Talent Report+THRIVE

In this episode, we sit down with Kelly Kauffman, a seasoned executive from the Milwaukee Bucks, to delve into the secrets of building and sustaining a winning culture within a corporate setting. From fostering teamwork to nurturing employee engagement, Kauffman shares invaluable insights and practical tips drawn from her experience with one of the most successful sports franchises. Whether you're leading a team or aspiring to enhance workplace dynamics, this podcast offers actionable advice to empower your organization's culture and drive success. Tune in and discover how to cultivate a culture that inspires greatness.   Contact Your Host, Jim Morgan About MRA MRA can help with Culture, change, & Strategy  

Exciting changes are coming … new content, new host, and new podcast schedule … 30 minutes THRIVE is now Talent Report+THRIVE – get even more Talent Report highlights featuring one-on-one Q&As with MRA members—the expert guests, industry leaders, and change-makers taking on the business challenges of today. Join us for this special episode where we celebrate changes and welcome Jim Morgan as our new host! Reflecting on invaluable insights from the past year and a half, we talk about the lessons learned and unveil the thrilling new podcast format! We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Sophie Boler for her leadership in guiding 30-minute THRIVE to success, and we wish her the best in her exciting next chapter at MRA. Join us for the next episode of Talent Report+Thrive Podcast on April 24th and get ready to embark on this exciting new direction with Jim Morgan leading the way!  Tune in every 4th Wednesday for your next episode.     Resources: MRA Membership  About MRA  Register for the next Talent Report+

Description: In this episode, we delve into the crucial role of HR in empowering managers to excel in their leadership roles. We explore the various facets of HR support, from department alignment to performance management and employee development, providing listeners with actionable insights and practical steps to enhance their management skills and foster a thriving, engaged workforce. Join us as we unlock the secrets of "How HR Can Help Managers Manage"! Resources: MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - DQ Spencer  Guest LinkedIn Profile - DQ Spencer  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:49:14 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, hello everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute THRIVE. Thanks for joining us today. I'm excited for our conversation today because you get to hear from DQ spencer. DQ is an mra. HR Business partner located in our golden valley, minnesota location. But i know you come with a lot of experience and enthusiasm, especially for our topic today, how our can help managers manage. 00:00:49:16 - 00:01:06:08 Unknown Sounds like a big topic, but I'm excited to kind of break it down. I know we're going to run through a lot of aspects of HR and kind of give our listeners some good action items and stuff so that they can walk away with. So I know this is your first time on the podcast, so I appreciate you come on and excited. 00:01:06:10 - 00:01:26:20 Unknown Awesome. Me too, hi podcasters. I know that you recently spoke at an event on this topic actually. So before we kind of kick things off, I'm just curious to know why is this really an important topic for our listeners? Yeah, I know you're right. I did speak on the event. It was an awesome event. 00:01:26:20 - 00:01:49:13 Unknown A lot of energy and enthusiasm. This is a very important topic because a lot of organizations are still struggling with aspect of the function of HR organizations talking about people and people assets being the most important aspect of the company. But they have a hard time showing that people are, because they're the only nonrenewable asset that organizations have. 00:01:49:15 - 00:02:15:23 Unknown You can't copy the processes, equipment, technology, terminology, but you can't really copy people. So that's why this one is very important. Yeah, that's a great point as we kind of dive in. Now, can you explain how HR really collaborates with managers to emphasize their functional strengths? And kind of part two of that question is how can they use those strengths with their teams to achieve those organizational goals? 00:02:16:00 - 00:02:37:16 Unknown Yeah, So as you know, I don't know. I don't know. I have a football background. I like to use sport terminologies. That's great. Yeah, Yeah. So, I mean, HR is part of a team, right? HR is one of the few functions that truly supports the whole organization. So they have knowledge throughout each function, but they're not be the subject matter expert on that function. 00:02:37:16 - 00:02:50:12 Unknown Right? So to probably collaborate with them, you have to just include that clue to include them in our communication conversation and work to collaborate and build that functional component. 00:02:50:14 - 00:03:19:12 Unknown Speaking of teamwork, we're in a world where teamwork is crucial. So how can HR departments kind of facilitate collaboration among their employees and help managers foster that culture of cooperation and teamwork and collaboration? Yeah. So that collaboration comes from that communication, right? And so a big part of HR is communication, and it's talking to the employees, talking to the supervisors, the managers, the leads. 00:03:19:14 - 00:03:43:09 Unknown It's really getting to know your people, your biggest assets. HR is a science and that you'll understand that. I mean, as HR, you have that strength, you have that background of understanding people behaviors, thought processes, patterns and processes. But as a as a functional leader, let's say, in accounting or finance, your your, your function, your strengths are going to be with that. 00:03:43:11 - 00:04:03:17 Unknown So you can you can collaborate with them and to partner with them, engage them. You have to communicate, you have to get in there, you have to go to them. You have to understand what the culture is and how you can THRIVE that. Those behaviors in and and processes to to and build and engage their culture properly. Absolutely. 00:04:03:17 - 00:04:26:22 Unknown And I know as an HR business partner, you work with a lot of different companies, a lot of different HR department. So do you have any examples or success stories, I would say, of kind of where the HR departments work with teamwork and kind of fostering that collaboration? Yeah, I don't know. Somewhere along the line, HR has gotten such a bad rep as as the good Lord. 00:04:27:01 - 00:04:48:07 Unknown Yep. And I've been in HR for about 16 years. I have my my Bachelors of Science in HR McMaster Science and during my doctorate business in HR. And through that, I've learned a lot. But I've also learned just as much through my experience. For example, I worked with an organization known, as you mentioned previous to me joining in. 00:04:48:09 - 00:05:21:12 Unknown It was a very strong union environment and that created a kind of trifecta. Three headed obstacle course because it was the union, it was the business, the factory manufacturing, and it was HR and that's how they viewed it as three different portions, three different aspects of business. And that was a very tall task. So I really had to go in there and work on our collaboration first, partnering with the organization, the plant manager, building that relationship, and then partnering with building that relationship. 00:05:21:14 - 00:05:41:10 Unknown And I was kind of that liaison that brought it all together, you know, that that organization lacked trust amongst the three. So that was that was very challenging. But just working with them, showing my commitment, my dedication, my, my, my, my processes and my procedures, showing them that, hey, you know this, we're a team. We want the same goal. 00:05:41:14 - 00:06:11:01 Unknown We set different paths to get there. Yeah, I'm sure a lot of our listeners can kind of resonate with that and relate to that story too, and how their organization like that. So that's good advice. But we also know that compliance is also a critical aspect of HR, too. So do you have any insights on how HR can support managers and ensuring their teams adhere to the regulations and policies that always seem to be changing and updating? 00:06:11:03 - 00:06:36:13 Unknown Yeah. Yeah. So I'm going to kind of get off topic, but get back to topic is going to be. So when I first started in the HR, I tried to assimilate to that that stereotype, that prototype of a human resource manager saying no and yes, and you can't do this and you can't do that. And I wasn't truly myself and I truly started being successful when I started, you know, venturing on and being original. 00:06:36:15 - 00:06:54:04 Unknown So I took the mindset of that. I wasn't going to tell leaders and managers, No, you can't do this Right off the bat. I was going to tell them, Hey, I want to get that goal that you want, but here's how we can do this. Here's how we can get it done versus knowing. Yes. So it's compliance. It's the same kind of issues in that aspect versus telling them no or yes. 00:06:54:06 - 00:07:13:06 Unknown I'll give them parameters and say, Hey, I see what you're trying to do. This is the most compliant and best way to get there. So let's get it done together. Yeah. So, so running through kind of the task of all the tasks of HR, another one is to motivate employees, which can be kind of difficult. So how can HR 00:07:13:06 - 00:07:41:05 Unknown Professionals and managers work together to keep their teams engaged and motivated? That's that's a tough one, right? Because, you know, I say this all the time is that we're called individuals for a reason. So we're usually created in the we have individual values and views and perspectives. So to have that motivation, it's going to take really knowing and building a relationship with your organization, your culture and your employees. 00:07:41:07 - 00:08:00:07 Unknown So know your employees. One thing I told a member that I talked to, you know, he asked me, how can I motivate my employees? What's going on? They're not gauging. And I you know, I sat there and I said, Hey, you mind if I watch it for a little bit? Watch for a little bit? No problem. No problem. 00:08:00:09 - 00:08:21:09 Unknown So I sat down and took half the morning and just kind of watch his interactions with the employees. And I literally told him, I said, I saw four separate times where people were trying to talk to you and you didn't talk to people trying to walk. My actually, I didn't even look at and on two separate times we were trying to talk to you and you said, you know, you're busy with tomorrow. 00:08:21:11 - 00:08:42:10 Unknown I said, Engagement goes both ways, motivation goes both ways. You have to go and engage with them. Right. As a position of authority. Naturally. I think the way people are going to be timid to engage with you so that you have to said that you're setting a standard. Like I said, the engagement and motivation goes both ways. Show them that you're willing to do what you're asking them to do. 00:08:42:12 - 00:09:0

Whether you are just starting an internship program or you have one already, discover the key qualities that make interns thrive, learn how internship programs can shape future leaders, and explore innovative approaches to foster a culture of continuous learning and development. We'll share tips on creating challenging projects that elevate interns to showcase their leadership potential. Resources: MRA Membership  About MRA  Intern Program MRA's 2024 Internship Leadership Program Calendar Recruiting   Let's Connect: Courtney’s email Courtney’s LinkedIn profile   Transcript 00:00:00:01 - 00:00:05:13 Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything 00:00:05:13 - 00:00:09:22 and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. 00:00:09:24 - 00:00:12:24 Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? 00:00:12:24 - 00:00:14:19 MRA has got you covered. 00:00:14:19 - 00:00:17:17 We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. 00:00:17:17 - 00:00:21:04 I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:22:21 Now it's time to thrive. 00:00:22:21 - 00:00:26:16 Hello, everybody, and welcome to 30 Minute Thrive. 00:00:26:18 - 00:00:29:24 Today we're going to be talking about the ins and outs of internships. 00:00:30:03 - 00:00:34:15 So if you're looking to start an internship program at your organization, 00:00:34:21 - 00:00:37:17 or maybe you have one started already, but you're looking to make it 00:00:37:17 - 00:00:41:13 even more successful, it's a good thing you're here today with us 00:00:41:13 - 00:00:46:04 because we're joined by Courtney Lamers, MRA, senior manager of member Engagement 00:00:46:10 - 00:00:50:08 and MRA's Intern Leadership program organizer. 00:00:50:10 - 00:00:54:10 So Courtney's really here to help organizations 00:00:54:10 - 00:00:58:04 not only design and implement an internship program, 00:00:58:04 - 00:01:02:17 but also help develop existing ones into successful programs. 00:01:02:19 - 00:01:06:06 And having been an intern myself at Emory, 00:01:06:08 - 00:01:09:21 I love this topic, and I'm really excited to talk about it. 00:01:09:21 - 00:01:12:11 So, Courtney, let's start. 00:01:12:11 - 00:01:14:24 Start from the top here. 00:01:14:24 - 00:01:18:22 Those who have never implemented an internship program before. 00:01:18:24 - 00:01:23:22 What are some of the key starting factors that a company would really need? 00:01:23:24 - 00:01:24:13 Absolutely. 00:01:24:13 - 00:01:27:05 Great question. And thank you for having me today. 00:01:27:05 - 00:01:27:13 You know, 00:01:27:13 - 00:01:27:23 it really 00:01:27:23 - 00:01:31:16 is that time of the year where everyone is reaching out about internships. 00:01:31:16 - 00:01:35:09 And it's been exciting to hear from a lot of companies that are just 00:01:35:10 - 00:01:37:05 beginning their internship journey. 00:01:37:05 - 00:01:40:14 So I think it's going to be a really fun summer and I'm super 00:01:40:14 - 00:01:43:14 excited for all of you that have interns. 00:01:43:20 - 00:01:46:08 I think those that have had interns have really found it 00:01:46:08 - 00:01:50:02 valuable and continue to see that year over year. 00:01:50:04 - 00:01:53:12 And so I'm really excited for all of those companies that are starting it. 00:01:53:14 - 00:01:56:04 I think that's a great question to start with, just because we do 00:01:56:04 - 00:01:59:21 see a lot of companies that are starting internship program. 00:01:59:23 - 00:02:03:21 And I would say the key in starting an internship program 00:02:04:02 - 00:02:07:04 and there's a lot of things that go into it, but one of the most important 00:02:07:04 - 00:02:10:24 things is making sure that you have the correct manager 00:02:11:01 - 00:02:15:18 and managers in place to support and intern support their experience 00:02:15:18 - 00:02:17:00 as a whole, 00:02:17:00 - 00:02:18:11 and be able to have some of those 00:02:18:11 - 00:02:21:16 difficult conversation zones where I think we see with companies, 00:02:21:16 - 00:02:27:01 a lot of times managers will come and say, I really want an intern, 00:02:27:03 - 00:02:30:23 but if that manager may not have the culture in the department, 00:02:30:23 - 00:02:31:20 that character may not 00:02:31:20 - 00:02:35:17 necessarily be equipped with the tools to be a great manager for an intern. 00:02:35:19 - 00:02:40:02 Someone companies are having those conversations, so I think manager buy in 00:02:40:02 - 00:02:43:12 and understanding of what it really takes to have an intern is huge. 00:02:43:12 - 00:02:47:22 I think like any new employee, I think interns 00:02:47:22 - 00:02:52:23 take a little bit of extra time and really supporting that experience 00:02:52:23 - 00:02:57:00 from mentorship and coaching and giving them opportunities. 00:02:57:00 - 00:03:00:01 There is a little bit of additional work 00:03:00:03 - 00:03:01:14 for an intern, so 00:03:01:14 - 00:03:05:15 I think we see companies that have super successful intern programs 00:03:05:15 - 00:03:09:22 and what you see behind those are managers and companies that have complete buy in. 00:03:09:22 - 00:03:13:07 So I think honestly, before you even get to the manager piece, 00:03:13:08 - 00:03:17:16 you need to think about and talk with your leadership team and understand 00:03:17:16 - 00:03:22:15 that there is a buy in needed and an investment honestly, 00:03:22:15 - 00:03:28:11 between both time and money and what goes into a great experience. 00:03:28:12 - 00:03:31:08 So I think, you know, really the buy in is the first step 00:03:31:08 - 00:03:35:07 and then there are a lot of steps along the way to get to that manager piece. 00:03:35:07 - 00:03:38:04 But I think that is so key. 00:03:38:04 - 00:03:40:05 Just kind of starting about with the whole experience. 00:03:40:05 - 00:03:42:20 So obviously once you have the manager buy in, that's huge. 00:03:42:20 - 00:03:44:22 Or leadership by an excuse me. 00:03:44:22 - 00:03:48:06 And then I think really think about why you're having an intern. 00:03:48:06 - 00:03:54:04 You know, I think in the past interns have historically been added 00:03:54:04 - 00:03:57:12 to a team to help with some of those, you know, daily tasks 00:03:57:12 - 00:04:00:12 and some of those things that can be taken off of other people's plates. 00:04:00:12 - 00:04:03:20 But we see a lot of companies that are looking to hire 00:04:03:20 - 00:04:06:20 interns for a long term perspective. 00:04:06:21 - 00:04:11:01 So one from a brand awareness standpoint, these interns are going back to 00:04:11:01 - 00:04:14:01 and talking to their friends on campus 00:04:14:01 - 00:04:16:23 and even on social media about their experience as a whole. 00:04:16:23 - 00:04:21:05 So those you know, word of mouth brand, ambassador pieces is a huge part of it. 00:04:21:05 - 00:04:24:20 And we also see interns a lot as their town supply chain. 00:04:24:20 - 00:04:26:20 So really trying to hang on to those interns. 00:04:26:20 - 00:04:28:19 So just really understanding the why. 00:04:28:19 - 00:04:32:07 What's the purpose of your program and then putting some of those structural 00:04:32:07 - 00:04:37:11 pieces around to support the intern throughout the length of their internship. 00:04:37:13 - 00:04:38:10 And then, of course, 00:04:38:10 - 00:04:42:09 thinking about what are those elements that make this an experience as a whole? 00:04:42:09 - 00:04:44:18 So of course there's the work component of it, 00:04:44:18 - 00:04:48:15 but what mentorship opportunities, what networking, professional development, 00:04:48:17 - 00:04:50:24 all of that staff to provide this great experience. 00:04:50:24 - 00:04:54:07 So the interns really want to either 00:04:54:08 - 00:04:57:09 say at your organization or go back and tell their friends all about it. 00:04:57:09 - 00:05:02:01 So long winded way of saying like, there's a lot of pieces to get started. 00:05:02:03 - 00:05:05:09 But the most important one, just having that manager 00:05:05:11 - 00:05:07:07 really be there to support their interns. 00:05:07:07 - 00:05:08:15 Sorry that as long you continue to hear. 00:05:08:15 - 00:05:13:14 Question So there's a lot that goes into starting an internship program, 00:05:13:14 - 00:05:17:22 and like you said before, even thinking about it, it's the whole planning process 00:05:17:22 - 00:05:21:14 and evaluating why am I having interns 00:05:21:16 - 00:05:24:15 who at the company can manage the interns 00:05:24:15 - 00:05:30:16 and has the capacity to do that, and then it's also thinking about like 00:05:30:18 - 00:05:31:21 some companies may 00:05:31:21 - 00:05:34:21 have one intern, but some may have 30. 00:05:34:21 - 00:05:35:16 So it's like, 00:05:35:16 - 00:05:40:14 how do you split that up between managers and and roles and stuff like that? 00:05:40:16 - 00:05:43:04 But once you have that plan 00:05:43:04 - 00:05:47:01 in place, like you were talking about, even then, even if you already 00:05:47:01 - 00:05:51:00 have a great internship program developed, how do you find the interns? 00:05:51:00 - 00:05:56:18 I think that's a huge question, like recruiting best practices. 00:05:56:20 - 00:06:01:20 Do you have any suggestions on where to find interns, when to find interns? 00:06:01:20 - 00:06:05:00 I know now is a great time to start talking about it, 00:06:05:00 - 00:06:08:23 but just looking for any best practices you might have there. 00:06:09:00 - 00:06:09:21 Yeah, absolutely. 00:06:09:21 - 00:06:13:03 Shameless plug for companies Recruiting services team. 00:06:13:05 - 00:06:13:23 They really do 00:06:13:23 - 00:06:18:17 all of their recruiting for interns, so they are a great resource to tap. 00:06:18:17 - 00:06:21:21 But I would say we see 00:06:21:21 - 00:06:26:00 a lot of interns get hired from networking and schools. 00:06:26:00 - 00:06:30:02 We just had a hot topic survey not too long ago 00:06:30:02 - 00:06:33:15 and I think like 87% of our res

Description: Embark on a journey of self-discovery and professional growth, where we unravel the intricacies of modern-day career development and its pivotal role in personal and organizational success.  Resources: Developing Career Paths Resource  Learning & Development  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Amanda Mosteller  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Amanda Mosteller  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:04 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:44:01 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. All right, Well, hi, everybody, and thanks for joining us today. And today's podcast, we're going to be talking about career pathing. And I'm joined by Amanda Mosteller, who is MRA's director of talent development and organizational development. So we really have a true career expert with us today. So I welcome you back, Amanda. You always do such a great job. 00:00:44:01 - 00:01:12:21 Unknown So I'm excited for this topic. Thanks for having me back and I love this topic as well. So, absolutely. And I know I talked a little bit about this before, but I know crew passing is not just for younger emerging leaders who have just started out in the workforce. It's really for everybody. So I guess kind of diving in then what is career path and exactly in why would you say it's important for an organization? 00:01:12:23 - 00:01:54:17 Unknown Yeah. So career pathing is typically quite what you would think. It would sound like taking a role or a career from entry into the organization and mapping out the path within that career within your organization. Why it's important is because it gives people a roadmap to see where they can go. Whether I'm coming in new to my career, as you were mentioning, or just newer to the organization, I might be popping in mid-level, but just seeing what is the opportunity for me in this role, in this space, in this organization? 00:01:54:17 - 00:02:22:21 Unknown What does that pathway look like? Is it mapped out? Is it defined? And can somebody walk me through it? Helps initially engage folks in not only their current space, but seeing the potential. I was just talking with my mother the other day about how I had 27 and a half years left before retirement. All right. Almost there. So close. 00:02:22:23 - 00:02:47:03 Unknown And I said to her, gosh, 27 and a half years, that feels like a long time. And if I thought in our organization, those 27 and a half years are in this role I'm in right now and there's nowhere else to go, no other way to grow my skills or move eventually into other spaces and roles within the organization. 00:02:47:04 - 00:03:19:16 Unknown That really becomes a defeating lot regardless of how much you love an organization. And I love being a part of me very much. But 27 and a half years in one role feels like a long time right? So that's why it's so important, that opportunity to look forward in your future and see evolution for yourself happening within an organization creates that that engagement and that increased retention and that connection to the company. 00:03:19:18 - 00:03:51:10 Unknown Yeah, for sure. This is something I think Jim Morgan talks about in some of his talent reports. I feel like speaking speaking for like a younger generation employee, surely, like when you're getting a job, like you talk about your current role, but it's like the career path is just as important as like this job that you're getting. So, I don't know, just talking to friends, I know some of them are like, Hey, if they don't kind of map out where I'm going to be in the next couple of years, I'm not interested. 00:03:51:11 - 00:04:24:10 Unknown So I know how important it is now. And I know you'll get to kind of like the evolution of it, how it's changed. But I just I've seen like a very big emphasis on career passing and making sure that employers talk about it right away in the interview process even. That's such a good point. In doing interviews in the past six months, I have noticed an increase in people asking me instead of my saying, Where do you see yourself in the next 3 to 5 years? 00:04:24:10 - 00:04:52:04 Unknown That standard question and most people, if they're any type of practice to interview viewers, they are with your organization. But if I have them turning around asking me what's the growth opportunity for this type of role within your organization and to get to where you're mentioning where we'll go during our conversation today, questions changing around what's the growth opportunity in your department? 00:04:52:06 - 00:05:20:16 Unknown That's not the question as much anymore as what's my growth opportunity in your organization? Meaning your company. So within the company you work for, not just your department. And that's that's telling that people are asking an interviewer is they're asking the hiring manager and they're changing their wording. And that's on purpose again, too. So then can you kind of talk about how career passing has evolved throughout the years? 00:05:20:18 - 00:05:51:21 Unknown And then why is that evolution really crucial for both employers and employees? Well, get to it like now. So. So traditionally, a career path. As an example for a sales professional, you come into an organization and you might be working foot in the door. Well, at lead generation and lead uncovering and then handing those leads off to a salesperson. 00:05:52:02 - 00:06:14:09 Unknown And that salesperson might have sales engineers come in depending on what they're selling. Eventually you become a sales manager. There might be an account executive in there where the size of territory or the size of client gets bigger and bigger. So you're getting bigger deals, eventually become a sales manager, then you become the sales director, then you become the sales VP, right? 00:06:14:14 - 00:06:56:06 Unknown Very linear career path and that is a defined career path. All within one type of job, role building on one another. That's the traditional career path. How it has evolved is people no longer think of a career path as a linear within this same type of job role. I mentioned that question changing the wording of the question changing, and that's because people are starting to say what skills and abilities can your organization provide me for myself that I can apply as I grow in my career? 00:06:56:08 - 00:07:25:06 Unknown People we know individuals coming to an organization and staying for 15, 20, 30 years is less and less common. Regardless of how amazing your culture is, regardless of how engaging and supportive and development focused your organization might be. And that's because if I'm sitting and waiting to become that leader or that manager or that next role, that means I'm waiting for somebody else to choose to leave in. 00:07:25:06 - 00:07:55:20 Unknown That can take a very long time, especially the higher up in an organization you go. So people are looking more for what knowledge, skills and abilities can you give me? Not necessarily just in one space, but cross-functionally in your organization? What that means is, as people are asking that question and that question is changing, instead of what is the growth opportunity in your department to what is the growth opportunity in your organization? 00:07:55:22 - 00:08:40:16 Unknown I might come in the door as a sales individual and skills that I'm looking for around maintaining multiple projects, time management skills, influencing for others, maybe owning a big opportunity within my organization and getting buy in across all groups. Those are all skills that can translate to any job role. So what I might find as I come in as a lead generation expert in a sales space and within two years I'm moving over to the marketing department because I'm starting to hone what does the buyer look for and how do I communicate that to the buyer effectively? 00:08:40:16 - 00:09:06:18 Unknown And marketing does a lot of that stuff also. So as I'm honing those skills, an opportunity in marketing is opened up and I might look over there to start building that skill. Now I have uncovering needs and I have really translating to what the buyer is looking for through my marketing expertise and then an opportunity in our bigger project management group opens up some of the skills I've been looking for. 00:09:06:18 - 00:09:49:11 Unknown If I want to become a leader someday does include managing multiple irons in the fire. I need to be able to do that. So I'll move over to that role because now I'm continuing to develop these knowledge, skills and abilities that eventually will get me into leadership positions. Now look at all these different spaces. I've been within one company, so when we talk about creating this modern evolved way of looking at career pathing, talk about engagement and retention, people aren't waiting till the next account executive leaves so that an account manager can become an account executive so that a lead generator could become an account manager. 00:09:49:13 - 00:10:18:18 Unknown You're doing a lot of waiting. That's what you're relying on your organization to do. And so looking at this evolution of career passing instead on where do you want to be in five years? Where do you want to be in ten years? Do you want to move into leadership? What types of skills do you want to grow in an eye as your organization can help identify opportunities for you that leverage those skills and will develop those skills in you? 00:10:18:20 - 00:10:49:14 Unknown You've created a diffe

Description: In this episode, we explore the concept of a mindful workplace, its practices, and the profound impact it can have on employee and business success.  Resources: Wellness Toolkit  Wellness Guide  Welcome to Workplace Wellness Publication  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Laura Ruby  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Laura Ruby  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:04 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR. MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:48:24 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, hello, everybody, and thanks for joining us today. We're we're really hearing more about mindful workplaces nowadays. We thought we would take today's podcast, really think about this topic more in-depth. So i'm here with Laura Ruby senior HR Business partner and HR Business advisor for mra. We're really going to talk about why mindful workplaces are trending or what you really need to be aware of. 00:00:49:05 - 00:01:11:19 Unknown What are some of the challenges that come along with it in more so or thanks so much for joining us today. I really, really appreciate it. Well thank you. So I'm really pleased to be here. This is definitely a timely concept, I think, for a number of employees to consider or employers to consider. Yeah, absolutely. And I know we were talking about that. 00:01:11:21 - 00:02:02:12 Unknown You're very passionate about this topic and you've been working in the HR for such a long time that this is kind of the perfect topic to go over today. So I think we should kind of start out with what is a mindful workplace. Can you define it? Yes, so mindful workplace is really a combination of factors as we look at new initiatives that people are working towards in that space is really developing an awareness of an individual's thought processes, their emotions and their actions, and helping to enable them to laser focus on those and remove obstacles to productivity and really improving the work workplace from a variety of different aspects. 00:02:02:14 - 00:02:50:21 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. And you guys in part two to that question. Can you describe what that whole concept of the mindful workplace really encompasses? It's actually quite broad in as well. In talk today we'll touch on all of those components but it's it's combining more Eastern philosophies about issues of meditation or focus and concentration, breathing, as well as branching into mental health aspects that are damaging workplaces right now and helping individuals to deal with their own anxiety, stress, as well as other things like other issues they may be experiencing. 00:02:50:21 - 00:03:20:21 Unknown And in relationships, finances, you know, you name it. So it's a very good I'm going to discuss how the company can actually sort of work with developing a healthier source. And actually, I feel like it's definitely transformed throughout the years or in my opinion, I feel like employers didn't really talk about this kind of stuff as much as they do now. 00:03:20:22 - 00:03:48:15 Unknown They didn't care as much about, you know, providing all these resources and mental health resources and wellness resources to employees. So I think it's great we can kind of cover that and talk about it and just the process and how it's evolved over the years, too. So my next question then would be, do you have any practices that a mindful workplace can kind of what can you implement? 00:03:48:15 - 00:04:35:23 Unknown What practices can you implement to create a mindful workplace? I mean, it's all over the map, but I think that really companies that are finding great success with implementing mindfulness, they're starting more starting small programs available to employees, maybe with classes or chair yoga, breathing exercises and some of those smaller components into helping the individual so as to what they're thinking and to continue to say that laser focus on what's in front of them rather than all these other things that may be coming from local personal life or other anxieties. 00:04:36:00 - 00:05:16:00 Unknown So really, it's starting small forces or activities designed to encourage that, as well as programs designed to work to tell physical and mental health things like walking programs or competitions within companies where people compete on a physical level to the mental health aspects and making sure that insurance programs feel great. And it's available to employees, including people who are in search of more provided. 00:05:16:00 - 00:05:48:07 Unknown So it's a very broad spectrum. Some of the larger companies are also includes things like meditation rooms or Zen areas or places where it's cool to take a break there and get reflective. And there are things that people want to address. Yeah, those are all great examples, Laura And I'm thinking about Emirates specifically, some of the cool things we do with our wellness. 00:05:48:09 - 00:06:10:01 Unknown Something I love in the summer, we'll kind of get a group of employees together and walk around. We have some trails around here and the walk show location and that's just great to kind of take like a mental health break, take a walk kind of reboot almost. And we also have a masseuse come once in a while, which is awesome. 00:06:10:03 - 00:06:48:06 Unknown That's a plus. So, yeah, a lot of great examples of what organizations can do well. And I know are you talked about starting small. You don't have to implement this huge idea right away. But what's what other steps can be taken to create a culture that values and supports this mindfulness? Well, that's a really good question. You know, a lot of research out there is built in on more so management assertiveness and exhibiting these behaviors and then having that trickle down effect within the organizations. 00:06:48:06 - 00:07:42:15 Unknown So many companies will start to train their managers on the basic concepts and helping them to modify their behaviors to help other people. And so along with this process, because a lot of them view that managers are kind of the key to their success in the organization. And if you have a manager that's been, you know, like micromanaging to use the term or, you know, laser focus on what people are doing right then, and that can really put a bad tone in the organization as employees, more stress and so more specific, the focus is really to train the managers first and then implement some of these programs for the interviews to help encourage them to 00:07:42:15 - 00:08:14:02 Unknown take that step back and begin to give themselves some additional brave souls. Feel throughout the day. And so a lot of the programs that were designed or have some training programs in the beginning where they'll people there are a number of number of mental health app type applications or mindfulness applications that people install on their desktop or their cell. 00:08:14:04 - 00:08:44:04 Unknown So they encourage that as well as integrating a lot of training, maybe even utilize you to come in and talk about more stressful things that might be pressing individuals who trying to work with children and then someone is engaged with adult care for them, trying to manage those needs. It's on both ends of the spectrum to put that stuff aside and let yourself levels. 00:08:44:06 - 00:09:22:10 Unknown Absolutely. And I know we talked about this a little bit in the beginning, but what about the physical workspace being designed to encourage this mindfulness and others quiet areas, massage room, but any other examples that you can give the physical workspace, specifically? And I think this one is really important and I find myself doing this every at least once a week, just decluttering your office and taking that time to organize it so that things are not visually distracting you. 00:09:22:12 - 00:10:03:08 Unknown You have easy access to them. For example, I support simple members as well as working on the front line. So I basically moved all of my materials out of the visual area. So a couple of computers set up on my desktop and I tried very diligently to only have one computer on the time, but decluttering, moving things where they're easy to get to, but not in the visual space and using common colors, things like to look at, you know, I have a number of pictures in here with my grandchildren and they're kind of between the screen here. 00:10:03:08 - 00:10:32:01 Unknown But, you know, you can use the same concept in your own workspace, even a cubicle or, you know, things just to create that environment. So the grid, as we mentioned, setting up spaces where things can get a little comfortable. Both of these have been stored on a break room. They have like couches and easy chairs for people to sit in versus just the table and a more sterile environment. 00:10:32:03 - 00:11:01:08 Unknown And as you mentioned, like having a Zen room or meditation or just a space that people can go into. But so yeah, I love those. Yeah. And I would add to for the Quiet Areas piece at MRA, we have focus rooms and those are something I definitely take advantage of on a day to day basis. And they're just quiet rooms. 00:11:01:08 - 00:11:24:01 Unknown You can go to solo rooms, kind of gets rid of all the distraction and allows you just kind of focus on your own work. So that's something that I really love about our physical workspace, but also the natural light to think having windows is so important and letting the sun come in or is snow light I guess right now. 00:11:24:03 - 00:11:57:10 Unknown Right, Right. But yeah, even in

Description: We're here with the latest talent trends in January, with a spotlight on the evolving role of AI in the workplace. Join us as we discuss the latest advancements, challenges, and opportunities surrounding artificial intelligence, and how organizations are harnessing this transformative technology to shape the future of work in the early months of the year.  Resources: Talent Report+ Webinar Series  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Jim Morgan  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Jim Morgan  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:04 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:42:16 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Hi, everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute Thrive, which is on the January edition of MRA's Monthly. Taylor Report, which is an up to the minute review of what's going on in the world of business with an emphasis on talent. With Jim Morgan, MRA's vice president of Workforce Strategies. So thanks, Jim, again for being here. 00:00:42:17 - 00:01:06:01 Unknown Yeah, it's good to be back in the studio. yeah. Well, this month the special focus was on essentials for HR Professionals. So I guess my first question to you is really why this topic now? And maybe before we get into that, let's look at your quote of the month, which was related to A.I.. So can you kind of speak on that for a little bit, why you chose that and then the topic. 00:01:06:04 - 00:01:34:02 Unknown Yeah. Sure. The quote was A.I. is moving from traditional Human Resources Shared Services Administration up to human resources, business partner work using virtual assistants who provide us with cognitive insights like Alexa. It's going to happen faster and harder than HR people are ready for. And that was somebody from Deloitte. And I just thought it was interesting because where we're at right now with A.I. in HR is the very beginning. 00:01:34:04 - 00:01:55:20 Unknown And, you know, we did some polling of our own members and talking to our own staff. I mean, it's really at its beginnings stages, and we're just trying to help our 4000 member companies kind of get out in front of it, see what's happening, you know, and where do I belong in all of this? And I think what really launched this is it took someone in the technology field to explain this to me. 00:01:55:20 - 00:02:18:04 Unknown But they said, you know, when they're when they're working on products, theirs is very much a ready fire aim philosophy. It's it doesn't have to be done. Let's just throw it out there and see what happens because our customers will scream at us with whatever is wrong. And if you think of any new version of Microsoft or any new Apple phone, there's a reason it's 2.02.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2. 00:02:18:06 - 00:02:38:24 Unknown And that they put something out there and they say, okay, what don't our people like? And then we'll fix it. And that's different than most any other industry that usually is like, we got to get this thing right to our customers or satisfied. But in the technology world, everything's moving so fast, it's more or less put it out there and then we can just pivot and go in a different direction of That's all we need to do. 00:02:38:24 - 00:03:06:10 Unknown So we pick now at the start of the year because I think this is going to be a huge year for artificial intelligence and certainly for our members and people in HR. Yeah, absolutely. And you had kind of subject matter expert Chris Krause, vice president and principal consultant at Naviant join you for this talent report as well. And he gave kind of insight into all things AI related in terms of implementing it in companies and with HR teams specifically. 00:03:06:11 - 00:03:34:17 Unknown So can you highlight some of his key points that you kind of talked about? And Yeah, and I would encourage people to watch that. One is Chris really did do a good job, but he was just sort of breaking it down in terms of where are different places that this will be used in HR And a lot of people have used Chad GPT or some other generative artificial intelligence to do things like how to write a job description or put together a career path. 00:03:34:17 - 00:03:53:06 Unknown And he was sharing examples of that. And again, you know, everybody has to understand this is is not perfect. You don't ask a question, print it out and send it out to an interviewer, closest friends. But it's a good place to start. And he used the example of a machinist he just typed in, you know, what's a good job description for a machinist? 00:03:53:08 - 00:04:14:24 Unknown And it came back with responsibilities and requirements and then he asked what would be a good, you know, career path for a machinist. And it came back with beginner, intermediate, advanced Leader and so, again, it wasn't the it wasn't the this is what's going into our policy handbook answer, But it was, wow, this is a pretty good start. 00:04:14:24 - 00:04:32:02 Unknown And now if I'm a company looking for that machinist, I figure, okay, this is a good start. Now I need to add what is it that we need and what are the things that we're looking for? And he talked about, you know, using things like chat bots because there's just so many things that are standard questions in HR 00:04:32:07 - 00:04:53:20 Unknown And i know that when benefits come around our age, our department and everyone would like to have some. If there was a way to just answer these, you know, what's the difference between plan one and plan two? What's duct to bowl? What does it mean to be out of service area? Those are all programable easy, you know, ready to answer questions. 00:04:53:22 - 00:05:17:16 Unknown And so looking at it from a what are the administrative tasks or the redundant things that might be able to be better done in a different way? That's kind of where he started, but then went on to say, you know, artificial intelligence is being used in learning and development, it's being used in recruiting, and all of it is how do we take advantage of this asset and use it for good and not for you all? 00:05:17:16 - 00:05:37:06 Unknown And he just had some real good examples of ways in which it was being used specifically in human resources. Yeah, I was going to say he did give a lot of great examples and I would urge you to take a look at that recording. And also while we're on this topic, do you want to kind of give an inch of the AI series that's going to be coming out? 00:05:37:07 - 00:05:57:10 Unknown Yeah, sure. We're we're very excited by this, are just putting it together. It'll probably be March, April, but we're really trying to break it down into sections and talk about, you know, here's a AI, here's the basics of what's going on, but then talk about what does this mean for our administration? What does this mean for HR And learning development? 00:05:57:12 - 00:06:17:11 Unknown What does this mean for HR and employee engagement? Yeah, all of them have samples of ways in which artificial intelligence is being utilized in a jar already. So i think it'll be a really good starting point for a lot of people who are like, I don't know where to go. I don't know where to start. I even know what the possibilities are. 00:06:17:13 - 00:06:32:12 Unknown We're going to bring in some folks. I think they're going to be able to lay things out, not here's the answer, not here's prescription as to how you should do it. But, you know, here's the possible you got to figure out where it fits in your company. So I'm we'll be putting those out pretty soon. I think that'll be very exciting. 00:06:32:15 - 00:07:02:21 Unknown Yeah. We also have a whole section on artificial intelligence at our employee law update that's coming up. So that's another one that, you know, again, we're trying to just help our members see where this might be going and they figure out what's going to be best for our company for sure. So stay tuned for that. But I'm kind of moving on here, looking at your actual talent report now with recruiting and retention innovation, it looks like you've pulled some stats from a new report from intelligent AECOM on some new and interesting happenings in recruiting. 00:07:02:21 - 00:07:26:09 Unknown So can you kind of highlight what was seen here in some of those stats? Yeah, what we what we pulled out there was really it was looking at bachelor's degrees, quite frankly. And I think I think a lot of companies have picked up on this already. But, you know, many if they haven't updated anything in a while, Bachelor degrees 30 years ago were a separation of two piles of resumes like has one doesn't have one. 00:07:26:09 - 00:07:59:19 Unknown And that's kind of the way things functioned. And the world has changed. And now it's you might be looking for a specific skill set and you might be looking for a certificate. You might just be looking for someone who's got the right attitude and fits your culture, and we can teach them the rest of it. So it was just looking at companies now that are starting to drop bachelor's degree from something that might have just been in there because it's always been in there and saying, what is it that we actually have to have, especially at in some entry level jobs and even middle level jobs where they may have gotten all kinds of experience 00:07:59:19 - 00:08:23:13 Unknown somewhere else or have the ability and the skill set to do things and don't necessarily have that degree. So it was really encouraging companies to take a hard look at their the job postings in their job descriptions

Description: In this episode, we explore cutting-edge HR trends. From optimizing employee experiences to balancing tech with humanity, we delve into the evolving landscape. Discover how HR navigates challenges like hybrid teams and sustainability, while implementing innovative recruitment and leadership development strategies to shape the workplace of the future. Resources: 2024 HR Trends 2024 HR Trends 2024 Employee Trends Labor Shortage MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest LinkedIn Profile - Keri Wozniak  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:04 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:54:07 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Hello, everybody, and thanks for joining us today. In this episode specifically, we're going to be talking about cutting edge trends with MRA, our business partner, Kari Wozniak. From optimizing employee experiences to balancing tech with humanity, we'll give you advice on how to navigate challenges like hybrid teams and sustainability, while also implementing innovative recruitment and leadership development strategies to really shaped or the workplace of the future. 00:00:54:09 - 00:01:16:15 Unknown So, Kari, I know you really work directly with a lot of our member companies and you've been in HR for over 20 years, I think so you've really seen it all when it comes to trends and challenges. So I'm excited about the opportunity to really sit down and talk with you on what you're currently seeing trend wise. So thanks again for being here today. 00:01:16:15 - 00:01:44:08 Unknown I'm excited. Thanks. I'll be excited to be here to all just kind of kick in kicking it off. Employee experience is often cited as a critical factor in organizational success. So how are HR Professionals really working to enhance and optimize the overall employee journey with their companies? Sure. You know, this is an ongoing area of concern and has been for for for quite a while. 00:01:44:10 - 00:02:07:15 Unknown As as everyone is aware, we've been involved in a labor shortage for quite a while. It's not expected to change anytime soon. As you know, birth rates are low and generational changes and all that stuff's kind of coming through. So the employee experience becomes critical to attracting and retaining your talent. So some just key things to think about is you really need to be listening to your employees. 00:02:07:17 - 00:02:23:03 Unknown You know, it's okay to read the articles out there, listen to trends, you know, pay attention to what's going on in the world because that will help guide you in the right direction. But your teams, your environment is going to be a little bit different than anywhere else. So you want to make sure that you're you have frequent and targeted feedback loops of your employees. 00:02:23:03 - 00:02:49:08 Unknown So think about things like pulse surveys, small group listening sessions, day interviews, things like that, so that you understand why people stay and why you believe and you can address those to make sure that you have the right employee experience. You also want to make sure that you're starting small and implementing quickly. We just don't have the time anymore to plan for a year and then take a long time to implement and have the perfect programs. 00:02:49:10 - 00:03:05:16 Unknown Instead, we need to look at these things as continuous improvements. Pick a few things that you can implement quickly that will have an impact on your team and move those over the finish line so that you actually see the impact of those. And then, of course, circling back with your employees, making sure that did you actually hit the mark? 00:03:05:16 - 00:03:27:18 Unknown Is this what they wanted? So that's general guidelines and how to tackle things. But some actual specific ideas here are communication tools. So you need to make sure that you are communicating with your employees for the channels they actually use. And, you know, we are so used to using email newsletters, even home mailings that are now pretty old school versions. 00:03:27:21 - 00:03:46:10 Unknown You still need those because you have a lot of people who are comfortable with them. But now you need to be looking at your texting your employees. Are you recording video messages or are you utilizing instant messaging? What about like communication apps like Slack, things like that? You need to make sure that you're communicating with your teams in in those areas. 00:03:46:10 - 00:04:10:07 Unknown It is in all of these places or at least in a select few, and that you're having that same consistent message regardless of where you're communicating because you want them all to hear the same things, but where they're actually going to go, where they're going to go use it. And in that you're considering your generations, you're considering learning and communication styles and then what technology is actually available to the individual. 00:04:10:09 - 00:04:34:01 Unknown You know, your manufacturing employees don't necessarily have the same access to drop as team has. So how are you making sure that they're still getting the messages that you need to have them out there? And time is always an issue, so don't overwhelm your communications team with a million different things to focus on. Make sure it's a sustainable process and that you're automating where you can. 00:04:34:03 - 00:04:57:03 Unknown So some other things beyond communication tools is you want to make sure you're integrating and simplifying your technology tools. Again, the more things you have, the more you going to manage. So looking at fewer sources of truth or better aggregated tools to be able to pull your information and think about the the consumer experience your employees are used to when they're at home, right? 00:04:57:03 - 00:05:26:13 Unknown They're using Alexa, Siri and Google in order to get the information they need to do their personal work in seconds. But then at work, we're going into different THRIVEs, different disparate systems. You got to remember where everything's housed and how you actually pull everything together. It's time consuming and it's frustrating. So how do you mirror that consumer experience at work that they're used to at home or actually watching technology things? 00:05:26:15 - 00:05:45:23 Unknown absolutely. And I feel like just to add on that, the employee experience, it comes down to how well you can listen to your employees and implement the things that they want and that they're interested in. So I like that you highlighted that you don't always have to listen to that outside conversations that might be kind of pulling you in. 00:05:45:23 - 00:06:11:06 Unknown It's really about what does your company value, what do your employees value, and something that might work for one person might not work for another. But I'm glad that you personalization, right? Like at the end of the day, your employees want to know that you know them. You absolutely very well kind of moving on now into flexible work arrangements that's been a key trend the past couple years now. 00:06:11:08 - 00:06:35:17 Unknown So how how is really addressing the challenges of managing hybrid teams then and what strategies are being implemented to ensure collaboration and communication remain effective? Sure. So there's a couple different different things in there. So being flexible in the first place, creating those flexible work arrangements is going to be really, really important. And we're all we're hearing a lot about. 00:06:35:19 - 00:07:01:13 Unknown It's no longer about work life balance, it's about work life integration or fit and the concept there is it's not how do I fit my life around my job, it's how do I how do I have meaningful work that's going to support the life that I want to have? And while that seems like a nuance, it's a really important distinction because employees maybe don't want their whole identity to be what they do for a living anymore. 00:07:01:15 - 00:07:24:17 Unknown And everybody has different challenges, whether it's the raising children, if they've got aging parents, if they've got just hobbies or, you know, desires to travel the world or whatever, those things are, they want to figure out how to balance that while providing the opportunity to be a professional, to contribute in different ways. So to me, one of the key things that employers need to do is be creative. 00:07:24:17 - 00:07:50:13 Unknown We can't just sit there and look at, well, everybody has to work 9 to 5 in an office and do things exactly the way that we've historically used it, you know, the pandemic that we always want to bring that up. But it just changed people's expectations and how they can how they know they can get work done. So so whether it's remote hybrid, so where you actually do work, but there's also the actual schedule itself. 00:07:50:13 - 00:08:14:17 Unknown So can I work maybe four tens? Can I work long hours on weekends or even a combination of those things? Is it more I just need to get my work done when I get it done, maybe matters a little bit less. You can even look at hiring people into job sharing kind of situations where maybe you're hiring two part time people to accomplish the tasks of one full time job. 00:08:14:19 - 00:08:35:14 Unknown A lot of companies are starting to use contractors and consultants, kind of this gig concept. Like, I have a project, I'm going to pick that up, I'm going to work on it. So if you're employing people in these these new ways, it's not

Description: In this episode, join us for an insightful conversation with Susan Fronk, President and CEO of MRA. Get ready to kick-start your new year, as we explore trends, strategies, and expert insights that will define success in 2024. Whether you're a professional, entrepreneur, or anyone seeking to thrive in the fast-paced future, Susan shares invaluable advice for making 2024 your best year yet.  Resources: 2024 National Business Trends Survey  MRA Hot Topic Surveys  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Susan Fronk  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Susan Fronk  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:04 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:41:11 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, hello, everybody, and thank you for joining us and happy New Year. And welcome back, Susan. Hey. Well, Susan, since your New Year podcast from last year is actually in our top ten podcasts of all time, we thought it would be great to really bring you back this year and share your insights for the coming year of 2024. 00:00:41:12 - 00:01:04:09 Unknown Yeah, I saw that, that it was in the top ten, but you know, sort of thing too much credit because I was one of the first podcasts. So it's top ten for a still call me season, right? Okay. But for those of you who may not know, Susan Fronk is MRA's president and CEO. And you're really here today to help you get your new year off to a great start, really help you and your business thrive. 00:01:04:11 - 00:01:31:17 Unknown So speaking of where to start, Susan, let's take a look at a recent national Business Trends survey from the Employers Association of America, the EAA. I know, Susan, you always talk about using data THRIVEn decisions and using those for results. So let's take a look at the results that we're seeing from the 2024 National Business Trends Survey. We know that the economy impacts everything every day, life in work. 00:01:31:19 - 00:01:58:05 Unknown So let's talk about the numbers for this year specifically. According to the survey, 67% of organizations say the economy will improve or stay the same. And that's an 18% increase from last year's report. So we're really seeing greater confidence in this year's economy. So my first question to you is, with business leaders feeling more confident, how will that impact employers for this year? 00:01:58:11 - 00:02:28:12 Unknown Sure. Well, first, a word about the National Business Trends survey and how relevant it is for our members. The EAA, the Employer Associations of America. Organizations like us across the country. So employers of all sizes in all industries and tens of thousands of employers. So this survey is really reflective of kind of coast to coast thinking in how they're planning for the next year. 00:02:28:14 - 00:03:14:14 Unknown And you're right, there is a greater confidence that business will at least stay the same or improve in the year ahead. And that's great because where confidence goes, usually production follows, sales follow and hiring follows. So I know we're going to get into that, but that's kind of a mixed blessing. So hiring is still really tough. When you look at the comfort index in production and sales and where companies are going, that means there will be investments, investments made in their companies, in mergers and acquisitions, plant expansions, maybe more experimentation and innovation as well as additional hiring. 00:03:14:16 - 00:03:45:17 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. And according to the business Trends survey, 52% of employers here in the Midwest are looking to hire permanent staff. So when it comes to hiring and recruiting for 2024, what suggestions do you have for employers out there? Really? Sure. Generally, when I'm talking with members, whether those are our constituents or the C-suite, they are still having great difficulty finding qualified experience hires. 00:03:45:19 - 00:04:23:03 Unknown So if you think of hiring as filling positions and not just hiring somebody from outside the organization and bringing them in, it may make a little more sense. And that's some of the creative D that I see. Employers are not necessarily looking for that needle in a haystack. Well, they certainly are, but they're also saying, who in my organization may have the ambition and the skills and characteristics to move up and what kind of development most training and professional experiences would I need to give them to grow them into that position? 00:04:23:05 - 00:04:53:00 Unknown If you can't buy it, meaning hire, you've got to make it and that'll develop. Yeah, absolutely. And we'll talk a little bit more later, especially on emerging leaders and from a CEO perspective, what qualities and characteristics do you specifically look for in those emerging leaders? We'll talk more later. But Susan Talent acquisition TA has been a serious challenge for employer employers in the past year and this year looking ahead. 00:04:53:01 - 00:05:26:10 Unknown So let's talk about what executives identified as some other top challenges of this year. Talent acquisition was top at 50 to 2%, but also making the top five list was cybersecurity at 44%. Talent retention also at 44%, inflation coming in at 41%. And then developing future leaders, as you've mentioned, at 34%. Looking at that, cyber security is new on this list for this year and really an issue top of mind for executives And, you know, all employers. 00:05:26:12 - 00:05:52:00 Unknown What are you hearing from other organizations in business leaders overall on how what they are doing to increase cybersecurity? Sure. And it's coming up in many business conversations. Before we move to that with your commission, Sophie, could I circle back to the talent, get perhaps a lesson? Because the survey did highlight some things that I think are worth underscoring in this conversation. 00:05:52:01 - 00:06:28:21 Unknown One is that compensation, as a starting wage went up. No surprise there, but also that the ranges of the jobs themselves have been adjusted upward in the majority of organizations. And again, no surprise with inflation being kind of break away in 2022 and maybe moderating a bit in 2023, just that those are table stakes. Right. We all know that compensation alone isn't a satisfying necessarily, but it's a dissatisfying. 00:06:28:23 - 00:06:47:04 Unknown So what I mean by that is if you don't get it right, people will leave. But even if you have it right, meaning that you pay competitively and you know what the market pay is and your benefits are appropriate, the right amount of paid time off, just the fact that you get that right, those are table stakes. That doesn't mean people won't leave. 00:06:47:06 - 00:07:09:20 Unknown You have to have culture and environment and professional growth and development opportunities as well. The innovation is just the doubling down on the fact that it is a total package and human resources is right at the center of that and leadership conversation to say, here's here's how we have to touch all those bases. So pay alone will get you there. 00:07:09:22 - 00:07:34:02 Unknown But you do have to know how your jobs stack up to off. And I think business leaders may say this job title and what does this job title pay? That almost doesn't matter because titles are just that. You have to really look at the responsibilities and the role itself and the job duties to make sure that you're comparing apples to. 00:07:34:04 - 00:08:02:14 Unknown Absolutely. Thank you for circling back. Sure. Yeah. I think that was an important point, and I neglected to say that originally. Absolutely. If you asked me about cybersecurity. Yes. Well, I think it is a big question. It's like describing the you and I am no cybersecurity expert, but I do have the catbird seat, I guess I would say, and I always feel honored to have those conversations with so many business leaders. 00:08:02:16 - 00:08:26:23 Unknown But our members do share confidential information with us, and cybersecurity is keeping people up at night. It can ruin a business in the blink of an eye. Before I get to a couple of recommendations that I would make as a layperson, not as a cybersecurity expert, but as a business leader, that that does have this advantage of talking with a lot of other smart business leaders. 00:08:27:00 - 00:09:03:23 Unknown Anecdotally, I happen to be in Las Vegas last fall for my husband's birthday, and it was during the MGM data breach and Hurd worldwide, everybody was talking about it because they decided not to play ball with the threat actors. And there are a thousand decisions that businesses need to make about cybersecurity. But one of them is am I going to capitulate, potentially pay ransom, try to secure my data and hope and pray that that the bad right. 00:09:03:23 - 00:09:28:09 Unknown You're going to honor their word, which is interesting all by itself mean you trust in criminals to do what they say. That makes no sense. But then the other branch is to say, forget it. I'm going to take what comes right. And what was so unique about the MGM? Brett breach is that just prior to that, the whole Caesars Entertainment family worldwide was in it. 00:09:28:11 - 00:10:04:17 Unknown They paid a seven figure ransom. Whether that was there's two huge hospitality, gaming, entertainment, playing in the same space, trying to attract the same customers in the same industry. And they went in it very different ways. So I guess an umbrella is you have to know your own company, your own culture, yo

Description: Join us as we dive into the excitement of the new year, exploring the power of setting fresh goals. Explore practical tips and proven techniques to align individual, team, and organizational goals, setting the stage for a year of unprecedented success and growth. Resources: Quarterly Goal Tracking Chart  SMART Goals Tracking Form  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Amanda Mosteller  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Amanda Mosteller  Guest Bio - Brittany Czirr  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Brittany Czirr  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:04 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:42:16 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, we can get started right away, but we're excited that you're all here with us for our first ever live podcast. But really, we're here to make your 2024 your best year yet. And it's all about goal setting. So today, find out the impact of intentional goal setting and the value that modern day goal setting brings. 00:00:42:18 - 00:01:05:12 Unknown It's a new year. It's time for new goals, and MRA, as always, is here to help you get set. So like I said, we're here on LinkedIn live today, super excited. And for our listeners out there who have questions about goal setting specifically, ask away, definitely encourage you to put your questions in the chat. And Amanda and Brittany will answer them here and now. 00:01:05:14 - 00:01:29:05 Unknown Plus, we can save some time at the end of the episode to really answer any additional questions that might come up. But for now, I'm curious to know where you all joining us from. Like we said, we're from Waukesha, Ohio, Kentucky. We're all over the place right now. So curious who's joining us today. Kind of as we get set here, I'll introduce our guests. 00:01:29:07 - 00:01:59:02 Unknown My name is Sophia Boler and the host of MRA's 30 Minute THRIVE podcast. And joining me are Amanda Mosteller, MRA's director of talent development. And Brittany Czirr learning and development facilitator also with MRA. So kind of as we get started and warming up here and as chats are going to be coming in. Let's talk about goals. And these are really not just your typical New Year's resolutions, which may be not about just a few weeks. 00:01:59:04 - 00:02:24:02 Unknown These are really long term as well as short term goals intended to really help you realize your greatest personal development and productivity for about 2024 year ahead. So today we're really going to be talking about the evolving standards that are reshaping the way we pursue success in every aspect of our lives and the goals we actually achieve to to get that success. 00:02:24:04 - 00:02:49:17 Unknown So let's first kind of talk about the importance of goal setting. Why don't we? So, Amanda, you want to start us off and kind of tell us what the value of setting goals is? Thank you. Yes, I do. And I love your highlight, which really ushers us into modern day goal setting of this is different than end of year New Year's resolution goals that you set three weeks later. 00:02:49:17 - 00:03:12:16 Unknown Hey, look, I'm not at the gym anymore. I hit it strong for about 25 days and then petered off. And and I would challenge that traditional goal setting strategies kind of resulted. Similarly, I would set my goal at the beginning of the year, and then at the end of the year I go, yeah, I was going to do that professionally for the team this year. 00:03:12:17 - 00:03:37:01 Unknown Didn't get to it. And so when we really talk about the change and how it's been modernized, that that was such a great highlight. So because it comes into play is why it has evolved as well. But in terms of the value and the importance goal setting theory, I can talk about theory for a moment and I promise everyone just a moment. 00:03:37:03 - 00:04:06:15 Unknown Dr. Edwin Locke and Dr. Gary Lape actually started the conversation around setting actionable task performance related goals in the sixties. Now, I know you're saying modern day goal setting in the 1960s do not connect. And that is accurate. That's why we talk about modernizing a lot of their approach. But theory tends to be pretty universal in terms of how we implement it over time. 00:04:06:15 - 00:04:45:20 Unknown That modernizes and changes. But one stat that will not change and they actually updated their stats. They started doing research again in the nineties and updated it in the early 2000 in the Psychology Today Journal. But they really highlighted how 90% of individuals with performance s team personal organizational goals that they want to accomplish if they create is actionable goal, they write it down big key there and then they refer back to it. 00:04:45:22 - 00:05:15:11 Unknown They are 90% more likely to achieve success. So when I think about the value of goal setting, I think about the value of actually having an accountability partner of writing it down because we're 90% more likely to achieve success if we do some simple steps that we're going to talk about today. Brittney, what other thoughts do you have on the value of goal setting? 00:05:15:13 - 00:05:36:10 Unknown my gosh, it's so crucial, right? Because it really does allow you and to the point of writing it down, you know, putting stuff out there, speaking it into fruition, that is there's a lot to be said for that. If you just kind of keep it in and you internalize it. What are your checks and balances there? How are you tracking what you're doing to your point of accountability partners? 00:05:36:10 - 00:06:00:24 Unknown You know, how do you measure success? Because it's not going to be this like linear or not even linear, but open to the right. Like it's not going to look like that at all. It is peaks and valleys step forward and backwards. So how do you how do you navigate that and making sure that you have it somewhere that you can refer back to really helps navigate that aspect of it? 00:06:01:01 - 00:06:25:09 Unknown Absolutely. Those are all great points. And again, I would encourage our listeners, if you have any comments you want to share, how goal setting has really helped you and your organization achieve better success, We're all ears. We want to know what you're doing and what how you're finding success. But kind of moving on now that we know why we need to set goals, let's kind of talk about the what and how of goal setting. 00:06:25:09 - 00:06:55:21 Unknown So I heard you mentioned modern day goal setting five times. So what really is modern day goal setting and how does it differ from what most people think about when setting their goals? And so in the sixties, when goal setting theory and task performance coach, that element of their initial theory published in the sixties really was related around performance for the team or the organization, right? 00:06:55:21 - 00:07:21:04 Unknown So as an individual, how do I fit into the team performance, which fits into the organization performance? And we set it in January and then we come back and talk about it in December and we set my new wins in January. Modern day goal setting is much more fluid, so I establish goals that might evolve and change in 90 days. 00:07:21:06 - 00:07:50:19 Unknown I establish goals that might take me three years to get to. All of them are welcome. All of them are important into that accountability partner piece, whether that's your manager or a mentor or a peer or they're checking in. So that set it and forget it truly is the older way of thinking, whether they're associated with. And we can get to talking about, you know, associations with financial gain. 00:07:50:19 - 00:08:17:04 Unknown So whether I have it's allocated with my merit increase, that's going to doesn't change the amount of check ins and this cadence of fluidity that our goals are. Additionally, people are looking to their organizations to help develop their career, which is different than being a piece of the team or the department of the or great. It's a two way relationship. 00:08:17:04 - 00:08:48:01 Unknown So the organization I'm also looking at the organization to develop me in my career so that I can continue to better the organization. It's a cyclical relationship, so goals aren't just team and department related. They're my personal career growth goals as well. And how can the organization help me set those goals and THRIVE me towards success in those goals, even if it doesn't have to do with the job I'm doing with you today? 00:08:48:03 - 00:09:06:09 Unknown The job I have today is this. But maybe I have a career aspiration of this and I could do that here. That's organization and probably will be more likely to if the organization is helping me develop my skill sets in that kind of a goal as well. That's a very modern view. Brittany, anything to add on to that? 00:09:06:11 - 00:09:35:04 Unknown I do. So a couple of things. The the piece where it is a relationship that Amanda had mentioned. So it's having, you know, an investment into the person so the person can reinvest into the company. I think that that is so critical for companies to realize that because what is the saying where you provide someone with enough resources and get them where they want to be and feed into them so that they want to stay right, Like train them and get them to the point where they can leave but they choose to stay. 00:09:35:10 - 00:10:04:06 Unknown It's so much more rewarding and from a financial gain standpoint, from a satisfaction and morale and engagement standpoint, to have a

Description: 🎧 In this December Talent Report, we're spotlighting the freshest trends in the realm of talent. Uncover cutting-edge recruitment tactics, explore the surge in demand for emerging skills, and stay informed about the latest developments throughout the month of December. Tune in to stay one step ahead in the dynamic landscape of the competitive job market! 🌟 Resources: Talent Report+ Webinar Series  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Jim Morgan  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Jim Morgan  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:03:24 - 00:00:25:03 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:25:04 - 00:00:45:07 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Hello, everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute THRIVE. It is time to go over this month's talent report, which is an up to the minute review of what's going on in the world of business with an emphasis on talent. With Jim Morgan, MRA's vice president of Workforce Strategies. So thanks for being here, Jim. 00:00:45:09 - 00:01:09:00 Unknown Yeah, thanks for having me. Happy holidays. Happy holidays. Well, this month you are looking at 2024, actually the year ahead. So talking about the opportunities that await and some of the challenges that might be on the horizon as companies prepare for this next year, 2024. So starting out with recruiting and retention innovation, Jim, you pulled some stats from MRA's recent comp trends report. 00:01:09:02 - 00:01:32:24 Unknown What is really shown here? Well, what we were talking about from the comp trends report was basically miscellaneous perks. Where are companies trying to distinguish themselves for others? Where are they trying to stand out? Just try to get some creative ideas of what people might be up to. And chuckled during the talent report that the number one item is employee lunches. 00:01:33:01 - 00:01:56:05 Unknown And any time I'm meeting with HR people, I always say food. You know, it doesn't make any difference how, where or when, why food is always a winner. But food also brings with it the side effects of chance for people to talk to each other and get to know each other better and help with the culture. But it's always something that you know, was relatively simple and is appreciated by people. 00:01:56:07 - 00:02:33:07 Unknown But on a more serious side of things, tuition assistance and flexible scheduling were numbers two and three, with about 65% of the companies saying that and the tuition assistance. Two things I think are happening. We talked a little bit about it last month, I think. But companies are starting to include tuition reimbursement in there. And so those students that might have student loans as becoming a part of that and I think you've got more both younger and seasoned workers that are looking for the specific training, which may be in an educational institution of what are the skills I'm missing. 00:02:33:07 - 00:02:57:07 Unknown So if we say to you, boy, you know, Sophie, you're an up and comer, emerging leader, but we need you to work on these two things. Maybe you should go get a certificate in this and go take a class in that as people are trying to build those career paths, I think it's starting to be singled out a little bit more that let's just identify what this person maybe is lacking right now and give them the opportunity to grow there. 00:02:57:09 - 00:03:17:05 Unknown Then we have some other things for allowance, additional time off office technology, enhanced benefit packages. And all of this comes back to what we're seeing more and more and is added the better that I know my employees and the people who work for me, the better I can figure out what matters to them. And we use the word benefits. 00:03:17:07 - 00:03:38:16 Unknown But I mean, it could be simple as knowing, you know, you like a triple latte shot of peppermint, soy milk, something or other drink whole class. Okay, good. And that just black coffee or not tea. And so I come to you with a 12 pack of coke. I bring you I shop at Starbucks and get you the fancy drink that you like. 00:03:38:16 - 00:03:59:11 Unknown You know, the benefit there is really, boy, he's paying attention and he cares about what's going on. So I think a lot of companies are just trying to figure out who are people. And one of the little things we can do besides offering a401k in health care and time off, that might make a difference to them. So that I think is really becoming a bigger part of the retention strategy. 00:03:59:13 - 00:04:25:02 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. Kind of going off of that recruiting and retention and moving into talent thinking, you highlighted succession planning in that it's really top of mind for companies. But before we dive into that, let's look at your quote of the month, which talks about succession planning. So why did you exactly pick this quote and you? Well, first you got to tell us what to call it. 00:04:25:04 - 00:04:48:03 Unknown The one that I picked was on John Maxwell. And he's a he's an author and speaker. And the quote was, when all is said and done, your ability as a leader will be judged by how well your people and your organization did after you were gone. Your lasting value will be measured by succession. And I picked that one because of what we're going to talk about here in a second is succession planning is becoming a bigger deal. 00:04:48:03 - 00:05:22:19 Unknown We've talked about that not only for the C-suite but for all of the key positions. Companies are trying to build a deeper bench, have a number two person. So whenever somebody leaves, we've got someone in the pipeline. We're not starting over every time, just good business decisions. But then we talked with the CEOs about it all of those things still apply, but they're looking at it almost holistically from a strategy point of view that says, well, if you take those things I just said, that adds stability to the organization, we all get thrown into turmoil when someone goes. 00:05:22:21 - 00:05:46:21 Unknown That type of transparency puts our employees at ease. That they know. All right. Well, whether I like the person or don't like the person, it's the enemy I know versus the enemy. I don't know. And I'd like to know what's what's happening there. It certainly reduces costs. So we have to find someone. I would much rather have to find the number three position because number two, field number one. 00:05:46:21 - 00:06:10:10 Unknown Number three, cell number two. And now I'm looking for the third person down the system rather than the top of it. And so if we built that, that's just better for that for the organization. And it's a chance for us to show value to employees. If, you know, if someone sits down with you and say, you know, Sophia in the marketing department, here's what our plans are for the department, Here's where we think you fill in, here's where we think you fit in. 00:06:10:12 - 00:06:35:06 Unknown It gives you something to say, okay, I know what what they're thinking about for me. Then I can have discussions on maybe that's not where I want it to go, or that is where I want to go. But just organizationally, that succession planning makes a big difference. I think what that quote really points out is, you know, we can have an influence while we're here, but probably the biggest influence we can have is do we set the place up for success after we're done? 00:06:35:08 - 00:07:01:11 Unknown And so the process that we put in place, the things that we do, are not people dependent. It's not over. When Jim leaves, all of this stops. It's Jim built this and so it's all going to continue and nobody else has to figure it out. And I think that's that's really the type of succession planning there they're looking for is how do we make this systemic so we don't have to go through this big deal every time somebody might retire or go somewhere else. 00:07:01:13 - 00:07:22:02 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. And I guess you you kind of touched on it, but is there anything anything else that you wanted to add was talent thinking and succession planning in terms of why we're kind of touching on this now and any other information? Yeah, that's that's a good follow up. You know, I think we're touching on it now because of all these demographic things that we've been talking about. 00:07:22:04 - 00:07:49:21 Unknown You know, we have 10,000 people turning 65 every day. That means a lot of folks are leaving the workplace more than ever before just because of the size of the baby boomers. So the numbers are driving it. And then just some of the generational things that we have in place. We're just building the list right now of what's different between the Z's and the Xers versus the Boomers in the Xs versus Z’s and the Millennials. 00:07:49:23 - 00:08:12:05 Unknown And it's it's a pretty big gap in the succession. Planning helps the younger people coming up, you know, understand better what the older folks have done and how they've done it, maybe what's good and what's bad and helps the older folks figure out how are we going to transfer this knowledge down to a group that maybe thinks differently, learns differently. 00:08:12:07 - 00:08:33:01 Unknown There's just lots of things that have to also be overcome because that's kind of a negative. But there's there's a ton of opportunities if we can figure out how to speak the same language. And I was in a you know, I was in a webinar today on Artificial Intelligence, actually, and the woman that was presenting it and this was just another difference that made

Description: FMLA is one of our top requested topics from our 30 minute Thrive podcast subscribers. We are glad to have this opportunity to talk about the complexities of FMLA eligibility, outlining who qualifies, and exploring the spectrum of covered events. This episode will help provide some clarity on navigating leave requirements!  Resources: FMLA Toolkit  FMLA Made Simple - Training  HR and Employment Law Essentials - Training  FMLA: Tips for Tackling 5 Everyday Challenges - Training  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Rob Lapota  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Rob Lapota  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:46:09 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, hello everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute THRIVE. FMLA is one of our top requested topics from our podcast subscribers, so no pressure on today's guest, but we're really glad to have this opportunity to talk about all of the complexities of FMLA eligibility, outlining who qualifies and exploring the spectrum of covered events. 00:00:46:11 - 00:01:12:21 Unknown So our goal really for today's podcast is to help provide some clarity to you on federal FMLA. So I'm joined by Rob Lapota HR director, part of MRA Learning and Development Team. Rob, you have over 30 years of HR experience. You've answered more than 15,000 member calls on the HR hotline, and you're recognized as one of the top knowledge experts on our topic for today. 00:01:12:21 - 00:01:33:09 Unknown And that's a federal FMLA scrub. I'm really excited to have you here today as the subject matter expert and thanks for joining us. Thank you for asking me to be here today. And welcome to everybody for our interesting talk. Yes, I like I like to tell people in our training program with FMLA made simple, get your notebook out because you're gonna be taking a lot of notes. 00:01:33:11 - 00:01:56:03 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. Get them out. Well, Rob, let's kind of start out with the big overarching question here, and that is what is FMLA. I know we have a lot of HR Professionals obviously, who listen to the podcast, who know what FMLA is, but some of our other listeners who may not be in that HR professional may not know exactly what FMLA is. 00:01:56:03 - 00:02:28:15 Unknown So can you kind of just give us an overarching picture? So we start out the first acronym, FMLA. First, let's talk about that Family Medical Leave Act. So that took on a federal basis, that was a law. Those passed back in 1993. And it impacts employers that have 50 or more employees anywhere in the United States. Here's a kind of like a short definition of here's what the law is all about 12 weeks of unpaid leave with no penalty to the employee. 00:02:28:17 - 00:03:01:09 Unknown Now, that sounds like a very simple one sentence definition of what is FMLA, but they're in wise the complexity, the no penalty to the employee. That's a challenging aspect of the law. And what qualifies as a reason for taking FMLA. That's the other big challenging portion. And then the overriding complexity of this law by the employee when I'm going to be off of work, I don't ask for FMLA. 00:03:01:11 - 00:03:19:15 Unknown So, for example, if you are a supervisor, I don't call in and say, Hey, Sophia, it's Rob. Last night, my daughter, she was knocked unconscious in a soccer match, but she's actually been admitted to Children's Hospital in Milwaukee. That's where I am right now. I'll give you a call a little bit later today and I'll give you an update on what's going on. 00:03:19:17 - 00:03:48:12 Unknown That said, I the employee is not mandatory under the law for me, the employee to say, and by the way, Sophia, why don't you give me some of the FMLA stuff? The way the federal law is written, it is the employer's responsibility in all circumstances to designate leave as FMLA qualifying. So therefore, because of the complexity, that's what makes it our number one call on our hotline. 00:03:48:18 - 00:04:14:22 Unknown Yeah, I was shocked. Over 20% of our calls are just on FMLA. I was just going to mention that this is one of our top calls on the HR hotline and still remains to be. Yes. And we've had some topics on the podcast on FMLA, just because it is one of our most highly requested topics. And like you said, there's so many different complexities within that, even though that one sentence you gave us seems so simple, it's not as simple as you may think for experts. 00:04:14:24 - 00:04:42:16 Unknown What factors and determine an employee's eligibility for FMLA, FMLA leave? And how does an employer ensure compliance with these criteria? So there's several criteria. And the first is I need to be working at a covered employer for FMLA. And a covered employer is one that has 50 or more employees on their payroll anywhere in the United States. And it also includes temporary employees from a temp service. 00:04:42:18 - 00:05:02:13 Unknown So if I have 25 employees that are on my payroll and I use 25 from a temp service, I actually have 50 employees for federal employee purposes. I'm covered by the law. So for an eligible employee, first of all, I have to be working for a covered employer. Then I have several other criteria that need to be met. 00:05:02:15 - 00:05:24:20 Unknown Number one, I need to be working for at least 12 months for that employer. Number two, I work at least 1250 hours in the 12 months prior to my need for leave. And third, I have to be working at a facility that has 50 or more employees within a 75 mile radius. Now, again, just like that, a little definition I can give you FMLA. 00:05:24:22 - 00:05:46:18 Unknown Well, that seems pretty straightforward, doesn't it? But there's a lot of twists and turns within those definitions. So, for example, the 12 months service on a federal level, it need not be consecutive. So I could be working, for example, as a college intern. As for an organization, let's say, in marketing and work for four summers in a row of three months each summer. 00:05:46:20 - 00:06:12:17 Unknown And we're recording this in December. So let's say that I'm graduating in December. I'm going to start with the employer January of 2024. Well, you actually cannot my three months of service going back four years because it's a seven year lookback period. Okay. So here's the strange thing. Effective January 2nd, 2024, since my official start date, I'll actually have 12 months of service for that employer. 00:06:12:19 - 00:06:38:19 Unknown The same thing goes when people leave organizations. Let's just say I worked at an employer from 2015 to 2020 and then I get rehired on January 2nd, 2024, by that same employer. Well, again, there could be up to a seven year break in service. That's well within that. So I will actually have 12 months of service on my first day of employment reemployment, I should say, with that employer. 00:06:38:21 - 00:07:04:09 Unknown Second of all, the 1250 hours that is paid time only, that does not include things like holiday pay, PTO, sick pay, self-funded short term disability payments. Those are not included. And that's it's just actual work hours. And then the third criteria, this is and again, another strange one. I work in a facility that has 50 or more employees within a 35 mile radius. 00:07:04:11 - 00:07:33:03 Unknown Well, let's just take it for plain value. Let's say that we have an organization that has three facilities. They're all within 75 miles of each other. And one employs 30, another one employees 20 and a third facility. Employees 20 there, or that's 70 employees. So if I work at any of those facilities, I'm working in a facility that has 50 employees within a 75 mile radius. 00:07:33:05 - 00:07:57:02 Unknown Now, that's also extended to include remote employees and all that's since COVID. You know, a lot of remote work going on. And still today, the little twist with that, I'm included in the headcount where I get my work instructions from. So here we are. We're in Waukesha, Wisconsin, recording our program. And this is our call, our corporate offices for me. 00:07:57:04 - 00:08:28:20 Unknown So let's say that I live in Iowa and I work remotely, but I report to my manager, who is here in the Waukesha, Wisconsin, location for the 50 employees within a 75 mile radius. I'm actually counted in the Waukesha, Wisconsin, head count for FMLA eligibility. Now, some employers don't have that. They might have facilities for example, in one state that are not within 75 miles of each other. 00:08:28:22 - 00:08:53:11 Unknown And we don't have 50 employees within that 75 mile radius. However, they still have 50 total employees. So they're covered employers under the law for now. What do you do? I'm a covered employer, but I literally I don't have any eligible employees because we don't work at a facility that has 50 employees within a 35 mile radius. What do we do? 00:08:53:13 - 00:09:14:08 Unknown Well, if I was your head of HR What i would recommend is that we treat all of our locations as though we have 50 employees within a 75 mile radius. This could also become a little bit of an employer relations issue. Let's say that one of those facilities has 125 employees, and the other ones are outside of the 75 mile radius. 00:09:14:09 - 00:09:42:14 Unknown Let's just say they have, you know, 40 employees each. Well, during employment meetings, I've had this happen before. Our plant that has 125 people that's going to be eligible employees, got 50 employees within a 75 mile radius,

Description: Join us as we unravel the key components of a successful succession plan, offering insights into: Identifying and developing internal talent Fostering a culture of continuous learning Mitigating potential risks Learn how to navigate leadership transitions and ensure the long-term success of your organization through effective succession planning strategies. Resources: The Business Case for Succession Planning  Succession Planning Program  Succession Planning Guide  Succession Planning Tracking Chart  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Dana Vogelmeier  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Dana Vogelmeier  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:45:18 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, hello everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute THRIVE. So today we're going to be talking about succession planning, and I found this stat a bit shocking. So every day in the US, 10,000 people turn 65. And to add to that stat, the average retirement age in the United States is 61, according to a 2022 Gallup survey. 00:00:45:20 - 00:01:07:17 Unknown So those are all pretty significant numbers in the world of work. So the impact is huge. Today, like I said, it only makes sense now that we're here to talk about succession planning. So succession planning is a business necessity, and it's as critical to strategic planning for business as a whole. But succession planning is not just about retirees. 00:01:07:17 - 00:01:36:22 Unknown And it's not just for CEOs in leadership. It's also a part of employee development. So it's a really great topic of discussion for us today. And I'm 30 minutes Right podcast. And a lot of you a lot of our listeners have actually requested this topic. So we will finally get into it and we're excited. And I'm here with Dana Vogelmeier, MRA senior instructional designer who's worked with our members to help develop and implement succession planning programs. 00:01:36:24 - 00:02:00:07 Unknown So, Dana, I'm super excited to have you on today and thanks for coming coming on the podcast as the expert and really covering how to create that successful succession planning. Thank you so being happy to be here. So, well, let's just start out by defining what business succession planning really is and why it's essential for business owners. Okay, sure. 00:02:00:09 - 00:02:22:21 Unknown So succession planning, as you mentioned earlier, it is it's critical and it is something that sometimes gets kind of pushed to the background because it feels like it's not important work. But if you think about the sustainability for an organization, it is really one of those critical things we should do. And succession planning is it's a process of talent identification. 00:02:22:23 - 00:02:52:02 Unknown So we dedicate time to looking at all of the people in our organization and who has what kinds of skills, what kind of potential or performance do they have, what do they need, and then get them what they need. We'll talk about that too. But it's really just first about identifying what that what the talent is in the organization, what it is not is a process to go through for determining who you're going to hire for a role. 00:02:52:02 - 00:03:20:12 Unknown That's that's different. This is about putting documentation together and determining what kind of talent and skills you have in the organization and then what people need and then getting them the development that they need. Absolutely. You highlighted a lot of good points there, and I feel like something to emphasize is to not put this planning on the back burner because I feel like we've heard that a lot with challenges on succession planning is, I didn't think of it till now or we're not ready. 00:03:20:12 - 00:03:52:06 Unknown So I'm glad today we can help with those steps and kind of that preplanning process. So kind of the next step then, what are some key components of a successful business succession plan? Tongue twister. Yeah, it is a tongue twister. Yeah. So some of the kind of key components to think about are identifying critical roles that you might have in the organization where if for some reason there was a gap there and someone had left, the organization like that would really create a problem. 00:03:52:06 - 00:04:11:00 Unknown So what kinds of critical roles do you have? What kind of niche roles do you have where it's hard to find a good pool of candidates with that skill set might be super unique. You know, you want to identify that. You also want to, as one of these key components, think about business challenges that you either currently have or are coming. 00:04:11:02 - 00:04:30:24 Unknown So an example might be you currently have this issue of we're in the middle of expanding. Maybe we only do operations on the East Coast. We're going to expand to the West Coast or only in the U.S. We're going to go global, you know, like so that might be something you're in the middle of, but also looking out and that could be part of your strategic planning process. 00:04:30:24 - 00:04:55:00 Unknown And you learned some information there. So bring that information in to your succession planning and think about there's a new law that's going into effect that might impact your industry. There could be a new competitor that is entering the marketplace. There could be some kind of restrictions or maybe you experience some supply chain issues or one of your big suppliers is going out of business. 00:04:55:02 - 00:05:25:08 Unknown You know, those business challenges that are going to impact you, how does that impact your succession planning and some of the things? Well, some of the things may not, but do you have people with that knowledge about how this is going to impact the organization? So you're really kind of looking at the the areas where you might have some deficiencies in knowledge and skills, talent and how how we can maybe make a plan to start addressing that. 00:05:25:10 - 00:05:50:04 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. And you talk about plan and process. So follow up question to that is what would a typical process really look like? Yeah, so this is a good question. And what I will say about like the process to think about, I'm going to give you a good example of a process that I've used in the past, but the first thing to think about in your for any company and your own process is what makes sense for you. 00:05:50:04 - 00:06:12:09 Unknown And if you haven't done it at all before, you want to start small and just maybe pilot with a role or a department and then kind of build off of that. But one the process or approach that I have used in the past is called the climb up approach. And it starts with and within the process you establish your meetings. 00:06:12:11 - 00:06:37:05 Unknown But the first meetings are the first line supervisors meeting and someone's going to facilitate this conversation and they're going to talk about the high performing people on their teams and the high performing the high potentials and the high performers on their teams. And so who are those people? And somewhere we want to have like a database. So that we can document everything so that information goes in there. 00:06:37:07 - 00:07:11:10 Unknown Then the next step is to have the second line leaders meet. They're going to talk about the first line leaders and who is a high potential, who's high performing, what people need, what do they do? Well, unique skill sets, but they're also going to have knowledge of the people that were talked about in the first round, because those might be people that fill backfill roles of first line supervisors, but also those second line leaders and every leader above that need to have some knowledge of these other folks that are in the database and what kind of unique skills or talents do they bring. 00:07:11:10 - 00:07:41:21 Unknown Maybe they worked for a competitor in the past or maybe they worked for an organization that was like competitor adjacent, and they might have a different perspective that would be beneficial in a particular project or something like that. So everybody needs to be know kind of what's in there, especially with unique skills and experiences. So your your second line leaders may talk about first they see what who the first line leaders talked about and then go up to the third line or the executive team, depending on what your particular structure looks like and you do the same process over. 00:07:41:21 - 00:08:05:15 Unknown But it's beneficial that everyone now have at that higher level look and see in the database who has what. So you go through your that's your climb up approach and you have all of your meetings now you have your data so you can work with that, but also something to think about in the process is your cadence of meetings and if you always have them in certain months. 00:08:05:17 - 00:08:30:19 Unknown So people just know, as I need to be ready for that, like it's January and June or whatever, like do I need to be ready for that or do I need to be? And so I get my planning done and then thinking about the accountability piece and how you're going to how you as the executive leadership or whoever is kind of owning the process oftentimes is down through h.r. 00:08:30:21 - 00:09:00:19 Unknown But how is that accountability going to happen and explaining exactly the process of what needs to happen there. But you know, one thing that i will just ask people to think about is if you're in a leaders

Description: It's time to explore the latest trends shaping the hiring landscape in 2024, and we're sitting down with MRA Recruiting Business Partner Lead, Katie Kestly, to do just that! With more than ten years working in recruiting, Katie has seen a number of recruiting trends come and go. Join us as we discuss the innovative strategies and technologies that are redefining the way organizations attract, assess, and retain top talent in the rapidly evolving job market of 2024.  Resources: MRA's Recruiting Services  Recruiting Toolkit  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Katie Kestly  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Katie Kestly  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:47:03 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, hello everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute Thrive. We're here and talking with Katie Kestly today, MRA's lead recruiting, business partner, partner and subject matter expert on the topic for today. So with more than ten years of working and recruiting, Katie, I know you've seen a number of recruiting trends come and go, so I'm kind of excited to talk about trends that you'll be seeing in 2024. 00:00:47:09 - 00:01:17:17 Unknown Yeah, but today we're going to like I said, we're going to be talking about those recruiting trends that you need to be aware of and start planning for for 2024. So according to a Recruiter Flow blog, some of the top ten trends for recruiting in 2024 will be hybrid work model, proactive candidate engagement, use of recruiting automation, diversity and inclusion, branding, data centric recruiting and list goes on, but we'll cover those in the rest of the podcast. 00:01:17:19 - 00:01:42:10 Unknown So Katie, let's talk about some of these trends and starting out with number one on the list that is hybrid work. So are our employees really still looking for hybrid work? yeah, absolutely. That's one of the biggest challenges right now is just, you know, to work from home, to not work from home. And it's something that companies are really kind of having that hard time trying to identify where are we going to go with this? 00:01:42:11 - 00:02:09:17 Unknown But yes, absolutely, hybrid work is here to stay. So how can an employee really still recruit top talent if they're not going to offer hybrid work? Yeah, that's a really great question. And a lot of companies run into this and I think that the the biggest thing for organizations or the biggest thing for candidates is the number one primary motivator for candidates wanting to work from home is to have that flexibility. 00:02:09:19 - 00:02:31:23 Unknown So if organizations are able to highlight what they can offer in terms of flexibility, that's something that will make them stand out if they're not offering that hybrid policy. So, for example, a lot of organizations are getting creative with their schedules, so they're doing core days in the office or core hours that they have to be in the office. 00:02:31:23 - 00:02:52:17 Unknown So for core days, whether it's your group or groups and Monday one, Friday, Tuesday, Thursday and even core hours. So maybe they'll do you have to be in the office from 9 to 3. So that gives them more of that flexible schedule if they want to work, come in at seven and leave at three or even if they prefer more of a 9 to 5. 00:02:52:17 - 00:03:16:09 Unknown So really highlighting that flexibility of what they can offer. If they can't offer the hybrid. Yeah, absolutely. I was just talking on and podcasts earlier this morning about hybrid work schedules and I had an example of a friend who was at a hybrid company and now they just moved to fully in-person and a lot of people quit because of that. 00:03:16:10 - 00:03:40:20 Unknown So I guess that leads to the next question. Is hybrid really a critical no or no go offer? I would say do you think? Yeah. I mean, personally, I like the having the flexibility. I like coming into the office. I think for candidates in the market today, just when I reach out to candidates on LinkedIn, it's the first question I get is, is this remote? 00:03:40:20 - 00:03:58:24 Unknown I'm only looking for remote or what is the hybrid policy? I even have gotten to the point now on to my email messages saying we offer a hybrid schedule. This is what it looks like. So I would say it's critical and I think a lot of organizations are adapting and adapting to this new work model. No, I totally agree with that. 00:03:59:00 - 00:04:24:24 Unknown Yeah, it's good to know. Yeah. So I'm also curious what is meant by proactive candidate engagement as that's another item on the list. So can you give any examples of what it really means and any examples of good proactive candidate engagement? Yeah, so proactive candidate engagement essentially is just staying on top of hiring demand. So a big bulk of what recruiters do is sourcing candidates. 00:04:24:24 - 00:04:45:09 Unknown So creating those connections with them, trying to get them to sync up with the recs that they're working on. But say, maybe a recruiter doesn't have a full plate at the time, but they see a skill set over and over again. That's where what it means by proactive engagement, making sure you're staying ahead of those hiring demands and just kind of building that pipeline or building that network. 00:04:45:09 - 00:05:08:12 Unknown If you will. So an example of that is just simply networking. Recruiters have LinkedIn recruiter seeds where they can build those pipelines of of candidates now, or I should say pipeline, but network of candidates. So I think an example of that is just kind of from a networking perspective. But I think in terms of being having that candidate engagement, you want to be tasteful with. 00:05:08:17 - 00:05:27:19 Unknown You don't want to just be like, Hey, what's up? How how's it going? How are you? It's moreso, Hey, I see you're an engineer in this skill set. We've seen this skill set regularly, kind of giving them that whiff. I'm like, What's in it for them? Sharing some market data and things like that. So absolutely having those meaningful conversations. 00:05:27:19 - 00:05:52:19 Unknown Yeah, that's a good point. We also talked a lot about Canada experience overall on the podcast, so I'm curious to know what organizations are doing to enhance the candidate experience as part of their recruitment strategy for 2024. Yeah, that's a really good question. I think the candidate experience has been a hot topic for recruiters for quite some time now. 00:05:52:19 - 00:06:17:24 Unknown You know, you want to make sure that the candidates are well taken care of, and I think companies are doing a lot of different things to help implement that. You hear a lot of like high tech, high touch. So incorporating technology into the forefront of the applicant tracking system process, whatever it may be. Another thing that candidates excuse me that recruiters are doing as they're doing more of like a fast reply when the application comes in. 00:06:17:24 - 00:06:43:16 Unknown So as soon as the application comes in, they're connecting with them, saying, Hey, thanks for applying. I would love to schedule a phone screen with you or schedule the interview with you. It really shows that you have that interest there. Yeah, the last thing that I've seen organizations doing is focusing more on pre-boarding. So before the candidates are coming in for their first day, they're assigning them a buddy, if you will, or they call it like a warm welcome approach. 00:06:43:16 - 00:07:01:15 Unknown So they either, you know, assign them to a coworker, the recruiter, or the hiring manager or whatever it may be, and it kind of stays with them, you know, every step of the way before their first day. So they kind of have that more sense of belonging when they, you know, feel you know, when you start a new job, it's it's wild. 00:07:01:17 - 00:07:26:11 Unknown You don't know where you're going, what you're doing. So it's more welcome to. Yeah, no, I could see how that would better the whole candidate experience. And you also mentioned technology in there. So another item on her was is recruiting automation. So are we really talking about technology here or even the use of artificial intelligence? Yes, we are. 00:07:26:13 - 00:07:55:07 Unknown We are. We are. AI is everywhere. It's it's a part of the recruiting process. And it's not necessarily to replace recruiters. It's to make us better, to make us faster, to make us more efficient. So we have to deliver to our members to our customers, to our candidates. So when you think of recruiting from start to finish, from, you know, putting the job out there, sourcing the candidates, contacting the candidates, sorting the candidates, AI plays a part into every piece of those. 00:07:55:07 - 00:08:19:04 Unknown And it's really just to make us more efficient and effective. So there's things like auto generated, personalized outreach messages, auto generated search strings based on requirements. So you have technologies and tools where you can enter in a job or enter in a job description and it will auto populate candidates to you that you can reach out to. And then lastly, it helps. 00:08:19:04 - 00:08:38:21 Unknown There's different like add ins with different applicant tracking systems where it can help prioritize the candidates that have come into the rack and maybe which ones are a fit or are not a fit. So and some of the ones that we've explored here internally too, it's like German Ger

Description: Explore the intersection of HR and cutting-edge technology in this week’s episode of 30 minute THRIVE. Join us as our expert guest, Tricia Shields, VP of HR at MRA member company Naviant, Inc., delves into how AI and technology are transforming HR practices, addressing challenges, and shaping the future of work. Tricia shares valuable insights, examples, and tips for HR professionals navigating this exciting landscape. Resources: Naviant - Human Resource Process Solutions  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest LinkedIn Profile - Tricia Shields  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:46:12 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, hello everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute THRIVE. So episode 65, actually. So it's kind of a special one today. But today we're really going to be exploring the intersection of HR and cutting edge technology. So I'm joined with our expert guests on the topic. Tricia Shields. She's a vice president of HR at MRA member company NAVIENT. 00:00:46:14 - 00:00:57:14 Unknown And Navient actually provides business process and digital transformation consultations. So it's a perfect topic to talk with you today. Tricia I'm excited you're here. 00:00:57:14 - 00:01:11:09 Unknown Yeah. Thank you. Sophia. I'm glad to be here, actually. And i know you actually talked on this topic at our HR Conference this past year, too, and this topic has just been a really highly requested one from our listeners to on the podcast. 00:01:11:09 - 00:01:34:11 Unknown So i'm excited to just hear your insights and tips and any advice you really have for professionals that are starting to or in the middle of kind of navigating this landscape. So could you provide just a quick overview on how technology has really evolved over the years and kind of where we are today with technology and in the field of HR 00:01:34:11 - 00:01:38:21 Unknown Specifically? Yeah, that sounds great. Thanks again for having me. 00:01:38:21 - 00:01:59:17 Unknown Yes, i kind of think about the history in a lot of ways. I feel like I've kind of grown up with technology now that technology's always been available to me. But if I think about the beginning of my career, which is just kind of over 20 years ago now, when I was first interacting with technology as it relates to HR, I really wasn't interacting with it at all. 00:01:59:17 - 00:02:25:06 Unknown So, you know, I think about my first job out of college when I needed to do something from an HR perspective, from an employee perspective, I was walking down to the HR department and I was filling out a piece of paper. And that HR professional was taking that information and maybe just storing it in their filing cabinet. Maybe they were untreated it into the system. 00:02:25:07 - 00:02:53:17 Unknown So certainly HR systems were around in that kind of late nineties time. Some organizations had adopted those and kind of the availability of the types of technologies that were available in them was vastly different across different organizations. So certainly we've seen a lot with the evolution of HR systems over the last 20 years and how we're utilizing those within our organizations. 00:02:53:19 - 00:03:26:12 Unknown We've also seen a lot evolve as it relates to process specific technologies. So, you know, thinking about things like our applicant tracking systems or performance management systems, maybe our learning management systems, but we've seen a lot more technologies coming on to the market to help support some of those key focus areas within HR. And then I think about today and just the rapid expansion that's happened maybe over the last five, seven years. 00:03:26:14 - 00:03:46:20 Unknown You know, we're talking about these more robust human capital management systems that are really taking care of a broad scope of a lot of the work we're doing within HR. You know, I commonly am in conversations about integrations and how do we integrate all these technologies so that they're talking to each other. 00:03:46:20 - 00:03:53:22 Unknown Automation technologies is is huge. That's a lot of where we're seeing a lot of the time savings 00:03:53:22 - 00:03:58:17 Unknown and and maybe more of the A.I. components of HR technology. 00:03:58:17 - 00:04:34:02 Unknown And we're hearing a lot more around the automation technology space. So definitely, you know, seemingly more complex technologies. But their technology is nowadays that if we're able to adapt to them and lean in, they should be making our lives easier as HR Professionals know. Absolutely. And i, i would just add on to that just communication like in general, like, I'm just thinking of our HR team here, and, I mean, if our internal HR team needs anything from me or any employee in the organization, I'll get a little chat from them. 00:04:34:02 - 00:04:42:16 Unknown It's not like they need to come walking down and grab me, right? It's just so quick and easy, like you mentioned. And even the two. 00:04:42:16 - 00:04:48:04 Unknown Just like that. Quick, easy automated messaging, like you mentioned tools. Yeah, changed. 00:04:48:04 - 00:04:58:15 Unknown We're kind of just going off of that conversation. Can you provide or do you have any examples of how these technologies today are being utilized in HR? 00:04:58:17 - 00:05:18:15 Unknown Yeah, I mean, even maybe before speaking specifically to any sold technology, you know, I think digitization is a really big foundational piece in the HR space as it relates to technology and how we're going to use technology within our organization. So just that whole, 00:05:18:15 - 00:05:34:00 Unknown you know, we made a commitment certainly at Navient and a lot of organizations have to digitizing their documents so that we're no longer kind of tied to paper processes and the manual process that really comes along with that. 00:05:34:00 - 00:06:01:15 Unknown So just finding opportunities and this was always my question as I built out our automation and technology usage at Navient was, all right, I have paper documents. Do they need to be in paper form? I mean, I'm excited to share that we're 100% paperless at Navient. And, you know, organizations absolutely have the ability to do that. And once your documents are digitized, there's so much more that you can do with those from a technology perspective. 00:06:01:16 - 00:06:28:16 Unknown So I would like to share that kind of kind of as a kind of based or within HR Some of the technologies and I'll just name a few. I mean, we're using technologies for all aspects of HR, so I could really rattle on like, the entire candidate and employee experience and how we're using technology. But one example that I'll give is performance management system at Navient, we call them our quarterly check ins. 00:06:28:16 - 00:06:52:13 Unknown I know some organizations will do those annually, some different timeframes as we do those from a quarterly perspective. And I think about how did that look historically. When I started in my role at Navient 15 years ago, it was a piece of paper and I printed it and I walked it to the manager's office with their kind of stack for their employees, and they gave it to their employee to fill out their portion. 00:06:52:13 - 00:07:14:08 Unknown The employee gave it back to the manager. Hopefully the manager gave it back to the HR Professional performance management was always such a big lift. And HR, like all HR Professionals that had to go through that had it in those historic days will speak to that. You had to be kind of a nagra department nagging people like i got to get these back. 00:07:14:14 - 00:07:40:15 Unknown But now if i look at how we're utilizing technology, so we're utilizing and process automation technology that essentially is taking that digitized document and it's it's, it's re re rerouted that flow or not reroute it, but it's kind of it's designed that flow around how we used to do that manually. So I actually don't even see that performance management process in action. 00:07:40:17 - 00:07:44:18 Unknown The forms are provided to the managers and the employees real time 00:07:44:18 - 00:08:12:10 Unknown specific to some predefined dates and how we want that process structured. Now as an HR Professional, i'm no longer having a follow up on those manual processes, but i also have the information available to me if i do need it. So if i want to look in and maybe have access to the final results when those are completed each quarter or an annual result, i can create my access into that system to see that as well. 00:08:12:10 - 00:08:24:16 Unknown So that's a great example of how we can use technology within that performance management space. I'll even just say on the employee data management side, and you made a great reference to that, Sofi, with 00:08:24:16 - 00:08:41:10 Unknown how you're interacting with HR And I look at just these self-serve options that are available within a lot of the platforms that we're utilizing, whether that's your system or some other type of employee technology system that you've adopted organizationally, 00:08:41:10 - 00:08:49:07 Unknown you know, back in the day, i used to, you know, fill out a piece of paper of my address, change and hand that into HR 00:08:49:09 - 00:09:15:00 Unknown Well, I don't need that anymore. I don't want to spend time collecting that paperwork, needing to store it, doing the data entry into the different systems. Instead, I can utilize technolog

Description: 🎙️ Tune in to our latest podcast episode on MRA's November Talent Report for the latest insights and trends in the world of talent. From innovative recruitment strategies to emerging skills in high demand, join us as we explore what's new in the month of November and gain valuable insights to stay ahead in the competitive job market!  Resources: Talent Report+ Webinar Series  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Jim Morgan  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Jim Morgan  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:44:10 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. All right. Welcome, everybody, to this episode of 30 Minute Thrive. It is time to go over this month's talent report with Jim Morgan, MRA's vice president of Workforce Strategies. So we'll dive into what he's been seeing this month in the world of business. So thanks for joining us again, Jim. Well, this month we focused on tomorrow's talent strategies. 00:00:44:10 - 00:01:08:08 Unknown Today, meaning what worked five years ago is no longer applicable. And in fact, what worked five weeks ago might not even work today. So starting out with the recruiting and retention innovations, where is the focus here? What's going on here? Well, I think a lot of time is being spent right now on pay transparency. And we talked about this a little bit after our comp trends event a month or so ago. 00:01:08:10 - 00:01:29:23 Unknown But it's now, you know, really getting the attention, I think, of a lot of the people we're seeing states and communities start to put trade pay transparency policies in place. And so now I think these are folks, though, that are, you know, ready to go, that have good job descriptions, a good pay structure, a good pay philosophy. I don't think it's going to be all that big of a deal for them. 00:01:30:00 - 00:01:46:17 Unknown But for those who, you know, have been winging it and just said, well, we don't really have a structure, we just kind of make it up as we go or we don't really have a pay for lots of fee or job descriptions. You know, we're kind of there, but not quite, I think are now seeing that this is a good time to get all of that in alignment to. 00:01:46:17 - 00:02:11:20 Unknown Then we do. If you come in to ask me about where am I and what's going on and what's the schedule for my job, I should be able to at least, you know, give you that information. And I think because employees now are coming in so much better equipped, because they're looking at all kinds of data, too, and saying, hey, I read, yeah, I should be making this, I should be doing this, I should be getting this, which may be accurate, may not. 00:02:11:22 - 00:02:31:22 Unknown But they're trying to build their best case for saying, I deserve this. And as a professional, I think you have to be ready to come back with we use these salary surveys, we collect this type of data and this is really where your salary is at. And that's great that you found this one job in downtown Los Angeles where they're paying seven times what we're paying. 00:02:31:24 - 00:02:55:16 Unknown But if you really look at that job, it's not really your job. It's in a different type of economic climate, in a whole different situation, in a different industry. So that doesn't apply. So I think we're really just seeing the people arm themselves and get themselves organized to really be able to handle those employee questions. Yeah, absolutely. And we have a podcast actually coming up with a recruiter for memory, so that'll be interesting to see what she kind of says. 00:02:55:18 - 00:03:15:04 Unknown On pay Transparency within like the recruiting recruiting world. Yeah, and I'm sure that she'll have some stories about, yeah, you know, I'll see an inside job where they say this job news $500,000 and you're sort of like, that's not what people are really offering, right? Or well, kind of going off of that recruiting and retention and moving into talent thinking. 00:03:15:06 - 00:03:45:11 Unknown You highlighted the fact that the role of the manager continues to evolve and where those are responsible for hiring, supervising and leading are now being asked to do more and do their job. Even better. So can you kind of expand on that, that idea and that thought and any examples that you're seeing? Yeah, they are becoming sort of the shock absorber in this whole organizational structure and a lot of it is falling back to them, which is probably the place that it should be because they are the closest to their to their folks. 00:03:45:13 - 00:04:14:19 Unknown But a lot of them didn't sign up for that, you know, 25 or 30 years ago. And so now we're seeing the emphasis on performance reviews and having conversation with your employees, staying in touch with them. The annual review is not a surprise when you it's the one time you talk to them, but you're really communicating with them every single day, knowing not only how their work is going, but how their life is going and understanding who the people are that are working for you. 00:04:14:21 - 00:04:37:12 Unknown We're seeing a lot of it in communications where there might be some disruption on the on the floor within your team or there's disagreement. It's not our I'm going to run day and have them fix this. And is our expectation as you will deal with it, you know, as it happens. And so we're seeing a lot more pressure on them to, you know, just kind of keep things within your team and you've got the skills to do it. 00:04:37:12 - 00:04:57:18 Unknown So you figure out what's the best way to deal with some of those things. Facilitating conversations across with other teams and within the people within their team, like making sure they're talking to each other. And if there's a difficulty, you're in there trying to help them, you know, figure out what that is. We're now seeing it in artificial intelligence. 00:04:57:20 - 00:05:26:02 Unknown Do you know what your people are up to? Does your company have a goal? Is an objective statement out there making sure your people are using it for good and not evil and just understanding what some of the ramifications of it might be. So they're really being called on to be the thought leaders right on the spot with their people, helping their people, helping them with performance, helping them really with everything that's affecting their ability to do their job. 00:05:26:04 - 00:05:44:17 Unknown And that includes, you know, work life balance and all the remote work and the flexibility. There's a lot on their plate right now. Yeah. They're also a full time therapist for their team. And that's very true of the mental health aspect. Yes. And really, you know, it's like your family. You got to get in there and deal with the goods and the bads. 00:05:44:23 - 00:06:15:19 Unknown yeah, absolutely. There's a lot on their plates. There is. And more coming. Well, let's talk about our creativity now. So you mentioned how employers are continuing to try different ways to engage employees in the DIY space specifically. So do you have any plans or initiatives that you're seeing here around DIY initiatives? You know, I think people are always just looking for a way to take what they're doing and make it a little bit better and what are the opportunities for us to do that. 00:06:15:21 - 00:06:34:13 Unknown And we're seeing a lot of it. Food's a big deal, you know, I mean, it's used for rewards. It's used for bringing people together, you know, all the breaking bread at the table sort of, you know, allows people to have conversations. And so we're seeing, you know, companies now that they may use those as diversity equity and inclusion opportunities. 00:06:34:15 - 00:07:07:08 Unknown Maybe they're bringing in food from a certain culture and maybe they have people who work for them that are in that culture. So rather than just, here's food from this, right, This this culture giving people the opportunity to say, here's the history behind this, here's what it means, here's what food means in my culture and some of the different things that go with that and using it as almost an educational opportunity and to say, this is great, we're all getting to eat, but let's learn a little bit more about what this means and how important it is to to different groups. 00:07:07:10 - 00:07:26:14 Unknown We're seeing the HR people now get more involved in the hiring process and even down to what are the questions we're asking in interviews and what are we looking for just to see? Is there any unconscious bias in there? Do we have people who maybe have been asking the same question for a long time and the meaning of that question maybe has changed. 00:07:26:14 - 00:08:01:09 Unknown And so really taking kind of a top to bottom look at what's happening as we're bringing people in and as we're beginning to to onboard them. And we've seen them move with our companies that, you know, the holiday schedule or the days off schedule isn't quite as strict as it was where it's Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, traditional things that maybe did apply to a wide variety of the workplace at one point, but now giving the people the flexibility to say that may not be the holiday that meets their their ethnic or cultural needs. 00:08:01:09 - 00:08:22:18 Unknown And so you have floating holidays to use for the things that are part of you and your culture and your family history. So just understanding that that might be, you know, obviously not the same for everybody. An

Description: Never before have there been five generations in the workforce. Each generation has its own quirks, styles, likes, dislikes, and ways to work, communicate, and even learn! In this podcast episode, we are going to focus on the newest generation joining us in the workplace—Generation Alpha! Resources: Learning & Development  A Multi-Generational Workforce Is a Force for Good  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Amanda Mosteller  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Amanda Mosteller  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:44:20 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, welcome, everybody. We are so glad you're here and I hope you're ready to talk generations today, specifically on one that you may have never heard before. So never before. There have been five generations in the workforce and each generation, as you know, has their own quirks, styles, likes, dislikes, ways to work, communicate, and even learn. 00:00:44:22 - 00:01:11:06 Unknown So in this podcast episode, specifically, we're going to be focusing on the newest generation joining us in the workplace, and that is Generation Alpha. So it looks like Gen Alpha is the group of generation following generation Z. So Gen X’ers are born in the early 2010’s going through the early 2020s. So we know and are finding that each generation brings something really unique to the table. 00:01:11:08 - 00:01:47:13 Unknown So. Amanda Mosteller, MRA's director of talent Development, is joining me today to talk about Gen Alpha how you should really update your L&D strategy to include these Gen Alpha learners. Make sure to stay tuned throughout the episode and we'll tell you how you can win a podcast swag item at the end. Just exciting little note there. But Amanda, we know we now know who Gen Alphas are, but really my first question to you is why is it essential for organizations to now adapt their training and development strategies for this generation? 00:01:47:15 - 00:02:21:09 Unknown When I think about Gen Alpha, I have this case study across the hall and it's my kids. They were born in 2010. We all went through this interesting thing, maybe you've heard of it called a global pandemic. And that pandemic expedited lots of things for all generations. One of the things that expedited for Gen Alpha that is different than other generations is integrated learning in school. 00:02:21:09 - 00:02:21:24 Unknown So 00:02:21:24 - 00:02:40:10 Unknown I'm not talking about adult learning theory principles versus child learning theory principles. We're not going into Andrew versus pedagogy here, but what we are going to talk about is being used to what the source of knowledge plays a part in for for these kids. So 00:02:40:10 - 00:02:46:21 Unknown in most of Gen Alpha was fourth grade or younger when the pandemic hit. 00:02:46:23 - 00:03:11:04 Unknown Prior to that, teachers in the classroom did a lot of teaching to the whole group from the front, doing activities, walking around and helping. They weren't putting elementary school kids into these Google class type structures at such a young age. They were doing that more in high school and certainly in college. 00:03:11:04 - 00:03:21:13 Unknown But the pandemic launched an expedited ETD, putting kids at younger ages into these platforms to learn things. 00:03:21:15 - 00:03:49:18 Unknown What that has done is changed their expectation of what the knowledge expert in the room's function is and how they learn. So Gen Z would have started doing that in college, mostly older. Gen Z. It wasn't until college younger, Gen Z, maybe in high school, some certainly not in elementary school, but now it's embedded in elementary school from like third and fourth grade on. 00:03:49:20 - 00:04:18:21 Unknown Because the schools put money into these platforms. They have licenses, they might as well use them. Right. And so the reason it's important for us to think about is because a lot of organizations are still hanging on to e-learning or instructor led training, possibly blended where we do some e-learning, pre class and post class. But that's as as diverse as we're getting in our strategy. 00:04:18:23 - 00:04:43:01 Unknown But Gen Z doesn't is looking for something different and Gen Alpha won't even understand it. Let's say. Why on earth are you doing it this way? That's not what the source of truth does. That's not their role in my learning. So it's time now because we have four years before they'll be the oldest part of that generation. To your point of the early 20 tens. 00:04:43:03 - 00:04:51:01 Unknown My kids are born in 2010 and depending on which sociologist time range, you look at 2010, somewhere between there and 2012 00:04:51:01 - 00:04:55:23 Unknown is Gen Alpha. So so they're halfway through eighth grade, everybody. 00:04:55:23 - 00:05:14:21 Unknown But it's, you know, four years until they are eligible for full time work. And so we have four years to really look at how we deliver training now, recognize how it might not even be meeting Gen Z and really not diversified in our strategy to meet Gen Alpha. 00:05:14:21 - 00:05:32:10 Unknown So that's why now's the time to be thinking about this. Well, absolutely. And I know you you kind of touched on some of these points, but I'm interested in knowing some of the key characteristics and really preferences of Gen Gen Alpha when it comes to learning and development. Yeah, 00:05:32:10 - 00:05:34:15 Unknown they're wanting 00:05:34:15 - 00:05:36:07 Unknown more and more 00:05:36:07 - 00:06:02:14 Unknown for the knowledge expert to be their guide to where to find the information and to bounce ideas and discussion off of, to make sure that they're understanding it, but they're not looking for the instructor or the facilitator, or for the learning strategy to be a source of truth, teaching it to them in an in-classroom or B in E learning lengthy E 00:06:02:14 - 00:06:13:11 Unknown learnings, overproduced E learnings, and they check out they're not looking for that. What they're looking for is and I'm going to age myself here, 00:06:13:11 - 00:06:26:24 Unknown my generation might remember and maybe remember Sophie, the Choose Your Path books. So you would read a book and you would get to a page and they would say, okay, you can choose to walk into the scary woods or turn around and go back. 00:06:26:24 - 00:06:45:16 Unknown If you choose to walk into the woods, turn to page 37. If you choose to go back, turn to page 46, and then you would go read if you essentially like, made it to the next stage or something horrible was usually it was a creepy book. It was You should it's something that ends the story for you and you have to go back and choose the other way. 00:06:45:18 - 00:07:05:16 Unknown But younger Gen Zs and Gen Alpha, they're looking for that kind of choose my path in learning. And I don't mean my career path. I mean how I want to learn, how I want information delivered to me, what helps for me and let me make those choices. Let me control that. 00:07:05:16 - 00:07:11:06 Unknown And the knowledge experts are there. Guide in how to find that information. 00:07:11:06 - 00:07:29:01 Unknown What might be helpful. They might come back and say, you know, as I was watching this short, short video or I was reading that blog, you you had the internal blog you have and I want to talk to you about this because I'm trying to understand this concept and how it works in my role. That's what they're looking for. 00:07:29:01 - 00:07:53:21 Unknown They want guidance. They don't want to have to rely on the person to come on Tuesday from 8 to 4 and tell them because they're that they're in class now in school. My kids, for example, are being shown where all the resources are to find the information within like the first 10 minutes of a new subject. And then they might have three days where they're meeting all different kinds of things all on their own. 00:07:53:21 - 00:07:55:01 Unknown So all through 00:07:55:01 - 00:07:58:23 Unknown 90 million different platforms that I have to try and follow to make sure they're doing their homework. But 00:07:58:23 - 00:08:20:10 Unknown that's what they're used to. Their their teachers are learning partners now. They're not the single source of truth. So that's what they're expecting when they come in to a learning strategy of you go to these classes during the first week and then after your first 30 days, you go to these classes every Monday and then you have these E learnings to finish between it between 30 and 60 days. 00:08:20:10 - 00:08:24:08 Unknown And look how diverse we are because we do some in class and some online 00:08:24:08 - 00:08:25:05 Unknown and they would be like 00:08:25:05 - 00:08:33:09 Unknown certain article about that. There are some thing I can go find that without having to do either of those prior. 00:08:33:09 - 00:08:50:11 Unknown Well I know we talked about that Gen Z is similar to Gen Alpha in a lot of ways, but what would make this new Generation Alpha different from Gen Z and how they choose or their content and how that content is really delivered? 00:08:50:12 - 00:08:53:22 Unknown Yeah, a couple of key differences. 00:08:53:22 - 00:09:00:10 Unknown One is I mentioned it kind of in the beginning of our chat for a Gen Z. 00:09:00:10 - 00:09:17:21 Unknown This the source of truth being the guide and lots of resources and we don't come to a room five days a week for this. We do it in lots of ways. That really kicked off for older

Description: In this episode, we delve into the crucial role of HR in empowering managers to excel in their leadership roles. We explore the various facets of HR support, from department alignment to performance management and employee development, providing listeners with actionable insights and practical steps to enhance their management skills and foster a thriving, engaged workforce. Join us as we unlock the secrets of "How HR Can Help Managers Manage"! Resources: MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - DQ Spencer  Guest LinkedIn Profile - DQ Spencer  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:49:14 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, hello everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute THRIVE. Thanks for joining us today. I'm excited for our conversation today because you get to hear from DQ spencer. DQ is an mra. HR Business partner located in our golden valley, minnesota location. But i know you come with a lot of experience and enthusiasm, especially for our topic today, how our can help managers manage. 00:00:49:16 - 00:01:06:08 Unknown Sounds like a big topic, but I'm excited to kind of break it down. I know we're going to run through a lot of aspects of HR and kind of give our listeners some good action items and stuff so that they can walk away with. So I know this is your first time on the podcast, so I appreciate you come on and excited. 00:01:06:10 - 00:01:26:20 Unknown Awesome. Me too, hi podcasters. I know that you recently spoke at an event on this topic actually. So before we kind of kick things off, I'm just curious to know why is this really an important topic for our listeners? Yeah, I know you're right. I did speak on the event. It was an awesome event. 00:01:26:20 - 00:01:49:13 Unknown A lot of energy and enthusiasm. This is a very important topic because a lot of organizations are still struggling with aspect of the function of HR organizations talking about people and people assets being the most important aspect of the company. But they have a hard time showing that people are, because they're the only nonrenewable asset that organizations have. 00:01:49:15 - 00:02:15:23 Unknown You can't copy the processes, equipment, technology, terminology, but you can't really copy people. So that's why this one is very important. Yeah, that's a great point as we kind of dive in. Now, can you explain how HR really collaborates with managers to emphasize their functional strengths? And kind of part two of that question is how can they use those strengths with their teams to achieve those organizational goals? 00:02:16:00 - 00:02:37:16 Unknown Yeah, So as you know, I don't know. I don't know. I have a football background. I like to use sport terminologies. That's great. Yeah, Yeah. So, I mean, HR is part of a team, right? HR is one of the few functions that truly supports the whole organization. So they have knowledge throughout each function, but they're not be the subject matter expert on that function. 00:02:37:16 - 00:02:50:12 Unknown Right? So to probably collaborate with them, you have to just include that clue to include them in our communication conversation and work to collaborate and build that functional component. 00:02:50:14 - 00:03:19:12 Unknown Speaking of teamwork, we're in a world where teamwork is crucial. So how can HR departments kind of facilitate collaboration among their employees and help managers foster that culture of cooperation and teamwork and collaboration? Yeah. So that collaboration comes from that communication, right? And so a big part of HR is communication, and it's talking to the employees, talking to the supervisors, the managers, the leads. 00:03:19:14 - 00:03:43:09 Unknown It's really getting to know your people, your biggest assets. HR is a science and that you'll understand that. I mean, as HR, you have that strength, you have that background of understanding people behaviors, thought processes, patterns and processes. But as a as a functional leader, let's say, in accounting or finance, your your, your function, your strengths are going to be with that. 00:03:43:11 - 00:04:03:17 Unknown So you can you can collaborate with them and to partner with them, engage them. You have to communicate, you have to get in there, you have to go to them. You have to understand what the culture is and how you can THRIVE that. Those behaviors in and and processes to to and build and engage their culture properly. Absolutely. 00:04:03:17 - 00:04:26:22 Unknown And I know as an HR business partner, you work with a lot of different companies, a lot of different HR department. So do you have any examples or success stories, I would say, of kind of where the HR departments work with teamwork and kind of fostering that collaboration? Yeah, I don't know. Somewhere along the line, HR has gotten such a bad rep as as the good Lord. 00:04:27:01 - 00:04:48:07 Unknown Yep. And I've been in HR for about 16 years. I have my my Bachelors of Science in HR McMaster Science and during my doctorate business in HR. And through that, I've learned a lot. But I've also learned just as much through my experience. For example, I worked with an organization known, as you mentioned previous to me joining in. 00:04:48:09 - 00:05:21:12 Unknown It was a very strong union environment and that created a kind of trifecta. Three headed obstacle course because it was the union, it was the business, the factory manufacturing, and it was HR and that's how they viewed it as three different portions, three different aspects of business. And that was a very tall task. So I really had to go in there and work on our collaboration first, partnering with the organization, the plant manager, building that relationship, and then partnering with building that relationship. 00:05:21:14 - 00:05:41:10 Unknown And I was kind of that liaison that brought it all together, you know, that that organization lacked trust amongst the three. So that was that was very challenging. But just working with them, showing my commitment, my dedication, my, my, my, my processes and my procedures, showing them that, hey, you know this, we're a team. We want the same goal. 00:05:41:14 - 00:06:11:01 Unknown We set different paths to get there. Yeah, I'm sure a lot of our listeners can kind of resonate with that and relate to that story too, and how their organization like that. So that's good advice. But we also know that compliance is also a critical aspect of HR, too. So do you have any insights on how HR can support managers and ensuring their teams adhere to the regulations and policies that always seem to be changing and updating? 00:06:11:03 - 00:06:36:13 Unknown Yeah. Yeah. So I'm going to kind of get off topic, but get back to topic is going to be. So when I first started in the HR, I tried to assimilate to that that stereotype, that prototype of a human resource manager saying no and yes, and you can't do this and you can't do that. And I wasn't truly myself and I truly started being successful when I started, you know, venturing on and being original. 00:06:36:15 - 00:06:54:04 Unknown So I took the mindset of that. I wasn't going to tell leaders and managers, No, you can't do this Right off the bat. I was going to tell them, Hey, I want to get that goal that you want, but here's how we can do this. Here's how we can get it done versus knowing. Yes. So it's compliance. It's the same kind of issues in that aspect versus telling them no or yes. 00:06:54:06 - 00:07:13:06 Unknown I'll give them parameters and say, Hey, I see what you're trying to do. This is the most compliant and best way to get there. So let's get it done together. Yeah. So, so running through kind of the task of all the tasks of HR, another one is to motivate employees, which can be kind of difficult. So how can HR 00:07:13:06 - 00:07:41:05 Unknown Professionals and managers work together to keep their teams engaged and motivated? That's that's a tough one, right? Because, you know, I say this all the time is that we're called individuals for a reason. So we're usually created in the we have individual values and views and perspectives. So to have that motivation, it's going to take really knowing and building a relationship with your organization, your culture and your employees. 00:07:41:07 - 00:08:00:07 Unknown So know your employees. One thing I told a member that I talked to, you know, he asked me, how can I motivate my employees? What's going on? They're not gauging. And I you know, I sat there and I said, Hey, you mind if I watch it for a little bit? Watch for a little bit? No problem. No problem. 00:08:00:09 - 00:08:21:09 Unknown So I sat down and took half the morning and just kind of watch his interactions with the employees. And I literally told him, I said, I saw four separate times where people were trying to talk to you and you didn't talk to people trying to walk. My actually, I didn't even look at and on two separate times we were trying to talk to you and you said, you know, you're busy with tomorrow. 00:08:21:11 - 00:08:42:10 Unknown I said, Engagement goes both ways, motivation goes both ways. You have to go and engage with them. Right. As a position of authority. Naturally. I think the way people are going to be timid to engage with you so that you have to said that you're setting a standard. Like I said, the engagement and motivation goes both ways. Show them that you're willing to do what you're asking them to do. 00:08:42:12 - 00:09:0

Description: Join us as we explore the transformative power of authenticity and immediate action in the realm of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) with leader, speaker, and author, Jess Pettitt. In this thought-provoking episode, we delve into the “Good Enough Now” philosophy, its impact on personal growth, and its potential to create positive change in companies, relationships, and communities. Resources: MRA's DEI Toolkit  Jess's Website   Jess's Book - Good Enough Now  If you are interested in a complimentary copy of Jess Pettitt’s eBook, Good Enough Now, please email laura.kielbasa@mranet.org to get your code and details on how to download the book for free. There are a limited number of codes so don’t delay! MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Meet the Guest - Jess Pettitt  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Jess Pettitt  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:51:05 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, hello everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute THRIVE Thank you for joining us today. I am so excited for our conversation today because you get to hear from a very talented and experienced individual. Jess Pettit suggests a top facilitator and educator in the diversity and inclusion space. She spent the last 20 years teaching, motivating and entertaining more than half a million people just in North America alone. 00:00:51:07 - 00:01:17:16 Unknown And speaking of that, Jess is actually one of our keynote speakers at MRA's 2023 DEI conference this year. So, Jess, I know your main goal is to kind of start that conversation while also ensuring that people feel at ease and really feel safe to learn and ask these questions. And I. So for our episode today specifically, we're kind of going to delve into the world of good enough now. 00:01:17:16 - 00:01:42:10 Unknown And that philosophy and really its impact on personal growth, its potential to create positive change in companies, relationships and communities. So before we dive into that topic, I'm really kind of curious to know just what got you started on your DEI journey. Well, first off, thank you for having me and what I get asked quite often like what got you started? 00:01:42:10 - 00:02:05:17 Unknown And there's kind of two answers at the same time. The quickie answers are, number one. I was lucky enough to grow up in Texas with parents that were very curious. So any time I would ask a question, I was sent to the library to go find out all the different kinds of answers and then did presentations to my family on the fireplace about whatever it was. 00:02:05:19 - 00:02:31:09 Unknown So I think most of the questions I asked seemed to be kind of around what I think collectively we would refer to as the underdog or hypocrisy or things that just didn't make sense. And I wasn't raised in an environment where like, Nope, this is it. Don't ask any more questions. So I think that is a significant part of my curiosity. 00:02:31:11 - 00:02:55:13 Unknown I think the other part is, is that when I had real jobs, I often was advocating. I worked, as I called an administrator. My first masters is in higher education Administration with an emphasis in crisis management. So I worked on college campuses, advocate ing for underrepresented students, and how the college or the university could better serve its surrounding community. 00:02:55:15 - 00:03:22:18 Unknown And in doing that would often point out what the university was doing to impact the community in a negative way or how they were under serving students. So I would get fired, go to another one, get another job, get fired so I kept getting fired. And eventually I know it's in our conference, but high HR, I spent a lot of time with you, but mostly I got fired because I was advocating for something that the university didn't want to do differently. 00:03:22:20 - 00:03:51:19 Unknown Spoiler alert. I would say that in my younger years, I didn't understand managing up and maybe would use like a different font in how I advocated, but I would do it all over again because I have just always attempted to advocate for those that didn't have a voice at the table. So here we are. Yeah, I love that and I love that you stayed curious and that's kind of helped you with your DD journey, and that's a big difference. 00:03:51:21 - 00:04:14:23 Unknown So just we mentioned that you're also the closing keynote speaker at our DEI conference this year, and your session is titled Good Enough Now. So can you kind of explain what is good enough now? Can you kind of share your thoughts on waiting to change versus taking that immediate action to kind of be the best version of ourselves? 00:04:15:00 - 00:04:43:13 Unknown Absolutely. I think that I should probably full disclosure, I'm a Virgo and a really anal retentive person, which means that I have perfectionist tendencies. Definitely have experienced some imposter syndrome in my life. And as I was listening to my audiences, to be frank, I was kind of burning out on talking about vocabulary and approaching diversity and kind of this way, old way, that I used to do it. 00:04:43:15 - 00:05:13:08 Unknown And I was burning out because I wasn't noticing a lot of progress. And then being a perfectionist, if you can't solve this problem, then it's very un motivating. And in my kind of sinking burnout stage, I started listening to my audiences in a different way and I kept finding them coming up with a reason or an excuse to not engage in a conversation or to not truly go and start something or do something. 00:05:13:08 - 00:05:36:19 Unknown Or they wanted to. There was a want there, but they they couldn't like just go because they didn't feel adequately prepared. They were waiting for all the correct variables to be in place. And I realized that kind of the intersection of what I would call my burnout because of perfectionism, there was this You need to do it anyway. 00:05:36:21 - 00:06:06:12 Unknown And if we're waiting to solve this problem, wouldn't you think somebody amazing ahead of us would have already solved it? And the I think it's an excuse is to wait until you have it perfect, because we feel entitled to the success or feel entitled to winning. So when I kind of noticed this as my own cure to keep me in this work, I realized in my kind of mantra is, do the best you can with what you've got. 00:06:06:14 - 00:06:36:16 Unknown Some of the time, frankly, because it's better than nothing. Never. And obviously, this does not apply to, like, surgery or things where accuracy is really important. So talking about advocating for someone trying can be frankly, trying. It can be exhausting. But when you don't know how to start trying, what you end up doing is you start trying to try and ultimately trying to try is good enough place to start, right? 00:06:36:18 - 00:06:59:14 Unknown I feel like it's all about kind of just taking that first step. And I know a lot of perfectionists out there who probably appreciate this, this kind of concept, but how do you personally relate to the concept of feeling that imbalance between who you are and kind of like what you mentioned, who you think you should be, where you think you should be in the context of DIY? 00:06:59:22 - 00:07:20:15 Unknown I think what's at the root of diversity, equity and inclusion is either kind of those of you not watching the video have two hands up, right? So one of them is recognizing all of the pain and suffering that you have experienced in your life, has made you who and how you are in the world. And that is a really important thing to acknowledge. 00:07:20:17 - 00:07:47:17 Unknown There are also a lot of privileges that have made you who and how you are. And most of us kind of enter this advocacy or DIY work because of our resilience or our survival, which includes like code switching at work, doing things that you need to do to hide certain parts of you or cover certain lived experiences or identities, you have to navigate the workplace. 00:07:47:19 - 00:08:27:01 Unknown I totally get that. I understand from my subordinated or marginalized identities, the organization that I've done to stay alive or to thrive is very personal to me. I totally get that. However, if we were to enter from our privileged identities, there's no risk. It's not about thriving. It's about just trying to do the right thing. So I try to really inspire her, myself and others to enter these conversations from their dominant or privileged identities, because that's the place where we have all the tools and the resources to actually do something, even if we can't do it perfectly. 00:08:27:03 - 00:08:50:19 Unknown And we might not actually notice when we're doing the right thing because it's the right thing in the right way, regardless of how our life has taught us how to be. I try to role model that I tried in my book. I try to like create a pathway for people to gain their own self-awareness of what it is they could be doing and encourage people to try to do just that. 00:08:50:21 - 00:09:39:05 Unknown Absolutely. Or I feel like sometimes taking these steps may kind of produce some challenges. So what are some kind of common challenges that you've seen people face when striving for better relationships, bettering themselves, fulfillment, stronger teamwork in the realm of DEI? I mean, I think the answer is in good enough, people don't feel good enough, and also at times have experienced what it does feel like to be good enough and that they're actual

Description: 🎙️ Tune in to our latest podcast episode on MRA's October Talent Report! Discover the insights you need to stay ahead in the dynamic world of business, with a special focus this month on "Building the Generational Bridge." Don't miss out on the latest trends and best practices that will elevate your talent management game! Resources: Talent Report+ Webinar Series  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Jim Morgan  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Jim Morgan  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03 Unknown Hello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:22:21 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. 00:00:23:00 - 00:00:40:14 Unknown Welcome to this episode of 30 Minute Thrive. It is that time again to go over this month's Talent report with Jim Morgan, MRA's vice president of Workforce Strategies. So we'll dive into what he's been seeing this month in the world of business in October. Thanks for coming on the podcast. Always a pleasure to be here. 00:00:40:16 - 00:01:01:02 Unknown All right. So let's go over what you're seeing this month. Women have been coming back to the workforce in high quantity. So what's driving this? What's the deal with this? I think there's a couple of things going on. Obviously, women have always been in the workforce, but I think post-pandemic, what we're starting to see now is women are still the primary childcare provider. 00:01:01:02 - 00:01:18:19 Unknown And so I think they may have been at home more or might have been in a profession that allow them to work from home more. And now everything is sort of leveled out. Again, everybody's trying to figure out, you know, exactly what they're going to do. But right now, we've got women in the workforce or at least looking for a job at 77.8%. 00:01:18:19 - 00:01:40:03 Unknown That's the highest it's ever been in the United States. So that is a as another opportunity, I think, for people, you know, to go find folks. And that totals 815,000 people this year. So in terms of companies that are trying to say, you know, where is the talent? What is going on? We are seeing a little bit of a shift in that women for a whole bunch of different reasons. 00:01:40:03 - 00:02:05:01 Unknown But I think primarily post-pandemic are coming back into the workforce and in larger numbers than they ever have before. So going into your talent thinking section, you highlighted what was found by the PDC Employer Benefits Perspective Survey on companies wanting their health plans to improve the employee experience overall and really meet the needs of diverse employees over four generations. 00:02:05:03 - 00:02:45:03 Unknown So where do these employee concerns really lie within benefits? There are a couple of things that that really stood out. One was this desire for digital health care. And you know, we never did telemedicine until the pandemic and actually found out that that was pretty effective for certain things. There are times when obviously you want to come and see your doctor, but the opportunity to use digital to use that type of technology, whether that's in telemedicine, whether that's apps on our phone, whether that's collecting our own biometrics, I mean, you have wristwatches now that can collect all kinds of different data for us. 00:02:45:05 - 00:03:07:13 Unknown And then having your data available in such a way that it can move from care provider to care provider. And you will see my doctor and then I have to go see a pharmacist and maybe have to see a specialist that it's easy for the employee to say, Here's where my information is, you will get it. So the digitizing of a while that has been a big thing. 00:03:07:15 - 00:03:32:17 Unknown The second one was employers trying to look at what's the clinical value of whoever their provider is. So if I'm using ABC Health Care, how easy is it for me to get to a clinic? What's the cost for me to visit the clinic and what are their results? Do they have good outcomes from visiting the clinic? So companies being one a little bit more critical about what's the value of the investment here. 00:03:32:23 - 00:03:56:11 Unknown And secondly, how easy is it, how convenient is it for our employees so that health care is not a half full for them? Yeah, it's something, you know, that they're easily able to do. They also are starting to look at what's being called diverse benefits. You know, are we unconsciously biased against certain types of benefits that maybe would be good for folks in obvious one is holidays? 00:03:56:17 - 00:04:22:02 Unknown You know, you may have a company that traditionally was you get Christmas. You know well, not everybody celebrates Christmas. And so moving to floating holidays to say, look, you've got two holidays to celebrate, whatever your beliefs might be or just whatever your interests are. If there are beliefs that you want to follow. So that accommodates. You know, almost everyone also starting to look at, you know, child care is something that's a bigger deal. 00:04:22:02 - 00:04:45:20 Unknown It's very expensive. How do we accommodate some of that financial planning? Some people had access to financial planning maybe more than others. And so how do we sort of level that playing field So all of our employees have that sort of opportunity. You know, and then lastly, I think looking at the workforce of the future flexible benefits, we'll talk about that a little bit later when we talk about generations. 00:04:45:22 - 00:05:11:13 Unknown But you want different things in Iowa for a whole bunch of reasons. Not just because you're cooler and more here than I am, but lifestyle. Yeah, it isn't that I'm looking for right now. So being flexible with what our parents or what our employees are looking for and then on the recognition side, really starting to hear more of from companies about how much their employees value, whether it's being recognized for birthdays and anniversaries is for jobs. 00:05:11:13 - 00:05:31:22 Unknown Well done from project to completed the swag, the lunches, all that stuff matters to people, and it actually matters again to the younger generations for sort of this sense of belonging. So we're seeing more. How do we prepare for that next generation? How do we make sure we're offering the things that they truly want? Looks like each hours got a lot of work out there. 00:05:31:24 - 00:05:53:14 Unknown And they do. They always do it. Just keep getting more. Yeah. Well, let's talk about some other recent survey results. What were some of your findings this month in terms of C-suite happenings? What are they currently focusing on right now? Yeah, we looked at the Fortune Deloitte CEOs survey just to see kind of what's going on. And then we've done our own survey data on the Fortune Deloitte one. 00:05:53:14 - 00:06:17:12 Unknown One of the interesting things was for the first time in few years now talent was displayed by geopolitics and that was the number one concern and is been talent for as long as we can remember. But just the things that are going on around the world, whether that's in Israel, whether that's Ukraine and Russia, there's just a lot of things up in the air. 00:06:17:12 - 00:06:40:00 Unknown There's a lot of disruption and that has caught the attention of the CEOs in looking at their outlook for things. About half of the people in their survey said they think there's a recession coming within the next year. This recession has kind of been six months away for two years now. And I think everyone's waiting again for that other shoe to drop. 00:06:40:02 - 00:07:03:23 Unknown And we keep thinking, well, that might have been it and that might have been it. And yet it doesn't quite happen yet. And within our own surveys here at MRA, it was amazing the number of companies that were budgeting from better times next year, but thinking the economy as a whole was still headed for a recession. So that dichotomy is really interesting that my company is going to do okay, but the economy is not. 00:07:04:00 - 00:07:27:20 Unknown And I don't know if that's an upper Midwest thing. We have a kind of a talent shortage here still, and so if people are working, you know, I'm looking like must be good out there. Yeah. But they still think overall that there's this potential of a recession on the horizon. And then lastly, the whole technology area, technology in general in terms of how do we use it for efficiency? 00:07:28:00 - 00:07:49:11 Unknown How do we use it maybe for automation in manufacturing? How do we use it for better processes and moving things along quicker? And then, you know, the big monster on the block right now, artificial intelligence. What does that mean for us and companies now scrambling to put together what's our policy in artificial intelligence? How do we make sure our employees know what it is? 00:07:49:16 - 00:08:05:11 Unknown How do we use it for good and not for evil? And that's causing again, you know, I think HR, because a lot of times are the keepers of this type of policy on the forefront to say, how are we going to build this? We have people that are already using it, people who probably still don't know what it is. 00:08:05:17 - 00:08:28:14 Unknown And we've got to kind of give them the guideposts that say this is where it can be used, this is how we think our company can benefit from this. Here are the cautions and making sure that everybody sort of up to speed on what's going on. Yeah, absolutely. And I guess now's a great time to plug. We do have an upcoming podcast on HR technology