The HR Hub by Andrea Adams

Managing employee complaints in a small business can quickly become a demanding role that drains your decision-making energy. If you find yourself frustrated by constant venting about co-workers or office lighting, it is a signal that you may need to shift how you respond to complaints. In this episode, I break down how to differentiate between complaints that require your intervention and those that serve as coaching opportunities for your team. I explore the importance of written policies for predictability, how to handle feedback regarding your managers, and the specific questions you can ask to return responsibility to your employees. Running a productive business does not mean an environment free of friction, but it does require helping your people navigate that friction themselves.00:00 Managing normal complaints01:10 Why frequent complaints wear you out02:02 Balancing policy and nimbleness03:22 Deciding when to get involved04:38 Respecting employees through their own problem-solving05:30 Handling complaints about your managers07:08 Using coaching questions instead of fixing08:44 Calibrating realistic workplace expectations10:06 Support for small and medium businesses**Find Andrea (me)**Website: https://thehrhub.ca/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/Email: andrea@thehrhub.ca

Stop hiring for the wrong things. When you hire, are you actually screening for success, or just a polished resume and a good interview that ticks the experience and credentials boxes? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Nita Chhinzer (University of Guelph) who challenged my perspective on recruitment. And as a bonus, what's happening in the market.It turns out, most of us are looking at the wrong things and asking the wrong questions. While technical skills get someone through the door, the evidence indicates that three "hidden" traits actually predict long-term performance: 1. Professional Maturity: Can they handle the sometimes unspoken realities of work?2. Attitude (The Useful Kind): Do they have genuine ownership, are they resilient, or are they just clocking in?3. Feedback Receptivity: Can they hear feedback without becoming defensive? Then will they actually use it to improve? Because if they can't take feedback, they won't grow as much.Ad despite what your client says they want, these three qualities are what they actually want according to the evidence and research. Once the basic skills pass a screening.So what soft skills do you include in your screening? Leave a comment. Has a "great on paper" hire ever failed because they lacked one of these three?*Find Dr. Nita Chhinzer in the following places* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitachhinzer/https://nitachhinzer.com/https://www.uoguelph.ca/lang/people/nita-chhinzer*Find Andrea Adams in the following places*https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/https://thehrhub.ca/

Emotional labour is the unwritten work of managing your feelings and the emotions of others to be effective in the workplace. HR professionals and leaders often act as "toxin handlers," absorbing organizational frustrations and conflicts without a formal strategy for recovery.In this episode, executive coach and author Dina Denham Smith breaks down why emotional labour feels like pushing a beach ball underwater and how to prevent it from leading to compassion fatigue. We explore the difference between emotional and cognitive empathy, the physical toll of suppressing true feelings, and practical ways to "metabolize" the stress of leadership.Key takeaways include:- The definition of a "toxin handler" and why this role is vital yet undervalued.- The three components of an emotion: behavior, physiology, and mental interpretation.- How to use the "Three Rs" (Reflect, Reframe, Restore) to recover your energy.- Why cognitive empathy is a protective strategy for those in high-conflict roles.**Find Dina Denham-Smith** Website: https://dinadenhamsmith.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinadenhamsmith/Book Titles or other links: Emotionally Charged: How to Lead in the New World of Work**Find Andrea (me)**Website: https://thehrhub.ca/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Complaints from employees can be intimidating for any leader, but especially in an SMB where you don't have HR or anyone in HR with this kind of depth. This episode breaks down the immediate steps you must take when an employee brings forward an alarming complaint to avoid legal issues and protect your organization. You need to know which kinds of complaints come with legal obligations and which don't and then how to avoid making the situation worse. Key Takeaways: 5️⃣ 5 steps during the initial complaint meeting. 🇨🇦 vs 🇺🇸: Key differences between Canada and the US around which complaints trigger your obligation to investigate 🤔 How to determine if you can handle an investigation internally or if you must hire an outside expert. 🙅🏻‍♀️ Common mistakes leaders make, including "gut-feeling" decisions and mediation traps. 00:00 Five steps for the initial meeting 01:25 Categorizing the three types of complaints 04:00 US vs. Canada: Legal trigger words 05:18 When you are obligated to investigate 08:40 Formal vs. informal complaint triggers 09:30 Internal vs. external investigator criteria 12:45 Advice for self-led investigations 13:40 Common mistakes to avoid **Find Andrea (me)** Email: andrea@thehrhub.ca Website: https://thehrhub.ca/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Building a people first culture is an aspiration for many in HR and leadership. But we struggle to close the gap between our good intentions and the actual impact on people. In this conversation, Josh Block, President of Block Imaging and author of People Matter at Work, explains why caring is a legitimate business strategy that drives ownership and long term performance. So that our people FEEL that we care. We discuss the "Three T’s" of leadership, the difference between viewing employees as resources to be extracted versus a garden to be nurtured, and the specific questions we can coach leaders to ask so they build real trust. If you are looking to move beyond transactional management (where people are the gold mine) and create an environment where employees feel safe, seen, and successful, this episode provides practical advice for HR and leaders.**Find Josh Block**Website: https://www.peoplematteratwork.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuablock/Book: https://www.amazon.ca/People-Matter-Work-Fostering-Everyone/dp/B0FYX543SN**Find Andrea (me)**Website: https://thehrhub.ca/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

There is trepidation in the learning and development community right now. With AI shifting the landscape daily, many are asking: What will the role of an L&D professional be in the future? What will the role of the function be?? I sat down with Josh Cardoz, Chief Creative & Learning Officer at Sponge Learning, to get a pulse on 2026. Josh is mostly excited - tempered with a warning for those wishing to go back to the old ways of doing things. Key Takeaways from our Conversation: - AI is a double-edged sword: Yes, AI will finally make hyper-personalization a reality. No more single course to solve a problem for 10,000 people. - A loss of community: Josh warns of a "related loss of community." If everyone is on a perfectly curated, solo AI path, we risk losing the shared standards and human connection that make a culture strong. - A shift in L&D language: L&D pros need to stop talking about "training" and "learning" and... - A business mindset: we need to talk about business problems and keep the L&D to ourselves Josh also shared some consulting tips that are gold for engaging with clients.*Connect with Josh and Sponge*https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshcardoz/Sponge Learning: https://www.spongelearning.com/*Connect with Andrea*Website: https://thehrhub.ca/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

We’ve all seen the 'Brilliant Jerk'—the executive who delivers high-impact results but leaves a trail of cultural destruction and turnover in their wake.In today’s episode, I tackled emotional intelligence (EQ) in organizational behaviour. My guest, Jen Shirkani, has spent 25 years coaching the C-suite on how to bridge the gap between technical brilliance and relational leadership. She breaks EQ down into a high-performance framework: Recognize, Read, and Respond.We dive deep into the specific competencies that will contribute to HR performance, drive workplace trust, and help us improve leadership effectiveness, including: - Cognitive empathy vs. affective empathy: Why you don't need to feel an employee's pain to effectively validate their experience—a crucial skill for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). - The optimism trap: How to balance visionary leadership with reality testing to avoid strategic blind spots. This is one I fall into. - A crisis of emotional expression: Why people are biting their tongues and saying less, eroding psychological safety and killing organizational trust.For HR professionals managing the high emotional demands of the modern workplace, this discussion is invaluable. **About Jen Shirkani** LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenshirkani/Jen's Website: https://penumbra.com/Jen's Podcast: Ego vs EQ & You**About Andrea**LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/My website: https://thehrhub.ca/

~ 30% of your new hires will leave before the 90-day mark.Unless you onboard properly. You’ve already done a lot: you spent thousands on recruitment, vetting, and interviewing. You will pay for them and their training. But without a solid onboarding process, there is a high chance that your investment will walk out the door.Onboarding is quite possibly the easiest and most cost-effective retention activity you can do, yet so many businesses treat it as an afterthought. Or a tedious activity they avoid. So watch the video and make sure you do it! Onboarding isn't just a "nice-to-have" - it's a key bottom-line retention strategy.I'm an HR Consultant to SMBs. Find me at:https://thehrhub.cahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

The lack of connection within workplaces is more than a sad fact —it’s a serious business issue impacting performance. It's dollars left on the table. In this episode, Ryan Jenkins (WSJ Bestselling Author of Connectable) explains why workplace loneliness is increasing and how HR leaders can build a culture of belonging to combat employee isolation.Loneliness was a recurring theme on this channel throughout 2025. And Gallup has reinforced over and over that it's a critical piece of engagement. That question: "Do you have a best friend at work?" is important. But what do you do? This episode has tips. What You’ll Learn:- The Rise of Isolation: Why loneliness is increasing across all demographics in the modern workplace. The Science of Connection: How the brain reacts to exclusion and its impact on cognitive performance.Critical Stats: Why 8 out of 10 global workers feel disconnected at least once a month.HR Strategy: Practical ways to address lonelinessIt came up throughout the year in conversations on burnout, engagement, remote and hybrid work, culture... it's something we need to pay attention to. **Find Ryan Jenkins**https://www.ryanjenkins.com/https://connectionvault.com/His book is called: Connectable: How Leaders Can Move Teams from Isolated to All In**Find Andrea Adams**https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/https://thehrhub.ca/

Most wellness programs weren't built with parents in mind. Gym memberships and meditation apps don't help much when you're managing work deadlines while your kid is home sick. Or when you know your toddler can't wait for you to pick them up from daycare.Dr. Rosina McAlpine is back to talk about what actually works when organizations want to support working parents—not with token gestures, but with programs that address the real challenges.We discuss why working parents have the highest burnout and lowest mental health scores across the workforce, what family-friendly workplaces are doing differently, and how to measure whether any of it is making a difference.We also get into the equity vs equality question. It's not one we think about in this context, but it does work. After all, what we need is a workplace where everyone is able to thrive. * Dr. Rosina's 5-Point Guide*https://www.winwinparenting.com/closing-the-gap-in-parent-support-guide*Contact Dr. Rosina McAlpine*https://winwinparenting.com/https://drrosina.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrosina/*Contact Andrea Adams*https://thehrhub.cahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Wellness at work is easy to talk about, but the actual data is a disaster. These are the groundbreaking findings from clinical psychologist Dr. Jo Burrell’s 2025 survey into the mental health and wellbeing of HR professionals.If we look at the state of HR as a whole, we are facing a crisis. The research reveals staggering rates of depression, anxiety, and burnout across the profession. Perhaps the most shocking result? 42% of HR professionals are considering leaving the profession entirely.Dr. Burrell was shocked by these results, and frankly, I am too. We need to shine a light on this because it’s impossible for us to deliver results for our organizations if we are struggling this much. We cannot tend to the wellness of employees and clients if we aren’t caring for our own first.The 2026 HR Wellbeing Survey is underway now (as of late January). Whether you are thriving or just trying to survive, take a moment to help us see how the profession is doing in 2026. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TVY7HDS**Find Dr. Jo Burrell**LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jo-burrell-04901a96/Ultimate Resilience: https://www.ultimateresilience.co.uk/**Find Andrea Adams (me!)**LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/My company: https://thehrhub.ca/

HR probably deals with more emotional situations than any other department. Angry employees storming into your office sure about what we are supposed to do, leaders who are frustrated, workplace conflicts that we are supposed to solve. And then we also need to read any room we are in.Emotions. A lot of emotions.Dina Denham Smith is an executive coach who works with senior leaders at companies like Adobe, Netflix, and Google. She's written over 60 articles for Harvard Business Review, and her book Emotionally Charged: How to Lead in the New World of Work (co-authored with Penn State psychology professor Alicia Grandey) digs into the science of emotions at work.We covered:🧠 The difference between emotional savvy and emotional intelligence (and why the distinction matters).🎭 The authenticity paradox: leaders are expected to be authentic but penalized for being too authentic.😢 Why crying at work is still risky. There's a few that are humanized by it but the rest of us are penalized/criticized.🔥 What to do when someone storms into your office in a heightened emotional stateAnd so much more. There was a LOT of usefulness in this episode. Frameworks. The importance of helping someone name their emotions. Viewing emotions as data and far more. ***About Dina***🔗 Website: https://dinadsmith.com🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dina-denham-smith/📖 Book: Emotionally Charged: How to Lead in the New World of Work***About Andrea***🔗 Website: https://thehrhub.ca🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

How many meetings have you sat through where someone blamed "those gen z's" or "okay boomer'd" their way out of a real conversation?Generational researcher Cam Marston is back to talk about what actually works when you're trying to build teams across four generations. We discussed the real differences (not the lazy stereotypes), why Gen X leaders might need to rethink their "figure it out" leadership style, and a suprising way to build teams that is effective! Regardless of any generational gaps.Cam broke down what each generation brings to the table right now: boomers has wisdom, Gen X are mostly the leaders, millennials are taking over leadership - democratically, and Gen Z is still figuring out their place.But when considering generational differences, the person who needs to change is probably you and me. Our own generational preferences is typically what gets in the way of team success, and Cam explains how to actually see it.We covered:What "figure it out" leadership costs with younger employees and whyWhy millennial managers might need to stop asking for input (so much) How to honestly assess our own generational biasesThere are lots of tips in here for organizations that are wrestling with big generation gaps and some related frustrations. **Connect with Cam Marston**Website: https:/CamMarston.comPodcast: What's Working with Cam Marston**Connect with Andrea Adams**LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/Website: https://thehrhub.ca/

Jennifer McClure founded DisruptHR 12 years ago. Since then, over 10,000 people have taken the stage at events worldwide to share ideas about work and the workplace.In this conversation, we dig into what disruption actually looks like for mid-level HR professionals who aren't always in the room where decisions get made. Jennifer shares how she went rogue to pilot new technology, why she was once told nobody wanted her in meetings, and what she learned about saying something other than "no."We also talk about AI implementation, why companies aren't seeing the efficiency gains they expected, and how HR can lead the conversation before it becomes a cleanup job. **Find Jennifer**https://jennifermcclure.net/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure/https://disrupthr.co/**Find Andrea**https://thehrhub.ca/https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Podcast Description:It's the end of 2025 and Angela Nguyen from The Leader Within Podcast and I are compared notes. What themes kept showing up in our conversations this year that we think will endure? We dug into systems thinking - HR has always been interconnected but we haven't always used that perspective to solve recurring problems. Angela spoke about what she's seeing with AI adoption: organizations unclear on what they're actually solving for, fear around job loss, and the gap in change management practices. Then we got into the entry-level pipeline problem. Companies are cutting entry-level and mid-layer positions, which creates a group of employees disconnected from leadership. That'll be a problem.And workplace loneliness. This has come up in many interviews I did this year. Gallup has been saying for years that having a best friend at work is one of their top 12 engagement factors. We also shared our biggest lessons from the year. Just so you know we aren't AI. ***Connect with Angela Nguyen***The Leader Within Podcast: https://www.angelanguyen.ca/podcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelanguyenkhaan/***Connect with Andrea Adams***LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/HR consulting inquiries: andrea@thehrhhub

Reference checks: the hiring step everyone does but most recruiters think is dumb. In this episode, James Lord breaks down what HR professionals can do differently to actually learn something meaningful about candidates when they do reference checks.James (of RefApp) shares insights from years working with reference checking companies, including the uncomfortable truth that 8% of references are fraudulent. We need to protect ourselves! We explore practical strategies for determining who to actually call, whether or not you should call, and navigating problems.We discuss:Why requiring supervisors from the last two roles (with corporate email addresses) reduces fraudThe right questions to askWhy phone references without audit trails create legal riskThe role of technologyWhen in the hiring process to actually check referencesJames also explains how smaller organizations without an ATS can access reference checking technology. It's easy of course.For HR professionals tired of going through the motions with references that don't provide real insight, this conversation offers evidence-based alternatives to traditional approaches! **Connect with James Lord**LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameswlord/Email: james@refapp.comRefApp: https://www.refapp.com/**Connect with Andrea Adams**LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/Email: andrea@thehrhub.caThe HR Hub: https://thehrhub.ca/

We all want to hire the right person, but what if the skills you're looking for today won't matter in six months because AI is changing so much? In this episode, I talk with Matt Alder, a talent acquisition futurist and host of the top-ranked Recruiting Future podcast, about how rapidly changing skill requirements are forcing us to rethink everything about hiring.Matt breaks down the "half-life of skills" - why technical abilities are becoming outdated faster than ever, and which human capabilities will actually endure. We discuss hiring for a specific skill or focusing on someone's ability to learn and adapt.It sounds a lot like hire for attitude and train for skill! Maybe that's here at last!?!?In our discussion you'll hear:• How to figure out what skills you actually need (hint: stop trying to replace people like-for-like)• The messy reality of upskilling• Why assessment science is getting more accessible• How to predict future skill needs when everything is moving fast• The real role AI will play in jobs This isn't about jargon or theory. Matt shares what's actually working for organizations right now, not just what's being talked about at conferences.**Connect with Matt Alder:**Recruiting Future Podcast: https://recruitingfuture.com/Book: Digital Talent**Connect with me, Andrea Adams**The HR Hub - https://thehrhub.cahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Virtual team building could make anyone cringe. The invite shows up, eyes roll, and half the team is suddenly googling "how long does food poisoning last". And most of us in HR were never actually trained for this. We're just handed the task on top of everything else.So I talked with Lee Rubin, co-founder of Confetti, about what makes virtual events work (and what makes them flop). We talked about what events can't fix (e.g. bad management). And we discuss the humanizing effect of seeing your intimidating boss laugh during a murder mystery game — how it's harder to reduce someone to a caricature when you've actually had fun with them.Lee also shares her hot take: participating in team building is part of a remote workers job, as long as it's during paid hours and you're given real permission to disconnect. Team-building is part of anyone's job if they are paid to do it - there's a reason leadership spends money on it.This episode is sponsored by Confetti. They've got a special offer for HR Hub listeners here: https://try.withconfetti.com/oyze1Get $75 off your first booking using code TRY75B*** Connect with Lee ***LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rubinl/Check out Confetti: https://www.withconfetti.com/*** Connect with Andrea ***LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/Website: https://thehrhub.ca/

If you're in HR and deal with payroll - or just need to work closely with them - getting this wrong can damage your career. Steven Van Alstine from the National Payroll Institute walks us through what HR professionals need to understand about payroll to avoid costly mistakes. And to be more effective in that critical relationship!We cover what payroll actually does beyond "paying people," the critical information you need to provide for new hires and employee changes, and why payroll professionals can seem so inflexible. Steven explains the real compliance risks, the staggering financial responsibility payroll carries, and what can happen if things go wrong.You'll learn why manual payroll runs are not ideal, the difference between payroll dates and processing deadlines, and how to build a partnership with payroll that benefits everyone. Whether you're responsible for payroll yourself or just need to understand how it works, this episode will help you avoid the mistakes that damage employee trust and put your organization at compliance risk.Key topics:What payroll professionals actually do and why it mattersCritical information needed for new hires, changes, and terminationsWhy payroll seems inflexible and how to work with those constraintsThe real financial and legal risks of payroll mistakesBest practices for HR-payroll collaborationGuest: Steven Van Alstine, VP of Professional Standards and Education, National Payroll InstituteResources: National Payroll Institute at payroll.ca, Learning Payroll courses for HR professionalsAnd this episode was requested by a listener! Let me know what other HR topics you'd like covered.Find me, Andrea Adams on Linkedin or my Website https://thehrhub.ca

Is your HR strategy isn't aligned with your business strategy? You might think it is, but when Nadia Uberoi walks through what alignment actually looks like - the quarterly planning meetings, the initiative prioritization, the pushback on random requests - it becomes clear most of us are just reacting, not strategizing.Nadia heads people operations at Garner Health. It's a rapidly growing 400-person healthcare tech company with a Big Hairy Audacious Goal: transforming the US healthcare economy. No small task. But what's fascinating is how she's builds an HR infrastructure that enables that mission instead of just supporting it.We dig into her planning hierarchy that connects everything from their mission down to what HR works on this Tuesday. She breaks down her concept of "run the machine vs improve the machine" which was a refreshing look at the day-to-day vs strategy. Running payroll? That's running the machine - non-negotiable. Redesigning your performance management process? That's improving the machine - and it needs to connect to business strategy.The conversation was particularly interesting when we talked about managing our "customer service" mindset in HR. It has it's uses but is overdone when we jump at every request. Nadia's take: look at how every other function prioritizes. They don't drop everything because of one request. Why should we?She also shared what she wishes Garner had prioritized earlier (employer branding) and walked through their actual quarterly planning cadence - who meets when, what gets discussed, and how HR initiatives actually get resourced.For mid-level HR professionals trying to be more strategic and less reactive, this episode gives you some substance to work with.Topics covered:The planning hierarchy from mission to quarterly deliverablesRun the machine vs improve the machine frameworkManaging the customer service mindset in HRQuarterly planning process and meeting cadenceWhy employer branding matters earlier than you thinkHow to tie HR initiatives to business pillarsAbout Nadia:Nadia Uberoi is Head of People at Garner Health, a healthcare technology company focused on helping people get the best care at the best price. She previously spent four years at Chewy.About AndreaI am an HR consultant to small and medium businesses in addition to running my Podcast & YouTube channel. My sweet spot is organizations with people-related crisis AND a commitment to learning.