Why Storytelling Matters When Changing Company Culture
In this HBR IdeaCast episode, Professor Jay Barney explains that effective storytelling is a critical tool for leaders seeking to shift company culture to align with new strategies. He shares research and real‑world examples—such as a Brazilian telecom’s CEO who rewrote the hierarchy by engaging frontline staff, and Traeger’s founder who highlighted customer service through employee actions—that illustrate how authentic, top‑down stories, rooted in leaders’ own behavior, replace old cultural narratives. The key takeaway is that culture change starts with leaders acting first, creating genuine stories that spread organically, rather than with mere announcements.
Building Efficiency in the Epping, NH School District
In this episode, business administrator Christine Veda discusses how the Epping, NH School District transformed its operations by replacing manual, paper‑based processes with Tyler Technologies solutions. She highlights the shift toward automation in HR, finance, and onboarding, which improved accuracy,...
The Biggest Mistake Leaders Make when Rolling Out AI to Knowledge Teams
In this brief episode, host Jordan Cooney talks with Steve Wonker, Managing Director at New Markets Advisors, about the biggest mistake leaders make when rolling out AI to knowledge teams: launching without solid data and governance frameworks. They explain that...
AI in Construction for Business Leaders to Fix Broken Processes & Avoid Deskilling - Jonathan Marsh
In this episode, hosts Jonathan Marsh and Travis Voss explore how AI can address broken processes in construction while warning against deskilling the workforce. They discuss the concept of "context graphs"—linking decision traces across systems like Salesforce, Slack, and email—to...
413. THE HUMAN RESOURCES (HR) RACKET: HOW EMPLOYMENT LAW BECAME A GROWTH INDUSTRY AT EVERYONE ELSE'S EXPENSE
The episode dissects how U.S. employment law and the HR compliance industry have evolved from civil‑rights legislation into a $250 billion sector that burdens businesses, especially small firms, with costly bureaucracy and litigation risk. It traces the historical buildup of federal...
772: How to Measure Your Meeting’s Success, with Rebecca Hinds
In this episode, host Dave Stachowiak talks with Rebecca Hinds, an expert on organizational behavior and author of *Your Best Meeting Ever*, about how to measure meeting effectiveness. They explore why meetings are often sabotaged, the pitfalls of relying solely...
677: Erin McGoff - How to Communicate at Work, Negotiate Your Salary, Write Cold Emails, Overcome Rejection, Run Better Meetings,...
In this episode, host Ryan Hawk chats with Erin McGoff, a best‑selling author, viral TikTok creator, and documentary filmmaker, about mastering workplace communication—from answering "Tell me about yourself" to negotiating raises, crafting five‑year plans, and running effective meetings. Erin shares how...
Employment Rights Act 2025 - Why HR Should Review Its Probationary Process Before July 2026
In this episode of the Bright Mind Podcast, host Robert Shaw and Brightmine Principal Editor Stephen Simpson break down the Employment Rights Act 2025, focusing on the reduction of the unfair dismissal qualifying period from two years to six months...
Money Box Life: Working for Longer
The Moneybox Life episode explores the growing trend of people working beyond state pension age, featuring insights from ACAS’s Julie Dennis, Independent Age’s Morgan Vine, and Pensions UK’s Zoe Alexander, alongside real‑life stories from listeners. They discuss why older workers...
Combatting Cynicism in Your Organization
In this HBR IdeaCast episode, psychologist Jamil Zaki explains how cynicism—viewing others as selfish and untrustworthy—differs from healthy skepticism and why it spreads in organizations, harming individual well‑being, relationships, and efficiency. He outlines the personal costs (stress, depression, higher mortality)...
High-Performing Leadership Teams Are Built, Not Bought
In this episode of So What from BCG, Georgie Frost talks with Khadija Benhamada, former Chief of Staff and now Chief People Officer at Merck, and Judith Wallenstein, Global Leader of BCG’s CEO Advisory Practice, about how to deliberately build...
Why Diversity and Inclusion Gets Cut First in Budget Reviews
In this episode, Dr. Jonathan explains why diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives are often the first to be cut during budget reviews, highlighting that finance teams target work perceived as discretionary. He identifies three red flags: lack of measurable outcomes,...
EqualityMD’s Pre-Insurance Strategy to Reduce Care Avoidance and Lower Healthcare Costs
In this episode, Unity Stokes chats with Justin Ayers, CEO of EqualityMD, about the company’s shift from a direct‑to‑consumer, membership model to a B2B/B2B2C platform that offers employers an insurance‑free telehealth solution with culturally competent clinicians and free prescriptions. Ayers...
Episode 59 - How Clinical Insight Drives Better Pharmacy Outcomes with Employers Health
In this episode, Kevin Wenceslau, Director of Clinical Solutions at Employers Health, explains how their clinical team uses evidence‑based insight to shape pharmacy benefit strategies for employers. He highlights their proactive utilization management—building custom clinical edits, collaborating with PBMs, and...
Candidates in the Loop | Doug Berg From Match2
In this episode, Chris Russell talks with Doug Berg of Match2 about the flaws of post‑apply AI screening and the need for a pre‑apply, candidate‑centric approach. Berg explains Match2’s universal candidate profile, which lets job seekers create a portable, consent‑based...
Why Does HR Make It So Hard To Fire People? - Part 2
In this episode, Mark and Sarah dissect why managers often feel blocked by HR when trying to terminate underperforming employees. They explain that HR’s reluctance is usually not a blanket opposition but a legal safeguard requiring concrete, contemporaneous documentation of...
Avoid the Trap of Golden Handcuffs After You Sell
In this episode, Jacob Oros interviews serial entrepreneur James Gardner about his experience selling a manufacturing business and staying on as part of the acquiring company—a situation he describes as "golden handcuffs." Gardner shares how the post‑sale transition felt restrictive,...
771: Fixing Fairness in the Workplace, with Lily Zheng
In this episode, host Dave Stachowiak talks with Lily Zheng, a strategist and author on systemic fairness, about why most Americans actually support diversity (82% in surveys) despite a perception that opinions are split. Zheng explains why typical DEI initiatives—single...
Standing Out in Enterprise SEO: Building Creative In-House Teams
In this episode of Voices of Search, host Tyson Stockton chats with Ahrefs expert Patrick Stokes about building creative, in‑house SEO teams that can stand out in the enterprise space. They discuss the challenges of scaling SEO internally, the importance...
Is Pay Transparency the New Standard? | Fast Five Shorts
The episode discusses Co‑op’s new gender‑pay‑gap toolkit, launched with YHTL and Diversity in Retail, which will guide businesses from 2027 on identifying gap drivers, creating action plans, and improving recruitment, mentorship, and flexible working. Guest Jen explains that while UK...
Nike’s Brand Reset Hits Converse | Fast Five Shorts
Nike’s restructuring of Converse has led to a work‑from‑home directive for many employees ahead of anticipated layoffs, highlighting the brand’s steep revenue decline and reliance on the Chuck Taylor line. Analysts on the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five debate whether...
HR in Constant Change with Perry Timms
In this episode of HRchat, host Bill Banham and HR thought‑leader Perry Timms discuss a new HR operating model built on product thinking, systems design, and behavioural science, urging HR leaders to design for constant change. They illustrate how treating...
Hackajob Hits $1M in ARR, New CEO at Employ
The episode covers four major HR tech developments: Employ Inc. appoints serial entrepreneur Jerry Jao as CEO, emphasizing a people‑first approach while accelerating AI innovation; hackajob’s AI recruiting agent Archer hits $1 M ARR in just 90 days by pre‑qualifying candidates...
#317 Nicole Antonio-Gadsdon Founder at Banana Pepper HR - Hiring for Human Magic and Hospitality Alchemists
In this episode, host Michael welcomes Nicole Antonio‑Gadsdon, founder of Banana Pepper HR, to discuss her new book *Help Wanted*, which reframes hiring as a form of hospitality that seeks "human magic" rather than just technical competence. Nicole argues that...
Why Inclusion Fails Before Leaders Engage
The episode explores why diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives often collapse before leadership even engages, focusing on three core problems: misaligned incentives, the chicken‑and‑egg dilemma of proving value, and the lack of a commercial business case. It argues that risk‑averse...
The Small Behaviors That Build Trust (and the Common Ones That Destroy It) with Dr. Paul Zak
In this episode, behavioral neuroscientist Dr. Paul Zak explains how trust is rooted in oxytocin and how everyday actions—like granting autonomy, giving fast, personal recognition, and showing vulnerability—can boost it. He shows that moderate stress, the "adjective hack," and the...
Megafund Capabilities on a Mid-Market Budget W/ Gryphon's David Andrews
In this follow‑up interview, Gryphon co‑CEO David Andrews explains why his $11 billion firm invested in a 40‑person operations team, a scale of capability typically reserved for large enterprises. He outlines how this megafund‑level ops function delivers strategic planning, risk management,...
Corporations Are Full of BS
The episode explores a new research paper that introduces the Organizational Bullshit Perception Scale (OBPS), a tool for quantifying employees' perceptions of corporate dishonesty and empty rhetoric. The authors differentiate corporate "bullshit" from lying, defining it as statements made without...
376: Why Human Skills Now Matter More as AI Automates Tasks at Work, with Andrea Iorio
In this episode, Andrea Iorio explains that AI is more likely to automate individual tasks than whole jobs, prompting leaders to rethink role design and workflow. He highlights a global HR survey showing 93% of HR leaders now prioritize soft...
Why Does HR Make It So Hard To Fire People? - Part 1
The episode explores the pervasive myth that HR blocks managers from firing employees, arguing that the real issue is managers' reluctance to follow proper, ethical termination procedures. It explains that HR's role is to enforce thoroughness and fairness, preventing arbitrary...
675: Tom Hardin (Tipper X) - The Largest Insider Trading Case, How Ambiguous Leadership Destroys Culture, Resume Vs. Eulogy Virtues,...
In this episode, Ryan Hawk talks with Tom Hardin, the former "Tipper X" who helped the FBI dismantle the largest insider‑trading case in history. Hardin reflects on how ambiguous leadership (“do whatever it takes”) blurred ethical lines, leading him to...
164 | Becoming More Strategic as an HR Team: 3 Ways OKRs Can Help
In this solo episode of HR Coffee Time, Fay explains how HR teams can become more strategic by adopting Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). She clarifies what "strategic" truly means for HR, then outlines three practical ways OKRs create clarity...
Why High Performers Burn Out First (and How to Stop It) with Guy Winch
In this episode, psychologist and bestselling author Guy Winch explains why high‑performers are the first to burn out, debunking the myth that burnout only affects the disengaged. He explores how autopilot, procrastination, rumination, and after‑hours email habits hijack our lives,...
Why Your Inclusion Journey May Look Better Than You Think
In this brief episode, Dr. Jonathan reflects on his own inclusion journey, emphasizing that progress often looks less glamorous than expected, illustrated by his lengthy viva and financial struggles. He highlights the importance of surrounding yourself with supportive people who...
Why This ATS Is Making Job Seekers Part of Its Mission
In this episode, Greenhouse CEO Daniel Chait discusses a strategic shift to prioritize job seekers alongside employers, addressing the "AI Doom Loop" where AI-driven mass applications and filtering exacerbate hiring inefficiencies. He introduces new candidate‑focused features such as My Dream...
769: How to Connect Better with Remote Colleagues, with Charles Duhigg
In this episode, Pulitzer‑winning journalist Charles Duhigg explores how to communicate effectively in a remote‑first world. He explains that all conversations fall into three categories—practical decisions, emotions, and identity—and that digital interactions often default to the practical, missing the emotional...
674: PJ Fleck - Building Elite Culture, Nekton Mindset, Selecting >Recruiting, Intrinsic Motivation, Row The Boat, and Transformational Coaching
In this episode, University of Minnesota head coach PJ Fleck shares how he builds an elite, culture‑driven football program by "selecting" over traditional recruiting, emphasizing fit, internal drive, and a relentless practice intensity. He explains his 32‑second play‑clock, 95‑minute practice...
The Secret to Managing Change Without Burning Out Your Employees
In this five‑minute episode, the host uses a pickleball ball‑feeding machine as a metaphor to illustrate the need for a steady cadence when implementing organizational change. He explains that bombarding teams with rapid, unpredictable shifts—like the machine’s erratic, high‑speed balls—leads...
HREX v 1.07 George Larocque
John Sumser and George LaRocque discuss the rapid evolution of HR technology, emphasizing how market sizing, capital flow, and data-driven decision‑making are reshaping the industry. They highlight recruiting’s lack of accountability, the re‑evaluation of education’s value, and the disruptive impact...
Global Employment in 2026: A Fragile Stability
The ILO’s 2026 Employment and Social Trends report shows that global labour markets appear stable, with unemployment projected at 4.9%, but this masks deep challenges to decent work, including rising extreme poverty, high informality (57.7% of workers) and stagnant productivity....