when climbing the corporate ladder.

Earn 0.75 PDC for listening; relevant details provided during the episode.

This episode of Honest HR is sponsored by Mystery.

Episode transcript

The pandemic prompted serious reevaluation of what employees expect from their jobs and widespread departures followed. In this episode of Honest HR, host Amber Clayton is joined by Paula Harvey, SHRM-SCP, vice president of human resources and safety at Schulte Building Systems, to make sense of the new talent acquisition landscape and discuss how to make your organization turnover-proof.

Earn 0.75 PDC for listening; all relevant details are provided during the episode.

This episode of Honest HR is sponsored by Mystery.