30 minute THRIVE

In this episode, Jim Morgan, VP of Workforce Development at MRA, sits down with Ben Eubanks, Chief Research Officer at Lighthouse Research and Advisory. They discuss shifting HR practices from reactive to proactive, drawing insights from Ben's recent global research on workforce development. Episode Highlights: Key findings from global research on workforce trends. How to anticipate and address future HR challenges. Steps to create meaningful growth opportunities for employees. Insights from Ben's upcoming book on payroll and HR skill-building. Practical tips for small HR teams to implement proactive strategies. Whether you're part of a small HR team or a larger organization, this conversation offers actionable advice to stay ahead in 2025. Helpful Resources Contact Your Host, Jim Morgan About MRA Get HR assistance however, wherever, and whenever you need it. Plan your organization's strategies for growth. Find, develop, and retain the right people to build a high-performing workforce.  

In this episode, we're excited to welcome Tricia Shields, Chief Human Resource Officer at Navient, as our guest. Tricia shares her extensive experience in HR technology transformation, walking us through Navient's journey from paper-based processes to automation and digitization. This episode provides actionable insights for any organization looking to streamline HR operations. Episode Highlights: • Readiness Assessment: How to evaluate if your organization is prepared for HR digital transformation. • Paper to Digital: Practical steps for converting paper-based processes into efficient digital systems. • Core Implementation Strategies: Implementing document retention, data security, and building a centralized content repository. • Leveraging Existing Tech: Maximizing platforms like OnBase, ADP Workforce, and other vendor tools for automation and electronic forms. • Actionable Advice: Tips for organizations at every stage of their HR tech journey, whether starting from scratch or optimizing current processes.   Helpful Resources Contact Your Host, Jim Morgan About MRA Get HR assistance however, wherever, and whenever you need it. Plan your organization's strategies for growth. Find, develop, and retain the right people to build a high-performing workforce.    

In this episode, host Jim Morgan, VP of Workforce Strategies at MRA, speaks with Andres Gonzalez, VP of Community Engagement and Chief Diversity Officer at Froedtert. They discuss how organizations can transition from simply raising awareness to actively implementing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. Andres shares insights from Froedtert's journey, emphasizing the integration of DEI initiatives within leadership and organizational strategy. The episode provides actionable strategies for embedding DEI into the core of organizations to create lasting impact on both employees and the community. Episode Highlights: Strategic Alignment: The importance of aligning DEI efforts with organizational goals and ensuring strong leadership support. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): How ERGs contribute to talent management, development, and community outreach. Culturally Equitable Care: The role of providing culturally and linguistically appropriate care in improving healthcare outcomes. Community Collaboration: The impact of working with community-based organizations to address broader social determinants of health.   Helpful Resources Contact Your Host, Jim Morgan About MRA Get HR assistance however, wherever, and whenever you need it. Plan your organization's strategies for growth. Find, develop, and retain the right people to build a high-performing workforce.    

In this episode, John Komosa, Director of Global Compensation at Generac, shares insights on how the company approaches compensation and benefits in a global marketplace. He discusses key influences like the economy, industry changes, and market alignment across various countries and industries. John also highlights the challenges Generac faces in the competitive engineering and technology job markets. Key Takeaways: The importance of market influences and economic conditions on compensation How Generac aligns compensation strategies globally while considering regional differences The role of benefits in total rewards, tailored to generational and individual needs Strategies to attract and retain talent in a tightening labor market Utilizing compensation surveys and consultants to ensure market competitiveness Tune in to learn how a global company navigates the complexities of compensation!   Helpful Resources Contact Your Host, Jim Morgan About MRA Get HR assistance however, wherever, and whenever you need it. Plan your organization's strategies for growth. Find, develop, and retain the right people to build a high-performing workforce.   Related Episodes HR's Role in Corporate Strategy Strategies for Building a Strong Corporate Culture Key Trends from SHRM 2024  

In this episode, we dive into the key HR trends emerging from the SHRM 2024 conference. Join us as we sit down with three SHRM 2024 attendees who share their unique perspectives on the event. They discuss the most impactful sessions, the latest developments in HR practices, and the innovative strategies they plan to implement in their own organizations. Whether you attended SHRM 2024 or missed out, this episode offers valuable insights and takeaways from the forefront of the HR industry. Tune in to stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving world of HR! Helpful Resources Contact Your Host, Jim Morgan About MRA Get HR assistance however, wherever, and whenever you need it. Plan your organization's strategies for growth. Find, develop, and retain the right people to build a high-performing workforce.   Related Episodes Voices from SHRM24: HR Stories, Challenges, and Roles Uncovered HR's Role in Corporate Strategy The Road Ahead: Strategic Career Planning and Progression  

Join us in this special episode recorded live from the national SHRM conference, where we dive into the heart of HR through the voices of attendees. Listen as professionals share their personal HR stories—both positive and negative—highlight the HR roles they believe would benefit their organizations the most, and discuss the pressing challenges they face in today's workplace. This episode provides a unique snapshot of the current HR landscape, offering insights and experiences straight from the front lines of human resources. Tune in to hear the candid and thought-provoking perspectives of your peers.   Helpful Resources Get HR assistance however, wherever, and whenever you need it. Plan your organization's strategies for growth. Find, develop, and retain the right people to build a high-performing workforce.  

Join us in this insightful episode as we explore the pivotal role HR plays in shaping and executing corporate strategy. Our special guest, Amy Jones from Didion, an esteemed MRA member company, brings her extensive experience and unique perspective to the conversation. We'll delve into how HR can drive organizational success, align talent management with strategic goals, and foster a culture of innovation and growth. Whether you're an HR professional, a business leader, or simply interested in the intersection of human resources and corporate strategy, this episode offers valuable insights and practical takeaways. Don't miss it!   Contact Your Host, Jim Morgan About MRA   Helpful Resources Get HR assistance however, wherever, and whenever you need it. Plan your organization's strategies for growth. Find, develop, and retain the right people to build a high-performing workforce.  

Join us as we chat with Laura Cullen from JP Cullen about essential career strategies. Laura covers effective onboarding, creating impactful learning plans, and nurturing young leaders. Learn how to develop tailored learning plans and empower emerging talent within your organization. Tune in for practical advice to advance your team!   Contact Your Host, Jim Morgan About MRA  

In this episode we dive into the latest trends in succession planning as unveiled LIVE at MRA's HR Conference. Join us as we explore expert insights and innovative strategies shared by leading HR professionals. Whether you're an HR veteran or new to the field, this episode provides valuable takeaways to help you ensure your organization's leadership pipeline is robust and future-ready. Tune in to stay ahead in the evolving landscape of human resources and gain actionable tips to implement in your succession planning process. Don't miss this insightful discussion on preparing your organization for tomorrow's challenges today.   Contact Your Host, Jim Morgan About MRA Succession Planning Resource

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 - 00:09:02:17 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. I feel like that's a good point. I know a lot of companies right now just have to kind of reevaluate what they're doing. Like you kind of sat in as a fly on the wall and you were able to see it. The HR department may not be able to see it because they're in it. So sometimes you kind of need an outsider almost to come in and see that. 00:09:02:17 - 00:09:32:14 Unknown ALL Yeah. So when it comes to achieving results, alignment with an organization is key, obviously. So how can HR create that alignment between different teams and departments? Yeah, so alignment comes out. You know, I talked about inclusion, communication, conversation alignment comes with understanding the goal, right? And creating processes and procedures that align with that, that THRIVE toward that goal. 00:09:32:16 - 00:09:55:11 Unknown A lot of companies have processes just because they happen. They said, we always have this or this is what we were always. But your goal changed, the business changed. You know, the world of business is very dynamic. It's always changing for you to keep the same processes. It might not make sense to achieve that goal. So I always tell the people, you know, look at what you're trying to achieve, work backwards and this is what we want it. 00:09:55:14 - 00:10:15:18 Unknown This is what we want to achieve. So let's do this. This, this is to get there versus, well, let's do this and go kind of around it, you know, align toward that goal, direct your process, your behavior and your diet and your actions toward achieving that ultimate goal. And just what you said right there, the world of business is very dynamic. 00:10:15:18 - 00:10:47:18 Unknown So I guess that kind of brings us to our next point of how can our assist managers in adapting their strategies and tactics to meet new challenges when business is always changing? Yeah, it's just constant reassessment, right? So like I said, I've been organizations all different functions and industries, and the thing I hear the most is this is how we've always done it or this is what they told us to do versus, you know, having that critical thinking skills, thinking about, hey, this is what they told us to do. 00:10:47:18 - 00:11:03:20 Unknown And so I was done it. But it doesn't kind of make sense. We're trying to do so we're going back to think about this is what we're trying to we're trying to achieve organic business. We're trying to grow. We're trying to we're trying to set customers and employee satisfaction. So what can we do to get better? Understanding your culture. 00:11:04:01 - 00:11:26:13 Unknown Culture is big, so I don't know if you know that I'm a teacher as well. Professor There's that. There's perio, pedagogy and anthropology. The type of learning that adults when when they learn, they want to learn by seeing what you do and looking what you do versus when you're a kid, you do this because you're told to do because you have to go through this. 00:11:26:13 - 00:11:43:23 Unknown You have to work through school, you have to go to high school as adults. They're there because they only want to be there. So let's make it a department that they want to be there right there. It's going to be changing. Not everyone's going to be the same, just like business is going to be evolving. It's going to be dynamic. 00:11:43:23 - 00:12:12:02 Unknown It's going to be contemporary. Some things may stay traditional, but it's going to move. You have to move with flexibility. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I should have mentioned that you were a teacher in the beginning too. I got so many different perspectives now from, well, we've kind of mentioned this throughout the whole podcast, but it seems like employee engagement is often one of the biggest concerns for managers. 00:12:12:04 - 00:12:44:19 Unknown So and you've touched on this briefly, but how can it really assist in measuring and improving employee engagement then to enhance team performance in an organization? Yeah, and that's that's a tough question, right? Because everyone is going to be different. But the thing it can say is, you know, just like business and sales engagement is building relationships, then understanding where you're talking to, what you're talking about, understanding the optimal goal and just building everybody should go toward it. 00:12:44:19 - 00:13:09:14 Unknown And earlier, making that effort to engage with their employees, making that effort to be as transparent. That's transparent as possible. And so you can't be completely transparent all the time, but be as open as possible because more people understand them more than want to THRIVE that goal and helping them get those fingerprints and open and get that engagement and touchpoints within that plan. 00:13:09:16 - 00:13:28:24 Unknown And that also helps, you know, they have a little skin in the game that will help them engage and help them. So, you know, I'm a part of this, right? But it starts and starts with the culture. And how is your culture is an engaging culture. Is it an open door culture? Is it, hey, I know we're business here, but how is your day and how are you doing? 00:13:29:01 - 00:13:45:18 Unknown Look at the example I gave previously. When a manager, you know, shoot people off or was too busy to talk to people or, you know, he walked from his office right to where he needs to go at to engage. You have to show them this is what engagement looks like. You have to show that, hey, I'm motivated to do my job. 00:13:45:18 - 00:14:13:12 Unknown You have to think, what do you think about this? Talk to them and increase that communication, increase that inclusion and then kind of full support. HR Is a big portion of that because a lot of people really don't have that perspective or understanding or mindset. And as a human resource manager, we understand that people are our business and people should be everyone's business because that's what business is created on. 00:14:13:14 - 00:14:40:05 Unknown Even even technical businesses, even process oriented businesses. They're all about people, right? We understand our people. The more we can utilize to take advantage of how great that asset can be and how much we can get to them, how much they can get does Yeah, absolutely. I love that you emphasized the importance of culture and having a good culture because that honestly THRIVEs your organization. 00:14:40:05 - 00:15:07:23 Unknown And you can tell on day one and even probably both before you work at the organization what their culture is because she's a very prominent thing in an organization. So it's like, you know, example that I give, which I've seen many times, is when you're interviewing people, show their best in the best of times and say, Hey, we're going over their culture where, you know, we want to hear everything you're saying. 00:15:08:00 - 00:15:40:02 Unknown But when you start, it's absolutely And I walk down the hall, every door was closed, closed door meetings, Everything feels like it's secretive. It feels like you're very being excluded. And that's absolute culture. So part of my research for my my doctorate was how to decrease turnover. The intention was really, truly millennials because I do my research on generation, but in how to decrease turnover intentionally with the number one decrease, there was the culture right? 00:15:40:04 - 00:15:56:16 Unknown Are you saying you do or are you being transparent? Are you including is are you hiring and retaining people? You need to cultivate that culture and that's a big thing is if you don't have a culture where you if you don't have what you want now, that's not a big deal. A lot of lot religion are in there. 00:15:56:20 - 00:16:18:03 Unknown They don't have what they want to go. They want to achieve. So but how are you going to get that right? What's your plan and how are you communicate and really in that plan, to your people, to your to your managers, and how are they acting on that? Well, you know, it's one thing to say it, but it's another thing to actually let them go. 00:16:18:03 - 00:16:43:00 Unknown I know you've given a ton of best practices and advice and tips throughout this whole podcast, but do you have any best practices for HR Professionals to really identify and leverage the functional strengths with within their organization to THRIVE that success that everybody wants? Yeah. Yeah. So a lot of times i will say this is a very known saying, but get comfortable with being accountable. 00:16:43:04 - 00:17:15:01 Unknown Right? So a lot of times when you talk the functions this is my first experience with my career when I taught the different functions and I wasn't prepared to talk to them about their business or their function. And so that decreased their trust and decrease their trust in me. So the more time to understand it and functions, I can have a direct conversation with about what their strengths were and and they can see that I'm taking that action to really understand what their strengths are and what their function is and what their goal is. 00:17:15:01 - 00:17:43:14 Unknown And the more I understood how they act, how they behave, what their processes were, the more I could create strategy to more insert myself into their function and help them grow. And it helped me grow so much. Understand business financially, understand business through the processes of manufacturing, understand business details and marketing. But I just, you know, like I said, part of the reason why I got my BBA was because I had a master's in science, which is great. 00:17:43:17 - 00:18:11:11 Unknown But I want to understand business as a whole more holistically. And that helped me grow so much, helped me grow immensely understanding different functioning business. And that's what I would give to each age and professional in any, anyone, any function. I try to learn business. Don't try to, you know, obviously, you know, you do. You're your expert at what you do, but be an expert at understanding the business and that will help you grow with your organization. 00:18:11:11 - 00:18:30:01 Unknown There's so much that is great advice. That's something that I'm trying to do too, is just even shadowing an apartment for a day to see what their day in the life is. And that, like you said, will help you understand the business as a whole and will help you do your job better, too, on the long run. Yeah. 00:18:30:01 - 00:18:48:20 Unknown Yeah. And with that is I know it sounds boring, but you know, what do you what's, what's going on in that meeting. I said in that meeting where. Hey, you mind if I, you know, tag along with you? Like I said, Do you mind if I show you? Do you mind if I hang out and kind of the following a little bit and understand what you're going through so I can better help you, better assist you and better support you. 00:18:49:01 - 00:19:09:00 Unknown And that's what it's about. You know, selfishly, I was trying to grow the business, not trying to grow myself, so I was trying to be a better project, better employee and a better person and more advanced to business. Absolutely. Well, as we wrap up your last question, can you share any key takeaways for our listeners on how HR 00:19:09:00 - 00:19:38:00 Unknown Can really be that strategic partner in helping managers manage effectively and achieve the optimal results in their organizations. Bring it full circle here. We'll circle sort of our circle like i would say, kind of like I said, understand the business more. You understand that business and that function and that environment, the more alignment you can create, right? So again, help them understand processes that they don't know the process of, hey, this is what we're doing. 00:19:38:02 - 00:20:08:20 Unknown Is that process, that HR Role. When i don't understand it, then they probably won't rule it out to the best of their ability. They probably won't engage in it to the best of your abilities. So help them understand it, right? Understand their business. They can understand your business. Say that that alignment, that inclusion, you know, still in their meetings, our conversation with them, engage with them, go out of your way, you know, go beyond a little bit to make them feel, you know, that they trust you, that the understanding that they believe in you. 00:20:08:22 - 00:20:30:23 Unknown Because the more trust, more understanding, the more inclusion you have, more transparency, you'll get more engaging, you'll get, the better you be able to help them and support them. And the more the business will be able to grow and that's what it's about, is creating that organic growth and that internal growth as well as that external world. So you can be successful in the business, can be successful decades. 00:20:31:00 - 00:20:54:01 Unknown This was great. I want to thank you for being on the podcast today and sharing all that great content and all the advice on how HR Can really help managers manage. So to our listeners, i would just encourage you if you liked our chat and topic today, comment something new that you learned today or something that you're going to start implementing or anything else that you'd like to add on to the conversation. 00:20:54:01 - 00:21:18:04 Unknown We want to know your thoughts, what you're thinking. If you have any new ideas on this topic. And don't forget to share out this episode, of course, and consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. We have all the resources you need in the show notes below. We've also included resources on this topic and DQ's contact info and LinkedIn profile if you want to connect with him. 00:21:18:06 - 00:21:39:18 Unknown Otherwise, thank you so much for tuning in today and we will see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect for more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out. 00:21:39:18 - 00:21:44:11 Unknown Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

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 respondents have that. 00:06:33:20 - 00:06:38:04 They find their interns and they have a lot of great luck by 00:06:38:06 - 00:06:41:04 going to job fairs at universities and colleges 00:06:41:04 - 00:06:45:21 and just different locations where they're able to network with people. 00:06:45:23 - 00:06:48:14 I would also say share it out to your LinkedIn page. 00:06:48:14 - 00:06:49:14 You know, 00:06:49:14 - 00:06:54:17 I think we see a lot of interns get hired because of connections they have. 00:06:54:17 - 00:06:55:06 And I 00:06:55:06 - 00:06:59:00 you know, I get we'll find out something about MRA's intern leadership program 00:06:59:00 - 00:07:02:22 and I'll get people come back and say like, well, I don't have 00:07:03:02 - 00:07:05:07 an intern at my company, but I do have a daughter 00:07:05:07 - 00:07:07:17 that's looking for an internship or a niece or a nephew. 00:07:07:17 - 00:07:10:18 And I'm always willing to help pair that. 00:07:10:18 - 00:07:12:23 So you just never know who is going to see some of that. 00:07:12:23 - 00:07:15:23 But like I said, I think for the most part, 00:07:16:02 - 00:07:18:18 people have a lot of luck getting in front of the universities, 00:07:18:18 - 00:07:21:23 the colleges and being on campus in front of the next generation 00:07:21:23 - 00:07:26:02 of talent and just from a brand awareness standpoint, there's always a benefit 00:07:26:02 - 00:07:27:15 there, too. 00:07:27:15 - 00:07:31:09 As far as timing, you know, I think we've seen it 00:07:31:11 - 00:07:35:20 be done successfully at various times throughout the year. 00:07:35:22 - 00:07:36:23 You know, 00:07:36:23 - 00:07:40:14 we are seeing a lot of companies now that are ramping up for summer internship. 00:07:40:14 - 00:07:44:16 So they are starting to just  find their interns. 00:07:44:16 - 00:07:48:06 Now, we do recommend a little bit earlier than now at this point of the year. 00:07:48:06 - 00:07:52:23 We'll see some of the schools and the organizations 00:07:52:23 - 00:07:57:02 that have bigger internship programs are starting right after the summer. 00:07:57:02 - 00:08:01:03 So they're starting in September hiring all the way for the next summer. 00:08:01:03 - 00:08:03:15 And I mean, it's a lot of work to fill. 00:08:03:15 - 00:08:08:15 35 internships or however many there are, but a lot of the career 00:08:08:16 - 00:08:12:00 offers happen early in the fall and again in the spring. 00:08:12:00 - 00:08:13:15 So just kind of thinking, 00:08:13:15 - 00:08:16:21 being strategic about that, it doesn't mean you have to start in the fall. 00:08:16:23 - 00:08:19:20 People have a lot of great luck in the spring, 00:08:19:20 - 00:08:22:01 so definitely an option to. 00:08:22:01 - 00:08:26:04 But as far as best practices, I would also say think about your job 00:08:26:04 - 00:08:29:22 description and your job ad and you don't have to put 00:08:29:22 - 00:08:33:18 every single detail, every single project that they're going to be working on. 00:08:33:18 - 00:08:37:23 But some highlight some of those main responsibilities, 00:08:37:23 - 00:08:39:24 of course, but then some of those fun things too. 00:08:39:24 - 00:08:41:10 So like, for example, 00:08:41:10 - 00:08:45:06 we have a company that's participating in the Intern Leadership Program program 00:08:45:06 - 00:08:49:10 that I'm a grant offers, and they put that as part of their job description 00:08:49:12 - 00:08:52:23 in every single one of their interns 00:08:53:00 - 00:08:55:01 that they ended up hiring have said 00:08:55:01 - 00:08:57:15 they had to ask the question, like, Why did you apply for this internship? 00:08:57:15 - 00:08:59:24 And they also had the intern leadership program. 00:08:59:24 - 00:09:02:24 So some of that professional development that's part of that intern 00:09:02:24 - 00:09:06:01 program can be part of the the job at that job description. 00:09:06:01 - 00:09:09:19 So some of those fun key elements in showcasing the mentorship 00:09:09:19 - 00:09:12:09 and networking opportunities that they're going to have. 00:09:12:09 - 00:09:13:19 And also I would just say 00:09:13:19 - 00:09:17:04 if there's an opportunity for them to learn the business as a whole, 00:09:17:04 - 00:09:21:00 put some of that stuff in your job ads as well. 00:09:21:00 - 00:09:25:03 I think interns in general are just trying to gain as much experience 00:09:25:03 - 00:09:26:04 and knowledge as they can. 00:09:26:04 - 00:09:29:04 So if they see that in your job description, in your job ad, 00:09:29:07 - 00:09:32:06 I think that's going to be a huge draw for them. 00:09:32:08 - 00:09:32:23 Absolutely. 00:09:32:23 - 00:09:37:16 I was going to say you're trying to attract these interns like a new employee. 00:09:37:16 - 00:09:43:12 So like like you said, be creative and show off what flexible arrangements 00:09:43:12 - 00:09:46:12 you may have something that's going to attract 00:09:46:14 - 00:09:49:21 an intern to work for your organization. 00:09:49:23 - 00:09:54:16 Well, those are the things that we hear about from the interns, is 00:09:54:18 - 00:09:57:09 they like I mean, they like the flexibility, of course. 00:09:57:09 - 00:09:59:08 But I think some of the struggle is 00:09:59:08 - 00:10:03:06 they really want to learn from others and be mentored. 00:10:03:08 - 00:10:07:08 And it's really hard to do that if they're coming into the office, 00:10:07:08 - 00:10:09:14 which they a lot of them have shown that 00:10:09:14 - 00:10:12:24 they want to come into the office for that mentorship opportunity. 00:10:13:01 - 00:10:14:04 But if they're coming in 00:10:14:04 - 00:10:17:23 and nobody else is in the office, that can be a really challenging thing too. 00:10:17:23 - 00:10:20:17 So if you are able to express 00:10:20:17 - 00:10:24:18 what those mentorship opportunities and those learning opportunities are, that 00:10:24:19 - 00:10:30:23 I think is a great way for them to like, really understand how that could happen. 00:10:31:00 - 00:10:33:03 And the other thing just kind of going back to, 00:10:33:03 - 00:10:36:00 you know, the timing of hiring interns, 00:10:36:00 - 00:10:38:17 we've seen a lot more in the last year 00:10:38:17 - 00:10:42:17 to of companies that are hiring interns and then 00:10:42:19 - 00:10:45:22 they're struggling to retain them, even to start their internship. 00:10:45:22 - 00:10:48:22 So, you know, you have to find that balance of 00:10:49:01 - 00:10:51:21 hiring them early enough, but then also keeping them engaged. 00:10:51:21 - 00:10:54:06 So if you do hire them in January, 00:10:54:06 - 00:10:57:22 that's still another five or six months until they start their internship. 00:10:57:24 - 00:11:00:10 So just think about how you're going to keep them engaged 00:11:00:10 - 00:11:02:19 and excited about your internship experience. 00:11:02:19 - 00:11:05:18 You know, we typically we've seen some data 00:11:05:18 - 00:11:09:01 and we recommend, you know, every three weeks that you're reaching out 00:11:09:03 - 00:11:13:09 or three to every three weeks, you're reaching out to those interns, 00:11:13:11 - 00:11:16:05 you know, with some type of communication, whether it's 00:11:16:05 - 00:11:19:23 their managers are reaching out, whether it's different people on the team, 00:11:19:23 - 00:11:23:16 HR Sharing company newsletters, all of that stuff to keep them engaged 00:11:23:22 - 00:11:26:04 so they're not like i still have this internship. 00:11:26:04 - 00:11:28:18 I haven't heard from them in a couple of months. Like, what's going on here? 00:11:28:18 - 00:11:32:17 So just keeping them excited and engaged is important too. 00:11:32:19 - 00:11:35:23 Yeah, absolutely. Those are all great points. 00:11:36:00 - 00:11:36:15 Let's say you have 00:11:36:15 - 00:11:39:15 your group of hired interns. Now. 00:11:39:17 - 00:11:44:14 What steps are really taken then to integrate them into the company's work 00:11:44:14 - 00:11:47:23 environment and to kind of 00:11:48:00 - 00:11:51:15 what does the onboarding process look like for them? 00:11:51:17 - 00:11:53:23 Yeah, I think, you know, that's a great question. 00:11:53:23 - 00:11:57:00 And I would say I would just start 00:11:57:00 - 00:12:00:09 by looking at what your current onboarding process is for any new hire. 00:12:00:09 - 00:12:03:19 I mean, a lot of that will pertain to them as well. 00:12:03:21 - 00:12:07:08 But then looking at what additional pieces are you going to add? 00:12:07:10 - 00:12:10:15 Again, I think less the internship experience really is 00:12:10:20 - 00:12:12:09 what I just had an experience. 00:12:12:09 - 00:12:15:17 So what are you doing for them on day one 00:12:15:17 - 00:12:18:21 to really provide that impact and get them excited for the summer? 00:12:18:21 - 00:12:20:19 Obviously there are some major 00:12:20:19 - 00:12:21:13 things that you just have 00:12:21:13 - 00:12:24:17 to take care of on day one, but what swag are you giving them? 00:12:24:17 - 00:12:28:08 Are you buying them lunch or are they getting to meet with a lot of people? 00:12:28:10 - 00:12:31:20 You know, I think day one really should be about building some of that excitement. 00:12:32:01 - 00:12:37:02 But then how are they learning and growing throughout their entire summer? 00:12:37:02 - 00:12:40:11 And what is that learning plan and onboarding look like beyond day 00:12:40:11 - 00:12:43:14 one and how to integrate them within the organization? 00:12:43:14 - 00:12:45:11 And of course, every company is different. 00:12:45:11 - 00:12:47:06 And what they need to know. 00:12:47:06 - 00:12:51:03 But I would just really recommend that you look at your own current 00:12:51:03 - 00:12:54:22 onboarding process, how to even enhance that even a little bit further, 00:12:54:22 - 00:12:58:14 like knowing that this a lot of them this might be their first real 00:12:58:19 - 00:13:00:03 job in the workplace 00:13:00:03 - 00:13:03:17 and how do you help them feel comfortable and navigate some of those, 00:13:03:19 - 00:13:08:04 you know, nuances or things that people you assume people just know 00:13:08:04 - 00:13:12:00 by being in the workplace and even just like dress code. 00:13:12:00 - 00:13:14:17 I know that's not the most exciting thing, but like, 00:13:14:17 - 00:13:17:05 you know, we've had a lot of companies say 00:13:17:07 - 00:13:19:00 our interns don't even know what our dress code is. 00:13:19:00 - 00:13:22:20 And, you know, you forget that sometimes this is their first real job. 00:13:22:20 - 00:13:24:05 So having to help them out. 00:13:24:05 - 00:13:26:13 And honestly, the earlier, the better. 00:13:26:13 - 00:13:29:23 That can be something you can communicate even before they start. 00:13:29:23 - 00:13:31:04 So I think really just 00:13:31:04 - 00:13:33:07 how do you assimilate them with your organization 00:13:33:07 - 00:13:36:19 and your best practices within your company and how they can, 00:13:36:24 - 00:13:40:11 you know, feel comfortable and be set up for success from the beginning? 00:13:40:13 - 00:13:41:19 You know, I look at it. 00:13:41:19 - 00:13:45:04 So if you when you were an intern, which was, you know, a while ago now, but, 00:13:45:06 - 00:13:48:06 you know, you texted me and your manager at 00:13:48:06 - 00:13:51:18 the time was like, hey, like we're about a week and a half out. 00:13:51:18 - 00:13:52:15 Like what? 00:13:52:15 - 00:13:54:00 You know, what is the dress code? 00:13:54:00 - 00:13:55:02 And we're like, my gosh. 00:13:55:02 - 00:13:58:00 Like, how did we not even tell her about? Like, that's a great question. 00:13:58:00 - 00:14:00:21 You know, like, you're just trying to be set up for success. 00:14:00:21 - 00:14:05:08 So any of those things that might be on their minds just let those know upfront. 00:14:05:08 - 00:14:08:08 And I think also just a side note of that, it's like 00:14:08:09 - 00:14:10:11 make sure they have your phone number so they can text you 00:14:10:11 - 00:14:12:09 those questions and encourage them to do that. 00:14:12:09 - 00:14:14:12 Because like when you text us, we were like, 00:14:14:12 - 00:14:16:20 my gosh, like, of course, how do we not even think about that? 00:14:16:20 - 00:14:20:08 And obviously it was on your mind because you sent us a message. 00:14:20:10 - 00:14:24:19 Yeah, that's funny because I was going to bring that up as an example here. 00:14:24:21 - 00:14:28:06 Just showing the importance of onboarding in the interim 00:14:28:06 - 00:14:32:24 because like you said, a lot of the time an internship is 00:14:33:00 - 00:14:36:19 maybe somebody's first real life kind of job experience. 00:14:36:19 - 00:14:42:00 So the onboarding process is just as important, as important, 00:14:42:00 - 00:14:44:08 if not the most important stuff, in my opinion. 00:14:44:08 - 00:14:46:08 Just because you want to 00:14:46:08 - 00:14:50:05 make that group first impression and get them excited on day one. 00:14:50:07 - 00:14:54:15 And yeah, I think for my experience 00:14:54:17 - 00:14:59:04 I felt comfortable to text you guys and say, Hey, like 00:14:59:06 - 00:15:03:02 we're a couple days away from first day, what's the dress code? 00:15:03:04 - 00:15:04:14 But then I also remember 00:15:04:14 - 00:15:07:00 feeling very comfortable when I first walked in 00:15:07:00 - 00:15:09:09 because I got to meet everyone at the company. 00:15:09:09 - 00:15:12:19 There is a swag like gift 00:15:12:19 - 00:15:15:19 bag or laid all over my desk. 00:15:15:19 - 00:15:19:00 Just the process of day one one. Awesome. 00:15:19:00 - 00:15:23:06 And I remember also being in the car because 00:15:23:08 - 00:15:28:11 you and my manager took me out to lunch and I remember like taking a picture, 00:15:28:11 - 00:15:33:00 a selfie in the backseat, and I'm like, Mom would be taking me out to lunch. 00:15:33:00 - 00:15:34:23 And I had my name tag. 00:15:34:23 - 00:15:38:02 But it is the little things that make the day 00:15:38:02 - 00:15:41:04 one experience and it gets I don't know, it made me excited. 00:15:41:04 - 00:15:44:10 Hey, to come back day two and like, what's day two going to look like? 00:15:44:10 - 00:15:46:06 What stage three gonna look like? 00:15:46:06 - 00:15:49:20 So kind of like continuously sparking 00:15:49:20 - 00:15:53:15 that excitement to make make the experience great. 00:15:53:17 - 00:15:58:09 And it was also I mean, I think that's so true. 00:15:58:09 - 00:16:02:03 And you know, I think you start to take some of those things for granted 00:16:02:04 - 00:16:03:09 like a business card, 00:16:03:09 - 00:16:07:11 a name tag, like, you know, you've been in in the business world for a while. 00:16:07:11 - 00:16:08:06 And, you know, 00:16:08:06 - 00:16:10:03 I think business cards were such a big deal 00:16:10:03 - 00:16:12:18 when I got them for the first time was like, my gosh, she's an intern. 00:16:12:18 - 00:16:13:22 I have business cards. 00:16:13:22 - 00:16:16:06 And it was like giving them to my family members. 00:16:16:06 - 00:16:19:08 And it's like, you know, it's such a little thing, but it really does. 00:16:19:08 - 00:16:22:08 You're like, my gosh, like I'm an adult now, you know? 00:16:22:09 - 00:16:25:19 So I think, like you said, it's all about those little experiences. 00:16:26:00 - 00:16:26:11 Yeah. 00:16:26:11 - 00:16:31:17 And just to add on to that, to I know we talked about going out to lunch 00:16:31:17 - 00:16:36:01 or doing something special, but even if you have virtual interns 00:16:36:01 - 00:16:39:06 or remote interns, which I think is kind of 00:16:39:08 - 00:16:41:21 becoming the new normal, almost, 00:16:41:21 - 00:16:44:21 you can still do those special things. 00:16:44:21 - 00:16:46:13 Maybe you send them a gift card on day 00:16:46:13 - 00:16:51:05 one to go grab something for lunch or maybe do a virtual lunch with them. 00:16:51:05 - 00:16:54:10 So we were talking about our experience in person, 00:16:54:10 - 00:16:58:18 but this can definitely apply virtually to Absolutely for sure. 00:16:58:21 - 00:17:02:13 I mean, I think gift cards, just DoorDash and something to their door, 00:17:02:15 - 00:17:03:18 There's a lot of there's 00:17:03:18 - 00:17:07:14 a lot of creative things out there that companies are doing, for sure. 00:17:07:16 - 00:17:08:07 Yeah. 00:17:08:07 - 00:17:09:22 So next step here now 00:17:09:22 - 00:17:13:15 we talk about recruiting interns, kind of whole planning process. 00:17:13:17 - 00:17:17:11 So let's say your internship program is established. 00:17:17:13 - 00:17:21:21 How would you really ensure its sustainability and what strategies 00:17:21:24 - 00:17:25:01 would you employ for the continuous improvement 00:17:25:01 - 00:17:29:09 based on feedback and just industry trends? 00:17:29:11 - 00:17:31:04 Yeah, I mean, I always saw companies 00:17:31:04 - 00:17:33:15 like don't be afraid to just ask your interns 00:17:33:15 - 00:17:35:14 what they're thinking and ask for feedback. 00:17:35:14 - 00:17:36:23 You know, 00:17:36:23 - 00:17:41:16 I think some interns are more comfortable than others about giving their feedback, 00:17:41:16 - 00:17:45:17 but I think, you know, even just a full survey every week 00:17:45:17 - 00:17:49:14 or every other week, whether it comes from HR Or the hiring manager, 00:17:49:16 - 00:17:51:19 just giving them an opportunity to share 00:17:51:19 - 00:17:54:19 what's on their mind and what recommendations they have. 00:17:54:20 - 00:17:58:24 We see a lot of companies that typically do you know what is known 00:17:58:24 - 00:18:01:19 as an exit interview where they're just asking for feedback 00:18:01:19 - 00:18:05:13 and the amount of times companies say like, wow, that was such a simple thing. 00:18:05:13 - 00:18:07:22 We could have implemented that if we knew. 00:18:07:22 - 00:18:12:08 So we're even seeing companies that are doing poll surveys like I 00:18:12:08 - 00:18:17:04 mentioned, or a couple of weeks in, like how was your first month on the job? 00:18:17:04 - 00:18:21:08 Is there anything else we can do to support you in For the most part, and 00:18:21:08 - 00:18:25:03 HR Has reported, at least from the groups that i've talked with, 00:18:25:05 - 00:18:27:12 they're getting really good feedback from their interns, 00:18:27:12 - 00:18:29:19 and they're like some of the things are so small 00:18:29:19 - 00:18:32:15 that we can just implement right away, and some of them are bigger picture 00:18:32:15 - 00:18:35:15 that we can take, you know, in a white company. Why? 00:18:35:15 - 00:18:39:03 And so I got to just talk to them, see how they're doing, and give them 00:18:39:09 - 00:18:43:12 an opportunity in a safe space to have those conversations. 00:18:43:14 - 00:18:45:15 I would also just say, 00:18:45:15 - 00:18:48:15 talking to other companies and reading more on best practices 00:18:48:15 - 00:18:50:15 about what other companies are doing, 00:18:50:15 - 00:18:52:10 there's a lot of great information out there. 00:18:52:10 - 00:18:57:11 You know, of course, we have our roundtables and internships 00:18:57:11 - 00:19:00:21 typically come up in a lot of the different roundtables. 00:19:00:21 - 00:19:02:09 So just being able to hear 00:19:02:09 - 00:19:06:02 what cool things other companies are doing are a great way to benchmark, 00:19:06:04 - 00:19:09:03 you know, what your program looks like and what you're providing to your interns 00:19:09:03 - 00:19:10:00 and even just spark 00:19:10:00 - 00:19:14:16 some additional ideas and, you know, help bounce ideas off of each other as well. 00:19:14:18 - 00:19:16:00 Yeah, for sure. 00:19:16:00 - 00:19:19:15 So we've talked about the importance of continuous 00:19:19:15 - 00:19:22:22 learning and skill development with interns. 00:19:22:24 - 00:19:25:14 So how do you really foster a culture 00:19:25:14 - 00:19:30:19 of that continuous learning with your internship programs? 00:19:30:21 - 00:19:34:08 And I guess how do you kind of encourage interns 00:19:34:08 - 00:19:41:21 to stay updated on industry trends and kind of want to acquire new skills? 00:19:41:23 - 00:19:45:24 Yeah, You know, when you sent this to me in advance, I was looking through this 00:19:45:24 - 00:19:51:19 and I was thinking a lot of  a lot of the term culture of continuous 00:19:51:22 - 00:19:56:09 learning and continuous professional development mindset. 00:19:56:11 - 00:19:59:19 And at first when I started reading the question, I was like, 00:19:59:21 - 00:20:04:07 I was thinking about it from a manager and culture standpoint beyond the intern. 00:20:04:07 - 00:20:08:07 And I think, well, we hear from companies and managers is they learn so much 00:20:08:07 - 00:20:11:12 and get a whole different perspective by bringing in the interns. 00:20:11:14 - 00:20:12:18 So part of that is like when you're 00:20:12:18 - 00:20:15:04 building the intern program from the beginning, 00:20:15:04 - 00:20:18:10 you're setting expectations of your company and your culture of we're 00:20:18:10 - 00:20:22:15 bringing these interns in to do real work, make a real impact, 00:20:22:17 - 00:20:25:09 and kind of setting that up from the beginning and be open minded. 00:20:25:09 - 00:20:26:13 So they're not just here to do 00:20:26:13 - 00:20:30:21 some of the dirty work, if you will, and they're really here to make an impact. 00:20:30:21 - 00:20:34:02 So I think, you know, the continuous learning goes from both sides. 00:20:34:02 - 00:20:37:15 From the intern perspective, I think 00:20:37:17 - 00:20:41:05 we see so many interns, almost all of them that we see 00:20:41:05 - 00:20:45:11 already come in with just a hunger to learn and absorb so much. 00:20:45:11 - 00:20:49:20 I think you're you're lucky with that demographic of people and interns 00:20:49:20 - 00:20:53:08 because they just naturally are here to learn as much as they can. 00:20:53:13 - 00:20:54:24 They're excited to learn and they're excited 00:20:54:24 - 00:20:57:14 to grow in their career and they want to do whatever they can. 00:20:57:14 - 00:20:59:23 You know, again, I think part of it 00:20:59:23 - 00:21:03:14 even can go back to their job description or job expectations of 00:21:03:18 - 00:21:06:14 what is your professional development, How are you going to learn this? 00:21:06:14 - 00:21:08:07 And even having maybe 00:21:08:07 - 00:21:13:24 an individual development plan for them and learn it, you know, part of it being a 00:21:14:01 - 00:21:17:08 an opportunity for them to learn industry standards, maybe some job shadow, 00:21:17:08 - 00:21:18:09 some of that type of stuff. 00:21:18:09 - 00:21:21:16 But then also some of those are skills that they can take no matter what role 00:21:21:16 - 00:21:23:21 they have in their career 00:21:23:23 - 00:21:24:22 communication. 00:21:24:22 - 00:21:28:06 You know, all those leadership skills change management, all of that is all 00:21:28:08 - 00:21:32:02 good and things that they can put on their resume. 00:21:32:04 - 00:21:36:14 I also recommend talking about it in your one on one conversations with managers. 00:21:36:14 - 00:21:39:14 And it doesn't have to be every single day. 00:21:39:14 - 00:21:42:16 But I think, you know, when I was an intern again, this is a while ago, 00:21:42:21 - 00:21:46:19 but I think you're doing projects that might feel mundane to you 00:21:46:21 - 00:21:50:16 and you don't necessarily even realize the impact that you're having. 00:21:50:18 - 00:21:55:12 And like I remember when I was talking to one of my managers in 00:21:55:14 - 00:22:00:10 a previous internship and they were like, my gosh, like you did a great job 00:22:00:12 - 00:22:04:08 with this project management, like project management to your skill set 00:22:04:08 - 00:22:07:02 and add that to your resume. And I was like, Project management. 00:22:07:02 - 00:22:10:14 Like, all I did was schedule some meetings and take some notes or whatever, 00:22:10:16 - 00:22:12:07 and they were like, No, you did way more than that. 00:22:12:07 - 00:22:16:10 But even just being able to explain the impact that the interns are having, 00:22:16:10 - 00:22:19:05 and I feel like I don't know if you can speak on experience, 00:22:19:05 - 00:22:22:23 but I feel like interns don't always realize, like they just feel like 00:22:22:23 - 00:22:24:24 they're doing a small project and then it's like, 00:22:24:24 - 00:22:28:10 No, this was actually huge and this is what I did and X, Y and Z, 00:22:28:10 - 00:22:30:13 and these are the skills that you learn from it. 00:22:30:13 - 00:22:33:00 So we can talk about feedback in a minute. 00:22:33:00 - 00:22:36:12 But as far as you know, having those conversations and helping 00:22:36:12 - 00:22:40:08 them understand what they've done and the skills they have is huge. 00:22:40:10 - 00:22:42:09 Yeah, I going off of that. 00:22:42:09 - 00:22:48:15 I was recently reading an article, a LinkedIn article on 2024 00:22:48:17 - 00:22:52:21 internship trends, and one of them was 00:22:52:23 - 00:22:58:03 something like Prioritize skill development over traditional work. 00:22:58:05 - 00:23:02:18 And I think we've emphasized that a lot here on the skill development. 00:23:02:18 - 00:23:05:24 And it doesn't mean interns can't do traditional work 00:23:05:24 - 00:23:11:00 like the hands on kind of mundane stuff like you were saying. 00:23:11:02 - 00:23:14:13 But it's really like talking about what skills they're developing 00:23:14:13 - 00:23:19:17 and what skills you as an employer want them to develop so that they succeed 00:23:19:17 - 00:23:23:07 in an internship and kind of growing into their career path. 00:23:23:07 - 00:23:26:20 So just kind of goes to show the importance. 00:23:26:20 - 00:23:29:01 It's on 2024 internship trends. 00:23:29:01 - 00:23:32:13 So yeah, if I were to ask skill development 00:23:32:13 - 00:23:35:23 in your interns, for sure. 00:23:36:00 - 00:23:38:10 So kind of going off, 00:23:38:10 - 00:23:43:05 I know you said that interns are usually they have that hunger 00:23:43:05 - 00:23:47:05 to develop new skills and to do great work. 00:23:47:07 - 00:23:49:22 What other qualities and skills 00:23:49:22 - 00:23:53:11 should leaders really help develop in their interns? 00:23:53:13 - 00:23:57:22 Yeah, you know, I think now that this is necessarily a skill, 00:23:57:22 - 00:24:03:07 but helping them understand, even just like workplace one on one and 00:24:03:09 - 00:24:05:20 terminology and just like 00:24:05:20 - 00:24:09:02 business lines, I just, I think sometimes we all are like, 00:24:09:06 - 00:24:10:11 yeah, we all know what this means, 00:24:10:11 - 00:24:14:05 like end of day and the business day, even just things like that. 00:24:14:07 - 00:24:19:08 But as far as skills, we've seen a lot of emphasis 00:24:19:08 - 00:24:23:13 on communication and I think that goes just beyond interns as well. 00:24:23:13 - 00:24:27:21 In a hybrid remote workplace where people are working in different time 00:24:27:21 - 00:24:30:21 zones and all of that, I think communicate and even just different generations. 00:24:30:21 - 00:24:35:04 We've seen a lot of conversation about what does good communication look like. 00:24:35:04 - 00:24:37:19 And so I think that's a big one. 00:24:37:19 - 00:24:42:03 I think bringing ideas to management is a big one. 00:24:42:05 - 00:24:45:08 I think interns have a lot of great ideas, 00:24:45:08 - 00:24:49:19 and I think what we've seen over the years as interns 00:24:49:21 - 00:24:52:22 are finding the balance of I'm trying to make an impact 00:24:52:22 - 00:24:56:06 and a name for myself and showing the great ideas I have. 00:24:56:08 - 00:24:59:18 But also I don't want to overstep and talk in meetings, 00:24:59:23 - 00:25:03:02 you know, that I was invited to to listen and learn 00:25:03:02 - 00:25:06:06 and like, where am I allowed to speak up and where am I not? 00:25:06:06 - 00:25:09:18 Or and whether they call it imposter syndrome, where you're like, 00:25:09:18 - 00:25:12:02 I don't know if my idea is good enough and am I really willing 00:25:12:02 - 00:25:13:24 to speak up in front of a whole group of people? 00:25:13:24 - 00:25:17:21 And so I think kind of helping balance and navigate some of that stuff 00:25:17:21 - 00:25:22:08 and helping build some of that confidence is huge for them. 00:25:22:14 - 00:25:27:01 We've seen an emphasis on problem solving project management. 00:25:27:01 - 00:25:29:20 Some of that 00:25:29:22 - 00:25:30:24 is really big too. 00:25:30:24 - 00:25:36:20 So I think all of the skills that you're developing in your employees and 00:25:36:22 - 00:25:40:22 your leaders, I think that really they're just trying to learn and grow. 00:25:40:24 - 00:25:45:21 So however you can help them in that way and really understand what they're good at 00:25:45:21 - 00:25:46:15 and what other skills 00:25:46:15 - 00:25:50:20 they need to continue to develop is just a conversation worth having. 00:25:50:20 - 00:25:53:04 And the ones that interns are really open to. 00:25:53:04 - 00:25:57:24 And they I mean, I think we see this in all shapes of business, of people. 00:25:57:24 - 00:26:01:01 People like to learn about themselves and talk about their experiences 00:26:01:01 - 00:26:05:19 and whatever you can do to help them learn and grow is a big piece of it. 00:26:05:21 - 00:26:07:05 Absolutely. 00:26:07:05 - 00:26:12:16 And for interns, I would always go back to that quote, 00:26:12:18 - 00:26:16:03 higher character train skill. 00:26:16:05 - 00:26:20:05 Just I don't know, I think it's a good reminder that 00:26:20:07 - 00:26:25:17 when you're hiring an intern, they might not have all of the skills that 00:26:25:19 - 00:26:28:12 you may want them to have at the end of the internship, or 00:26:28:12 - 00:26:34:18 they might not have all of the knowledge coming into it because it probably is 00:26:34:20 - 00:26:38:05 one of their first really 00:26:38:07 - 00:26:39:18 first jobs. 00:26:39:18 - 00:26:42:23 So I think that code, your character 00:26:43:00 - 00:26:47:04 train for Skill, is just always a good reminder too, 00:26:47:06 - 00:26:51:12 because you can train for skill and so like that. 00:26:51:14 - 00:26:54:14 So going on here, in what ways does 00:26:54:15 - 00:26:58:12 your organization support interns in building professional networks 00:26:58:12 - 00:27:03:15 and how does really networking contribute to development as emerging leaders? 00:27:03:17 - 00:27:05:12 Networking is huge. 00:27:05:12 - 00:27:05:24 Yeah. 00:27:05:24 - 00:27:07:11 I mean, I think there's a lot of ways 00:27:07:11 - 00:27:11:19 that organizations can support  professional development for interns. 00:27:11:19 - 00:27:12:00 You know, 00:27:12:00 - 00:27:15:22 I think there is the traditional trainings in the classroom that can be done. 00:27:15:22 - 00:27:21:08 There's a lot of great modules online that companies can use, you know, 00:27:21:09 - 00:27:23:01 LinkedIn, Learning's, all of that great stuff. 00:27:23:01 - 00:27:24:16 Of course, memory has training as well. 00:27:24:16 - 00:27:28:14 But I also think, you know, when I look back 00:27:28:14 - 00:27:31:14 at my professional development and my growth over my career, 00:27:31:20 - 00:27:35:17 I think a lot of the most influential pieces that have helped me grow 00:27:35:19 - 00:27:40:06 are being part of organizational projects, working with cross-functional teams, 00:27:40:06 - 00:27:44:00 working with people that are different than myself and think differently. 00:27:44:00 - 00:27:47:20 And then eventually growing into leading some of those projects. 00:27:47:20 - 00:27:52:06 So what what projects can interns lead that maybe, maybe they 00:27:52:06 - 00:27:54:24 not on your to do list for a while and you just haven't gotten to it. 00:27:54:24 - 00:28:00:01 So any start with anything that they do is better than not doing it at all. 00:28:00:03 - 00:28:05:05 So I think some of that project work, job shadowing, 00:28:05:07 - 00:28:09:18 being able to just network and learn from other professionals is huge. 00:28:09:18 - 00:28:14:19 We offer an intern leadership program at Emory for our members 00:28:14:19 - 00:28:20:02 and we really focus on that professional development and networking because it 00:28:20:04 - 00:28:23:17 it really helps them learn from other people, 00:28:23:17 - 00:28:27:12 learn about different industries, learn about business as a whole, and learn 00:28:27:12 - 00:28:32:01 with other learn from other leaders around the entire country. 00:28:32:01 - 00:28:35:07 And just I think for the interns, some of their biggest takeaways 00:28:35:07 - 00:28:40:08 is just hearing the journey that leaders have gone on to get to where they are. 00:28:40:08 - 00:28:48:01 And I think by the end of the summer, they truly realized that most leadership, 00:28:48:03 - 00:28:50:17 I guess, journeys are not linear. 00:28:50:17 - 00:28:53:10 It's not it's not a ladder. You don't just go straight up. 00:28:53:10 - 00:28:56:10 But there's a lot of you know, I think it's so funny 00:28:56:10 - 00:28:59:10 when we do the CEO panels, it's like half of them 00:28:59:16 - 00:29:04:07 started in a completely different field or industry than where they got to today. 00:29:04:07 - 00:29:06:10 And I think that's really promising for interns. 00:29:06:10 - 00:29:09:10 And I think it just really helps them relate and see 00:29:09:15 - 00:29:11:24 almost inspire them as well. 00:29:11:24 - 00:29:14:24 Yeah, I think just going off the networking pieces, 00:29:15:03 - 00:29:17:02 when people network correctly, 00:29:17:02 - 00:29:20:22 they really get further in their career. 00:29:20:24 - 00:29:22:20 And again, it's that inspiration. 00:29:22:20 - 00:29:24:17 But then what are you doing to make that impression 00:29:24:17 - 00:29:29:24 after and connect with them and our burgeoning team earlier today? 00:29:29:24 - 00:29:34:00 And they always say they're like most people, after your first job, 00:29:34:00 - 00:29:35:24 you're going to get most of your jobs after that. 00:29:35:24 - 00:29:38:16 By who you know and who you've networked with. 00:29:38:16 - 00:29:39:24 And, you know, 00:29:39:24 - 00:29:43:05 we do stuff during our internship program to help them, you know, 00:29:43:05 - 00:29:46:17 just even build up their LinkedIn resume, their LinkedIn profile, I'm sorry. 00:29:46:20 - 00:29:50:13 And just so they can connect with people that they meet throughout the summer. 00:29:50:13 - 00:29:53:15 And, you know, and ten years from now, it might be like, my gosh. 00:29:53:15 - 00:29:58:11 So if you bowlers connect into this person, like, how can I reach out? 00:29:58:11 - 00:30:02:01 So it's just it's just crazy how how small of a world it is. 00:30:02:01 - 00:30:06:21 So I think the professional development and networking is huge for interns 00:30:06:21 - 00:30:10:14 and I think any audience that HR And the hiring managers 00:30:10:14 - 00:30:14:23 can do to help them with that is is super appreciated by the interns, 00:30:14:23 - 00:30:18:00 especially with the mentorship more 00:30:18:00 - 00:30:21:08 so than ever, especially in a hybrid world. 00:30:21:10 - 00:30:24:21 We hear from interns asking how do i find a mentor 00:30:24:23 - 00:30:29:13 that can help me grow and, you know, say my name in a room full of opportunities. 00:30:29:13 - 00:30:33:06 And I always love that quote about mentors, but that's not necessarily 00:30:33:06 - 00:30:34:09 always your manager. 00:30:34:09 - 00:30:38:05 And in such a short period of time, how do I get an actual mentor 00:30:38:05 - 00:30:40:16 that can see my skill set and help me grow in my career? 00:30:40:16 - 00:30:44:09 And I think just networking is a piece of it. 00:30:44:11 - 00:30:45:05 Absolutely. 00:30:45:05 - 00:30:49:04 And you talked about our MRA's intern leadership program 00:30:49:04 - 00:30:53:04 and being able to network with leaders and ceos. 00:30:53:04 - 00:30:57:09 HR Professionals and young professionals too. 00:30:57:11 - 00:31:00:16 But also coming from an intern perspective, 00:31:00:18 - 00:31:03:17 that program is so beneficial in the way 00:31:03:17 - 00:31:06:17 that you're also networking with 00:31:06:18 - 00:31:13:00 80 to over 100 other interns who are practically in the same boat as you. 00:31:13:00 - 00:31:18:06 So that just that's a whole other benefit that we could talk about 00:31:18:06 - 00:31:22:23 for an hour having 82 00:31:22:23 - 00:31:26:13 over 100 people that you can talk to every day, 00:31:26:13 - 00:31:31:16 kind of see what they're going through, ask them questions 00:31:31:18 - 00:31:32:18 and they can. 00:31:32:18 - 00:31:35:13 I know I'm so connected with interns 00:31:35:13 - 00:31:38:21 from a couple of years ago, and I don't know. 00:31:38:21 - 00:31:43:01 I've really appreciated that from the intern program. 00:31:43:03 - 00:31:43:21 Yeah, because 00:31:43:21 - 00:31:47:00 networking connections, even for my internships too. 00:31:47:00 - 00:31:52:04 It's yeah, I still talk to some of them, the friendships and future, 00:31:52:06 - 00:31:54:22 maybe even colleagues again, and networking connections. 00:31:54:22 - 00:32:00:03 Yeah, Well, and it's just interesting to see what they're up to because 00:32:00:05 - 00:32:03:13 you might have two completely different roles at different organizations. 00:32:03:13 - 00:32:05:19 But it's interesting to be like, Hey, what are you doing this week? 00:32:05:19 - 00:32:07:12 What are you working on this week? 00:32:07:12 - 00:32:09:00 that's cool. I'm working on that. 00:32:09:00 - 00:32:11:20 So you can kind of connect that way too, which is awesome. 00:32:11:20 - 00:32:14:02 Even just brand awareness from company to company. 00:32:14:02 - 00:32:16:21 Yeah, definitely. 00:32:16:21 - 00:32:19:13 And we talked a little bit about mentorships, 00:32:19:13 - 00:32:24:13 but is there any other mentor kind of pieces of advice that you want 00:32:24:13 - 00:32:31:00 to give in how that kind of ropes into the success of an internship program? 00:32:31:02 - 00:32:34:04 Yeah, I think just really highlighting 00:32:34:06 - 00:32:38:11 that mentorship, that question about how you can find a mentor 00:32:38:11 - 00:32:40:05 that's right for you and how to find a mentor 00:32:40:05 - 00:32:44:09 that's not your manager at your company during an internship came up so many times 00:32:44:09 - 00:32:45:05 last year. 00:32:45:05 - 00:32:50:24 So if you can go in to an internship program, say to the intern or interns, 00:32:51:01 - 00:32:53:23 we have a dedicated mentor to you. 00:32:53:23 - 00:32:55:23 I think that will be huge. 00:32:55:23 - 00:32:59:21 And I think even part of it again goes up with the manager, 00:32:59:23 - 00:33:03:03 you know, having the tools to be successful until you this intern, 00:33:03:09 - 00:33:04:18 I think same with the mentors. 00:33:04:18 - 00:33:06:12 If you can provide them with 00:33:06:12 - 00:33:10:10 maybe some training and some guidance and maybe even like a coaching certificate 00:33:10:10 - 00:33:14:20 or what their expectations are and how they can help interns. 00:33:14:20 - 00:33:16:06 I think 00:33:16:08 - 00:33:19:08 having that common 00:33:19:08 - 00:33:22:06 playing ground, I guess for mentors would be huge 00:33:22:06 - 00:33:24:23 and they can really help the interns be successful. 00:33:24:23 - 00:33:27:24 And I think that's just another really close networking connection 00:33:27:24 - 00:33:31:08 that the interns will walk away with throughout the summer. 00:33:31:08 - 00:33:36:15 So but I would also be strategic and you know who you choose as a mentor. 00:33:36:17 - 00:33:39:18 But we have seen some companies that have used some emerging leaders 00:33:39:18 - 00:33:43:12 and some young professionals that are looking to grow their leadership skills 00:33:43:14 - 00:33:46:10 who maybe aren't quite ready to be a supervisor or manager yet. 00:33:46:10 - 00:33:51:12 But this is a great way to kind of mentor and coach and grow your own skills. 00:33:51:12 - 00:33:55:24 So just think about that with your own emerging leaders within your organization 00:33:56:01 - 00:33:57:04 for sure. 00:33:57:04 - 00:34:00:12 Well, do you have any examples of talking 00:34:00:12 - 00:34:04:21 about more projects and more hands on work now? 00:34:04:23 - 00:34:07:13 any examples of projects or initiatives 00:34:07:13 - 00:34:11:10 that are designed to kind of challenge interns 00:34:11:10 - 00:34:15:05 or any of those like structured projects that you would recommend 00:34:15:07 - 00:34:20:01 giving to interns to let them showcase their leadership potential? 00:34:20:03 - 00:34:22:23 Yeah, I honestly, I'd have to look at a list 00:34:22:23 - 00:34:25:18 because I, I always every summer I'm like, Wow, 00:34:25:18 - 00:34:29:17 that is such a great search project for interns and 00:34:29:19 - 00:34:31:20 but I'll just share a couple off the top of my head. 00:34:31:20 - 00:34:36:23 I think directly from the HR Perspective, those that have had HR Interns 00:34:36:23 - 00:34:42:11 will do like exit interviews and they'll do 00:34:42:13 - 00:34:46:07 like they'll develop a whole structured program about an intern program. 00:34:46:07 - 00:34:49:17 They can even build out the mentorship program. 00:34:49:19 - 00:34:53:12 And just generally speaking, I think look at your own to do list 00:34:53:12 - 00:34:56:12 and see, like, what projects are like strategic initiatives. 00:34:56:15 - 00:34:59:12 Have you been thinking about a know your team needs to get to 00:34:59:12 - 00:35:02:13 that you really haven't had time for and let them run with it? 00:35:02:13 - 00:35:06:12 Like I said, it's if it's just sitting on your desk, it's not going anywhere. 00:35:06:12 - 00:35:09:22 So you at least have some momentum to keep it moving forward 00:35:09:22 - 00:35:14:14 and having someone bring fresh ideas and perspectives to it. 00:35:14:16 - 00:35:15:00 I saw 00:35:15:00 - 00:35:18:21 one company that knew they needed to implement 00:35:18:21 - 00:35:22:22 a strategy within their organization and there they were. 00:35:22:22 - 00:35:24:21 They had a smaller internship program. 00:35:24:21 - 00:35:26:15 I think they had four or five interns. 00:35:26:15 - 00:35:30:03 I don't recall off the top of my head, but they had that group of interns work 00:35:30:03 - 00:35:34:05 together to build a new strategy internally at their organization, 00:35:34:07 - 00:35:38:18 including which included obviously some research, but also understanding 00:35:38:18 - 00:35:42:03 like what an employee resource group looks like, how we get one started, 00:35:42:03 - 00:35:45:03 who is going to lead that, what is the communication look like? 00:35:45:05 - 00:35:48:23 And they built out a whole new program for their organization 00:35:49:00 - 00:35:52:01 and then they presented it to their executive team. 00:35:52:01 - 00:35:55:04 So all of their CEO and all their senior leadership 00:35:55:04 - 00:35:58:10 and they were able to go forward and start to implement this. 00:35:58:10 - 00:36:01:06 So just a huge 00:36:01:08 - 00:36:03:21 kudos to them for doing that and running with that. 00:36:03:21 - 00:36:05:06 That's not an easy task. 00:36:05:06 - 00:36:06:11 And obviously they had guidance 00:36:06:11 - 00:36:10:07 along the way, but I think that's a great project to show. 00:36:10:09 - 00:36:15:06 And then actually had  there was one I'm picturing 00:36:15:06 - 00:36:19:06 that they documented all of their standard operating procedures 00:36:19:08 - 00:36:23:14 and then along the way they were asked to one, you have to document it, 00:36:23:14 - 00:36:27:09 but then to come back with recommendations for efficiencies in the process 00:36:27:09 - 00:36:32:10 and a lot of times even documenting it, that's really curious. 00:36:32:10 - 00:36:35:16 Wanting to learn interns is asking why, like why do we do it this way 00:36:35:16 - 00:36:39:11 and not in a negative way, but just like they were curious and then, 00:36:39:13 - 00:36:44:17 you know, if you as a manager or whoever is doing the teaching, 00:36:44:19 - 00:36:48:20 isn't able to answer that, why I think it's a good, you know, sign. 00:36:48:20 - 00:36:51:12 Maybe we need to look at our process and think of some other way. 00:36:51:12 - 00:36:54:02 And so I think even just being able to showcase 00:36:54:02 - 00:36:57:21 the efficiencies that have been put on because of someone just documenting 00:36:57:21 - 00:37:01:07 standard operating procedures is another really cool project. 00:37:01:07 - 00:37:03:02 So those are a few off the top of my head. 00:37:03:02 - 00:37:07:02 But again, I would take a look at your own task lesson and see 00:37:07:08 - 00:37:12:10 what what you're hoping to get done and let them run with it. 00:37:12:12 - 00:37:15:00 Yeah, and I think another 00:37:15:00 - 00:37:18:08 great big project or kind of stretch project 00:37:18:08 - 00:37:23:01 that any company can do at any internship too, would just be looking 00:37:23:01 - 00:37:26:06 at your own company from an audit perspective, 00:37:26:07 - 00:37:29:07 like auditing the website or doing an 00:37:29:07 - 00:37:32:13 in the analysis of the website or for example, 00:37:32:13 - 00:37:35:19 I know I did a competitive analysis when I was an intern, 00:37:35:19 - 00:37:40:02 which was a big project, but it was, I think, a great opportunity 00:37:40:02 - 00:37:44:12 and a good big project to work on throughout the summer too. 00:37:44:14 - 00:37:47:09 Also gave me a chance to work with some great leaders 00:37:47:09 - 00:37:51:13 and kind of show it off to our executive team to. 00:37:51:15 - 00:37:56:00 So yeah, I would, I would say that that's an easy project, 00:37:56:00 - 00:37:59:19 but it's something that all companies can do and something 00:37:59:19 - 00:38:05:07 that can improve your website, improve your organization as a whole. 00:38:05:09 - 00:38:07:02 So we talked 00:38:07:02 - 00:38:11:00 about kind of performance management a little bit, but 00:38:11:02 - 00:38:15:06 how do you what are some ways to assess the performance of interns 00:38:15:06 - 00:38:19:10 during and at the end of the program 00:38:19:12 - 00:38:23:01 and what mechanisms do you have in place for providing 00:38:23:01 - 00:38:27:09 that constructive feedback to help them grow? 00:38:27:11 - 00:38:29:20 Yeah, I think feedback is so important 00:38:29:20 - 00:38:33:13 and that's something that we really hear from interns of. 00:38:33:15 - 00:38:39:00 I think again, this goes to does your manager know how to manage interns? 00:38:39:00 - 00:38:43:14 But feedback is something we hear and managers typically are like, well, 00:38:43:19 - 00:38:45:21 if they're not hearing from me, they're doing a good job. 00:38:45:21 - 00:38:49:02 And we have weekly check ins and, you know, we just kind of talk 00:38:49:02 - 00:38:51:18 through their projects and any challenges they have. 00:38:51:18 - 00:38:57:06 But I think interns want to know honestly, daily and speak to this 00:38:57:06 - 00:39:00:04 from your own experience, what like are they on the right track? 00:39:00:04 - 00:39:03:20 Are they doing a good job, really doing a bad job and tell them right away? 00:39:03:20 - 00:39:05:05 I think, 00:39:05:07 - 00:39:07:19 you know, people don't want to hear this, but I would honestly 00:39:07:19 - 00:39:10:19 check in with your interns at least once a day, if not more than that. 00:39:10:24 - 00:39:14:13 I think, you know, a week, a lot of things happen in a week. 00:39:14:13 - 00:39:15:21 And especially, 00:39:15:21 - 00:39:19:11 you know, if you look at like a ten week internship program that's like ten times 00:39:19:11 - 00:39:20:11 you're meeting with your intern 00:39:20:11 - 00:39:22:13 and think about how much they're doing in a day, 00:39:22:13 - 00:39:24:13 how many people they're trying to interact with. 00:39:24:13 - 00:39:27:06 We hear interns are 00:39:27:06 - 00:39:29:22 not always, but sometimes they don't like to be bored. 00:39:29:22 - 00:39:35:03 So if you're only meeting with them once a week, how are they feeling? 00:39:35:03 - 00:39:36:23 40 hours of their work week? 00:39:36:23 - 00:39:41:24 Are they truly busy and gaining knowledge and skills? 00:39:41:24 - 00:39:47:05 Every all of the all of the week and having those great experiences. So 00:39:47:07 - 00:39:49:20 I know managers sometimes are like, 00:39:49:20 - 00:39:52:20 I don't want to tell them they're doing a good job for just doing their job, 00:39:53:01 - 00:39:55:14 but I think if they're not hearing anything, 00:39:55:14 - 00:39:57:22 they really just don't know where they stand. 00:39:57:22 - 00:40:00:18 So I recommend talking to them every day. 00:40:00:18 - 00:40:01:17 And I know. 00:40:01:17 - 00:40:05:21 So my favorite example from you was like, Well, give me something negative. 00:40:05:21 - 00:40:09:07 It's always so positive and it's like, Wow, you're doing a great job. 00:40:09:07 - 00:40:12:05 And it's like, there's got to be something I can improve on. 00:40:12:05 - 00:40:14:03 And you're not the only intern that has said that. 00:40:14:03 - 00:40:17:23 And I completely agree that even though you are doing 00:40:17:23 - 00:40:22:18 a great job, are there even skills that maybe like 00:40:22:20 - 00:40:25:18 that aren't being shown in this project, but maybe in other projects 00:40:25:18 - 00:40:26:15 that I could develop? 00:40:26:15 - 00:40:28:07 So I think being very specific 00:40:28:07 - 00:40:31:14 in that feedback and very intentional is very important. 00:40:31:16 - 00:40:32:10 Absolutely. 00:40:32:10 - 00:40:35:18 And to piggyback off that, I would say something 00:40:35:18 - 00:40:39:13 that I love that you did when I was an intern. 00:40:39:15 - 00:40:43:05 You mentioned interns don't like being bored and that's very true 00:40:43:05 - 00:40:45:15 because that can make or break an internship. 00:40:45:15 - 00:40:48:21 I think in what you did that really helped 00:40:48:21 - 00:40:53:07 was checking in each day, like how was your workload going? 00:40:53:07 - 00:40:55:02 Do you need some more projects? 00:40:55:02 - 00:40:57:03 Do you want to sit in on this meeting? 00:40:57:03 - 00:41:01:05 So it's like always giving me an opportunity to be doing something 00:41:01:05 - 00:41:02:19 new each and every day. 00:41:02:19 - 00:41:06:12 So I think, like you said, that communication with an intern 00:41:06:12 - 00:41:11:08 is vital for an internship program to really succeed 00:41:11:10 - 00:41:18:10 and to make sure that your intern is enjoying the work that they're doing 00:41:18:12 - 00:41:20:02 and that they have an opportunity to, 00:41:20:02 - 00:41:23:21 like, openly communicate, communicate that with their manager. 00:41:23:21 - 00:41:29:01 If they aren't filling their 40 hours a week or have finished a project 00:41:29:01 - 00:41:33:12 and don't know what to do after that, well, it also helps just reprioritize. 00:41:33:12 - 00:41:36:18 I think I chuckle and this is not the best way to do it, 00:41:36:24 - 00:41:38:21 but we gave you like five pages of projects 00:41:38:21 - 00:41:42:18 that we want you to work on throughout the summer and I don't. 00:41:42:20 - 00:41:45:21 And in the best way possible, I don't think I think you go through 00:41:45:21 - 00:41:48:21 one page or whatever, because so many other things came up 00:41:48:22 - 00:41:53:03 throughout the summer that it was kind of like if we came to you in the morning 00:41:53:03 - 00:41:56:20 and we were like, Hey, we have this cool project, and you were like, 00:41:56:22 - 00:41:58:09 but I'm working on X, Y and Z. 00:41:58:09 - 00:41:59:07 We could be like, 00:41:59:07 - 00:42:03:12 yeah, I finish, I X, don't worry about Y, and then Z can wait till next week. 00:42:03:14 - 00:42:04:22 But it was able to have us 00:42:04:22 - 00:42:09:03 give us a chance to really learn what you like if you new opportunities, 00:42:09:03 - 00:42:14:14 but also just to prioritize who you aren't just taking on things without 00:42:14:16 - 00:42:15:00 feeling 00:42:15:00 - 00:42:18:00 like you had the bandwidth to do it all and be successful. 00:42:18:00 - 00:42:20:02 Yeah, I'm definitely not. 00:42:20:02 - 00:42:22:20 That will just give you another project management skill. 00:42:22:20 - 00:42:24:12 All right, There you go. 00:42:24:12 - 00:42:29:19 But just as we wrap up your career, any any lasting thoughts 00:42:29:19 - 00:42:30:15 that you want to share? 00:42:30:15 - 00:42:33:10 Actually, I'm going to turn it back to you. 00:42:33:10 - 00:42:35:09 Just you know, you've been involved with the intern 00:42:35:09 - 00:42:39:03 leadership program for a couple of years and you obviously were an intern and. 00:42:39:03 - 00:42:42:21 You still talk with, you know, a couple of interns from previous years. 00:42:42:22 - 00:42:45:22 So just anything anytime to you is here to employers 00:42:45:22 - 00:42:53:02 or maybe even hiring managers about creating a great memorable experience? 00:42:53:04 - 00:42:58:15 I would just say the big takeaway, I think just from today to 00:42:58:16 - 00:43:01:16 is that an effective internship 00:43:01:20 - 00:43:05:09 benefits both the intern and the organization. 00:43:05:10 - 00:43:08:19 I think that's always something to just keep in the back of your head 00:43:08:19 - 00:43:12:11 that don't just have an intern to have an intern. 00:43:12:11 - 00:43:16:12 Like like bring us back to the first question there. 00:43:16:12 - 00:43:19:18 The planning process and the planning stage. 00:43:19:20 - 00:43:23:02 And of course, you can add on to this because you were part of that 00:43:23:02 - 00:43:23:24 planning stage. 00:43:23:24 - 00:43:27:07 But I think that is the most vital 00:43:27:09 - 00:43:32:22 step in an internship program is making sure 00:43:32:24 - 00:43:35:23 you kind of have your priorities and your goals 00:43:35:23 - 00:43:41:08 and just the value of having an intern that you have that confidently set. 00:43:41:10 - 00:43:44:24 Well, for an intern comes in and you're not trying to figure out 00:43:45:01 - 00:43:48:06 an intern role while they're there. 00:43:48:08 - 00:43:52:09 No, I think that's that is absolutely crucial. 00:43:52:09 - 00:43:55:09 And I think now that this is like the most important takeaway, but 00:43:55:09 - 00:43:58:15 something that hasn't been mentioned yet is really make sure 00:43:58:15 - 00:44:03:03 that the interns and all of the candidates that you're interviewing 00:44:03:05 - 00:44:08:01 feel like you matter and that you're part of the organization from the beginning. 00:44:08:01 - 00:44:11:24 And I think I just remember when we were interviewing candidates 00:44:11:24 - 00:44:13:13 from the beginning, 00:44:13:13 - 00:44:13:23 you know, 00:44:13:23 - 00:44:17:05 I think we always wanted to keep them in the loop of where they were 00:44:17:05 - 00:44:18:12 in the hiring process. 00:44:18:12 - 00:44:21:05 And I mean, I think we made a decision very quickly. 00:44:21:05 - 00:44:25:11 And as soon as we made a decision, we we let everybody know. 00:44:25:11 - 00:44:30:08 And, you know, I think even for those that we didn't end up hiring, 00:44:30:10 - 00:44:32:19 we still wanted to have a great relationship with them 00:44:32:19 - 00:44:35:07 because you never know with opportunities in the future. 00:44:35:07 - 00:44:37:20 And we didn't want them to feel like, it's just an intern. 00:44:37:20 - 00:44:39:09 We'll get back to them in a couple of weeks. 00:44:39:09 - 00:44:41:22 And I think the 00:44:41:24 - 00:44:44:04 for us, it was important that everyone knew 00:44:44:04 - 00:44:46:17 that this is a critical rol

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 different kind of career path that will really build your bench. I mean, now you have folks really learning all these different areas of your business, creating lots of effective, impactful needed skills as they move up and a well-rounded employee base, of course, THRIVEs a really effective and impactful organization. So what is modern day career path thing? 00:10:49:15 - 00:11:22:04 Unknown What is it evolve to? Not linear is what you really spiderweb it in a way. And yeah, focusing on transferable skills. Why is it crucial? For the same reasons. Everything else that we talk about in terms of development and culture and building your bench and growth is crucial. It's it's engagement for your employees, which creates high, effective, high, impactful workforces to THRIVE your business's success. 00:11:22:06 - 00:11:47:17 Unknown Yeah, that's a great point. And I feel like they've even started started the whole career passing thing, even on like when you're an intern, I know some intern programs. It's now not just focused on the type of internship you have. Maybe you're marketing intern, but they're putting you through all different departments so that you can start to see what the organization is as a whole. 00:11:47:17 - 00:12:21:06 Unknown And then you're also gaining skills from each of those departments. But your focus is a marketing term, but later on, maybe when you're applying for jobs, that's when you can apply what you've learned in the other departments. Kind of like what you said, the universal, universal transferable skills. So that leads me to another question on can you give any examples of how individuals can really assess those skills and interests and even identify them? 00:12:21:06 - 00:12:44:20 Unknown How do they know that? Yeah, So first it takes some self-reflection when you get asked that question of where do you want to be in five years, you better know the answer. Where do you want to be? If the answer is not a people leader, that's important to know because that's a different set of skills that we could develop in somebody that you might not be interested in. 00:12:44:22 - 00:13:14:16 Unknown If it is becoming just the best of the best and in your space, then let's identify what the best of the best looks like when we talk about how can you identify it, how do you know what to work on? There are I think it's a common misnomer that a 360 tool is something that only a leader in a high level leader should go through. 00:13:14:18 - 00:13:40:18 Unknown Three sixteens or just one eighties even, but are excellent sources of identifying your hidden strengths, your blind spots and things like that. And then identifying does that apply in the job? Well, I want the job well, I have. I might have a blind spot in an area that I don't need to use right now anyway. And so I'm not going to focus my energy on developing it. 00:13:40:20 - 00:14:09:20 Unknown But to that question of where am I trying to go with my career, I might need it when I try to get to that level. So what do I start developing now? So knowing the answer to the question is number one, knowing that there are tools out there that give you a well-rounded view of just universal competencies. Two, they don't have to be related to a certain type of leadership. 00:14:09:20 - 00:14:42:13 Unknown There are tools out three, six tools out there that that we utilize that could apply just just to an individual. Then the third one is start looking around at your organization, at what roles pique your interest, have conversations with your manager and with your peers around. What about those roles? Pique your interest so that you can start to get a view of what types of skills and activities are enticing to you and engaging to you that you want to learn how to try out. 00:14:42:15 - 00:15:09:03 Unknown So what? What levels and a career do I want to achieve? That's an answer you have to figure out for yourself. It might take some self-reflection and chatting with folks within your organization to see whether that's something of interest, chatting with your folks in your network outside of your current organization to see if that's something of interest. Using some tools that aren't just self reflection. 00:15:09:03 - 00:15:30:10 Unknown Because I love to THRIVE self awareness. Very few of us are just fully self aware in all of our strengths and the way we get self-awareness is by having somebody else give us some feedback. So looking at some tools that are out there for that and then starting to chat about what job roles are interesting to you and why do shadowing. 00:15:30:12 - 00:15:56:24 Unknown Go spend a day watching that job role to see if it is interesting it c It might sound cool. We can create some really cool job titles. That doesn't mean the role is as exciting as someone might think. So figuring out what's going on in your organization role wise, asking for opportunities to shadow, and then sitting down with with your manager to say, Here's what really did interest me about that role. 00:15:56:24 - 00:16:21:04 Unknown And then that can create we can you can start to get an idea of what types of jobs interest you and therefore what skills might be transferable to those jobs within your organization or any organization. And to your point, sometimes it's hard to identify your own skills and maybe you only have a couple that you write down or couple that you're definitely self aware of. 00:16:21:06 - 00:16:41:13 Unknown But or it's like personally help me as to like just taking a step back and asking maybe it's your manager or just a peer at work. Like in some their opinion. I know I've done that before and they're like, Well, you know, you did this project and I think you did a really good job on these things during that project. 00:16:41:13 - 00:17:01:02 Unknown Maybe you should start looking at that. So I think just trying to be outside sometimes and getting their perspective helps too, when you're doing some of that stuff. Yeah, it has to be somebody that you would define as like. And I talk to folks about this a lot and I say, Don't let the phrasing throw you off, but a safe person. 00:17:01:02 - 00:17:22:01 Unknown And what I mean by that is somebody that I think I've talked about this before, but somebody that you're open to their feedback, they will be honest with you, not in a hurtful way. So they're safe from that perspective. They'll be honest with you, but they're also somebody that you value and trust their opinion so you'll be less resistant if you hear something you don't like. 00:17:22:03 - 00:17:43:05 Unknown So who are those people that you could ask how that project went and you'd be open to hearing if they didn't basically just sing your praises and tell you how amazing you are, right? Yeah. Yeah. Well, kind of moving on here. We've talked about this on the podcast, but we also hear it a lot about work life balance. 00:17:43:09 - 00:18:14:01 Unknown So I'm kind of thinking about that. What advice do you have for individuals who are trying to balance their personal life and their professional goals while they're planning their career path? You know, I've I've mentioned up until now about competencies and what are the elements of that role you like and what are things that they're doing. But there are also, depending on where you want your career to go, education requirements, certification requirements. 00:18:14:01 - 00:18:44:18 Unknown I mean, if you want to be the best of the best and managing large projects, you probably want to go get your PMP certifications. So what does that look like? So connect your HR Department and and i know we're in HR Organization. And so, of course, amanda's going to say go talk to HR But for real, your HR department as all of these, you know, job descriptions which which they can look at trending lee And they also know, you know, trending. 00:18:44:18 - 00:19:15:16 Unknown Lee Okay, you're talking about being a people leader one day. Most of the time, people leaders tend to require a certain level of education requirement, not always, but most of the time they'll certainly know in their own organization what's required to see whether you have that. Are there certain certifications that are required? Because if if that's an opportunity for you that you want to this balance, they'll also know what resources are out there to help you start going down that path and how much is too much right away. 00:19:15:18 - 00:19:48:16 Unknown So we have team members that move into the learning and development space. And if you want to be the best of the best in certain things, there are certifications we would encourage you to get. Some of them are quick and easy to do certificates. Some of them are larger, you know, six month to a year and several tests certifications depending on your goals and your aspirations for your career, we might say you should go the certification route. 00:19:48:18 - 00:20:24:10 Unknown It takes a bit longer. Here are several different ways to do that, and we can talk through what makes the most sense and when starting makes the most sense for somebody. So the balance becomes what things outside of shadowing in my organization and talking to mentors and doing some development within my daily work hours, what else is out there and what else might I need to invest my time and energy into to get to the level of what I'm aspiring to get to? 00:20:24:12 - 00:21:00:24 Unknown This to the same word Moore claims in one sentence. But because some of the stuff you just can't do it work, there's just going to be some things that that would be more impactful. A pimp certification, for example, whether you want to be a project manager or not, that teaches you a lot of great organizational and executional structure and how to keep people and a large group on track and how to communicate effectively and what metrics you can utilize to not only measure success but identify budgets. 00:21:00:24 - 00:21:21:17 Unknown And there's a lot of things that would be transferable to other roles that that certification would teach you. And then going and trying it at an organization. But you can't get that through many of your own internal companies. You have to go somewhere to prep for that and take the test. So there's going to be outside work put into it. 00:21:21:17 - 00:22:18:15 Unknown So it's talk with your HR Department. They know those kinds of things. They have that knowledge. Yeah, absolutely. What we're talking about building your career path. How can individuals really align their personal values with their career choices? And why is that alignment really important for long term satisfaction? This is where i always encourage folks, excuse me, to really lean on their network, whether it is an internal network or their network outside of their organization, because values of time, values of family, values of excitement in travel, the values around what you just are comfortable and not comfortable doing, whether you will ever be the person that does that or not. 00:22:18:17 - 00:22:46:21 Unknown Those are things that you really need to understand. Does this industry require that? Does this level of career growth require that? There was for myself, for example, there was a long time where I had a vision of sea level at a high international company that was my I will be that someday I will be a chief learning officer. 00:22:46:23 - 00:23:15:21 Unknown I was very adamant that was going to be the end. That's my where I'm trying to get to. And then things in my life changed and I continue to evolve and I said as I started to connect with mentors in the space and those that are at that level, it's a very exciting level. But I started to say, Gosh, you're you're, you're always on an international level that includes travel. 00:23:15:24 - 00:23:34:00 Unknown Do I really want to travel? I got to work at an international company and started to recognize I want to be home at my values. You know, I want to be at home at night to help my kids do their schoolwork. I want that on my own. No one's telling me to do that. It's just something I want. 00:23:34:02 - 00:24:03:21 Unknown And so it really it really made me pause and think. So I think before you start to go down the path of investing your time and your energy and your plans and your excitement into something, really understand the whole of what that role looks like to see if it's what you want and also continue to reassess what I wanted at 25 and what I want now. 00:24:03:23 - 00:24:29:07 Unknown My birthday is tomorrow. So what I want as I turn a milestone birthday tomorrow are vastly different. And I think that's something we need to remember too, in this whole conversation is it is okay for your career path to change? Yeah, that's a great point. That's you need to. I thought that in the show notes, it's okay. That is change. 00:24:29:09 - 00:24:48:23 Unknown So I feel like a lot of people want things kind of set in stone. Like, like you said, like I want to be here and that's where I'm going. But it is okay if it's if things change. So I told my husband we were having one of those big, you know, rarely in our lives conversations that we one tends to have. 00:24:48:23 - 00:25:21:12 Unknown And I said, gosh, if we could pull it off, I would totally be happy to just, you know, retire and well, who wouldn't be happy to in the next five years? So, you know, he'd always gone on this. You want to be a C-suite. I mean, we talked about this for a very long time. So my move to say, I think I just like to write, I think I would be very happy, you know, stepping back and writing and just write books and write articles and just do that. 00:25:21:14 - 00:25:41:05 Unknown And he was like, okay, well, I don't think one a different one doesn't just do that. Five years ago, I invested some time. I thought, maybe I want to be there, see, like I don't want to be a C-suite leader in a giant international company. I've learned I don't want that. That didn't align with my values. I want to run my own business. 00:25:41:10 - 00:26:08:02 Unknown That's what I want to do. So I went through the process to get my LLC and I went and got individually certified in several things so that I was a certified seller of those things to THRIVE my business. And then I started building my network of of others in this space with their own LLC. And for some reason in my head, I'd be less busy if I ran my own business. 00:26:08:02 - 00:26:34:10 Unknown I'm not sure what I was thinking. Newsflash, everyone, you're not less busy. You're having. It's fun. So. So then I thought, Well, I'm home with my kids, so I'm not traveling internationally, but I'm working at night and in the morning and on weekends and always. And I was like, That doesn't really align with my values either. So it's okay to to have your career path change up. 00:26:34:12 - 00:27:09:07 Unknown And I think the big value to an organization is recognizing people do that too. They can invest your time in somebody that, you know, came in and they were really excited and then they all of a sudden sit down with you ten years later. And they're like, So I've been thinking for a while, wrapping up here today. I know we've given a lot of great practical, practical steps, but do you have any last steps or pieces of advice that employees and employers can really take to create their own personalized career path and plan? 00:27:09:09 - 00:27:42:16 Unknown And if you have any resources that you kind of want to draw up here today, I think that would be a good ending to that. So, yeah, so a great step for organizations is to create that kind of open door conversation process where employees can come and chat with HR About what are job roles and what are kind of some universal expectations at different levels within the organization or different job roles. 00:27:42:16 - 00:28:24:08 Unknown Are there certain certifications that i'm completely unaware of and and for the organization to have an understanding of resources you can connect team members to. It's excellent to have tuition reimbursement, it's excellent to have certification. You know, spotlight staffs or bonuses if you go get the certification or will pay you back for it. But to also have that resource bank of where people can go to get those certifications and especially, you know, price preferred means for you as an organization, build that resource bank so that when folks do ask their managers or do come to your company's HR 00:28:24:08 - 00:28:51:15 Unknown Department, you have an answer for them from an individual perspective, it is one of the answer to that question. So do some self-reflection and prepare that kind of stuff, but also take some stock. And it doesn't have to be a full 360 assessment tool or anything. But to the resources, what what would I consider my strengths to be? 00:28:51:15 - 00:29:12:19 Unknown Look at the job description you applied for. What about it made you apply for it? If you can look back at different roles, you've had within your career, what are those skills you've built up over time? Create your own skill bank so that you can reflect back on that skill bank and say, Here's all the things I've learned, here's what I have, here's how I know I'm strong in it. 00:29:12:21 - 00:29:53:05 Unknown What gaps am I seeing? Because only you know your career better than anybody else. So when you know what things you've done better than anybody else. So really take your own self-assessment, make your own list of what you've created and what your strengths are, so that when you go have that conversation, folks can try to help you say, this type of job role utilizes that this type of job or utilizes that to help you get a sense for those things, you can go to it from a resource perspective, depending on the industry space that you do think you want your career to grow in. 00:29:53:05 - 00:30:20:10 Unknown Again, it might not be a specific job role, but it might be an industry specific. There can be lots of industry competency models out there that you can do your own. Do I think I need to grow? I'm I'm strong in this or have mastered it. ATD has one for learning and development professionals. They have one for sales professionals. 00:30:20:12 - 00:30:59:04 Unknown Sherm has them for HR Professionals and hrc has them for HR Professionals. P i don't even know who does the vp the project manager certifications, but it really depends on industry space, where or what assessment tools are out there to find out where you are within that space. But there's tons of them out there. Just give it a google and you will find find lots of resource is depending on what industry peaks your interest and why. 00:30:59:06 - 00:31:23:23 Unknown Yeah, for sure you can put some resources that we use in the show notes below as well. But that was, that was great advice. And with Amanda and I think everyone, whomever where they are in their career can relate to this somehow, which is, which is really great. So thank you for coming on today and being today's guest and really sharing your expertise in this area. 00:31:24:00 - 00:31:45:09 Unknown I always love your examples and the tools that you share to our listeners. If you liked our chat and topic today, don't forget to share our episode and consider joining MRA. If you aren't a member already. Like I said, we have all the resources you need in the show notes below, including resources on this topic. Career paths and the course. 00:31:45:09 - 00:32:06:24 Unknown We'd love to hear from you, so feel free to chime in and share any great success stories that you've had of your own career path or career path planning otherwise. Thank you so much again for tuning in today and we will see you all next week. That wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign in to connect. 00:32:06:24 - 00:32:22:07 Unknown For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

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 the offices there in Wisconsin, the turkeys come up near the windows. And so you kind of get this natural breaks throughout the day, taking a step back to nature and kind of disengage from work stress. So stressful opportunities just get into a different. definitely. Definitely. Well, now that we've kind of talked about all the logistics of it, what impact does it really have on employees and business success, too? 00:11:57:12 - 00:12:31:17 Unknown Well, it's not staggering when you talk about the mental health aspect of this. There was a recent study done that nearly half of the employees that were surveyed, I believe this is survey of people they had mentioned almost half the time that their mental stress or issues that they had got into the workplace and in fact they it to so, you know, this is a pretty serious area when you have our high pressure environments. 00:12:31:17 - 00:13:11:14 Unknown We have technology that is helping us to be more efficient. That can sometimes be a distraction as well, where those types of things can certainly effect productivity at work. You also see where employee absenteeism increases when they have to deal with stress or dealing with lots of issues. But now you have employee satisfaction and engagement, which is a huge factor in this as well, is highly impacted by developing those mindfulness practices there. 00:13:11:14 - 00:13:54:19 Unknown As the workforce becomes more engaged to it, we'll see other things like reduced toxicity as a higher productivity and just a number of other things within the organization, especially the team will sort of go into these like best companies to work or those organizations or you see continue to be up there addressing these issues regularly. You absolutely. I think it's also helpful to give some examples of wellness programs so that companies can start thinking about some ideas for themselves. 00:13:54:19 - 00:14:35:19 Unknown So what wellness programs are in place to support employees mental and emotional well-being? For example, there are a couple of other offenders that are out there that have websites within engagement, and they can provide things from training to other directed things for the organization. A lot of companies can work with their community against some training or some other activities to help themselves establish these programs and really it's initiatives that a company needs to undertake and puts in it. 00:14:35:21 - 00:15:10:09 Unknown So they know the company is saying, we recognize that we need to improve mental health so they can begin to throw out some of those initiatives. So again, focusing on the key points that they want to bring into focus group and being mindful as well as the challenge that there's something one of the other things we've seen a lot of conference engaging in is really looking at the effectiveness of our job is goals. 00:15:10:11 - 00:15:51:00 Unknown So we may have a job description, but it could be that the person fails to do so. Do set the tone. So we structured those positions to be acceptable, normal. And again, we're working with some of those wellness providers to implement some of those programs and really give them a start of influence to start us with. They've already given hope to or different types of services into the organization, or they can project because they've worked with some of these programs as well. 00:15:51:02 - 00:16:22:15 Unknown And then I think the next step we see HRC developmental University for tax and spend is outward to see what services they can provide in that space, because again, it's going to be a balancing act of financial commitment. So the company will do little space to implement some of these ideas again and again. The other important aspect to serving themselves to actually find out what it is that they would do, just sitting, just sitting. 00:16:22:16 - 00:16:47:09 Unknown And I think that's another survey back to said, you know, companies go where, you know, about 60% of companies to be doing a great job if you ask their employees and they're like, no, I'm not participating. I'm not really seeing some interest to me. So we're going to get their feedback soon. So let's do the work for you as an individual. 00:16:47:11 - 00:17:18:04 Unknown And then using that David style, allow it to influence the audience. Yeah, that's a great point to bring up. Absolutely. You talked about that stat with how mental health impacts productivity. So wondering if you're kind of seeing anything else here with our mental health really impacts productivity at work. It's well, if you look at company, it's going to be a little bit different. 00:17:18:06 - 00:17:51:05 Unknown But I think if you were thinking about mental health, there are a number of programs designed to work the same as you're providing additional counseling services, maybe through your income, more services available to employees, and then financial wellness and helping them to work with their retirement programs into the future. Now let's look and see what we can set up to really help support financial unexpected financial things. 00:17:51:05 - 00:18:21:16 Unknown So with individuals who are gearing those programs to help minimize anxiety or stress or know that concept or those day to day activities or childcare is another area where, again, you know, it's a huge worry for people watching as to how they're going to provide support to have the right resources available to them, what happens with their child. 00:18:21:16 - 00:18:45:06 Unknown So how they deal with that. So a lot of those focuses to help minimize stress for people and allow them to step away from that. And the other great focus and I think going off of that work life balance talk, when you're talking about care, spending time, that's where the work life balance kind of also comes into play here. 00:18:45:06 - 00:19:14:20 Unknown So we actually had a whole podcast alone on work life balance. So it's definitely important and something you know, everyone wants. So do you have any suggestions for employers how they can help balance work life, work life balance for their employees? Yeah, I think there's a number of things that a company can do. One, they talked battles for reevaluating the jobs being done. 00:19:14:22 - 00:19:47:20 Unknown Are they being done effectively because a lot of work stress comes from that. That very aspect that my job is, is to do an area where I don't have the right tools to get the job done or there may be other efficiencies. So you do not want to remove that stress, but it seems like very flexible hours so people can stylize hours so they're the best person, that sort of thing to do to get kids to school and pick them up in the day they can. 00:19:47:22 - 00:20:24:07 Unknown A special hybrid workplace is also really powerful in addressing that. So identifying when you want to stack all that work around you do work from home. It's that's with a manufacturing environment. It might be implementing, you know, five minute breaks in manufacturing or some other ways to stagger breaks so that people can stop working a little more frequently throughout the day versus just confining that small your ten or 15 minute period. 00:20:24:09 - 00:20:54:02 Unknown So there's a lot of things that something you can evaluate that would work in day and again, contribute to some of that work life balance. You know, and it just shows. I think that's the final thing. You know, companies can use. They're buying talent. So speed is providing it for brands or a health care child. You know, some of these are very aspects of THRIVE. 00:20:54:04 - 00:21:32:10 Unknown I know several companies I work with nowadays. And how do they bring you directly into work and they take it up and have it done for you. And so, you know, and utilizing tools like, you know, ordering your groceries online from the microwave. So there's a person that you can co-champions. Lots of people do. Yeah. Why don't we try to This is how we work for you to help in that flexibility that we're trying to develop in. 00:21:32:13 - 00:22:04:11 Unknown Well, yeah. What's going to make their life easier, right? Yes. I'd like to draw on my laundry and have somebody to get done. Something I read about when I was kind of restructuring for this topic today was Holistic well-being initiative. So things that kind of encompass physical, mental and emotional health. So what are some initiatives employers can implement around here? 00:22:04:13 - 00:22:37:00 Unknown Well, and that's, you know, again, if you take a step back to look at all your wellness programs, what are you offering today and what can you bring in? There are programs that we've been developed that are a little more integrated. So you can say here, I want to create a program about, you know, balancing work so and so things where you coach them and say, you know, when you get into work, take 5 minutes at the beginning of work to just kind of arrive and be at your desk. 00:22:37:02 - 00:23:02:13 Unknown Don't check your email, save your email review. So maybe 20 minutes into the job or, you know, or implementing, there's a technique called the Pomodoro technique, where you divide up your your time into 25 minute increments and you take just a slight break between them. So you just only focus on one thing for 25 minutes to explain two things. 00:23:02:13 - 00:23:40:03 Unknown So if you're implementing, if you're doing project management, you can build that into it as well. So I think just really being open minded as an employer as to what options and again, this is for the survey too. So in handy is to help isolate, you know, what are things that employees interested in. And really I think what inhibits of employees from participating in those initiatives at work is sometimes the time you're hosting a one hour training course. 00:23:40:05 - 00:24:07:13 Unknown Many employees, more than ten of them because they're like, I can't go that. But you can break that down to 15 minute sessions. You'll see that your attendance rates increase. So again, you're really trying to find a sweet spot for what you're offering and how much observation is in that program and then doing follow up. So that was useful. 00:24:07:15 - 00:24:35:16 Unknown You know, how learned about this topic. One of the topics that they want to and so that's not so good, but it's again, taking that to the stage where our approach, it's not just one solution, but there are many aspects to it. Yeah, finding the balance, Google optimization. And I would just emphasize what you said on surveys and employee surveys and Emery can help you with that. 00:24:35:16 - 00:24:57:23 Unknown We have employee surveys, we can help you with custom surveys. So I will make sure to add the link in the show notes. So if you do want to check that out, absolutely go for that. But we're I feel like a lot of managers or leaders may be asking the question right now, how do you know this is having an impact on your employees and your organization? 00:24:58:00 - 00:25:40:03 Unknown Yeah, actually, using metrics, we can implement a lot of metrics within your own organization to measure. First, I would suggest to a baseline to consumer research. So like how often are we missing deadlines or other aspects within the organization? Absenteeism, utilization of PTO also seems to give you an overall view of where we'll start today, even serving and things again we've utilized since then, since getting baseline on the effectiveness of the program is today. 00:25:40:05 - 00:26:17:23 Unknown And then as you move forward with these, once you're putting them out one by one by one, you can measure it into the survey information of that work, which is improving things long term and a little bit annually, you look at absenteeism rates and see how that's being affected or turnover statistics is number one. So as you see absenteeism rates starting to decline now, people lower turnover in the organization and all of these are indicators of several components of success, the wellness. 00:26:17:23 - 00:26:59:12 Unknown But I think again, like I keep harping on it, surveys are a good way to pinpoint work as this affected where you can use exit interviews for people who do leave the organization and find out where do you see the lowest since or something that could have helped to reduce you? And then again, employee feedback about their managers, because again, we've talked about this all starts with leadership and has a trickle down effect and identifying leaders that maybe needs some additional support as well in their managerial style indicators. 00:26:59:14 - 00:27:36:10 Unknown So these are all ways that you can say, yes, we will evaluate that. Some statistics to look at are performing over time. Yeah, sounds like there's a lot of indicators and tools out there to help you kind of measure that impact. And even some of those are mobile applications that people are downloading and which is the organization will store information that can with what effect without utilization and maybe help identify some other areas that people might want to expand upon. 00:27:36:12 - 00:28:12:08 Unknown Well, or as we kind of close out the episode today, is there one thing that you want our listeners to really take away from today's episode on Mindful Workplaces? I know it's it's a lot and there are a lot of stigma associated with meditation or, you know, doing yoga or a lot of things like that, but recognizing that there isn't a one that's all sort of solution, that it's got to be customized to workplace. 00:28:12:10 - 00:28:40:15 Unknown No being well connected experiences to be able to get that feedback, but was one of them in one thing. This is a journey that's about me as an individual. First and then come to me as a company. How we're going to provide resources and tools for each individual on that labor station. So keeping that in your mind, it will help you to develop these break ins. 00:28:40:17 - 00:29:13:23 Unknown Now it's up to me in to help them to use it to help reduce stress, anxiety, stress, anxiety. Just for sure. Absolutely. Well, thank you so much for being our guest on today's topic and sharing all of your expertise, because I know you have so much in this area. I think everyone can really walk away with a lot of great new ideas and action steps that they can take to create a mindful workplace if they haven't already. 00:29:14:00 - 00:29:36:21 Unknown But to our listeners listening and watching, if you liked our chat and our topic today, I would encourage you to share this episode out and consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. Like I said, we have all the resources you need in the show notes below and we have resources on this topic too, so make sure to look at the show notes and thanks for tuning in, Laura. 00:29:36:21 - 00:29:57:00 Unknown Thanks for joining us today and we will see you next week and that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign in to connect. For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure you follow MRA's 30 minute THRIVE so you don't miss out. 00:29:57:00 - 00:30:01:22 Unknown Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the HR conversation.  

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, to say even beyond just bachelor's degrees. You have a bunch of things in there that maybe just don't apply anymore, or that if you find the right person, you can teach them some of the things that. 00:08:23:15 - 00:08:53:17 Unknown So it's just interesting. I think companies, again, are trying to get as big a funnel of candidates as they possibly can and not eliminate someone that might still have the ability to do the job. So get rid of those just qualifiers. Yeah, that is interesting. Kind of moving on from that point, then going off of recruiting and retention specifically going into more of the talent thinking talent pool, it looks like LinkedIn released its 34 big ideas that will change our world in 2024 or less. 00:08:53:19 - 00:09:16:20 Unknown And I know you took you looked at that list and from that list, what do you see that's really of interest to HR Professionals specifically? Yeah, it's a really interesting list. And if someone's got the time to go, look, i'm sure if you just google linkedin's 34. Interesting things for 2024, you'd find it. It's just overall, it was a look at just society in general and some things that are going on. 00:09:16:22 - 00:09:41:01 Unknown But some of the interesting ones that I thought, okay, well, these applied HR Specifically we've been talking about employee shortages, you know, here in the united states, but they had an interesting section in there on, you know, other countries that are actually encouraging and trying to put incentives in place for people to have children, whether that we're going to pay for child care or there's a bonus when the child is born. 00:09:41:03 - 00:10:17:03 Unknown They're really trying. I mean, they've got some serious problems. And, you know, years and years of China, you know, people having one male child, that's got consequences to it. And now some of those countries are starting to see it. So it's not just happening in the United States. It's it's happening other places as well. Were they also we're looking at this might be the year where tensions kind of come to a head between primarily, I would say, newer and younger employees and traditional employers where new employees expectations might not mij meet employers. 00:10:17:05 - 00:10:35:04 Unknown And I'm not saying one sided right or wrong, but if this is the way we've been doing things for 100 years and now you're coming in and you're telling me you want it done completely differently or you were expecting 10% raises every year, or the employer is saying, no, you have to come back to work, you have to be in the office. 00:10:35:06 - 00:11:05:09 Unknown A lot of these things may be coming to a head, you know, this year to say, all right, whereas an employee do I bend, whereas an employer do I bend, and probably somewhere in the middle is the fair answer. But we may see some some long held beliefs that are going to be tested this year and and see, you know, employer versus employee, you know, who ends up winning out on that and expected unretired payment wave in 2020 for people who just said, this is it, I'm getting out. 00:11:05:11 - 00:11:25:02 Unknown But now they're out and one they might miss the money, too. They might miss the socialization. Three, they might miss the purpose in life that some people maybe don't want want to go back to work in 60 hours a week. But they did get an awful lot out of work. And so now they might be taking a look at it again. 00:11:25:05 - 00:11:46:05 Unknown Yeah. And then just some interesting things around, you know, I think colleges and universities are starting to figure this out, teaching a little bit more about entrepreneurship and creator society and helping people. 1920, 21, 22 that might be looking to get into, you know, their own gig and get out there and get going sort of that might not have been taught. 00:11:46:05 - 00:12:04:12 Unknown There might have been more traditional business practices. Yeah. And so even they are now starting to see that there's a market here to say let's let's start looking at this creator environment and see if there are some things we can do there. So the world is changing and that was like three or four of them. But there was some pretty interesting insights into what might be coming down the pike. 00:12:04:13 - 00:12:31:14 Unknown Yeah, that just made me think of I saw a class, it was being offered online, unlike how to be an influencer, which I just thought was funny, but it's like that's kind of where you're shifting almost and it's funny, but it's true and it's happening. So. So the Healthy Boulder influencer on her podcast, you know, I guess you could say that class, I feel like there's so many different types of influencers though, so anyway though, let's talk about our creativity. 00:12:31:14 - 00:12:58:23 Unknown So you bring up generational diversity and what HR Professionals and MRA's roundtables are kind of sharing around this topic. So i'm curious to know what what are some of the things that they're saying about generational diversity that, you know, a lot of this, you know, looking at especially younger workers, you're starting to see some things like as a younger worker right now, I would say most look at it as like, I'm going to try out a bunch of things. 00:12:58:23 - 00:13:17:14 Unknown I'm going to have three, four, five, six jobs in the first ten years that I'm working, and I'm going to get this great breadth of experience that makes perfect sense. I understand what they're doing. My life, it was, Well, I'm going to find this job and I'm going to learn as much as I can about it, and I'm going to climb the ladder and I'm going to be here for ten or 15 years. 00:13:17:16 - 00:13:33:15 Unknown I'm not saying either one of those again is right or wrong, but if I'm looking at a resume and I've got my bias, I'm thinking, Wow, this person's moving all over. They can't hold a job. Yeah, that person's thinking, Wow, I'm a great candidate. Look at all the places that I've gone in order to get as much experience as I can. 00:13:33:17 - 00:13:55:10 Unknown So there's just a little bit of a we got to understand, you know, where each one's coming from. So I think people are starting to look at that a little bit. The feedback issue, you know, the traditional once a year will have some sort of review and we'll go through your entire year. Well, I'm not sure that's the best way to That's why it's been done. 00:13:55:12 - 00:14:17:11 Unknown But okay, So I'm trying to remember right now what my employees did last February. I'm likely to remember what did you do in December and January or December? In November. And if they had really good months, I'm probably thinking now is a great year for you. And if they had a maybe a mess up or two in the last two months, I'm thinking, boy, this has been a rough year and that's not what a lot of the younger talent is looking for. 00:14:17:11 - 00:14:38:22 Unknown It's, you know, monthly, it's immediate. You know, these sayings like, well, you'll learn if I go, don't make me make too many mistakes in order to learn, just tell me what you want me to do or what I didn't do, right? I guess so, Yeah. Yeah. So you're you're a living example of it. So I think it's, you know, understanding that that immediate feedback actually makes more sense. 00:14:38:24 - 00:15:01:11 Unknown It's more helpful, it's more productive when you've got, you know, a happier employee. And then we've talked about this before, but just the generational differences with communications. I text with you. If you know that you want to find me right now, you're liable to text me not emailing sure is like you're not picking up your phone and calling me, but that's the preferred method. 00:15:01:11 - 00:15:22:14 Unknown And for a lot of older folks, it's like we have email, just email. We need to do it that way. Am I giving you my phone number? Yeah, I'm not. I don't know which one is right, wrong or indifferent, but they're different. And so we either as a company have to figure out what our policy is or just as employees and employers figure out, you know, what's our philosophy going to be on this so that we're at least consistent with it? 00:15:22:16 - 00:15:59:19 Unknown Absolutely. Well, kind of going into some HR Trends from the field section. McLean company recently released some HR trends in 2024. So what were some of the interesting findings that you saw here? I think some of the things are still not surprises. Recruiting was at the top. Providing a great employee experience was up there and I think that has to go with the retention part as companies are seeing that now controlling labor costs is in there, which is interesting because we did go through a few years where we were just about paying whatever it took to get people, and I think we did that. 00:15:59:19 - 00:16:24:23 Unknown We had to do it. But now there is there's a business decision to be made here that we can't be increasing by six, seven, eight, 9% our employee costs every year because we can't afford to do it. So now there might be an emphasis on how do we get smarter, how do we maybe use machines, how do we use technology to do it a little bit better so that one's on their developing leaders is on there? 00:16:24:23 - 00:16:50:11 Unknown We're seeing a lot of that and I think a lot of that is all kinds of retirements, younger people coming in and how do we train them a little bit more quickly. And the good news side, actually a good news bad news side for the HR Folks, an increase in HR Departments and HR People that are being used and are a part of organizational strategy and over the last three years rose from 36% to 50% that they are involved in those decisions. 00:16:50:13 - 00:17:12:08 Unknown I don't know if this is a coincidence or not, but at the same time, we saw an increase from 34% to 47% of our professionals saying they're stressed out. so I wonder why you asked for something. You got it. Now you got more work, you know, as a group. But, you know, the good news is I think that companies are much more conscientious about our people are a big part of our strategy. 00:17:12:08 - 00:17:29:01 Unknown And so folks are more engaged. And while I think that's part of the stress, I think the stress has more to do with just more things on their plate. You can of COVID. Now we're into remote work and where are people going to work and how do we get more out of less and how do we figure out where our compensation is right now? 00:17:29:01 - 00:17:47:19 Unknown Because the market is changing so quickly, we can't my people or I'm not I'm keeping people. There's a lot going on. And so I think that had an awful lot to do with them with the stress and the last one, I think is about 80, 81% of the people said, we think we're settling into the whole remote work thing. 00:17:47:19 - 00:18:04:09 Unknown Now, I think people are starting to figure out whatever that means for them, were totally remote, were totally in the office, or most likely we've got a combination, but we've we've kind of figured out what it is. It's three days a week. There's a week two days a week, whatever it might be. Companies are starting to figure it out. 00:18:04:14 - 00:18:28:16 Unknown Yeah, So I think we're getting there with that one. Yeah, definitely. And I feel like maybe part of the reason why there's more HR Folks doing more strategic work now too. Could be because of ai or that i could help grow that percentage just because, like you've mentioned, i kind of helps you focus on the strategic work while ai is helping you with more of the operational day to day routine tasks. 00:18:28:16 - 00:18:52:14 Unknown Yep. And kind of going off of AI. Then Emery actually released a recent hot topic survey on AI in the workplace in this month and charts you kind of looked at a couple of the questions from that survey. So can you give us some of the data and what were the questions? First of all, I guess, yeah, first, we were trying to figure out where our members were at, you know, because our job is to is to really to serve them. 00:18:52:18 - 00:19:21:11 Unknown Yeah. But we asked them the first question we asked them is what percentage of your employees are currently testing out AI? And we laughed at that broad. But really we're willing to take, you know, almost anything. You know, I've been on chatbot once. Okay, yeah, that qualifies. But we still had 76% of our members have less than 5%, or at least they think less than 5% of their folks are active in in AI and another 14% that 5 to 10%. 00:19:21:11 - 00:19:43:20 Unknown So still very new. You know, for all of them. We also asked them if they had an individual or a department, somebody responsible for whatever they were going to do and whether that was can you just figure out what's going on all the way to strategic development? And 74% of them were at a point of we have nobody in charge. 00:19:43:20 - 00:20:01:15 Unknown We might have people looking at it, we might have people taken, you know, stabs added, but they really didn't have someone who said, you know, your job is to make sure we know where we need to be and what's going on. So very new with all of them at the same time, you know, we said, well, what do you need from us? 00:20:01:17 - 00:20:25:03 Unknown And we had, you know, 80% of the people saying, geez, I could use some user guides and goals and objectives. I could use more content on what's going on. So they're looking for can you give me some things and start feeding me stuff? Because I think people know this is coming. Yeah, I'm not going to stop and you're not going to be able to control it, so we better get out in front of it a little bit. 00:20:25:05 - 00:20:50:18 Unknown So there was a lot of interest in that. And then because we had the webinar series coming up, we asked them about, you know, what exactly in age are you looking for? Is it? I think we offered them learning and development, just the admin side of our employee engagement recruiting, and all of them came back and, you know, different mixes and matches, but all of them, there were about 60 to 65% had an interest in every one of those. 00:20:50:20 - 00:21:15:07 Unknown Yeah. So I think it's I just need some help, Right. Well it's like just provide me something and I think that I'll be happy. So we are, you know, like everybody else, we not only have to figure it out for mirror with our own products and services and our own staff, but also figure out where our members are at and, you know, try to help them get to where they got to get because there's going to be a big year for I think a lot is going to happen. 00:21:15:09 - 00:21:31:06 Unknown I mean, we all got to be ready for it. Yeah, well, good thing we have the air series coming out. We do? Yeah, we do. So. So we've got your Alberts. Well, Jim, as a kind of close out here, can you give us a look ahead at next month's or February's talent report and the kind of topics you'll be talking about there? 00:21:31:10 - 00:21:58:05 Unknown Yeah, we're we're going to look at internships again, but a little bit deeper around. I think it's becoming one of the leading ways for companies to find people. But those strategies around how, you know, when do I find them, how do I find them, how do I prepare them, how do I make sure their experience is a good one and how do I hang on to them and kind of give them a path right into our organization? 00:21:58:05 - 00:22:21:21 Unknown Because if we're going to invest in bringing these people in and having these interns and helping them learn, it can't just be three months of busy work. Now we have to look at them as we're almost onboarding them, right? Three months. We're trying to prepare them, one, to understand the business and two, to want to work here. And then especially for those that, you know, maybe have another year of school left, we've got nine months now. 00:22:21:21 - 00:22:35:17 Unknown They figure out how to hang on to them. So what are we doing to make that a good experience that they're not looking anywhere else and we know we can count on them when they graduate the next May. So it is kind of going to be a, you know, right from the beginning to getting them to come work for us. 00:22:35:19 - 00:22:57:22 Unknown You know, how do we just look at this as this is our supply chain and we all take care of it? Yeah, well, that will be a great topic and February is a great time to start that conversation. So looking forward to a time to all. Jim, thank you again, per usual for all the back. Great information and kind of recapping what you were seeing, January's talent report. 00:22:57:24 - 00:23:24:02 Unknown But to our listeners, if you liked our chat and our topic for today, don't forget to share out this episode. Give it a like we recommend and consider joining MRA if you are not a member already. As usual, we have all the resources for you in the show notes below, so make sure to look at those. We have Jim's LinkedIn profile if you want to get in contact with him or have any questions for him and we'll see you next week for our next episode. 00:23:24:07 - 00:23:42:06 Unknown So thank you again. Jim. Yeah, my pleasure. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect for more podcasts updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out. 00:23:42:06 - 00:23:47:00 Unknown Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

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 all just full time Monday through Friday kind of employees. Then you've got to figure out how do you how do you communicate amongst all these different schedules? 00:08:35:14 - 00:09:00:16 Unknown How do you ensure that people feel like a part of a team and that especially you hear it on weekends and like night shifts and things like that, They don't feel like they're part of the team anymore. So so a key is actually pulling people together in collaborative and community and strong communication ways. So with a focus on actually getting to know each other, having that social connection while you're still being productive. 00:09:00:20 - 00:09:30:16 Unknown And so can you build your team meetings in person, maybe have core hours that everybody has to be there on Wednesdays from from tended to. But other than that, we can kind of work around it. But in those times when you're having people in these more collaborative work environments, make sure it's fun and make it worth driving into the office when if I could have just done my meeting on Zoom at home anyway, why did I THRIVE 45 minutes into the office today? 00:09:30:18 - 00:09:57:24 Unknown So make sure it's worthwhile that they're having that those connections. And it's not always just work like some of it's getting to know your team, having just that time to talk so that they can work better on other things outside of those meetings too. So I think it's just really important that there is that environment when you're together, that you're having fun, you're still getting things done and you're building that that team environment, you know? 00:09:58:01 - 00:10:22:20 Unknown Absolutely. I love all those ideas. Kari And we talk a lot with Jim Morgan. You mentioned the generational differences and export work arrangements, brings up a lot of ideas and even challenges with with generations and working flexible hours. I know sometimes we talk about these like, why are you emailing me at 2 a.m. and it's like, Hey, that might work for me and it might not work for you. 00:10:22:20 - 00:10:45:02 Unknown But if the employer can understand that not everybody is the same, I think that will I don't know. It just helps create kind of that more cohesive team. Even if I'm working the same 9 to 5, like you mentioned one, when you get with employers, I think the resistance comes from we've never really learned how to manage people that way. 00:10:45:04 - 00:11:06:14 Unknown You know, historically I kind of button seat management, which is maybe not the best term, but we're so used to like, I see you, I see working on your computer, you're actively engaged in a meeting. I can tell that you're doing your job when you're not in front of me, when I can't actually see the work that not even seeing an output in that scenario. 00:11:06:14 - 00:11:33:09 Unknown But when I can't see that you're working, then people question, Well, maybe they're doing something else. And then there starts to be this little bit of distrust. We need to change our management styles to focusing on outcomes instead. So it's not as much about how many hours I worked or when I worked or, you know, whether or not you went through 100 emails today or, you know, all of that is I need to produce this result. 00:11:33:09 - 00:11:56:11 Unknown So is it in my doing something of quality? Is that effective and am I having a positive impact on my team? You know, those are things we need to start measuring. But the harder they're just because a lot of jobs, they don't make widgets. You know, it's not that I'm going to produce 30 of these things an hour so how can you say I have strong output in, in what I'm doing? 00:11:56:13 - 00:12:15:19 Unknown So managers and I need to take a step back in these and evaluate the roles? How do I manage these these positions effectively so that I'm not questioning whether or not they're actually doing the job, the right thing. The right thing is, is what I produce now, how long it takes me to produce and where I do it. 00:12:15:21 - 00:12:44:18 Unknown Absolutely. That's a great point, Harry. We're also in the age of social media and increased transparency. So I'm curious, how is employer branding evolving then, with that in mind, in what role does it really play in shaping and promoting a positive employer brand and culture? Sure, a lot of this goes back to that employee experience that we talked about as the first question, and this is now your content for your employer brand, right? 00:12:44:18 - 00:13:08:10 Unknown Like when you're asking the questions of your team, of what they want, then when you actually put programs in place, when things are effective, then that's what you need to do and tell tell the outside world about it and remind your your current employees when you're doing those things and what the benefits of having them are. So making sure that you're telling people the things that you're working at and getting that out there. 00:13:08:10 - 00:13:34:01 Unknown But you need to also make sure that the employer brand rings true to what your environment actually is. I think historically, marketing would put together this really professional and buttoned up program that made everything look perfect. We're seeing now instead that employers are taking their phones out and they're recording things just as much more casual, but it's more real. 00:13:34:03 - 00:13:57:16 Unknown And I think the candidates today and employees are they connect to that because they know that things aren't always produced. And it's not that everyone's always beautiful in an actress and they should leave things instead. I want to see my coworker wearing their uniform actually working on a piece of equipment, talking about what their day is. This comes in as like workers always refer to it as the realistic job preview. 00:13:57:16 - 00:14:27:19 Unknown You know, you want to know if you're coming into an organization, what you're actually going to experience, not just what your leadership wants people to see. So being very, very honest about it, making sure that what you're putting out about your employer brand, whether it's on social media, whether it's just through word of mouth, that it actually matches what your organization does, so that when someone comes into the organization that you know, okay, this is what I thought I was getting into. 00:14:27:21 - 00:14:52:01 Unknown And there's fun ways to do that, especially in small businesses. I think the they tend to think they need a full marketing team to build this out. You can put little notes out about employee promotions or new hires and anniversaries. You can talk about your long term employees and you know, what is their career path, kind of then throw out the time they've been there or, you know, you brought in pizza posted that's okay. 00:14:52:03 - 00:15:14:20 Unknown But those are truly things that you're doing as an organization. But then try to encourage people to do more. Like if you do volunteer days, can we post about those? If there is training that's been received, maybe you sent somebody to Emory and they got certified. Put that out there too, because these are things showing how you're actually supporting your employees in real life. 00:15:14:22 - 00:15:37:16 Unknown You know, absolutely. Those are all great examples, too. And I like that pulling out your phone and just taking a casual video feel like I've heard that so much recently. And I think Amanda Mosteller one of our working and developing instructors called it like the TikTok era, where you just do a quick 32nd video, kind of showcase who you are, what the brand is. 00:15:37:18 - 00:16:07:24 Unknown And I had a story about that. Our marketing team was in. We worked on some project for, like we to bring in the light, to bring in the cameras, kind of like you said, the full produce. And it's like, no, just take out your phone, your cart recorded selfie style. That's what everyone wants to see. And like you said, it's very relatable and it may or may not be a generational thing, as in, I think the younger generation is used to seeing that same all over. 00:16:08:01 - 00:16:42:16 Unknown And maybe that's something that the more seasoned professionals have to get used to that style. But I definitely agree that that's that's where branding and kind of digital content is going is the more relatable content. And I think while it is generational from the standpoint of expecting it in, I think all the generations kind of recognize that it feels more accurate in that it's like, okay, that actually probably happened, right? 00:16:42:20 - 00:17:07:09 Unknown They didn't spend $100,000 to produce this video, you know, and the questions behind that messaging. So I think it is a it's more about being transparent as an organization. And I think there's tools to make that easier to do. And actually, just as I'm saying, the word transparent, the other thing that is really important with employer brands and HR 00:17:07:11 - 00:17:30:14 Unknown Knows this is is your pay pay transparency is really, really important. It's it's coming. If it's not already in your state, it's coming and know the legislations their candidates expect it. We got to stop trying to pretend it's something nobody talks about and start being more upfront about it. And so how do you wrap that into your employer brand? 00:17:30:16 - 00:17:52:01 Unknown And, you know, we can't necessarily be the top payers and with all the benefits, you know, you have to balance your your dollars. But you can talk about what's key, you know, do you have incentive compensation that helps you stand out? Do you you know, maybe you are paying at the higher, higher level or you have some special employee benefit to your total rewards is is a is a balancing act. 00:17:52:01 - 00:18:24:01 Unknown But make sure that you're talking about that and and that you're just you're being upfront about what you believe the job is worth because then you're going to get the people to apply who and who also think that's what the job's worth, right? For sure. So just continuing with the digital digital training here with the rise of automation and I was really balancing technology adoption with the human touch in managing talent and fostering a positive workplace culture. 00:18:24:04 - 00:18:42:04 Unknown So that's been a big challenge for a lot of people recently. Well, it's so new and it's in I mean, my guess is not new. I grew up in the nineties. If we're watching The Terminator, right? Like, I mean, you expected it to come and, and now it's a question of what does it mean in reality and not in science fiction. 00:18:42:06 - 00:19:11:02 Unknown And so every business function, including ours, is grappling with this at some, some level. I think the most important thing that needs to get out in front of this is to remind employees and themselves they are not replacing you. There is still another job on the other side of it, no different than in in the Industrial Revolution when we started seeing machines come into manufacturing, we didn't stop hiring people because the machines were there. 00:19:11:04 - 00:19:32:05 Unknown Now we just needed a different skill set and so we had to make sure that that we're keeping people trained, that they're learning along the way so that they don't get left behind because the DNA not your replace your job, but you are not learning how to use it, will make someone else replace your job. The person who actually does have that skill. 00:19:32:07 - 00:19:53:04 Unknown And so that's important for for each of us as as professionals, You know, we're employees too, but we need to stay in front of our employees and remind them that their that jobs will exist. It just might not look tomorrow exactly the way that it looked today, but it never has. So that's not completely unheard of anyway. But so we need to get in front of that. 00:19:53:04 - 00:20:27:12 Unknown We need to communicate with them, you know, where we see AI coming into their particular roles and then take the time to build training and adoption tools to help them get there because it is going to be new for everybody. So let's just keep everybody moving at the same time. Things that I think about and where I probably should be coming into play is you're trying to automate manual, repetitive processes that don't require creativity, strategic thinking or what I think is important, an empathetic response, right? 00:20:27:12 - 00:20:54:12 Unknown People need to do that. But if the rules are already there and it's a plus B, we'll see. Get people out of that. It's not worth their time. That's when you start to have the technology come come into play too, to do that. So for our specifically, that might be answering questions on policies and benefit inquiries like it's factual and be able to use a chat bot for something like that. 00:20:54:14 - 00:21:34:21 Unknown How do you, how do you use systems and tools? You don't necessarily need to have somebody standing in front of them doing the training. How can you help affected training that that's there that they can utilize and access without the without taking up the time of an individual? Things like metrics and data reporting. I mean, I'll be able to set up automated resume screening and interview coordination are hugely time consuming things that again, as long as you define your factors and can can very much be done by by software and then performance cycle administration, I think is an area that can really get focused on what I want. 00:21:34:21 - 00:22:07:06 Unknown Scaring people is the idea that performance management, actual management might get in been used with I, I don't see that happening for quite a long time because there is still that's the creativity and strategic thinking and we have to have pretty pretty fancy software to be able to get that right. But that leads into HR Has to be a gatekeeper of if you want to call it algorithms, if you want to call parameters, whatever the rules are that are being built, HR 00:22:07:06 - 00:22:32:01 Unknown Has to review those for bias. So you can't have your recruitment software picking your hires because there is inherent bias in the data that we're using to automate this process in the first place, and we have to question it. We got to put those on that scene with compensation, career development, anything that is truly career and employment impacting HR 00:22:32:01 - 00:22:57:06 Unknown Really needs to be reviewing what those rules are that are being put into the system and and doing adverse impact analysis to make sure that we're not going to have whether conscious or unconscious bias come in because that's going to get you in legal trouble. But more importantly, it's unethical, right? No, i'm i'm really glad you reiterated the point that I is not going to get rid of your job and that we still need you. 00:22:57:08 - 00:23:23:00 Unknown I feel like I've heard that in a lot of places and we've talked about it on a couple of podcasts. But those are all great examples of where HR and just business overall can use AI and how you can kind of integrate it into your automated processes so you can focus on all of the strategic planning processes if the things you don't like to do because they're boring. 00:23:23:02 - 00:24:00:17 Unknown there you go, There you go. And then you can focus on like the stuff that you actually really want to do, which is using your brain. Exactly. Well, the concept of agile HR Is also gaining popularity. So my question is, how are HR teams embracing agility to respond quickly to changing business needs and marketing market dynamics? Yeah, this is a it mentioned a little bit earlier, but it's it's changing your mindset from only implementing things when they're perfect to getting into an iterative continuous improvement process. 00:24:00:19 - 00:24:29:01 Unknown We just don't have time with how quickly things change to make sure everything is perfect. We can't build a handbook, have to go sit on a shelf and five years from now look at it again. But you have to be pulling things out every six months, reviewing, making sure that there's minor tweaks and rolling things out. Was looking at some of my concepts like technology is becoming obsolete in 3 to 5 years. 00:24:29:03 - 00:24:53:10 Unknown So if it takes you six months to select a new system and a year to implement it and six more months to optimize and get it really working for you, you're now ready to replace it again. So you need to be constantly changing and tweaking and adjusting and that is going to to be the case for for not just your technology tools, not just your HR 00:24:53:11 - 00:25:14:06 Unknown Resources, but really anything that you were touching in support of the business. So when you're talking about career development, maybe you're creating career ladders, trying to retain people. You can't just build the program and come back to it a couple of years later and expect that it has been working the whole time. So we something out 80% good. 00:25:14:08 - 00:25:49:09 Unknown Learn from that and then make adjustments and be transparent with your employees. Be like, Hey, we tried it. We found something that didn't work. So now we're going to adjust and try to make it better. So that's necessary with just about everything. When regulations keep changing your employees and candidates, expectations are changing so rapidly. We're just in a in a world where the iterations are coming so much faster that you have to you just have to keep adjusting along the way and don't worry about perfection. 00:25:49:11 - 00:26:13:13 Unknown And then of course, we sort of automate where you can so that you don't have to spend your time on administrative tasks and you can focus more on on these things that need to keep changing in response to the needs your business. And I would say and celebrate wins because we kind of forget that step. We keep the burnout, all that stuff kind of comes because everything is coming so quickly. 00:26:13:15 - 00:26:35:11 Unknown So when you do implement something, remember to celebrate it. Say thank you, Remind people that it's happened so that they see the work and effort that's happening. Take a little bit of a breath before you move on to the next project. Yeah, no, absolutely. That's great advice. I'm kind of moving the conversation to a little different topic here. 00:26:35:13 - 00:27:07:18 Unknown How is HR addressing the growing importance of sustainability in corporate social responsibility, in shaping workplace values and practices? I think this is something our listeners are very curious on and they kind of want to want to know more about this topic. So we set out on this question that it's it's it's very different now than when when I started my career, I was even in even five or ten years ago when people were talking about corporate responsibility. 00:27:07:20 - 00:27:35:14 Unknown But it was more like, don't be a bad player, you know, don't don't have the you know, the Environmental Protection Agency coming in and doing something from a legislative standpoint. Now it's more about aligning your organizational values with your business process. So if you go out on many, many company websites, they'll have their mission, vision and values. You see common things about integrity and ethics. 00:27:35:16 - 00:27:59:23 Unknown You know, maybe environmental sustainability is is listed out there. But I think the most important thing is aligning that to, again, what you what you're actually doing. So it's important to to walk the talk. So you want to make sure that you're integrating your business practices in in that that social responsibility that you're saying you feel is important. 00:27:59:23 - 00:28:26:14 Unknown So think about like maybe you need to review your supply chain contracts because you want to align with, you know, maybe you've got a DEA and B program that you're very vocal about you're putting on your employer brand. You can't sit there and say, I'm in support of a particular group, but then never use them as your supply chain. 00:28:26:16 - 00:28:51:23 Unknown So what are your criteria for selecting vendors? How do you bring that in from from a social responsibility standpoint? You know, looking at your manufacturing practices, it's great to sit there and say we will we recycle, reduce, reuse, recycle. But what if your manufacturing practices are creating significant amounts of waste? You need to look at that process and find ways to to have a direct impact. 00:28:52:00 - 00:29:18:15 Unknown You might want to implement a scholarship program that's in support of, you know, organizations or groups that you're providing support to. So again, just that deeper integration that rings true to your organization. So it's not enough just to to post support out on social media or write a donation check. You need to align who you are as an organization, which you're saying in your values. 00:29:18:15 - 00:29:43:05 Unknown This is who you are with, what you're actually doing. And so that's going to help with your employees will see that it'll gain trust with them candidates where this is important to them. They'll be attracted to your organization because it aligns with their values. And I mean, that's the perfect scenario is if you can recruit people who believe what you believe, they're going to fit your culture. 00:29:43:05 - 00:30:14:02 Unknown They're going to they're going to they're going to stick with you, too, because there is more to the relationship than a paycheck. Instead, they feel good about what they're doing. So a couple of common areas, because I think people question, you know, what is it all mean? What's the definition of this? Some common areas that organizations are considering under that social responsibility kind of umbrella is, as I mentioned, the diversity equity inclusion, belonging activities, environmental sustainability, fair trade. 00:30:14:04 - 00:30:37:19 Unknown You know, again, you want to buy from vendors in potentially third world countries that are not paying people effectively or just have to the sustainable wages and then responsible labor practices within your own, your own environment, within anybody that you're doing business with. So those are things to to measure as well as make sure that you're considering when you're making decisions. 00:30:37:19 - 00:31:00:18 Unknown And as an organization. Absolutely. Those are great examples and I feel like a common one too, is just volunteering. A lot of organizations say they value volunteering, but then it's like, do you give your employees volunteer opportunities to sit out, kind of start to finish thing? Like, do you follow up with them? How is their experience? How how they get involved in the community? 00:31:00:18 - 00:31:19:16 Unknown Like you can't just stop at 25%. You got to keep it going kind of thing. There are some organizations and I won't name any, but I'm very recognizable that you see out in the world wearing their volunteer t shirts and you see them at events all over the place. And so, you know that that's really something that that organization takes seriously. 00:31:19:18 - 00:31:48:02 Unknown Right? Right. Well, just kind of wrapping up here today. One more question for you. Leadership development is obviously crucial for organizational growth. So what initiatives are HR Departments implementing to identify and nurture leadership talent within organization? This is a really key area for me, and i feel like we don't spend quite enough time and energy on this in an actual practice. 00:31:48:04 - 00:32:23:01 Unknown You know, so often we promote the best individual contributor into running a department, but we haven't necessarily stepped back and said, are they a leader? Are they somebody that people go to naturally when when when the managers in a meeting, who do they actually reach out amongst their team members to get support and help? So first, I think your selection process needs to definitely be evaluated a little bit more and you need to make sure that the individual contributors can still grow without becoming managers because not every person should become a leader. 00:32:23:03 - 00:32:47:04 Unknown But then another aspect of leadership development for me is actually the job evaluation of our front line and mid-level managers. We have a lot going on in these positions. There's high, high expectations of them and they don't always have the time and resources to be able to actually do the job effectively. So it's a really common pressure point. 00:32:47:04 - 00:33:20:22 Unknown And what I mean by that is senior leadership has expectations of goals and initiatives and growth plans that need to be executed on by these team members. And now we're seeing employee expectations and the employee experience has increased a lot of what they expect out of their frontline manager. You know, they're expecting that their managers want to know them as individuals, that they adjust their leadership style to them, that they're helping them develop in their careers, that they're representing the organization on a day to day basis. 00:33:20:22 - 00:33:55:12 Unknown Strong communication, regular feedback. You know, there's just a there's a lot that's being expected at that. And then these roles commonly have extremely high spans of control. So you see it's not uncommon to see a supervisor have 20 to 30 direct reports if you expect them to know their employees on an individual basis and provide a strong employee experience, while also meeting the strategic goals and needs of the organization, probably need to take a look at the span of control because that's probably not a realistic ask. 00:33:55:14 - 00:34:20:14 Unknown And they also have a lot of administrative work, whether it's time cards and performance reviews and you just all these tools and resources that they have to do on an ongoing basis. So I think it's a really important that we especially as we take a step back and then look at whether it's a program we're implementing, what's the impact on them, but also are we really designing the jobs in a way that's going to make them successful? 00:34:20:15 - 00:34:47:05 Unknown So that's a it's just a it's a key area for me is making sure that they're spending that time, especially given we know the direct managers are a key reason why employees stay or leave an organization. So if we don't provide the support to those specific individuals, how are we really long term impacting our ability to to get the right talent in the organization? 00:34:47:07 - 00:35:12:16 Unknown So it's like I said, we need to make sure that we're focusing on evaluating what those responsibilities are, how many direct reports they might have, what's the the individual contributor tasks we ask them to, because oftentimes they're also expected to be a producer on top of being the manager of a very large team that you might need to provide administrative support to them or an automation tools or something to make their jobs a little bit easier. 00:35:12:18 - 00:35:33:02 Unknown And then being clear on training them and the skill sets that they need to do their job well and providing very clear expectations of what they're responsible for so that they can be successful. And of course, Emery can help with the training and the development and even the job evaluations if that's something that people are interested in. But I do think it's important. 00:35:33:02 - 00:35:55:24 Unknown We very often look at our senior leaders and we're looking a lot at our individual contributors these days, but this group in the middle gets kind of forgotten. Well, I think that's a great place to close out on a great conversation today. So, Keri, I want to thank you for for your expertise in ensuring that sharing the trends that you've been seeing in HR currently. 00:35:56:01 - 00:36:18:10 Unknown But to our listeners, I want to thank you also for tuning in. When Keri mentioned we have resources linked in the show notes, so make sure to check those out today or you can find them at MRA. Net dot org. We also I'm curious LinkedIn profile linked in the show notes. So if you like to connect with her or ask or any follow up questions, be sure to connect with Keri. 00:36:18:10 - 00:36:38:15 Unknown I'm sure she'd be happy to do that. Keri Again, thank you for joining me today. And to our listeners, we will see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. 00:36:38:16 - 00:36:48:09 Unknown And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

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, your appetite for risk, and that the subject matter experts you've got on hand and higher tech to move you through any threat, hopefully to prevent a threat. 00:10:04:19 - 00:10:34:04 Unknown And then what's the fallout? Can your company with stand whatever it is from your employees, from your customers, from your vendors who say, maybe I don't trust you as much anymore, So now two organizations, very similar, could have been brought to their knees, and I witnessed it staying at an MGM property. My husband and I saw it was basically shut down. 00:10:34:05 - 00:11:18:14 Unknown They must have lost millions and millions every day. So just having that kind of ringside seat and talking to who I could. Dealers and Uber THRIVErs. Yeah, customer service people, they highlighted the fact that it was really only one employee who unintentionally who did a very bad and reckless thing against the training that he'd had, which brought the company to its knees, and that because they were networked so thoroughly at all of their properties worldwide for economy and efficiencies, a scalability, knowledge and interest locking this out. 00:11:18:16 - 00:11:55:17 Unknown It also was once somebody got in their room, they got in every. So how does that relate to our members here in the Midwest, wherever you happen to be? It's that employee training is an absolute again, just ticket to the show. If you're going to be in business today, you have to realize the threat really is everywhere and your employees, advertently or inadvertently are likely going to be the access point. 00:11:55:19 - 00:12:25:15 Unknown So train your employees and keep training and keep training and can don't take no for an answer. You just have to have that level of knowledge of what the risk is out there and and how they could jeopardize your organization. It's one thing. The second thing is I would really advocate for an independent outside audit of all of your systems. 00:12:25:17 - 00:12:56:07 Unknown Yes, it takes time and yes, it costs money, but they will highlight areas of opportunity, areas of risk. Can I give you a report card and a game plan to say if this is your report card, where you're strong and where you're weak, here are some gaps. Here are some systems or practices that make you vulnerable. The devil you know is better than the devil you don't. 00:12:56:09 - 00:13:26:09 Unknown And then you can address those gaps that an outside third party, nothing in the game has identified to help make your company stronger. And it isn't a one and done sort of thing. I undertook one in 2020 and again in 2022. We plan to do it again next year. So that's just like maintenance review. You do what you can and that doesn't that, that doesn't ensure you're not going to have a problem, right? 00:13:26:11 - 00:13:58:24 Unknown It just maybe reduces the likelihood. So those two things extensive of ongoing kind of black and white employee training must do it. And second and a regular practice of outside objective audits of your systems so that you can become stronger and less vulnerable. Absolutely. Those are great takeaways, Suzanne. And I appreciate the examples, too, that came with it was very interesting to watch in real time. 00:13:59:01 - 00:14:26:18 Unknown Cybersecurity has been one of our was highly requested topics coming from our 30 minute Thrive listeners. So I'm glad we can address that today. Well, I'm not a cybersecurity expert. I would suggest we get some for future podcasts. We will really dig into it. Absolutely. Another topic that's been very highly requested is I we have a couple episodes out there if you'd like to go in depth about A.I.. 00:14:26:18 - 00:15:15:01 Unknown But Suzanne, I guess I'm curious from your perspective how you feel about a A.I. in HR overall, MRA's first steps to kind of incorporate air in our company. I'm sure just kind of briefly touch on that. I will. I wouldn't say that we're ahead of the game. I would say we're writing this tsunami with most of the organizations out there and learning as best as we can so we understand not only do we need to get it right and become more knowledgeable about our own services and how we're going to offer, connect with produce what we do, and that our members are 4000 strong, are turning to us to say, What should I be concerned 00:15:15:01 - 00:15:42:07 Unknown about? And specifically, I guess as it pertains to human resources. So my thought is there is no there is no value in saying a AI is bad, more A.I. is dangerous. It can be in the wrong hands. And without a plan. But I just is it is coming on strong. So it's not it's not an argument to be debated. 00:15:42:09 - 00:16:06:23 Unknown It's a fact to be managed and wrestled with and resolved. And as best as each company can. So what do I think the impact on each I would be, I think is going to be huge. I'm making this big universal statement without a lot of detail under it. But we're learning, as I said, as fast as we can. 00:16:07:00 - 00:16:53:08 Unknown This practice might work for our members too. We have developed last year we developed an AI task force so people internal, aided by some external experts that would just make us smarter, that would take a look at it and study it regularly and carved out a bit in their time and their goals to be help us elevate our skills with regard to artificial intelligence, not necessarily deciding what our projects would be because it's a small group of people, but elevating the knowledge of our leader team, our employees in general, our senior leaders, and to say, here's what we're learning and to keep that in front of us so that we can make good decisions about 00:16:53:10 - 00:17:27:20 Unknown both internal and external offerings, program services and expertise we may do, I will say, one thing. I strongly recommend that every company who is trying to get their arms around AI and who isn't, that they start with something that sounds like you're putting on the brakes before you even get in the car, which is data governance policy, because every company has employees, whether you know it or not, who are already working with A.I., It could be in a side hustle. 00:17:27:20 - 00:18:04:15 Unknown It could be that they're using it for what they do for your organization and you just don't know it. Or it could be that innocently. They're just one of those early adopters that are saying, Well, I'm just going to experiment through having listened to some outside experts and some people in the legal realm who talk about copyright and many other legal issues, I guess I would just say help your employees be the best they can be by having a data policy and guidelines that give them the parameters. 00:18:04:17 - 00:18:26:17 Unknown So you want to make sure you know what's going on in your organization so you can make sure you don't get in trouble. But also you want to make sure that it's a conversation daily, weekly, ongoing, so that you can harness whoever is an early adopter and excited about it and use that to help further whatever you're trying to do. 00:18:26:17 - 00:18:57:23 Unknown So it's really going to impact and this is just fundamental, you know, the basic knowledge of of things I've seen, it's really going to impact the employment world, how you hire and attract source, bring on board employees. Absolutely. So HR needs to get its arms around that second thought. When you think about marketing production and content production communications, it's really going to impact that as well. 00:18:58:00 - 00:19:25:10 Unknown I would never put something out there written by a guy who. What is that and who is that? You know, the the very old adage garbage in, garbage out applies might be more garbage, might be digital garbage, but it could still be art. So that I almost think artificial intelligence, I'm never going to change the title. That is what it is universally, but it's almost like it should be called augmented in time. 00:19:25:10 - 00:19:51:11 Unknown Just plainly put a computer brain is helping humans do their job better. So you augment how you do your job with artificial intelligence. So artificial always kind of gives me the creeps, but neither it's real or it's not right and it's real. So I would I would say you want to use augmented and I like the do your job from the heard it here first. 00:19:51:15 - 00:20:19:15 Unknown All right. We're changing artificial intelligence. Right. It's just you know, it's not even 9 a.m.. We're getting things done. Get things that I would just add to that, too, from the conversations that I've had with some subject matter experts specifically on AI and how it will affect the workforce. And each are specifically I feel like they're seeing that A.I. is going to help with operational and more routine tasks. 00:20:19:17 - 00:20:49:23 Unknown And that's going to leave HR Professionals and professionals in general more room to focus on the strategic planning tasks that maybe they don't have enough time on right now. That's well said. And i think HR People should be excited about that. But first, it's scary. Before you get excited about said you first have to get your arms around it and know how i'm going to harness it and you don't left behind and and and and though I do think it could help HR 00:20:49:23 - 00:21:14:03 Unknown People focus on the more strategic conceptual things and getting more routine tasks out of the way. It won't stop there, though. I think that's a bridge to to something even bigger. Yeah, absolutely. Well, thank you for those recommendations. In fact, we have a hot topic survey coming out very soon on ai in the workplace, so stay tuned for that. 00:21:14:03 - 00:21:45:16 Unknown And if you want to learn more about how I will affect your workplace in HR specifically, that hot topic survey is going to be coming out next week, actually, so the week of January 7th. And we will also have a podcast covering those results of survey results. But so, Susan, let's talk more about some other business trends, survey results here to our attention was among the top business challenges for 2023 and heading into 2024. 00:21:45:18 - 00:22:13:08 Unknown So what are organizations doing now to really retain top talent once hired? There's very little like earth shaking and VR and tremendously different. But I can say again with the confidence of thousands of employers weighing in, that some fundamentals that again put it, are right in the middle of that business conversation session. You need to be an employer of choice. 00:22:13:08 - 00:22:56:14 Unknown You need to be an employer that competes not just on being in the top of the range you need to pay competitively, as we've determined. But there are so many other things. And one of those other things that is trending more strongly isn't new, but trending much more along strongly is learning in growth. How how are you going to take a new employee, an existing employee, a long service employee, and continue to give them opportunities to learn and to grow in your organization, that that deserves more time and attention on a regular basis? 00:22:56:16 - 00:23:35:20 Unknown Then then most of us either devote to because you're there's a crush of other things to do, or maybe we don't realize just how important it has become and the talent shortage and the fact that employers are looking to hire more in a stronger economy and those people just don't always exist. And so for self-preservation as well as for growth, you really need to keenly focus on career paths and opportunities to develop your current team. 00:23:35:22 - 00:24:05:00 Unknown That doesn't mean you all have to create a university. That doesn't mean you need to have a ladder, a and a ladder being a ladder. I guess it would be the other way around. Let's see. Matter be ladder. But in some organizations that makes sense. Maybe more of a manufacturing organization, but it does mean the quality of supervision and management, the quality of those conversations are really important so that that employee knows. 00:24:05:02 - 00:24:37:04 Unknown All right. The job to which I aspire or the pay that I'd like to earn someday is achievable with these steps. My employer is going to do these three things and I'm going to do these five things and we're going to arrive at this happy destination together. So spending more time and thoughtful consideration of each employee's career path, no matter the job, is really trending strongly. 00:24:37:06 - 00:25:07:11 Unknown And that's not going to change as the talent market stays really challenging, challenging in that there just aren't enough experienced, qualified candidates out there. And even at the very entry level or new to the job market range, I'm not letting those great employees get away and happy somewhere else. Absolutely. And I have a follow up question for that. 00:25:07:11 - 00:25:50:19 Unknown Then, in addition to, like you said, table stakes, the competitive wages we've seen variable pay has also come into play to overcome these recruiting and retention challenges. Are you seeing any incentives used by our members or other organizations, employers with variable pay to kind of overcome the retention challenge? Sure. I'll give you what we've learned from our survey and then I'll give you a little Susan Twist, because, well, my opinion doesn't always carry the day, but we want to hear it. 00:25:50:19 - 00:26:24:00 Unknown Well, it is what it is. What I think would work if you had an organization that you started from scratch with people that you were able to select carefully and grow the way you wanted to. You would treat everybody in a very custom way. Your best employees would get 10% raises and you, your average steady, at ease would get far less than that, and you wouldn't have poor quality employees. 00:26:24:00 - 00:26:55:17 Unknown And in real world that doesn't exist. But I do see to sell them that employers use whatever matrix they have for pay and benefits, they use it to too much the same year. At the end of the day, what is the difference to you or to me or to anyone? You know the difference between a 2.7 raise and a 3% raise. 00:26:55:17 - 00:27:26:07 Unknown It just isn't meaningful. So if you really want to keep that better employee, what is meaningful for great performance. So again, that's the real trend with my twist using HR Being very nimble and able to layer on its policies and practices not as consistently maybe as a lifetime has taught us. You need to treat everybody the same. Not necessarily. 00:27:26:10 - 00:27:58:01 Unknown You need to have business justified reasons for doing that. You need to make sure it's tied to documented perform means but achievement of goals. Those employees who truly are head and shoulders above, they're going to go elsewhere in this market unless you do treat them differently. Ways that you can do that. Variable variable pay tied to performance, not universal bonuses, but those that say if the company achieves this, then we all get that. 00:27:58:03 - 00:28:25:15 Unknown That means gain sharing, Whatever you call it, it's gain sharing. Second would be if you in this role achieve this, you're going to get this. Those things benefit the organization and they will lift all boats instead of variable pay that isn't as tightly tied for goal achievement. And again, that brings the spotlight right down on the quality of management in supervision. 00:28:25:17 - 00:28:50:15 Unknown Are your managers and supervisors savvy, trained and strong enough to say, Sophie, here's where you hit your goals. Here's where you missed your goal. Here's what that earned in our variable pay plan and here's what you going to do next year. That should be a dialog. Usually saying that's achievable might be a stretch goal, but I can do it. 00:28:50:17 - 00:29:25:05 Unknown Not pie in the sky. What are you talking about? I could never do that. So it should feel like a partnership, but it should also feel like a stretch and your manager has to be able anyone's manager has to be able to say, Great job or here's the gap. And that's saying a lot. If you're not going to use things very consistently which can water down performance if you treat everybody the same, the great performers say, What the heck? 00:29:25:07 - 00:30:01:11 Unknown Why should I tie on my son Jr's every day and run at 100 miles an hour when he is and she is and they are running at 50 miles an hour? No, you know, why would I do that? It tends to it tends to breed mediocrity instead of excellence. So the key to that is high quality management and supervision and the ability to have conversations in a partnership way so that people understand, here's how I can excel, here's how I can earn that variable pay, and here's, you know, what caring what I do to improve. 00:30:01:13 - 00:30:30:14 Unknown If that was Susan's twist, that makes sense. Yeah, but it doesn't exist. It doesn't reflect. Well, Susan kind of rounding out the top five challenges from this year's survey is developing future leaders. So I know we touched on this briefly, but what recommendations do you have for developing an organization's up and coming leaders or emerging leaders? I would say, well, one of them, I think, is what I just touched on with regard to variable pay. 00:30:30:16 - 00:31:00:06 Unknown People work for intrinsic feeling of accomplishment. That's true. I think if you hire good employees, they want they come in saying, I want to do a good job because that's just how I'm wound. That's my theory. But let's not make the mistake that an achievement is an important and compensation isn't important. And recognition and rewards are an important and I'm probably wound a little differently that way. 00:31:00:11 - 00:31:29:17 Unknown I'm not saying intergenerational, but it tends to be in that newer workers in the workplace just need more care and development and to feel a part of the team. And I think sometimes longer service workers missed that. By missed that, I mean don't recognize that enough. Don't think about it often enough. Not out of bad intention, but because that's not what they experienced. 00:31:29:22 - 00:31:53:11 Unknown So so you don't want to allow that disconnect to become pervasive in your company. You want to make sure it's fluid and organic is a word I like to use there, meaning it's growing and changing all the time and it's an in an into flow of information going back and forth, people communicating about what they need and what they want and what they have and they like and what they don't like. 00:31:53:12 - 00:32:24:23 Unknown I mean, then you can respond to it back to the career passing. Just make sure that's part of your performance system. Whatever your performance system is, it isn't just about goals, it's about what's next and where you want to go and what you want to achieve and and help with how you get there. So if any employee is willing to say, I want to grow my job and I'm willing to put in these things, room managers should want to work with them all day long. 00:32:25:00 - 00:32:50:21 Unknown It's great advice. Well, common sense, right? Well, Susan, unfortunately, we're running out of time here. But I know we asked this question a lot to our members, but now I'm curious to know what keeps you up at night, Susan, looking forward into the future, 2024 for business? Well, thanks, Sophia. You you actually gave me some nightmares during this conversation because most things. 00:32:50:21 - 00:33:16:19 Unknown Yeah, this is what I'm you. You you touched on two of them because they're so external to an organization. I think many leaders and I like to feel that I really know how to run this business and that I communicate with this team really well that you that you know where we are financially. You know what our goals are. 00:33:16:22 - 00:33:47:01 Unknown Our strategic placement is tucked up in your cubicle, whatever, you know, where we're going. But cybersecurity and artificial intelligence that are tiger by the tail, both of those things, you can do everything right and not see the train coming on the track. So again, business people are paid to square their shoulders and say, how do I how do I capitalize on those opportunities? 00:33:47:01 - 00:34:13:01 Unknown Not how do I run afraid from them? What your question was, what keeps me up at night? I would say it's those two things, among others, because they are so external to minimization. They are so foreign and fast moving and in the hands of other people and things and technology that today a few of us are expert in. 00:34:13:03 - 00:34:39:12 Unknown So so that's what keeps me up at night. And that's why through our conversation I highlighted just the fundamentals of policy governance practice. Outside audits, you do what you can and then hopefully you can just put your head down on the pillow and sleep because you've done what you can. That doesn't mean it will protect or be perfect or optimize artificial intelligence the impact on your business. 00:34:39:14 - 00:35:08:09 Unknown But you can't be an ostrich either and stick your head in the sand and just say, I hope it doesn't impact me for two years or five years. It will come in my CEO roundtable. We talked about cybersecurity and there were 14 really smart business leaders, owners in the room, and four of them had had data incidents, let's call it threat actors attack their business. 00:35:08:09 - 00:35:35:18 Unknown So four out of 14 just in the last year, it's not if, but when. So make yourself as bulletproof as possible. Absolutely. And we have resources linked in the charts below. You can also find them at MRA Talk. But Susan, we wrap up here. Any last thoughts, any words of inspiration for the new year, your mike drop moment here? 00:35:35:20 - 00:35:55:00 Unknown I'll tell you what I told my employees and my partner over the holidays. Bring it on, We're Ready! I love it. I need to. I'm excited. Perfect. Well, thank you, Susan. I really appreciate you coming on. And I appreciate your leadership here, too. Like I mentioned, we have resources in the show notes below, so make sure to refer back to those. 00:35:55:02 - 00:36:15:24 Unknown They are also found on our website, mranet.org. And thank you so much for listening and tuning in today. We hope you have a great New Year in a successful New Year and we are always here to help. So thank you again, Susan. Happy New Year. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. 00:36:15:24 - 00:36:31:04 Unknown For more podcast updates, check out other Amari episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.    

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 culture of folks that want to be there, they have made the proactive choice to be, you know, as a company because you as a organization have fed into them. So I think that is so critical. And I also love the art and concept of the modern way of, you know, because in the past it very much was create the plan. 00:10:04:11 - 00:10:24:16 Unknown January 1st, it goes into effect. We revisit it in December and then see where we are right from a more modern approach. It's very much of what are your short term goals and then your stretch goals and your long term goals and how does that all feed into one another? Because again, it's not going to be a series of steps that, you know, everything aligns perfectly. 00:10:24:21 - 00:10:53:19 Unknown Sometimes it's this little, you know, nice shuffle along that works well and it's smooth. And then sometimes to get to that goal, if you've ever done a lunge, it's a deep lunge. You feel the burn and you're like, This is even painful at the moment, but you have to navigate through that to get to that next step. So being able to really understand like, you know, what can I do to make the lunge a little, you know, a little less of a knee is the way to go. 00:10:53:21 - 00:11:15:19 Unknown Yeah, well, Brittany, you hit on something that I think really highlights the connection also to another modern day thing, which is career pathing, as you mentioned, that growth and engagement. And as I was saying to I can do it, I'm going to do it somewhere. And I think as organizations we need to own that individuals are going to do it somewhere. 00:11:15:21 - 00:11:45:07 Unknown They can do it here or I can move on. If I didn't feel supported in that initiative and this is directly connected to modern day career path thing is no longer this concept of I grow the ladder, right? I come in as a individual contributor on this team. My goal is to become a supervisor of one of my teams in the department that does the work and then the department head and the vice president and I move up the ladder. 00:11:45:09 - 00:12:11:05 Unknown Now, career path thing is, I have knowledge and skills I want to learn, and sometimes that's in the space I'm in. Sometimes it's cross training over into marketing and I do some things for marketing and maybe I even foyer into a marketing role for a while because there are certain business skills that I want to grow in my own repertoire that the marketing type job role will give me, that my current role will not. 00:12:11:07 - 00:12:34:18 Unknown And that's another way, if I know to the modern goal setting, if I'm telling my leadership or my my supervisor, I want to learn how to be a great, a great strategist. And I'm trying to think of my own in filling seats for our public programs. And that's that's a big push. I want to learn how to help do that. 00:12:34:20 - 00:12:58:15 Unknown Well, I could either start shadowing and learning how to do sales things, or I could start shadowing and learning how to do marketing things. But it's a goal that isn't necessarily within my job role, that traditional you know, I've had coaching conversations with leaders in the past and organizations where it's hard for them to wrap their head around, but that's not what your job role is. 00:12:58:15 - 00:13:25:20 Unknown And so why would we throw energy into developing that if that's not what you do today? And I need you doing these things for the job and and the goal being instead reframe our thinking, amend. That's going to be a great benefit all around. And you as an individual are looking for that and and we can absolutely help you with that as it also reciprocally helps the organization have so much less siloed approach. 00:13:25:20 - 00:13:51:21 Unknown Right. Like it's not so much of like you're restricted to this, you're understanding the whole organization and seeing how all the pieces in the COG work. And in Brittany, you kind of mentioned support from the organization too with goal setting and that makes a lot of sense. It's much easier to work and achieve your goals when you both have and you have both your leader and your organization supporting you in those efforts. 00:13:51:23 - 00:14:25:24 Unknown And it looks like we do have one question in the chat kind of on this, and that is how is goal setting really help everyone in your organization that directed at us? We take that yeah yeah. From that approach Yeah you know it's interesting MRA has really done a wonderful job of creating these actionable goals that team leaders, of course will have like a waterfall goal, right, that we're doing for the department, which is also important even. 00:14:25:24 - 00:14:51:11 Unknown And we would not say in modern day goal setting, throw out the goals. That's where you lead, that we are here to continue to grow as a team as well as individually. But you also put in your own goals and then have these fluid conversations. One of the things I love organizationally is there is an encouragement of like we encourage you to touch base quarterly. 00:14:51:14 - 00:15:17:11 Unknown I will always say you should set some sort of cadence because if left to our own devices, some of us naturally are better at touching in than others. But it does not mean you can't go in and have goal conversations through this system. So we're leveraging technology to grow individually as a team or individually and as a team, rather, as well as just any time it comes up. 00:15:17:13 - 00:15:46:12 Unknown But the system we do leverage our systems for this does allow for individual growth conversations unrelated to your first biannual touch base and your annual performance review rate. And what I've seen and how it has helped. And I can only speak for our department. I haven't had cross conversations with other departments on how has this year goal setting gone for you and Sophie? 00:15:46:12 - 00:16:07:12 Unknown You can tag into on how it's gone for for your team. But what I have seen is this real feel that each of us are working individually on the things we need to work on individually. And there is some that account, some of that accountability piece, but we can see the progression. And then imagine looking back at the performance here and saying, You accomplish these things. 00:16:07:17 - 00:16:26:09 Unknown And so then we added another one and you accomplish that one too, because you wanted to, and then we added another one you cared about and been like, Now instead of the ones goal you accomplished personally in the set it and forget it. Strategy accomplished for personal goals plus our two team goals. That's a lot. That's a lot to celebrate. 00:16:26:13 - 00:16:48:15 Unknown And that's what I've seen is it's much more fluid. And so things drop off because they've been accomplished and then we add new ones because it's this fluid approach. Brittany You're also on the learning and development team here at MRA. Are you kind of the same thing that Amanda is saying or any other new thoughts and I am. 00:16:48:15 - 00:17:11:00 Unknown But I also want to add from my perspective, one of the things that I thought was the coolest from the MRA and goal setting standpoint was that there was actual conversation, right? Because how often have goals been assigned to folks or, you know, again, like it's kind of the less modern approach of like, how does this feed into what we need from an organizational standpoint? 00:17:11:00 - 00:17:33:03 Unknown And the conversations are have always been, you know, where do you feel like your strengths lie? What are some things you want? You know, your opportunity areas, What are your interests? Where would you like to grow to? And then how can we mesh all of that together to get you where you want to go? And the focus on the person was really, really impactful to me. 00:17:33:03 - 00:17:55:08 Unknown And it was one of the things that I thought, this is it makes an enormous difference. Yeah, absolutely. I totally agree with that. I actually coincidentally, I just had a conversation with my manager this morning on goals, had to align to look at that perfect timing, Brittany and me. And I can definitely attest to everything you're saying on that. 00:17:55:11 - 00:18:19:09 Unknown The accountability part is huge, and I would say that you have to hold yourself accountable, too, because some goals that you make and even organization wide goals, it is up to you as the individual to make sure you're staying on task with the goal and kind of keeping up with the progress. I mean, personally, for my goals, I, I have kind of a progress tracker that really helps. 00:18:19:11 - 00:18:37:02 Unknown Kind of like Amanda. You say writing down the goals really helps. Also keeping track of the progress really helps because maybe you set a goal early in the year and you're 55% of the way done. You don't want to wait to do that other 55% at the end of the year. You want to kind of keep that pace going. 00:18:37:02 - 00:19:09:16 Unknown So that was a good reminder this morning, kind of when I was talking to my manager on that. Well, and another thing I think about to that question of how we've seen it impact MRI as a whole, as I'm continuing to process and think through that too, where we were talking about personal professional goals being supported internally in an organization, we have a lot of folks that step into other projects or things that MRA as a whole wants to focus on and needs to focus on. 00:19:09:21 - 00:19:31:14 Unknown And we have someone that's raising their hand saying, I would love to do that. We have a team member that started helping doing stream maps for processes and things like that, kind of in a newer way that that's not typically the types of things they do internally in their own department, but they wanted to and they did it for every department within the organization. 00:19:31:14 - 00:20:08:03 Unknown And what a benefit that is, and it's an internal support. It was masterfully done and a huge outcome benefit plus a team member who is developed in a skill set. They want to do that. They wouldn't have had an opportunity otherwise. But because of our philosophy for how we goal set here, supporting your own personal professional goals and not having that, you're only allowed one, you know, not any of the restrictive mindsets because I've experienced that to where organizations say, Yeah, you have three department goals and one personal goal. 00:20:08:05 - 00:20:30:18 Unknown And then I'm like, Well, I'm really limited. And then they did the annual review and then you set your new goal. And I'm like, So I got one thing done this year, darn it. So this kind of blew it approach allows for a lot of growth. Absolutely. Those are all great examples and glad we covered that. Kind of moving on. 00:20:30:18 - 00:20:55:05 Unknown We've touched on this a little bit, but why is modernizing an organization's goal setting approach important? And do either of you have any talking points that our listeners can kind of take back to their leadership to bring this concept home? I mean, I think it's it's the it's the term that is used a lot and very applicable in this stage. 00:20:55:11 - 00:21:29:11 Unknown Engagement, engagement, engagement, retention, retention, retention. I think part of the beauty of a modernized approach to is it is inclusive of those that like the annual and I said a big goal that I think will take me 12 months to get to anyway is works for that because I'm still checking in on how you're doing. And for those of us that like more Sure shorter, shorter term you can tell I've been speaking for 20 minutes is shorter term achievable goals that build it works for that too. 00:21:29:11 - 00:21:56:18 Unknown So in terms of a strategy that engages all preference types, the answer is yes. And here's how we do that. So it can become very personal ties to the individual based on how they like their performance goals. Goals to work. I wouldn't tell someone. No, you have to. I've worked at an organization like that, too. You have to have a personal goal and it has to be unrelated to work in your. 00:21:56:20 - 00:22:25:22 Unknown It felt very forced and random because I didn't want it. It wasn't internally motivating to me. But when organizations do need to do regardless strategically is determine are our goals associated with any merit increases at the end of the year? If they are, how what is the meet needs it improvement meets and exceeds structure looked like so that this aligns with that. 00:22:26:01 - 00:23:01:14 Unknown Not that it's one or the other. You can do both. You just strategically have to make that decision so that we can align everything. And then you do have to because if left to our own devices, like I said before, some of us are better than others in touching base and having these conversations, even if it's fluid, because I might get really bogged down in the day to day and I forget to touch base and say, Hey, I know you wanted to work on flexing skills, needs, analysis, conversations and have we provided enough opportunities for you to do that? 00:23:01:14 - 00:23:30:15 Unknown How are you doing? How are you feeling? If I'm still in the day to day, which many of us get into naturally, because that's how work works, I won't set those conversations, so I will do a minimum expected cadence of touch basis. Often our accountability partners are managers minimum expectation with allowance that it can be much more fluid than that bringing in the other. 00:23:30:17 - 00:23:53:05 Unknown Yeah well and I agree. I agree with everything that Amanda said and then emphasis placed on the conversation. Right. So this is a partnership. It's not the managers dictate it. It's it's very much THRIVEn by the individual. But in a collaborative effort of like where can we make sure that everything does align? And then again, to continue to have those conversations? 00:23:53:07 - 00:24:11:16 Unknown Absolutely. Absolutely. And we do have one more question to cover here. Yeah. What is the best way to make sure team members that come in mid project are on the same page with the team's goals? You I love everything about that question. 00:24:11:18 - 00:24:34:15 Unknown I get really excited when they're like really great thought provoking questions. Burning. Do you mind if I dive in first at all? Get at it. I think first is catching them up to speed with I'm always going to go vision and every project has a vision. There is an end goal that this project is trying to create. And so what are we trying to create? 00:24:34:17 - 00:24:55:17 Unknown Where are we at? Where have we been? And then I think to your point, Brittany, what strengths do you bring to the table here and how do you think we can leverage them the best? And where do you want to grow? Because I happen to project sometimes where I know why I'm there. I'm aware of what I'm bringing to the table. 00:24:55:21 - 00:25:21:07 Unknown There are pieces that I know I'm not strong in. I'm hoping somebody else on the project team is strong in that. And then it being asked, What do I want to grow in? I would say for me it's analytics. So if I'm in a project and we're getting to the measurements of success piece and we're reviewing the data for measurements of success, that's not my strength, wink, because it's not my where I like to spend my energy and my time. 00:25:21:07 - 00:25:41:17 Unknown I love the visioning, I love the frontend, I love all of that stuff. Doesn't mean I can't do it because in my career I have to, but it's not my favorite space to be. So I don't know that I know the best ways to do it. So if I'm asking for a goal, it would be put me on that sub team within the project. 00:25:41:19 - 00:26:09:17 Unknown Who's running that piece? Can I partner with them and can they give me some tests to help? Because I want to get better at that for my own career growth. I think you bring up a good point with that too, Amanda, like making sure that the vision is there, but also again, having the conversation about what you know are your strengths and what are some areas that you want to grow because like the growth is on the other side of stretching yourself a little bit, right? 00:26:09:19 - 00:26:24:23 Unknown So as a manager and as a leader, how do you nudge your folks along to make sure that the vision is aligned and that they're bought in, but so that they're not just phoning it in because they can do it every day, day in and day out with their eyes closed. So how do you keep them engaged? Right. 00:26:24:23 - 00:26:45:12 Unknown So have that conversation to make sure that the vision is there were aligned on the vision. How can I get the most out of what you can do in your sleep, you know? And then how do we also kind of test you a little how do we nudge you along so that you're engaged, so that you want to do it right, so that you feel the build and even getting someone outside their comfort zone? 00:26:45:12 - 00:27:05:23 Unknown Because sometimes as a leader, you're going to have to kind of pull them along a little because they are maybe you're going to have some resistance there. But and it goes a long way with engagement and driving that vision forward. Yeah. Brittany, that's great advice. We have another chat question and listeners to keep on coming. How many goals is enough? 00:27:06:00 - 00:27:37:12 Unknown My advice on that down right? How many goals is enough? I would say a minimum of three. Like if, if I'm creating a structure, right, I would have, you know, a department goal at least that I've assigned someone. And then do they have a current job role goal? If I'm setting a cadence of expectation because even then left to our own devices, if you're going to ask me to if you ask me to set goals, I'll give you 50. 00:27:37:12 - 00:27:59:14 Unknown If you're going to ask my husband to set goals, he'll give you zero. They'll say, Just keep doing what I'm doing. So if you want to set up some sort of minimum expectation of three goals now, they don't have to. To my point earlier about someone, I worked in organization where I had to have a personal goal and had to be unrelated to my job and it had to how you had to. 00:27:59:16 - 00:28:18:01 Unknown And I wasn't motivated by it because I was checking a box. I would just say we have three goals. We're going to have a departmental goal that your team leader is going to assign to the department where each team has to do it, and then, you know, you and your accountability partner, your supervisor, can talk through what the other two are going to look like. 00:28:18:03 - 00:28:48:21 Unknown No more than. And this comes from strategic execution goals. No, it depends on your length of time, but I would say no more than seven. And if you're setting them ahead of time because you have to do your day to day job still and seven goals evaluate it not for anyone, especially if you have an overachiever that wants to set all seven on day one and spend the year getting through them all and then drop it. 00:28:48:22 - 00:29:18:04 Unknown Who, that would be a lot. So I would say best practices, no less than three, No more than seven at a time. Absolutely. Me Do you agree on that? I do. I'm a huge fan of the way. Three, right. Three is easy to absorb when you're giving information and easy to attain when you're talking about actionable steps on things, because you have to also factor in that as you set these goals, you're also going to be working with other people in life is going to happen, right? 00:29:18:04 - 00:29:38:11 Unknown So it's not like, I give myself seven goals or ten goals or 50 goals and it's just boom, boom, boom. I'm not going to model. It generally does not work that way right? So I think three is very manageable and it gives you a sense of accomplishment, like you want to see the progress. So I'm kind of wrapping up here. 00:29:38:11 - 00:29:58:04 Unknown We're closing in on time, but what are some actual steps that an organization can make quickly to kind of get that needle moving in the direction of modern day goal setting? If they don't really do that today? From my perspective, an organization like because I know Brittany has a great add on to this too, and I want to give her time. 00:29:58:04 - 00:30:25:24 Unknown So I'm going to be short for once, but just determine your strategy. So. All right. Off the bat, yes or no, do our goals equate to compensation? Do they have a connection? We need to know that because then we need to be very clear in what constitutes needs. Improvement means expectation or exceeds expectations. If it is a I do not encourage you to have that concern. 00:30:26:00 - 00:30:46:10 Unknown What constitutes it being? If you meet three goals, you need improvement. If you meet for because that changes the fluidity, it locks it back in. What I encourage you to do, if they do not connect to compensation, then you have a lot. Either way, you have a lot of freedom, but there's a lot more freedom because you can start implementing things. 00:30:46:10 - 00:31:13:11 Unknown Day one if your merit increases have already happened or are going to happen in the next couple of months, this would be a post that stretch strategic initiative to make that shift. And then in terms of needs, improvement, exceeds or meets expectations as it relates to goals, I would have them be the departmental and job performance goals, specifically, and personal goals are just cherry on top. 00:31:13:11 - 00:31:40:18 Unknown They don't actually hit your compensation piece. Those are the two depending on which arm you go down. Those are some of the quick actionable pieces to to put into place. There. But I know Brittany's got some something as well. So when you think about how do you then accomplish it and lay it out, right, Because that's the overarching this is what we want to do. 00:31:40:18 - 00:32:05:18 Unknown So there's a couple acronyms, which is smarter goals. But then there's also one that's fast goals, which really resonated with me. Like, I love that one because FAST stands for frequently discussed, ambitious, specific and transparent, right? So it feels very much even just the word fast that you're moving things along, because if you set a goal, sometimes it can feel very drawn out. 00:32:05:18 - 00:32:25:23 Unknown Even if it's a 90 day goal, it's like, How do I get to the end of this? Sometimes, you know, or or that three year goal? When am I going to get to that? When do I hit that level of achievement that I have really been working toward? So using that, that concept of fast so frequently discussed it does the relationship ambitious, it makes it a bit more aggressive. 00:32:26:01 - 00:32:48:22 Unknown Right? So instead of something just be timely and measurable. It's ambitious. Let's go ahead and reach for the stars. Why not write specific again and make sure that is things that you can attain and then transparent. Making sure that those conversation do happen, that other people are aware. So you have a team and cheerleaders behind you who doesn't want to be routed on, you know, as we as we move toward progress. 00:32:48:24 - 00:33:13:06 Unknown Absolutely. Yeah. That's all great advice and well, good good way to kind of close out today. So like I said, that is all the time we have. But thank you to all of our listeners for tuning in today for this live episode. This episode is recorded, so it will actually be published next week. So if you want to watch it again or you want to share it out, going to rewatch it, that will be available for you next week. 00:33:13:08 - 00:33:41:02 Unknown We also have some great episodes coming up over the next few weeks, including an episode on the year ahead with MRA's president and CEO Susan Frank, an episode on 2024 Trends and a lot more so make sure to kind of look out for those episodes. You can find MRA's 30 minute Thrive podcast on your favorite podcast app. You can go to YouTube or you can go to MRA's website at mranet.org. 00:33:41:04 - 00:34:01:09 Unknown Amanda and Brittany, thank you so much for joining us live today. I really appreciate all your insights and your expertise to our listeners. Have a great day and have a great rest of your week and we will see you for the next episode. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. 00:34:01:09 - 00:34:16:14 Unknown For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

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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, the location being C, we're not going to call you covered employers, eligible employees. Excuse me, because you don't work at a facility that has 50 employees within a 75 mile radius. 00:09:42:16 - 00:10:05:19 Unknown So too bad, so sad you lose. Well, for an employer relations standpoint, we need to go have your employee meetings. The employees are company B and C are going to immediately throw their hands up in the air to go. Why does everybody at location, age, how come they get FMLA and we don't get FMLA? Well, you got to understand, you don't work at a facility that's 50 employees with a 75 mile radius. 00:10:05:21 - 00:10:29:16 Unknown That's an employee relations disaster. So that's why I suggest mandatory. But I suggest you treat those locations as though they do have 50 employees within a 75 mile radius. Absolutely. And I love that you're giving those scenarios because that that helps helps a little more to, I don't know, understand. I'm sure a lot of people have these certain situations, laws to absorb. 00:10:29:18 - 00:10:54:19 Unknown So are there any common misconceptions? And with FMLA eligibility that you often encounter kind of sees or working with members in, how can these kind of be clarified? Then the biggest misconceptions for the employee eligibility portion it covers around those the areas of tribute to a seven year break in service. So the example I gave that I'm a college student working in marketing Pimp. 00:10:54:24 - 00:11:14:16 Unknown I work for you through 2020 Rehire Me. A lot of employers are not aware I have 12 months service effective on day one. And the other big misconception about eligibility, All of our members of MRA, they will work on what's called a temp to perm basis, or they'll have employees from a temporary service work for like 90 days. 00:11:14:16 - 00:11:41:11 Unknown And if they work out, they'll put them on their payroll. Well, that's a situation called Joint Employment. So for those temporary employees that we put on our payroll, effective on day one, the hours that they worked and the months of service that they worked actually do count towards their eligibility of 12 months of service and 1250 hours worked through like a walking book of knowledge, you know, like that's what they're on. 00:11:41:11 - 00:12:00:05 Unknown Tell me. Yeah. I've even had some people tell me I know a little bit too much about FMLA, I think, but that's why you're the perfect guest here. You can answer your question. So I have an advantage. I've been in here at Emory 25 years. Yes. As an instructor. We're not attorneys here, but I love the law. I read a lot of court. 00:12:00:06 - 00:12:19:11 Unknown I mean, I've read thousands and thousands of court cases. Keep up with employment blogs, Talk about FMLA. Jeff Nowak is one of the top people in the United States at his blog FMLA Insights. And yeah, I just I actually find it very fascinating. Well, that's right. And you probably get a lot of calls, too, on FMLA, where you are. 00:12:19:11 - 00:12:42:12 Unknown You want to kind of give those scenarios. And here's what I would do in that situation kind of thing. Correct. So next question here. In what situations might employees find themselves ineligible then for federal FMLA leave? And do you have any alternatives or options that may be available to them that you can suggest? So go back to the eligibility requirements. 00:12:42:12 - 00:13:00:04 Unknown I worked for you for 12 months and I have at least 1250 hours worked in the 12 months prior. And we already kind of explained that 50 employees within the 35 mile radius once we don't need to hit that one. That would be a point of ineligibility that I don't can, you know, work there. So let's focus on those first two. 00:13:00:06 - 00:13:26:24 Unknown So for the hours of work, let's say that I get what's the score? January 2nd, 2024, since it's right around the corner here. Let's say that it's my first day of work. Let's see. Then in March 2024, I'm diagnosed with cancer. They catch it early. It's not very advanced, but I do need to miss work or radiation treatments and then, if necessary, to recover from those radiation treatments. 00:13:27:01 - 00:13:50:22 Unknown Well, I still have to send me as the new employee who's only been there for three months now, I still need to get an eligibility notice from the employer. There's three mandatory notices that need to go out, so I need to get that eligibility notice. It states you're not eligible for FMLA, federal FMLA. Why You haven't been here 12 months as of the date of your need for lead. 00:13:50:22 - 00:14:15:19 Unknown This is on the eligibility notice. You've worked X months towards 12 months of eligibility, so the employer would write three months in their hours of work. If I am working part time, I could be working for you for over a year. But again, if I don't have that 1250 actual work hours, that could be our second issue, where I will not be eligible as the employee. 00:14:15:21 - 00:14:39:14 Unknown Now in our training, I always told employers, if you can't give FMLA, if it doesn't qualify, it's an issue that's not covered by FMLA. We need to be much more flexible as employers today with time off and adjusting schedules and what other policies to you have as an employer so that employee can have time off. Maybe you have a policy. 00:14:39:15 - 00:15:06:01 Unknown It's called a force substitution policy. You must use any accrued, unused PTO, whatever you're going to be missing work. Maybe that's what'll be implemented. Maybe there's a personal leave of absence that can be used now if it's for the employee's own medical issues. For example, the cancer that I gave you that's actually now going to fall under the Americans with Disabilities Act. 00:15:06:03 - 00:15:42:13 Unknown Now we have an employee who's suffering with cancer, which is considered a disability, and they're not eligible for FMLA. So we would actually need to provide unpaid leave as an accommodation under the American Disabilities Act. So I'm going to get a eligibility notice. You're not eligible for FMLA, but then I'm also going to receive a cover letter I should from the employer saying, okay, although you're not eligible for FMLA, you are covered under the American Disabilities Act and we will be providing you with unpaid leave as an accommodation under that law. 00:15:42:18 - 00:16:09:24 Unknown So it's very, very important that the employer state specifically what laws are applying during what time of their lives. Interesting. Yeah, well, that's great to know. And I know you've covered this a little bit in her past. Questions, uncertainty, examples of medical leaves. But do you have any other examples that are covered instances or events under FMLA? And are there specific nuance says for each type of leave. 00:16:10:01 - 00:16:13:21 Unknown So how much time do we have? 00:16:13:23 - 00:16:37:00 Unknown This is worth over a long problem. This is where we're getting into the nuts and bolts of the mechanics of FMLA that can get very, very complicated. We were very, very fast. So let's try to summarize this for our listeners and our viewers. So I like to refer to these as buckets of leave. So there's nine completely different buckets of leave. 00:16:37:02 - 00:16:59:23 Unknown All of them can have completely different operating orders. For example, when does that one come into impact? You know, when are we when do we apply to excuse me, I said that when do we apply that particular need for leave? How do we certify it? How long will that individual be off of work? And here's again, another big misunderstanding on employers. 00:17:00:00 - 00:17:22:15 Unknown And I hear this now. I've been doing this for 25 years. The law has been in place for over 30 years now. I will still have no, I'm not surprised. Managers and supervisors in our supervisor in the law, of course, are FMLA overview class and even HR People in our FMLA simple administration class for FMLA. So how long do you need to be off of work in order for FMLA to apply? 00:17:22:15 - 00:17:49:24 Unknown Her hands go up and they go, I know, I know, I know. You have to be out of work. Three consecutive workdays, and then when you're out for three consecutive workdays, that's when FMLA applies. The answer is, No, it doesn't. But I was like, No, nice try. No, no, it doesn't. In fact, all of the buckets of leave except for one can actually be taken in our concurrence. 00:17:50:01 - 00:18:17:11 Unknown wow. So let's talk about the one that you do need to have multiple days of absence, because this is a common one that happens in this particular book. It's called Continuing treatment. And part of this bucket of leave, i.e., the employee need to be out for four consecutive calendar days or I'm off of work taking care of the same family member for four consecutive calendar days. 00:18:17:13 - 00:18:36:21 Unknown Now, it's tricky about this bucket is that this is the only one where the employee can actually just call in and say, I'm sick and it could be FMLA. You know, the reason why we said could be FMLA once it meets these requirements for these particular buckets, well, then the employer response. Remember I said earlier, the employee doesn't ask. 00:18:36:21 - 00:19:02:15 Unknown The employer responds with all the mandatory notices, but all these absences need to be documented with a certification form. None of this is done verbally. It's all documented. So how we use that medical certification form. So, Sophia, it's Rob. It's Monday. Soviets. Rob, I'm sick. I'm not going to be in today. That's not FMLA Tuesday. Sophia, it's Rob. 00:19:02:15 - 00:19:27:07 Unknown I'm still sick. I won't be in today no matter familiar. Now, Wednesday. Sophie Last night, my wife took me to urgent care. I don't have COVID, but I've got some sort of a respiratory thing that's going around. I actually feel worse not going to be in today. We're not there yet. Again, the way the law defines this particular bucket, it says more than three consecutive calendar days of incapacity. 00:19:27:09 - 00:19:55:15 Unknown So literally what that means is I need to call in four days in a row. So now, Thursday. Hey, Sophie, it's Rob. I'm still not feeling good. I'm not going to be in today. Now use my manager. I notify our leave administrator. Could be HR Could be somebody else. Payroll, maybe. And that starts the familiar paperwork process. Okay, so once the employer's notified of my need for leave, which in this case would be Thursday. 00:19:55:17 - 00:20:20:06 Unknown Now, the employer has five business days from that date to give me the eligibility notice. Then rights, responsibilities notice a medical certification form goes along as well, and that needs to be returned within 15 calendar days. And then after that time period ends, there's a third mandatory notice called the designation notice. So this is really it's a paperwork here. 00:20:20:06 - 00:20:44:01 Unknown It really, really is. So we the employer, we act on that fourth day of absence Now for this particular bucket, in order to be covered by FMLA, the employee would have to go see a health care provider medical certification form and need to be returned within 15 calendar days. And on their certification form, it's documented. They were out for four consecutive calendar days or more. 00:20:44:03 - 00:21:07:21 Unknown They saw a doctor in person tell the visits are included in that and they got a prescription medication that's like 90% of the certain forms I've seen in the past. The other could be they saw a health care provider two times in person. When that's documented, that then would be qualified and can be marked as FMLA for that particular employee. 00:21:07:23 - 00:21:29:11 Unknown So the key there for consecutive days of absence calendar days. If I work Friday, I'm off Saturday and Sunday. Friday. So if it's Rob, I'm sick. I won't be in today. I don't work Saturday and Sunday. Monday. So if it's where I am sick, I won't be in today. Believe it or not, under the law, that's considered more than three consecutive days. 00:21:29:11 - 00:21:51:24 Unknown I mean, capacity that actually starts the FMLA paperwork process. Now, the way that the employee says I don't want FMLA. Yeah. Is they never return their medical certification form. Their employer still needs to go through all the paperwork, all those monitoring notices. But eventually you're going to get a designation notice at the end that says absences for these four days, not FMLA. 00:21:52:01 - 00:22:14:19 Unknown Why you didn't return a medical certification form. So that's that's just one bucket, the only one where you can call in sick. And these are short term illnesses and injuries. Now, there isn't a list that I can give you that does not exist, but this could be the area like colds, ear infections, pinkeye. COVID falls into this bronchitis. 00:22:14:21 - 00:22:40:08 Unknown You strange your back moving grandmas are more. Over the weekend you went skiing and you broke both of your arms and you can't work. And it's going to be about 6 to 8 weeks for your bones to heal. So these are short term illnesses and injuries. And a remember for either the employee or covered family member, which would include a spouse, children or parents and then stepparents as well. 00:22:40:10 - 00:23:08:08 Unknown So that's that's one particular bucket. Things like pregnancy covered by FMLA, even absences for prenatal visits or morning sickness, those are covered by FMLA. Anything to do with adoption or foster care placements, those are all covered by FMLA, any pre placement issues that need to happen, court medical evaluations, traveling to different countries, post adoption, post foster care placement, being with them. 00:23:08:10 - 00:23:32:03 Unknown That's covered by FMLA to stay. So let's talk now about the number one headache. And I don't mean to be a pun with that, the number one headache under FMLA is a bucket called chronic conditions. So short term illnesses and injuries, that's the continuing treatment. It's got to have at least three consecutive days. I mean, capacity, chronic conditions. 00:23:32:03 - 00:24:01:20 Unknown However, these are long term or permanent medical conditions. Okay. The employee or the covered family member are probably on some sort of a medication. And with our certification forms, it's very typical for these chronic conditions to be certified for up to a year. And what we need to look for on the certification form, it's actually the last question on the certification form, and it's the area called frequency and duration. 00:24:01:22 - 00:24:24:04 Unknown So the number one medical issue that we get in our hotline is migraine headaches. So as migraines, we send them to their health care provider, they bring back the medical certification form. We're going to go look back at that frequency and duration frequency. How many times a month is this issue going to happen? Duration? How long will any event last? 00:24:24:06 - 00:24:48:05 Unknown Well, the search form states 1 to 2 episodes per month, 1 to 2 days per episode. That means that that employee could be up to four days of FMLA per month, though. Here's why This is the most complicated bucket to deal with. And actually for managers and supervisors, the most frustrating bucket to deal with. When's that employee going to have the next migraine? 00:24:48:07 - 00:25:17:03 Unknown When is their child going to have their next seizure? You don't we don't know. And there's never a good day to be off of work. Yeah. Now, sadly, this is also the bucket where occasionally we may have an employee that will be a little bit abusive with us. For example, Fridays and Mondays is a pattern of absences days before and after paid holidays, even vacation time to make some sort of an extended period of time offering. 00:25:17:06 - 00:25:40:08 Unknown Now that does happen, but thankfully it's not a very large portion of our employees that are using FMLA, But it's going to be the most frustrating one that we have now. Please keep in mind that all these different areas that we're talking about do not require multiple days of absence. These can all be hourly, right? So I think right now it's about 10:30 a.m.. 00:25:40:10 - 00:25:59:08 Unknown I can give you a call or I can come over to you by your office and say, Hey, Sophie, I feel my IBS about to act up your irritable bowel syndrome. I need to get out here and get home. You know, I go home and if I work until 3:00, you can charge me 6 hours of FMLA. So I can charge half a million hourly increments. 00:25:59:10 - 00:26:25:21 Unknown So it's not missing holidays, chronic back parking. It could be parts of days, leaving work early, coming to work late because of that chronic condition. And again, this is why that particular area of leave, that's the most frustrating for employers. These are long term. So I've been in Emory 25 years and let's say that I have the migraines up to four days a month of FMLA. 00:26:25:23 - 00:26:48:22 Unknown Well, if I'm working 12 weeks of leave at my work schedule, that's five days per week, 12 weeks, that's 60 individual days. I work 8 hours a day. That's 480 hours of FMLA. Or if my health care provider certifies me as for four migraines a month for, you know, total days of migraines, well, four times 12 is 48 days. 00:26:48:24 - 00:27:11:12 Unknown I didn't really use up all of my FMLA that I'm eligible for. I still have 12 days left. Once I'm eligible for FMLA for the next 24 years, I could be missing 48 days for migraines, unscheduled partial days coming in late. And there's very little that you can do as an employer. That's why that's one of the most frustrating. 00:27:11:14 - 00:27:37:18 Unknown Now i always told managers and supervisors and HR People when we talk about this frustrating bucket that we take a little bit of pause here. Everyone struggles with this. They all know exactly what i'm talking about and we get upset with these employees and somehow we try to do something to make that person's life miserable. I'm leaving now of irritable bowel syndrome. 00:27:37:20 - 00:28:11:17 Unknown You look at me and you raise your eyebrows and half by suppose under the law, there's two legal things that can happen interference of my ability to take leave and retaliation for taking that leave. So a story that I had an actual event, a manager for a manufactured usual. It's the last week of the month. We do a lot to get everything out, got to get our orders shipped and we're try to get as much as possible. 00:28:11:17 - 00:28:41:22 Unknown So end of the month for a manufacturer, that's a big deal. So on the beginning Monday of the last week of the month, individual again suffered with migraines and this person typically was off at the end of the month because their migraines were stress induced. So on Monday, the manager has pre shift meetings always. So on this Monday morning meeting Cavs all the employees together and talks about the week and the jobs that they're working on right now. 00:28:41:22 - 00:29:01:09 Unknown Then at the very end of the meeting he goes now as you know this is the last week of the month we got a couple new customers. We got to make sure that we get this out the door to make these people happy. And then he looked directly at the individual with migraines right into their eyes and said, and I'm counting on everyone to be here this week. 00:29:01:11 - 00:29:26:19 Unknown Now, I do say kudos to the employee. Actually, congratulations. Employee they went right to their HR Department and they said the right thing. My manager just threatened me that i better not have a migraine this week. So i got that call on the hard line. And the member's question was, did her supervisor create any problems? Yeah. And the answer is, you bet they did. 00:29:26:19 - 00:29:51:03 Unknown They are now interfering with that person's right to take leave. I think I forgot to mention this before when I was kind of going on with another explanation that's really tell about people. The chronic bucket. You might be frustrated with your employees understand you might be here one day right now. Although my time here at MRA, I've actually had three major surgeries, two shoulder surgeries and a major back surgery. 00:29:51:05 - 00:30:15:16 Unknown So I was actually off of work and using FMLA, and none of that was held against me. The revenue lost my coworkers that need to substitute for my training aren't seats. They couldn't get booked because I was not available so that the lost revenue. None of that can be held against that employee. So again, that's that time off unpaid with no penalty to the employee. 00:30:15:16 - 00:30:37:04 Unknown That's why it's a very simple statement. But there's a lot to that implication of the workplace. So we saw the continuing treatment, the chronic conditions at school. We see a lot of her mileage when you use now the other buckets. So we have the employee who literally needs to see something medical. For example, a parent has stroke and end up in the hospital. 00:30:37:06 - 00:31:04:13 Unknown So inpatient hospitalizations, anything to do with nursing homes or hospice care, including home hospice care covered by FMLA? My mom has structures in the hospital that is way, way beyond I'm sick or opiate work today. It's very, very specific issues like dealing with end stage of life covered by FMLA. If the employee needs time off, not the bereavement part, but if I need time off to be with that family member. 00:31:04:15 - 00:31:31:13 Unknown Severe arthritis and getting treatment, for example, physical therapy. How can you dialysis reconstructive surgery after an accident or a cancer? So the reasons for leave are very, very specific medical reasons. Yeah. Now under the law, there's actually two additional military related leaves. One's got a really unusual name called military exigency leave, and the other one's called Care for Recovered Servicemember. 00:31:31:15 - 00:31:54:08 Unknown Now those are for family members of the employee of a covered employer that can take time off when that family member is either deployed on active duty or is injured or become sick because of their active duty deployment. Now, on our hotline in my training programs for the last several years, I have not had any examples of those. 00:31:54:10 - 00:32:11:02 Unknown So if you have an employee that comes in and says, Hey, my son's being deployed in the military, can I get some time off? Well then that said military exigency. You deal with that at that point. But that that's the summary for those two conditions. Basically that is the area of the coverage and a quick summary for our familiar leave. 00:32:11:04 - 00:32:35:14 Unknown All that was a lot. So I hope you all were writing the writing notes. TSA at the beginning, get your notepad out. I take a lot of notes like now would be a perfect time for a pop quiz or something. Right now, let's take a break and look at all your notes so far. But moving on here, what advice do you have for employers navigating intermittent FMLA leave requests and balancing business needs with employee rights? 00:32:35:16 - 00:32:52:23 Unknown So here again with our examples with that chronic condition is probably we're going to see that most often with the intermittent leaves, it can happen with the other areas of leave as well. Let's focus on those products. Yeah, once I'm certified by my health care provider, there's actually very little that an employer can do to manage those situations. 00:32:53:00 - 00:33:16:24 Unknown However, if we do have patterns of potential abuse, there are a few things that we can do as an employer to deal with those abuse issues, and it's a little bit too much for our little overview that we're doing today. But there's a couple things that we can do as employers other than just catching the person an outright fraud, fraudulent use of leave. 00:33:17:01 - 00:33:40:10 Unknown Yeah, it's a bunch of hurdles that we need to come to deal with that specific issues. Yeah, absolutely. Well, kind of wrapping up here, Rob, we've talked a lot a lot today about FMLA and just kind of the overarching picture. But can you end with any insights and best practices for employers to ensure smooth and fair practice regarding FMLA eligibility in covered events? 00:33:40:12 - 00:34:04:19 Unknown So, number one are HR People who are administering FMLA, you need to be trained on how to administer properly. Now that's what we here at emory. We have our FMLA made simple class where we deal with that issue for our managers and supervisors training as well. Not how to administer FMLA but understanding what do i need to listen for those buckets of leave that starts the FMLA process? 00:34:04:21 - 00:34:26:07 Unknown And then also, what does it mean that I have no penalty under the leave and also of the basic rights are under the law. So training and awareness are two big compliance tools that we need to use. Yes, absolutely. It also lets mention about training employees. I've had this brought up many, many times during my training programs on FMLA. 00:34:26:09 - 00:34:53:00 Unknown Well, Rob, this is a really complicated law, so can you come to our organization and just do like a one hour overview for our employees? Well, first of all, the law doesn't state any mandatory training for our employees. In fact, it assumes that any mandatory training for HR People are mandatory. The supervisors but unfortunately, it's not required. You're putting the posters up, responding to the requests when they come in properly. 00:34:53:00 - 00:35:15:08 Unknown That's the way that we deal with FMLA. We have to be very careful about training our employees because if we just did an explanation of what we just covered, literally, you're going to open a Pandora's box. Hey, do you know how to be off on FMLA? Here's how you do it. No, I'm not saying that with a cold shoulder or unsympathetic, but we don't want to encourage the issues. 00:35:15:10 - 00:35:35:19 Unknown We've had a lot of situations in the past where the entire shipping department all of a sudden, though, has chronic depression. because that word spreads, right? So we don't need to encourage that. But again, the majority of our cases that we deal with under FMLA, people legitimately do have medical issues of themselves or a covered family member, and they really do need that time on. 00:35:35:19 - 00:36:04:00 Unknown Yeah, that makes sense. I'm sure you've seen a lot and heard a lot of story. Well, Rob, I want to thank you for being on the podcast today and thank you for sharing your expertise on FMLA specifically, like I mentioned, this is a highly requested topic, so I appreciate you coming on the podcast today to cover that. And to our listeners, if you liked our chat and topic today, I would urge you to come and something new that you learned today or anything that you'd like to add on to this conversation. 00:36:04:00 - 00:36:27:15 Unknown We'd love to hear, hear from you. Don't forget to share out this episode. Consider joining MRA If you aren't a member already. We have all the resources you need in the show Notes below, including resources on our topic for today and training links. So check those out. And we've also included Rob's bio and LinkedIn profile. So if you'd like to connect with him, we've got the resources for you to do that. 00:36:27:17 - 00:36:50:12 Unknown Otherwise, thank you so much for tuning in and thanks again, Rob. Thanks for having me. Here's a lot of fun and we'll see you next week for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. For more podcast updates, check out other Emery episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA 30 minute Thrive so you don't miss out. 00:36:50:13 - 00:36:55:05 Unknown Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

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 leadership role and you have this accountability or this succession planning meeting and you're supposed to do the work and you come to the meeting and say, so busy, my department, you know, this or that, but your people are missing out then. 00:09:00:21 - 00:09:22:14 Unknown And how would you imagine those employees of that person who didn't do the work? And now no one knows that they have a unique set of skills, that they have an interest in going to another area or any of that. And so they may miss out. And as a leader, you would never want your people to miss out on a future opportunity, especially if they were the best candidate. 00:09:22:16 - 00:09:47:24 Unknown So you have to do the work and have all of that information stored somewhere so that we have the knowledge. You know, it's like, garbage in, garbage out kind of thing. We had good data in there, so we can work from that. But you definitely want to dedicate time to doing the work. Yeah, and I feel like what you just described there is probably a common challenge for many organizations and just getting started in the accountability piece, that invention. 00:09:48:01 - 00:10:18:06 Unknown So it's a perfect weekend or next question of what are some other common challenges that business owners face when it comes to the succession planning? Yeah, that's a great point because time is for sure one of the I would say one of the biggest issues is just getting started and kind of knowing where to start. And you have to just figure it, figure it out along the way if you've never done it, or if you don't have somebody who has done it somewhere helping you, but, you know, start small and then you can build on that. 00:10:18:08 - 00:10:41:22 Unknown But getting started is one of the biggest challenges. And then the second thing is ensuring accountability and dedicating it at the time and working the plan because it doesn't stop after you've had the meeting. Now you have all that data from each of those meetings. You still have work to do after that. So it's working the plan. So Dana, you mentioned that a common challenge is really just starting the whole process. 00:10:41:22 - 00:11:00:20 Unknown So where would you say a good place to start is? Yeah, and it could be like many things both feel kind of daunting sometimes, especially if you've never done it before. And it's like, where do we even begin? And and I would say get the right people in the room to have some discussion around why are we going through this? 00:11:01:00 - 00:11:21:22 Unknown What's driving the need for doing succession planning? And it really is about preparedness and kind of being ready when something changes, getting ready so you're not caught off guard when now all of a sudden, we have to hire three new leaders. And who would they be? You might have some great people in there, but you can use the time to get people developed. 00:11:21:22 - 00:11:48:20 Unknown So, you know, why are we doing this? What is it that we hope to get out of this? You know, answering that question now, everybody's on the same page. You've got some foundation set, then you can start looking. And I'm going to just say there's a metaphorical board here, you know, in the air. But put on the board and a like an employee journey map or a leader journey map, and it might look something like picture sort of a road map. 00:11:48:20 - 00:12:12:04 Unknown How do we get from here to there? So for an employee, there may be a number of different career paths that they take. And I'll just use an example from one of my old experiences in an organization I worked for in the past. I was in leadership in a call center. We had customer service reps and they might become a coach, which is not a leadership role, but it's kind of a step up. 00:12:12:06 - 00:12:33:14 Unknown They might become a trainer again, not a leadership role, but it's a step up. But they also then might go to first line supervisor and it could go those three things, but it could go right from customer service representative to supervisor, depending on the individual. No, there's never like it has to be this kind of path. I'll take that back. 00:12:33:16 - 00:12:55:19 Unknown I won't say never, but in in generally speaking, people might take different paths to get where they're going. So you have this employee journey and in that journey map, you know what might be some skills that they like as a trainer, they're going to get great presents and skills experience, thinking on your feet, but also some planning for the class and things like that. 00:12:55:19 - 00:13:23:17 Unknown And as a coach, they're going to get some experience coaching other employees, which is essential for leaders. So you could get some development along the way. Then when you think about the leader map in in my old experience, I'm going to use another example for later maps. We did things like you might have a first line supervisor who's only ever worked kind of in this area and we want to get them some experience in another part of the organization. 00:13:23:19 - 00:13:45:16 Unknown They might lateral over into an analyst role and so they're not supervising people now, but they're learning some of the business problems and they're working on cross-functional teams. So they're getting a whole new set of experiences that help them learn more about the company. And especially if you're in a large organization, it can give them some different experiences. 00:13:45:18 - 00:14:03:05 Unknown Then they might go to a second line manager or they might go to a manager of analyst or something different. But you could also go from first line supervisor to second line manager or something like that. But you just need to think about what are the needs and who has a unique set of skills and an interest in a particular role. 00:14:03:07 - 00:14:21:22 Unknown So kind of figuring all of that out and you can start with your why statement, then go to your journey maps and that will help you once you do those individual development plans ultimately. So we've done the why now, we've done our journey maps and we've had some discussion. Then we had our meetings and we built all that data in our database. 00:14:21:24 - 00:14:49:21 Unknown You can see what people need individually, but as a leader now, it's my responsibility for my people to get them what they need. So so there's kind of that leg, if you will, but then you'll have people in the database who have common learning needs, development needs. So for example, maybe they've never done any type of coaching or performance management or employment law. 00:14:49:23 - 00:15:11:18 Unknown So if there's 20 people in the database that need that now, you can send people into a comment class and that could be something like RPA classes or it could be something you do on site. There also might be some some kind of really easy things to get off the ground. If you give everybody a link to a TED talk and say, watch content between now and 30 days, we're going to have a meeting and we're gonna talk about it. 00:15:11:20 - 00:15:31:04 Unknown That's great development for people to come to the meeting and hear what other people's perspectives were and share their perspectives. So get some experience with all of that and collaborating on a project. Or it could be any number of things that you could do that could be quick hits within just within the company. You could do like a book club. 00:15:31:06 - 00:15:50:02 Unknown But then there are other things that might be bigger, like a plex or a roundtable or going to a class on a law or something like that. But, you know, use that data to help you make your plans and do your the execution of the plan. No, absolutely. Those are great examples. I'm glad that you brought those up. 00:15:50:02 - 00:16:13:14 Unknown And I loved hearing about your success in your past roles, too, and kind of just sharing your real life, your real life stories. So we talked about gaining new skills and some of that includes technology skills too. So I guess my question here is how do you use data then specifically to assist in succession planning in appraisals? Yeah. 00:16:13:16 - 00:16:50:23 Unknown So I'm assuming that everybody, you know, the new hires are going in and putting their information into whatever your h.r. Software is about. However that process looks, that could be just through h.r. Maybe putting that information in, but again, garbage in, garbage out. So the data has to be in there, but there are usually your h.r. System has an element of, like, ways to search so you could search for, like, degrees in accounting, or you could search for people who have a certain certification or speak multiple languages. 00:16:51:00 - 00:17:16:06 Unknown You could also use that information in your database to search for what's the age range as you kind of opened up with 10,000 people are retiring every day. So what is that age range? How many people are in that group and in what roles? And is it that one critical role or there's only one person with that institutional knowledge and you don't want to ask people like, Hey, I'm turning 65 or whatever, You don't want to ask that. 00:17:16:08 - 00:17:36:21 Unknown You're just looking at the data and taking that to your meeting and saying, This is what the data is telling us. This is these are things that could happen and we should be prepared for these things. So use the reports and the information that you already have in there. If it's possible you might want to automate with some succession planning software. 00:17:36:23 - 00:17:53:00 Unknown There are some great programs out there that make it so easy, very intuitive, user friendly programs. So again, you can put the information in and it can you can even set alerts and it will tell you like date of the meeting is next month and you need to be prepared to talk about your team members, that kind of thing. 00:17:53:00 - 00:18:19:01 Unknown But you can also kind of move people from ready now, or maybe they're ready with development in the next 12 months or maybe ready with development 1 to 3 years or something like that, so you can set it up and whatever makes sense in your organization. But then, you know, educating everybody on what what all those things mean, ready now what does that mean? 00:18:19:03 - 00:18:49:11 Unknown So if there's an opening and your names on the list, she's ready now. So we've got 35 people who are ready now for this first line supervisor job and great place to be if you've got a big pool like that. So you can use that data to kind of age you and in this process. Yeah, I'm glad that you brought up automation and automating the process a little bit more because I'm sure a few people are a little overwhelmed with the whole succession planning process. 00:18:49:11 - 00:19:22:06 Unknown So at least now that there are tools to help you with the process, that's another one. Yeah. So we talked about in the beginning that planning isn't just for CEOs and leadership for retirees. So are there specific roles to priority prioritize or are there high risk roles that need more attention than other roles? Yes, and I would say think about three in particular. 00:19:22:08 - 00:19:42:10 Unknown So one is if you have a particular role where only one person does it, and especially if one person has done it for years and they have all that institutional knowledge and you don't want to lose that and it's easy to just, you know, so and so it's always done and they've always been there, but at some point they're not going to be there. 00:19:42:12 - 00:19:58:22 Unknown So what are what are the plans in place so that you don't have an issue when that person does leave? So you're planning for. That's why succession planning is so essential for organizations You want to be prepared for when these things happen that you're not caught off guard going, my gosh, what are we going to do now? 00:19:58:24 - 00:20:22:16 Unknown And somebody could hit the lottery, right? And they're gone. So so that's the first one. And then the second one to think about is any of those niche roles, unique skills. There's not a big candidate pool. It's hard to hire. Think about like what are the competitors doing, What are they paying? Are they doing anything like signing bonuses or some things to attract people? 00:20:22:18 - 00:20:49:18 Unknown And are those things that you need to consider? Maybe you've never done it in the past, but things have changed and it might be that now you need to change to accommodate that pool. So that you can attract the best talent. And then the third thing to think about really are your growth plans. So if you are going to expand, I mentioned going global or something like what are what are the needs there? 00:20:49:20 - 00:21:18:15 Unknown If you're even just from a growth perspective, maybe it's not even going global or anything like that, but you're one of your strategic goals might be we're going to increase sales by 20%. Well, as everything increases. So do oftentimes the number of employees. So you might need to hire multiple leaders next year. Do you have anyone in the pipeline that's going to be a good leader in the meantime, if you know that's going to happen, if that's the plan? 00:21:18:15 - 00:21:42:01 Unknown In the meantime, can you work on getting people prepared so you have all that great information from your meetings in the database and you see who might be the next first line leaders, particularly your people that have some potential and have been performing. So let's say there's 20 people in there. You could take 20 people and send them through some kind of a development class to get them prepared. 00:21:42:03 - 00:22:04:14 Unknown And then you have a good candidate pool to choose from when you have that growth that you've been expecting. So those are kind of the three areas that I would, I would say to consider. Yeah, absolutely. We talked a lot on emerging leaders here on the podcast. So again, that's a great group of people to kind of get roped into this discussion to Absolutely. 00:22:04:16 - 00:22:30:19 Unknown And we've also mentioned kind of emphasize the point that succession planning is not for one specific type of role or not for just leadership roles. And with so many baby boomer boomers, many of them may be in leadership roles leaving the workforce, there is a greater emphasis on the younger generation needing to fill in these leadership roles. So let's talk for a little bit about succession planning for these younger generations. 00:22:30:21 - 00:23:04:00 Unknown Maybe they haven't been in the workforce very long and they don't really have a ton of experience or the leadership skills. So do you have any recommendations for developing this process? A little earlier on? Yeah, I would say, you know, a couple of things to think about when looking at sort of that, I'm going to use your phrase about next generation of leaders, because consider, especially for people who've been in the workforce for a long time, you know, about the evolution of the workforce itself. 00:23:04:02 - 00:23:37:17 Unknown And currently there are the workforce is really looking for development and opportunities and not just, you know, getting hired to work in this one job forever, but it's the the workforce, you know, the people that you hope to retain that can see that they're you care about their development. You the leader care about their development and that there is going to be future opportunity, then that's a little more attractive to that that part of the workforce. 00:23:37:19 - 00:23:54:15 Unknown The other thing about that part of the workforce, a lot of times you have people who they want to know their leader and they want their leader to know them as a whole person. There used to be an old adage back in the day that, you know, check your bags, your baggage at the door when you come to work. 00:23:54:15 - 00:24:14:19 Unknown It's work time. But there really has been an evolution in the workforce about the whole person. You're leading the whole person and you can't often as as a human, we can't. There are certain things we just can't leave at home and things that might be hindering our ability to focus or whatever it might be. But, you know, that's attractive to help retain some of the workforce. 00:24:14:19 - 00:24:38:04 Unknown So you're thinking about the next generation of employees. What's next? What is going to be the next part of the evolution? You may as an organization have a diversity goal and you might want to focus on that. You might also have new tech knowledge that's going to be coming into your work world, and you'll need people who understand that technology know how to do whatever it is. 00:24:38:06 - 00:25:01:06 Unknown But you also could be just like in a growth mode. And so all of a sudden now you find it beneficial that you need to have a project manager on staff that could be part of your next generation. Maybe we've never had that before, but with all the change that we're going through and, you know, we're going to add this madness and that it might be beneficial to have somebody with that kind of a skill set to manage projects as they go through. 00:25:01:08 - 00:25:22:18 Unknown So you just kind of have to think about what are those skills, what are some changes coming? There might be get lost, but you're looking at your next generation of hires and your next generation of leaders and what are they going to need to. Again, it's all part of the process going into leadership skills, digging in there a little bit more. 00:25:22:20 - 00:25:45:06 Unknown How do you exactly know what is needed or how do you help develop those successful leadership skills specifically? Yeah, so a lot of that is really through observation, you know, so for example, if I am a leader and I have, you know, ten people on my team and I've worked with them, I've got some experiences and I can assess from my perspective. 00:25:45:06 - 00:26:24:10 Unknown So so my observations are going to play a huge role in that, which back to what we said earlier about if the leader isn't going to the meetings and talking about so-and-so skills and abilities, sometimes they missed out. The other thing now can be through like cross-functional teams or cross-functional projects committees. So for example, if I am a sponsor of a new project and I have people from ten different departments that are on my project team, so I can see that person's work product, if you will, because they come to the meetings, are they prepared? 00:26:24:10 - 00:26:50:20 Unknown Do they meet their deadlines? Do they work well with others? Just all those things. And then I can speak to that too. So their first their manager can speak to their their performance. I can speak to their performance. So there are some other examples. And in that too, I might have a different perspective because I might say they were great at these five things and you know, what they could benefit from is learning more about this other part of the organization, and that's a complement to their work. 00:26:50:22 - 00:27:12:22 Unknown And if they understood more of the ins and outs over there, I think that it can help them understand kind of what levers to pull or when things happen, how that's going to impact another department, just kind of seeing the organization more holistically or that organization more as the system that it is. And that can really help when it comes to things like problem solving or cross training or anything like that. 00:27:12:24 - 00:27:39:07 Unknown You know, really a lot of that is, again, through observation. But then, you know, you also think about what they need next and how do you kind of meet those needs. A lot of that is through the development plans and things. Yeah, absolutely. I feel like that's been a common trend of what we've also talked about this year is that cross training and the leadership development opportunities and all that great stuff that you mentioned. 00:27:39:07 - 00:28:08:01 Unknown So I love those examples. That was great advice. But Dana, as we wrap up here, can you share any any real life success stories or case studies even of businesses that have effectively navigated this succession planning process? Yes, sure. So I will share that. There was a company that I worked with not long ago and they had a pretty good succession planning process already in place with their meetings and their documentation. 00:28:08:01 - 00:28:32:10 Unknown And and it wasn't automated. They were they were using an Excel sheet. It worked for them. It was not a large organization. So as they continue to grow, they might want to automate. And that was one of the things we did talk about. And but what they really wanted to focus on were accountability and what kind of enhancements could they do to their existing process. 00:28:32:12 - 00:28:50:15 Unknown So there were a couple of things that we talked about, and one was moving from meeting twice a year to for a while. Let's make four times a year and then people get it's it's closer, right? So you've done it more times and people are kind of more ready each time because it's like, that's three months now. 00:28:50:16 - 00:29:23:05 Unknown Not six months away. So I've got to be ready. And what have I done from from this meeting to the next? And that's a reflection of me as a leader on my performance. Did I take time to dedicate to developing my people? So kind of making those meetings more frequently can really help with that accountability piece. But then the other thing that one of the things that I had had experience with in the past I recommended was make one of the leaders or the owner of a particular meeting. 00:29:23:07 - 00:29:43:09 Unknown So if it was my turn to be the leader of the meeting, then I set the meeting. I sent out the invites, I pull up the database for doing it virtually, and I show it online and we have and I facilitate the conversation. That's a different level of ownership. You know what? If I know I'm going to be responsible for the meeting, I'm going to do all my prep work ahead of time. 00:29:43:09 - 00:29:59:10 Unknown And it's just like anything else, like riding a bike, right? The more you do it, the easier it gets, the better you get at it, the more comfortable you are with it. So if I have to have ownership in a meeting, I'm going to work a little harder to get prepared and I don't want to go in ill prepared. 00:29:59:12 - 00:30:32:20 Unknown But also it's a way to get more used to it. So you've got somebody that can kind of run that meeting. And then the other thing we did talk about was potentially automating the process and again, just making it easier for the leaders to to do that work. That's that's part of our work as leaders. So the executive team, if they need to approve like the purchase of some kind of software to make this work easier and better information, better data to work with, that might be part of this your succession planning work too. 00:30:32:22 - 00:30:56:10 Unknown So that was a company that I worked with before or one of our member companies that I worked with, but in my own role before I came to MRA in my past. When our past lives, if you will, one element in our succession planning process that I liked was so you had accountability to your leadership to do the work, to come in to the meetings prepared. 00:30:56:15 - 00:31:20:16 Unknown And if we were not prepared, our leader was having a conversation with us about not doing the work. But the other thing is kind of like dual accountability was the expectation was after those meetings and after the conversation and all, I would go back and have a meeting with the people on my team that we talked about the high potentials and the high performers, and to have the conversation around here is what you do really well. 00:31:20:18 - 00:31:38:03 Unknown And here are some things we think you could benefit from. And so let's make that happen. But that was an expectation. So my leader would say, have you had your accountability meetings with your team yet? So it's kind of coming from both directions and it's just another way to kind of make the work happen. But it is a little bit of muscle memory. 00:31:38:03 - 00:32:05:03 Unknown You know, again, the more you do it, the easier it gets and you start having those conversations and planning it and it just becomes part of the work after that for sure. Those are great examples too, and even some action steps that listeners can take away and start implementing right away too. Yeah, it's very. Dana, I want to thank you for being on the podcast today and thank you for sharing your expertise and your success with succession planning. 00:32:05:05 - 00:32:27:03 Unknown Thank we yeah, and to our listeners, if you like the chat and topic today, I know a lot of our members and listeners request this topic, so I would urge you to comment something new that you learned today or anything that you really like to add on to this conversation. We always want to hear from you and your what you're doing specifically on this topic too. 00:32:27:05 - 00:32:49:03 Unknown Don't forget to share out this episode and consider joining MRA if you aren't member already. We have all the resources you need in the show Notes below, including a number of succession planning resources in the show notes below too. So take a look at those. We've also got Dana's bio and LinkedIn profiles, so if you'd like to connect with her, Dana, I hope that's okay. 00:32:49:03 - 00:33:09:22 Unknown You might be getting some good connections lately, otherwise. Thank you so much for tuning in, Dana. I appreciate you being here and we'll see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect for more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. 00:33:09:23 - 00:33:19:15 Unknown And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

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 German hire viewer, the two that really stand out and say to stay, yeah, that's half of my mind. 00:08:38:21 - 00:09:00:16 Unknown But yeah, I love how you said that AI is not meant to like take over. Your job is going to help you because I feel like I've heard a lot, like AI is going to take over my job. Yeah, they're taking over everything, so. Right. Yeah. Yeah. I totally agree that it's just there as a tool and you can use it to make your job more efficient, right? 00:09:00:18 - 00:09:25:08 Unknown So diversity and inclusion was also named as a top trend for 2024. How can employers really incorporate the AI into their recruiting? Yeah, that's a really great question and I feel like this has been a big buzz for recruiting and just organizations as a whole. And obviously a lot of it stems into the beginning stages of recruiting, so I can touch every step in the recruiting process. 00:09:25:08 - 00:09:54:16 Unknown So whether it's creating gender neutral job ads, placing the said job on diverse boards because there's a lot that are specific to different diverse organizations, you can target diverse talent pools and when you're sourcing candidates as well, partnering with local diversity partners and doing different like blind hiring methods, things like that. So you're not you know, you're focusing on it, but you're not focusing on it. 00:09:54:16 - 00:10:18:09 Unknown Yeah. So and I've seen some other organizations, too, to draw more attention to their diverse recruiting efforts, do more of like a Happy blank day on LinkedIn. Yeah, I'd say social media, but things like Happy like Day of the Dead or things like that, just to show that they're having that drawn towards more desire for diversity in their workforce. 00:10:18:09 - 00:10:43:07 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. And you just listed a bunch of great and steps that people can take even now right after the podcast. So we'll all link some resources to to help with that. Absolutely. The next one is branding for recruitment. And I love this one, obviously because I'm on the marketing team. So tell us more about why an organization's brand is so important in the recruitment process. 00:10:43:07 - 00:11:03:16 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. Well, marketing and recruiting go hand in hand. Like sometimes I like to play like I'm a marketing person, but I'm really not. I'm just I like to marry the person and the candidate and everyone to where they need to go. But the main goal for branding for an organization and recruiting is just how can you differentiate, differentiate yourself? 00:11:03:18 - 00:11:21:03 Unknown How can you have that strong and input employer brand? It's very critical and it's to highlight that within the recruitment process. So again, a lot of what recruiters do is that active candidate outreach to get, you know, maybe you have a job posted, you don't have any applicants. So how am I going to attract people to this job? 00:11:21:03 - 00:11:41:08 Unknown So when I'm reaching out to candidates personally, I always like to make sure my emails are fun, They're light and getting the point to what they want to know. Okay, yes, schedule and compensation. But if I can leverage other social media platforms and that's what a lot of companies are doing where they can highlight their culture, their values, what makes them unique. 00:11:41:10 - 00:12:03:21 Unknown I was actually working with one organization where they have create they created a slew of day in the life videos. So when I was recruiting for those particular skill sets and maybe the candidates didn't know exactly what a day in the life looked like, I would enter that link into my email message. So the candidate could get a better feel and physically see what a day in the life looked like. 00:12:03:23 - 00:12:26:19 Unknown So great idea. Yeah. So that's a lot of what branding and how it kind of falls into recruitment. Yeah, I feel like recruiters have to be more creative than ever now because I don't know, there's just so many different aspects that you could write be original on and everyone wants to say, Come to us because we have hybrid work, but everyone's going to say that. 00:12:26:21 - 00:12:47:12 Unknown So like, like you said, what makes you stand stand out and stand apart? Yeah. So as the job market becomes more competitive, what strategies are employers adopting to attract and retain top talent? I think, you know, the biggest thing that employers are doing to adopt and attract and retain the top talent is they're looking at the market too. 00:12:47:14 - 00:13:06:21 Unknown So they're looking at the market, seeing what the competition is doing, what the competition is paying, what they're putting out there, and they're making those adjustments and they're being very mindful of that. I think a lot of what we've talked about before here is they're also meeting their employees where they're at and kind of seeing what the benefits are. 00:13:06:21 - 00:13:34:11 Unknown That would be a benefit to them, because a benefit for me is ever been a benefit to you. So I know a lot of organizations are doing a paid or unpaid elder care daycare or child care reimbursement and also embracing a long term work from home policy and offering those flexibility. So how about some of the skills and qualities that recruiters are really prioritizing in 2024 as the job market continues to evolve? 00:13:34:11 - 00:13:56:07 Unknown Yeah, the market's pretty saturated right now in terms of candidates and people looking for work. So I think one of the main skills and qualities that they're prioritizing is culture fit. I think, you know, everyone was so hot to trot and hot to hire a few years back. And I think they've they've learned their lesson that at the end of the day, we got to make sure we have the right culture fed. 00:13:56:07 - 00:14:33:12 Unknown So we're having, you know, these individuals longer term. Another thing they're looking to do is increase the skills of their recruiting team. So having them, you know, adopt different technology use are different skills trainings, factoring in AI as well. And then I think last but not least, kind of what we mentioned earlier is that too much meaning the employees, where they're at the meeting, the candidates where they're at in terms of communication, I was recently recruiting for a slew of interns and I was like, Hey, this is my first time recruiting Gen Z, and I know they want short, sweet to the point. 00:14:33:12 - 00:14:59:13 Unknown So how what is my message going to be to them? So what I ended up doing was I put together a sourcing and mail that said, Hey, I have an internship, here's the company, here's the location, here's the pay. Are you interested? Ed If so, book a time on my calendar. And I sent them a link because it was all easy to do on their phones and things like that, I got zero responses, but nine candidates scheduled phone screens for me and they all showed up to their phone screen. 00:14:59:13 - 00:15:25:03 Unknown Really? Yeah. So a big thing is of really just meeting people where they're at and where they need to be in terms of communication skills and things like that. So those would be, in my opinion, the key skills now. Yeah, those are great examples and great things always keep in mind. Yeah, well kind of wrapping up here and looking ahead at the same time, what challenges do you really anticipate recruiters will face in the coming year? 00:15:25:05 - 00:15:46:09 Unknown And do you have any advice that you can kind of leave us with today to help navigate some of these challenges? Yeah, I think the biggest challenge for the upcoming year for recruiting is just going to be the job market itself. I think it's it's ever changing right now. Like I started last week with two active positions and now my plate is nearly full. 00:15:46:09 - 00:16:06:18 Unknown So it's just it's ever changing again, for better or for worse. And I don't think anyone really knows the predictability for next year. So I think that's going to be the biggest challenge. My advice on that is as a recruiter, as an employee, as a supervisor, anyone in the workforce internally or externally, communication and having those clear expectations. 00:16:06:20 - 00:16:30:00 Unknown And I think too, from a recruiter standpoint, the advice would be gaining the trust from candidates and building the relationship. You know, you there like I said, the market is very saturated right now. So, you know, you if you ghost candidates, you know, just follow up with candidates because if someone has a bad experience, yeah, they're going to LinkedIn and they're going to post about it. 00:16:30:00 - 00:16:50:11 Unknown So you want to make sure that you're you're ensuring that you're genuinely there to help because as a recruiter, you're there to help the candidate, you're there to help the organization, and you really just want to make sure you're gaining that trust from the candidates. That would be my, my, my biggest one advice. That is great advice. And so thank you. 00:16:50:13 - 00:17:12:10 Unknown Well, it sounds like recruiters definitely have their hands full this year and next year, but I want to thank you for coming on the podcast and sharing your experience and expertise with us today. We're curious to know what you're doing to get ready for recruiting in 2024, so feel free to leave a comment below for a chance to win one of MRA's new swag items on the podcast. 00:17:12:12 - 00:17:31:18 Unknown And if you liked our chat and topic today, don't forget to share out this episode and consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. We have all the resources you need in the show Notes below, including resources on this topic. Otherwise, thank you so much for tuning in today and thanks for joining us. Katie. Thank you. And we'll see you next week. 00:17:31:20 - 00:17:52:22 Unknown And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

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 technology to give the employee a self-serve option that they can go in whenever it's convenient for them, make those changes, and then really train the technology to make the appropriate updates. 00:09:15:02 - 00:09:42:05 Unknown Like I may never need to know if you just moved from one neighborhood within the same city to the next that navient We're 100% remote and hub remote company across the nation, so i do need to know or one of our HR Professionals does need to know if they're moving multistate and so we can set up that notification within the technology to really give us the information that we need real time for each one of those users. 00:09:42:07 - 00:09:49:13 Unknown Yeah, I love that you brought up the notification aspect, too, because I know personally that's just something that's helped me a lot 00:09:49:13 - 00:10:06:17 Unknown with any anything HR Related time sheets or goal setting or goal setting system. You know, you get your notification every week or so. Hey, make sure. Yeah. So it's not so much a job of nagging people anymore. 00:10:06:17 - 00:10:32:16 Unknown It's like an automated. Hey, make sure you fill this out like an email each week, which is so nice and right. We don't have to, like, manually remember these things either. Yeah, absolutely. And like with our goal setting system, like my manager is able to tell when I go in there and edit something or change something. So I don't always have to be like, Hey, can you go in there and work and write my goals or anything? 00:10:32:16 - 00:10:36:07 Unknown So yeah, examples. But 00:10:36:07 - 00:11:07:00 Unknown kind of going off of that, do you see any specific challenges or really pain points in HR That technology is really helping to improve or address? Yeah. I mean, i would definitely say, you know, one of the key drivers is time. You know, just the scope of what HR Professionals has is working on has really evolved over all the time that all this technology has been available to us. 00:11:07:01 - 00:11:41:14 Unknown You know, i would think back to kind of my early years of HR I was doing kind of the things that HR professionals typically do as far as managing, you know, specific processes. But our world has changed and we're being asked to find ways to be more strategic and how are we being strategic and bringing in really solid candidates to the organization and how are we being strategic to have a really whole employee experience so that we're retain in our top talent And so we need time to do that. 00:11:41:14 - 00:12:02:15 Unknown So if we're still manually processing tasks and and entering things in multiple systems and trying to manage that data, we don't really have that time to be strategic. I just think about, you know, my interaction with other HR professionals during the pandemic and all the things that came up that were kind of additional duties for us to do during that time. 00:12:02:17 - 00:12:17:14 Unknown You know, how do we have time to be strategic? And my answer is lean in and technology, because these pieces are available to help save you time so that you can, you know, spend more time being strategic. My kind of tagline or one 00:12:17:14 - 00:12:25:06 Unknown piece that I always like to say is utilizing technology is allowing us to put the human back in human resources. 00:12:25:06 - 00:12:46:21 Unknown So I don't want to spend my time updating an employee's address or moving, you know, a piece of data from one place in the organization to the other. I want to have meaningful conversations with our employees and with our candidates. And I really feel like, you know, leading edge technology allows us to do that. 00:12:46:21 - 00:12:51:07 Unknown Just that. And the other piece I would bring up is just kind of the management of the amount of data. 00:12:51:07 - 00:12:57:12 Unknown I mean, we are holding so much data within HR And it's hard to keep that all straight 00:12:57:12 - 00:13:07:22 Unknown as far as where the data should be stored. How long should we be storing it for? Who should have access to the data, who needs it at these different periods of time 00:13:07:22 - 00:13:12:23 Unknown to try to do that from a manual perspective or not utilizing technology? 00:13:13:00 - 00:13:21:02 Unknown Maybe it's even in an Excel spreadsheet that you're kind of keeping track of this. There's just so many more opportunities for there to be error with that 00:13:21:02 - 00:13:33:19 Unknown that I feel like, you know, that the managed utilizing technology to manage the data is a huge benefit of these HR Technologies. And I even think about that from a compliance perspective, right? 00:13:33:21 - 00:13:54:13 Unknown It used to be that we would hand out employee handbooks in a paper form and then we'd ask them to sign a piece of paper to say that you received the new employee handbook for the year and turn that back into HR Well, did i get everybody's form back? Did I miss an employee that maybe started while i was doing that process? 00:13:54:13 - 00:14:20:08 Unknown So being able to leverage technology for pieces like that from a compliance perspective is is priceless. Yeah, those are all great, great points. And I'm, I guess I'm curious to know what you're doing at Navient too. Can you share any examples of successful HR Technology implementations that have really positively impacted your organization? Yeah, 00:14:20:08 - 00:14:22:05 Unknown you know, our applicant tracking system. 00:14:22:05 - 00:14:30:24 Unknown So we're utilizing an applicant tracking system to manage our candidate experience. You know, historically, prior to utilizing that technology, 00:14:30:24 - 00:14:46:08 Unknown we were manually managing that. So just, you know, thinking about the number of candidates that we see at any given time for our organization, we're getting flooded with candidates when we open a new requisition. I know that's not the case for everybody. 00:14:46:08 - 00:14:56:13 Unknown And every industry, but certainly being a remote company in the technology space that's opening our candidate pool to the entire nation, that makes a significant difference. 00:14:56:13 - 00:15:10:17 Unknown So that's a challenge. We need to figure out how we're going to manage all the data points that come with that. So, you know, this technology is handling the posting and its handling the communication with candidates. 00:15:10:19 - 00:15:33:08 Unknown It's handling the communication with our internal staff. And that would always be kind of a exchange of emails. And did I send this person this email to communicate that or not about this specific candidate or that's all happening right within the it's platform. You know, this technology can handle scheduling, which can be complex, especially when you get multi interviewers and things like that. 00:15:33:08 - 00:15:40:21 Unknown We're also using that technology for our offer management, so we want it to be paperless and seamless with that process as well. 00:15:40:21 - 00:15:48:17 Unknown And then we have other built in integrations with that for like our assessment tool that we have all new or all candidates complete 00:15:48:17 - 00:16:15:18 Unknown as well as our recorded interview. So that's another one that I'll share. So in this came off of a partnership with Amira is we were introduced to the idea and the concept of utilizing video technology in lieu of recorded or in lieu of phone screenings, which is kind of how all of our organizations, I think historically did that was have an HR professional call and ask questions, not really sharing 00:16:15:18 - 00:16:26:03 Unknown a lot at that time, but just asking questions and receiving the information, Well, why wouldn't we utilize a video technology to do that instead? There are so many wins that come along with that. 00:16:26:03 - 00:16:28:19 Unknown So that's another one that I'll mention. 00:16:28:19 - 00:16:37:18 Unknown And then I guess the last piece just kind of on talking specifically about the Navy and technologies that we utilized is really our employee process automation. 00:16:37:18 - 00:16:41:10 Unknown So in it's candidate and employee, but 00:16:41:10 - 00:16:42:15 Unknown it's a little, 00:16:42:15 - 00:17:06:04 Unknown you know, I guess I'll explain it like these are the technologies like Navient specifically is using a technology called OnBase and OnBase is what is flowing our data through our organization. And you can have different applications, but what's really creating the process flow that in a professional or somebody else in the organization would historically be doing. 00:17:06:06 - 00:17:18:18 Unknown So this automation technology, we've kind of trained it to do the manual repeatable things that HR Professionals or others in the organization have historically been doing. 00:17:18:18 - 00:17:33:09 Unknown So it's everything from the higher process through retire. So it's our performance management system. It's where our new hire surveys are tracked. It's where HR Is communicating with our internal i.t. Team to say we have a new employee. 00:17:33:09 - 00:17:55:11 Unknown Let's make sure that all their i.t. Things are set up prior to their first days. So that's been probably the biggest component of our technology offering and really what's made a big significant difference on an hourly perspective. Absolutely. That's those are awesome ideas and that's great to hear that they're there working out for your organization. They're successful. 00:17:55:11 - 00:17:58:22 Unknown And I know working with technology isn't always easy. 00:17:58:22 - 00:18:25:18 Unknown And some people may say they are like tech savvy or some people are just uncomfortable, or some organizations even are uncomfortable with kind of moving forward with technology. So do you have any or I guess have you seen any like common misconceptions or concerns that HR Professionals have about adopting technology into into their work? Yeah. 00:18:25:18 - 00:18:29:24 Unknown I'll address this one in a really short way and hopefully this is reflective. 00:18:29:24 - 00:19:04:04 Unknown And it's not just any it's not just HR Professionals. I think it's anyone that might be a bit hesitant. Technology. One of my favorite quotes that i heard kind of just working in this space is we're not going to be replaced by technology. So if that's a concern that maybe the technology is going to do my job going forward and the organization will need me, we're going to be replaced by people that have adopted technology and leaned into it and really explored how they can use it, because technology is here and just more of this is coming. 00:19:04:04 - 00:19:24:02 Unknown So your ability to adapt and be open minded to how you can utilize technology and how you can use it to your benefit to potentially be more strategic is a huge benefit to each of us. That's that's a great point too. I feel like I hear that all the time. Like we're all going to get replaced by tech, right? 00:19:24:04 - 00:19:53:03 Unknown But that's like the opposite. Like you want to know everything you can about technology to use that and better yourself and in your organization. Yeah, absolutely. So we've talked about how technology has evolved throughout the years, but how about the role of HR Professionals? How has how is that evolved with the integration of technology and what new skills are really becoming essential now nowadays? 00:19:53:05 - 00:20:25:04 Unknown Yeah. Good question. I think about that even with the question prior, you know, our our role has how that's evolved is we're no longer managing data at a micro level. So hopefully. Right. That's the case and that's certainly how our HR kind of experience is evolving. You know, I may never touch someone's benefit election form where that was likely a multi-touch historically before I was utilizing technology 00:20:25:04 - 00:20:35:09 Unknown and then really kind of what skills can we adapt to be more essential in our roles is becoming more technical and strategic. 00:20:35:09 - 00:21:01:16 Unknown And I know that's kind of a very generic answer, but, you know, HR is not doing what HR used to do. Yes, those core functionalities fall within our space, but our day to day work is really changing. And so finding ways to kind of think outside the box and I think we'll talk in a little bit as well about some of those key skills about how to embrace and engage technology. 00:21:01:18 - 00:21:30:08 Unknown Absolutely. And how about now looking at kind of at a different angle, are there any ethical or privacy considerations that HR Professionals need to be aware of one kind of going through this technological landscape and process. Yeah, definitely. I mean, you know, i think about that ethical and privacy consideration. It's huge in HR Right. We are holding some of the most confidential data within the organization. 00:21:30:08 - 00:21:54:14 Unknown You know, people's personal information is kind of within the realm of what we have in our systems. And really it's the same rules apply as have always applied. You know, we've always had that sensitivity piece and actually it's many more rules because there's a lot more state and federal compliance pieces that are coming out around employment law that we need to track and sure, we're being sensitive to. 00:21:54:14 - 00:21:58:20 Unknown So, you know, I think that piece absolutely still applies. 00:21:58:20 - 00:22:13:03 Unknown I think our own s as HR Professionals as really to ensure that we understand those and ensure that they're supported within the technology cases that we're using and ask those questions of the vendors and partners that we're working with. 00:22:13:03 - 00:22:16:12 Unknown You know, I think about even just digitizing filing cabinets. 00:22:16:12 - 00:22:40:03 Unknown And i think i spoke a little bit to that earlier. And what technology are you going to store that data and who's going to have access to the different types of file? Certainly not always the same people to all the different types of data. How are you doing document retention in a digitized system versus how we used to do that and more of a paper system. 00:22:40:05 - 00:22:45:21 Unknown So certainly employer employee filing cabinets is a significant piece of that as well. 00:22:45:21 - 00:23:08:06 Unknown I'm going to give just a little warning here. So I would say don't avoid technology and the benefits that you can get from utilizing technology because of these fears almost heighten your experience and your curiosity, the technology that you're going to use or thinking about using based on that fear. 00:23:08:06 - 00:23:31:01 Unknown Right. Ask questions, do research, you know, talk to your peers, talk to other partners, like Emory is a great partner. You know, what are they doing from a technology perspective? Certainly when I'm looking to evaluate a new technology, I'm ensuring that I'm feeling pretty confident that those things are answered prior to investing in that technology. 00:23:31:01 - 00:23:34:24 Unknown Absolutely. And I guess that's a perfect way into the next question. 00:23:35:01 - 00:24:00:08 Unknown Some organizations or HR Teams may have not tapped into any technology yet. So do you have any best practices or advice for teams looking to start incorporating technology into their organizations? Yeah. And actually, when we did the MRA conference last year, we did a poll to kind of see where people at from that technology adoption or adoption perspective. 00:24:00:08 - 00:24:26:09 Unknown So, you know, kind of core is digitizing and like finding opportunities to digitize. Are there documents that are in paper form that can be digitized and identifying what those are and kind of moving forward with that? I would say utilizing your vendors so vendors, partners, you know, who is really speaking in that HR Technology space trusted partners that you can lean on to help 00:24:26:09 - 00:24:28:05 Unknown help you with that incorporation. 00:24:28:05 - 00:24:49:10 Unknown You don't have to be a technology expert, but you need to have kind of the right partners and the right vendors that kind of talked about, you know, be curious, you know, look at look at your current processes. I think about that almost every day. Is there a process that I'm doing that I don't need to do because it's very manual and it's not using my human element in order to achieve that? 00:24:49:12 - 00:24:53:02 Unknown Is that something I can put within one of the technologies that are available? 00:24:53:02 - 00:25:06:22 Unknown Yeah. And so kind of that B curious piece. The other thing I'll add to that real quick is, you know, like I remember last year everyone was talking about or me was earlier this year, everyone was talking about techy beauty and what does that technology mean and how are we going to utilize that? 00:25:06:22 - 00:25:27:05 Unknown And I mean, that was true for me too. I was asked by a fellow up here, what did I think about chat and how that was going to change the landscape of human resources and how we adopt technology. And I don't know. So then I look into that. I talk to people who's using chatbot for HR What are they using it for? 00:25:27:07 - 00:25:50:05 Unknown Are there opportunities? You know, and i kind of ask myself these questions rather than why shouldn't i use that you and how should I use that? Or how could I use that? And who else is using it in a really successful way? And would that make sense within our organization? Yeah, absolutely. I always be curious and always be reevaluating your current processes. 00:25:50:07 - 00:26:07:10 Unknown Absolutely. So we've talked a lot about HR Technology implementation with the organization and the employer specifically. But how about from an employee perspective, what are really the benefits of an employee using technology? 00:26:07:10 - 00:26:22:17 Unknown Yes, i think two things i would point out here. One, we've kind of already cover, which is the self-service piece. I mean, there's such a huge value in employees being able to have the data that they want real time, whether that's going in to have access to a system to update their address or is it? 00:26:22:17 - 00:26:34:05 Unknown I want to see what my manager and I collaborated on around performance management last quarter, just to refresh myself, if I'm, you know, kind of keeping up with what we had talked about, 00:26:34:05 - 00:26:46:09 Unknown there's just a huge value in them having real time information and self-serve options. The other piece that I would say is a potential benefit is really how HR 00:26:46:09 - 00:27:07:04 Unknown Can be utilized within your organization. You know, i don't really want to talk to employees about like, here's a copy of last year's w-4. I want them to have access to that so that I can be having really meaningful conversations with our employees. You know, my day is primarily spent talking to employees about, you know, how are they driving their careers forward? 00:27:07:06 - 00:27:35:19 Unknown Are there communication challenges that they're having within the organization that we can walk through and help to strengthen that development for them? How are they learning and growing or things like that that are more of the human element side of HR For sure. Well, you kind of mentioned this chat to bettina. Last question, but everyone always wants to know, like, what's the next biggest technology thing? 00:27:35:19 - 00:28:08:00 Unknown What's the latest and greatest thing? So I guess what trends do you really foresee in the future of our technology and do you have any advice on how HR Professionals can really prepare for these changes? Yeah, you know, i don't know that i would speak to any one specific technology. I think we're going to continue to see more growth in some of our more robust like the risks or hcm technologies we're going to be hearing more about. 00:28:08:02 - 00:28:37:01 Unknown I mean, I think we've just cracked the surface and I don't even know that we're fully utilized in that to its full capabilities within HR So i think more around that artificial intelligence, certainly the automation space as we see our organizations adopting to more automation type technologies for their core line of business. I think our professionals are going to have opportunity to really tap into that, to provide automations for the work that they do. 00:28:37:03 - 00:28:40:12 Unknown Definitely more around integrations. We're seeing a lot with 00:28:40:12 - 00:28:58:07 Unknown technologies that have the ability to integrate with other technologies, but we're also still using some technologies that won't integrate, or they have very limited integration capabilities. So I think we're going to see more around that. And then certainly some of these emerging technologies, you know, and catch up would certainly be an example of that. 00:28:58:07 - 00:29:01:01 Unknown And then I guess maybe I'll answer on the preparing for, 00:29:01:01 - 00:29:03:13 Unknown you know, and I think this kind of just goes back to, 00:29:03:13 - 00:29:23:15 Unknown you know, lean in now so that it almost eases that lift later on. So what aren't you familiar with in the technology space right now, or what gives you hesitation in the technology space? Have, you know, have dialog and learn more about that now because it's not going to get scaled back and it's not going to stay the same. 00:29:23:17 - 00:29:43:19 Unknown We're going to continue to grow this technology experience as we're seen in kind of all areas of our lives. And so kind of jumping on that and starting to take just some initial steps will absolutely benefit folks as they can to as we continue to go. Yeah, absolutely. And there's great resources out there and we'll provide some resources on 00:29:43:19 - 00:29:47:10 Unknown just specific tools or different HR 00:29:47:11 - 00:30:08:10 Unknown Technologies that you can learn more about. But as we wrap wrap up here, are there any other specific platforms, tools or resources that you want to recommend to our listeners and our HR Professionals who are interested in kind of exploring technology in their work. Yeah, absolutely. So, i mean, i would say some of the standard ones, you know, HR 00:30:08:12 - 00:30:35:23 Unknown I asked tools, whatever that might be. Explore what you have, explore what the offering is within that certainly app our applicant tracking systems. I will kind of do a shout out for the recorded interviews where using a technology called badge and we got that through. We got that partnership through our partnership with MRA. But it's been a game changer on the candidate side, both in the candidate experience as well as our internal experience. 00:30:36:00 - 00:30:52:04 Unknown And then I think just this whole piece around document management technologies and automation technologies. So I mentioned we're utilizing OnBase as the technology that we're utilizing. But I think just leaning into those automation processes, it's it's a significant 00:30:52:04 - 00:30:59:00 Unknown value on the side. Yeah, No, that's helpful to hear kind of where you're at and what's been successful for you. 00:30:59:00 - 00:31:19:17 Unknown So that's that's great. But Tricia, I want to thank you for being on the podcast today and really sharing your expertise and tips on the latest in HR Technology. So to our listeners, if you liked our chat and topic today, i would urge you to comment something new that you learn or anything that you really want to add on to this conversation. 00:31:19:18 - 00:31:43:00 Unknown We want to hear what you're doing. What are your trends? What are your ideas? And don't forget to share out this episode and consider joining MRA. If you aren't a member or member already. We have all the resources you need in the show Notes below, including resources on our topic today and Tricia's contact information. If you want to get in touch with her or ask any follow up questions otherwise. 00:31:43:00 - 00:32:03:03 Unknown Thank you so much for tuning in today. And Tricia, thank you again. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minute Thrive so you don't miss out. 00:32:03:04 - 00:32:07:21 Unknown Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

Description:

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 Gen Zs. 00:09:17:21 - 00:09:25:10 Unknown We're talking college like that just didn't happen until college for younger Gen Z sort of in high school. 00:09:25:10 - 00:09:39:01 Unknown And the difference, like I was mentioning in Gen Alpha, we're talking elementary school now you're doing this as they learn how to learn, which I think is really important for us to recognize. These are the shaping years where they learn how to learn. 00:09:39:05 - 00:09:43:20 Unknown I'm teaching my kids how to study. I am teaching them what deadlines mean. 00:09:43:20 - 00:10:08:15 Unknown You get homework done in a certain time. A lot of a lot of our kids, depending on your districts and stuff, but they don't possibly do homework or not until they're kind of older. So deadlines and turning things in on a certain time for my kids over the past couple of years has been like that is in and of itself something I'm teaching them the importance of 00:10:08:15 - 00:10:09:21 Unknown even that 00:10:09:21 - 00:10:10:18 Unknown is negotiable. 00:10:10:18 - 00:10:24:18 Unknown At my son's school, there's a time that it's due and then the teachers will say, Hey, it's missing, and then he'll have like two weeks to go and go get that finished and turned in and he gets full, quote, grades for it throwing me off. But 00:10:24:18 - 00:10:31:12 Unknown that's one one key difference is this is happening much younger than the other generations. 00:10:31:14 - 00:10:42:18 Unknown And for the other generations, it was just kind of nice and part of being an adult. Now. And for our for Gen Alpha, it's shaping how they learn because this is what's happening at this still early stages of their life. 00:10:42:18 - 00:10:52:14 Unknown The second key difference is everyone talks about, you know, tick tock or YouTube shorts or these types of things less 00:10:52:14 - 00:10:53:14 Unknown produced 00:10:53:14 - 00:10:56:05 Unknown shorter snippets, much more 00:10:56:05 - 00:10:59:06 Unknown authentic, much easier to connect to the person 00:10:59:06 - 00:11:07:07 Unknown for Gen Alpha that is part of everyday everything, including now they're not going to tick tock in school. 00:11:07:09 - 00:11:31:13 Unknown I don't think. I don't think not right. I don't think teachers are saying that, but they have, you know, as his wife, my son will they'll be introducing a new history thing and his teachers will have copied and embedded in their discussion boards these really short little like YouTube shorts kind of videos of somebody with their phone introducing a topic. 00:11:31:13 - 00:11:35:08 Unknown And they might have do cutaways to different scenes from a movie or something 00:11:35:08 - 00:11:58:18 Unknown very much like that. Gen Z While they are totally on the Tik-tok train and Facebook is for old people and all of that jazz stuff where the YouTube generation actually they're more younger, millennials and Gen Zs are more into the YouTube source, which while still my own video system, I'm 00:11:58:18 - 00:12:07:11 Unknown still accepting of green screens, still accepting of that kind of sort of produce, not overly produced, but that's kind of okay, 00:12:07:11 - 00:12:09:01 Unknown younger Gen Z. 00:12:09:01 - 00:12:22:05 Unknown And certainly as you get into Gen Alpha, as is, I try to show my son really neat produce created videos. He completely checks out and walks away. If I pull up something that someone did with their phone, he's like, sucked in. Yes. 00:12:22:05 - 00:12:32:15 Unknown It's going to change how we create that video content, I think. And where organizations invest their learning strategy dollars to create some on demand content, what does that need to look like? 00:12:32:17 - 00:12:42:07 Unknown Does it need to be as as fanciful as we make it? I don't know that it does. Yeah. No, absolutely. I feel like they they want the content that looks like a 00:12:42:07 - 00:12:47:16 Unknown not an over over sort of or overproduced, like you said, Tik tok like 00:12:47:16 - 00:13:06:22 Unknown something that they can relate to and they can relate to a Tik Tok of someone who just pulled out their phone and started talking and showing them how to do something, but they might not necessarily be able to relate to someone who is put together a whole production with, like you said, along a longer video showing you how to do something. 00:13:06:22 - 00:13:31:07 Unknown So I totally understand that and get that. Yeah. Yeah. So you mentioned that organizations do need to start thinking about this now and they have a few years now to start kind of rethinking their strategy. So going after that, what is really a primary difference in how an organization's development strategy currently would want to consider adjusting to integrate this next generation? 00:13:31:07 - 00:13:41:01 Unknown Learner What I love that you use the phrase integrate because what I would never encourage an organization to do is pivot 00:13:41:01 - 00:14:01:17 Unknown that generation and completely exclude the fact that, as you said in our opener, there are four other generations work for us still here. Just added one, right? We're bringing in some new folks that don't learn at all the way I mean, the way they're looking to learn in the way Gen X is looking to learn and how we're used to it. 00:14:01:19 - 00:14:05:19 Unknown I should say it's not even looking to learn. It's what we're used to and therefore comfortable with 00:14:05:19 - 00:14:14:18 Unknown polar opposites. Right? But Gen X is still there. Elder millennials like myself, we're still here, Baby boomers are still there, and 00:14:14:18 - 00:14:19:06 Unknown on boards at least, you know, the traditionalist generation, my father 00:14:19:06 - 00:14:22:15 Unknown that may even be on a board. It would be terrifying, but he would be on board. 00:14:22:17 - 00:14:26:09 Unknown They're still around, right? So how are we 00:14:26:09 - 00:14:47:10 Unknown a What I have seen success in and what I am encouraging organizations to do is integrate strategies that will include that next generation while not throwing the baby out with the bathwater and getting rid of your existing strategies that include the generations that are still within our workforce, 00:14:47:10 - 00:15:11:13 Unknown that what we need to do and I was having a conversation a couple of weeks ago with a young lady newer into the industry, newer into the work career field, and she and I were talking about this topic actually, and she said, I just wish that organizations would give options, so I don't want to go to this 00:15:11:13 - 00:15:13:08 Unknown leaders program. 00:15:13:10 - 00:15:27:15 Unknown She's branding the organization. So we're talking new hire, kind of get to know the organization program where you've created this schedule. And I go do all of these things at these times. What I would love to do for me is have my resource person 00:15:27:15 - 00:15:44:17 Unknown that is like my guide and how I learn. And then I could we offer this information in this class on these days, if that's of interest, we do have some short video options to go over the same information and you can talk with your manager in between. 00:15:44:19 - 00:16:18:12 Unknown We have some great talking point guides at the end of each video and you could do it that way. We also have these articles over here if you want to read them and kind of learn about our culture that way and talk to your manager. So why I referenced that Choose Your Path book when we first started chatting is because that's what started blinking in my head while she was talking is, my gosh, we could deliver the same information in a multitude of ways and to be inclusive of all generations, let your learners choose their learning path. 00:16:18:14 - 00:16:41:21 Unknown Let them decide what makes sense for how they like to get information and who are their sources of truth to help them connect it all together. We do need that, you know, administrative control and understanding that you are learning this stuff, that we are making sure you're walking away with what we want you to walk away with. But that the concept that it has to be 00:16:41:21 - 00:16:52:04 Unknown built by a learning strategist or built and led by an instructor to accomplish that would be outdated thinking. 00:16:52:04 - 00:17:09:06 Unknown I think there are other ways that we could provide it, because what we are talking about makes sense for ABC Learner. What others might be talking about makes sense for deaf learner, and we need to help learners through Zeke So 00:17:09:06 - 00:17:11:08 Unknown don't get rid of the content you have. 00:17:11:08 - 00:17:20:02 Unknown Take the time now to look at all the content that you've identified as an organization is important for us to develop our employees on or in. 00:17:20:04 - 00:17:24:06 Unknown How can I take this instructor LED class or this 30 minute e-learning 00:17:24:06 - 00:17:39:16 Unknown and distill it into something different? Can we create blogs? Do we have podcast recording approaches? They're all internal. They're in a bank, a resource bank, and they can go in and click on, you know, episode one episode to episode three, and they have a week to listen to them all. 00:17:39:16 - 00:17:46:10 Unknown And that's how they that would be great for them. And then at the end of each podcast episode, you say, okay, so 00:17:46:10 - 00:18:05:11 Unknown we encourage you between now, when you listen to your next episode to talk to your manager about and then you put in those three talking points and then they would go chat with their manager and the manager knows what they are and just same information delivered in a multitude of ways and let the learner own what makes the most sense for them. 00:18:05:17 - 00:18:11:17 Unknown That's what adapting to include these other generations 00:18:11:17 - 00:18:12:14 Unknown should look like. 00:18:12:14 - 00:18:30:06 Unknown Those are all great points and great ideas. You think of God choose your path or choose your pathway, and I just immediately think of the tic tac sound. Choose your fighter. Like that just comes up in my head. I know where that comes from, right? Where is that wrong with your line? 00:18:30:07 - 00:18:35:13 Unknown And I can picture the sound in everything. Mortal Mortal Kombat 00:18:35:13 - 00:18:40:02 Unknown is a very, very, very. There's a Gen Z statement for 00:18:40:02 - 00:18:43:00 Unknown those. Fantastic. I loved it. But yes, that's what we're talking about. 00:18:43:00 - 00:18:57:02 Unknown Well, moving on here, the phrase authentic city often comes up with when we hear about the next generation or what does this really mean in terms of content development and curation and. 00:18:58:13 - 00:19:01:17 Unknown So I was mentioning, you know, 00:19:01:17 - 00:19:12:09 Unknown they get disengaged with overly produced stuff talking about what in the industry we often call the happy path, 00:19:12:09 - 00:19:22:15 Unknown where in training class we talk about the perfect this is the perfect scenario and here's how you would do this and then you would do this and then they will respond this way and then you would do this and everybody's happy. 00:19:22:17 - 00:19:25:15 Unknown Conflict resolved. And 00:19:25:15 - 00:19:31:00 Unknown what folks are looking for in terms of authenticity is tell me what it really looks like. How does it really go? 00:19:31:00 - 00:19:51:11 Unknown Can you not look perfect while you explain this to me? And can you not be in front of some green screen? I don't mean our beautiful logo backgrounds. I mean in these in these trainings are like these green screened, amazing modern corporate offices that, you know, they're not actually standing in because, you know, very few offices actually look like that in the world. 00:19:51:13 - 00:20:11:21 Unknown And any all of those layers together make the whole learning disingenuous. And they tune out because this person has no concept of what it's really like or this person doesn't. Yeah, doesn't speak my language and I can't connect with them. What they're looking for is 00:20:11:21 - 00:20:21:09 Unknown and I call them selfie selfie videos, like I could hold my phone up, just do a chat, a five minute chat or less on 00:20:21:09 - 00:20:35:09 Unknown the six behaviors, adaptive leadership behaviors, and then say, try this one next time you want to be direct, try this when you want to flex into coaching and they that feels more real. 00:20:35:11 - 00:20:57:23 Unknown You standing there. I'm a I'm a person. I'm not in the most perfect setting and I'm having a quick conversation with you about what it looks like and and how it works. And that feels more real. I am a leadership coach, so it makes more sense that I would talk about that. It would make no sense if I made a video about marketing strategy. 00:20:57:23 - 00:20:59:05 Unknown I don't do that. 00:20:59:05 - 00:21:13:14 Unknown But having a marketing person pop on and say, Marketing hot tip of the week and they know who they are because they're in their organization, it just is a quick hit and it's one of them. It's one of my team members. It's a person I know 00:21:13:14 - 00:21:18:00 Unknown in a space that I feel like if I walked up to their desk, they would say it to me in that exact same way. 00:21:18:00 - 00:21:31:12 Unknown And that's authenticity. Yes. And I can relate to that. Even being a younger, a younger employee, like that's the type of learning that I want to or that I want to see so be prejudged. So we get in there 00:21:31:12 - 00:21:38:17 Unknown just I mean, I'll just interview you. You tell what you want. Exactly. So tell me if I'm wrong. Okay. 00:21:38:20 - 00:21:42:09 Unknown You know what? You are 100% on. Right on. 00:21:42:09 - 00:22:02:24 Unknown Well, we're we've been bringing up phones a lot and Tic TAC and all this, so we've got to bring up technology at some point. So how has really technology shaped the way that Gen Alpha learns and what role should other digital tools play in these modern training programs? Yeah, I mean, Google Classroom 00:22:02:24 - 00:22:05:21 Unknown is part of elementary school. 00:22:05:23 - 00:22:26:13 Unknown Google Classroom becomes they all those all of them have like an online platform. All of the kids have Chromebooks instead of books. But all of the kids most of the kids schools have that by junior high. My son had that by seventh grade, but up through sixth grade, a lot of stuff was done on these interactive whiteboards in the room or something like that. 00:22:26:13 - 00:22:53:06 Unknown Now, I know every district is different. I know every private school versus public school and all of it can look different. My son goes to public school. I can all look different. But all of the districts are using these platforms for where the content is held. So he'll go to a platform and then there's I kid you not 12 different apps 00:22:53:06 - 00:22:58:12 Unknown that he would be clicking in and out of to get his classwork done. 00:22:58:14 - 00:23:13:22 Unknown His math class alone has three apps that he uses. The only class that feels even remotely like how I used to learn is his social studies class. And that's because they only have one app they use. I didn't have any apps, but like 00:23:13:22 - 00:23:20:16 Unknown that's how he expects to go find content and he finds it on his own with the teacher being the guide. 00:23:20:16 - 00:23:28:13 Unknown If Here's the things I want you to accomplish today, here's some resources to do it. His English teacher is teaching them how to use chat gpg 00:23:28:13 - 00:23:43:04 Unknown coming into an organization when he gets into full time work that doesn't even use any type of technology like that in any way would feel very weird to him because he's been really will at that point have been using it for five years in school, you know, 00:23:43:04 - 00:23:46:02 Unknown so they're looking for a source. 00:23:46:08 - 00:23:54:23 Unknown They're looking for. I always say you just have a pond and the teacher tells you what to fish for and you go fish for it, which makes no sense to him. And he tells me he doesn't fish, but 00:23:54:23 - 00:23:56:12 Unknown the point being, 00:23:56:12 - 00:24:04:18 Unknown that's how it's being done. Right? And we have these technologies in our or in our organizations right now. 00:24:04:20 - 00:24:16:18 Unknown So many organizations have some sort of collaborative tool they use, whether it's teams, whether it is WebEx teams, there's Microsoft teams, there's WebEx teams, 00:24:16:18 - 00:24:24:04 Unknown whether it is even Google Slack or Google Hangouts. Right. Some free version of a tool to collaborate. 00:24:24:04 - 00:24:34:16 Unknown Organizations are doing that. It used to be colleges used Blackboard. Right. And that was again pre me I didn't use I did the Dewey Decimal system and I went to library but 00:24:34:16 - 00:24:38:11 Unknown there was blackboard and that was kind of it and it was in college. 00:24:38:13 - 00:24:46:06 Unknown Now we're talking just how I get my assignments work done in sixth grade. So 00:24:46:06 - 00:25:03:01 Unknown we have these capabilities in our organizations right now. We don't think of using them. Not every organization, I should say. I have some of our members that do, but not every organization thinks about how do we use this as part of our learning strategy and not just as part of our collaboration tool. 00:25:03:03 - 00:25:06:18 Unknown That's where I think we can. You can do this 00:25:06:18 - 00:25:18:00 Unknown utilizing a lot of tools that you have at your disposal, and you should utilize all of them. Because remember, I'm talking about creating a learning path, not pivoting, integrating. 00:25:18:00 - 00:25:22:20 Unknown And I would say going off of that. Then follow up question to that is, 00:25:22:20 - 00:25:38:00 Unknown do you have or have you seen any organizations that have already started to kind of to where they're more integrate their training and development programs for general hire already? 00:25:38:02 - 00:26:00:09 Unknown Yeah, Yeah, we do. We have a couple of members. It's interesting they're in the one is in the of Rackspace so they started doing this not for Gen Alpha but because a lot of their team members are in their vans and on the road. So they're not you can't do a atria system e-learning because we don't give them computers and yes we all have mobile learning. 00:26:00:09 - 00:26:27:24 Unknown But if you look at mobile learning and an L.M. learning management system, platforms that are mobile enabled, it's the same video on a smaller screen. That's the only difference. It is a completely redone for your phone. It's still a video and you still might have quiz questions that pop up in between and you just are doing it on a smaller screen so it's not actually redone for mobile. 00:26:27:24 - 00:26:40:15 Unknown So it wasn't really working for them. So they started creating these things because they did have certain pieces of content that were hands on. And so you have to come to the warehouse to do it, 00:26:40:15 - 00:26:49:14 Unknown but we offer it a multitude of times because of schedules. So I might have an installation scheduled that day. And we can't stop all installations as a business. 00:26:49:14 - 00:27:12:08 Unknown We aren't going to do that. That's silly. So well offered and multiple times to fit your schedule. So people were starting to choose their own path already based on that. That works for me. And then they all had teams and so they started creating teams channels for content. There are two new create a channel. Here's a lot of ways this can benefit a learning strategy. 00:27:12:10 - 00:27:16:05 Unknown One, it's a it's a mobile. You can install teams on your phone, right 00:27:16:05 - 00:27:31:07 Unknown When you have a channel that you belong to, let's say new employee channel or emerging leaders channel or customer service channel. And it's not us talking with the members, it's learning how to be great at our customer services. We're at their homes and we're doing these installations. 00:27:31:07 - 00:27:55:10 Unknown What happens is they get added to the channel because either say they want to or everybody does. For the first year, whichever their strategy is, the channel has a chat. So they would have ongoing discussions all the time in the moment, coaching with the the guide there, but they also have their cohort of learners of other people. So they've just dealt with this situation, you know, not knowing if I did it right. 00:27:55:10 - 00:28:34:23 Unknown What's your opinion and the groups chatting about it then another tab for the channels, those files and they would have procedures. F.A. Qs, all kinds of sources of information there for them. They also could have videos in that file and they, there's a lot of different apps you can add on to any team's channel. So they would have all these different things, including a scheduler, so that if they did have in-person classes coming up on this topic and it was something that you feel like you needed more help in, you could go to the scheduler, click it, it linked to the LMS to register so you can track. 00:28:35:00 - 00:28:39:04 Unknown Like I said, you still going to have some sort of tracking system to the stuff 00:28:39:04 - 00:28:53:01 Unknown and people that wanted to go to the in-person class and they, they would have the multiple sessions and they would click it and they would come, but you didn't have to. And some people the way the the soapies, some videos and the chat function worked for them 00:28:53:01 - 00:28:54:22 Unknown and they didn't do it for that generation. 00:28:54:22 - 00:28:58:19 Unknown But I told them, I said, Well, you're in luck. You're already set up thumbs up. My 00:28:58:19 - 00:29:03:24 Unknown early start. Yeah, yeah. I mean, and, and they did a lot of their 00:29:03:24 - 00:29:05:18 Unknown they would reach into the chat 00:29:05:18 - 00:29:14:07 Unknown channel and say, hey, we're looking to update our videos. Anybody want to come? So to that authenticity point, they were just shooting them with their own. 00:29:14:09 - 00:29:18:09 Unknown I don't know if it was their phones probably a little bit fancier, but their own like handheld 00:29:18:09 - 00:29:42:19 Unknown videos with volunteers of team members. So so people are showing up. We're not producing. We knocked around an hour and then within like a half hour it was up and in the in the team's channel on that subject. So using teams not just for a collaborative tool, but as a development piece of the strategy and they just did it beautifully. 00:29:42:21 - 00:29:45:06 Unknown I was like, You're good. High five here. 00:29:45:06 - 00:29:50:05 Unknown that's a great it's a great example of a good success story. So yeah, 00:29:50:05 - 00:30:13:20 Unknown I do also want to reiterate the point I know we talked about, but that there are are also other generations in the workplace simultaneously. So can you just kind of reiterate the point or talk about how this strategic adjustment or integration, what that really means for for those learners of different generations? 00:30:13:22 - 00:30:50:11 Unknown Yes. And you used the pivotal word again, integration, right? Don't throw out what you already have. Just use it. You already have a strategy that is identified important information that you as an organization, agree. You should invest your time and energy into developing your people on. Because whatever learning strategy you have that involves a person coordinating it, people spending time outside of their daily work to learn it means you as an organization have determined it's worth the time investment and possibly depending on what it is, the financial investment. 00:30:50:14 - 00:31:11:11 Unknown So don't get rid of any of that. It's saying how can we also deliver that in potentially more of a choose your own path kind of way? Can we take that information? And what are the exercises that for someone that doesn't need to or want to go to a learning for workshop approach we can take out and still give them that information. 00:31:11:12 - 00:31:13:11 Unknown It's more of like a 00:31:13:11 - 00:31:36:15 Unknown like an article kind of thing to read. And then instead of exercises, we finish it with those talking points that you go chat with your manager about. Don't expect people to read it and retain it. You have to kind of let them in and they need to let the manager know. They read this, they want to talk about these points, but how I integrate it into my job role, the threat that other people might go to the class on the same content, but 00:31:36:15 - 00:31:48:19 Unknown it's taking what already exists because it's been determined as important and then spending some energy in providing it in some different ways so that as other generations 00:31:48:19 - 00:32:10:11 Unknown and other learner preferences, you also might find you. I don't want to assume that there aren't, you know, my mom as she's a boomer, she's a boomer like the first year, the baby boomer. But she and I talk about it and she's like, man, there was a lot of stuff. I would sit through glass and think, this could have been like a quick walk by my cube and tell me and I would have been fine. 00:32:10:11 - 00:32:18:09 Unknown She's a math mathematician and engineer woman, so most things she felt could have been handled through a quick conversation. But 00:32:18:09 - 00:32:27:11 Unknown so you might be surprised as to who you see take advantage of more of that self-guided, not even just self-paced, self-guided 00:32:27:11 - 00:32:36:07 Unknown learning strategy. No, that's a good point To just mention that some gen zers or gen alphas may not all take the same approach or. 00:32:36:07 - 00:33:00:22 Unknown They're all the same way. So that's a good point to bring up. But kind of wrapping up here, do I know we talked about a lot today, but do you have three main takeaways that our listeners can kind of walk away with in terms of how they can really start integrating learning and development strategies for Gen Alpha learners? 00:33:00:24 - 00:33:08:14 Unknown Absolutely. Stop throwing so much money into production for any of your video stuff. You don't have to 00:33:08:14 - 00:33:21:17 Unknown sow more authentic content that feels more real. So embrace the fact that you might be talking about the happy path and spend time talking about reality. 00:33:21:17 - 00:33:28:13 Unknown Diverse. Don't get rid of what you have. Diversify how someone can access the information shared and what you have. 00:33:28:13 - 00:33:39:22 Unknown And the third one, and this is going to be the hardest for any organization potentially it was the hardest for me, and I like to think I'm pretty progressive learning views 00:33:39:22 - 00:33:43:15 Unknown Embrace empowering the learner. 00:33:43:15 - 00:33:48:16 Unknown I'll say that online again. Embrace empowering the learner 00:33:48:16 - 00:33:52:01 Unknown so who knows how it. So if you would like information shared best, I don't 00:33:52:01 - 00:33:53:15 Unknown know if you knows that so 00:33:53:15 - 00:33:57:04 Unknown too that diversifying then let go features. 00:33:57:06 - 00:34:13:07 Unknown Here's the things I need you to know. I need you 30, 60, 90 to know it. Here's the different ways you can learn it. Let's sit down and myself as the learning leader, person or whatever. Right? The trainer assigned to you. You're your Sherpa through your learning guide. 00:34:13:07 - 00:34:18:04 Unknown As we sit down, let's map it out. What makes the most sense for you? 00:34:18:06 - 00:34:32:05 Unknown And you might be like parents. It's kind of hard. I think that one, I would like to go to a class on. I'm pretty good at that. And this is embracing adult learning theory. This is my whole career and we hire experts and then we train them how to do it. Steve Jobs is like that is so ridiculous. 00:34:32:07 - 00:34:52:23 Unknown And I agree with the man. If you're a marketing expert, I'm not going to train you on like how to market and social. Come take our social media marketing. Sophie Who's done social media marketing for forever? I'm not going to do that. So you might be like, I just want to read your policies on that. I'm good. You know, let me sit you down with the options. 00:34:53:02 - 00:34:54:02 Unknown Let you choose. A 00:34:54:02 - 00:35:17:13 Unknown it's a great, great ending point here and some great action steps that our listeners can start implementing today then, or at least thinking about it, you know? Yeah, well, you just heard from every subject matter expert on educating general flow. But to our listeners we also want to hear from you. So we're curious to know what you're doing to kind of revamp or 00:35:17:13 - 00:35:21:19 Unknown I guess, revamp your training programs for the next generation. 00:35:21:21 - 00:35:38:13 Unknown And so we are giving out one of our new podcast merch swag items. So we're encouraging you to send in your comments on this question for a chance to win that podcast Souvenir you'll want. I have one and I want it. I want one. So can I comment? I'll give you a one. 00:35:38:13 - 00:35:41:07 Unknown But otherwise, thank you so much for tuning in today. 00:35:41:07 - 00:36:09:10 Unknown Thank you, Amanda, for all that great information. As always. Don't forget to check out the resources in the show notes below on MRA membership and Resources on this specific episode. So I hope you have a great day and we will see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect for more podcasts updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. 00:36:09:11 - 00:36:19:03 Unknown And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

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 - 00:09:02:17 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. I feel like that's a good point. I know a lot of companies right now just have to kind of reevaluate what they're doing. Like you kind of sat in as a fly on the wall and you were able to see it. The HR department may not be able to see it because they're in it. So sometimes you kind of need an outsider almost to come in and see that. 00:09:02:17 - 00:09:32:14 Unknown ALL Yeah. So when it comes to achieving results, alignment with an organization is key, obviously. So how can HR create that alignment between different teams and departments? Yeah, so alignment comes out. You know, I talked about inclusion, communication, conversation alignment comes with understanding the goal, right? And creating processes and procedures that align with that, that THRIVE toward that goal. 00:09:32:16 - 00:09:55:11 Unknown A lot of companies have processes just because they happen. They said, we always have this or this is what we were always. But your goal changed, the business changed. You know, the world of business is very dynamic. It's always changing for you to keep the same processes. It might not make sense to achieve that goal. So I always tell the people, you know, look at what you're trying to achieve, work backwards and this is what we want it. 00:09:55:14 - 00:10:15:18 Unknown This is what we want to achieve. So let's do this. This, this is to get there versus, well, let's do this and go kind of around it, you know, align toward that goal, direct your process, your behavior and your diet and your actions toward achieving that ultimate goal. And just what you said right there, the world of business is very dynamic. 00:10:15:18 - 00:10:47:18 Unknown So I guess that kind of brings us to our next point of how can our assist managers in adapting their strategies and tactics to meet new challenges when business is always changing? Yeah, it's just constant reassessment, right? So like I said, I've been organizations all different functions and industries, and the thing I hear the most is this is how we've always done it or this is what they told us to do versus, you know, having that critical thinking skills, thinking about, hey, this is what they told us to do. 00:10:47:18 - 00:11:03:20 Unknown And so I was done it. But it doesn't kind of make sense. We're trying to do so we're going back to think about this is what we're trying to we're trying to achieve organic business. We're trying to grow. We're trying to we're trying to set customers and employee satisfaction. So what can we do to get better? Understanding your culture. 00:11:04:01 - 00:11:26:13 Unknown Culture is big, so I don't know if you know that I'm a teacher as well. Professor There's that. There's perio, pedagogy and anthropology. The type of learning that adults when when they learn, they want to learn by seeing what you do and looking what you do versus when you're a kid, you do this because you're told to do because you have to go through this. 00:11:26:13 - 00:11:43:23 Unknown You have to work through school, you have to go to high school as adults. They're there because they only want to be there. So let's make it a department that they want to be there right there. It's going to be changing. Not everyone's going to be the same, just like business is going to be evolving. It's going to be dynamic. 00:11:43:23 - 00:12:12:02 Unknown It's going to be contemporary. Some things may stay traditional, but it's going to move. You have to move with flexibility. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I should have mentioned that you were a teacher in the beginning too. I got so many different perspectives now from, well, we've kind of mentioned this throughout the whole podcast, but it seems like employee engagement is often one of the biggest concerns for managers. 00:12:12:04 - 00:12:44:19 Unknown So and you've touched on this briefly, but how can it really assist in measuring and improving employee engagement then to enhance team performance in an organization? Yeah, and that's that's a tough question, right? Because everyone is going to be different. But the thing it can say is, you know, just like business and sales engagement is building relationships, then understanding where you're talking to, what you're talking about, understanding the optimal goal and just building everybody should go toward it. 00:12:44:19 - 00:13:09:14 Unknown And earlier, making that effort to engage with their employees, making that effort to be as transparent. That's transparent as possible. And so you can't be completely transparent all the time, but be as open as possible because more people understand them more than want to THRIVE that goal and helping them get those fingerprints and open and get that engagement and touchpoints within that plan. 00:13:09:16 - 00:13:28:24 Unknown And that also helps, you know, they have a little skin in the game that will help them engage and help them. So, you know, I'm a part of this, right? But it starts and starts with the culture. And how is your culture is an engaging culture. Is it an open door culture? Is it, hey, I know we're business here, but how is your day and how are you doing? 00:13:29:01 - 00:13:45:18 Unknown Look at the example I gave previously. When a manager, you know, shoot people off or was too busy to talk to people or, you know, he walked from his office right to where he needs to go at to engage. You have to show them this is what engagement looks like. You have to show that, hey, I'm motivated to do my job. 00:13:45:18 - 00:14:13:12 Unknown You have to think, what do you think about this? Talk to them and increase that communication, increase that inclusion and then kind of full support. HR Is a big portion of that because a lot of people really don't have that perspective or understanding or mindset. And as a human resource manager, we understand that people are our business and people should be everyone's business because that's what business is created on. 00:14:13:14 - 00:14:40:05 Unknown Even even technical businesses, even process oriented businesses. They're all about people, right? We understand our people. The more we can utilize to take advantage of how great that asset can be and how much we can get to them, how much they can get does Yeah, absolutely. I love that you emphasized the importance of culture and having a good culture because that honestly THRIVEs your organization. 00:14:40:05 - 00:15:07:23 Unknown And you can tell on day one and even probably both before you work at the organization what their culture is because she's a very prominent thing in an organization. So it's like, you know, example that I give, which I've seen many times, is when you're interviewing people, show their best in the best of times and say, Hey, we're going over their culture where, you know, we want to hear everything you're saying. 00:15:08:00 - 00:15:40:02 Unknown But when you start, it's absolutely And I walk down the hall, every door was closed, closed door meetings, Everything feels like it's secretive. It feels like you're very being excluded. And that's absolute culture. So part of my research for my my doctorate was how to decrease turnover. The intention was really, truly millennials because I do my research on generation, but in how to decrease turnover intentionally with the number one decrease, there was the culture right? 00:15:40:04 - 00:15:56:16 Unknown Are you saying you do or are you being transparent? Are you including is are you hiring and retaining people? You need to cultivate that culture and that's a big thing is if you don't have a culture where you if you don't have what you want now, that's not a big deal. A lot of lot religion are in there. 00:15:56:20 - 00:16:18:03 Unknown They don't have what they want to go. They want to achieve. So but how are you going to get that right? What's your plan and how are you communicate and really in that plan, to your people, to your to your managers, and how are they acting on that? Well, you know, it's one thing to say it, but it's another thing to actually let them go. 00:16:18:03 - 00:16:43:00 Unknown I know you've given a ton of best practices and advice and tips throughout this whole podcast, but do you have any best practices for HR Professionals to really identify and leverage the functional strengths with within their organization to THRIVE that success that everybody wants? Yeah. Yeah. So a lot of times i will say this is a very known saying, but get comfortable with being accountable. 00:16:43:04 - 00:17:15:01 Unknown Right? So a lot of times when you talk the functions this is my first experience with my career when I taught the different functions and I wasn't prepared to talk to them about their business or their function. And so that decreased their trust and decrease their trust in me. So the more time to understand it and functions, I can have a direct conversation with about what their strengths were and and they can see that I'm taking that action to really understand what their strengths are and what their function is and what their goal is. 00:17:15:01 - 00:17:43:14 Unknown And the more I understood how they act, how they behave, what their processes were, the more I could create strategy to more insert myself into their function and help them grow. And it helped me grow so much. Understand business financially, understand business through the processes of manufacturing, understand business details and marketing. But I just, you know, like I said, part of the reason why I got my BBA was because I had a master's in science, which is great. 00:17:43:17 - 00:18:11:11 Unknown But I want to understand business as a whole more holistically. And that helped me grow so much, helped me grow immensely understanding different functioning business. And that's what I would give to each age and professional in any, anyone, any function. I try to learn business. Don't try to, you know, obviously, you know, you do. You're your expert at what you do, but be an expert at understanding the business and that will help you grow with your organization. 00:18:11:11 - 00:18:30:01 Unknown There's so much that is great advice. That's something that I'm trying to do too, is just even shadowing an apartment for a day to see what their day in the life is. And that, like you said, will help you understand the business as a whole and will help you do your job better, too, on the long run. Yeah. 00:18:30:01 - 00:18:48:20 Unknown Yeah. And with that is I know it sounds boring, but you know, what do you what's, what's going on in that meeting. I said in that meeting where. Hey, you mind if I, you know, tag along with you? Like I said, Do you mind if I show you? Do you mind if I hang out and kind of the following a little bit and understand what you're going through so I can better help you, better assist you and better support you. 00:18:49:01 - 00:19:09:00 Unknown And that's what it's about. You know, selfishly, I was trying to grow the business, not trying to grow myself, so I was trying to be a better project, better employee and a better person and more advanced to business. Absolutely. Well, as we wrap up your last question, can you share any key takeaways for our listeners on how HR 00:19:09:00 - 00:19:38:00 Unknown Can really be that strategic partner in helping managers manage effectively and achieve the optimal results in their organizations. Bring it full circle here. We'll circle sort of our circle like i would say, kind of like I said, understand the business more. You understand that business and that function and that environment, the more alignment you can create, right? So again, help them understand processes that they don't know the process of, hey, this is what we're doing. 00:19:38:02 - 00:20:08:20 Unknown Is that process, that HR Role. When i don't understand it, then they probably won't rule it out to the best of their ability. They probably won't engage in it to the best of your abilities. So help them understand it, right? Understand their business. They can understand your business. Say that that alignment, that inclusion, you know, still in their meetings, our conversation with them, engage with them, go out of your way, you know, go beyond a little bit to make them feel, you know, that they trust you, that the understanding that they believe in you. 00:20:08:22 - 00:20:30:23 Unknown Because the more trust, more understanding, the more inclusion you have, more transparency, you'll get more engaging, you'll get, the better you be able to help them and support them. And the more the business will be able to grow and that's what it's about, is creating that organic growth and that internal growth as well as that external world. So you can be successful in the business, can be successful decades. 00:20:31:00 - 00:20:54:01 Unknown This was great. I want to thank you for being on the podcast today and sharing all that great content and all the advice on how HR Can really help managers manage. So to our listeners, i would just encourage you if you liked our chat and topic today, comment something new that you learned today or something that you're going to start implementing or anything else that you'd like to add on to the conversation. 00:20:54:01 - 00:21:18:04 Unknown We want to know your thoughts, what you're thinking. If you have any new ideas on this topic. And don't forget to share out this episode, of course, and consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. We have all the resources you need in the show notes below. We've also included resources on this topic and DQ's contact info and LinkedIn profile if you want to connect with him. 00:21:18:06 - 00:21:39:18 Unknown Otherwise, thank you so much for tuning in today and we will see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect for more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out. 00:21:39:18 - 00:21:44:11 Unknown Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

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 actually the same feeling, right, is like, I'm kind of sucks, but I guess I can give this a whirl of even if it's something outside of a DEI context, you're driving around and you get a flat tire. 00:09:39:07 - 00:09:58:24 Unknown I don't know about you, but I don't consider myself a flat tire handler expert. Right. So then there's this kind of incompetence moment where you're like, I don't wait, what do I do? And then, like, every tick tock you've ever seen comes, like, flashing back to you, and all of a sudden you're, like, lug nuts. That's a word I haven't used in forever. 00:09:59:13 - 00:10:19:07 Unknown lug nuts. I need one of them sticky things to get the lug nuts off while you're fumbling around in the trunk of your car looking for the. Is it a crowbar? Is it a jack? I don't know. The key things that you do, the lug nut twisty bit This, like a little kernel of information, comes where you're like, Do it in a star. 00:10:19:09 - 00:10:43:02 Unknown Where did that come from? I don't know, But you undo it in a start. Now, all of a sudden, you know, this. That methodology, you're. It's okay. It's good enough information at the time because you're in a pickle. You got a flat tire. You got to figure it out. When we start interacting with other people, even when we call it DIY work, most of us think we're only doing DEI work at work. 00:10:43:04 - 00:11:10:07 Unknown So then we clock out of work and we're at a grocery store. We're not employing those same skills. And what I'm here to talk about is not new skill development, but it's really recognizing when you choose not to use them, right? I mean, you do choose to use them because it's good enough to try. The other thing I would say is this is a little bit more of a longer answer, but often when we think of challenges, we think of challenges outside of ourself. 00:11:10:09 - 00:11:34:17 Unknown And my challenge to everyone is to think of the challenges inside yourself. And when you are most challenged or most confronted, how are you showing up and how do you expect other people to show up? And you can actually adjust how you show up instead of waiting for other people to show up differently? So this is the I'll talk about this in the keynote. 00:11:34:17 - 00:11:57:15 Unknown This is the head heart action model. And once you can figure out kind of where you lean particular lean when you're challenged or feeling confronted or trying to decide to use the skills you currently have or to like take them off ramp, it'll be really helpful for you to know that I believe our lives have taught us who and how to be, and there's nothing wrong with that. 00:11:57:20 - 00:12:32:05 Unknown We just we're responsible for this kind of like net zero of how we begin a conversation. So we've got a lot of self-reflection to do after this podcast. It seems like hopefully. Well, you've kind of embraced and highlighted just kind of being your authentic self and how contributing that authenticity really kind of helps the effort. So in your experience, how does the authentic self contribute to these efforts and initiatives? 00:12:32:07 - 00:12:57:17 Unknown It's your base level foundation. I think everyone in this maybe this goes back to even perfectionism, but I think everyone knows how they are supposed to ought to be right. Like you're supposed to show up this particular way, but you're you're responsible for knowing how you're actually showing up and then citing taking ownership of the gap between the two. 00:12:57:19 - 00:13:26:24 Unknown And do you want to be showing up in a different way or do you not want to? Like we often talk about and I call this an Instagram fight, but of giving grace to other people. And we don't necessarily know what that means, but we also don't even give grace to our self. And so but I think giving grace means is that person, whoever you're thinking of that's annoying their life taught them that that's the way to show up. 00:13:27:01 - 00:13:49:11 Unknown Similarly, your life taught you that this is the way to show up. Neither one guarantees that you're accurate or correct, but you did learn this in your life. And do you want to keep that learning or do you need to upgrade? That's great. So we've talked a lot of it, just a lot about the good enough now philosophy. 00:13:49:14 - 00:14:17:17 Unknown But do you have any examples or just any real life stories on how individuals or organizations have applied this philosophy to enhance their DEI initiatives or existing strategy? A little bit. I think that I'm working on a new book right now, and I have a case study sampling that y'all are welcome to download. Look, give me feedback, give me your ideas, etc.. 00:14:17:19 - 00:14:39:16 Unknown But I think what's interesting is, is there's not a lot of room for failure. And if there is failure, we want to fix it as quickly as possible. But I think failure is a way of looking at a step in the right direction that didn't quite make it right. And so my new book is called Almost or It's Almost finished. 00:14:39:18 - 00:15:06:01 Unknown But it takes the Good Enough Now principles and applies it to an organization instead of your own individual sense of life or decision making. But on an organizational level, I track 56 different case studies of my own clients where something was attempted and it didn't quite work. And my premise is that it didn't quite work because it didn't use the full model. 00:15:06:01 - 00:15:32:06 Unknown It only kind of enters in one place. The tagline is when the answers need to ask more questions and there's a lot of quote unquote best practices within DEI that are not necessarily successful, but it's kind of what everybody does. And so what else could we do to flush out one of these initiatives or programing ideas or response ideas or diversity statements or whatever? 00:15:32:08 - 00:15:54:13 Unknown Can we flush it out in a way that's paying attention in this three sided model so that it's set up for success instead of just being a reactionary response? And I find that to be probably the most debilitating thing that I work with, with organizations when I do consulting work is back in 1984, they tried something and it didn't work. 00:15:54:15 - 00:16:26:06 Unknown And so then we're done. We just don't. We already did it. Or maybe they did something and it didn't work that one time. But there's still pain and suffering happening. And if we're talking about diversity, equity, inclusion, and we keep adding more letters, now we're adding belonging. The reason why we have to add more letters is it's not working because we haven't actually dismantled the systems inside of our workplaces to actually include everyone who is there, everyone we serve along our entire value chain. 00:16:26:08 - 00:16:46:14 Unknown And in order for those people to really weigh in to part of the office culture, they have to buy in. And in order to buy in, they have to feel like they belong and are valued. And that's the real work we need to be doing. Well, I'm looking forward to that book almost. And that'll be interesting to read those case studies, too. 00:16:46:14 - 00:17:12:10 Unknown And we've included dresses, a number where you can text, ask any questions, give her feedback, and also her contact information. So do you want to get in touch with her about that book? We've got the resources for you. But kind of talking about this whole belonging, how does self-acceptance play into the whole journey of being the best version of oneself in the context of DEI? 00:17:12:12 - 00:17:39:01 Unknown It's a really tricky question, but it mostly resides in internal responsibility. And there is nobody who isn't a hot mess, right? And often when we engage in these conversations, we want to point fingers at somebody else who is a bigger hot mess than somebody else. But this is a weird suspension of gravity, not gravity. Don't suspend gravity. Suspension of grammar. 00:17:39:01 - 00:18:17:06 Unknown What's so close? It's so close. But if, like, I'm pointing my finger at you because I think you are a mess, I'm somebody else's mess. Right. Somebody looks at me and is like, I don't know what is wrong with her, but if she'd clean up her act, then it would be much better. So if I actually were to do that and to become more self-aware, to be responsible for myself and quote unquote, clean up my act, whatever that means, I'm role modeling for other people how to do it, and forcing other people to realize that I've become more responsible for my behavior, not just when I'm at work, but when I am in a 00:18:17:06 - 00:18:38:08 Unknown car wreck or at the grocery store or talking to a stranger at some festival. I'm still responsible for everything I do, everything I say, and who and how I am when I show up. Yeah, that's a good point that these these ideas and these philosophies, they don't only apply when you're at work, they should apply all the time. 00:18:38:10 - 00:19:01:18 Unknown But so I think a lot of people are probably wondering, how can I improve immediately? And I know we always talk about the DEI journey, that it takes steps and sometimes it takes a lot of time in practice. But do you have any ideas on what can individuals take away right now that they can start making those positive changes kind of immediately in the DEI space? 00:19:01:20 - 00:19:28:16 Unknown Sure. So two answers again. So the first one is stop looking for the finish line. So like a lot of us think that once we get a certificate or enough different friends or have updated our vocabulary enough, we are then done. That's not how this works, right? This is a forever and always thing. So the the progress, is it becoming more natural and being able to think about what are your responses right. 00:19:28:16 - 00:19:51:22 Unknown Like there's a gap between your knee jerk reaction or response and the actual response. And that moment in between is where responsibility and reflection come in. So that's when you're actually working. It is when you take time for that little second response instead of just your knee jerk reaction that's actually making progress, but it doesn't get you somewhere. 00:19:52:02 - 00:20:16:17 Unknown It helps you decide where you're going to get. So that's the first thing I would say. The other thing I would say is one of the links that you have is to a survey. And the survey will help you identify how you right now are showing up across difference or in conflict. And it's either going to be very detail oriented, very idea oriented, or I don't have time for any of that business. 00:20:16:17 - 00:20:38:18 Unknown I just want to do something. And when you figure out how it is, you're showing up and you get a little bit more used to or comfortable with your own showing up habits, then it's a lot easier for you to adjust how you're showing up based on how other people showing up habits are happening. Those are the two immediate things let go of winning or finishing. 00:20:38:20 - 00:21:09:14 Unknown And how are you right now? Because that's your responsibility kind of part two of this question. And I would just add, if you have anything to add on this. Any strategies or just basic practices that our listeners can adopt to align their personal growth with their DEI goals and values? The hardest one, and I'll talk very specifically about this in my keynote as well, but the hardest one is what I would call the 100% responsibility. 00:21:09:16 - 00:21:32:22 Unknown I do not recommend trying to do this 100% of the time because it is exhausting. But notice when you're not doing it and when it's easier to do it. And what I mean is, is that before you say something, email, text, whatever, can you prepare yourself to be 100% responsible for whatever it is that's about to occur? Once you say text, send the thing. 00:21:32:24 - 00:21:55:09 Unknown And a lot of people will say like, I'm only 50% responsible. But frankly, that's on marriage therapist type job security. And I'm going to ask you to take some time to be 100% responsible so that no matter what it is that comes back at you as anything, you're way less defensive about it because you had made a solid 100% responsible choice before doing something. 00:21:55:11 - 00:22:19:13 Unknown Just try that every once in a while. Or like I like to say, do the best you can with what you've got. Some of the time it will be a life changing way of blending what you think is a diversity equity inclusion kind of mindset with your authentic self in every interaction you have with other people. That's a great mentality to have. 00:22:19:14 - 00:22:46:12 Unknown I'm definitely going to try that out after this. Well, as we kind of wrap up here today, Jess, I know you've given a lot of great advice and actionable steps, but do you have any last kind of might drop moments on how leaders and listeners today can just take that take that step to create a more inclusive and equitable environment based on all the principles that you kind of listed out for us today. 00:22:46:14 - 00:23:10:04 Unknown Honestly, the hardest thing for people to actually do, if I'm having a mic drop moment, is I double dog dare you to stay in touch. You would think that that'd be pretty easy. Like, she's accessible. I can text or any time I can, you know, connect with her on LinkedIn or whatever. But people don't do it because it's hard to hang in your own space. 00:23:10:06 - 00:23:38:07 Unknown And what I would might drop a moment is who else is going to hang in your space if it's not you? So we have to stop looking at this as just something external to us and step into ourselves because no one else can do that. To do the best we can with what we've got. Some of the time, I mean, if you want to learn from other people's failures, notice external to you, read my studies, give me some feedback, see what your thoughts are. 00:23:38:13 - 00:24:03:10 Unknown If you want to stay in touch, feel free to connect on LinkedIn or text me the numbers. 2026704262. But the truth is you won't. Maybe you'll connect with me on LinkedIn, but then that's it. And we don't hang in our own space. And if you happen to notice that you are in your own space, do the survey again. 00:24:03:12 - 00:24:23:14 Unknown Go do the survey again and find out how in that moment, how are you showing up? Is there a pattern of who and how you are? And then what is that like for other people witnessing or interacting with you? You can take responsibility for that. And I'm here to help you along the way. So I double dog dare you stay in touch. 00:24:23:16 - 00:24:48:05 Unknown Do my job. Right. Well, Jess, I want to thank you so much for being on the podcast today. And thank you for sharing all that great content. I can definitely walk away with a lot of great, impactful, actionable steps into our listeners. If you liked our chat and topic today, I would just urge you to comment something new you learned today or anything that you'd like to add on to our conversation. 00:24:48:07 - 00:25:09:03 Unknown Don't forget to share out this episode. Consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. We have all the resources you need in the show notes, all including resources about us in our topic today. Otherwise, thank you so much for tuning in today and thanks again, Jess. We will see you all next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. 00:25:09:04 - 00:25:27:11 Unknown Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign up to connect. For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes THRIVE so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

Description:

Description: Unlock the art of strategic business communication in our latest episode, 'Inbox Intelligence.' Dive into the world of email correspondence and discover when and why it's your most powerful tool. Explore effective practices, enhance your professional connections, and master the finesse of choosing email for impactful business interactions. If you're looking to harness the potential of email for impactful interactions, this episode of 'Inbox Intelligence' is a must-listen. Resources: Effectively Using Email in the Workplace Video  Business Email - Write it Right Course  Business Writing for Impact: How to Write So People Will Read Course Overcoming Inbox Overwhelm: Streamline Your Processes Course  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Andy Marris  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Andy Marris  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 - 00:00:48:22 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, hello everybody, and welcome to episode number 59 of 30 minute Thrive. Today we're going to dive into the world of email, specifically inbox intelligence and discover when and why it's your most powerful tool. So today I'm joined with expert Andy Marris, MRA learning and development instructor, as he runs through his tips and tricks on using email in our professional lives. 00:00:48:24 - 00:01:14:14 Unknown So thanks for being here today to be here with you. Okay, so let's start out with the positives. Andy, what are the key advantages of using email as a form of business communication and in today's digital landscape? Well, email is really fast. You can reach a mass audience very quickly and it's documented forever. It's a great follow up tool at a conversation or a meeting so that we talked about this before, right? 00:01:14:15 - 00:01:38:15 Unknown People know what to do when. But it's also a great way to inform people of things that are easy to understand. Right? If it's confusing, though, I wouldn't put it in email. And then, of course, it's a great documentation tool. So now let's flip that question. What are the biggest challenges of email? It's really fast. You can reach a mass audience really quickly and it's documented forever. 00:01:38:16 - 00:01:57:03 Unknown Literally, the pros are also the cons because once you hit send, yeah, that's gone. But anything that's real complex or difficult to understand, that's just going to make it a difficult concept and then they're going to not get it. You can't watch somebody react. You can't read their body language and if they get it or not, you can read that in someone's face when we're looking at them. 00:01:57:03 - 00:02:20:24 Unknown You can't get that out of an email. And it is a big one when you're emotional. Right. Be very careful to take a break, get yourself collected and cool, because if you type in your emotional, it's going to come way worse on the other end than even you intend. Sometimes you got to, you know, go take a walk, yell at the trees, whatever you got to do, take a deep breath. 00:02:21:01 - 00:02:40:08 Unknown But you want to make sure you're careful with those emotional emails because it comes off the way worse than you than you originally intended. And then anything that's not for public consumption or confidential, as we said, email is never gone. Yes. Great point. In addition to that, tone is really difficult to read. You know what? What a cliché. 00:02:40:08 - 00:02:55:18 Unknown I'm using my mother in law as an example, but when she says I'm fine, she's fine. When she says I'm fine, I don't know what I'm going to find out later, but it's going to be a while. Yes. Before she reveals that, Right. Well, you can hear that in someone's tone. You can't read it very well in an email. 00:02:55:20 - 00:03:26:12 Unknown And so that's also a problem. And then even the mechanics. I had a woman I worked with years ago who had a she was really into grammar to be in the grammar police, and she had a really funny sign on her desk that said, I'm silently judging your grammar in my head, and these make me chuckle. But even something as silly as, you know, using a colon instead of a semicolon or a comma after your greeting, that's supposed to be the business way to do it. 00:03:26:12 - 00:03:45:22 Unknown I couldn't care less. I'm not the grammar police. But you know, something that like that simple could set your email sideways. And then also the design really matters. We've probably all seen somebody as a very stylized background, and because of it, it's really hard to read. Sometimes you please a whole block of text and it just, yeah, your eye doesn't know where to stop. 00:03:45:24 - 00:04:05:14 Unknown And so there's lots of things that can go wrong with it, even though it's a wonderful tool and use. Well, yes, I'm like picturing now the worst emails I've ever gotten or written, but I feel like I all I'm like an emoji person. So in my emails I will always add an emoji to help with tone so that they know like, Hey, I'm not meaning this in a bad way. 00:04:05:14 - 00:04:29:24 Unknown And that's good. Emoticons are invented for then. Is it a smart alec smiley face or a happy smiley face? And how professional is that? Right? So you've got to know your audience when you're sending that out. Yeah, but that is the purpose, right? To add tone to text. And that's, that's not soft serve. Sophie So what examples do you have on when tone was maybe misinterpreted with email? 00:04:30:01 - 00:04:49:03 Unknown I've got a funny one from several years ago. I had a participant in one of my classes and we were talking about how difficult tone is to read. And I was in in Chicago, and I remember as we're discussing that she kind of starts laughing and she says, Well, I've got kind of an embarrassing one that just happened to me. 00:04:49:03 - 00:05:08:19 Unknown And I said, Well, you comfortable sharing? And she said, Sure. And she said, And folks, this is not necessarily the people at your company. But she said, my my I.T. guy is kind of the stereotype on Saturday Night Live or makes me feel bad for doing his job because over in like, click, click, click. It really? Yeah. Did you even plug it in that guy? 00:05:08:19 - 00:05:27:20 Unknown Right. So she's like you. It's alter the computer kind of thing. That was her relationship with him. And so there was a vulnerability. There was a virus going around, and he wanted to save some time. And this was many years ago. And I remember when I was in the IT industry years ago, these are called the sneaker netting because the I.T. 00:05:27:20 - 00:05:41:10 Unknown Staff would put their sneakers on and run from computer to computer. This is before I had all these things behind the wall. They could just fix it. Yeah, well, he sends out an email because he's going to try and get to each computer, but it's going to take them a while to get to everybody. So he sends out an email. 00:05:41:10 - 00:05:57:04 Unknown So if they can install this patch to keep them from getting the virus, all the better if they can beat him to it. Right. So he sends out this this email and I'll quote unquote read it to you. It says, hello. There's been a huge virus going around the country. You want to we want to make sure we don't get it. 00:05:57:06 - 00:06:12:01 Unknown Here are the steps to install the attachment. He did Remember to attach it, by the way. Yeah, that's always a new right here are the steps. And then in bullet points, which I love, right? I want it to be one pane of glass. Bullet point. Bullet point. Bullet point. Bullet point. All of the directions on how to do it. 00:06:12:03 - 00:06:33:08 Unknown Thank you, Jim. It said please. It said thank you. Should they sprinkle in a little tone? She was so angry after reading that she went running to H.R.. Look what I have to put up with from this jerk. She had it in her hand as she printed it out. Any. Any idea why? It's pretty funny when she realized what had happened. 00:06:33:14 - 00:06:55:15 Unknown I don't know why, Because, you know, the human resources, the person's looking at the thing and go, What's wrong with it? It's very technical. There's nothing emotional about it. And she read it and she read it. I'll give you a hint. It was just one word. It was at the very beginning. Do you remember how that email started? 00:06:55:17 - 00:07:16:03 Unknown Hello? Yeah, hello. It's a greeting. Right? So a feeling. Hello. How are you? What's wrong with that? Well, can you think of any other interpretations of Hello? Maybe you've seen the movie Back to the Future. I guess. Hello, McFly. Buddy Holly. She read the entire email as if he was knocking on her head like she was an idiot. 00:07:16:03 - 00:07:35:16 Unknown Oh, wow. And it wasn't based on one word. Based on one word. We read tone into our messaging, and that's what we're up against. I think it's scary. I also think it's a very funny story that is fun. But wow, right? This is what we're up against. And that's why your idea about the emoticons or any of the emojis. 00:07:35:16 - 00:07:54:24 Unknown Yeah, that's why we use them. Maybe he needed to add a smiley face. Yeah, I don't know. And then she might have thought as a smart aleck smiley face. So who knows where that would have gone, but. Well, that's what we're up against. So good story. So are there certain situations then we're using email might hinder rather than enhance business communication? 00:07:55:01 - 00:08:11:15 Unknown Yeah. If anything has to be confidential, don't put it in an email. There is no such thing as a confidential email. Which is funny because there's even a little button you can push that says confidential. It's not defensible in court at all, and anyone in the world who has an email address can have that sent to them. Exactly. 00:08:11:21 - 00:08:33:22 Unknown We've seen so many examples over the years of people getting in trouble because of email be in ink. It's found even if you you know, there's been stories of people using software like bleach bit to get rid of emails and sure that got it off your server and in your computer, but it's still on the server or the network or the computer, the people you sent it to or the people you sent it to, who sent it to somebody else. 00:08:33:24 - 00:08:54:09 Unknown And so it really has no no end in mind digging the one forever as long as somebody has an email address. So that is kind of frightening. Don't put it in email if you wouldn't want anybody to read it outside of, you know, normal conversation. It's kind of like the tree falling in the woods, you know, nobody hears it. 00:08:54:09 - 00:09:26:03 Unknown Did it really make a noise? Well, everybody here's an email because it can be forward to any anyone that has an email address. I also run into different relationship things, right? So once you hit send, as I said, they can change the relationship forever. And so we see people using false urgencies, urgent and exclamation point and red and all caps and all those things can really set people off if it's too long on one hand, too wordy, and then if it's too abrupt, not wordy enough. 00:09:26:05 - 00:09:46:22 Unknown It's funny how this really can have a lot of problems in typing an email when we're emotional. Really, that can really cause problems because tone is so hard to read. Yeah, it comes off way worse than even we were anticipating. And if we're heated when we write it, it comes off isn't serious. Yeah. Going back to your that emails are not confidential. 00:09:46:24 - 00:10:11:08 Unknown It's kind of like social media to whatever you put on social media. Don't expect it there forever. Yeah, exactly. It's going to be there forever. It lives forever. But we talked about some of these challenges. How can you overcome them? It's a good question. One of the things we had that podcast, a few podcasts ago, we talked about meetings and I talked about can this meeting be an email if it's something really simple and easy to understand? 00:10:11:10 - 00:10:37:12 Unknown Well, you can ask the opposite question Should this email be a meeting? Yes. If it's more complex, we better do that right. Emails for simple concepts or to follow up is when it's best, right? So we use. I learned this from my colleague Janet. I love this. She calls it the grandma or judge rule. If you're going to make grandma blush by what's in there or you got to stand in front of a judge, don't put it in an email. 00:10:37:14 - 00:11:00:04 Unknown And so I think that's that's something to really remember when you're considering what you're what you're hitting send. Yeah, absolutely. Any other scenarios where you should not definitely send an email or I know we talk about here if if you're writing and writing and writing and you can't just quickly send it, you should just pick up the phone and call that person. 00:11:00:06 - 00:11:16:18 Unknown Yeah. If you have to explain something, it's so much easier just going in person or picking up the phone. I like to call that the three thread rule that if I've sent it, they've replied, I've sent another one. It goes back three times, pick up the clock, pick up the phone and call them if you can see them. 00:11:16:18 - 00:11:41:03 Unknown Even better yet, go see them face to face. You're just going to pile on the confusion. Yeah, the lack of clarity. The more you try to explain something email, if it's not, if it's not understood. I think everyone here in who's listening can agree that we simply get way too many emails, though. Sure. And that means that a lot of emails can also be missed too, because our inbox is so big. 00:11:41:05 - 00:12:04:06 Unknown So how can you make your message stand out among the mass amount of emails that we already get? Lots of lots of ways that really, really help. You really want to think of your readers perspective. You know, I tell this joke in class, it's lame. Sara I heard it before, but w I have them in the morning. It's what everyone is listening to. 00:12:04:07 - 00:12:25:22 Unknown I do my radio voice there, but it really does. It is not a radio station. It's it's what's in it for me is what that stands for. And that joke doesn't work. West of the Mississippi, by the way, everything starts with K. But anyway, we want to put our our tone in our in our message, in their reading perspective right now. 00:12:25:24 - 00:12:43:21 Unknown How do I want to best send it? It you know it. You've got your message to your head. How will they best receive it so they can act? And so I haven't kind of put myself in their shoes. How does this make sense to them? Yeah. Is there a meaningful and searchable subject line? I encourage people actually to fill that out second to last. 00:12:43:23 - 00:13:00:24 Unknown People usually type it right away. We'll talk about that in a little bit, but it's actually something that I prefer to do once I've written the whole thing. Because sometimes if I start out with any with a subject line in the email, I could change significantly by the time I've typed it in, by the time it hit send, maybe I need a new subject line any way. 00:13:00:24 - 00:13:20:24 Unknown I think I want to make sure that it's searchable in case somebody is looking for that in the future. That's easy to find and it's not, you know, just to get their attention. You know what you'd see and you cry wolf because it really wasn't that important. Right. And there's that urgency thing again. Yeah. So that makes me think of like you customize your emails based on different people, too. 00:13:20:24 - 00:13:43:23 Unknown So I know some people who would just like, want one word in the subject line, No, open it. Or I know another person who would want like a detailed subject line. So it's like it's also funny thinking about the person who you're sending the email to, how it changes. Basically, there used to be people would use it like instant messenger before the thing and would say poem for end of message and everything was in the subject line. 00:13:44:00 - 00:14:04:13 Unknown Yeah, don't do that anymore. We moved on right now, but that was a thing years ago. One of the things I always suggest is to make sure your message as much as possible is on one pane of glass. And of course, you've got your your surface in the view pane of glass is about this big. What about cell phone? 00:14:04:13 - 00:14:22:13 Unknown Right. Can can you get it so small that they don't have to endlessly scroll now that's not always possible. Yeah, you need to give them enough information that they can take action but the shorter the better. Yeah. And I even prefer if I can get away with it. Bullet points as opposed endless paragraphs. Right. They're going to scroll and scroll is probably not to get read. 00:14:22:13 - 00:14:48:16 Unknown Absolutely. Well, we talked about one. You should not send an email or use Email is the best form of communication. So do you have any specific scenarios where email is proven to be the superior choice for professional interactions? It's an awesome follow up tool. I love after a phone call or after a meeting or even a face to face conversation. 00:14:48:18 - 00:15:05:14 Unknown Here's what we spoke about. Bullet point, bullet point, bullet point so that, you know, the person can take action and we can remember and it's documented, right, So that people can say, Well, you didn't say that or we didn't agree to do that. Well, here's what we agreed upon and that they disagree with it, then we can have that discussion over the follow up email. 00:15:05:14 - 00:15:29:17 Unknown Yeah, but I think it's a tremendous tool for that. I love that. It is great when you reach a mass audience. Yeah. And so we can do that really quickly, really efficiently. Just be just be really sure that it's ready to go before you hit. Send in with like follow ups. Like you said, the meetings, you can include resources than in the mail to Great idea. 00:15:29:19 - 00:15:55:17 Unknown Great. Are you one of my favorite things with helping people tailor an email message is to help them understand that if you know the communication style of the person you're emailing that can really help you. Folks that are very analytical want lots and lots of information, folks that are what are often called Thrivers or dominant communication styles. They want it as short as possible, right? 00:15:55:19 - 00:16:15:01 Unknown Well, how can you how can you make both happy, Right. If you're sending to a mass audience? Right. Well, what I suggest is you have it short, but then have a link is best if you can have a link or second passes an attachment. But you've got to make sure you remember to send it. Yeah, attach it right before you send. 00:16:15:03 - 00:16:33:18 Unknown We had that oops moment before, right. But then anyone that wants to swim in all that data and information can go to the attachment or go to the link. Yeah. And a person that couldn't care less doesn't have to read all that. Still gets what they need to be able to act on that email. And I think it's really important to remember business email should be actionable, right? 00:16:33:20 - 00:16:56:06 Unknown It's it's for accomplishing things and so there should be some action tied to it. It can be just to make something clear, to follow up, which I think is also a good tool, but usually following up on something that needs to be acted upon. Yeah, that's a great point. So how does email contribute to effective collaboration, especially when working with remote or international teams? 00:16:56:06 - 00:17:15:05 Unknown It's a great question, right? Follow up is so critical when you're in different time zones. I mean, it's critical even in the same building. Yeah, but it really helps us to make sure everybody is literally on the same page, is doing the right things at the right time by the due dates. Email makes that really easy and it can be asynchronous. 00:17:15:08 - 00:17:35:22 Unknown Somebody could open it on the other side of the world and it's instantaneous, right? So that is a really great factor with it. You can add the little at symbol in somebody's name and then you can actually send it to several people, but actually have individual call outs where they have different action items they have to do. And so that can really use it. 00:17:35:22 - 00:17:53:00 Unknown You can use it that way as a collaboration tool and people can read it when it's most convenient to them, their timeframe, their time zone, Right? Yeah, I just kind of a funny little ad I try to tell people don't put. Good morning. Good evening. Good afternoon. Because you don't know when they're going to read it. It might be that time when you send it. 00:17:53:00 - 00:18:11:11 Unknown It's just a little awkward. It's not a big deal. But I want I want to make sure that that is your maybe has a greeting because I think that sprinkles in some tone. I like using people's name if I can, or my colleague Cheryl says it's the most beautiful sound to a person's ears. And I say, I say that the way they like to be, call it too. 00:18:11:11 - 00:18:29:13 Unknown I. Mandy Somebody calls me Andrew. I think somebody is mad at me. So especially Bob Right. But, but yeah, I think that's how we sprinkle in a little tone because it is really hard to read. Yeah. And, and I think it's really considerate when they can read it when they're able to. Yeah. And the email allows for that in a clever way. 00:18:29:15 - 00:19:01:24 Unknown So how about then some of the other email etiquette rules that people may not know or just generally think of? Great question and there's no Emily Post Guide to email etiquette. There's nothing like that. Yeah, but I think most people will agree on a lot of these because they've just seen it abused so many times and they get irritated when they see this one thing, especially that you just mentioned about international, for example, I want to reflect the formality of my reader. 00:19:02:01 - 00:19:23:20 Unknown If it's a first time conversation or, you know, email read with somebody in another culture, I probably would start out with Hello, Miss Bowler or Hi Mrs. Bowler. And I'd Hey, Sophie. Right? It just it it's not as professional. But if they are, if they then reflect back a more casual tone, then I think that that's a good place to start. 00:19:23:22 - 00:19:44:05 Unknown Limit those emoticons in those emojis that we talked about, you know, is it professional here? It's okay if you've got that type of relationship and they know you. But here's the biggest one for me as far as etiquette. We've got to watch out for that reply to all button. I am so tired of somebody saying we're ordering from cousin's subs. 00:19:44:05 - 00:20:06:12 Unknown What do you want? And somebody replies to, Oh, I'll have the turkey with extra mail. I don't care. I didn't ask. Raised me up this way. So we reply to all and everybody needs to know. Well in there's like emails where people are like just reply to me and then it's like implied all Hi, I got to give some people some grace on this. 00:20:06:12 - 00:20:25:23 Unknown I understand that there's certain phones that if people reply from their phone it automatically replies to all, Well then we should talk to that company and get them to fix that. But that's beside the point. So then assume good intent that they didn't mean to send that to everybody. But good gracious, I don't care about your turkey sandwich if I didn't have. 00:20:25:23 - 00:20:52:00 Unknown I'm not taking the order. So now, looking ahead with the rise of AI in automation, how do you really first see the evolution of emails of role in in business overall? Yeah, that's a that's an that's an interesting one. Now, I think we're going to not know whether it's a human being there or of a AI writing us on one hand, but I think it'll be even easier to find what we're looking for. 00:20:52:02 - 00:21:13:18 Unknown Even if somebody does a poor job in the subject line or the message, if you needed six months later, what did that person say? What do I need to know? I think that'll help us find those types of things. The it's still the Wild West. We're going to we're going to find out. But I think those things maybe could be some advantages in AI can help craft an email or help you create an email template. 00:21:13:18 - 00:21:42:10 Unknown So before we close out the episode, what is one more thing that you want listeners to remember about email? I mentioned a moment ago that we should fill out this subject line second to last writing. We don't really know what the message is going to say until we typed it, right. Sure. Well, I'm pretty passionate about this and I wish I could petition Microsoft to change this because you should fill out the to the CC in the back fields last. 00:21:42:12 - 00:22:01:21 Unknown And why do you think that is? Because you might forget. I don't know. You might forget that a certain group has to be included or a certain person. So that's definitely true. Maybe I'm missing somebody in those fields if I if I do it too quickly in it. Because again, I don't know what I've type, but I can't send it anywhere. 00:22:01:23 - 00:22:18:02 Unknown Oh, if there's nothing there, I can't accidentally go oops. And should keep going on out and so I would love to petition Microsoft because it's in the upper left hand corner of your screen, Right. I want to have them put it in the lower right, because when you were in kindergarten, what did your teacher drill into your head? 00:22:18:02 - 00:22:37:09 Unknown Always put your name at the top, right? And where did you put it? In the upper left hand corner because we read left to right. Well, what do people do First? They put your dress in there. Well, it's the worst thing you can do, because if something's not ready, you can't even accidentally hit send. Now, your question about I don't know, because now they might be monitoring your keystrokes so you still could get in trouble. 00:22:37:09 - 00:22:55:24 Unknown So watch out for those nasty grams. Right. Because some people will do that to get the emotion out when they're mad and they get delete. Maybe we don't even do that anymore. Maybe find a new way to vent your vent your frustrations. But that's a good right and not send it if there's nowhere for Yes. And sure, a lot of people would appreciate that change. 00:22:56:01 - 00:23:13:00 Unknown Yeah. And I'm so careful with that, especially if it's something more sensitive. Yeah, I will. If it's a reply, it puts it in there immediately. Right? If it's a forward, it puts it in there immediately. I will cut and paste it somewhere else and bring it back when I'm done. If I'm worried that could accidentally hit, save, send too quickly. 00:23:13:00 - 00:23:35:22 Unknown Yeah, that's a great idea. So if our audience would like to learn anything else about email etiquette, do you have any recommendations for anything else Emery can offer? So we have a great class and of course I think it's great I teach it, but it's called date. It's called business Email How to write it, Right? And it's a terrific class. 00:23:35:22 - 00:24:08:17 Unknown It's a half day and we basically focus on the things we we talked about today with a much deeper dive. In addition to that, we have an even more robust class. It's business writing and all the stuff that's in the email class is also within that class. But then we get best practices for letters and text messages and emails and even how to make the tone come through better and all those types of things because we have a full day to really address lots of business writing issues because it is just so hard to read tone in any type of textual message. 00:24:08:23 - 00:24:26:22 Unknown Well, we will make sure to link those two classes in the show notes below. So if you're interested, you can just take a look the show notes below and and register and have Andy as a teacher. Yeah, I'd love to see you in class or Andy. That's all the time we have today. But I want to thank you for all the great content and tips that you gave us. 00:24:26:24 - 00:24:45:01 Unknown I think I will now think about this episode every time I debate sending an email, and I hope you do too. But to our listeners, if you liked our chat and topic today, I would urge you to come in any any tips you have here on email, best practices, or just anything that you want to add on to our conversation. 00:24:45:03 - 00:25:07:00 Unknown Don't forget to share this episode out and consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. Like I said, we have all the resources you need in the show. Notes below include including resources on this topic too. So thanks for tuning in today and we'll see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign up to connect. 00:25:07:00 - 00:25:22:04 Unknown For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes Thrive so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

Description: In part 2 of this episode, we delve even deeper into the transformative world of employee-driven learning journeys. Join us as we address the crucial challenges organizations may encounter when implementing this approach and reveal expert insights on overcoming them. Plus, we'll take a fascinating peek into the future of employee development, exploring emerging trends and innovations that promise to reshape the landscape of professional growth and learning within your organization. Don't miss this essential follow-up episode for answers to the remaining key questions and get a complete roadmap to success! Resources: Amanda's Article in Association for Talent Development's TD Magazine  MRA 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. 00:00:03:14 - 00:00:24:17 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. 00:00:24:19 - 00:00:49:18 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. All right, Well, welcome, everybody, to part two of our employee Design learning conversation. So I'm joined with Amanda Mosteller, our director of talent development here at MRA, once again to cover some remaining key questions of this topic to really ensure that you are confident in implementing this style of learning into your organizations. So thanks again, Amanda, for joining us. 00:00:49:19 - 00:01:12:11 Unknown We're excited for part two. Yes, I love talking about this. Oh, yes. Well, last episode, you kind of gave us an overview of this concept as well as some examples and some strategies to use while using employee design learning. So before we kind of kick it off, do you want to give us a little refresher of what this concept really means? 00:01:12:13 - 00:01:56:13 Unknown Absolutely. Employee designed learning is an instructional design approach that organizations can use where the instructional designer actually moves into more of a consultant role to a team of employees that have volunteered due to a passion of their own around developing their peers due to a desire that if they, their peers and their future individuals in their team are going to be going through this learning program, they have a desire to help shape what it looks like, and they have a perspective that often stakeholders and means might not be heading in what the true day to day of the average team member in that role is like. 00:01:56:15 - 00:02:39:12 Unknown So they can really help shape the design and development of the program. So employee designed learning is an instructional design approach where the idea team member is consulting a team of employees in designing classes to Thrive business strategy or the team strategy or the Gap area forward. And I would definitely encourage listeners if they haven't listened to part one, to go back now and kind of get that overview of this concept, because Amanda also highlights some great examples in real life stories of how she's kind of how to implement this in other organizations and some great success stories. 00:02:39:12 - 00:03:05:10 Unknown So I would urge you to go take a look at that. If you haven't, I second that for sure. We'll kind of dive in a little bit deeper. One concern might be that employee design learning could lack structure or consistency. So any advice on how organizations can really balance that individual customization with the need for the standardized learning outcomes? 00:03:05:12 - 00:03:35:22 Unknown Absolutely. That is where the instructional designer really is in charge and taking the lead. So the Learning committee, the learning team, the design team, whatever fun word you want to call your employee design group of individuals, the instructional designer has to make sure you're following instructional design best practices, whether Addie makes sense, whether the SAM design model makes more sense, whether you're doing a agile approach, which is part of Sam. 00:03:35:22 - 00:04:10:05 Unknown But additional waterfall approaches can apply whether you're doing, you know, quick brief stand up meetings for design on specific objectives. Whatever the strategy of design is that the instructional designer feels makes the most sense, They need to own driving that and helping the employee team learn what the design process looks like. Additionally, the stakeholders do have a part to play here, so this isn't a employees are just designing what they think would be neat. 00:04:10:05 - 00:04:33:10 Unknown The the process starts off as we talked about in the last episode with the designer, the instructional designer talking with the stakeholders about what we're trying to accomplish, what strategy are we trying to Thrive? What skills do your team members need to help you get there, or what gaps are we trying to close and what objectives are we creating to help get there? 00:04:33:10 - 00:05:11:13 Unknown So understanding the need is going to help the instructional designer Thrive the team in the right approach. Then they're responsible as part of that consulting piece in making sure we're following industry best practices in terms of what design approach fits, what type of program we're building, our timeline, how big it is, things like that. You can really run into a risk of things running wild if you put all the power in the design committee's hands, because that's not their expertise area. 00:05:11:13 - 00:05:33:02 Unknown Their expertise is the job role. Their expertise is the day to day. Their expertise is what to expect and what their own gaps are and how the organization has helped in the past or opportunities as an organization to Thrive development in these areas that haven't been there. And the instructional designer is the expert in the in the IDE approach process strategies. 00:05:33:02 - 00:06:05:21 Unknown And then they're actually developing the materials too. So they again, they aren't they're just a consultant. They also when the when we get to PowerPoint or whatever, you know, neat visuals you are making to go along with the program, when you get to a worksheets, when you get to takeaways, the designer is also playing the heavy role of building and creating those pieces with the employee group helping guide and make sure it's what it should look like. 00:06:05:21 - 00:06:30:02 Unknown Make sure it's meeting what the vision was, those kinds of things. So the designer has a very pivotal role in ensuring there is some structure and a method to whatever madness they've created. So it sounds like it's it's very much a team effort and an all hands on deck kind of thing. Yes. And that's part of how this is different than an instructional designer owning the project. 00:06:30:05 - 00:06:59:10 Unknown Talking to me is maybe one, two, three me interviews to really get some information and then sending it back saying, right, because in the traditional approach, the instructional designer is doing a massive amount of the heavy lifting and, and they now have this group of employees that are really invested in a different way than your typical SME who's been tapped, who's told, you really know how to do this, we want you to help. 00:06:59:10 - 00:07:21:15 Unknown And they might not have time or a desire or a passion. And so their investment is different and that falls on the instructional designer to bridge that investment gap. This approach, the investment is almost the instructional designer saying, hold on, I know you really want to be hands on, but let me take this one, Mark. But you're suggesting there's no objective in the world that's going to meet that. 00:07:21:15 - 00:07:46:02 Unknown And I don't know how to design something to meet this non-existent objective. So that's part of that role. Well, we just talked about that. The concern might be the lack of structure or consistency, but do you have any other potential challenges or pitfalls that organizations might encounter with employee design learning initiatives, or any advice on how to overcome them? 00:07:46:04 - 00:08:11:16 Unknown Yes, I can think of two big ones that I've run into in the past. One is the famous phrase too many cooks in the kitchen. So sometimes you have a lot of employees volunteering, and their motivations behind volunteering might not be just passion and desire and a like to help develop their peers. Maybe they perceive it as getting out of their day to day job. 00:08:11:18 - 00:09:04:18 Unknown So really refining the expectations of the committee to make sure it's understood partnering with the leadership teams of the employees to make sure the people that are volunteering, they also think should or would be good at helping design. Or they do have a knowledge that they would love to replicate and have future individuals coming into that role do it that way as well, and really coming up with how many folks are the right amount of folks Instead of we'll just take anyone that volunteers because you can get way too many opinions and way too many competing ideas for what a great exercise could be or what should be a structured learning experience versus what should 00:09:04:18 - 00:09:33:00 Unknown we point folks towards blog articles or podcasts or YouTube channels to watch. If you have too many opinions involved, you will have a frustrated team, potentially an instructional designer who is struggling to manage, said team and the program can go awry and then it doesn't get the buy in from the stakeholders. That was the whole purpose in the first place. 00:09:33:02 - 00:09:56:24 Unknown So that's one that I can think of. And the other one I kind of alluded to of that. First of what someone's motivation to joining, we have to be crystal clear that this is a stretch assignment, an experiential learning opportunity, a volunteer opportunity. This does not abdicate team members from their day to day expectations of their roles as well. 00:09:56:24 - 00:10:22:18 Unknown This is a volunteered in addition to so really figuring out one is what is your employee base. If you have hourly employees, for example, then we have to find a way to involve them in this design during their shift. Or is the company so invested in this approach for a very important program that really will be key in driving us to our strategy? 00:10:22:20 - 00:10:47:20 Unknown And so are we willing to pay overtime for the hours for those folks that join? So thinking about the expectations and how we get the employees involved and help depending on hourly salary is another thing to pay attention to, because of course, legally we we're asking them, even though it's voluntary, we're asking them to participate in something. So we need to pay them for it. 00:10:47:22 - 00:11:12:24 Unknown And then additionally, even if I'm salaried, we have job expectations, productivity, goals, deadlines, our own things that we have to meet in our day to day is as well. So just being very clear with with the team members that volunteer, here's the expectations around what it means to be a part of this committee to Thrive designing a learning program. 00:11:13:01 - 00:11:40:07 Unknown But you also will still be expected to get all of your day to day work done as well. So this is not abdicating or in place of the regular expectations of your job. So those are some watch outs to many folks, making sure that we're focused on who is volunteering and the instructional designer. You know, they might not be as involved in understanding shifts and hourly versus salary and all all of who's volunteering. 00:11:40:07 - 00:12:11:04 Unknown So making sure there are some controls or really clear partnership with the managers of these teams so that you have the right number of folks helping the managers understand this is a development opportunity, so it's great for folks to volunteer. We will not be taking away from what their productivity is going to be to your team. We're just helping add to the value and benefit of the program, the expertise in the information that we're sharing and investment in your employees. 00:12:11:04 - 00:12:44:11 Unknown They like that. So let's allow them if they're ready. But those are some of those big watch outs that best practices are, of course, your usual right. Are you really clear in what it is and communicate it well after talking about some of these watch jobs, feel like we got to get on more of a positive note. So I think I think some of our listeners would be curious to know in what ways does employee design learning contribute to employee engagement and motivation and just overall job satisfaction? 00:12:44:13 - 00:13:15:24 Unknown I think they'd also want to know if there's any specific metrics or just indicators that they can use to measure these outcomes. Absolutely. So there's a few things to think about. One, you get feedback, especially in the in the talent development space in the L.A. world around do the programs feel like they fit my job and are they clear in my expectation and and so am I going to be able to apply this in my future. 00:13:16:01 - 00:13:47:07 Unknown So from an overall team perspective, employees feel more impacted by the programs when it's more than just I talked to the one super high performer as ask me, I really had my peers help design this. I really am new to the organization and realizing that I'm working side by side with some of the people that helped build the 30, 60, 90 day onboarding, learn my job role experiences and classes and programs that I'm going through. 00:13:47:09 - 00:14:08:21 Unknown And man, they really did a good job because it is real on on applicable to my job as I walk out of the class kind of stuff. So this really helps enhance what instructional designers know our best practice in terms of adult learning theory. How are we able to immediately apply what we're learning to our job? That's what we care about. 00:14:08:23 - 00:14:44:04 Unknown It's don't waste my time. And so overall, you're going to have satisfaction there from a folks that are volunteering to be a part of this program and are are allowed to do it. They are finding a way to shine in their expertise. Show highlight what they know to their leadership, to their peers, because at the end of the day, we know we have emerging leaders, we know we have folks within our teams that really do have a lot to share and a lot to develop. 00:14:44:06 - 00:15:11:09 Unknown There's only so many things we can make and do for people. We can't create jobs just to keep somebody around. So doing something like this allows people to step out of their normal day to day, demonstrate their expertise, practice being in an influence without authority, space practice, you know, communicating and driving change, which is what a lot of folks move into leadership. 00:15:11:15 - 00:15:35:21 Unknown When I talk to a lot of new leaders and I say, Why are you here? I hear over and over and over again, I wanted to have a seat at the table to help Thrive the change that my team kept experiencing. I wanted to be able to impact it. And so this is another way for folks that don't have that position yet or don't really want that level of authority and therefore responsibility. 00:15:35:21 - 00:16:05:01 Unknown But they do want to help Thrive, change, help Thrive what they and their peers are being impacted by. And so from an engagement and retention perspective, something like this, you're building anyway, you have to build it anyway. The organization's going to build a program towards this anyway, so why not tap on those folks, have them step in and help in a different, much more involved way and feel like they're getting that impact. 00:16:05:03 - 00:16:47:23 Unknown They're flexing their muscles. It's a great experiential learning and stretch assignment approach and we know that people are looking for that. Absolutely. Are there any other I know we talked about just how this can contribute to employee engagement and motivation, but any other specific metrics or indicators that you can really take away from those? Sure. So often when you think from a learning program perspective, because because it's not just the volunteers on the committee, we're really looking when we do program surveys is it's so easy to get to. 00:16:48:02 - 00:17:11:04 Unknown I have my instructional design hat on today is I'm thinking of all the the Bloom's taxonomy and Kirkpatrick's evaluation levels. It is so easy to get one and two for the evaluation level. One is the session itself. Did you like it? Was it helpful? And often if people like the facilitator, they'll rate things like because they like the person. 00:17:11:06 - 00:17:42:08 Unknown So that's great. That helps me know a little bit. Then level two is are you getting that knowledge growth? Are you demonstrating it whether we do it through pre and post assessments or role plays or different exercises within the sessions or within the experiences themselves to demonstrate that knowledge gain? That's that's pretty simple to do as well. Three and four gets harder so level three and then if you're in the new age. 00:17:42:08 - 00:18:07:17 Unknown Kirkpatrick World there's a level five, but going with the traditional level three is that transfer onto the job. So often we do something like a three month assessment back out to attendees of a program, and you would say, Are you finding you're using what we've learned, what you've learned, How has it helped? How has it changed? Give us some examples. 00:18:07:19 - 00:18:30:16 Unknown So it's one way or we have touch base conversations. As a manager, I might have an intentional. My company has created kind of a coaching sheet in three months post session and then six months post session. I might ask some fun, some questions, or as an organization you might pull a three month or six month or both learning cohort touch base back together. 00:18:30:20 - 00:18:56:03 Unknown Or we're talking about how is it working. Any one of those metrics strategies is a way to gather the information. And what we found, especially in the sales example when I was doing this at that international company was the program, because we did that regularly with big programs. I mean, they were investing my whole time for a year at a time would be towards a certain program. 00:18:56:03 - 00:19:34:13 Unknown So we needed to have metrics to prove my salary was beneficial. Right? So we would, you know, yeah, it was helpful. These things were great. We felt like this these examples didn't really match what it was like. Once I got out into the sales field, once I was talking to customers and selling this stuff, and after we used this approach for the big multilevel multi-year development program, part of this big succession planning strategy, we found that those conversations and satisfaction in those 90 and six month touch bases went up. 00:19:34:15 - 00:20:02:20 Unknown The examples were much more realistic. The situations that we would practice talking to customer rebuttals were much more realistic. They weren't standard things that I was able to find. That as me would say, Yeah, that work we needs were very real scenarios that the Learning Committee had gone through and helped us design and then helped us come through not only best practices but what made sense at that organization's culture. 00:20:02:22 - 00:20:32:24 Unknown So very real. And that started to come out in those Level three evaluation checks. Level four is going to be a training department's bane of existence. It's kind of being the instructional designers hardest because you're talking ROI. I of show me your investment matters and that that could be in so many different metrics, especially depending on what the learning program is that you're building. 00:20:33:01 - 00:21:08:15 Unknown If I'm building sales strategies around a new product, I can tell what were our pre program close rates versus our three months, six month a year later program closed rates for individuals that went through the program. We can compare apples to apples that way. If you're doing something more soft skill, though, I would recommend engaging in utilizing a balanced scorecard approach where financial numbers that you or any type of data metrics is only one component of what you're looking at. 00:21:08:21 - 00:21:43:07 Unknown You're also pulling source information from those level three evaluations. You're looking at retention numbers, you're looking at external or internal customer impact satisfaction numbers. So you can pull a lot of different data pre and post to determine did this overall make sense for the financial investment, even if it's just our employees time and our full time training departments, instructional designers time to make that program makes sense. 00:21:43:09 - 00:22:04:24 Unknown That works really well for soft skill development, especially when it is a big time investment. We're talking not because any leader is going to say, I want 16 objectives and I'm going to give you about 4 hours of my team's time, wants to meet it and every instruction designer is going to shake their head because that's not possible. 00:22:05:01 - 00:22:31:19 Unknown And so if we can use the learning Committee to advocate to meet your needs in what's feasible, and then we can show you real ROI through a balanced scorecard approach of whatever four things we want to pull. To have those pieces make sense. Then you're really proof is in the pudding that this is worth being scalable, replicable, and having your folks spend the time. 00:22:31:21 - 00:22:57:18 Unknown Yeah, those are those are all good examples of what metrics and indicators you can use and kind of take note of to see if you're successful. But we've also emphasized that team effort component and the importance of just having an all hands on deck with this. So we know that collaboration and communication are critical in successful instructional design. 00:22:57:20 - 00:23:26:17 Unknown So my question is how can organizations foster collaboration between the employees? The subject matter expert is meis and instructional designers. In the process of creating these personalized learning experiences. So as you're going through the design process, there's going to be natural points where the committee is going to have to go gather some more information and bring it back to the next project meeting. 00:23:26:17 - 00:23:59:09 Unknown So it really varies by how large the project is, how many programs you're creating. When I was creating the three year sales succession development program, after we got the buy in from the stakeholders of the design plan. So we followed the ADDIE model. So I won't talk to everybody. I got all of the needs analysis complete, got our volunteers, we set our expectations and then we came up with what makes sense to get us to these things. 00:23:59:09 - 00:24:27:11 Unknown It was a big combination of live instructor led experiences, some on demand experiences. We created an intentional internal only podcast to develop selling through stories. So that was an opportunity that we wanted to grow, but we just really didn't feel like it made sense to teach a class about it and then we had some specific blogs and things that we were encouraging folks to subscribe to for certain ideas. 00:24:27:13 - 00:24:50:15 Unknown So once we came up with that design, then it became creating who's owning which piece. So the instructional designers working with all of you to get it all done. Obviously we're working more heavily with our live instructor led things that we were building on demand. We had opportunities to source off the shelf type of experiences that made sense. 00:24:50:15 - 00:25:17:08 Unknown So I helped with that group. But each of these small teams, then they went out and worked with everybody else. They went out and got some ideas. So if I had some volunteers from the committee say, We want to own the Self-Guided Self-paced Resource repository, which has your blogs, your articles, your books, you'd suggest to read different things, to listen to different YouTube channels, to go follow. 00:25:17:10 - 00:25:39:08 Unknown They had ideas. They don't know every single thing out there. So they were walking around talking to their own internal network, so their own peers catching up with means and really connecting also externally like they had, you know, colleagues and peers of networks that worked in other companies that were like, Oh yeah, we're really big on this book, or we talk about this a lot. 00:25:39:08 - 00:26:06:14 Unknown And they were bringing all of that together. So once you're getting into the development stage of instructional design, that's when it becomes just this huge partnership with anybody and everybody that has the resources and information to share. So they have to work very well together and have that good collaboration. And that's why that's such a great point, Sam, because that is why you're just taps me. 00:26:06:14 - 00:26:38:07 Unknown Might not be the right person because I don't know how many smiles you can I've connected with since me, and some of them are fantastic and some of them are like, I'll give you 45 minutes once. And I'm like, okay, so they're not all they're not all known for being amazing collaborators, but so you might be a great information resource that one of our learning committee employees will reach out to and they will talk to you for that 145 minutes, you'll get us for sure. 00:26:38:09 - 00:27:00:21 Unknown We'll kind of wrapping up here. Let's look into the future a little bit. That's a landscape of work. Definitely continues to evolve. How do you envision the future of employee design learning and its impact on professional development and any trends that you think that our listeners kind of need to be prepared to embrace or organizations need to be aware of now? 00:27:00:23 - 00:27:40:10 Unknown Yeah, so I see it growing because I see it as an engagement strategy. I see organizations recognizing you have a lot of resources within your own internal current talent pool that can help you create very on target impactful programs. You do not need necessarily an entire specialized team for just that. You need some really strong internal consultants that know instructional design, know what's best practice, can really keep their finger on the pulse, and then engage your employee base. 00:27:40:10 - 00:28:15:00 Unknown I mean, you have a lot of talent and a lot of knowledge just hanging out, working every day. So I really do see it growing because I see organizations needing to get more creative and more inventive and what engagement looks like. Engagement doesn't just have to be now. It should include, but does not just have to be the social aspect, the connectivity aspect, having swag and having great recognition and rewards programs, we have to do other things to foster everybody's thirst to continue to grow. 00:28:15:02 - 00:28:37:12 Unknown And to your point on trends, we know we knew this in 2019. Gartner had a big research about employee engagement, and they came out with the data around how my own organization doesn't develop me, and yet I'm looking for it. I don't remember the percentage. I don't want to be wrong, so I'm not going to make one up. 00:28:37:14 - 00:29:03:13 Unknown But the research was high in that employees continue to look to their organizations to develop their career. They're no longer doing that on their own. It's becoming an expectation of the organization. And so organizations are we've already done tuition reimbursement. We've we've already done development programs. What else could we possibly do? And this is another thing to do this this can help develop lots of skills for people. 00:29:03:18 - 00:29:48:03 Unknown And that's really what people are wanting. They're wanting skill development. They don't want another I mean, who doesn't want another certification? But that doesn't have to be a big investment like that. This can meet that and the other future trend. Hold on to your hats. Everybody is internal employee influencers and new ideas that will internal employee influencers. So as the younger Gen Zs start to enter the workforce now and five years from now, Gen Alpha's elders will start to pop in to full time work capability. 00:29:48:05 - 00:30:19:22 Unknown This is these are generations shaped by getting their knowledge from a person they trust through, not because their job role says you should trust them. So they're looking for If I want to grow in marketing, it's like taking mentoring to the next level and having an internal person who you would love to share their expertise and their knowledge with everybody, and they want it less and less produced and less and less fancy. 00:30:19:22 - 00:30:56:24 Unknown So we're talking selfie videos posted on your Internet site around Here's my top to top tip Tuesday. You do things like that that's that's what and I mean talk about employee designed get your employees involved tell them the goal and let them run with it. You'd be amazed what they can do. You'd be amazed that it's for free, amazed at that really how impactful it's going to be and how much, as you think about recruiting, engaging and retaining the next generation, there's a there's a lot a lot going down in that world. 00:30:56:24 - 00:31:21:10 Unknown And I think that's going to be the future and we'll be talking pretty soon on. General, coming up. So shameless plug, another plug that wasn't even on purpose this time. Oh, well, I want to thank you for coming on the podcast again and share your expertise on this topic with us for part two. Absolutely. Thank you for asking me back. 00:31:21:12 - 00:31:39:11 Unknown Of course, Bill, to our listeners, if you liked our chat and topic today, I'd urge you to comment something new you learn today and any questions you may have for me, I'm sure should be happy to connect with you or just anything you really want to add on to this conversation. We're curious to hear your thoughts on it. 00:31:39:13 - 00:32:02:00 Unknown Don't forget to share this episode out and consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. Like always, we have all the resources in the show notes below, including resources on this topic today. Otherwise, thank you so much for tuning in and we will see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. 00:32:02:00 - 00:32:17:03 Unknown For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes Thrive so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

Description: Every year, MRA conducts a compensation study to look at compensation and pay, from strategy to pay adjustments to market data to putting it all together with communication and transparency. In addition to publishing the survey results we also offer a webinar to talk about the results and share current trends and data.  Our podcast listeners are getting a special look at the survey data, as well as the opportunity to hear from MRA's experts and their takeaways from the webinar and questions that were asked. Resources: Salary Data Aging Calculator   2023 Compensation Trends Survey   2023 Compensation Trends Survey Executive Summary  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Mackenzie Button  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Mackenzie Button  Guest Bio - Melissa Wymer  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Melissa Wymer  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 - 00:00:55:00 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, hello everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute Thrive. Today we're here to talk about compensation trends. So every year MRA conducts a compensation study to look at compensation and pay. From strategy to pay. Adjustments to market data, to putting it all together with communication and transparency. And in addition to publishing the survey results, we also offer a webinar to talk about these results and share current trends and data, which we just got done. 00:00:55:02 - 00:01:17:23 Unknown So today our podcast listeners are getting kind of a special behind the scenes look at the survey data, as well as the opportunity to hear from two compensation experts and their takeaways from the webinar and also questions that they were asked today. So let me introduce you to our experts, Mackenzie Button, MRA's Total Rewards director, and Melissa Wymer. 00:01:18:01 - 00:01:45:23 Unknown Our surveys manager at MRA. So thank you to you too, for joining me today. Thanks for having us. Well, let's just dive right in into the first question. So we actually conducted a poll on social media right before this com trends webinar. And we asked organizations, what are your top concerns surrounding compensations and its trends? And we actually got 53% to say that their top concern was on compensation strategy. 00:01:46:00 - 00:02:05:13 Unknown So first, let's kind of talk a little bit about compensation strategy. Mackenzie, can you define what is a good strategy? Sure. So it's kind of funny that the 53% said that that was their top concern because I think Melissa knows from the comp trend survey that that was probably about the number that said they actually had a strategy. 00:02:05:14 - 00:02:39:03 Unknown Really? Yeah. So we did see about half to respondents saying they had an actual compensation strategy. So first thing is to know that one might need to exist. And then when we work through our different projects and helping people figure out what a strategy might be, we want to look at things like your market position, how you internally value your jobs, figure out things for geography if it matters or not to your organization, internal or external equity, you know, frequency of updates and and figuring out how those things align when you know how often you want to do things. 00:02:39:05 - 00:03:08:00 Unknown So having a strategy has all those different steps in it, and you want to have it aligned with leadership too. So understanding across the organization what strategy might be and how it might impact your organization's overall strategy for sure. Kind of diving a little deeper into that question, what impact does getting your compensation right have for employers? So I think it is it can do a lot of different things for an organization. 00:03:08:02 - 00:03:30:22 Unknown So you can get the right candidates for your group with the right amount of money. It doesn't necessarily necessarily have to be above or below market, but having a good package that you put together does might not scare people away. And then it also can help retain, retain your or your employees and help them, you know, be successful and be motivated to to help your organization thrive. 00:03:31:01 - 00:03:57:08 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. Good answer. So MRA conducts this annual compensation trend survey, as we said about this time of year to help employers start planning for the year ahead. So, Melissa, I'm curious regarding the survey itself, was there anything that really surprised you with any of the data or results? Actually, no. Well, we had the results from a nature perspective, and I was not shocked by the results. 00:03:57:09 - 00:04:21:15 Unknown You know, pay transparency, continues to be a hot topic. Some of our respondents have pay strategies. Some do not. It is interesting to see how this all plays out. Yeah, absolutely. So, McKenzie, I know you've done this for a couple of years now, this event. So I'm curious to know how the competition trends have kind of evolved in recent years. 00:04:21:17 - 00:04:43:06 Unknown Sure. So I think a couple of years ago, we tried to have a title called Something along the Lines of the Power of Pay Transparency. I think we might have used it a year recently, more recent than that, but that's something. Pay transparency was an anomaly for a very long time. I mean, people in the public sector or using public funds often would see some pay transparency within their ranges. 00:04:43:06 - 00:05:07:00 Unknown People might know what's going on, but now it's way more in the forefront. So yeah, Melissa saw it in her data from the survey that people are becoming more open, organizations are more open to pay transparent and see, and then employers are having to react to that. So if you have pay transparency, you have to have typically a range or something to anchor your jobs to and not just the person. 00:05:07:02 - 00:05:23:14 Unknown So we we still hear organizations say, you know, we ask them, how do you determine how much to pay someone? And they say, well, we looked at how much the last person made. And, you know, we try to align it with the last person in the job versus looking at it from a market perspective for a job versus a person. 00:05:23:15 - 00:05:51:19 Unknown So pay transparency is making people do a lot of things differently. And I think it's good for organizations to get their strategies aligned. Absolutely. Well, getting some data out there, some numbers out there, according to this, your survey. 95% of respondents gave pay increases in the last 12 months and respondents who provided increases over the last 12 months reported issuing an average 4.5% increase, which seems like a pretty large increase. 00:05:51:19 - 00:06:21:13 Unknown So I guess the question everyone and our listeners are probably wondering is what can we expect for next year, that percentage? Yes. So we did see pretty much an outrageous amount given COVID. And you were still dealing with the effects of COVID and we're retaining talent, but also recruiting because remote work really is the way to go. And so we have to find ways to incentivize them to come to the office. 00:06:21:15 - 00:06:48:09 Unknown So we're expecting, because the economy is stabilizing a little bit more, we are expecting it to lower down to 3.8%, which is actually the current national average them. So with that being said, the 4% is actually not as outrageous compared to other sources that we use. So like world of Work is around 4%. Wells Tower, Watts is around 4%. 00:06:48:09 - 00:07:15:06 Unknown And then one of our other companies that we look at is actually closer to the 3.8%. Gotcha. Okay. Can I add something to that? So when we talk about it in our compensation roundtable this month, we were talking about how the survey's last year, I think everyone predicted their budgets were going to be around 4%, maybe 3.8%. And but what they really did was at 4.5%. 00:07:15:06 - 00:07:29:22 Unknown So people weren't able to stick to their budgets. They gave a little bit more than what they were planning on. So this year, seeing that the numbers are still up around the same, we'll see if people are able to you know, organizations need to give a little bit more outside of their predicted budgets for the year to year. 00:07:29:24 - 00:07:54:05 Unknown The days of 3% increases are long over. I mean, not that they were that great back prior to COVID, but I know all of my employees were like, oh, this is a cost of living increase, not a merit increase. So I don't foresee us getting back down to the 3%, but probably more that middle three to upper. 402i gotcha. 00:07:54:06 - 00:08:13:23 Unknown Yeah. And with anything you're going to have a range there depending on your compensation strategy, right? If you're going to do merit increases, what's important for those for those increases and what does your budget look like? Yeah. And nonprofits are going to have a hard time competing with that. I came from a nonprofit and doing 4% was just not in the budget, really. 00:08:13:23 - 00:08:39:01 Unknown It's actually fewer grant funded. Mm hmm. So in our webinar today, we got a ton of chat questions. I think we got over like 48. Yes. So today I'm just I pulled out a few of them to go over. So the first one says, regarding aggregators, some comp professionals do recommend them, but the caution was just given to not rely solely on these pay factors, comp analysts, etc. per purchase. 00:08:39:01 - 00:09:04:09 Unknown The trusted surveys to create their data sets. So how often do you see a truly significant difference in the aggregated data on the trusted source data? Anyone can take this on though. I think for the for the aggregators, they they can be good. But even with any survey source, they are not every job is going to be in there for every different survey cut and being able to fill in the gaps with an algorithm. 00:09:04:11 - 00:09:21:03 Unknown That's where we usually want to dig in and see how many people have reported on it in this area. So if there's, you know, what's your number you use, what's the I have five or more, then we can respond on the data cut. So the the aggregators will be saying there might be zero people that have responded, but they're able to report on that data point. 00:09:21:05 - 00:09:42:01 Unknown So it's just making sure you're using them with, you know, with some caution and with your eyes open and seeing if, you know, the data seems too good to be true. They probably are people reporting on it. The right not even be those industries in the area. Right. Just make sure you're looking at other sources to to to align that that you can validate whether participants and in numbers. 00:09:42:03 - 00:10:04:10 Unknown So there is also a lot of tech questions around aging data. So one of them was what percentage do you use to age data? Oh, this is always a fun question because there's two factors when considering it. You want to know what the percentage which is typically aligned to the average market salary increase and then the desired date you want to use. 00:10:04:10 - 00:10:30:14 Unknown If you plan to update your salary ranges in 2024 and the salary survey effective date is March of 2023, using a 4% as a market average salary increase, that data would be aged around 3.3%. The formula is usually ten divided by 12 times 0.4. So there's a fun little formula for it. And we also have that formula on our website for members to use. 00:10:30:16 - 00:10:56:03 Unknown Okay. Well, we'll include that in the resources then. So another question we got was as pay transparency becomes more common, we'll start to see salary ranges included in job postings more often. So do you anticipate this becoming a more valid data source as more companies transition to open communication regarding positions and ranges? So I think Melissa has a good point to talk about. 00:10:56:03 - 00:11:17:19 Unknown Like the we have the data points of like the five different levels of transparency. And one of the things is like, do do you tell your employees about what's on more than just on their paycheck? Do you train your employees on it? So it's one thing to actually be proactive and train them on this points. And the other perspective is we post it and they have to go looking for it and then they might come ask questions. 00:11:17:19 - 00:11:43:00 Unknown So are you proactive about it with the pay transparency if you have to post it or are you, you know, more reactive because people see, you know, you're not sending them links to the job that they're in that you're hiring for, but you know, you have to be reactive. Yeah. McKenzie brings up a really good point. As I know, before even Ohio in Cincinnati was probably was in the timing. 00:11:43:02 - 00:12:29:15 Unknown But some of our major cities in Ohio are having their position their pay scale bad hosted. And it did cause a lot of issues and lowered morale, especially when it came to someone just job hunting and then they stumble upon, oh, my company's hiring. Oh, I make way less than that for players. So being able to have that tough conversation and mentally prepare your staff, I know with us it was difficult to have those conversations, but also being transparent and hey, yes, we know you're underpaid. 00:12:29:15 - 00:12:56:09 Unknown This is our plan to correct that. Mm hmm. And just being open again, I always like to say, if you have a range, try to stick within it. Right. So if people do see those ranges posted and they're below the minimum, then that's definitely something you should be reviewing. Yeah. Well, as we kind of wrap up today, McKenzie, I know you talked about some hot trends in your webinars, so can you and nurse with some of those hot trends for 2024 in relation to compensation? 00:12:56:13 - 00:13:17:01 Unknown So we already talked too much about AI and we're still all learning about that too. But from the total rewards perspective we are seeing, yeah, that shift, that big thing that's shifting from what what are we spending our money on and is it what our employees want us to be spending our money on so much? And I talked about the, you know, polling your your employees to see what's important to them. 00:13:17:06 - 00:13:49:02 Unknown And then I think when we had one of the questions in the chat about being, you know, what are some some lower cost options or ones that aren't hitting the budget too hard that can really motivate employees or attract the right candidates. So we think that balance of compensation benefits, the work life balance, the four different quadrants that we talk about when we look at total rewards, total compensation, you know, it's really balancing those things out to keep your workforce happy and getting the right people to work for, you know, some good trends to keep in the back of your head. 00:13:49:04 - 00:14:10:19 Unknown Yeah. Well, thank you both for coming on to the podcast today and great job with the webinar. I appreciate both of you. And to our listeners, if you liked our chat and topic today, I would urge you to share out this episode. Consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. We have all the resources you need in the show notes below, including resources from today. 00:14:10:21 - 00:14:33:06 Unknown Otherwise, thank you so much for tuning in today and thank you both and we'll see you next week. Thanks. Thanks. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes drive so you don't miss out. 00:14:33:06 - 00:14:37:24 Unknown Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

Description:

Description: Discover how organizations are empowering their workforce to take the reins of their own development, creating tailored and impactful learning journeys. Hear real-life examples, inspiring stories, and actionable strategies that will transform the way you approach professional growth and training within your organization. Resources: Amanda's Article in Association for Talent Development's TD Magazine  MRA 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 - 00:00:21:03 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 - 00:00:41:19 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, hello, everybody, and thanks for joining us today. I'm here with Amanda Mosteller, director of Talent Development. She's in our MRA, Ohio division. But, Amanda, welcome back. I know you've been down on one show so far. We're glad to have you back for a second one. Thank you. Thank you for asking me to be back. 00:00:42:00 - 00:01:13:19 Unknown Oh, of course. But for those who don't know, don't know. Amanda, Amanda's area of expertise really aligns with areas of the talent development industry. She spends her time in developing learning programs, designing talent development strategy, driving business metrics assessed through their people, and individual success through coaching. So today, we're really going to be covering employee design learning. And when when we talked about doing this episode, Amanda, you were also middle of writing an article on this topic too. 00:01:13:20 - 00:01:52:09 Unknown So our listeners, to stay tuned for that release date and we'll get you the link. Absolutely. But kind of starting off a little overview here. Could you explain what employee design learning really means and how it differs from traditional approaches to professional development? Yes. Yes. So employee designed learning programs, put the employees in the driver's seat of creating the learning experience of the program that they themselves, their colleagues and future individuals that come into roles like theirs will experience in terms of their development. 00:01:52:11 - 00:02:28:12 Unknown So the difference here is we are leveraging the instructional designer to design and build everything. We are leveraging employees that have a passion for development and a desire to really shape what they, their colleagues and their future selves will be impacted by what they're going to go through. This is a knowledge base and a resource to tap that is really going to impact what everything looks like and really what we focus on. 00:02:28:14 - 00:03:01:12 Unknown So how it differs is instructional designers become more of a consultant and a coach to an employee individual or team, depending on how big the learning program's going to be. So traditionally instructional designers own and manage and go through all of this and they touch on smells and this feels different because you are leveraging different resources and you are positioning yourself as the designer in a different way. 00:03:01:14 - 00:03:28:04 Unknown So those are the ways that we see this differ in employee design learning versus traditional instructional design processes, because the employees play the largest role. And in creating this program or programs depending on how large it is. So in your experience, what are some of the key benefits of involving employees in the design of their own learning experience? 00:03:28:07 - 00:03:55:05 Unknown And how does this really impact their engagement and skill development? No, it's not a good one though. So, you know, traditionally instructional designers connect with key stakeholders. This is often leadership within the organization who's kind of out of touch with what the roles that are being impacted by the program actually experience in their day to day and where their true development needs are. 00:03:55:06 - 00:04:22:13 Unknown So when we flip this approach and we put employees in the design driver seat, you're going to get insights, you're going to get tailored programing. That's reality for what their lives truly are like. So the way we partner with stakeholders is we ask them, strategically, where are you trying to go? This is a common instructional designer question As you're developing a program, what are we trying to meet? 00:04:22:13 - 00:04:54:22 Unknown What are we trying to do? That's kind of where we end with the stakeholders for now. So we say, Excellent, thank you for giving me the strategic vision. We're identifying what skills, what knowledge, skills and abilities the individuals within your organization need to possess to get you to that vision. Put a pin in that. We'll be back. And then this program and this approach really says to the employees, Here's what we're trying to do as an organization, as a business. 00:04:54:22 - 00:05:16:19 Unknown Here's where we're trying to go. Here's what we need to be able to do to get us there. Where are you at? What are we doing today? What are some of the barriers that you typically don't get development in that you need? What are we missing? What skills are we not aware of? What areas don't we know that your roles need? 00:05:16:23 - 00:05:37:15 Unknown And this is different than just me because with this me, they give this conversation, they give you some advice, they give you some resources, and they're like, All right, call me if you need me. But the employee designed learning approach really says to the employees, okay, you don't get to tell me this and then walk away. You get to help me build all of this. 00:05:37:16 - 00:06:17:16 Unknown So the benefits are one, really connecting to reality of what the employees need, of what the roles truly need to know sometimes again, well intentioned leaders, still, there's a lot of things they're doing that are different. Our heads are lifted up. We're looking further ahead. We're not doing the day to day. So sometimes we think there are tools and resources that are readily available or that employees, the individual contributors are aware of or that they're coming in the door with and they're not. 00:06:17:20 - 00:06:47:01 Unknown So we have to really identify how do we make them aware, what can we leverage as well as what are they, what is coming in the door with truly look like and only the people doing the work that also have a passion for development, which is another way putting the employees in the driver's seat and creating this what we would call a learning committee or a design committee differ from potentially a meeting. 00:06:47:03 - 00:07:09:22 Unknown These are folks that have a passion for developing their colleagues and for impact, doing the experience that they might have to go through with the end of this anyway. And your traditional Smee might not be someone that has a passion for development, so they might give the instructional designer the bare minimum of the required time that they've been tapped for. 00:07:09:24 - 00:07:39:07 Unknown So employee designed learning, the folks that are part of it volunteer to be part of it. So that's an important differentiator as well. We are asking for volunteers to be part of a design committee. We're being upfront with time, expectations, goals. What these individuals are going to be doing. So they're aware of what they're committing to, but they have a desire to commit to it. 00:07:39:09 - 00:08:17:16 Unknown Whether that is experiential learning for themselves or growth strategies. For an individual who is doing a stretch assignment this way, they might be meeting their own personal professional goals while benefiting their team and their future new hires or future colleagues as well. So you're really utilizing an approach that puts employees not only in the driver's seat of designing, but employees with a different level of investment, with a different level of connection to the day to day work. 00:08:17:16 - 00:08:43:21 Unknown So they can truly tell us you want us to get there strategically. Here's what we need to be able to do. Here's the things you need to teach us about. Here's the resources we don't have today that we need to find. And then a group that says, I'm not just going to tell you this in one meeting and then have you come back to me designer with the rough outline and with the content and saying, Yep, you did it. 00:08:43:22 - 00:09:06:16 Unknown This is a group that's going to say, I'm going to help you pull together the outline. I'm going to help you pull together the content, I'm going to help identify great resources that we should make more intentional in raising my colleagues awareness, too. So this is a group that really, from start to finish, is a part of every step of the way. 00:09:06:17 - 00:09:28:16 Unknown They're not just interviewed a couple of times. They're knee deep in helping create, not doing it. I'm not saying they're going to make the PowerPoints and they're going to make the learner materials. The instructional designer is still doing that, but they are much more of a guide for these folks as to what the kind of right resources are. 00:09:28:16 - 00:10:02:08 Unknown And if we say we're meeting this objective, we should probably have some activities in there. What activities would make sense and help me figure out what they are. Help me design them. So it's really getting a deep investment and then when you actually run the program, not only do you have great buy in, but man, do you have a great crew of individuals who are going out to their colleagues to say no, when you come to this class, come in ready to learn, because it's going to be what we need because we helped build it? 00:10:02:10 - 00:10:32:12 Unknown Yeah. And I would imagine that this definitely, positively impacts engagement and skill development. But do you have any other thoughts on that and how it's really impacting engagement among employees? MM Yeah, you know, I used to be really proud of programs that I would build that I would think me and we hit the mark. This is the best daggone program I use all the new bells and whistles and everything my certification taught me to do. 00:10:32:12 - 00:11:04:02 Unknown I am so good. And then I would have folks come out of the program like that was fun. But what about bullet point? Bullet point, bullet point of things that I still can't do. Like, I can't do that. That's not reality to my day to day. Who you talk to when you come up with this. So, you know, when you're having folks that truly live the day to day help create something that the stakeholders sign off on. 00:11:04:02 - 00:11:33:02 Unknown Because as I mentioned, we tell the stakeholders to put a pin in it. Once we come up with the design plan and what it's going to look like and what the best delivery modality is and what the best cadence is and how long these things should be, we go back and the design committee, maybe one representative of the design committee or the committee themselves, again, depending on how large of a program you're building, can be a big committee. 00:11:33:02 - 00:12:00:04 Unknown It might be one or two people would go with you to the stakeholders, you being the instructional designer, to say, Here's where we're at, here's what we think is going to get the biggest bang. And then you have stakeholders saying, sure, I mean, tell the employees who do the work know if we don't want the program that you think will get us there, of course they're going to have stakeholder buy in to what you're recommending. 00:12:00:06 - 00:12:35:01 Unknown And then you have employees who see who are aligned with their leadership. So it's this whole full circle of everybody being on the same page for what this experience program, whole program, long term series might be, because you also run into as an instructional designer and my other ID folks out there will not in agreement with this where stakeholders will give you a list of goals and you'll set up all these objectives and they'll say, Yeah, we need you to get that done in one two hour virtual life. 00:12:35:03 - 00:13:13:07 Unknown You're like, Oh, I'm sorry. You just gave me enough objectives to meet in three full days. You want me to do it in 2 hours of heads up? Yeah, right. That would have been something to tell me ahead of time. So? So this really becomes collaborative in a different way where, again, the instructional designer is kind of facilitating and guiding and consulting and helping everyone to create a program that everybody is in agreeance that this is the way to get the needs met for our team members that will get us strategically to where we're trying to go. 00:13:13:12 - 00:13:42:21 Unknown So it's this full circle connection and a full circle by in because my peers are going to be more invested in coming to a class that I know my colleagues designed, not, you know, instructional designer and the VP who hasn't done this job in ten plus years themselves. So it it really creates buy in top down and everyone coming into the class is aware that this is a this was designed differently. 00:13:42:23 - 00:14:04:24 Unknown I've had experiences where means were tapped because they are the best at what they do, but they don't have that passion for learning. But also they too might be disconnected from the majority of their colleagues. And the bell curve there, the extreme high potential, and we're ready to move them on to the next role. And so they should be the person you're talking to. 00:14:05:01 - 00:14:58:21 Unknown And while their colleagues might be really motivated by excuse me, that individual and where they're going, the strategies that individual might have been recommending, either we aren't really going to replicate or again, might not be realistic to the majority of the group's day to day. So it's a balancing act as a designer, as an instructional designer to put in best practices, effective strategies, encourage people to stretch themselves while not being so unrealistic that the program truly missed and the best way to ensure alignment all around, and that the program isn't going to miss the mark is by involving more employees that have a desire, that have a goal, and that have a realistic view of 00:14:58:21 - 00:15:40:22 Unknown what the role is really like. Absolutely. That's a great point. You know that we love stories on the podcast, we love examples and all of that good stuff. So do you have any success stories or just any examples of what other organizations are doing to implementing employee design learning? Yeah. So we have a member organization right now who has a big strategic plan and they actually have an employee learning committee and they're working on creating career passing strategies and design programs to support employees along the way. 00:15:40:22 - 00:16:03:14 Unknown So we have net new employees and we have employees that have been doing that role for a while and employees that have transitioned into other roles so they know where the gaps were and that transition and they know what resources might have been helpful. And so they're in the midst of this right now. I'm very excited to see where this goes for them. 00:16:03:14 - 00:16:27:05 Unknown It's on their strategic initiative, which again is that leader buy in Leader said Strategically we recognize we need some supports along the career path, not just a math outline of a career path for folks. And then they empowered their h.r. Leadership team to pull together a committee of volunteer employees. So we have a group doing it right now. 00:16:27:05 - 00:17:01:05 Unknown I'll be excited to see where that goes. And then i helped an organization a couple of years ago, which was a huge success story. This is very proud of this one. But it was a sales organization, an organization of its sales individuals who have been doing it for a very long time. And so one of the things I would run into with their leadership was, you know, my sales team has been selling this stuff for a really long time. 00:17:01:10 - 00:17:37:12 Unknown There's nothing they need to know. And I was like, I wonder how they think about that. So I had been tasked with identifying a progressive learning program. The plan was for new employees coming into the organization to have a up to three year progressive plan to get from kind of a lead qualifier role up to account executive. And they wanted they had to use means. 00:17:37:14 - 00:17:58:00 Unknown The problem was these were there to me every time they wanted me to do a learning thing. So we had two very burned out means who did not have a passion for development. They liked to share their expertise. They liked to be asked what do they think would work? They could spare 20 minutes for me because they were out doing the thing. 00:17:58:00 - 00:18:31:02 Unknown They liked doing the work so well intentioned people, but not with the desires that I needed. I needed people that could give me time. Because when you're talking about a three year development progressive development strategy from folks that do lead qualification and within three years they have all the tools and resources and knowledge and experience that they need to be account executives and replace folks that have been doing it for 20 plus years. 00:18:31:04 - 00:18:54:04 Unknown I need more than 15 minutes of your time. So what I ended up doing was saying, can you let me you know, this is a big investment. Three years is a big investment. That also should mean time. Give me time to create something that's going to work. And let me tap on volunteers that are committed to seeing this through. 00:18:54:06 - 00:19:18:07 Unknown And they did. They were, well, invest recognizing what they needed was the right development program. So they gave me the green light, said, Please go do this. And I had volunteers. We were multi, we were in five countries. So I had volunteers from each country ready to help because they also could we wanted to create a universal program. 00:19:18:07 - 00:19:48:04 Unknown So we didn't want it to be country specific and we wanted it to be multifaceted in the delivery modalities for the program. But we knew that, you know, what worked in Canada might be different than what worked in Scotland, which might be different than what worked in the Hawaii market. So we were all over the place in terms of expertise and experience, which was excellent because we could pull some things that folks were like, Well, I think that could work anywhere. 00:19:48:04 - 00:20:20:07 Unknown Let's try that. So I had a big volunteer base, which was good because a three year program is a lot of different tools you're putting into place, right? So what we ended up doing was utilizing a sales competency model and we identified the new account acquisition Csa's knowledge, skills and abilities for that competency and account retention and growth for that competency plus some foundational everyone. 00:20:20:07 - 00:20:59:02 Unknown Because remember, we're looking at folks that are coming in that might be newer to the sales career field, being able to be account executives for enterprise sized companies with big I.T. things. So talking a lot of skills that you need. And so we were able to come up with an assessment strategy. What we did was we had all existing employees, all existing individuals in the role across all five countries take the assessment self-identifying where they felt they were strong and where they felt they could use some additional learning. 00:20:59:04 - 00:21:22:15 Unknown Then we took all the universal what we saw trending across all five, and we said that is your targeted program. And we just identified kind of what was foundational was is within the first year. What is new account acquisition is in the second year what's account retention and growth. Higher level was in the third year. That was a recommendation the learning committee made. 00:21:22:17 - 00:21:53:10 Unknown I wouldn't know. So I was listening to them and then we identified which things seemed to have higher numbers of individuals that have even been doing it for over 20 years, right, identifying they wanted help and said, okay, so these are intentional interactive programs versus capabilities that, you know, we didn't have a trend of a lot of folks saying they might want help in it, that we said, okay, we needed a separate group. 00:21:53:10 - 00:22:16:11 Unknown We had subcommittees within our big learning committee and we had a separate group of volunteers that were just pulling resources and we had a resource bank targeted by which capability it would fill. And we had recommended books and we had podcasts that we podcast look at that. We encourage folks to listen to and articles and blogs that they encouraged folks to subscribe to. 00:22:16:11 - 00:22:42:15 Unknown So a real resource bank for some of the less universal areas that folks were saying they needed assistance and for the foundational things that everybody was saying they needed assistance. We said there's your there's your first year development program right there. Let's build classes around this. So once we got that information, we were able to break and do even do additional volunteers. 00:22:42:15 - 00:23:10:04 Unknown Some volunteers were like, I'm tapped out. I have a big project coming. I got to step off. And we had new people going, Oh, you know what? I actually would love to help design a program to build those capabilities. So we had some swapping going on and we were able to have these folks who were invigorated by this whole idea, really helping me create these great classes and these great things. 00:23:10:04 - 00:23:28:17 Unknown And then I as the designer, right, I pulled all the materials together with them and we would have touch basis where I would say, does this exercise, is this what you were thinking? Because they were telling me what they were thinking, what they would think could work, and I would just be like, Did I structure it right? Did I explain it correctly? 00:23:28:19 - 00:23:55:16 Unknown Are these the scenarios that you're thinking? So I was doing all of the behind the scenes creation of it and getting their signoff and their signoff throughout the way we met with the senior leadership stakeholders and we would get their signoff. So it became very collaborative all over the place program that my understanding I did this over three years ago is still running today. 00:23:55:18 - 00:24:39:01 Unknown And one of the great things about the existing team members that weren't new in this career path funnel was we would we once we were done, we created the cadence of the live classes and we made sure to communicate the resources for everybody else of those things, like the podcast, the books, the blogs and things like that. And what we found was we had existing individuals who had identified that something might be an area that they could use, like voluntarily signing up for these classes that they had said they needed assistance and their colleagues had created. 00:24:39:03 - 00:25:10:00 Unknown And then these experts who are and not that they weren't experts, I don't need to do air quotes as if they weren't these were individuals who really knew what they were doing. But the perception originally from leadership, right, was they've been doing it for 20 years. They don't need help voluntarily taking time out of their sales day, which for any sales folks listening, you now that takes a lot to step away from your sales week and attend a class that their colleagues helped design. 00:25:10:00 - 00:25:38:13 Unknown So it was it was really cool and I really liked it and it was my first time really pushing for senior leadership to have faith in their team members abilities to do this, have faith that team members that are wanting to do this are still committed to their quotas, which they were all still making because it wasn't to get out of doing their stuff. 00:25:38:13 - 00:26:05:21 Unknown That was part of the expectation that we had set. You still have to meet your sales quotas. That's still an expectation. So know that this decision isn't as an excuse me, isn't an excuse to get away for meeting your sales quotas. So we had folks that that had a passion and a desire to help. And that's the outcome you get when you have folks that really want to help build something great for their colleagues and for the next generation that will come in to these roles when they leave. 00:26:05:23 - 00:26:35:01 Unknown And I love those examples and that's great to hear. Kind of like the step by step process that you followed and implemented to kind of create that successful employee design learning approach for this company. And it's cool to hear that it's still running today and still sound successful. So kudos to you. The length, the fear designers have when they create something and then they walk away and then they find out like a year later, Oh yeah, that ran twice. 00:26:35:01 - 00:27:08:04 Unknown And then we had a new initiative take over. It's like it crushes your soul. Chilling. I put so much time into that. So to hear that it's still running is is very makes them very happy and well, you've mentioned we've kind of talked about how instructional design is really a crucial aspect of creating effective learning experiences. So how does involving employees in the design process influencing structural instructional design decisions for these professional development programs? 00:27:08:10 - 00:27:33:20 Unknown Yes, good question. The designer doesn't take a backseat, and I think that's an important clarifier to make. You're putting on a different hat for quite a bit of time. Your consulting. So you're helping. I mean, these these are individuals that very likely don't have a large adult learning theory knowledge base. So that's part of how you're helping them understand. 00:27:33:20 - 00:28:05:14 Unknown Sometimes folks are very lecture driven and you're like, Oh, or let's try something else. And sometimes folks want to spoon think things, spoon feed, excuse me. And so helping them understand. So we got to make sure to recognize the expertise in the room and folks have their own ideas. And so the instructional designer puts on the consultant hat for quite a bit because we also want to help educate the learning Committee on these important facets, too. 00:28:05:14 - 00:28:37:18 Unknown We help them understand when you're saying what I mean. I did a lot of work with this sales team just explaining Bloom's taxonomy objective writing and identifying. Okay, when you say that phrase, what that means is you're looking for this certain level, like a level three knowledge gain. And to do that, it means we need to put exercises in there because we need to see them do it, or you're highlighting something that means we're going to need to put in a three month touch base to check and see if they've transferred it, which is great. 00:28:37:18 - 00:29:00:15 Unknown I'm not saying we don't do it, we're just helping really a lot of educating on the field to this learning employee learning committee. So that's one thing the designer does. That is sometimes designers are like, it's faster If I do it myself, I'm like, No, you're right. You are absolutely right, because you don't have to explain all of this stuff. 00:29:00:15 - 00:29:26:04 Unknown But depending on how big the program is, it might be helpful to have a group. And again, that goes to that buy in. And that at the end, is everybody as excited about it as you are? And this strategy is kind of an ounce of prevention approach. Take some time to educate and see the world after. So that's that's one thing the designer does differently. 00:29:26:06 - 00:30:03:07 Unknown But again, the designer is still ultimately building the staff. I don't send PowerPoint templates to the employee committee of a certain class. Agha And let me see what you build. You're still doing the creation, so there's still that in between. But they're helping nail down the outline again. Nail down those exercises, and you step in with that knowledge and that expertise and help make sure creativity doesn't run wild to where we're getting a way of that end goal vision, which is the strategy we're trying to help the organization achieve. 00:30:03:13 - 00:30:25:21 Unknown So we do sometimes I had some zany ideas come up from that sales group that I was like, That sounds cool. Well, I'm not quite sure what that has to do with breaking into new markets, so can we tie that together for me? And if they couldn't, I was like, then let's let's table that idea for some future, just for fun training. 00:30:25:21 - 00:30:52:23 Unknown I'm not sure what we're going to do with that, but I had a hand to kind of steer the ship a lot. Yes. And what kind of talking about now, as we wrap up here, how this fits into the company's goals and strategy overall, what strategies are methods can organizations adopt to ensure that employee design learning programs align with the company's overall goals and objectives? 00:30:53:00 - 00:31:26:13 Unknown You're looking to do something like this for more future forward, and what's funny is having a group of sales leaders think about where they want to be three years from now because it, you know, it takes six, depending on, again, how big the program it could be a one time new hire class and you're just grabbing you're learning committee of folks that are on their second year of employment to help design it because you want to think as a designer strategically who are the right people for the learning committee. 00:31:26:13 - 00:31:47:17 Unknown It might not be a job role. It might be a length of time, it might be we talked in our Networking groups podcast about, you know, first year managers. So maybe that group that's now in their second year, if you're trying to figure out how to successfully own your role at this organization, you want to build a class or a program around that. 00:31:47:19 - 00:32:14:01 Unknown You're NAB and folks that are in their second year to find out what worked, what didn't, how did we help, where did we miss, what would you train folks? And so really thinking through strategically who your pool of people are and how you would want to use them for what you're thinking. But I encourage organizations think 2 to 3 years ahead, where are you trying to go? 00:32:14:03 - 00:32:46:11 Unknown Because we need to start focusing now on building the skills and capabilities to make sure your organization's talent pool has what it needs to get you there. You can't constantly think, Well, we'll hire for that. You have talent right now that is guaranteed, amazing and guaranteed ready for continuing to grow. We know engagement things. Talk about how now folks are looking to their employer to continue their career development. 00:32:46:11 - 00:33:11:00 Unknown They're not looking to do it on their own. They're looking to, you to do it for them, right? So thinking through those things is really beneficial. Asking a group of sales leaders where they think they'll be in three years, I did not know I would get met with such phases of like, I don't know. And I was like, Well, well, are we going to be selling calves or are we still going to be selling, You know, cloud based IT services? 00:33:11:00 - 00:33:32:08 Unknown Can we at least figure that out? Right. So it really it was funny. But, you know, I think strategically organizations need to look long term. Where are we trying to go as an organization? Which groups are going to help us get there and what do they need to be able to do? Because because this is an investment of employee time. 00:33:32:08 - 00:33:53:15 Unknown You don't want it to be a one and done. You want to have them help build something that scalable that's replicable, that's going to be around for a few years because it's part of getting you to where you're trying to go, and then also helping the employees understand it will continue to evolve as where we're going. We'll continue to evolve. 00:33:53:15 - 00:34:16:05 Unknown We create these three year strategies as business leaders, and once you get there, it's not like, all right, high five, we can coast now. It's all right now. What's the next one? What's the next strategy? What's the next one? So something like this, since it takes time, investment is is for those types of of big kind of what do we need to empower our employees with to get us where we need to go? 00:34:16:07 - 00:34:46:03 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. All these as all the time we have today, unfortunately. But we're coming back with a part two on this topic. So excited about that. But thanks for all the great information you share. I think we can all walk away with some great ideas around implementing employee design, learning experiences to our listeners. If you liked our chat and topic today, I'd urge you to comment something new you learned or anything that you want to add on to this conversation. 00:34:46:03 - 00:35:10:02 Unknown Any questions or any new things you're saying here? Don't forget to share this episode and of course, consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. We've got all the resources you need in the show notes below, including resources on this topic. Otherwise, thanks for tuning into Mary and don't forget to come back for part two of this episode and we will see you next week. 00:35:10:04 - 00:35:31:06 Unknown And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect for more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes drive so you don't miss out. Thanks. Tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

Description: Join us in celebrating a major milestone – our podcast's 1-year anniversary! With over 50 episodes and more than 60 incredible guest experts, it's been an unforgettable journey of learning and inspiration. We've not only shared valuable information but also had a blast along the way. To make this anniversary extra special, we've prepared a surprise – a hilarious behind-the-scenes blooper reel!

Description: Explore the importance of belonging in the DEI movement in this 30 minute THRIVE podcast episode. Discover how it empowers individuals, amplifies voices, and enhances well-being in our diverse world. Perfect for anyone seeking insights into creating a more inclusive and equitable society. Resources: DEI Conference - 10/18/23  Belonging in the Workplace: What Does It Mean and Why Does It Matter?  Belonging: The Cornerstone of the Human Experience at Work  Belonging Drivers & Elements  DEI Resources for Employers  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Denise Jamison  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Denise Jamison  Guest Bio - Cheryl Lucas-DeBerry  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Cheryl Lucas-DeBerry  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 - 00:00:43:19 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. All right. Well, hello, everybody, and thanks for joining us today. I'm here with and really excited to introduce to you Denise Jamison and Cheryl Lucas-DeBerry. They're both learning and development instructors here at MRA and come with a lot of great insight and expertise today on our topic. So, Denise, welcome to the show. 00:00:43:20 - 00:01:23:10 Unknown I know you've never been on the podcast. And Cheryl, welcome back. Thank you. Well, these two both come with 20 plus years of experience. And Denise specifically comes with experience in presenting and facilitating really large groups around diversity, equity and inclusion strategy and implementation. And Cheryl's experience includes the development of programs and leadership, customer service and diversity. And I know that you guys do a lot more than just this, but I'm just kind of highlighting your expertise and our topic for today. 00:01:23:12 - 00:01:43:11 Unknown So I know you both are really passionate about DEI and have led a lot of successful DEI plans and initiatives. So today we're really going to be focusing on how to bring belonging a part of the DEI mix. But before we do that, I just want to kind of start out by defining what DEI truly means in the workplace. 00:01:43:11 - 00:02:13:07 Unknown So Cheryl, do you want to kick us off and kind of explain what you think DEI means when we're talking about bringing it into the workplace? Yeah, absolutely. And I. Sophie, it's great to be here, and I am. This is a topic I'm very excited about, especially including the, the piece on belonging. But just to kind of level set as diversity is kind of the multiple identities that are represented within an organization. 00:02:13:09 - 00:02:44:16 Unknown Inclusion is those thoughts and ideas and perspectives that each individual kind of brings to the workplace and things that actually matter for that individual. And then equity is constantly and consistently recognizing and kind of redistributing power and thinking about the whole equity piece. Equity does not mean necessarily equal. And sometimes we get a little bit confused on that. 00:02:44:20 - 00:03:11:20 Unknown It doesn't mean that we're treating everybody equally. We're giving people what they need in in the workplace. And so those are some things just to be consciously aware of. That's a great point, Cheryl. And we're seeing more of the DEI, B acronym now with belonging included in the mix. So what is belonging truly mean? I know you touched on this briefly, but you expand on that. 00:03:11:22 - 00:03:50:07 Unknown Yeah, I think the learning is really helping individuals bring their whole authentic selves to the workplace. And so whatever that happens to be, whomever they are, whether it's their hairstyle, whether it's part of their cultural background, all of those things, people feel like they can be themselves and bring their whole unique identity to the workplace. And I think just to add on that they can feel comfortable doing it could have something to bring your your unique self in there, but not feel like you're appreciated and welcome. 00:03:50:08 - 00:04:19:13 Unknown But the balance is kind of I feel great coming, coming to work, being who I am and kind of showing off who I am. Right. And feeling that the organization values it as well as the individuals that we work on with our in our teams. So organizational overall, but also the people that we work with. And then we have to feel as individuals have to feel comfortable bringing our unique selves to the workplace. 00:04:19:15 - 00:04:58:18 Unknown Yeah. Yeah, totally. Do you have anything to add on really bringing belonging into the mix and how it complements and kind of enhances the traditional DEI efforts? Sure. As Cheryl was saying earlier, with belonging, it's really bringing our whole selves to work and feeling comfortable, as you had mentioned earlier, and also being able to contribute our ideas and feel that when, when we contribute that our intelligence isn't being held in question. 00:04:58:20 - 00:05:30:22 Unknown Right. Or if we ask a question, our intelligence isn't again, our intelligence isn't being called into question. Also that we can feel psychologically safe. That's that word that keeps coming up with belonging with DEI traditionally, you know, and that started back in the sixties. We were still finding this empty space and it was like, what is this emptiness? 00:05:30:22 - 00:05:58:05 Unknown Why is it why is everything not connecting? But it was that belonging piece. And to be able to ask a question, to be able to challenge an idea, to be able to bring a different perspective and feel comfortable and feel valued at, you know, in the workplace, that's where that belonging piece really fit in. To me. And so it brought everything together in that way. 00:05:58:07 - 00:06:24:10 Unknown And another piece to add on that there is some research that I found that says that diversity, equity and inclusion really came about and thinking about it with regard to the MeToo movement and Black Lives Matter and things like that, it kind of elevated diversity, equity and inclusion. But the research also said in the I found this to be interesting. 00:06:24:12 - 00:06:49:12 Unknown The pandemic and the great resignation have also made creating that culture of belonging so critical for many organizations, not just employee well-being, but the overall well-being of the organization. So I thought that was an interesting point to make, that the pandemic has had an impact on whether people feel like they can bring their authentic selves to the workplace as well. 00:06:49:14 - 00:07:27:16 Unknown Oh, yeah, sure. That was an interesting point you brought up. I know we talked about it earlier, but and I think you should include the article too, and the resource I will give. So, Cheryl, why do you employers really need to incorporate belonging into the mix when you're talking about just DEI efforts in the workplace? Again, from this article that we will include in the resources, it says that if people, individuals feel like they belong, they are three times more likely to look forward to coming to work. 00:07:27:18 - 00:08:01:06 Unknown They are three times more likely to stay or to say that their workplace is a fun place to work. They are nine times more likely to believe that people are treated fairly, regardless of their race, culture, etc. And there are five times more likely to want to stay at the company. So with that great resignation, if people feel like they actually belong, they're going to be more likely to stay at an organization versus leaving. 00:08:01:08 - 00:08:32:01 Unknown You just listed a bunch of benefits. But Denise, how do you how do you really bring belonging into the workplace? So when we think about that belonging and wanting to stay at the organization and all of those wonderful statistics that you provided with just that belonging piece, when we also think about DEI and how belonging can bring everything together is with belonging, It's that your diversity belongs here, right? 00:08:32:01 - 00:09:02:19 Unknown So it doesn't matter if it's your accent, it fits your perspective, if it's your the way that you talk, the way that you dress, your diversity belongs here. Also your perspective as far as equitable practice, you know, that also belongs here in our organization. And over the pandemic, all of us had a good amount of time to kind of get to know ourselves just a little bit better, you know, just culturally, you know, as a society. 00:09:02:21 - 00:09:27:09 Unknown But when we think about the workplace, it also made us more accountable to who we were going to be and how we were going to show up. Right. And how we were going to actually create that belonging space. I know one thing that I also like to say is with belonging, it's active, right? Because belonging actually really exist in organizations today. 00:09:27:11 - 00:09:56:00 Unknown But we want to cast a wider net so that more people feel like they belong. And you hear that cultural fit you know, oh, I'm not sure if they were a cultural fit right, but it's that belonging piece that is all always, always been, been there and it's not making everyone feel like they belong. And that's where the challenge I think has been in the past. 00:09:56:02 - 00:10:35:23 Unknown Yeah, absolute. So we kind of discovered the importance of belonging in the workplace and kind of the benefits to it. But either of you can take this one. Can you tell us how employers can really bring this into the workplace? There are a couple of things that that organizations can do just creating that sense of belonging in the workplace is going to kind of result in higher productivity, higher engagement with all of the employees that come into the workplace and kind of building that into the overall organizational culture. 00:10:36:01 - 00:11:02:13 Unknown I think is also important and just making it not just a a nice thing to do, but it's it's part of who the organization is, it's part of who we are is part of this culture that people feel comfortable in bringing their whole unique selves to the workplace. So like when we think about how we can implement it, it's all hands on deck, right? 00:11:02:13 - 00:11:28:20 Unknown So it's not just starting at the top. It's not just starting at where the employee is front line, you know, leadership. It is all hands on deck. And and that means that psychological safety. I'm going to go back to that. When someone asks a question, me as an individual, I would say great question. I'm glad you asked that. 00:11:28:20 - 00:11:57:05 Unknown Right. So those are just some practices that we can put in place. And then we also want to make sure that when people come in to our workplace that they feel valued. How do we make them feel valued? We celebrate their milestones. We also invest in their their progress when they are at the organization. So what are we doing as far as Buddy systems, as far as coaching, as far as mentoring? 00:11:57:11 - 00:12:27:08 Unknown What are we doing to invest in their education? Is is it tuition reimbursement? You know, different programs that we can offer individuals so that they actually feel valued. That's also going to make a difference with how you know, to answering the are how we can make it work. A couple other things to add on to that to the how of what organizations can do. 00:12:27:10 - 00:12:50:10 Unknown One, it's to avoid favoritism. And I know that, oh, we don't play favors. Well, do all the managers know that favoritism is not something that they should be doing? So just making sure that managers are aware of whether they are playing favorites. And all it takes is a perception, because perception is reality to the person that perceives it. 00:12:50:12 - 00:13:19:14 Unknown And so just constantly reiterating to managers about not playing favorites or having the perception of favoritism. Another thing that organizations can do is to involve the employees in decision making. You know, just what what input do you have? What ideas do you have? Oftentimes with people who are doing the work, usually have the best ideas. We just don't always ask them in having some transparency. 00:13:19:14 - 00:13:49:24 Unknown So everybody has access to the same information, having their promotions, and as Denise said, kind of celebrating those accomplishments. We can also make sure that we're being welcoming of new employees and making sure that we are embracing the whole self and that organizations can create that sense of belonging and inclusivity, you know, kind of beyond tolerance, as we talked about earlier. 00:13:50:01 - 00:14:14:14 Unknown And it sends the message that all employees are valued when it goes beyond tolerance, that this is just part of who we are, what this organization stands for. And it's it's real simple. You know how it starts. It starts with eye contact. Right. With just saying hello, you know, welcome. What is your name, man? I've been meeting to get to know you. 00:14:14:14 - 00:14:43:18 Unknown So tell me about yourself. You know, welcome to our team. I, you know, I'm just glad that you're here. All of that makes a huge difference. I was just going to say a lot of the ideas and advice that you just lost out. They seem like simple tasks, but it can't just be like a like Denise mentioned a one time saying it's got to be an organization wide initiative and everyone has to get comfortable doing it too. 00:14:43:18 - 00:15:15:15 Unknown So employee appreciation may sound easy, but it's got to be an all hands on deck thing where everybody is a pre and appreciating. Everybody in the managers are appreciating everybody on their team, not just one person. I'd also like to put in there that organizations need to have more persistence. Organizations need to have more grit. You know, a lot of times we hear it on the other side, you know, well, that person made it because of their grit, because of their persistence. 00:15:15:17 - 00:15:43:22 Unknown And I think organizations I would like to invite organizations to also have that persistence and have that grit and to leaning in to making people feel like they belong because it's active. You know, it's a it's a very dynamic space where you're actually making people feel like they belong in an organization. It's that cultural piece that we tend to miss out on sometimes. 00:15:43:23 - 00:16:19:18 Unknown How about now, looking at some challenges? What are some key challenges that organizations face when integrating belonging into their DEI strategies and any advice on how to address these these challenges? Well, one thing because it's so all hands on deck, you know, it's I remember one time or I it's actually my practice. So sometimes if there's a new person that starts right, I as somebody who has been with the organization, might go and sit with that person. 00:16:19:20 - 00:16:51:09 Unknown Now, sometimes the team will kind of see that like, wait a minute, what's Denise doing over there? Right. When we want to make everyone feel included. So it's that practice that everyone is going to take part in it. And it's okay. It's okay for another team member to welcome or sit next to someone who's different or, you know, we tend to sit by people who are like ourselves. 00:16:51:09 - 00:17:13:24 Unknown Why is that that affinity bias right there on the same team? They look like us, they act like us, whatever that might be. I went to the same school. But when we invite someone different and new that is making that eye contact saying hello, actually sitting next to them when they're sitting at a table that's open and no one else is sitting next to them. 00:17:13:24 - 00:17:48:20 Unknown Right. And feeling okay to do that. And, you know, that takes the whole team, but it starts at an individual level. That's one way. Cheryl, any other challenges you see? Yeah, I think it also comes down to just the concept of respect and showing respect. And, you know, again, respect is in the eye of the beholder or the person who and going back to perception, but just respecting what people bring to the table different doesn't mean wrong. 00:17:48:20 - 00:18:16:12 Unknown It's just different. And if things have always stayed the same, then we would never improve. If organizations always stayed the same, they would never grow. So if you had the same kind of people, you wouldn't have a diversity, even diversity of thought. Then sometimes we think diversity means race, age, gender, etc. is all of those things, but it's also diversity of thought in people who have different backgrounds and experience. 00:18:16:12 - 00:18:51:16 Unknown Bring those to the workplace. And if we create an environment where they feel comfortable bringing their own backgrounds and experiences, it is going to make for a much richer organization, much richer team, and also the projects and products will be much richer for their customers. And you know, when you say respect and I just have to have to add this, all of us know the Otis Redding or the Aretha Franklin song, right, Ari, C t, what's the rest of it? 00:18:51:18 - 00:19:14:12 Unknown You got to find out what it means to me. R-E-S-P-E-C-T find out what it means to me. Right? In order for us to do that, we have to reach out and find out what it means to be people that might not sound like us or look like us, you know, and be active. And it's like I said, it's a dynamic space. 00:19:14:12 - 00:19:47:14 Unknown It's a place where we're actually constantly making people feel like they're comfortable and leaning in to that discomfort. One thing for the employees or once once we think about the creating that belonging space. So we've created a space where people can feel psychologically safe, they can challenge assumptions, they have somebody they can go to when they have those questions that they might have and might not feel comfortable sharing it on an open forum. 00:19:47:16 - 00:20:26:08 Unknown When we provide that space where we say, Welcome, you are included, not only are you included, but you belong. The only thing that I think is the responsibility of the the new person is just to stay curious, right? So we have to keep staying curious. And that means that we feel comfortable asking questions. We feel comfortable bringing our whole selves and not feeling like we are being questioned when it comes to our integrity or our our intelligence. 00:20:26:10 - 00:20:54:07 Unknown Right. All of that. So, yes, respect, I think, asking from a place of curiosity versus a place of condemn, condemning or negativity, just a place of curiosity. Tell me more about that. Tell me more about your background. Tell me more about, you know, the lunch that you're eating. Is that a cultural meal? And tell me more about your culture. 00:20:54:12 - 00:21:24:20 Unknown That is a great way to get to know people and have people feel like they belong. When you come from a place of curiosity versus I'm and, you know, being critical of you because you're different. But we want to start with the curiosity, but we also want to go back to the fact that, hey, we invited this person to be on our team because of their skills, because of their education, because of their knowledge, because of their passion. 00:21:24:24 - 00:22:03:09 Unknown Making people belong is is the precursor or just that groundwork that we create for somebody to actually do their job and do it well and bring all of their passion, their skills, their talents, their education, so that they can contribute to the organization. Right. And that's what we finally want to get to, is creating that space where you can communicate faster, where it's almost like, I don't know if either of you have played charades with two best friends, right? 00:22:03:12 - 00:22:37:06 Unknown You can never win because they have all these different ways that they can communicate with one another that is just not shared with people who might not be in there. You know, have they have shared that past history with them? So that's the advantage of having a space where you welcome diversity, where you're actually leveraging that diversity and creating that inclusive and belonging space and also in including equitable practice. 00:22:37:08 - 00:23:15:10 Unknown So making sure that everyone has equal access, as Cheryl had said earlier, making sure that we are all have the voice to share our perspectives. All of that is is important. But but the bottom line is in the workplace, we are there to be more to create more innovation, to compete at a faster rate. And the way that we can do that is by getting to know everyone who's on our teams. 00:23:15:15 - 00:24:10:20 Unknown So you both shared some great real life examples of how organizations are implement doing belonging initiatives in their organizations. But do you have any other examples or maybe you know, of an organization who's doing a certain thing that you can share with us on how they're really leveraging belonging to strengthen their DEI efforts? I have made example of an organization that has created a senior leadership mentoring program, and I think it's important that senior leaders are involved in this and so that they are then paired up with a new employee so that that employee learns from the expertise of that senior leader, but also the senior leader can learn some things about that individual because 00:24:10:23 - 00:24:43:06 Unknown none of these practices, none of these initiatives will work as effectively as they could if it does not start with senior leadership. Senior leadership is not involved. That's not embrace these initiatives, does not ensure that the initiatives are cascaded down throughout the organization. Then it doesn't work as well. We can do a lot of great things on the ground level, but if it doesn't go up the ladder and if it doesn't cascade down, then it's not going to be as effective. 00:24:43:06 - 00:25:09:10 Unknown So having that senior leadership mentor program goes a long way in that person, feel committed to the organization, feels like the organization is committed to them because that senior leader is taking time out of their schedule to mentor them, but also that individual, that new employee is learning from the senior leader about their skills, but also about the organization overall. 00:25:09:12 - 00:25:55:06 Unknown You know, another thing is affinity groups. I have a lot of respect for affinity groups. The reason being is that it gives people who might not have the opportunity to be in leadership or show leadership, the opportunity to show leadership. You can be responsible for budget, you can organize a meeting throughout the organization, and all of these efforts help people who might not normally be seen, get seen and make those connections and build those relationships so that you can learn more about the organization and just how your organization in particular works and functions. 00:25:55:08 - 00:26:34:16 Unknown So that would be one that I would really encourage. So how can individuals then really start to become allies in advocates for belonging and supporting those who may feel excluded or that they don't belong in in this kind of setting? Any advice for that? Well, with individually, I think that being curious about different cultures, also learning about people who might be different, learning a different language, right. 00:26:34:16 - 00:27:17:08 Unknown That even opens your mind to different perspectives. So when we think about language in and of itself, some languages have one word that would be a masculine and another language that it might be feminine, right? So when we just think about learning a new language, eating a new type of food, going to a movie that's in a different language, all of this helps us understand that there are different people that come to our organizations with different perspectives, different cultures, a different upbringing, and how important it is to the growth of our organization. 00:27:17:10 - 00:27:43:16 Unknown Cheryl, anything to add on this? Yeah, I think just again, that that curiosity, but just inviting people to join your your group or if your group is like, no, we don't want to to deal with that, you reach out to that person and say, Hey, just wanted to. Why don't we get together and go to lunch? Why don't we get together and have coffee or whatever? 00:27:43:16 - 00:28:20:24 Unknown And just to get to know that person on an individual basis is going to help want them in. So you want to model the behavior that others will see, that you're doing something positive, you're not doing it because you're obligated to do it. You're doing it because it is the right thing to do and to make sure that everybody feels included and feels like they belong at the organization and feel like they can bring their authentic selves and show who they really are and not have to feel like they have to wear mask when they come to work that they can be their authentic selves. 00:28:21:01 - 00:29:08:07 Unknown Yes, So often as a people who are in the minority, we come to a workplace and the first thing we in the back of our heads is what do I have to give up? Or what is it that I have to minimize about myself so that I can be a part of this organization, but instead of spending time wondering about what I need to give up, what I need to minimize to be able to just come to work and do my job and be able to contribute everything that I have, all of the education that I that I've had over the course of all my years, all of the skills that I have to bring 00:29:08:12 - 00:29:47:14 Unknown to be able to bring everything that I have and concentrate on that and just build relationships, ask questions, challenge ideas, bring new ideas to the fold. That's where we can really experience that richness, that diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging is there to help organizations thrive. And I love that word. 30 minute Thrive. Yeah, right. You both brought up just the importance of just reaching out and including people in your organization. 00:29:47:16 - 00:30:13:20 Unknown And actually just last week, just for an example, one of our coworkers stopped by my desk and was like, Hey, I'm volunteering with a group of people next week. Like, I'd love I'd love for you to join. Are you available? And I was available, but and to another point, it made me feel really good that she came and reached out and it was a group that I didn't really do a lot with at work. 00:30:13:22 - 00:30:51:24 Unknown So it just made me feel really good about myself and come over and include me with a group that I'm not too familiar with and I got to get to know that group, which makes me feel better about just my coworkers and who I'm working with and stuff like that. So it can be just as simple as inviting your coworker to go volunteer with you and think about all the new people that you're going to meet, all the different perspectives that you're going to get and you, if you build it, you believe or you begin to trust their ideas and you feel like they'll trust you, you know? 00:30:52:01 - 00:31:30:05 Unknown And so just as we wrap up here is our times are up and up. What are some of the most critical takeaways for listeners to remember when adding belonging into the dynamics in their own lives and in their organization? I think just making sure that people feel feel comfortable bringing their host also to the workplace, whatever is unique about that individual that they don't feel like they have to hide it or they don't feel like they have to minimize it, as Denise was saying, but they can bring their whole selves. 00:31:30:05 - 00:32:04:22 Unknown Whatever makes you makes you you that I can bring that to the workplace. There is a great quote that we talked about with diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. In a sense that diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance by belonging is dancing like nobody's watching. And if I can dance like nobody's watching at work, then I am being my authentic self. 00:32:04:24 - 00:32:38:10 Unknown Totally. Yes, I love that. Denise, any other key takeaways as we wrap up today? One thing that I would just like to remind organizations is that D and B is great business strategy, so it helps teams function smoothly. It also helps departments work closer together and be more innovative and be more creative and compete and keep up with what's happening in the world. 00:32:38:10 - 00:33:09:15 Unknown And our our world is just changing at such a quick and fast rate, especially when we think of competitiveness globally. DEI helps include different perspectives, quickly make those relationships so that we can build trust and create more dynamic teams and systems so that we can compete. So great, great takeaways from Cheryl and Denise Sink you. Thank you again for all the great information you shared today. 00:33:09:19 - 00:33:37:14 Unknown I think we can all walk away with some some great ideas around implementing belonging into our DEI efforts. To our listeners, if you liked our chat and topic today, I would just urge you to comment something new you learned today or anything that you want to add on to this conversation. We're always open to hear your thoughts and your suggestions and advice to Don't forget to share out this episode and consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. 00:33:37:19 - 00:33:59:01 Unknown We have all the resources you need in the show Notes below, including resources on this topic with article Cheryl was talking about otherwise. Thank you so much for tuning in today and we will see you next week. Thanks everyone. Thanks for having me, Sophie. Thank you. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. 00:33:59:01 - 00:34:14:05 Unknown For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minute Thrive so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

Description: In this episode, we'll explore the August edition of MRA's monthly Talent Report: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We'll hear from Jim Morgan, Vice President of Workforce Strategies, on best practices, including: Attracting the next generation of customers and staff Employee engagement and experience Recruiting and the candidate experience AI platforms Implementing company-wide DEI initiatives  Uncover C-Suite priorities, top creative HR strategies, and more! Resources: August Talent Report  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 - 00:00:41:24 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. All right. Well, welcome, everybody, to this episode of 30 Minute Thrive. I'm excited to go over this month's talent report with Jim Morgan, MRA. Vice president of Workforce Strategies, as we go into what he's been seeing in the world of business in the month of August. So thanks for joining us again this month, Jim. 00:00:42:01 - 00:01:08:16 Unknown Always a pleasure to come back. Well, for August, it looks like the special topic was on diversity, equity and inclusion, specifically working on efforts in organizations. So why did you choose this DEI topic for this month? Well, I think, you know, it's a topic that we could probably do just about any month, and we hadn't done it yet this year on the talent report, and that now would be a good time. 00:01:08:16 - 00:01:32:19 Unknown And with the talent shortage and what we've talked about the last six or seven episodes, all of the issues around diversity, equity, inclusion also play into the talent pool as well. And we know what are companies doing in order to to figure that out. And so, Diana, what we brought in from our Ohio office talked about and we talked a little bit more a little bit later about the results. 00:01:32:19 - 00:02:15:13 Unknown But, you know, she started by talking about, you know, why are we doing this in the first place? And we had just done a survey of our Chief Diversity Officers roundtable. And that's sort of what drove this month's topic. And she had brought to it. Well, you know, here's what they were saying were the reasons that they had a DEA program in their company to build stronger teams, to foster collaboration, to make employees feel valued, to enhance productivity, to create a welcoming environment, to build trust among employers, to attract top talent, to increase retention, to increase business development, and to ensure the production of new ideas. 00:02:15:15 - 00:02:38:24 Unknown So that list of ten, I thought, well, okay, well, people aren't interested in those ten things and we're really in trouble. So that's kind of what we focused on, was sort of yea, the positives that come out of that, and especially in terms of engaging and retaining. And I can talk a little bit about our elite program here at Amara, but really it's it's just a strategy that I think almost every company is utilizing now. 00:02:39:00 - 00:03:06:15 Unknown We're just trying to help them see some of the best practices that are out there. Yeah, that was a great list of benefits that you just talked about. And this episode will kind of be a good leeway in to our next week's episode. After this, we're talking about how belonging fits into the diversity, equity and inclusion mix. So understanding that one, yeah, let's kind of go into what's happening in recruiting and retention world. 00:03:06:15 - 00:03:36:18 Unknown So Jim, what's what are you seeing here that's new? We were wrapping up our internal leadership program, of which you are a proud graduate and we were asking, you know, what are you doing in some of your wrap up things? And we got some really neat ideas from the coordinators around kind of their year end projects. And they shared with us that one of them had their interns look in their own department as to how do they attract the next generation of customers and employees. 00:03:36:20 - 00:03:59:14 Unknown And so depending on what department they were in, they were providing their perspectives on how do we go out and engage 20, 21, 22 or 23 year olds. So that was one of their their projects. Another company had them look at the entire employee cycle of life and basically say, What is our candidate experience look like? What's our onboarding experience look like? 00:03:59:16 - 00:04:21:22 Unknown Where does our experienced employee experience look like? And so they reported back on conversations that they had with employees at a variety of different places in that in that cycle, one of the groups developed a campus recruiting strategy for the company so that when they go out next year, they've kind of got the playbook and what it's going to take to go. 00:04:21:23 - 00:04:44:23 Unknown We we recruit people. One put together a social media plan for, you know, how do we go out and recruit. And then most of them were presenting their material to the executive staff, which really I think was a real bonus for the kids that were the interns in the program. It gave them a chance, you know, to have some exposure in front of those people. 00:04:45:00 - 00:05:02:12 Unknown And I think exempt were from everything that we got back. We're pretty excited about the fact that while these are, you know, some of the ideas might be out there a little bit but it's a fresh set of eyes looking at what does this mean for a 20, 21, 22 year old. So really kind of a cool wrap up to the season. 00:05:02:12 - 00:05:23:10 Unknown And I think with a lot of the the interns that we had. Yeah, absolutely. And I just have to mention because I just saw this on LinkedIn, but was Emory's interim leadership program with our intern grads, we gave them a little interim leadership badge to put on their own personal LinkedIn accounts and they can post it as an accomplishment. 00:05:23:10 - 00:05:48:13 Unknown And that also just kind of gets the word out and creates creates our own little intern program advocates and kind of in a fun way to. Yeah. So that was that was pretty exciting. On the intern side, we've also seen, you know, we're talking about salaries and things and the companies aren't in quite the same hiring mode that they were, but they're still looking for those critical positions. 00:05:48:19 - 00:06:14:11 Unknown But the pressure on salaries remains there. People coming in asking for more money than some of the experienced people in that same position. So that continues to be an issue, I think, for employers trying to help people understand what the market actually is. And just because, you know, your cousin made this much out in California, doing something doesn't mean you're going to make that much in Green Bay doing the same thing. 00:06:14:13 - 00:06:41:07 Unknown So they're continuing to try to educate, I think, their employees on on market value and things like that. The people wanting the remote worker mode remains a big deal. And we just keep hearing stories. This one came from an I.T. company that was just having a hard time finding computer technology folks because they were requiring them to come in and finally just said, we'll let them work fully remote. 00:06:41:07 - 00:07:16:08 Unknown And we're surprised at the increase in number and quality of the people that they were starting to get in. And that doesn't apply to every job. But again, people that are in the I.T. business might have already had some experience working remote, and that seems to be something that they're they're very interested in. And then lastly, seeing more of a push right now and candidates asking for more leads, whether that's family leave or paid sick time or vacation, that, yes, everybody still wants more money, but the lead time is coming into play. 00:07:16:08 - 00:07:34:21 Unknown And I think it's one it's a work life balance thing for a lot of people as they come in. But two, you've got folks now that are taking care of elderly parents. They're trying to figure out child care issues. You know, they're kind of stuck in the middle of taking care of both the the people that raise them and the people that they're raising. 00:07:34:23 - 00:07:58:15 Unknown And so I think that's putting a little more pressure on employers as well. You know, anything else in the thinking section just kind of goes along with the recruiting and candidate process. But I know you talked about recruiters being more involved with their hiring managers and actually shadowing the position that they're recruiting for. Can you expand on that a little bit? 00:07:58:17 - 00:08:17:22 Unknown Yeah, You know, I think the people in h.r. Have been pushing for this for quite some time because, one, i can't do it alone. And two, you're the hiring manager, you know, a little bit more about, you know, what's happening in the position. So I think you're seeing a lot more teamwork between the two. I think the hiring managers have begun to understand what the h.r. 00:08:17:22 - 00:08:38:20 Unknown Folks are facing in terms of trying to find good candidates. I think they're buying into the process a little bit more and i think it takes a little bit of the pressure off the human resources people to, you know, basically do everything, but it also engages the hiring manager and the process to it rather than after you've gone through the entire process and said, here's your person. 00:08:38:20 - 00:08:59:17 Unknown They're like, this isn't what I'm looking for. You can find that out a lot earlier, that this is not the skill set or the person will know it right away versus after having them interview and come in and and do the rest of it. So I think that partnership is really sort of helping, helping us find even better people and probably find them a little bit faster as well. 00:08:59:19 - 00:09:21:10 Unknown We also, in connection with that paid time off, there was a Georgetown University survey that came out that said the flexible work schedule is right up there, along with paid time off as the two things that young adults are asking for more than anything else. I don't know that that's really different. You know, I'm guessing when I went in for my first job, I sure I said, how much does this pay? 00:09:21:10 - 00:09:41:00 Unknown How many days off do I get and what's the work schedule? But I think it's just there's more of an openness now to bring it up and have that have that discussion. And like I said, the salary issue, you know, there's a lot of data out there and I think people can look up, Oh, I'm an electrical engineer, how much should I get paid? 00:09:41:02 - 00:10:07:17 Unknown And depending on what sorts you get, all kinds of things come out. Second of all, you talk to your cousin and they say, Oh, I made this much. So you take that and your generation, more than mine, shares information on social media a lot more openly than people did 30 or 40 years ago. And I think we had just as human nature, we have a tendency to find the highest number that anyone shared and said that must be the starting salary. 00:10:07:19 - 00:10:31:17 Unknown So employees and candidates, I think, are coming in with what they think is here's my data and it all says 80,000 and then meeting up with the employer that says, Well, here's our benchmark survey and it says 60,000. And so we're having some tough conversations, I think. But, you know, it is what it is. People have some information and at least gives you a place to start from and have the conversation for sure. 00:10:31:19 - 00:11:06:21 Unknown But we always talk about employee engagement in our talent report conversations. And this month you stated that 31% of us employees are thriving at work or are very engaged where 52% are quite quitting or not engaged in. 17% are actually wild quitting or actively disengaged. So my question is, what do you do with these three different groups? Well, all of this data came from Gallup, and they are well known for their employee engagement surveys and do literally hundreds of thousands of individuals. 00:11:06:21 - 00:11:26:07 Unknown So it's a pretty good database that they can pull from. But yeah, those were those were the results. And, you know, you look at that and you're like, holy smokes, you know, what do I do with this? And, you know, Gallup's advice out of all this was, okay, first of all, you've got more than half of them. They're quiet, quitting, not engaged category to them. 00:11:26:07 - 00:11:46:09 Unknown That's the low hanging fruit. You know, these are people are still showing up. They're not disruptive. They're they're working. And they're probably the group that would be the easiest to sort of push into that engaged group if we figure out what it is. Well, you know, what's missing is it camaraderie? Is it you know, you're feeling like you're independent. 00:11:46:11 - 00:12:15:02 Unknown Is it more social activities? Like, you know what? Why don't you feel engaged? And if we can find that, we can probably push that group, maybe some of that 52 into the 31, the people that are actually, you know, engaged and thriving at work. The second suggestion comes even from those people that are engaged, you know, are they really, you know, like you've got that group of people that you can send them out on the street to sell the organization no matter who it was to? 00:12:15:04 - 00:12:37:21 Unknown And how do you maybe get some of that group that's already engaged, but to that really engaged group? And is there a little bit something special that these are our high performers. These are people that are getting the work done. Can we give them another nudge? And yeah, they'll still be in the same category, but they'll be even bigger zealots, I guess, you know, and advocates for your for your organization. 00:12:37:23 - 00:13:09:17 Unknown And then a little bit of, you know, okay, if you've got people that are loud quitting, which was their term, which basically is now, you know, and not engaged, I'm telling people I'm not engaged and I'm posting things that say I'm not engaged. That's a group that can do some damage. And so with that group, it may be, okay, let's bring you in and find out, can we move you into someone that you know is satisfied with their job, at least not actively out there, you know, saying bad things about stuff? 00:13:09:19 - 00:13:31:19 Unknown Or is it someone who just is a bad fit for the organization and we have to deal with it that way. So I think, you know, if you go from top to bottom, take those really good engaged people and make them even more engaged. Take the group that's not engaged but is just kind of on the fence and try to move them to those that are thriving and for those that are, you know, actively sabotaging. 00:13:31:19 - 00:14:06:04 Unknown And almost we either got to get them under the tent or help them find a different tent in which to play under. And so there's work for all groups, basically across groups. Everybody can move up a notch. I think actually we're kind of moving into more of our tech talk. Last month we talked about how AI is just continuing to grow every second of the day, which means that companies are figuring out how to use it and how to incorporate that in AI into their work, in their day to day responsibilities. 00:14:06:06 - 00:14:35:07 Unknown So any new updates this month on how AI platforms are being used in in work today? Yeah, I just got done doing a seminar with folks that were utilizing it and recruiting and it's fascinating. And all of this that I'm about to tell you came from the part of Chat GPT that you actually have to pay for, which you know, I knew there was the free part that I've used and then there's the paper and I thought, Well, I'm getting what I need from the free part. 00:14:35:13 - 00:14:56:05 Unknown But now having seen the part that you can pay for, it does even a heck of a lot more. But they just gave examples of things that were real, I guess just time savers writing a job description. You know, you can feed in. This is what it is. This is what we're talking about and get an awful lot of information back. 00:14:56:07 - 00:15:15:03 Unknown Give me 12 really good interview questions and they can come back with a whole bite, you know, save you the time of trying to figure out, you know, what are we going to ask this type of job? There was one sample where they took a very complicated job. It was some sort of engineer, and I wouldn't have understood what they did. 00:15:15:05 - 00:15:38:23 Unknown And the question that they actually asked of Chad GPT was explain a whatever a nuclear engineer to me. Like I'm 12 years old and you know, the h.r. Person said he just gave me a better idea of. Okay, i understand now seeing all these big words over here, but now i know what they actually do. So in terms of writing it, I've got a much better idea of what it is I should be talking about. 00:15:39:00 - 00:15:59:04 Unknown And then even, you know, saying, what are 12 good lunch and learn topics that we can share with all of our employees, you know, and you get a list back not only of the 12, but with some bullet points underneath that say you might want to touch on this and this and this and this. So it was really it was really interesting to see the things that could generate that were really time savers. 00:15:59:06 - 00:16:19:24 Unknown All of this comes with a caveat that says don't just take it and put it out there, take it and read it because funky things can happen because this is, you know, this is machine learning. This is a language that is looking for, you know, and pulling out our chat. GB t it basically stop taking in new data in September of 2021. 00:16:20:01 - 00:16:44:20 Unknown So if you're looking for something that's up to date, you're not going to get the latest and the greatest, at least from that platform. But when you're asking for questions like what are good topics, what are good questions, you know, missing out on the last two years probably doesn't make a whole lot of difference. And then I think the most interesting quote I heard during the whole webinar was, you know, people are afraid that AI is going to come and take their job. 00:16:44:22 - 00:17:08:12 Unknown And the person's response was, A.I. is not going to take your job, but someone who knows I might and they're simply saying this is another tool. This is now you know how the Excel and PowerPoint and Word are basic skills. Now, PDFs are basic skills now, and knowing something about A.I. is going to become a basic skill is basically the point that she was making. 00:17:08:14 - 00:17:40:21 Unknown And I've also heard that it's like we all know it's it's never going to go away. So the businesses that figure out how to incorporate it and use it successfully are going to be the businesses that come out successful all through A.I.. Yeah. So Diana Small, our executive director of Emory Emory's Ohio division, Like we said, she also made an appearance on this month's report talking about implementing DEI strategies and efforts into organizations. 00:17:40:23 - 00:18:03:09 Unknown So you talked a little bit about the why, but do you have any other key points or takeaways that Diana mentioned that you want to highlight today? Yeah, When we got done, I just said, you know, and she walked through the beginner and intermediate advanced and everything that was was going on there and people can see the recording of that if they want to go look at the talent report. 00:18:03:11 - 00:18:23:04 Unknown But I just said to her, you know, I said, you've done enough of this just at a gut level, what what has to be in place in order for someone to be successful in putting a DEI program in place? And she said really two things. You know, one, you've got to have a culture that's ready to accepted employees that are willing to engage and want to be a part of it. 00:18:23:06 - 00:18:47:10 Unknown And two, you've got to have leadership buy in. And, you know, that sounds so simple, but, you know, you can just see how things will move faster if you're not trying to overcome your leadership team, but you're being driven by your leadership team that makes such a difference. And then if you find people that are really engaged in this and are passionate about it, that really changes the game too. 00:18:47:12 - 00:19:10:08 Unknown And that, you know, I shared with her, you know, our employee resource group here is called I Lead at MRA and I'm a part of that and about 40 other people are. And it's really our place to go have these deep discussions. And I said to her, I said, That makes complete sense to me, because the people that come into those meetings are passionate about, you know, how do we make sure that we're diverse and equitable? 00:19:10:08 - 00:19:36:07 Unknown I include people and there's a sense of belonging, and people really are very open and honest, sharing their own stories. Here's what they're seeing, here's what they're hearing. And then what do we as a group of employees do to reach out and engage even more of our employees? And so I thought, as simple as you, when you say culture and leadership, it, when you think about it, if those two things aren't in play, boy, then you really got your work cut out for. 00:19:36:07 - 00:19:51:13 Unknown So I just thought you did a really nice job of breaking it down to that point and saying, you know, look, you got to you've got to set the place up to be ready for it and you've got to have the leaders that are willing to lead on it. So it was succinct and simple and but a big deal if you don't have it. 00:19:51:15 - 00:20:18:22 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. I would just reiterate to make sure to tune in to next week's episode. If you do want to learn more about implementing DEI strategy in your organization and how belonging should send to mix. But just as we kind of wrap up here, we've got another chart question, and I know you included the chart at the end of the Taylor Report, and it shows the working age population annual growth rate. 00:20:18:24 - 00:20:43:18 Unknown So what does this chart shows or anything that we should necessarily be scared of when we're looking at it? I think you're doing this to me on purpose, that you're trying to have me. Okay, let's see. And how many words can you describe this chart? So I'm just going to put it on the website. You can go look at it now if you want to see what the chart is, Is it the working age population annual growth rate? 00:20:43:20 - 00:21:21:04 Unknown So how much is it growing each year? And it goes from 1960 predicted through 2050, and it's got ten different countries, continents, areas of the united of the world on there, North America, Africa, Russia, West Europe, Japan, China. So you're getting a look at basically the whole world and what exactly is going on there. And the simplest thing I can say is the chart from 1960 to 19 8085 looks like you're climbing up the ladder to a to go down the ski slope, I guess. 00:21:21:06 - 00:21:48:06 Unknown And when you hit about 1980, 1985, you basically go down the slope and it's for every single country that's in the group, some more severe than others. But you have countries that are dropping below, you know, the 0%. I mean, they're actually getting smaller, which includes North America, it includes Russia, it includes Western Europe. You know, so this isn't just a United States problem. 00:21:48:06 - 00:22:11:19 Unknown It's sort of an all over the place problem. But even the countries that are staying above and are the ones that you think of the fast growing like, you know, Africa, they're starting you know, by the time you get to 2030, you're starting to see a drop off there. So it's a universal thing. And the point we're trying to make with that is this is happening everywhere, maybe for different reasons in different places. 00:22:11:21 - 00:22:31:10 Unknown But as people are thinking, oh, well, I'll just go to where the people are, they might be having the exact same problem that we're having in the United States. And so as people are trying to figure out, if I can't do it here, how do I outsource? Where do I go? It was just sort of take a look around the world because you can see that other people are going to be facing the same problem, too. 00:22:31:12 - 00:22:52:03 Unknown So that chart is I know it's in the tail report that's on the tail report website and maybe we can put it up on the podcast site as well. Yeah, absolutely. Well, you did a good job of describing it. Thank you. Just think of the up and down. Yeah, well, as we wrap up here, can you give us a sneak peek on what September's talent report will be? 00:22:52:05 - 00:23:13:01 Unknown Yeah, it's going to be about compensation and compensation trends. We've got our big comp trends event in September. And just as another plug, we've got our Big D conference coming up in October. So I would encourage everybody to go to the MRA website and take a look at both of those. But we're not going to share all the comp trends data because that's coming out a couple of weeks. 00:23:13:01 - 00:23:33:07 Unknown We won't have the final information, but we are going to have some trends of what people we may not have the specific data for 2023, but we will be talking about some of the things that people are starting to look at and as the teaser, I guess for for for next month that we're sort of at this generational tipping point. 00:23:33:13 - 00:23:57:15 Unknown We're at the point now where the workplace is about 50% millennials and Gen Zs and 50% Gen Xers and Baby boomers. And if you think about the Xers in the Boomers, and then you think about the Millennials and the Zs, they want different things. And so when you start talking about benefits, not just because they're in different age groups, which does drive a lot of it, but they are very different lifestyles too. 00:23:57:15 - 00:24:19:01 Unknown And so now how are companies going to figure out their total compensation practice when these this group of people might be looking for things that isn't what we're offering right now, but we still have to offer them for this group until they retire. And I think it's going to it's going to be an interesting sort of tipping point as we go from one to the other. 00:24:19:03 - 00:24:47:23 Unknown And we'll have some thoughts on that in September. Yeah, sounds like a great topic and a great leeway into the terms about. Yeah, but Jim, thank you for all your great information today and kind of recapping what you've been saying in business with an emphasis on talent for August. So to our listeners, if you liked our chat and topic today, I'd urge you to comment something new that you learned today or any current trends or topics that you've really been seeing in the h.r. 00:24:47:23 - 00:25:09:03 Unknown World. Don't forget to share this episode and consider joining mra. If you aren't a member already. Like always, we have all the resources you need in the show notes below, including jim's resources on the talent report plus. Thank you so much for tuning in today. And we will see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. 00:25:09:04 - 00:25:27:11 Unknown Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect for more podcast updates. Check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes Thrive so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

Description: Explore the role of social media in modern recruitment on this episode of 30-minute THRIVE. Discover how leading companies harness LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram and more to attract top talent. Learn about effective job postings, employer branding, and hear from an experienced recruiter about current trends and best practices. Whether you're a hiring manager, recruiter, in HR, or job seeker, tune in to elevate your recruitment strategy and find the best talent for success. Resources: How Technology Can Help - The Recruiter's Role  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Kathy Seidel  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Kathy Seidel  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 - 00:00:41:23 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Hello, everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute Thrive. And welcome back, Kathy. Thanks for having me. Kathy is our manager of recruiting services here at Emory. For those of you who haven't got Kathy yet. And today will be looking at the fascinating world of social media and how that AIDS as a recruitment tool. 00:00:42:00 - 00:01:09:12 Unknown So we'll really be checking out all of the innovative ways that top companies are leveraging platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram to find and attract the best talent out there. So, Kathy, let's start out with talking about how social media has really changed the way companies recruit talent nowadays. So what are your thoughts on this? Yeah, so, you know, I think like everything else in our lives, social media has really changed the way that we work and the way that we live. 00:01:09:14 - 00:01:38:24 Unknown There's so many different ways that you can find people, find information, get their contact information, communicate with them. And, you know, that's the same thing on the company side for interested candidates. There's so many ways they can see things about you learn about different opportunities within your organization and then also get in touch with you. And so you've really got to be prepared for, you know, what different ways people can look at you or talk to you and make sure that you're kind of leveraging all the tools that you can. 00:01:39:03 - 00:02:03:03 Unknown Great point. Kind of piggybacking off of that, what are some some of the benefits that social media has to really find and attract these this talent? Yeah. Yeah. So social media, you know, can be really useful for getting a lot of information out there, but you have to be careful how you do that. And you don't want to flood a feed every day with, you know, here's all the reasons to work for us. 00:02:03:03 - 00:02:29:06 Unknown Here's all of our jobs that are posted, anything like that. You want to really make sure that you're focused and doing careful efforts, much like marketing. I really see recruitment marketing as its own special kind of subsection of recruitment. So how are you making sure that you're getting the word out there and saying all the right things? Again, a great benefit is the fact that you don't have to go out and find people cruising with the way algorithms are. 00:02:29:07 - 00:02:53:19 Unknown You can put content out there and it can get in front of people who might not be connected to your brand and get them excited about it in a way that they haven't been before. But let's be real. No one knows how algorithms work for us. So there is definitely times where you're like shooting in the dark and just like, let's see if it works, but it's working with, you know, your marketing team to figure out how you can kind of make that best shot. 00:02:53:19 - 00:03:20:23 Unknown Maybe put a little bit of a flashlight on and see where you're going. Oh, absolutely. Kind of looking at the other side of this now, what are some common mistakes that companies make? One, using social media for recruiting? Yeah, So a couple of things. Number one is, you know, posting too much online once it's really easy to just go, I'm going to post, check out our jobs and a link every day or, you know, every Monday or whatever. 00:03:21:03 - 00:03:44:05 Unknown And that is not good for the algorithms. It recognizes that that's the same content over and over and over. And so you want to kind of make sure that you're putting some variety in there. It's also really important to take a look at what your following is before you get started, because if your company Facebook page is all current employees, right, they're not going to care about jobs that are currently posted. 00:03:44:07 - 00:04:05:01 Unknown You know, they might want to hear more about referral opportunities or growth opportunities if you want to try to grow that following, you know, you have to do different things to engage different people. Same thing. If you're following our customers, you don't necessarily want to only be posting jobs that you have open to your customers because you might get accused poaching their employee. 00:04:05:03 - 00:04:24:07 Unknown So, you know, it's really making sure that you're tailoring that content to your existing following and then separately focusing on how we can grow that following with different things. Yeah. You know, you see a lot of companies that will try to do things to grow that following that ends up being kind of inauthentic or not aligned with their brand. 00:04:24:09 - 00:04:44:13 Unknown You and I were talking the other day about we've seen some companies on TikTok that start these like one off like segment things that aren't related to their company at all. And they continue on because they end up getting, you know, a following for it, but it doesn't have anything to do with their company. And so that it becomes like, do we continue this because it costs money to continue it? 00:04:44:15 - 00:05:06:16 Unknown High, whatever it might be, but it doesn't align with what we do. And then when you stop doing it, you get huge pushback. You lose a bunch followers, and then there's that negative kind of impact. So you have to make sure what you're doing, alliance to what your company does or what your followers want, because otherwise it's just going to end up kind of failing on you. 00:05:06:19 - 00:05:37:03 Unknown Yeah, And going off of that point, what social media platforms are really the most effective for recruiting and why are they the most effective? Yeah, so I would definitely say LinkedIn is one of the most effective. Obviously it's more of a professional focused website anyways, but they've also got some really interesting tools as part of it. Number one, there are different tools that you can use to kind of schedule those posts, though it doesn't have to be that you take an hour out of your day to make a post to get it live. 00:05:37:03 - 00:06:02:13 Unknown Am I doing it at the right time or not? You can use those tools to schedule it. Sometimes those tools you can pay that they'll post it at the perfect time, so to speak. But LinkedIn also has a newer feature where talent can indicate that they're interested in your brand right on your company page. And then if you have a LinkedIn recruiter or if you're using LinkedIn job slots, they'll highlight that this person is interested in your brand. 00:06:02:15 - 00:06:22:24 Unknown So that's really awesome because I love your talent. Yeah, we were looking at some of those stats and it's it's crazy, You know, how easy it is for people to then say maybe there's not a job out there right now for them, but hey, in the future there might be one on the candidate side. They then get a notification anytime you post a new job on LinkedIn. 00:06:23:01 - 00:06:44:01 Unknown So like I said, if there's not a job that's open for them right now, they'll get pushes from LinkedIn to say, Hey, this company now has this job open, does this, and you let's talk about it. LinkedIn is also great for that reach out. You know, it's kind of easy to find people who work in that organization. You can kind of put together who would be the right person to reach out to for this. 00:06:44:01 - 00:07:10:22 Unknown And then they have the messaging platform. So that's always really great. You know, Facebook, I do think, is helpful. It is an interesting site, you know, in terms of who uses it and who doesn't. But it is still helpful to have that information out there. Again, it's about looking at what your following already is online. Is it all employees or is it all, you know, people who might be interested kind of taking a look at that? 00:07:10:24 - 00:07:37:03 Unknown I will say Instagram Tik tok. You know those I don't see as much success with. You can do ads and that's great. But if it's not something that's authentic to your brand, it's really easy for people to spot. And you know, and that's the case in marketing too. If it's not something that makes sense. The only time it works is if your scrub daddy, because they do, you know, that they're just trying to make viral videos and it works. 00:07:37:05 - 00:08:02:04 Unknown But they're also not using it for recruiting. They're using it to sell sponges, great sponges. Yeah. I would I would kind of also echo that and just say it. It just depends where your target audience is. So where are you most likely to find a candidate for the position you're posting? And also like Tic TAC, like you said, are you going to find prospective candidates on TikTok? 00:08:02:04 - 00:08:26:05 Unknown Maybe. But should you rely on just TikTok or the smaller platforms? Instagram? Probably not. But yeah, those are all good points that you said. Yeah. Yeah. So would it be enough to just post on like Facebook jobs or just posts on LinkedIn or just kind of put all your eggs in one basket? I always say try and spread it out. 00:08:26:07 - 00:08:55:11 Unknown You know, it's important to think about where people that you're targeting might be looking and also where there might be opportunities for growth. So there is no harm in asking your employees, Hey, when you found us, where were you looking? You know, how did you spot us? What information do you see about us? But I think it's important to kind of spread things around in terms of posting jobs to so many different job boards you post in one place, but it can feed to a few different others. 00:08:55:12 - 00:09:14:06 Unknown Yeah. And so making sure that the word is out there and that you're getting in front of as many people as possible is really what's important. I think it's also really important to make sure that those posts that you're making give a good amount of information. Oh, love, love, love. Those postings that are the job description copied over. 00:09:14:08 - 00:09:34:22 Unknown And I especially love when it has like employee signature at the bottom of where it's literally copied over. You know, you really want to make sure that what you're putting out there is tailored to that person is exciting for them, makes them want to read more. Making sure that you're not just putting we have benefits or we have health insurance. 00:09:34:24 - 00:10:04:01 Unknown One of the speakers at the conference recently talked about that, that she was like, I want companies that have that health insurance dentist vision like who care what else and what else. So, you know, highlighting those things that make you unique or are good offerings to your employees and that's where sometimes posting on social media when you do have a heavily employee following is really nice reminders for them to you know making a post. 00:10:04:03 - 00:10:23:16 Unknown You know if you're in May and it's Mental Health Awareness month that you have the offerings and what that all includes making a post about different employee resource groups that you might have, those things are attractive to people who are looking at your company but might also be really good reminders for people who are already there. Absolutely. Yeah. 00:10:23:17 - 00:10:51:21 Unknown I would also encourage to post on multiple platforms if you can, just because of what social media algorithms to all of your followers aren't seeing that post, there's actually only about 5% who are seeing your post. So it is good to kind of space it out and do multiple different posts on multiple different platforms. So how can companies really measure the success of the social media posts and recruiting posts? 00:10:52:01 - 00:11:12:12 Unknown Yeah, so it's all about getting a baseline for what a good post looks like. So that might be taking a look at some of your historical posts and saying, okay, for what we typically do, we have this many views, this many interactions, those things that you can track, you know, you can't necessarily say, okay, did this post lead to a candidate because you don't really know that. 00:11:12:14 - 00:11:36:22 Unknown Like, you know, no one says, I saw the LinkedIn post you made on January 1st and it inspired me. No one says that someone in May and I love them. But yeah, you never know when one specific post leads to a candidate. So looking at are we getting views, are we getting interactions, are people sharing it? Yeah, those are the important things that you can do to measure long term. 00:11:36:23 - 00:12:03:19 Unknown Yes, you can look at what do our applicant numbers look like? Have we seen an increase between quarter one and quarter two when we started posting more heavily in quarter two? But it's all about really kind of making sure that those views and those reactions that you're getting are aligned with what you're looking for. But if you don't know where to start and you know, there's not a lot of companies who are willing to share like we have great views and great, you know, metrics and we're willing to share. 00:12:03:19 - 00:12:32:03 Unknown So you can be a baseline. You have to start with creating your own. And yeah, I totally agree. I think engagement is a huge measure of success with recruiting and social media posts in general, because if you aren't getting the engaged churn you like likes common shares, then maybe now's the time to kind of reevaluate the content that you're posting in, make sure you're speaking to your following, and are you making your posts interactive? 00:12:32:03 - 00:12:55:15 Unknown Also maybe include a poll or include a call to action or something like that? Yeah, exactly. And don't be afraid to respond to some of those comments that you get, even though they might be a little on the negative side, you know, it's better to respond and show that you are engaging with your brand and with what you're posting than to just let those comments get out there and float in. 00:12:55:17 - 00:13:24:01 Unknown And, you know, but there's a fine line. If you start to see a conversation building, there's no need to shake it off, flood in and say, you know, hey, I think this is great too, or there is a way you can say, Hey, let's take this offline. Yes. You know, depending on how that conversation is going. So but it is you know, we've seen that post perform better when you do, you know, interact with people in the comments, when you do respond, you know, it can get a little cheesy if you're saying great thought on every single comment. 00:13:24:03 - 00:13:41:24 Unknown So have a little variety to it. This is a great example of how you can engage your marketing team. Yes. And say, Hey, marketing, I have this idea for a post. What do you think? And hey, or Hey, marketing, we got this comment and I want to make sure we respond to it. How can we craft something that aligns with our standards? 00:13:42:01 - 00:14:06:10 Unknown Things like that are really important to keep that marketing team, you know, engaged in that conversation and make sure that you're aligning to kind of your whole brand. Yeah, I love that. So how can companies and use social media to build up their brand overall and attract these candidates? Yeah. So one of the things that you can definitely do and actually something we haven't touched on yet is Glassdoor and Google reviews. 00:14:06:12 - 00:14:28:06 Unknown So there are so a number of people who are looking at reviews of companies and what their current and former employees are saying they might not be looking before they apply. They might wait until after they apply. But it is really important to make sure that, you know, what you have out there is engaging and is exciting or that you're addressing the ones that might not be as nice. 00:14:28:08 - 00:14:51:02 Unknown I've talked to a number of companies that actually have kind of a schedule, so every two weeks they randomly select, you know, a certain amount of people to say, Hey, we want to hear how things are going at ABC Company. Here's the link to Glassdoor. Could you please, you know, leave us a review? And it's a great way to kind of continue to build the reviews that you have on that platform. 00:14:51:04 - 00:15:08:09 Unknown A lot of times you see really positive and really negative, but that helps get kind of that in between. And it's the same thing when you're looking at reviews, when you're buying something. I just bought an air fryer this weekend and I looked at the five star and I looked at the one star and I said, okay, now let's get the real story. 00:15:08:09 - 00:15:37:04 Unknown And I looked at the two, three and four star reviews and said, okay, some of these one stars appear to be user error and appear to be that specific person. So these five stars seem like they were paid to get them. And that's always not good. And it's the same thing in employee readiness. So starting with something like that of just saying, Hey, we'd love to hear your thoughts and get a review, here's the link or Here's a QR code to go fill that out and don't be afraid of Google reviews. 00:15:37:04 - 00:15:59:07 Unknown You know, everyone kind of thinks of Glassdoor right away and Glassdoor and indeed are now combined. And so anything they fill out on Glassdoor also shows and indeed, but so many candidates, when they're searching for jobs, they'll just search project management job and in Google. And then when they're looking in Google jobs, it's showing those Google reviews to that candidate as well. 00:15:59:08 - 00:16:33:11 Unknown And Google reviews are even easier than Glassdoor because Glassdoor wants you to fill out so much information before you make a room. But also, you know, talking with people like that and then getting though, the true feedback of what's going on is super helpful and in addition, when you look at that, your existing following, you know, maybe you see, okay, we've got a lot of employees, what can we do to help build it so we get potential candidates to and maybe it's talking with your employees and saying, Hey, we've got this post coming out, I'd love for you to share it, you know, so that your friends can see maybe they follow us. 00:16:33:11 - 00:16:58:23 Unknown Maybe it's about their referral program or a sign on bonus or anything of that nature. And that can really help because it's way more common for people to follow something or engage in something when someone that they know has shared it versus it being a paid ad. Of course, paid ads are successful. But, you know, that is also a great kind of free way to do it, too. 00:16:59:00 - 00:17:22:08 Unknown And I would say that if a candidate is applying for jobs on LinkedIn or other social media, chances are they're also going to be checking out that company's LinkedIn page or that company's other social media pages. So if you're a company that doesn't really have a strong LinkedIn page or presence, maybe now's the time to do a little makeover. 00:17:22:10 - 00:17:46:04 Unknown And if you don't know what to post, I would just encourage you to do company culture Post. So who are your employees look like? What is your office or place of work look like? Posts about your company vision and mission and LinkedIn is good for a thought leadership post. So what can you put out on LinkedIn that your competitors can't put on LinkedIn? 00:17:46:04 - 00:18:09:14 Unknown So when a candidate is going to your LinkedIn page, they see all of that great stuff and it's kind of a reminder to them that, hey, this would be a great place to work, something like that. Yeah, exactly. So what role does content play in social media recruitment and how can companies create really engaging content? Yeah, so again, it kind of plays to what do you want to target? 00:18:09:14 - 00:18:41:20 Unknown So if your content is really focused on opportunities that you have, benefits that you have, it can really help kind of lead to potential candidates if you're able to get that word out. But you know, it's really all about making sure you have enough of a presence that it's clear that you're engaged. It's clear that, you know, you are posting often you're doing things, your website is updated because that can even be something you get so focused on social media and then you have different information on what you post versus what's on your website. 00:18:41:20 - 00:19:01:09 Unknown That's a good point. And so, you know, making sure that content is aligned with everything that you're doing is super important. And, you know, I think when it's really authentic content, when it's stuff that is true to your company and true to what people are saying, it really helps to make people believe it and again, make people want to learn more. 00:19:01:11 - 00:19:24:06 Unknown So what kind of moving into a different zone here? What ethical considerations should companies keep in mind when using social media for recruiting? Yeah, so you really want to make sure that you're not, you know, crossing any lines. You know, you mention it's great to have pictures of people from your company in there. It's also great to make sure they're okay with it first. 00:19:24:08 - 00:19:42:21 Unknown And if they leave, it's great to get that update too. So if you're in a big company and you know, it's do you don't see a ton of faces as often and you're using someone's picture who left you years ago that someone in your company may not realize that they left two years ago and they're like, well, they've been on the website the whole time. 00:19:42:21 - 00:20:11:14 Unknown I thought it was like, well, so, you know, it's things like that you definitely want to take care to know. It's also really important to make sure that you're not, you know, using a brand that isn't necessarily a great trend to tie your business to. Right? There's been some examples recently of businesses that are, you know, jumping on the bandwagon and not really realize what their job began to or using a sound and not really realizing what that sound says. 00:20:11:16 - 00:20:32:18 Unknown So, you know, you want to make sure that you're careful as you're considering content to post and that, you know, if someone were to call somebody and a question that, you know, you can stand by it and not just say, oh, it was a trend. So I thought it was okay. So definitely it can definitely be a little tricky sometimes, too, to navigate that. 00:20:32:18 - 00:20:54:22 Unknown And there are some large companies who say, you know, we won't use any copyrighted media because we are too worried about running into issues with that, which is totally okay and totally understandable. You know, the the social media world we live in is kind of interesting sometimes with some high content. So, you know, just going hard and fast, but that can definitely keep you protected. 00:20:54:24 - 00:21:21:23 Unknown It obviously also really limits you. I will say some of my favorite content, though, is some of those larger companies that are like, we can't use copyrighted social or copyrighted songs. So this is our intern singing the song for you. Look up stories. No one wants to hear that. Yeah, I think it'd be great. So what advice would you give to companies and to use social media as a recruiting tool for the very first time? 00:21:22:04 - 00:21:46:07 Unknown Yeah. So for the first time, number one, get your marketing team involved. They are the ones who typically own that website anyways. And so you really need to make sure that you're talking through with them and that you are, you know, getting everything through them. Again. Take a look at that following you already have and try to align that content to what makes sense. 00:21:46:09 - 00:22:07:00 Unknown It's also really important to know that social media is so weird with how things do and don't take offs. There are things that you know, you're like no brainer, this is going to hit and it just gets lost, you know? And so, you know, it's okay to try some different things, do some AB testing, you know, try things out a couple of times On social media. 00:22:07:05 - 00:22:27:23 Unknown Again, nobody knows how the algorithms work. So they're always changing. They're always changing. Yeah. So it's okay to you know, kind of play around with things and but most of all has fun with it. I think people can tell when you're just posting, like, I just got to get this done, posting a poll, how to do it, and so make sure that you're having fun with it. 00:22:28:00 - 00:22:47:11 Unknown Also, don't be afraid to ask people who might not be like kind of that first person you think of social media is a tool that really almost everyone uses, and so it might be a fun learning opportunity for somebody else or like a fun challenge for someone who you typically wouldn't think would want to, you know, to know about recruiting or things like that. 00:22:47:12 - 00:23:22:18 Unknown Oh, no, There's a lot of different ways you can go about it. There's no right or wrong way other than engage marketing. Good advice. So one is social media not work then one trying to recruit. I again, I'd say if you're just trying to be viral or trying to like, you know, get one thing to really take off, it's probably not going to work if you're just trying to get the word out about your jobs, You know, unless you have a way to make it engaging, to have conversations around it, there probably it probably isn't going to take off. 00:23:22:20 - 00:23:41:24 Unknown So and then if you're starting from like absolute square one, don't assume that your postings are going to get, you know, thousands of views in a day. It's got to be a long term effort. It's got to be something that you're willing to, you know, have put some effort into it. You can't just assume. All right, boom, posted, done. 00:23:41:24 - 00:24:07:19 Unknown I can walk away and it's all fine because that's where you're not going to see success. Yeah, and not all companies need to be on all social media platforms. It's quality over quantity. Yes. Yes, absolutely. So kind of wrapping up here, do you have any your real life success stories with social media and recruiting? I got a couple of interesting ones, so I like inside. 00:24:07:21 - 00:24:30:04 Unknown I've worked with one company before that asks for those routine reviews from their employees and they've actually seen, I think it was a full star increase over the course of a year, their first year of doing it. And so they gave it that time and, you know, really let it kind of grow and comfort. Employees really appreciate it. 00:24:30:06 - 00:24:53:22 Unknown Again, part of that is that they are following up on some of those things. They're also keeping it completely anonymous. So the person who kind of pulls the names and decides who to reach out to and then deletes the emails that they send and does not keep a record of who they've already reached out to. So there's no way that they can say, Oh, well, we know we reach out to these five, here's this one bad one that we got. 00:24:53:22 - 00:25:23:05 Unknown So it must be one of these five and I'll start to investigate. You got to kind of forget those names and let them go right after. But they've seen great success from it and they saw really interesting things that the employees were saying were pros that they never really thought of as pros. And so it's really great that they were able to kind of like take that step back and see things that people are saying, like, I can't remember the specific, but like, you know, as an example, oh, I love that we have, you know, coffee in the cafe. 00:25:23:07 - 00:25:39:17 Unknown And they were like, Oh, we do have coffee. And like, that's just a standard. I never in that. But like, that was something in that industry was in, you know, a standard. And so, you know, that can help you to kind of get things that you can highlight in your content or things that you can highlight in your postings. 00:25:39:19 - 00:26:12:12 Unknown Again, really, really great success with that consistency across her postings too. So I've seen, you know, not so success stories of companies that have one thing on their website and then one things on their postings. But when you have that consistent messaging, that consistent language, if you're linking the posting back to your careers page for more information instead of trying to fit everything that you have in your posting, you know, that really helps you to be successful without kind of blurting everything out there and, you know, getting it all in No. 00:26:12:12 - 00:26:36:12 Unknown One post because, you know, posting wise, they do see that there's a certain character limit that you want to stay between and sometimes getting everything about your culture and your values and all of that. It needs to take kind of that second seat, right. And is just on your careers page. So the companies that really focus on, you know, building those postings, building that brand, that's where we've seen some great success. 00:26:36:12 - 00:26:59:08 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. Well, that's all the time we have today. So thank you again for being here and all the great info you you gave us on social media as a recruiting tool. So listeners, I would just encourage you to like come in and share this podcast and posts and if you enjoyed it or learn something that's great. And also take a look at the resources in the show notes below. 00:26:59:08 - 00:27:17:11 Unknown On becoming an MRA member We also have Kathy's bio and LinkedIn profile in there too, so if you want to get in touch with her, have any questions, she's there for you. The rise will see you next week and thanks for coming on the podcast again. Kathy Thanks again for having me. And that wraps up our content for this episode. 00:27:17:13 - 00:27:35:20 Unknown Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minute Thrive so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

Description: Transform meetings from time-wasters to productivity powerhouses with expert insights from Andy Marris, thought leader and Learning & Development Trainer at MRA - The Management Association. Discover actionable tips for meaningful outcomes and progress. Perfect for team leaders, project managers, and professionals seeking to optimize their valuable time. Resources: Leading Effective Meetings - Training  Is This Meeting a Must?  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Andy Marris  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Andy Marris  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 - 00:00:43:01 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, hello everybody, and welcome to episode number 50. We're celebrating this episode today, so it's a little special. So thanks for being our 50th guest Andy, Cheers to that! Oh, I know it's your first time being hot here. I am a little hurt, you know, 50. 00:00:43:03 - 00:01:05:05 Unknown There's been 49 without me. I thought you like me, Sophie. No But seriously, though be glad to be here. We saved you for a good episode so. All right, well, that makes me feel better. Well, we all know there's kind of a collective groan when you hear this is going to be a fun meeting. And one of our team members actually has a notebook that says notes and doodles for meetings. 00:01:05:05 - 00:01:28:13 Unknown That should have been emails. Oh, so we've all been there. We've all sat through meetings, have felt like they've kind of been wasting time and just wasting that productive time. And now with the whole hybrid and remote work factors, meetings just seem to have lost their power. So today we're going to be discussing tips on how to make meetings great and not merely just meeting to meet. 00:01:28:15 - 00:01:49:17 Unknown So today I'm here with an expert on the topic, Andy Marris. He's an MRA learning and development instructor, but he really has broad expertise and leadership growth, change management, brand marketing, and much more so in a lot of different roles too, like leader, coach, motivator and trainer. So I know you'll have a lot of great tips for us today. 00:01:49:20 - 00:02:07:22 Unknown Know this is a topic I'm very passionate about. Not a big fan of wasting time and I've been in four or five hour meetings that were really effective. Yes, absolutely. Very 20 meeting, 20 minute meetings, like why am I here? Right. So really important that we get this right. Oh, we got to start out with the negatives. Unfortunately. 00:02:07:23 - 00:02:33:09 Unknown So what are some top complaints of having meetings generally? Oh, there's so many. There's so many. To me maybe my biggest. Yeah. Complaint is when the meeting is supposed to end at a certain time and it goes way over a minute or two or human. I actually try to leave slightly early. We can talk about that later, but it's, it's really irritating when it goes way beyond it. 00:02:33:09 - 00:02:53:13 Unknown And you've got other responsibilities, other duties. Another thing that really bothers me is when it doesn't have an agenda, you sit there wondering, why am I here? And I actually want to add value to the meeting. But if I'm not aware of what we're even going to try and solve or understand. And in the meeting that's really been set up to fail, they already feel like a huge waste of time. 00:02:53:13 - 00:03:13:06 Unknown Yeah, we're all so busy. Oh, add on to the negative ones too. I feel like one of my pet peeves is when no one's really engaged in the meeting either. A certain kind of sitting there looking at each other, that's that's never a good thing. But any other common mistakes people make when running or even planning a meeting. 00:03:13:12 - 00:03:37:23 Unknown So not having an actionable agenda I think is a big one. Not helping people understand their role is supposed to be in the meeting. What are we trying to accomplish? What should I bring? What value? Not having a follow up. There's just so many things that go poorly in meetings, and I think it's really important to think about, you know, why are we having the meeting? 00:03:37:23 - 00:04:00:16 Unknown Yeah, who should be there and then what do we do before, during, after, and then even follow up all of those types of things so that the meetings are really fruitful and it's solving business problems or informing people of what they need to know. Yeah, absolutely. Well, let's dive into some logistics. What are some key principles for conducting efficient and effective meetings? 00:04:00:16 - 00:04:25:15 Unknown And you covered a couple, but any other kind of key principles that we can't miss. Yeah, I really want to emphasize I know I've said it already, but they're really having what we call an action based agenda, an outcome based agenda. We we want it focused on where are we going with this, Right. So instead of having bullets for the meeting, guess I've seen invites that they're trying to even have an agenda. 00:04:25:15 - 00:04:52:12 Unknown And that's better than not having real say, updates or new ideas. And what am I going to do with that? Right now I'm that does it really mean anything? Instead, how about something like brainstorm solution to X problem or vote on realistic deadline for whatever the whatever the project is. And so those types of things, we want to make sure, yeah, we have it be action oriented, right? 00:04:52:12 - 00:05:13:16 Unknown Have verbs that say we're going to do something, not just one more specific. Yes, exactly. Exactly. So how about the length for meetings? Like, do you have a recommendation for an appropriate length of a meeting or any recommendations on that? Well, it really depends on what you're trying to accomplish. I've been to really fruitful all day meetings because it's a major undertaking. 00:05:13:16 - 00:05:38:18 Unknown Or maybe it's a, you know, once a year strategic planning event or something like that. So that could be really long, but it really needs to be fruitful because we're putting together the agenda that helps us understand what we're trying to accomplish and when and why and who is going to do what. And that's at the same time, most meetings are there to not be that long kind of the standard. 00:05:38:18 - 00:05:59:16 Unknown Is it our release? It's COVID. I think it is especially true because people are so many virtual meetings. And so you're not even in the same room physically, and people are stacking meetings on top of each other. And I don't even have time to do take care of my boss. No need to you. Yeah, right. We're we're in the when I'm going from one meeting to another. 00:05:59:16 - 00:06:17:05 Unknown So we've been suggesting that maybe people think about a 50 minute meeting. So you've got a ten minute period to get ready to prep for the next meeting and take care of any physical needs you have. Oh, maybe a 25 minute meeting instead of a half hour, that kind of thing. So people have a time to decompress, they have time to prep. 00:06:17:07 - 00:06:42:24 Unknown And we could just keep stacking these, especially when around that rectangle, right? Yeah, that, that's, that's I think really helpful. Yeah, that's a great idea. I feel like with those daylong meetings or five plus our meetings, it's important that breaks to like, yeah, definitely just even a 15. Malik Let's go take a walk or I don't know. And so spring break, as a trainer, we talk about having breaks every 70 minutes. 00:06:42:24 - 00:07:00:15 Unknown There's actually adult learning science behind there. I think we can apply that to meetings if we know there's going to be along. Would people kind of hit a wall? Yeah, 70 minutes or so. That's what the research tells us. And I think that applies to meetings too. So how about managing time during the meeting and what do you have to say about that? 00:07:00:17 - 00:07:20:09 Unknown It is really important to make sure that people are moving, whatever the topic is forward. So often people go down rabbit holes, they're not the focus of the meeting and squirrel, and now we're now we're we're we're out of alignment with what we're trying to accomplish. So as the meeting leader, you want to make sure you're constantly driving it forward. 00:07:20:11 - 00:07:41:15 Unknown I have a joke that I tell people. I said, Let's follow the five B's. Be brief, baby. Three briefs. Right? And that makes people laugh. But it also reminds people why in the plane ride, you know, it it get your point out, but do it in a way that's concise and that everyone understands, right? Say enough so that people understand. 00:07:41:17 - 00:07:58:23 Unknown But also concise enough that we're not dominating the meeting. In fact, I suggest to people that whatever the number of the people in the meeting, that there's ten people in a meeting, you should be 1/10 of the conversation. And if there is two people of three, that you should be half right? Yeah. And for whatever that is, kind of aim for that. 00:07:58:23 - 00:08:16:16 Unknown And will we set those rules ahead of time? I think that really, really wait a bit and I know we were talking about this before. How about the Alamo acronym? No, I think we got to bring it out of the gate here. So we've got Elmo here and famous Sesame Street character. I know I'm actually too old for this guy. 00:08:16:16 - 00:08:36:15 Unknown My kids like this guy. So he didn't exist when I was Sesame Street eight. But instead. Fair enough. Let's move on. If somebody is just circling and circling and circling in that landing the plane, as I like to say, and let's move on now, of course, we have to set this as a rule out of whole it, Elmo. 00:08:36:18 - 00:08:55:08 Unknown There could be a salty ride like what you shot. It's basically shot up, but in a nice way. Right. But but it really helps people go, okay, you know what? We've we've discussed this enough. We've come to a consensus or whatever it is, somebody can call it Elmo. You definitely want to wait to call it. Some people call Elmo too quickly, right? 00:08:55:08 - 00:09:25:23 Unknown Well, wait a minute. We're not quite done. And otherwise it's something we do on our team. And so we'll even say Elmo has been called in then. Okay. We we we beat this topic to death instead of on something else. Oh, yeah. No, I learned that from the instructors. And I love all of you. SMITH So what are some effective ways to really engage all the meeting participants in a meeting and kind of encourage active collaboration for the whole group and the meeting? 00:09:25:23 - 00:09:45:06 Unknown Leader You want to really be a facilitator, right? It's really about drawing people out. It's not. Everybody loves being the center of attention, so people are very shy and they have great things to add. But if it stays between their ears, does it do us a lot of good, right? So, you know, so B, what do you think? 00:09:45:12 - 00:10:10:15 Unknown Yeah, but not putting people on the spot. Another reason why it's so important to have that outcome based agenda is they know what they're supposed to say in the meeting, what they're supposed to bring, what value they're going to offer, what expertise we're asking for them to bring. And and so they're more prepared because this goes hour, maybe two or three days before the meeting ever takes place. 00:10:10:17 - 00:10:31:20 Unknown I try to shoot for at least 24 hours before the meeting. We've got this action based agenda, you know, in the invitation. Yeah. And how about for remote meetings or virtual meetings? I feel like it might be a little trickier to get that active engagement through a screen. So what are your what's your advice on that? Well, I've got one. 00:10:31:20 - 00:10:51:06 Unknown We've talked straight to the camera on this. Put your camera on that one. Thrives me crazy, right? Because all of a sudden, it's like that conference call from hell that you're probably too young to remember. But with some folks, you know, we used to have just the forward sitting in the middle of the room and you people would interrupt each other and, oh, you go first. 00:10:51:06 - 00:11:04:10 Unknown So you go first. So we that was an extra awkward part of the room. And why have video if we're not going to use it? Cos we don't know what they're doing. I've actually even but it'll fill me in with this one. I mean you know, it's kind of creepy when you, when you don't do your game. Right. 00:11:04:11 - 00:11:26:03 Unknown Boy, does that go out quickly. That's right. You're better. You'd better know your audience. You pull that one out. But we've got to get that camera on. You know, I. I get it. People could be doing laundry during the meeting. I want them focused on what we're doing. Yeah. And it's great that we can work from everywhere. I've been impressed at how we can. 00:11:26:05 - 00:11:45:04 Unknown A lot of people have proven that they can be really good in online meetings where they're not distracted. And but boy, that camera on passionate about that one. And I don't really believe the excuse that you are one or the other camera this 2020 this you do and and you know we just went through a global pandemic recently. 00:11:45:04 - 00:12:11:06 Unknown Everyone has a camera now. I grew up in kind of going off of that what you're talking about with the laundry and just being a little unproductive on the meetings. What are some best practices for handling those, let's say, disruptions or unproductive behavior during meetings? I think it's really important to set the expectations ahead of time, right? There's so many rules of engagement. 00:12:11:06 - 00:12:28:21 Unknown I like to make sure that everyone agrees to at the outset of the meeting, and maybe you can have that for your invite, right? Yeah. So Vegas Rule, which set in the meeting, stays in the meeting so people feel safe to contribute, right? That's a huge part. Like I said, everybody's a certain percentage of the of the conversation. 00:12:28:23 - 00:12:53:00 Unknown No killer phrases like that'll never work or this is a dumb idea, right? Yeah. You know, why would you do that? You shut down conversation. Nobody wants to be told that. And so all of a sudden, the best ideas get lost because people kill the conversation like that. So the idea called the parking lot is a great rule to where we that's not in the scope of this meeting, but it could be a great future meeting. 00:12:53:00 - 00:13:14:05 Unknown Let's put that on the parking lot. Maybe we've got a big sheet of paper or something we can write that on. We don't to lose the idea, but it just doesn't really help us in what we're trying to accomplish right now. And one other thing that I think is really important is to assign minutes to someone. So is taking the notes and what was said and at what point and all those types of things. 00:13:14:07 - 00:13:38:23 Unknown But let's not talk that on the same person every time. I think it's important that we rotate that. And so that's not felt done somewhat. Yeah, that's great advice. And you talked about that meetings kind of carry over to actionable steps after the meeting. So how can follow up actions in accountability be established to ensure that meetings lead to great success for outcomes? 00:13:39:00 - 00:14:01:10 Unknown It's a great question, right? So I liked following up with the meeting on, you know, here are the minutes, here's what was discussed. And oh, by the way, here's your actions. PARTICIPANT Here's the what's in it for me from your perspective, I got to put myself in their shoes. Here's your action items, not just out what are the due dates. 00:14:01:12 - 00:14:22:24 Unknown And so that's really clear. And then of course, any next steps that need to be included and you could be having another meeting maybe didn't accomplish or as boss do in the 50 minutes they are. Instead of going over, I'd rather just call another meeting. And here's what we accomplished so far. Here's what we still need to. I think that's a lot more effective than people tuning out to. 00:14:23:04 - 00:15:00:16 Unknown This is still going on and becomes a just a time waster once again. So how about are there any particular cultural or organizational factors that can impact the effectiveness of meetings and how can you really address those? That's a really good question because it really is cultural. I go to some organizations where if you're if you're not 15 minutes early, you're late, and then they go to others where like the meeting was also started 15 minutes ago, it's somebody still walking in and everyone else having side conversations as if this is normal. 00:15:00:16 - 00:15:20:12 Unknown And so we better set the ground rules right and work within your culture. You can always work to shape it, right. Really hard to change your culture. We could do that over time and set the ground rules upfront, right? That when we're in the meetings that I facilitate on time means on time. Yeah, I expect you to be here. 00:15:20:14 - 00:15:44:08 Unknown And this is what I did want and what concept. We will get this done on a timer ahead of time. Yeah. Instead of going way over because we didn't even start at the appropriate. Yeah. That's funny that you bring up being late or being early because I feel like, you know, the people who, oh, I can be 10 minutes late or I got to be here 30 minutes early or that's just kind of fun. 00:15:44:10 - 00:16:10:02 Unknown But as we wrap up here, what is one key takeaway that you want to share to make your meetings the most effective and efficient as possible? All right. Well, points. Good question. Hard. I come prepared, come prepared. Be ready to speak up, have an open mind, and really be thinking about what is the best way to accomplish what we're trying to do. 00:16:10:04 - 00:16:30:16 Unknown If I can, if if I can give you just my favorite way to brainstorm, since we're talking about meetings of one huge tip, it's a very boring name. It's called the nominal group technique. So you would agree with that. But but you'd say the best way to brainstorm it ever. Funny. Have you ever been in a meeting where it's supposed to be a brainstorm is more like a drizzle? 00:16:30:17 - 00:16:56:11 Unknown Yes. Not even close to a star. Was not even a light brain. Right. And what the what this is, is everybody gets a silent voice. What? You have a group of people, let's say there's eight people in the meeting. Everybody takes a turn. I give people 2 minutes to write every answer they can come up with. Oh, two, whatever the question that we're trying to solve, whatever, whatever the issue is, no talking and then no judge. 00:16:56:13 - 00:17:11:24 Unknown And I get people out of these meetings. I give people one. Mulligan Right. You know, Well, that'll never work. That's zero again. You do that again, you're out of here. And I've kicked people out because they just can't help it, those killer phrases. But can we can we take turn? So we come back from the 2 minutes. Absolute silence. 00:17:12:01 - 00:17:29:00 Unknown Some people are writing stuff right away, so that person that had a real brainstorm would just shout it out. It still could do that great person that needs time to process. Yeah. Has all this time to think about it? It 90 seconds might go by, but then that last 30 seconds, they're writing all kinds of stuff. Yeah, we go around one at a time and every shares their ideas. 00:17:29:00 - 00:17:45:09 Unknown So you really are the most shy person in the group. Yes. Still gets you can to read off that line up. You don't have to make eye contact deep in with anybody if you're comfortable with that. And we capture all these ideas and I think the best practices to go around one more time. Yeah, they now have the ideas. 00:17:45:14 - 00:18:05:20 Unknown Two more minutes. We go around till everybody passes and I find we get the best ideas of that second round. And it may even be something that somebody said, That's a dumb idea. Yeah, but a piggyback on that. Maybe not so good idea could actually foster a terrific idea, you know, And then we can vote on what what we think are the. 00:18:06:00 - 00:18:24:00 Unknown The ideas that we go forward. Yeah, that's a great tip. I feel like I'm I'm a person who has to think and think before I can don't know, say say something or contribute. So that's a helpful way on how to still contribute, but gives me time to think about it and write down my answers and stuff like that. 00:18:24:00 - 00:18:44:02 Unknown Well, I've you know, I've had some brainstorms that were drizzles and I've had some that were actual triggered speakers. We use, Hey, like me. And it's awesome how well it works. Yeah. Okay. So now you've got everybody to kind of contribute their ideas, but what happens if you get too many ideas now? What? So yeah, that's. That's like the opposite probably. 00:18:44:02 - 00:19:01:05 Unknown Right. You go, It's a drizzle now you've got a hurricane, right? It's a great problem to have. I remember one time I asked my group, we came up with 101 ideas during a brain to brainstorm session with the nominal group technique we can't do even because to that right, we want to do maybe five of those things. Well, how do we pick? 00:19:01:09 - 00:19:22:03 Unknown Yeah, well, my favorite way to do that then is something we call multi voting and you could do 3 to 1 where your favorite idea gets three points. Use second to. I think it's much better to go five, three, one. The cream rises to the top, everybody, and you got to read the whole list. And you know, there's a ton of ideas that that's a lot to look at. 00:19:22:08 - 00:19:39:01 Unknown But your favorite idea gets five, your second three. And then just one point for the third and you don't vote for anything else. And then you see who got the most votes. And the cream really does rise. The pop. You might get two or three ideas and then you might do it one more time to pick the favorite idea. 00:19:39:03 - 00:19:58:20 Unknown But that really, really helps us narrow that down. And it's a really good tool to make that brainstorm really fruitful. Absolutely. So, you know, you've given us a lot of great meeting strategies and tips and advice, but is there anything else or am I saying, well, this is why I saved my favorite for last perfect. I call it the Ale rule. 00:19:58:24 - 00:20:22:12 Unknown So let me pour a drink while I'm telling you this early. Always leave early, even if it's only 10 seconds early. So tell me if I give you a shameless plug. Absolutely. I do a class on efficient, effective readings. It's not offered in our catalog. It's more of an on site that companies will bring me in, which I think is actually really effective. 00:20:22:12 - 00:20:45:16 Unknown Because like you asked before about the culture, I can tailor it to their culture. And then I even have other topics that were similar, like having efficient and effective emails and things like that. Maybe a featured topic for a 30 minute podcast, but really helping those things would be really effective and not just time wasters once again. So I'm well, Andy, thank you for all the great content and tips today. 00:20:45:18 - 00:21:10:11 Unknown I'm kind of pumped to go into my meetings today, but welcome to the show. We'd love to have you again and to our listeners, if you liked our chat in topic today, I'd urge you to comment. A new tip you learned on how to have effective and efficient meetings or comment. Anything that you want to add on to the conversation, don't forget to share that episode and consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. 00:21:10:13 - 00:21:31:14 Unknown We have all the resources you need in the show notes below, as well as some great resources on our topic for today. All the right things for tuning in and we'll see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. 00:21:31:15 - 00:21:41:08 Unknown And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes Thrive so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

Description: This episode dives deep into the world of internal networking groups. Industry expert, Amanda Mosteller, uncovers the power and impact of these groups within organizations. Explore success stories, best practices, and strategies for building effective networks. Whether you're a leader, employee, or simply curious, tune in for insightful conversations that unlock the potential of internal networks for professional growth and organizational success. Resources: Steps To Start And Run An Employee Network  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Amanda Mosteller  Guest LinkedIn Bio - Amanda Mosteller  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:04:07 - 00:00:25:10 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. 00:00:25:12 - 00:00:48:16 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, hello, everybody, and thanks for joining us today. I'm here with and excited to introduce to you a new face for our podcast. Amanda Mosteller, director of talent development here at MRA. She's in our Ohio division, but she's also an expert podcaster and has been a podcast host as well. So this should be fun. 00:00:48:17 - 00:01:20:07 Unknown But Amanda's really passionate about talent development and growing the success of the individual as part of the organization. So today we're really going to be talking about internal networking groups. And before we do that, Amanda, I'm excited to bring you on the podcast and really bring MRA, Ohio on board and introduce the members to the Ohio division. But can you tell us a little bit more about yourself and your background just before we dive into some questions? 00:01:20:09 - 00:01:48:08 Unknown Absolutely. Thank you for asking me to be a part of this. I enjoy podcasting a lot, so I'm really excited to do this with you all and excited to be a part of MRA. I am Amanda Mosteller. I am the director of Talent Development, as you said, for the MRA Ohio Division, and I am one of those weirdos that knew from high school that this was the path I wanted to go down. 00:01:48:08 - 00:02:17:22 Unknown My aunt actually was in the talent recruitment space at P&G for her career, and I was always fascinated with the whole talent world. So when I was in high school, I knew I wanted to go into psychology and I went to Ohio University. Born and raised Cincinnati and born and raised the Ohio individual went for university, got my degree in psychology with an emphasis on organizational psychology. 00:02:17:24 - 00:02:39:15 Unknown I always say, Don't let the hair dye fool you. I was in college before organizational leadership was a degree, both when I was in school. So organization psych was an emphasis not as on track. So I had a lot in the psychology space when I came out my whole career going on 18 years now has been in that space. 00:02:39:15 - 00:03:10:05 Unknown So my first job was an internal coach for employees and different programs for a community service agency. I was there for ten years. I built talent development department. It didn't exist before. We just had coaches. And so I ended up building an internal department, building programing for all of our 23 different lines of service and those employees building leadership programing and doing some annual internal surveys and enhancements and improvements from those. 00:03:10:05 - 00:03:42:12 Unknown So started dipping my toe into organizational development work right as I left that organization and moved over, the telecom space was in Telecom for five years, branched within that organization to the technology side of the business as well. While there is when I started gaining my experience of strategic growth through acquisition and incorporating new organizations into an existing organization, structure, culture, how do we make these two groups work? 00:03:42:12 - 00:04:07:08 Unknown So we grew through acquisitions four times while I was there, and we went from a regional Ohio provider to an international provider operating in five different countries with over 5000 employees. So my strategy of developing folks in person in Cincinnati quit working overnight for a change. Lots of change and organizational development and coaching started becoming a lot of where I spent my time. 00:04:07:10 - 00:04:36:09 Unknown So focusing on bringing everyone together and then identifying efficiencies, identifying enhancement opportunities and helping the organization implement those successfully is where I was before I found the opportunity at Mra Ohio. So joined MRA Ohio's I'm going to keep saying for a little over two years ago and have been here enjoying getting to know our members and doing the same type of work for organizations ever since. 00:04:36:10 - 00:05:03:23 Unknown It's been an interesting path and one that has been my sole focus the entirety of my career. So really enjoying it. Sounds like you've done just about everything in your far always this fascinating. Hey, Amanda, we don't have this. Do you think you can do it? I'm like, Sure, I'll go figure it out, though. There is always it doesn't exist here. 00:05:03:23 - 00:05:27:05 Unknown Amanda, can you go create it? I just kept seeing what I did, so I went in thinking I was going to be a coach solely and came out loving. Oh, do you work so excited to talk about internal networks as an odd kind of strategy for organizations to start thinking about? Yeah, well, it was fun kind of brainstorming what podcast topic we should come up with. 00:05:27:05 - 00:05:55:10 Unknown And you brought up internal networking groups and it seems like a great concept for organizations to really embrace. But can you before we dive into that, can you explain just what is an internal networking group? Absolutely. So often when we think about development strategies, we go to structured learning programs which are wonderful. Don't get me wrong, I spend a lot of my time. 00:05:55:12 - 00:06:27:14 Unknown But we also know that only 10% of development and profession developing individually help improve organizational success and achievement of strategic objectives and things like that. So if we're investing all of our time in something we know is only 10% of development, there's 90% still sitting there. So 70%, we know is through experiential learning. That's an impactful, intentional on the job training, but there's still 20% that we need to target to make the classroom and experiences connect and make them work. 00:06:27:16 - 00:06:56:02 Unknown And that's where this strategy can come into play. 20% of development is through relationships. Who are your networks? Who are your peers? What are you all spending time talking about? How are you partner with your teams, with your leaders, with your organization? And often people don't know how to do that internally. They might find external networks, they might be a proactive network builder, and that's wonderful, but that's not everybody. 00:06:56:04 - 00:07:26:11 Unknown So this is a strategy for organizations to be intentional about creating connectedness amongst individuals in their organization with similar job roles or similar levels within the organization or a similar length of service within an organization to be able to have connection and talk with somebody that really understands what it's like to be in this role at this organization or in this at this level, at this organization. 00:07:26:13 - 00:07:55:05 Unknown I have a peer group now. We can meet regularly and really leverage and connect those two different areas of development together through helping people build these relationships and then leveraging those. So when I talk about internal networking group, that's what I mean. I mean creating these intentional connections between people that are connected in some form of similarity that you as an organization are setting up for them to join and be a part of. 00:07:55:10 - 00:08:27:00 Unknown And I love that idea of internal networking because I feel like most people are. I mean, for me personally, I think of networking as something that has to be done outside of your organization. But there's so much that you can do with your own employees and your colleagues. So I love that we're talking about this. And you mentioned this briefly, but what are some of the other factors that would motivate an organization to really focus on starting a group like this or groups like this? 00:08:27:02 - 00:08:56:16 Unknown Yeah. So in building on that 20% of development, we also know that individuals stay connected to organizations, that they feel they have relationships built. There is research that shows I will stay engaged and retained at an organization that I have at least one work friend where I feel really connected to them. I feel close to them, and not just colleagues, a colleague, but we interact potentially outside of work as well. 00:08:56:18 - 00:09:22:11 Unknown So create a space like this not only for organizations where everybody work in the same office building. That's wonderful. Still, you'd be amazed how many organizations are all in the same brick and mortar or same office campus and yet still define themselves as siloed. So even that still is an opportunity to create connection organizations that are geographically dispersed. 00:09:22:13 - 00:09:57:08 Unknown So we might have multiple sites or we might have remote employees, or we have members that are entirely remote with their employee base scattered all over the country. So this is another way to build connection and to learn from people who really understand the minutia of what is going on for you as an individual contributor or a team member of this organization in the same company, dealing with the same customers, living the same world, having the same expertise. 00:09:57:11 - 00:10:29:17 Unknown And there's so much similarity with your colleagues that external networks are wonderful and you get diverse ideas from them. But this internal networking group would have an understanding on a deeper level that you might not ever be able to get an external networking group to understand what you're saying. So we often talk about how we're organizations have those unwritten rules or those pieces of knowledge that you only learn by working here, and external networks are just never going to be able to provide you that internal network to help you do that. 00:10:29:17 - 00:11:06:00 Unknown So from a motivating factor, a rationale as to why this might be something a group would want to invest in, do we know we have a culture that defines themselves as siloed, whether we're all in the same space or not? That could be a factor in how do we create bridges? Do we have retention issues? Where in exit interviews we're getting feedback about teams not feeling connected or people not feeling engaged and connected to anyone outside of their own team. 00:11:06:02 - 00:11:29:01 Unknown That can be a reason. Are we geographically dispersed? And so maybe a region only has two or three individuals of the same type of job role in that region, But as a company we have 40 or 50 employees with that same job role. They're expanding their internal network to be able to learn from others with the same type of job role this way. 00:11:29:01 - 00:12:07:20 Unknown So being intentional about leveraging that 20% building those relationships, creating that connection and allowing folks to learn from like peers is a really excellent, inexpensive strategy to be able to make some real change and drive some growth at your organization. Oh, yeah, absolutely. I'm glad you brought up the remote. Remote teams, too, just because I mean, I have some friends who who don't even know everybody on their team or a lot of colleagues in their organization who are in a remote position. 00:12:07:22 - 00:12:32:15 Unknown And I feel like these internal working groups that would be so beneficial for them to not only get to know their peers and know their colleagues, but also like talk about what's top of mind in their line of business and other things like that. But I'm also curious, do you have any examples on specific internal networking teams that organizations kind of commonly establish? 00:12:32:15 - 00:12:57:15 Unknown Like is it through a department or line of business or what are you seeing? Brief question. Yeah, I've seen organizations do new employee internal networks. So for the first year, here's a group of everyone else that has also started this year. And so we're all finding our footing together. Job role be darned where we're all finding our footing in this organization. 00:12:57:15 - 00:13:24:03 Unknown And often when you think about systems thinking as an organization, you start to figure out, Oh, my team touches your team. Interesting. You all do that. Oh, we use that system too. When you do that thing, it takes a notification to me. I didn't know that was you all. So you start to understand the organism. Organism that is the organization as well as different folks figure out through these internal networking teams. 00:13:24:03 - 00:13:41:00 Unknown A lot of if I'm in this new hire example for the first year, I don't know how to make sure to sign up for my benefits. Oh, I happen to be a new h.r. Team member. I actually know that answer. Or how what is their payroll? Oh, i happen to be connected to that system. Oh, i'm in accounting. 00:13:41:02 - 00:14:05:16 Unknown So you start to connect with people that can get you the answers. And we know that adults like self-guided options as much as possible. I don't want to have to go searching and things like that. If I can have a person that I can go out, I'm going to go ask that person. They'll get me the answer quickly and I might not have to demonstrate to my new manager that I don't know the answer. 00:14:05:18 - 00:14:38:05 Unknown Sometimes people tend to be a little bit productive to do that. So that's an example that I've seen used really well. I've also seen different internal networking groups centered around levels of leadership across an organization or new manager. So I was promoted this year and it doesn't have to be a cohort of structured learning programing. It's a cohort that comes together where they all share that characteristic organizationally about themselves. 00:14:38:05 - 00:15:11:24 Unknown They're all new managers this year, and so we're all figuring out how to do this together now, talking about best strategies and Protip, I've also seen similar job roles sales, internal networking groups where all sales team members or office administrative team members. I've been executive assistant one for really large organizations. I have a lot of them. And so I've seen job roles and I've seen certain length of service and I've seen leadership level. 00:15:12:01 - 00:15:30:16 Unknown All of them are excellent. What you might find out is that you're going to have more and more ideas come. You might start with three or four and then it might start to grow and the value always will be in. I know we can get to this in a bit, but the value will always be around. Is there value to time? 00:15:30:16 - 00:15:55:05 Unknown Because this is different than an employee resource group. This isn't created by employees and run by employees. This is created by the organization intentionally. There's an intention behind it. And so it is a little bit different and it can run away from you if you don't stay in control, which we'll get to. But those are some examples that I've seen work really well. 00:15:55:07 - 00:16:26:21 Unknown Yeah, and I feel like this could work well with interns now that it's internship season. I feel like you get a whole group of interns together. Absolutely. I mean, if only an organization like MRA is an intern thing, you've always it's all well. Part of also running an effective internal networking group means having the hot topics to facing the industry today for the group to kind of brainstorm and share ideas and resources on. 00:16:26:21 - 00:16:50:17 Unknown So how how would that really apply to this approach? Absolutely. I mentioned it has to be intentional. This isn't created and running amuck. Not that CRT is run amok, but not running on their own by employees. Those are really excellent for a certain type of strategy. This is a different type of strategy. This is meeting that 20%, right. 00:16:50:17 - 00:17:19:00 Unknown So part of the intentionality of structuring these to have control of what all is going on is having somebody that identifies they might volunteer. You might as an h.r. Leader or a leader in your organization. You might know this person is kind of an emerging leader. I think they'd be really good at those and identify networking group facilitators. 00:17:19:00 - 00:17:48:18 Unknown So if you've ever been a part of an ira or an excuse me in MRA, Ohio roundtable, they have facilitators. So somebody that helps guide the discussion, that collects the topics that might bring their own if nobody knows. Let's talk about a similar concept here. We want a facilitator of the team to help guide the conversations during these structured whatever cadence makes sense for your organization. 00:17:48:20 - 00:18:21:19 Unknown Get togethers, because it is meant to be not just about building networks and having deeper friendships and connections at your company, but really learning from one another. This is that 20% of growth your relationship for trying to create because we need to create some development focus. So we're going to lesions, identify your facilitators, send them through some development themselves, some some training around how to stay in control of a conversation. 00:18:21:21 - 00:18:49:18 Unknown If you've ever been a part of a focus group or led a focus group, you know that you can have one kind of frustrated team member really derail the whole conversation. So giving them some strategies around how to do that and then having a collection of topic ideas So we know what makes these helpful is to talk about what we're truly facing today in our industry and our role within our organization. 00:18:49:21 - 00:19:15:15 Unknown For organizations going through change or changes are hitting a certain type of job role. They might want to talk about that that session, but creating some sort of topic collection strategy that the facilitator gets the topic. So it can be you can do it through monthly SurveyMonkey, anonymous things or whatever type of collection you want, and you can do that in the facilitator, an email. 00:19:15:15 - 00:19:46:24 Unknown The facilitator can say, Bring your topic to the session. Our next get together will write them all on the board and decide which ones we want to tackle. It can be as unsexy as that or as fancy as some anonymous topics. Submitter different organizations like different systems and create different things. If your organization uses Microsoft teams, you can have teams channels for your networking group to connect outside of just the session, but be dropping their topics in throughout the month. 00:19:46:24 - 00:20:05:16 Unknown Hey, at our next session, I'd like to have us all sit down and talk about this. I'm facing this with a client right now, or a customer or we're dealing with this in our team as we've made this system change and all of the hear what everybody else is doing to overcome this obstacle. So lots of different ways. 00:20:05:18 - 00:20:26:21 Unknown It doesn't have to be fancy, but can be. Depends on what bells and whistles your organization already has in place. This is not meant to be an expensive implementation of a strategy. This is meant to be. How can we just get intentional about getting our folks together and giving them opportunities to learn from one another? So that is a big thing. 00:20:26:21 - 00:20:56:10 Unknown On hot topics and sticking to them and collecting them in the first place. Yeah, I was just going to ask two and how do you recommend finding hot topics? I know there's just typical day to day business talk where you probably know what's relevant, but do you recommend articles or just scrolling on LinkedIn or news? Or what are some other than you're going to hate this, you're going to hate this answer for a week? 00:20:56:11 - 00:21:25:22 Unknown Yes. Yeah. All right. There you go. It depends on your industry. Also, I, I know a lot about hot topics and talent development and organizational development and effectiveness. I don't know a lot about compensation than what's going on in that world right now. I don't really don't know a lot about what's going on in the sales world or the manufacturing space outside of the fact that all of us have headcount nightmares right now. 00:21:25:22 - 00:21:47:19 Unknown But I think the facilitator and those in the team that are accepting and coming to these invitations to these networking groups, they're going to have their own avenues. They might have networking teams they're connected to outside of work. And it's something they were talking about. They want to bring to the team internally. They might see things on LinkedIn. 00:21:47:21 - 00:22:11:05 Unknown They might have I mean, we talked about in the beginning, I love podcasting, I love listening to podcasts. That is how I learn when I'm at the gym. I'm not listening to music. I can promise you. I'm listening to a podcast and I am learning this time, to my mind is so open when I'm at the gym. The podcasts are perfect for me for that. 00:22:11:07 - 00:22:34:07 Unknown Whatever avenue people like to connect to is going to be what helps them bring things in addition to. Like I said internally, we all know this is going on. Here's how I'm trying to manage through it as everybody else does. I know we made this change. I know we're launching this new product. I know we acquired this company and went from regional to international overnight. 00:22:34:07 - 00:23:01:17 Unknown Surprised How are you picking success? So those are the various avenues I can think of. Yeah, those are all great ideas. Well, conceptually, this sounds like a great way to meld many of the recommended recommended engagement strategies like mentoring, relationship building, peer development, coaching. But logistically, how would you really recommend putting something like this into full on practice? 00:23:01:19 - 00:23:31:13 Unknown Absolutely. My first recommendation, anytime an organization is interested in launching something like this is start small. I mentioned it. You can run wild thinking about every type of job role we have or we want to have a collection of second shift employees and have a second shift in a third shift and a first shift team. Just talk about what things are dealing with or learning things on that ship. 00:23:31:15 - 00:23:53:15 Unknown You can run wild. So I highly encourage step one start small, let it grow organically the way it makes sense for your organization to grow organically. So don't make it a big thing if it doesn't need to be a big thing yet. I think your best starters are new employee is always going to be a great one to start new leader. 00:23:53:21 - 00:24:11:12 Unknown I've been a great one to start or front line leader, whether you're new or not might be a great one to start depending on how often you have promotions and things like that in your organization as well as any of the main job roles that you have a lot of folks connected to could be a great way to start as well. 00:24:11:14 - 00:24:38:23 Unknown But start small with a few that you think are going to be the most impactful. Create your policy. Create your your guardrails around how these groups function, how they are organized, how often they should meet, who if there is a job description, impact to a team member that's coordinating because remember, this is not driven solely by the employees. 00:24:39:00 - 00:25:06:03 Unknown This is driven as an intention, all organizational efficiency and effectiveness strategies. So it's okay to own scheduling. It's okay to have a job role where that is part of their job is managing the internal networking groups, but create a cadence that makes sense. I won't be prescriptive as to what makes sense. I don't know everybody's business structure. I don't know how often folks hobnob in the break room together anyway. 00:25:06:03 - 00:25:40:10 Unknown So something that makes sense for your business to drive that connectivity, to build that camaraderie and create that cohort avenue of peer learning, create your expectations of what a facilitator would do, identify what that looks like. These are all that pre-work logistically, identify your volunteers, talk to them about how to maintain conversations, and then create your recommendations around submitting hot topics. 00:25:40:10 - 00:26:04:06 Unknown And then you're going to start communicating. So you have to do a lot of the ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure legwork upfront to get everything established. We all know in the effectiveness world, get your policies nailed down first, get your guardrails nailed down for that. It's not written down. You might have folks running rampant, but get all of that set up. 00:26:04:08 - 00:26:34:06 Unknown Get what those expectations look like. This is a fantastic stretch assignment. Experiential learning opportunity for emerging leaders in your organization. For it to be facilitators that aren't quite that just aren't job openings, we could only create so many jobs. So having this as an opportunity is really beneficial. Create all those guardrails, create those recommendations, create the schedule for the folks, have that set up. 00:26:34:06 - 00:26:54:17 Unknown And then as people volunteer or want to be a part of it, invite everybody, see who comes, keep it on their calendars, keep it going for them so that this becomes embedded in your culture. If you leave it up to the employees to run on their own, it very well likely will die on the vine because they have other competing priorities. 00:26:54:19 - 00:27:29:14 Unknown And from an organizational perspective, management, upper management. If we don't see the organization investing their time and energy around having this become part of how we operate, they'll say, Yeah, you could go to that, or we have this other priority and that's going to take precedence. So it is important to be owned by h.r. Or B or whomever owns organizational effectiveness and development for your organization to kind of also put that stamp on this as a intentional strategy the business is using. 00:27:29:16 - 00:28:05:15 Unknown So we need it supported from the top down. Logistically, i think those are great, great ways to start. And then yeah, i like how you and i'm glad you mention that the organization has to be fully invested in this because I want to bring this to a full circle moment as we kind of wrap up. So how can organizations use the information that's talked about in these internal networking groups, kind of use it for the organization as a whole and gather feedback and insights to kind of drive that organizational success? 00:28:05:17 - 00:28:32:08 Unknown Absolutely. You have to create a trusting partnership with your facilitators, and that's part of kind of creating those expectations upfront and helping those that step into the facilitator of this networking group role. Understand is this is if there are things that people are frustrated about and they're struggling to overcome it and that comes up, let us know. Our goal is to create improvements through this. 00:28:32:08 - 00:29:03:05 Unknown So a two way communication strategy that also is communicated to the group. You don't want the facilitator to let the networking team feel like we're in Vegas. Whatever happens here stays here. Talk about whatever, because that's part of the goal. The goal is we're learning goals are improving. If there is a obstacle that is really difficult for the group to overcome, we want to know about that so that we can either create development opportunities for them or make changes as needed. 00:29:03:05 - 00:29:32:02 Unknown So part of that structure, that expectation and that development of the facilitators and that early communications of the guardrails is to set that up as one of the intentions behind this strategy, because engagement surveys are wonderful and I don't knock them. I think they are a fantastic way to have more people give feedback. That's anonymous. This is not just sitting there with your face saying what you're saying. 00:29:32:02 - 00:30:02:16 Unknown So we know that they are going to be aware of what group is talking about this. But even on engagement surveys, we get that information and that often we're looking at it kind of scratching our heads like, what is driving that rating? What is driving those comments? So we end up trying to do focus groups anyway. This is a consistent, intentional focus group for your business, for specific areas that you will get that information. 00:30:02:18 - 00:30:36:20 Unknown So establish that relationship understanding early and then it's really important for those professional taking the information to share it with whomever. And the organization needs to know what we're learning for development opportunities to create that discretion area. Because while the group's going to let me know, I'm not going to walk up to the sales executives and say, Hey, so I want you to know sales. 00:30:36:22 - 00:30:58:23 Unknown This guy, this lady really pressured, I'm not going to do that. Right? So that's on our side to remain ethical and with our professionalism to say, hey, we're hearing through the networking team that the new CRM is pretty difficult for folks to utilize. Maybe we need to have some refresher training. Can we work to schedule that? Just making it all about, Here's what we're hearing. 00:30:58:23 - 00:31:20:21 Unknown Let's remove that obstacle. Here's what we're learning. Let's figure that change out. I hear there's this new innovation. Seems like our business is falling behind, going to the executives. Do we have a plan in our strategic roadmap? Can we have some conversations? Because we've learned some stuff from boots on the ground over there telling us that we should probably be working this way. 00:31:20:23 - 00:31:44:23 Unknown That's going to really help connect all of the dots for everybody. And the more the networking teams learn from one another and grow, they'll see the value and they'll start word of mouth marketing to their colleagues and to their peers. Hey, you should join the networking group because I started learning all kinds of things that are super helpful because, you know, Chad or Cindy do these things. 00:31:45:00 - 00:32:09:15 Unknown And I tried it. I learned it while we were all talking about X, Y, and Z, and it worked. Super helpful. You should come join this as well as you know, you know that CRM refresher training that came because the sales networking team was talking about it. I'm just saying I should come because really driving impact for the company we work for and we know that's another engagement strategy, right? 00:32:09:17 - 00:32:36:15 Unknown When people share what their ideas are and see those ideas impact business operations for the better of themselves and their colleagues, they're more invested in a company that listens to them. So making it intentional about learning for both the employees and for the business to operate effectively is going to continue to ingrain this into part of your organization's culture for how everybody works together. 00:32:36:17 - 00:33:01:07 Unknown Now, that's all great advice and great examples, so thank you for that. Any other final thoughts before we wrap up the episode? Well, I just I know it sounds like it could be a lot like, how often would I have them meet? What would I do when I was part of the organization that went from regional to international. 00:33:01:09 - 00:33:34:16 Unknown So we grew through acquisition initially regionally, and then we had a couple of large acquisitions that were outside of our lovely Midwestern area for the Cincinnati of around there. We went from out of the tri state area into the state up north and then into international, and it became the way that helped us maintain the elements of each company that came together, like about their culture and engage and retain people. 00:33:34:16 - 00:34:03:19 Unknown It was the strategy singly that worked everything else we did all the great change management processes. You follow. Those are all wonderful. There's a lot of research behind why you do certain things. There's a lot of research behind preparing for the productivity and things like that. But what we heard about what helped people stay and feel retained was I got connected quickly with people across the business. 00:34:03:21 - 00:34:33:00 Unknown I started feeling instantly like I was part of this new organization and we started growing and I was learning from people that are doing the same type of role in a different country, maybe to a different region. But I was learning some things really quickly, so we know that these strategies, that ounce of prevention of setting things up and writing some policies and identifying who's going to help it in the beginning it's like, Oh, maybe I can do that. 00:34:33:00 - 00:34:58:22 Unknown Q1 of 2024, That's great planning for Q1 of 2024, start three, see what happened. But there is a lot of feedback around this being one of those things that helps engage and retain people and then help develop folks through a very natural way that we know has impactful development techniques. Yeah, that's good to know how. I really wanted to end that. 00:34:58:24 - 00:35:28:14 Unknown As you say, that's really good that we could hear your personal experience with internal networking groups and hear your success stories from it too. So that's cool. But Amanda a thank you for all the great content today and welcome to the show. You'll be seeing a lot more of Amanda but to thank you if you liked our chat and topic today, I'd urge you to common something new that you learned today or anything that you want to add to the conversation. 00:35:28:14 - 00:35:51:00 Unknown Just add it to the comments and don't forget to share this episode. Consider joining MRA as a member if you aren't already. We have all the resources you need in the show Notes below, including resources from our topic today. Otherwise, thank you for tuning in and we will see you all next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. 00:35:51:02 - 00:36:09:09 Unknown Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minute Thrive so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

Description: In this episode, we'll explore the July edition of MRA's monthly Talent Report: Trends From MRA's 1,000 Roundtable Members. We'll hear from Jim Morgan, Vice President of Workforce Strategies, on best practices regarding employee engagement, uncover C-Suite priorities and top creative HR strategies, learn roundtable trending topics, and more!  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 - 00:00:40:19 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. All right. Well, welcome to this episode of 30 Minute Thrive. I'm excited to go over this month's Taylor Report with Jim Morgan, our vice president of Workforce Strategies, as we kind of go into what he's been seeing in the world of business in July. So thanks again, Jim, for joining us. Per usual. My pleasure. 00:00:40:20 - 00:00:58:24 Unknown It's good to be here. So this month, it looks like you're kind of focusing on roundtables, the importance of networking. Why did you choose this topic for July? Well, you know, it's interesting, as everybody is trying to figure out how to get more done in less time and figure out how to make the best use of their time. 00:00:59:01 - 00:01:19:08 Unknown You know, one of the things and not just making a sales pitch for our roundtables, but I think one of the things that people find the most valuable is when you find that peer group of people that share the same issues that you share and face the same problems each day that you face, that becomes a pretty strong group of people to really, you know, be able to call on and do things with. 00:01:19:08 - 00:01:37:02 Unknown And with all this time spent on staff development and learning and development and things, there's nothing like a group of ten or 12 people who are living the same life you are to just be able to sit down and say, What would you do in this situation? And have half of them say, I've been in that situation. Here's what I would do. 00:01:37:04 - 00:02:08:17 Unknown And so we just without one, that would be good. Just, you know, so people remember, take advantage of those opportunities. In fact, we surveyed everyone on how many networking groups they were in, and like over 50% of the group were in at least two. So that was that was pretty good. And I think later on we can talk a little bit about what we shared, too, because our roundtables, our peer groups, you know, our C-suite people, their senior age, our people, their age, our managers, and we shared a lot of data with people on here's what everybody's talking about. 00:02:08:17 - 00:02:25:03 Unknown So that was a real advantage for that talent report. And I'll share some of that with you later, too. So that was the that was the reason for the focus is, you know, really just to get people to take some time and find that really good group of people they can sit down and talk to on a regular basis to, you know, sort of help them with the day to day stuff. 00:02:25:05 - 00:02:44:11 Unknown Oh, yeah, absolutely. It was cool to see what topics are top of mind right now in roundtables and what our roundtables are kind of discussing. And we'll get into that. But let's kind of talk about what's happening in recruiting and retention world right now. So, Jim, what's new here? The idea is what's new is older. What's old is new. 00:02:44:13 - 00:03:04:04 Unknown I think the internships continue to be really the best recruiting strategy that people are finding now for the simple fact that you're you're getting people that are close to working age within a year, you know, two at the most of being ready to come work for you. You get a chance to kick the tires and, you know, do they fit with your culture? 00:03:04:04 - 00:03:23:23 Unknown Do you fit with what they're looking for? So it's just been a really I think people are just more and more realizing if we can give these young adults a really good experience at our place, we have a leg up in being the ones that they want to go work for. And even though a lot of the talent has eased a little bit, there's still some really tough people to find. 00:03:24:00 - 00:04:03:23 Unknown And the internships have really been an opportunity to to to go find them. Yeah, absolutely. So kind of moving into talent thinking section, you talked about low cost employee perks activities that employers are kind of implementing nowadays. So can you expand on some of the ideas and points you have listed in this category? Yeah, and I'll I'll I'll go with the interns for a second and move into those because I think it applies to, you know, that what we're seeing with the the interns is in terms of the retention part of it, it really gives if you've got some emerging leaders and you're looking for some opportunities to help them grow, they can be a 00:04:03:23 - 00:04:28:04 Unknown mentor, you know, to these interns. And so that's another advantage of what they're they're getting out of all of this. You're seeing companies now put people through a rotation where they might get to see two or three or four different jobs while they're there to really help them figure out what is it they want to do. And again, I think for both the company and the individual, that's just a jumpstart done. 00:04:28:05 - 00:04:45:14 Unknown I thought this is what I wanted, wanted to do. But now that I see what it is, I'm not quite sure that's what I want to do. You know, I think that that really benefits everybody. And I think they're, you know, they're putting them to work a little bit with putting together programs at the end and really demonstrating. 00:04:45:15 - 00:05:05:19 Unknown Here's what we learned. You know, and these are the things I went through and this is my end of the summer, end of nine months presentation that said, this is what I worked on, this is what I did prove a little bit of the ROI. Why did we have these folks here and what were they up to? So that all of that, I think, you know, feeds into the talent part of it too. 00:05:05:19 - 00:05:31:13 Unknown And, you know, the talent thinking this time was really kind of a focus on keeping people happy. So, you know, that's one group where it's like, okay, we're trying to keep this group happy because we might want to hire them soon. But the keeping people happy, it was interesting to see, okay, retention is now the big deal. And most of that has to do with what the level of engagement and how happy our employees working for us. 00:05:31:15 - 00:05:53:15 Unknown And so we just started collecting. All right. You know, what are people doing? What are they up to? And they kind of came fell into a couple of categories. I would say, you know, the personal well-being that when you're doing something for the individual, whether that's, you know, we're offering them a gym membership or we're doing the massage chairs, are, you know, something about, okay, I feel better now. 00:05:53:17 - 00:06:08:08 Unknown You know, most of us are, you know, self-Thriven by those types of things, like, okay, this this would actually be good for me. This would be great. You know, so I'm going to go do it. So I think you're seeing companies try to figure out what is it that some of our people may want and how do we offer that to them? 00:06:08:10 - 00:06:27:21 Unknown I think the second big one was, you know, what are the services that people need that they may not know where to go and get? And some of that might be financial planning assistance. That might be I want to do a well, where do I get, you know, legal services? I might need some counseling, where do I go to that for that? 00:06:27:23 - 00:06:47:11 Unknown And a lot of companies have that in their employee assistance programs. But, you know, people may not know it. And these are all, you know, difficult things in life that if people are having trouble with their finances, are having, you know, trouble trying to figure out some of these things, they bring that to work, too. And so this is, I guess, also a personal wellbeing thing. 00:06:47:11 - 00:07:07:08 Unknown But it's like, you know, one of the services that people are looking for may not know where to go to get them or they might be incredibly expensive or scary. And if the company can help them find that lawyer or that legal assistance or that financial assistance that just makes their life a little bit easier and makes them a little bit happier. 00:07:07:10 - 00:07:31:06 Unknown And then rewards was another and, you know, rewards we think about signing bonuses and referral bonuses and that's all great, but just the sum of it is just the Thank you. Is it? You know, here's the cup of coffee. Let's go do this. Like they'll take you to lawn chairs, a gift card or, you know, some gas money, whatever it might be, to just, you know, constantly be trying to think about what are the things that are going to mean something to people. 00:07:31:06 - 00:07:56:02 Unknown And it doesn't necessarily have to be, you know, tens of thousands of dollars. It might be just recognizing the fact that, you know, you went above and beyond on this and whether it you just you take the time to say thank you or you acknowledge that to their supervisor or, you know, bring them something and put it on their desk and say thank you, that seems to be another one where, again, companies are trying to be more purposeful in trying to do that. 00:07:56:04 - 00:08:12:16 Unknown And they'd say the last one was just food. And no matter who you're talking to, you know, they'll always say, well, you know, if we bring a food truck around or if we have ice cream sandwiches or if we have a pizza day or, you know, any of those things, it's just an opportunity. And we'll talk about this later, too. 00:08:12:16 - 00:08:31:00 Unknown But it's a chance for everybody just to get together, to talk with each other, maybe across departments, across plants. And they just get to know each other and it just makes people feel good. So I think, you know, those are all the things that we sort of saw in the you know, if our people are happy, we're happy about doing that. 00:08:31:02 - 00:08:57:07 Unknown So I can say some of my best conversations at work happen when we're eating the leftover pizza that's sitting out in the cafe. So, yeah, I would definitely agree on that food desk, right? Yeah. Well, you know, and it's amazing because we're all in this routine that, you know, I meet with my department here and then I meet with this department there, and then I go back and I do my work and there may maybe a couple of departments that I have no reason to interact with for any reason whatsoever. 00:08:57:09 - 00:09:19:09 Unknown But then just bump into them and, you know, you sort of force the conversation and then you've got a couple more people around the office that I share this in common with them. So I'm just trying to make it a more enjoyable place to be. Oh, yeah, I love that. Well, from your from the field section, you've got a 2010 to 2020 overall population change chart. 00:09:19:09 - 00:09:37:20 Unknown So what can you really see in this chart? Why is this included? Yeah, you know, these are the hard ones on the podcast to say, okay, look, I'm going to throw a thousand numbers at you and just try to keep track of it. But I think there were two things that we were trying to share. You know, one, the first one was, as you mentioned, the overall population change. 00:09:37:20 - 00:09:58:12 Unknown And I was using our five states Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. And over the last ten years, Minnesota actually grew by about seven and a half percent, which was close to the national average. And so they were sort of holding their own. But Iowa was under 5%. Wisconsin was three and a half. Ohio was a little over two. 00:09:58:14 - 00:10:28:03 Unknown In Illinois was just barely negative. And the point of that one was just to say, we're not growing in the upper Midwest at a rate that's going to keep up with who we need. And then went on to dig a little bit deeper to say, okay, if I take that same ten year period and I'm looking at 2010 to 2020, let's look at the younger folks, because that's going to give us a pretty good idea of what's going to be coming. 00:10:28:05 - 00:10:56:10 Unknown So if I look at the under five population, so, you know, this is 15 years from now before to back the workplace, but you've got numbers like -15% in Illinois, minus ten in Wisconsin, minus seven in Ohio, minus six in Iowa, minus four in Minnesota. All of them are negative, meaning they're shrinking in that category. And so as people are starting to plan for the future, they got to start thinking about these things. 00:10:56:12 - 00:11:15:14 Unknown And even in the 5 to 17 category, Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin are negative and Iowa and Minnesota are positive, but not at a number that's going to keep up with what's going on. So there is there's this real. Yeah, it's long term and you know, how much time do I want to be spending thinking about this type of thing? 00:11:15:16 - 00:11:38:00 Unknown But, you know, it's going to be a big deal and we're going to have to, you know, track it and and see what's going to happen. So the aging thing was part of it. And then on the other end of the aging part is the percentage of growth in the people over the age of 65. In all, five of our states are in the 30 and 40% in Minnesota, in Wisconsin. 00:11:38:00 - 00:12:03:08 Unknown So 40% growth in the people over the age of 65. While you're saying we have negative some number in the under five. So that's not good and people are going to have to start thinking about that. So that was the first point that we were trying to make from the Census Bureau data. And then the second one is just the incredible change in ethnicity that's going to be happening in our five states. 00:12:03:08 - 00:12:39:01 Unknown And again, if you look at the population over the age of 65, other than Illinois, in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, that the index for that in the index is really just if I randomly grabbed two people in Wisconsin, what are the chances that they will be of two different ethnic backgrounds for that over 65 group. All of our states are in like the 15 to 18% range, meaning there's an 80% chance that you're probably going to grab two people that are Caucasian, that, you know, came from somewhere in Europe. 00:12:39:03 - 00:13:04:21 Unknown So that's what's moving out 65, 84. But then when you start looking at the under five, everybody is at at least 50%. So we're moving from 16% to 50%, meaning now there's a 5050 chance that if you grab two people, one will probably still be white, but one's going to be something else. So that's a pretty big change to go from 15% to 60%. 00:13:04:23 - 00:13:27:01 Unknown And I think, you know, this is now going to be the next couple of generations that are going to flip this whole thing. But you're going to see very different upper Midwest states over the course of the next 15 to 20 years, because the and this is the ethnicity of everyone is going to change dramatically. So as we're just trying to help companies what their long term thinking, you know, one is we got a whole group of people that are getting older. 00:13:27:01 - 00:13:41:23 Unknown What are you going to do about that? And then you're going to have a whole group of people that are not going to be quite as homogeneous as they have been in the past. And so how are you going to assimilate them? How are you going to help them with whatever their cultural issues are? How are you going to prepare your communities and your company for that? 00:13:42:00 - 00:13:59:24 Unknown So nothing is going to get easier, I think as we go forward, it's just going to get a little bit more complicated. Well, I know we can't see the chart that you explained, but you did a heck of a job by giving us the main points. I feel like I can see the chart right here. What we're getting, we're getting old and we're getting more diverse. 00:13:59:24 - 00:14:25:01 Unknown So there there's the chart for you in a nutshell. So how about in terms of C-suite level? What what are some top of mind topics going on here? Well, we heard a lot about in the last month through the roundtables and just from meetings with members is there's a real focus right now on what's the financial acumen of the people that are running our lines of business, those running our facilities. 00:14:25:01 - 00:14:45:10 Unknown And I think, you know, historically it's always been, well, the accountants and the CFO will take care of the financial stuff, and I'm just going to be out here doing my job and now as as things have gotten more technical, as they've gotten more modernized, there are a lot of tools that are available to every single line of business leader and plant manager. 00:14:45:10 - 00:15:08:12 Unknown And from a CEO's point of view, I think there's now this question of are we getting as much as we can out of that? And so are they taking responsibility for their own line of business and the decisions that they're making and what that financial impact might be. So rather than just having the CFO come back and say, Hey, you're up or you're down, and what happened, they should know the answer before the CFO does. 00:15:08:12 - 00:15:32:02 Unknown They should know where they're at. And so they're spending time providing learning and development opportunities for sort of the accounting for the non accountants, helping them understand, you know, what does it mean when I, you know, amortize things over a certain period of time or how is a capital expense different than a regular expense so that they better understand the decisions they're making and what the impact of that is going to be. 00:15:32:04 - 00:15:52:01 Unknown And then all of us have more tools available to us. You know, we have Salesforce at at Mirror. It can do all kinds of things in terms of, you know, what's the incoming business look like, What's the last month look like? Can we compare year to year, month to month, last three months, all that kind of stuff. But not a lot of people are always using it. 00:15:52:01 - 00:16:15:08 Unknown And so how do we get them to better understand it and then take advantage of these tools that we've invested in so that they know when I make this decision, it's going to have this sort of impact on the bottom line of my line of business. So the whole financial thing I think is really becoming an added responsibility for those who have some income and expense related responsibilities. 00:16:15:10 - 00:16:38:16 Unknown In Emory's internal leadership program. Actually, we do a finance for the non financial leader topic there, and the feedback on that one was it was actually some of the interns favorite topic, which is very interesting and some were even like I'm a marketing major, but now I kind of want to move over to finance. So they know just they know just enough to be dangerous now. 00:16:38:17 - 00:17:01:22 Unknown Oh yeah, You know, but you think of all of those people that are going into their first job and, you know, if they were in marketing or if they were in human resources or they were in communications, the odds of them having had an accounting class, you know, of any kind other than maybe in general, you know, checkbook writing and not any more debit card using, you know, class in high school. 00:17:01:22 - 00:17:24:09 Unknown That's probably about it. And so to be able to go in and even understand financial statements probably puts them in a well ahead of of an awful lot of people. Yeah, absolutely. Well, there's also been a lot of talk in takeover of A.I. and that's only going to continue to grow. So any creative strategies here or how are companies using A.I.? 00:17:24:11 - 00:17:50:09 Unknown Yeah, you know, I think A.I. and the Chatbot and all that sort of snuck up on everybody and all of a sudden, you know, really hit the news in about November. And then all of a sudden everyone had, you know, access to it. And, you know, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. So I think what what companies are trying to do now is have training opportunities for their people to bring in folks who know something about it, to say, you know, here are the goods and here's of that. 00:17:50:10 - 00:18:08:22 Unknown But here are the bads and here's how you can use this. And here what you might want to be careful of. And so we're starting to see that type of training so people understand, you know, yes, you can go into Chad GPT and you can ask a question and it'll give you information back in. The information that comes back is as good as the information that it's searching in. 00:18:08:24 - 00:18:32:17 Unknown So you can't just put the question and get the answer and send it out to a thousand of your clients saying, Hey, look at this. You still got to add that human element that says, you know, let's look into this. And companies that are a little nervous that if people are putting a lot of information in there when they're asking their question, are they putting in some company information so that their question is a little more detailed, But now that information is being fed in? 00:18:32:23 - 00:18:49:20 Unknown And so that's sort of out there now. And so that causes them to have some caution. So I think people are trying to figure out and that how do we use it to maybe Yeah, it's a great starting point to say I'm trying to put together this presentation on X and I ask some questions and it gives me some resources. 00:18:49:20 - 00:19:06:09 Unknown Fan tastic. It saved me all kinds of time and now I can start digging into things on earth if I think I can just say, Hey, write me a speech and give it back to me and I'm going to go out and give it. You know, that might be asking a little bit too much. So I think right now people are really sort of finding their way. 00:19:06:09 - 00:19:23:20 Unknown Most companies have a couple of people that are out there like trying it and sharing their knowledge with other people. But I think the companies themselves, the employers are really just trying to, you know, where, you know, do we put a stop to this? Do we figure out how to use it in our best interest? Should we be going crazy with it? 00:19:23:20 - 00:19:43:12 Unknown They're trying to find where they fit in all of that and everybody's scrambling pretty quickly because I think it came up, you know, we all knew it was coming, but all sudden it just came in. So how about any other creativity? Anything else you're seeing in this category? The two other ones that came up this month, one was just on team building. 00:19:43:12 - 00:20:16:02 Unknown And this kind of goes back to that the food comment that we had a little bit ago. And that is, you know, how do we create opportunities for people to interact? And food does that, you know, I mean, people come in and whoever your next to in line as you're walking through, you have a conversation with. So things like that trying to come up with maybe, you know cross-functional team activities where they come up with a problem to be solved and you grab two groups of people that maybe don't have to work together and let's put them together and they get a chance to to, you know, to meet some other people, especially with a 00:20:16:02 - 00:20:48:15 Unknown lot of the remote workers. How do we do some fun things online? You know, how do you do a treasure hunt online or how do you have prices online? Or does it start with let's all share a recipe, just things to get people to interact a little bit and make it a little bit more personal. And so you're seeing all kinds of you know, companies are there's always walking groups at lunch and there's, you know, book clubs and now there's some that go out and get e-bikes at lunchtime and take a ride, you know, But they're all they're trying to encourage people to, you know, go find different opportunities to meet with maybe some different 00:20:48:15 - 00:21:12:20 Unknown people and, you know, build some teamwork that way. And then the other one is still the mental health thing and, you know, how do you help employees get through everything they're are going through? And one of the interesting ideas we got from one of our members was they have what they've called mental health champions. And these are folks that, you know, have been trained by the HR department in the offerings that they have. 00:21:12:20 - 00:21:35:11 Unknown They're not mental health experts are not counseling people, but they know what is our EAP offer, What do we have to offer within the company? Who are people that you can call to get further assistance? And they share information and, you know, the start of a staff meeting or a department meeting and say, hey, just a reminder, I'm one of our mental health champions and we have these available to you if anybody's needing any help. 00:21:35:12 - 00:21:59:11 Unknown Don't be afraid to, you know, to reach out. So they're just trying to keep on, I think, top of mind for people so that they don't forget we have these resources if you need them. Oh, yeah, that's a great idea. So like we mentioned, Kimberly Emery's round table manager also made an appearance on this month's report webinar, and she gave a lot of great information on top topics and concerns for HR 00:21:59:11 - 00:22:21:16 Unknown Professionals, c-suite executives, and more. So could you give us a little bit of an overview on some of this information starting out with the senior HR Top ten topics for 2010. This is sort of and this is almost like the the data like. All right, keep track of these. Here come the test. Yeah. Run them down. You know, in my best. 00:22:21:18 - 00:22:40:17 Unknown David letterman top ten. I'll try to lay them out there for people. Yeah. So this was interesting because we did a couple of things, you know, one is we started with, okay, what's of interest? And we have, you know, 80, 90 roundtables, 1200 people in them. And, you know, so we're always trying to figure out what's on people's minds. 00:22:40:17 - 00:22:57:23 Unknown And so from the senior HR People, the top ten were first of all, was trends in HR and that makes sense. They're just trying to make sure they're staying up on what's going on. Culture was number two. And how do you build it and how do you, you know, make sure that you're creating a place that people want to be a part of. 00:22:58:00 - 00:23:19:11 Unknown Leadership was three. I think some of this is the emerging leaders. This is the lot of people retiring and people moving up behind them. And how do we make sure that they're prepared, The business climate and the impact on staffing after everybody came through 2022, you know, and it was just higher, higher, higher, higher. And we still there. 00:23:19:11 - 00:23:39:15 Unknown What do we need to do? HR Leadership and what's their role? You know, how do they be at the table when the strategic planning is taking place and things like that related to the leadership. Number six was emerging leaders and high potentials. How do we take those best people that we've got and keep them engaged and make sure that they want to continue to work with us? 00:23:39:17 - 00:24:01:03 Unknown Communicating wages and benefits again after 2022 and everybody, you know, money was going here, there and everywhere else. And now it's like, okay, we can't do that forever. And now, you know, we don't if we've got this expectation of, hey, I'm going to get 10%, this is going to be great, you know, that's not sustainable. And so how do we communicate that information related to that? 00:24:01:03 - 00:24:22:17 Unknown Number eight was benefit trends. What are companies doing? What are they changing? What might they be offering that they think is going to get people more engaged with what they're doing? Number nine, with strategic planning and business planning and number ten with workforce planning and talent management shortage. So for the HR People, there's probably nothing there that's surprising. 00:24:22:17 - 00:24:52:01 Unknown They're all huge. And that's sort of why you have an HR Feel that people that are kind of stressed out right now, i think. How about some topics that are on top of mind of just executives in general right now? Yeah. And the executives side of things. The top five were strategic planning, engagement and retention. HR Compliance, performance management and recruiting and hiring. 00:24:52:03 - 00:25:14:05 Unknown So that was interesting in that if we compare the top five, this is just from this year now benefits recruiting and hiring, strategic planning, engagement and retention, organizational development for the minds of the professionals. There's not a whole lot of difference between the two. A little bit different use of words, maybe a little bit different level on some things. 00:25:14:07 - 00:25:37:22 Unknown But the strategic planning shows up on both the recruiting and hiring signs shows up on both the engagement and retention shows up on both. So they're on the same page, I think, as they try to to go forward. Yeah. And then you also explained or Kimberly explained and compared 2018 to 2023 with these topics. So can you compare some of the executive and senior HR 00:25:37:22 - 00:26:05:24 Unknown Discussions from yeah, this this was almost comical when you think about it. You know, the we were just looking at 2018, which would have been just before the pandemic and then what people were looking for this year and i think the c-suite ones were the most interesting. And I think back because I have a couple of ceo and CFO roundtables of, you know, what we were talking about in 2018, and the top three were finding talent and looking at the nontraditional workforce. 00:26:06:05 - 00:26:25:11 Unknown And that one that's kind of the same. It's changed a little bit and it's had a little bit of panic put into it with the pandemic. But that was the same. But then the next two from 2018 one was the experience economy appealing to consumers. And you probably were you were still in college at that point, I think. 00:26:25:13 - 00:26:46:17 Unknown But there was this big push in 2018 that everything was going to be about an experience that your product had to be about, an experience it had to like just engulf people, like they weren't going to forget it. Companies are starting to look at giving away experiences as bonus. That is like, Here's $1,000, go on a vacation, you know, some exotic island. 00:26:46:17 - 00:27:10:04 Unknown But everything was about experience. And I just as I look at that now, that was 2018, and within a year or so we were locked down for two years, you know, So all that talk of an experience economy and then we all go into our homes and don't come out for two years. I don't think I've heard the words experience economy ever since, you know, so that one just sort of left. 00:27:10:06 - 00:27:29:24 Unknown And we've been having all of these discussions because prior to the pandemic, things had sort of been chugging along. And, you know, we had the Great Recession in 2000, seven, 2008, but we had ten years of, hey, things are going pretty well here. And we were having discussions at the sea level around what's going to be the next biggest disruptor. 00:27:30:01 - 00:27:53:12 Unknown And if anybody had pandemic on their bingo card, I would give them, you know, they win the prize for predicting that one. But, you know, we're talking about all kinds of things, but none of them had absolutely anything to do with the pandemic. So we go from that five years ago to now planning for growth with economic uncertainty, you know, which is the exact opposite of where we were five years ago. 00:27:53:14 - 00:28:13:23 Unknown And learning from the unexpected and the impact on future planning, that five year period changed the way everybody thinks about everything. You know, no one's doing strategic plans now five years out, some even three years out, they're doing it one or two years, and they're reviewing every quarter because the world is just changing so much and there's so much at play. 00:28:13:23 - 00:28:36:23 Unknown So it was just an interesting exercise for everyone to look at. What were you talking about just five years ago and where are those things now? They've they've sort of all disappeared. Yeah, I was going to say interesting to see the difference between the two. Definitely. Yeah. So that was that was actually kind of funny. We had some people, you know, on the chat checking, engineering. 00:28:37:00 - 00:28:57:04 Unknown Wow. That something. Yeah. And then from the h r point of view, five years ago it was active shooters, you know, and everyone was being trained in that and it was also the MeToo movement. And you know, again, those two years that followed that, you know, not that you mean the shootings have certainly continued and that continues to be a big issue. 00:28:57:06 - 00:29:33:11 Unknown The MeToo movement is still there. But when you think those things were like all encompassing until the pandemic hit, and then it was, you know, wow, we're in a different world now and everything was focused on that. It does feel like a different world now. Well, well, as we kind of wrap up here, I've always got to ask you, can you give us a sneak peek on August report And the topic again, we're going to be looking at diversity, equity and inclusion next month, and we're going to be finding some best practices from companies, you know, finding companies that maybe, you know, how did you start it? 00:29:33:11 - 00:29:52:16 Unknown How did you get to where you are right now? And even some of those that are very advanced, how are they measuring it? How do they know that it's something that they really want to be doing? And that'll probably lead into a little bit of discussion on all of the ESG things where companies are having to look at their environmental, social and governance governance responsibilities. 00:29:52:16 - 00:30:10:05 Unknown So I think it would be sort of interesting because that's driving a lot of things in HR right now that that ESG, where it's what is our corporate social responsibility policy? What are we doing about that? How are we proving it? So I think we should have some some pretty interesting information for you next month, too. So awesome. 00:30:10:05 - 00:30:33:02 Unknown Thanks. I'm looking forward to that. Thanks for being on the podcast. Today. We shared a lot of fascinating information, so I would encourage our listeners to comment. The most interesting or valuable piece of information you learned today or any current trends or topics that you've been seeing in our world currently. Don't forget to share this episode. Consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. 00:30:33:04 - 00:30:55:09 Unknown We have all the resources you need in the show notes below, including the resources to report plus or otherwise. Thank you for tuning in today and we will see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign up to connect for more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. 00:30:55:10 - 00:31:05:02 Unknown And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes Thrive so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

Description: Get ready for an enlightening episode where we've got some valuable lessons to share from the past few years. You know what they say: being prepared pays off! This episode will help you gear up and be recession ready. We're not saying you need to start panicking right now, but it's always wise to have a plan tucked away just in case a recession hits—whether it's this year, next year, or who knows when! Think of it like having a disaster recovery plan or a crisis management strategy. We want you to have that "what if" plan in your back pocket, ready to tackle any changes, control expenses, or adjust if needed. It's all about being proactive! Today, we're lucky to have two fantastic guests with us: Amy Whittenberger, an HR Business Advisor and Subject Matter Expert from our MRA Hotline, and Susan Abler, MS, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Member Relations Advisor & Director of Outplacement. They're here to take us through exciting "What If" scenarios. We'll cover everything from smart capacity strategies and finding or nurturing talent to retaining employees, keeping them motivated, and ensuring their overall well-being. And hey, we'll even dive into the tough questions about potential workforce reductions if things get real. Resources: 2023 Economic Outlook  Outplacement and Career Transitions  HR Hotline  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Susan Abler  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Susan Abler  Guest Bio - Amy Whittenberger  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Amy Whittenberger  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 nature. 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 - 00:00:47:00 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, we have learned many lessons these past two years, but one of the most important lessons is that it pays to be prepared. So for this podcast episode, we are going to help you prepare and be recession ready in. While we are not saying that you need to be ready right now, whether a recession hits later this year or next year or whenever, it's just best to have a plan in your back pocket. 00:00:47:02 - 00:01:19:23 Unknown So today we are joined by Amy Whittenberger our business advisor and subject matter expert from our MRA hotline, and Susan Adler, member relations advisor and director of outplacement, will help us take a look at some what if plans, along with the tough questions, if and when it might come time for reductions in your workforce. So one of the best ways to be recession ready is really to prepare Now by optimizing your workforce and optimizing your workforce now helps you focus on long term success. 00:01:19:23 - 00:01:43:15 Unknown So you will come out stronger after a recession. So, Amy, let's start out by asking, do you have any suggestions for companies seeking cost saving opportunities within the workforce? Yeah, I do. In fact, just recently at one of the roundtables I facilitated for Mra. For our h.r. Group, we talked about this exact topic, just, you know, cost savings, you know, ideas. 00:01:43:17 - 00:02:15:06 Unknown Some of the things that came up in our conversation were first, you know, is get everyone involved. So saving money, having great ideas, you know, challenge all of your employees to participate in this and help the company. And reward them, you know, when they have great ideas for saving money. So get your employees involved. And then next, one of the things that we talked about is the whole idea of scheduling and time, time keeping, because that's kind of the thing that kind of falls off our radar, that can that can cost the money. 00:02:15:07 - 00:02:38:06 Unknown We don't even know it. You know, for example, there are times in timekeeping where minutes add up to hours in weeks and months and can add up to thousands of dollars. For example, when we have employees that tend to be those that are tardy for work and tardy, you know, fairly often, often we pay those people for those six, seven, 8 minutes that they're late. 00:02:38:08 - 00:02:59:19 Unknown And then over time, that can add up to 1000 hours, you know, in a year. And if you multiply that by several employees, it can be a significant cost to the company. Other things that come with timekeeping, you know, include looking at things like calls, last minute changes, which then causes overlap in work for people to put in extra time or overtime. 00:02:59:21 - 00:03:24:16 Unknown So look at reasons why there is changes in schedule, whether it's employees that that are calling in or if it's things that are happening on the process side of things and look at, you know, how you can prevent those types of things. Then there's also optimizing schedules. So if you're a company that has multiple shifts, look at how much overlap you have between employees and shifts. 00:03:24:18 - 00:03:45:09 Unknown Sometimes it's fairly common to overlap an hour, but you really need to overlap. An hour can reduce it to half an hour, even 15 minutes to get really efficient. Are there other things that we can look at? You know, as you look at ourselves within h.r. You know, a very common call that i get is what happens when we overtime overpay. 00:03:45:09 - 00:04:16:13 Unknown Employees. And that can happen for various reasons. You know, the wrong data gets plugged into your address and they're paying on the wrong rate or the wrong premium. And the first thing I say is, you know, it's absolutely okay to recoup those funds, but a lot of companies don't realize that they can and that they should. The second piece is, as I would be taking time to really audit your systems to make sure your data is correct so that you can prevent overpayments in the first place. 00:04:16:15 - 00:04:46:23 Unknown Yes, absolutely. Well, kind of digging deeper and another way to look at is capacity strategies. So how can that help an organization be better prepared with an agile workforce? Well, I think you kind of said it when we kicked it off, But, you know, the first thing that comes to mind when we think of being agile, I think of 2019 and when coronavirus hit, we all had to pivot and find different ways of working and getting things done. 00:04:47:00 - 00:05:25:10 Unknown And what I would stress is that all companies instill agility into their core values and really bring that to the forefront in all communications and your staff meetings and things and really learn to be an agile workforce. You know, and one way of doing that is I would take your lessons from what you did for COVID, take out that playbook that you had, you know, in notes you took and things that you did and maybe, you know, make that more of a common function quarterly, semiannually, maybe to look at, you know, what did we do and how can we do that again to make sure that we're being agile? 00:05:25:12 - 00:05:52:14 Unknown What are the the biggest things that come to mind, I think, is, you know, to be agile, you have to be able to remove barriers so people can make changes and make decisions quickly. So look at your processes and your expectations in terms of how we communicate, make decisions and remove those barriers. Then there's other things. You know, one of the things I found is, you know, have your employees think like they're small business owners and then think like they are a business owner. 00:05:52:15 - 00:06:09:03 Unknown You know, if I own this business, what changes would I like to make or what I think should be made? Because I am close to this type of process and I know it can be done differently and reward them for that kind of thinking. And then to be more agile, I think you also have to be ready for those changes. 00:06:09:03 - 00:06:40:16 Unknown So think about people that can be cross-trained in different functions so that if you do make a change, they can make that pivot into the different role or function more quickly. Absolutely. Well, you just talked about across true cross training. And when considering cost concerns, it's essential to kind of determine where to invest limited resources. So considering building versus buying your talent, But it's also important to continue to invest in your future, even in those cost conscious times. 00:06:40:18 - 00:07:03:15 Unknown So what suggestions do you have on ways to think strategically and plan for current and future talent requirements? I think this is so important. You know, if you think about talent, which is our human resources, right, our people, let's make sure that they are currently as productive as they can be in Agile. As I just said, which is one way. 00:07:03:17 - 00:07:26:18 Unknown But also when you think of current in talent requirements in the future, you know, I think first let's also conserve what we have. We know that when we lose people, you know, in terms of retention, hiring and turnover can be really costly, right? So let's first make sure that we're conserving our people, but then let's invest in them. 00:07:26:20 - 00:07:54:09 Unknown And one way, you know, is to look into performance. You know, how can we make sure that they are performance optimally? You know, look at maybe some of your pay philosophies in terms of pay for performance instead of a flat increase across the board. Maybe you're incentivizing those people that are upskilling or hired have high potential with the company or great attitudes and really want to work through their discretionary effort to get things done. 00:07:54:11 - 00:08:28:17 Unknown Another way of looking at your performance and making sure that we're optimizing our talent is like using like a nine buck philosophy or even the top 10% bottom 10% philosophies in terms of looking at excuse me, when you have the people that are in that top right hand box, right, you want to make sure that you're continuing to challenge them and provide them abilities to reach higher levels and to upskill those that are in the battle of ten bucks or in the bottom 10%. 00:08:28:22 - 00:08:50:07 Unknown You know, let's look at why and figure out, you know, is it a system thing or is it a person thing and what changes should we make to upgrade them so they're no longer in the bottom 10%? And that way, you continually upgrading your bar in terms of achieved achievement. And then lastly, invest in professional development. And, you know, I don't think this has to be a costly thing or even a cost item. 00:08:50:07 - 00:09:16:01 Unknown I think that, you know, a great way of doing this is to work with people in terms of providing on the job training or even job shadowing, you know, expose them to other people in the company or other functions in the company. You know, a great example to do that is to provide them, you know, an opportunity to sit on a project that may or may not necessarily in their department or their function. 00:09:16:01 - 00:09:50:03 Unknown So cross functional exposure is a great way to provide development support or how about communication? We've got to talk about communication and economic uncertainty. So any suggestions you have on ensuring that transparent and confident communication and building trust among employees during this time? Well, yeah, you know, and so if you remember, we just talked about this in another podcast in terms of the importance of communications, you know, when it comes to employee relations, you know, if I think of all my years of working with people and coaching h.r. 00:09:50:03 - 00:10:19:21 Unknown In leaders, you know, when things are going well at a company, it's probably because communications are going well. When things aren't going well at a company, it could be because communications aren't going well. So i think when there's times of uncertainty, i think we we definitely need to amp up our communication with our employees. You know, when there's when there's ambiguity of what's going on in a company or messaging just doesn't seem to be, you know, at the level it should be for employees to understand what's going on. 00:10:19:23 - 00:10:54:05 Unknown You know, it just makes them anxious. I think they start filling in reasons of their own. They, you know, it's natural for us to think the worst. So I think in terms of communications, I think even bad news that is honest news about what's going on with the company is probably better than no news in this situation. But I think also it has to be, you know, increase in your touchpoints with employees, you know, so not just written communications, but also make sure that, you know, across the board our leaders are managers or h.r. 00:10:54:06 - 00:11:25:09 Unknown Supervisors are having more frequent even daily interactions with employees. Just so that you're getting about in, you know, really getting the pulse of people and what's going on. Where are they in terms of their level of anxiety and questions that they have, you know, be more personable, ask what's going on and make sure that you're not making assumptions and then make sure that they're not making assumptions either because they have the right information from the company for sure. 00:11:25:14 - 00:11:53:17 Unknown Like Amy said, she went into communication a little more deeply in an employee relations podcast. So feel free to take a look at their own if you want to learn more tips on that. But as we talk more about talent, do you have any tips to keep the talent you currently have that businesses currently have or any retention strategies you might suggest for an organization to plan for or in a recession? 00:11:53:19 - 00:12:17:02 Unknown Yeah, I think, you know, almost probably everything I've said so far are all different ways that can work towards retaining employees, you know, building that level of trust and loyalty with employees that makes them want to stay with the company, you know, So, you know, great communication both, you know, from top on down, but also that personal communication with supervisors is really key. 00:12:17:04 - 00:12:40:17 Unknown I think, you know, recognition in terms of, you know, how well they're doing, their jobs, things that they're achieving, accomplishing simple thank you's. And, you know, I talked about professional development. That certainly is key. You know, for those that, you know, truly do want to be challenged and just showing that confidence, you have employees when you say, hey, you know, I think you certainly have potential for this. 00:12:40:17 - 00:13:01:00 Unknown Let's try and see if you like it. And then there's other things I think we also have to talk about, which is understanding where employees are at in terms of work life balance, flexibility, benefits needs, because all of our lives are different. You know, world of work has certainly changing in the world we live in is certainly changing. 00:13:01:02 - 00:13:22:24 Unknown You know, you know, many of us are in that sandwich generation where we're taking care of kids or grandkids and parents or other family members. So there's so much need for, you know, different levels of flexibility at different points in our lives. And I think that can go a long way towards retention of we're a little bit more flexible now about motivation. 00:13:22:24 - 00:13:51:12 Unknown How do you keep employees going during these uncertain times? Yeah, so, you know, I mentioned ambiguity as I think if if we're ever going to amp up our communication and get out there and be more visible to employees, I think it's key in order to motivate is to really be, you know, upbeat and optimistic. When you're out there on the floor, you know, really leading the charge that we can get through this together. 00:13:51:14 - 00:14:20:00 Unknown And, you know, and with that, maybe provide ways or encourage them to reach out to their team members to build a cohesive team and really trust that together we can get through these things. And then, you know, part of being upbeat is, you know, celebrating those wins again. So recognizing big wins, little wins, you know, things that can just help people cheer them up and see the maybe the end of the line of the tunnel that, you know, if we if we keep ticking away, we'll get through this. 00:14:20:02 - 00:14:42:09 Unknown So, you know, along with employee engagement and motivation, it's also important to consider employees well-being and health during challenging times. So how can employers really help in this area? Yeah, I think everything that we we are doing, we should continue doing and again, maybe be a little bit more intentional about it when we know there's some uncertainty going on. 00:14:42:09 - 00:15:07:00 Unknown So, you know, mental health, health has become a bigger issue, is coming to the forefront. People are more comfortable sharing that, you know, I need help with it, just like I need help with my my physical issues in terms of benefits that are provided. So when you know, when you think of these uncertain times, you know, people's anxiety again is risen, which causes, you know, some stress. 00:15:07:02 - 00:15:28:06 Unknown So things that we can do to help relieve stress, there's certainly going to be helpful to people and help them to be more productive. It could be little things that we could take, for example, you know, bring in a massage therapist in order to employees can pay 15 or $20 for a massage. We do that at MRA, which is really cool and awesome. 00:15:28:08 - 00:15:53:19 Unknown But you can also encourage challenges to walk a little bit more, get away from your desk a little bit, you know, like in activities, you know, and breaks or lunch periods, maybe even send out links for mindfulness activities to do at your computer, just to take even a 2 to 3 minute break. Studies have shown that that is helpful to people's stress levels. 00:15:53:21 - 00:16:17:11 Unknown And then in a sense, this is a time of, you know, inflation and paychecks are a little bit smaller, it seems, you know, maybe even having lunch and learns with employees where they can talk or learn about, you know, budget ideas and financial concerns and maybe share with each other ideas they have for for saving money in these uncertain times. 00:16:17:13 - 00:16:38:05 Unknown And then the last thing I think of is, you know, if there's one thing a company can do, which is, you know, if people are already a little bit on edge, you know, let's make sure that we're removing any frustrations that we can with any cumbersome policies and procedures that we have as well. Yeah, I mean, those are all great tips. 00:16:38:07 - 00:17:11:05 Unknown Now we're on to the tough questions, unfortunately. But let's say you've done all you can, but you're still faced with having to reduce your workforce. What are the first steps that you recommend for an organization facing this? Yeah, so the first thing that comes to mind when you talk about employers, you know, they used to be I think when we we were in the midst of thinking about, you know, downsizing, it could be the thinking that, you know what, we can go ahead and do a layoff because I think we can rebound pretty quickly and bring those people back. 00:17:11:07 - 00:17:32:00 Unknown Well, I don't know if that's true anymore because, you know, talent is so hard to find these days. I think we have to think a lot harder about that mentality in terms of, you know, letting people go. So I think, you know, first really thinking about alternatives and before we go that route, you know, thankfully, you know, MRA has an awesome resource for this. 00:17:32:01 - 00:18:00:01 Unknown You know, we've developed what we call the layoff toolkit, and it talks about things that you can think about before you actually think about laying off people and some of those ideas are, you know, first looking at your normal attrition. So look at performance reviews, look at people's performances. You know, is there reason, you know, that some people might be naturally falling off or that we might involuntary have them fall off because performance isn't where we need it to be? 00:18:00:03 - 00:18:30:22 Unknown Then, you know, also look at, you know, in a larger aspect in terms of voluntary tournaments, you know, is that an all in option or providing in a different kind of scheduling maybe for those people that could start transitioning at a company without losing all that tribal knowledge that they have, but still, you know, make it lucrative or worthwhile for them to retire, you know, in terms of finances and benefits, You know, certainly looking at reduced schedules across the company. 00:18:30:24 - 00:18:53:17 Unknown So can we eliminate 1 to 4, 8 hours, you know, from a weekly schedule or monthly schedule, even, you know, across the board or making it, you know, a rolling schedule in terms of different amounts of time off. Because like I kind of said earlier, you know, that that our here and there costs, you know, a pretty big spectrum could add up to, you know, pretty good cost savings. 00:18:53:19 - 00:19:26:01 Unknown So look a bit about changing schedules, reducing schedules, and then, you know, if if it's going to be a layoff, maybe it's not everyone at one time, maybe you could think about a rolling layoff. So, you know, layoff portions or trunks of people at a time, bring them back at different times as well, because it might not be as impactful to the company doing it all at one time and then asking for involuntary furloughs or even mandatory furloughs as well for people. 00:19:26:03 - 00:20:02:10 Unknown And that's all really good things that we can be thinking about before we, you know, have to really be faced with a full, complete downsizing or layoff. As. Susan, any thoughts from you from an outplacement perspective then? Yes, right. Amy had some really good ideas. One of the things that I suggest to employers when they're contemplating a reduction in force and outplacement is to really think broadly, strategically, legally, because all of those things are involved in a reduction in force. 00:20:02:12 - 00:20:33:06 Unknown I really like h.r. To take an extra look at the employee list and really look at the dynamics of the current makeup of the workforce. You may be surprised. So you have a group of people who are near to retirement than you thought. So like amy said, perhaps voluntary retirement might be a solution. But if you're starting to talk outplacement internally within the organization, then a lot of decisions have already been made. 00:20:33:08 - 00:21:08:17 Unknown So think broadly and then also think about those employees that you'll be targeting and the size of that group, two or more individuals as a group, and that has different legal consequences than just doing an excellent job of one person. So letting people go is cost effective in the long run. In the short term, it's expensive because you have vacation pay out, you have severance, you have a benefit continuation and you have outplacement costs. 00:21:08:19 - 00:21:43:24 Unknown So I always like to advise employers to think about that short term. And in the long term, because it is expensive, you need to be coordinating, you know, in terms of how are you going to get that company property shutting off I.T. access as part of a reduction in force. And then with outplacement, I would just encourage Marie members to give me a call and let's talk about the logistics, what type of outplacement you offer and how you go about that will probably be depended upon how many people you're letting go. 00:21:44:01 - 00:22:10:03 Unknown Does does it make more sense to do group workshops for the individuals? Let's say you're laying off a couple dozen people. If you're laying off maybe 5 to 10, you might want to offer an individual package. Outplacement tends to be offered in monthly increments, and so I'm afraid we offer a one month to month and six month program, as are standard. 00:22:10:05 - 00:22:30:14 Unknown But we can customize a program to any need or budget. And again, that's why I offer our members to have a discussion with me to really figure out what a good solution would be. You know, when we talk about it and those conversations are point of outplacement, you know, we also have to think about what we call the survivors, right? 00:22:30:16 - 00:22:54:09 Unknown So how do we take people take care of the people that are still going to be working? Because it's very common that there's this, you know, the syndrome that's called, you know, the survivor effect. They feel guilty that, you know, why why did I get to keep my job when the next person lost their job? So making sure that you're focusing back on those employees, help them through that. 00:22:54:15 - 00:23:12:07 Unknown You know, it's part of a grief process. One of the things that Susan said that made me realize I didn't mention a very important piece when it comes to I would say I would say is in groups of people is that there is, you know, state and federal laws that most of us are familiar with, called the WARN Act. 00:23:12:09 - 00:23:41:09 Unknown If you're letting go, you know, a sizable group or are closing down a plant, which is tends to be about 50 people or more, depending on the size of the company, locations of companies. And but we need to consider the one act as well. You. Yeah, absolutely. I was just going to mention you mentioned about the survivors, but not only is it hard telling people they've been laid off, but you also have to worry about maintaining the productivity of the remaining team, like you said. 00:23:41:09 - 00:24:21:04 Unknown So just kind of asking you to dig a little deeper and what does the outplacement plan really look like and any advice on how to implement it or start one? Yeah, very good question, Vince. Employees are watching, so it's really important. They are an employer. Think about that. So I reduction of force impacts everybody. It's an incredibly stressful situation across the board and those employees that retain their jobs, they want to know how their former coworkers and friends were taken care of. 00:24:21:04 - 00:24:48:24 Unknown So outplacement is really an important way for an employer to reduce risk. It gives employees who are losing their job a really soft landing, and it also helps an employer protect their brand. And so I think those are important starting points. When an employer is considering outplacement, think of all the good reasons to do it and to have that additional expense. 00:24:48:24 - 00:25:32:00 Unknown I mean, we share the mutual goal with the former employer and that we want to get the person back to work as quickly as possible. And so an outplacement program is just so valuable in in that regard. And I think one of the important pieces that Susan and her team plays is that if a company does provide outplacement to employees that conversation where they're, you know, immediately handed off to a skilled person and crew transition that can have that that touchpoint with that employee and the employee knows that the service is available to them and that they will have someone that can help them work through their issues and then help them get reemployed again. 00:25:32:02 - 00:26:00:11 Unknown It's certainly mitigates a lot of emotional activity or rumors that could go on. Oh, yeah, that's an excellent point. Very few employers today require an employee to sign their separation agreement before outplacement can start. And so not all employers do that, but the vast majority do. So that's one of the decisions that need to be made early on with regards to outplacement as as well. 00:26:00:13 - 00:26:30:19 Unknown The other thing that employers need to be aware of is once you send the person to us, our obligation is really supporting that individual. And in order to build rapport with that person, we have to have a trust and a big part of their trust is them knowing that the program is confidential. And so employers need to realize that we won't be sharing information back to them about their former employee or we've talked about a lot today. 00:26:30:21 - 00:26:53:01 Unknown You have given great advice today, but do either of you have anything to kind of end with your might drop moment or your last piece of advice that you want to give our listeners today? Well, I'll give you a quick plug for outplacement. I mean, I do think it's critical. It gives a person a stock landing. Employer reduces your risk, it protects your black brand. 00:26:53:01 - 00:27:18:10 Unknown Again, employees are watching. And so you really want to take good care of these individuals and people who participate in an outplacement program to get back to work more quickly. And they just have a more positive state of being, which I think is really important. And I would just want to go back to my favorite word, which is communication. 00:27:18:12 - 00:27:45:07 Unknown There's so much we can do to be ready or to avoid situations, which is, you know, there's never enough communication. I don't think I've ever heard of a company over communicating. It's normally, you know, the ladder where our supervisors, managers leadership is in communicating enough. So communicate, communicate and communicate well. Hopefully all of these great ideas will help you be recession ready if and when that comes. 00:27:45:09 - 00:28:04:05 Unknown So you can prepare your organization for success no matter what comes our way. So I want to thank both of you for being here today and sharing your knowledge with us into our listeners. Don't forget to like, comment and share this episode and take a look at the show notes below. We've got all the resources we need on this topic. 00:28:04:07 - 00:28:26:19 Unknown We've got Susan and Amy's bio and LinkedIn profiles in Resources on becoming an MRA member. So thank you for tuning in and we will see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. 00:28:26:19 - 00:28:36:11 Unknown And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes Thrive so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the HR conversation.  

Description: In today's rapidly evolving work environments, ensuring your leaders are equipped with the necessary skills to drive organizational success is more crucial than ever. Join us as we explore MRA's premier leadership series, PLX PLUS, designed to meet the demands of the modern workplace. Hosted by MRA's premier PLX instructors, this podcast takes you on a journey through the exciting features and enhancements of the newly updated PLX PLUS program. From essential knowledge and skills for effective people leadership to innovative learning experiences before, during, and after the classroom, we leave no stone unturned. With PLX PLUS, you'll discover how this comprehensive leadership training goes beyond the traditional approaches. By condensing classroom time to just eight power-packed sessions (alongside the option for additional electives), we prioritize efficiency without compromising the depth and breadth of learning. We're here to empower leaders like never before! Whether you're an aspiring leader, an HR professional seeking impactful training solutions, or a curious individual interested in the latest trends in leadership development, this podcast is for you. Gain insights from industry thought leaders, explore real-world success stories, and unlock the potential within your organization. Don't miss out on the opportunity to level up your leadership game and drive positive change in your workplace. Tune in to Principles of Leadership Excellence: PLUS So Much More!, and let's embark on a journey of transformation together. Resources:  Register for PLX Plus!  Other MRA Learning & Development Opportunities  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Kate Walker  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Kate Walker  Guest Bio - Kathy Price  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Kathy Price  Guest Bio - Lois Joseph  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Lois Joseph  Guest Bio - Janet Kloser  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Janet Kloser  Guest Bio - Andy Marris  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Andy Marris  Guest Bio - Cheryl Lucas-DeBerry  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Cheryl Lucas-DeBerry  Guest Bio - Michelle Hyde  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Michelle Hyde  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. 00:00:21:04 - 00:00:59:16 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. All right. Well, hello, everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute Thrive. I am so excited for this episode today because we're joined by a lot of great individuals from the learning and Development team to talk about some exciting news. That is, MRA has just launched Principles of Leadership Excellence Plus on July 13, to be exact, this new version of MRA's Leadership series really includes the essential knowledge and skills from the 12 day PLX plus plus it features to enhance the learning experience before, during and after time in the classroom. 00:00:59:18 - 00:01:17:21 Unknown So I don't want to go into too much detail because I'll leave that up to the experts here from the L&D team to give you all that good information. So, Cheryl, do you want to kind of kick us off and give us an overview on what MRA's PLX Plus series is and what the new version really looks like? 00:01:17:23 - 00:01:47:08 Unknown Yes, absolutely something. What I'd like to do is give you some history about the leadership series overall. So MRA's flagship leadership program, which was formerly called The Principles of Management, began in the 1980s, in the early 1980s. It was designed to assist managers with day to day management of their direct reports, also to work effectively with their managers as well as their internal and external peers. 00:01:47:10 - 00:02:14:11 Unknown The series consisted of ten full days of classes that focused on key leadership skills that managers would need to know and to practice. Some of those included understanding how sometimes you have to be a manager and sometimes you have to be a leader. And also the other sessions explored effective communication skills how to handle conflict effectively, managing performance expectations and so much more. 00:02:14:13 - 00:02:48:08 Unknown So here's a quote from one of our principles of management participants. They said, and I quote MRA's Principles of Management series prepared me to deal with differing work styles, communication styles and personalities. It also taught me how to deal with morale problems and to find ways to motivate people throughout our organization. It's great to get theory, but it's application of real practical people skills that makes a great leader. 00:02:48:10 - 00:03:23:17 Unknown Thanks, MRA. And this comes from Barry, who has a 2009 graduate. So in 2015, MRA decided that the series needed to be enhanced to meet the changing needs of leaders in the 21st century. The name was then changed from principles of management to principles of leadership excellence, also known as. The core tenets of the original series was kept and additional topics were added, such as managing generational differences. 00:03:23:19 - 00:03:58:01 Unknown New activities were also implemented to enhance learning and to give participants more opportunities to practice the skills in a safer environment. But don't take our word for it. Let's hear from some of the participants themselves who completed the series. One participant says the PLX series is a must have for any leader. Another one says the entire PLX series helps to deal with real life work situations and dealing with being a new leader. 00:03:58:03 - 00:04:29:03 Unknown I can apply what I have learned every day. Finally, another participant says The PLX series has provided so many tools to use in my role. It has helped me to continue to grow. I really enjoyed the classes and look forward to applying it to my job. The new version of the series is eight full days plus one elective, which could be either a full day of training or two half days. 00:04:29:05 - 00:04:57:10 Unknown The participants will have various topics to select from and that would be based on their both needs and interests. Another key feature of our new series is the peer Learning Circles. So we don't just drop you. After three months, participants can come to the peer learning circles and then again after six months. So the learning will continue after the initial series has been completed. 00:04:57:12 - 00:05:24:06 Unknown Thank you, Cheryl, for that history and overview. Very interesting. Kathy, we know that MRA already had a program, so how did the team really determine that it was time for a refresh? Businesses always continue to evolve, and especially coming off the last three years, businesses have had businesses and are the people who make up our businesses have had to deal with more than ever. 00:05:24:08 - 00:06:14:13 Unknown So if 2015 was eight years ago, so lots has changed in those eight years, but we always want to listen to our members, to our participants, and they were saying several things to us. And as Cheryl said, we added new topics when we went to Principles of Leadership Excellence for Principles of Leadership, Leadership Excellence. Plus we've added additional content around emotional intelligence and around resilience and around diversity, equity and inclusion, around conflict management, all the kinds of things that people are living day to day, not only in their businesses, but in their lives. 00:06:14:15 - 00:06:36:03 Unknown So we heard loud and clear from our members and our participants what their leaders need now. So, Andy, kind of going off of that, we know there's so many different highlights of the series and we've kind of touched on them briefly, but what are some of the benefits of the new and improved PLX plus that you want to talk about? 00:06:36:05 - 00:07:05:04 Unknown Well, it's all about being sticky and so making what is learned applicable has always been a target of ours. But I think we've got some additional things that are going to make it even better. And one of the things I'm really excited about is we now have a 45 minute manager overview and what that is, is the manager of the participants who are also either aspiring or current managers are going to be there to guide them along the way, be that support and really check in how they're doing beforehand. 00:07:05:10 - 00:07:27:22 Unknown Look at what are they going to be going to training on and then afterwards following up, what are you going to apply, How are you going to make that part of your daily life? And so I think that's really exciting. There are only 45 minutes there live online, but we're getting those managers to come. They find out what to expect, and then we even introduce them to another thing I'm really excited about, and that is our PLX Plus coaching guide. 00:07:27:24 - 00:07:43:18 Unknown What they're going to get with that is a guide that actually gives them all the questions to ask their participants. And so they don't have to come up with these things on their own. We've made it as easy and as quick as possible so they get the coaching experience without having to take a lot of time out of their day. 00:07:43:20 - 00:08:13:18 Unknown And so we're really excited about that. Janet, Looks like you want to add something as well. Yeah, I just wanted to say if the leader does not have the ability, we know the leaders impact on the the participant is the highest, but if they don't have the ability to take time out for that, the participant could also identify a mentor that could come to that manager overview and be their key person to help them and use that coaching guide to hold them accountable and help them as they go through the program. 00:08:13:20 - 00:08:40:02 Unknown It's a great idea if you have an accountability partner of a sponsor, someone though, that's going to hold your feet to the fire a little bit and say, I'm going to apply what I'm learning because that's really what it's all about. We know you're going to have a lot of fun. We call ourselves agitators. It's it's a it's a really good time when you come, but it really isn't worth what we do very much if we don't have people applying what they learn so that their companies get results and thrive and that that's really what we're all about. 00:08:40:04 - 00:09:09:24 Unknown And so that's another thing I'm really excited about. In addition to that, we have a new 360. Traditionally we've had a 360 where they're finding out what their manager, what their peers, what their direct reports think of how they're doing in a litany of different areas. And we've got an enhanced one. It's called the Star 360 Leadership Survey, and that will be even more so tied to the content and they'll really be able to go, okay, this is something that people told me I need to work on or This is something that I think I can make a superpower because I know I'm good at it. 00:09:09:24 - 00:09:30:20 Unknown People are confirming that. And why not take it to an even higher level? And so I think that's something that is going to be really great as well. And then it's just also a great time to be able to have what Sheryl mentioned, these these peer learning circles. It's a chance to come back with the people in your cohort. 00:09:30:22 - 00:09:51:14 Unknown Talk about what you've learned six months and three months and actually six months after the the training is over, after they graduate, continue the networking and really dive into what have you been applying, how's it been working for you? And then even looking for maybe even additional help to get those results from there? People Yeah, absolutely. Thank you, Andy. 00:09:51:16 - 00:10:16:14 Unknown And I just have to add to a huge differentiator. And in MRA's PLX program compared to other leadership programs is our instructors. So the folks that we have on here today and they all really have the real world experience, a variety of credentials and have held numerous positions, including executive roles. I mean, some are consultants, coaches, entrepreneurs and some even have their own companies. 00:10:16:14 - 00:10:45:09 Unknown So I'm going to turn it to our instructors now. This is a nine day program. Can you talk about what's included in these nine days? And we'll start with module one. So Janet, do you want to kind of explain some of the core modules or core initiatives in this module? One? Absolutely. So if you Thank you. So the first module is building trust and relationships and we know that relationships are the basis for the foundation for all of our success. 00:10:45:09 - 00:11:14:16 Unknown So we will continue to explore the differences between managing and leading. And when do you wear this hat versus when do you wear that hat so that you can be successful for all situations? We also dive into effective uses of both influential and positional power. We look at some different best practices for workplace interactions and relationships going up the ladder, down the ladder and with your peers that you don't have any positional power over. 00:11:14:16 - 00:11:35:22 Unknown So what are the things that we need to do to be highly successful with all of those? And they'll also be assessing their own relationships and figuring out what's a game plan, What am I missing? What do I need to do? We will dive into emotional intelligence, as Kathy said earlier, and also look at building trust. So it's a little bit of an outline. 00:11:35:22 - 00:12:03:15 Unknown So in the new PLX plus version, we've done a few things to really maximize the time in the learning. So we've taken this series introduction out of the first day. It's all stuff that's necessary and people want to know. So they're kind of like, What am I in for? But they do it on demand as blended learning outside before they start the series so that we can protect that in classroom time for the most meaningful interactions with other people while we're exploring the content. 00:12:03:21 - 00:12:28:15 Unknown But they can come confident that I know what I'm in for, right? We've also increased our activities and our discussions around emotional intelligence. So this is a thread throughout the whole series and it has been because it's everything that we do as a leader, but we are going to get more specific and dive in there. We've also expanded our exploration into trust. 00:12:28:17 - 00:12:53:08 Unknown Previously we had a trust model based really on the 1 to 1 interactions and building trust that way. And now we're introducing a second model that we've been given permission to share, and it's all about building team trust. So we're very excited about it includes things like growing connections and fostering safety in a team environment and creating a meaningful future for your team members. 00:12:53:08 - 00:13:26:00 Unknown A lot of things that are really top of mind and hot buttons in today's world. So we're very excited about module one and back to you. Sophie Awesome. Thank you. Janet. I'm going to pass it right along to Michelle, who's going to talk about module two to right. Excellent. So after we build this foundation of our leadership series discussing trust and relationships, we're going to move on to module two, day one, where we focus on communicating clearly for results, and we're going to do a deep dive into the ways that we communicate. 00:13:26:01 - 00:14:00:10 Unknown And that includes not just our words but nonverbal aspects of communication, things like tone, things like body language. We're going to spend some time on active listening, asking the right questions, and then the best way to deliver feedback, which is such an important part of being a leader. We have also kept one of our signature elements of pledge, which is the dis communication skills assessment, and this valuable tool gives us insight into our communication style preferences as well as how to most effectively communicate with those that we work with. 00:14:00:12 - 00:14:24:00 Unknown We have found the risk assessment to be a real game changer for the folks who participate in politics. And we're thrilled to move this up to the second day of the series. We will have two outside of class e-learning, similar to what Janet was just talking about that you're going to watch on your own and we'll discuss. As a group in class, one learning is going to focus on the modes of communication. 00:14:24:02 - 00:14:46:22 Unknown So diving into all the different modes we use like email, phone videos, meetings, instant messaging, things like that. And one is going to focus on characteristics of different generations in today's workplace to and then because module two is so chock full of information, we give you a second day to the module and that's going to focus on navigating conflicts in the workplace. 00:14:46:24 - 00:15:10:10 Unknown And the main thing that's changing about this module and plus is where it falls in the order of classes. So in pure class, this module has been moved closer to the communication module because navigating conflict is so intertwined with communication. And in this day of the module we're going to provide you with a six step process to manage and resolve conflict respectfully. 00:15:10:12 - 00:15:46:03 Unknown And we're going to talk about the different ways we respond to conflict and when each response is appropriate. Data, as Andy mentioned, is also the day we're going to share out the results from those Starr 360 assessments that you your direct reports, your peers and your leadership will all fill out. And Andy mentioned that there's going to be some enhancements within that 360 report and one of the things we're really excited about is the ability for respondents to add comments throughout that just to give you sort of a more robust picture of your strengths and opportunities as well. 00:15:46:05 - 00:16:06:24 Unknown Put simply, module two is powerhouse. We're really excited for it. Oh yeah, I'm excited for it. Thank you, Michelle. Andy, you want to take module three? Well, I agree that module two is a powerhouse, but those that know me know that I have always thought the module three is my favorite. And so thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about that one. 00:16:07:01 - 00:16:35:16 Unknown And the late Peter Drucker once said Culture Eats Strategy for lunch. The baseball rule books this thick right? And yet there's unwritten rules everywhere, including in baseball, that aren't in the rulebook. And people need to know that. So we will work on how do you understand your culture? How do you how do you debunk some of the motivational myths that people believe very strongly and we're really pretty sure don't work all that well anymore and instead work within your culture and then also look for ways to engage your people. 00:16:35:16 - 00:16:54:19 Unknown We've got a great new enhanced assessment, nine motivators under three major categories that people are going to get into, be able to not have to test the win. What what are you motivated by? And of course, if you ask them, they'll say, show me the money. Well, it gives you eight other things that people could be motivated by. 00:16:54:21 - 00:17:16:11 Unknown And so we've got a new nine motivation model, and we're also going to still continue to look at praise and consequences and where those are appropriate to get results. And so the thing that I'm really most excited about is really looking at how your own company culture is different than maybe others and how to help people fit within them. 00:17:16:11 - 00:17:39:07 Unknown We're going to look at four different companies that are models of different types of cultures and really help people understand there's more than just yours. And as I said, we're going to have this nine this nine motivator model is based on the research of Dan Pink in the three areas that he thinks we're all motivated by, but then broken up into different categories. 00:17:39:08 - 00:17:59:20 Unknown We've got the information from Yale and Harvard Gallup Organization, amongst others, and I think it's just a great way to find out what people are really motivated by, really exciting, really cutting edge stuff. Probably the most so of we've got principles, right? Some of the stuff is thousands of years old, and yet human motivation is a moving target and we're trying to hit the bullseye. 00:17:59:22 - 00:18:24:15 Unknown Kathy do you want to add something? What I would add is that as the leader of the instructor team, I use that model with them to know what motivates them. And you would think, Oh, they're all instructors there. They would all be motivated by the same thing. Every single one of them is different. So I like to use the tools that we put out there for folks. 00:18:24:15 - 00:18:49:20 Unknown I would say this one in particular has huge value for you and your teams. Thank you. Kathy and Andy, how about moving on to module four? Cheryl All right, so module four is all about performance management. And so we've given folks a model of the steps that they need to take in order to have and do performance management. 00:18:49:24 - 00:19:22:24 Unknown The right way. So looking at the job descriptions and understanding what is it that people are doing, how managers need to take a look at and observe and then do some tracking performance behaviors and also looking at both positive as well as opportunities for development. Because sometimes managers will just look at the the negative things. And so we want to give a more balanced type of opportunity for them to look at it both and then give them some tools to do that. 00:19:23:01 - 00:19:46:23 Unknown And one of the tools that we will provide in this session is about smart goals and having them identify the smart goals. And here we go using our blended learning again where they will do something prior to coming to class, watch a webinar around smart goals and it gives them all the components and then they will come to class and be prepared to share that. 00:19:47:00 - 00:20:10:09 Unknown And then we move in to one of the key things that we all love about the MRA series is the diagnostic direction, and you learn what your leadership styles are. So participants will learn what their leadership styles are, but also more importantly, what do they need to do to adjust their leadership style. So it's not a one size fits all? 00:20:10:12 - 00:20:31:10 Unknown What do they need to adjust their leadership style for the people on their team? And then also looking at what is the aptitude of their direct reports? So what is that people already know? And then also looking at the appeal kind of where where do they want to go? How excited are they? Are they about doing certain activities? 00:20:31:15 - 00:20:56:01 Unknown Then we move into talking about delegation, which many managers don't like to do. Now I can do a better myself. I can do it all myself. Yes, you can. But do you really want to? And more importantly, do you really need to? So giving them some really good tools about delegation and determining who needs to be delegated to and and how and who should not be delegated to. 00:20:56:06 - 00:21:23:10 Unknown And then we talk about document ation in real estate. We say location, location, location and leadership. We talk about document, document, document, really, really key and giving them some some tools and resources that they can help to be able to track that documentation. And then finally, we talk about discipline management just don't like to discipline. So we go through what are the key steps in discipline. 00:21:23:10 - 00:21:47:16 Unknown And finally, rounding out module four with performance reviews, giving them the tools and resources, then we talk about performance reviews should just be that a review. So you want to spend more time on coming up with the goals for the report scoring going forward and not spending as much time on what they did throughout the year because the key is regular feedback. 00:21:47:16 - 00:22:18:04 Unknown You talk to them all year, so spend more time about being what are they going to do going forward. So that's model for and we're excited to offer it. All right. Well, that sounds like a whole lot of fun. Cheryl, Lois, did you have anything to add about coaching in the module for coaching such a key essential part of it for us to be able to put what we learn into practice and be able to make it hit the ground and be realistic. 00:22:18:06 - 00:22:41:20 Unknown So it's so important that we listen to that, that portion of it and practice it. Because I always say once I learned how to coach, I lowered my stress level quite a bit. Absolutely. Thanks, Lois. Janet, do you want to give an overview of what module five looks like? Sure. So module five is creating collaboration and effective teams. 00:22:41:22 - 00:23:10:06 Unknown So in module five, we look at the difference between groups and teams and different types of teams that we really put a big stress on the value of teams, right? Having diversity of thought, diversity of perspectives, getting people to weigh in so that we can make better decisions, create innovation and engage the people that we're interacting with as well as take care of the people that we serve, regardless of what product or service a company has. 00:23:10:08 - 00:23:32:06 Unknown So in this module, they're going to get some guidelines and practice determining how far can we allow the team to get involved without the risk being too high when we are making decisions so that we drive engagement. And again get the best possible results for any decision that we need to be making. We look at the stages of team development. 00:23:32:12 - 00:24:09:03 Unknown We also have an MRA team effectiveness model and participants use it with their own team so they can go back and assess what's the status of my team and what do I need to do differently. So they can plan for success. In the previous refresh, we had a lot of senior managers out in the community voice that we needed to add something, so we did about helping departmental managers understand their responsibility to align the departmental goals, activities, actions and purpose with that of the company vision, mission, goals and strategy. 00:24:09:03 - 00:24:33:21 Unknown And so we did this and we've we created a template for that leader to create a team purpose statement and it's become quite popular. So we continue to use that as they learn ways to talk about aligning all of their action and work and integrating goals and vision and mission together. So that's the module in general, things that are kind of new and different. 00:24:33:21 - 00:24:59:07 Unknown We put another little spin on consensus building, so when we learn these consensus building activities, we have a new tool to introduce, to share with people as they do a fun practice. For that, we've modified some of the activities around the stages of team development to help aid, engagement and retention of that knowledge. We have some case studies and we have practice scenarios throughout the whole series. 00:24:59:12 - 00:25:23:16 Unknown In module five, we have case studies based on manufacturing and office work and we've added a nonprofit case study to that. So we're excited to be able to speak more to those audiences and give people more of an opportunity when we are doing practice situations to choose what do they best relate to, whether it's hybrid work or office work or whatever it might be. 00:25:23:16 - 00:25:52:09 Unknown So trying to be very cognizant of that. We've also moved our mission and vision work along with that ever popular purpose statement into this module is to be in a different place. But we thought that combining this with all of the rest of the team activities really makes it a power packed day with a lot of tools, tips and techniques that people can walk away regardless of what type of team they have in person remote, and they'll just have a lot of tools to use. 00:25:52:09 - 00:26:27:01 Unknown So it's very exciting and they'll get lots of practice. As always. Yeah, sounds like a great module. Thank you, Janet. It's want to kind of bring us home today with module six. Absolutely. So module six is leading and thriving through change and we purposely end with change as our last module because all of those skills that all my colleagues have talked about, you need those to be able to be an effective change agent to as a, as a leader, you need to be able to communicate, understand other people's personal kitties, all that emotional intelligence. 00:26:27:03 - 00:26:49:15 Unknown But what I'm excited about for the new module is that we are going to look at the individual and human components of it. We're going to look at the team components of it, and then some technical tools and skills in the in the session, because we all know for change to be successful, each individual has to make input and make the change. 00:26:49:17 - 00:27:20:22 Unknown Otherwise it gets stale and just stalls out. So, you know, we've all been through change before and as change is happening, we see a lot of people running around, very busy making new processes, making those new systems, even training for those new behaviors. But sometimes what I think we forget about when all that stuff is going on is that what's happening to each person, Each person individually is going through emotional reactions, internal transitions regarding the change. 00:27:21:03 - 00:27:47:13 Unknown And we need our leaders to be aware of that. Not only so they can understand what they're going through, but also their team and their organization to help that. So we talk quite a bit about the emotional stages that the individuals go through during change and actually to bring it to life. We do a quick activity pretty early on in the session and some of them experience some of those emotional changes right then and there. 00:27:47:18 - 00:28:19:21 Unknown And we use that throughout the whole session to say, See, we were just doing this for fun and practice and look at how emotional some people got and look at how laid back other people were about it. So by making those leaders aware of these emotions, first of all, we're doing one of the things that Kathy talked about implementing better emotional intelligence in our leaders, because they're recognizing for themselves, for their team, and then we're also equipping them with skills of how they can help their teams through each of these emotional stages. 00:28:19:23 - 00:28:51:19 Unknown And not to mention there's also three transitional stages that individual goes through. Boy, a lot of stuff going on. And we're again helping them understand what those are talking about, the characteristics of each of those of those phases and how they can help the people as they go through each other. How can they say goodbye to that all the way, figure out how the new way is going to be, and then start being proactive about about their new beginning as they're going forward. 00:28:51:21 - 00:29:25:18 Unknown But we don't stop there because then we go into some technical tools, we go into the cats, a step change model and prophesies and car models. And you may be thinking, why would you give them two different models? Well, both of these models give a holistic approach to the change itself and how they engage with the workforce during the change process and by giving them to models that are just a little bit different and complement each other, it helps them determine what's best for my company or what's best for this change right now that we're going through. 00:29:25:20 - 00:29:48:07 Unknown And not only do we talk about these models, but we have them practice it through a case study. It just says Jan. And the same we have case studies throughout through all these topics. We're equipping the leaders with skills and tools of how to make an impact, to help with the change and to be a huge part of it is communication, communicating openly, often being transparent. 00:29:48:09 - 00:30:19:14 Unknown That means giving them the good, the bad and the ugly. All at one time. Because recognizing the difficulties of change and showing appreciation for it is huge. Kathy also talked about resiliency. We spend quite a bit of time on resiliency because it's a topic that we need to get better at. And as we unders Dan to resiliency, we're talking about how can you as an individual become more resilient and what are you doing as a leader? 00:30:19:17 - 00:31:00:19 Unknown Are you helping your team be more resilient? Are you helping them be more resilient? Are you defeating them because your culture of the organization can build our defeat resiliency? You know, Sophie, because change is constant and it will continue to happen at a faster pace. I think we're really providing tools so we can thrive through the change. I was saying I love, I love that thrives in the title, not just because this podcast is called 30 Minute Drive, but thank you all for highlighting each enhanced module of X Plus. 00:31:00:21 - 00:31:26:22 Unknown So we kind of gave that overview of what the series looks like. But now I'm curious who should be attending PLX Plus and Sylvia, take that one. So leaders that have some experience of being a people managers are the ones that we would really like to see in PLX. Plus they can have, you know, one or two years experience all the way up to several years of experience. 00:31:27:03 - 00:31:59:06 Unknown And their reason that it's such a large range is because of the depth and practice that we go into each of the topics. And so the participants back away with more experience under their belt. I do think Sophie, with the right mentors that high Potentials and brand new leaders can also benefit. One of the best things about the PLX cohort is that we do have that range of experience. 00:31:59:12 - 00:32:27:01 Unknown We have the range of industries, we have the range of job titles. It's a real a lot of companies want to send their folks to the public programs rather than bring them on site to their company because they want those different perspectives. Now, if they want to bring it to their company to enhance the team building activities, we can do that as well here at Emory. 00:32:27:03 - 00:32:55:05 Unknown So just kind of as we wrap up here, let's do a quick little rapid fire. I want to know what what are you most excited about with this launch? And maybe give me one or two words that kind of describes the series and your excitement so anyone can kind of speak out at this time. Interactive engagement, impactful, let's say applicability, manager involvement, real world opportunity. 00:32:55:11 - 00:33:22:22 Unknown Well, we are also joined by a recent PLX graduate, Sarah Benjamin. So, Sarah, I'm curious to hear your firsthand experience. How has PLX really impacted you and what are some of your key takeaways from the series? I feel like PLX had a pretty significant impact on me. I don't think I fully grasp the skills needed to be an effective leader before I took the series. 00:33:22:24 - 00:33:57:06 Unknown Now that I've taken the series, I now know that leadership is an endless journey and you never really stop building on your leadership skills. The series has provided me with invaluable insights and practical tools to become a more effective leader. If I could give future participants one piece of advice it is application is key. You really have to hold yourself accountable and get out there every day and actively practice the concepts you learned in class very well. 00:33:57:06 - 00:34:16:07 Unknown Let's end with the most important question here, and that is how can you register for PLX Plus Kate I'll give I'll give this one to you. Thanks, Sophie. We are so excited to share that we've got a hand registration system to improve your experience. We're going to make it even easier for you. You're going to love the new system. 00:34:16:07 - 00:34:32:23 Unknown It's going to be like a shopping cart experience. How you buy other things now, you'll be able to purchase our classes and training just as you do other things. So you'll just go to mranet.org and click on the learning tab and I'll walk you through what you need to do when you select your location or if you're going to be online. 00:34:33:00 - 00:34:47:03 Unknown One thing to keep in mind if you aren't a member, please take a look at the cost difference because you could probably saved almost as much of the membership by joining MRA, so we'd be happy to talk to you about that too. That might be worth it for you to consider, and we'd love to have you as a member. 00:34:47:03 - 00:35:10:16 Unknown If you're not, you have any questions about registering or if you'd like to have us come on to your company's site, provide the PLX for your team, we can do that as well. So there are a lot of different options that we provide and we're happy to help you. So thank you. Thank you, Kate. Well, I want to thank this whole group for being on 30 minute Thrive today and sharing this exciting update with our listeners and members. 00:35:10:16 - 00:35:30:18 Unknown And I just want to say congrats to to this team for all the hard work you've put into creating a fantastic schedule and series. And it's definitely a successful and beneficial program. So kudos to you all, to our listeners. Just before we go, I would just urge you to comment what you're most excited about with this new version of PLX. 00:35:30:24 - 00:35:51:10 Unknown Don't forget to share the episode and consider joining MRA. If you are a member already. Like Kate said, we've got all the resources of the show notes below, including the resources to get you registered for PLX Plus, so take a look at those. Otherwise, thanks again group and we will see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. 00:35:51:12 - 00:36:09:18 Unknown Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect for more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minute thrive so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the HR conversation.  

Description: Join us in this thought-provoking episode as we delve into the world of HR and explore the transformative journey from an operational HR role to a strategic HR function. Discover the pivotal shift from transactional tasks to forward-thinking initiatives that drive organizational success. Our expert guests share their valuable insights on building strategic HR capabilities, fostering leadership buy-in, leveraging data analytics for informed decision-making, and cultivating a culture of continuous improvement. Whether you're an HR professional or a business leader seeking to unlock the full potential of your HR team, this episode offers practical guidance for navigating this critical transformation. Resources: Strategic Workforce Planning Guide   MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Rebecca Jacobs  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Rebecca Jacobs  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Katie Coulson  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. 00:00:21:04 - 00:00:51:03 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Well, hello, everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 minute Thrive. Kind of got a special episode today because we're joined with two awesome HR Professionals from our Ohio division. Katie Coulson is our HR director at MRA company. Kwest group has been there for a little over seven years, but she has over 17 years of overall HR experience and is really passionate about the work she does and is coming with a lot of great advice and knowledge today. 00:00:51:05 - 00:01:23:18 Unknown In our second guest is Rebecca Jacobs. She's general counsel and director at MRA, Ohio. And with 25 plus years of employment law experience, she really ensures that our members are well supported in their HR and talent development needs. So I'm really excited to talk about the shift from operational to strategic HR With you both today. But before we get into that, rebecca, i don't know if you want to talk a little bit about why we brought katie onto the podcast today and maybe a little bit about how you two have worked together in the past. 00:01:23:20 - 00:01:48:02 Unknown Sure, sure. In Columbus, I am also the facilitator for our in-person Columbus roundtable, and Katie has been a very active member of our roundtables for quite some time. And I realized as we meeting every month and people are getting to know each other and talking through issues and questions, just the wealth of knowledge and experience that she has. 00:01:48:04 - 00:02:15:15 Unknown And then just getting a chance to talk to her and see what what she has offered with all of our roundtable attendees. Absolutely. Well, thank you again for joining us. Well, let's dive right into the first question, and that's really talk about what is the benefit of transitioning from operational HR to strategic. And Katie, you can kind of start us off with this one. 00:02:15:17 - 00:02:44:09 Unknown Yeah. So I really think that this happened for me during COVID with Kwest Group, and it really was taking the organization and leading them in a time of uncertainty through that time. And making sure that they were successful throughout it. So that would be like the number one benefit for me. And I think that for all organizations, this is a huge benefit because it really puts HR at the forefront and it doesn't leave people questioning, well, what do we have an HR department for? 00:02:44:11 - 00:03:14:02 Unknown Absolutely. Rebecca, do you have anything? Oh, absolutely. The probably the best benefit is the fact that the senior leaders do see HR as being that strategic business partner. The the thing that we would like to avoid in HR is for the business leaders to be off making strategy, thinking that payroll is just there. I'm sorry. That is there just to run payroll and make sure people get their their health insurance and land company parties once in a while. 00:03:14:02 - 00:03:37:08 Unknown But to actually have HR involved in there so that they're not making decisions that then are difficult for HR to provision and support. Absolutely. Well, kind of moving on to some of the key challenges, what are some of the key challenges that HR departments face when trying to shift from operational to strategic roles? And how do you overcome that? 00:03:37:10 - 00:04:00:05 Unknown I think one of the biggest things, honestly, is getting stuck in the day to day. You're sorting through all of these weeds and you're just down at that level where you're so embedded into what is going on day to day, just so that the business is operating, rather than focusing on that long term planning and that climate for the, you know, on the business for the strategies to be successful. 00:04:00:05 - 00:04:25:19 Unknown So that's I think that's a key challenge on my end. Another challenge that i've heard from talking to multiple HR Professionals, especially in the ohio region is is getting their senior leadership to accept that they need to be involved in strategic decisions and moving them past that mindset of oh is in this box and this these are the things they're going to take care of. 00:04:25:19 - 00:04:56:00 Unknown So that is another huge challenge is the mindset of the other leaders. Yeah, absolutely. Everybody's got to be on board. I'm part. So how can the HR professionals and the HR leaders align their goals and objectives with the overall strategic direction of the organization? Either one of you can jump in on this one. I think Rebecca was saying it really well earlier, you know, making sure HR has that seat at the table for those strategic initiatives, because it's not about the party planning. 00:04:56:00 - 00:05:17:06 Unknown It's not just about the payroll. It's not just about sorting through those weeds and being able to have that seat at the table to make sure that the goals that they are focused on, again, not just the day to day, but those long team, long term aligned with the mission and the values and the overall company vision going forward. 00:05:17:08 - 00:05:36:14 Unknown And a key aspect of this, too, is just making sure that you're taking the time. And I know Katie is a great example of this, too, just taking the time to talk to all of the business leaders and one on one talking to them. What are your challenges? What are your opportunities? Where do you want to go? What are some things that you're thinking about doing in the future? 00:05:36:16 - 00:06:03:22 Unknown And really not only demonstrating that you're that good business partner, but also getting to know them well enough so that you can see, okay, I see that they have this strategy where they want to enter in this particular geographic region. Let's talk about how HR can help them with recruiting in that area of thinking about who can who is here, who can work remote in that area, and really coming alongside them and understanding what they need. 00:06:04:00 - 00:06:29:12 Unknown And, Katie, you've had firsthand experience with this, but what are some of the best practices that you would recommend for HR professionals to develop and implement strategic initiatives that really drive that organizational success? Yeah. So I've found that throughout the years in the different organizations I've worked for, that there's like a six step process for me that really works well. 00:06:29:14 - 00:06:53:06 Unknown So the first thing obviously is going through that planning phase, determining who is going to own what in that organization's success in those strategic initiatives. And then obviously setting and writing down that long term clear strategy or strategies. Obviously, if we don't write it down, it's not it's not going to be enforced. And then delegating some of that work, remember, you've got to get out of the weeds. 00:06:53:06 - 00:07:19:23 Unknown So who is And if you're on each our department of one, get a buddy in some other functional area to help you out, to delegate some of that work. And then obviously executing the strategies, monitoring the progress and performance scorecards are amazing, which we can talk about in a few minutes. But I absolutely love scorecards and then make changes to those plans where necessary and then obviously rinse and repeat. 00:07:20:01 - 00:07:46:10 Unknown Best practices can list or do anything to add, and I cannot add anything to the list of numbered lists. Love it. Well, awesome. Katie, I know you said you can talk a little bit more about this, but how can the HR professionals effectively leverage that data and analytics to make informed decisions and contribute strategically to the organization? Yes. 00:07:46:10 - 00:08:17:14 Unknown So I briefly talked about scorecards, and I like to joke with my team personally. And they, you know, we have good fun with this, but I am a people person, not a numbers person. So data and analytics is not my favorite thing, but having a scorecard and, you know, an HR Scorecard can be something as simple as, you know, if you're training, trying to build up your workforce and train them, you know, having that metric to say, okay, this is the percentage of workforce that is going to be trained in 2023 and then we want to see an improvement to that in 2024. 00:08:17:14 - 00:08:42:19 Unknown Again, getting with the strategic other functional areas is what's going to help drive that scorecard and what you put on it. But training is definitely at the forefront for us now. So that's why I mentioned that one. And then another one is obviously understanding that the people within your functional area and then obviously the other functional area leaders that those people match with the values and the vision of the organization. 00:08:42:19 - 00:09:14:14 Unknown So having that data into a scorecard is what I call it, is extremely helpful and helps make the decisions so that the the organization continues to strategically move forward. Rebecca, any other advice on this one? No, but can I ask you a question, follow up question on that? Oh, absolutely. Okay. So can you talk a little bit about how you're able to influence those hiring decisions to make sure that you're bringing in those people who are going to be supporting the mission and values of the organization? 00:09:14:16 - 00:09:46:03 Unknown So I have an amazing HR generalist. She actually started as an intern. She's been with our company for three years now, and I kind of trained her on the processes that I used and she tweaked them a little bit. But the entire time we have focused on a pre interview process. So this is where someone in HR makes that connection with the resumé, looks it over and says, okay, this looks good, or maybe they're a referral from someone which we require like a statement from the person referring them saying why they would be a good fit at the organization. 00:09:46:05 - 00:10:11:05 Unknown But in the Prescreen interview, if they're not a referral, that's one of the questions we focus on. Like why do you feel you would be a good fit for our company? Because that's that's the most important question that we can ask and then we can get into the skills. Again, skills can be taught. There are there are some personal values that aren't able to be taught as easily as a skill could be taught. 00:10:11:05 - 00:10:37:07 Unknown So we we really like to focus on that pre interview to make sure that we're bringing the right talent in the organization and then putting them in front of the hiring manager. Great, great follow up question. Rebecca, thank you. Do either of you have any innovative approaches or tools that HR Departments can really adopt to transform that operational strategic functions? 00:10:37:09 - 00:11:01:00 Unknown Well, something that comes up a lot in our roundtable is talking about relying on the different features of your system to be able to automate as much as you can and kind of pull some things out of the out of the pull yourself out of the weeds a little bit. Like how much of your documentation completion and storage and retention can you do on your areas? 00:11:01:02 - 00:11:22:14 Unknown Can you leverage the performance management program that you have in there as well? So we talk a lot about the, you know, what we can do with our systems to to get ourselves kind of out of the weeds. I don't know how innovative that is to to rely heavily on interest because it seems like it's something that people have been doing for a really, really long time. 00:11:22:14 - 00:11:40:03 Unknown But I think that a lot of times we end up with these systems where we've only scratched the surface of the functionality that we have there. And every so often it's good to take a step back and say, Well, what are we missing? What what additional functionality that can save time for us. Are we not digging into them? 00:11:40:05 - 00:12:06:07 Unknown I would agree with Rebecca on that, and I think that technology can be innovative. So I think that that's a good point. I know this is a slippery slope, but kind of talking about like AI and chat, there are certain things that you can use, for example, job descriptions like getting help in writing your job descriptions, and then obviously having them reviewed by legal counsel to make sure that there's nothing funny in there. 00:12:06:09 - 00:12:30:21 Unknown I think Rebecca would agree with you on that one. And then the other thing which I I'm part of another round table because we're an employee owned company, actually, thanks to Rebecca. I help co champion this other one. But one of the things that came up was four benefits. Like people spend a lot of time, like just filling out papers, entering stuff into systems. 00:12:30:23 - 00:12:55:10 Unknown So again, going back to that technology piece, we have a a great broker that has a great system that automates about 80% of the work for us. So being able to have that even offloaded, that can help you go from operational to strategic. You're not spending as much time again in the weeds filling out the paperwork and you can focus on other important areas of the business. 00:12:55:12 - 00:13:16:19 Unknown And you've also just talked about kind of the skills and the transformation is skills you need from operational to succeed. So how can the HR Professionals really enhance their business acumen and understanding of the industry to provide that strategic insight and value to the company? Well, i'm going to say this first and foremost, getting involved in those HR groups. 00:13:16:19 - 00:13:45:19 Unknown Mra. Any human resources group that you can find and there's a lot of them out there, you just got to find the ones that fit. You. Obviously very involved with this group and some others that are industry relative for us. Another big thing is attending employment law updates. Whoever your legal counsel is, they often provide free webinars, free in-person seminars so that you can get those law updates that you need to again push you forward and getting that strategic insight. 00:13:45:19 - 00:14:15:23 Unknown So maybe there's something that's pending legally on the federal level or state level. You can be prepared for that before it even actually goes into effect. And then the last one that I absolutely love is making those colleague friends on LinkedIn to expand your knowledge network. None of us know everything but having more resources and people in your network helps expand that knowledge within the group and you can reach out and ask people, Hey, has anyone experienced this again? 00:14:16:01 - 00:14:44:21 Unknown Saving time and helping provide some insights as to how well it went or what they might have done differently and just helping again, push more into the strategic rather than the operational have screwed advice for anything that on their own. Yeah. Yeah. I would also suggest looking through the catalog of the MRA training opportunities and seeing what's out there in terms of business acumen, financial training for HR 00:14:44:21 - 00:15:10:07 Unknown Professionals. Yeah. When I was when i was was where I'm looking for kind of drafting and dreaming up like a strategic track for it for in our class. That was a big piece of it was the financial understanding, the business acumen, and in addition to other things like how how do you select your third party vendors and things like that. 00:15:10:07 - 00:15:36:21 Unknown So definitely take advantage of the training that's out there. Yeah, I'm glad you brought up training. So I was going to ask how HR Professionals could develop the necessary skills to not only that acumen. So good advice. So what are the potential risks and pitfalls that HR Departments should be aware of when they're undergoing the transformation to operational two strategic roles. 00:15:36:23 - 00:16:00:13 Unknown I think one of the things is making sure that we're analyzing the right data. You know, what really is impacting our organization long term and having that seat at the table is going to help them be aware of that. You know what the strategic focus is and not, you know, analyzing the wrong data. And then again, the other big thing that we've talked a lot about is, you know, not delegating and getting stuck in that day to day. 00:16:00:13 - 00:16:22:19 Unknown There are is sometimes that's one of the biggest struggles that we face when we move from operational to strategic, is saying, okay, well, I don't know if this person is doing this right or I don't know or I want to still have my hand in this. And, you know, I it's it's those types of things. And not being able to delegate in your right back in the weeds and back in the operational. 00:16:22:21 - 00:16:41:16 Unknown And I would add to that that communication is absolutely key. We never want to be in a situation where we're in scope creep with our strategy or someone's making an assumption that this is why we're going after this, this goal and they're moving in that direction. But we're not continually talking with each other to make sure we're on the same page. 00:16:41:16 - 00:17:05:11 Unknown And then also from the aspect of who's handling the operational tasks, just making sure that you're communicating with those individuals who have been delegating that to make sure that they feel supported and that they're able to accomplish the things they need to for sure. Okay. When we were kind of chatting before, you mentioned, you know, was kind of build up your HR from the ground up and within your department of one. 00:17:05:11 - 00:17:32:12 Unknown So that kind of poses the question for those who also operate as an HR department of one, what can that single person do to think and act more strategically, not just operationally? No. That might be kind of difficult to balance. Both. Yeah. So we're all HR Superheroes, right? And starting in a role. The company i'm with now, they had 86 employees when i started, so it wasn't HR 00:17:32:12 - 00:17:59:07 Unknown Department of one, but it was also building up the HR Department and the function and what HR Really look like. So it was kind of really neat to start out in a role like that, helping develop a really nice handbook. Policies, procedures, trainings and kind of moving from there. So laying that foundation like rebecca had asked about earlier, you know, getting people in the door, hiring the right people. 00:17:59:09 - 00:18:26:08 Unknown It was putting a foundation of the right interviewing process. And that whole onboarding experience in place to make sure as we were growing the company that we were doing the right things from the start to build it up with a firm foundation. So as an HR Professional one, when I was doing that, I won't lie. I mean, I felt like some days I was I was working a lot more hours than other days, but I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. 00:18:26:08 - 00:18:49:10 Unknown Like as we were growing, I knew the expectation. I knew what the strategic development and growth, what was expected and what they wanted to see happen. So I knew when I put these foundations in place where I was going to be a few years from now with that growth in mind. So making sure that whatever those tools were that were developed in the foundation that was developed could be passed on to the HR 00:18:49:10 - 00:19:15:11 Unknown Generalist, the Workplace Wellness Coordinator. But in the meantime, when I didn't have those really leveraging like our brokers and the payroll team, the other functional areas of the business to make sure that there was still that balance where I could handle some of the day to day, but also have the time to focus on strategic and then finding time in between there to pop out webinars, to learn a few things. 00:19:15:13 - 00:19:38:05 Unknown Yeah, I'm glad you gave advice on balancing both operational and strategic, because even though we're talking about the transformation to strategic, it doesn't mean those operational tasks ever go away. So, Rebecca, anything to add on this one before we're down here? All right. Well, as we kind of wrap up here and run out of time, how can the HR 00:19:38:05 - 00:20:03:03 Unknown Professionals collaborate with other departments in the organization and cross-functional teams to align those HR Strategies with the broader organizational objectives. So for me, i think one of the things that I thought about with this was, you know, having that strategic seat at the table and understanding, know, revenue goals, you know, the things that make the business successful and the role that HR 00:20:03:03 - 00:20:26:00 Unknown Plays in helping achieve those those big goals. And it can't be just HR Working in a silo. You have to work with the other functional departments to make sure that you're able to meet that that big goal. So, i mean, for me personally, it's working with our operations team to ensure that we have the right people in the right seats. 00:20:26:05 - 00:20:51:20 Unknown It's working with our accounting team to make sure that we're staying on budget and focusing on the right numbers, analyzing the right data. It's working with the president and the CEO to to ensure that we're still on track for these big goals. And if we're not where we need to be having the conversations to to shift that focus back. 00:20:51:20 - 00:21:12:02 Unknown I need Mike drop moments here. No, I just I just think that, you know, Katie is a wealth of knowledge and heard her story and not only how she got there, but also the things she's been able to achieve in that strategic role. I mean, you have a whole nother podcast is talking about the amazing initiatives that she has spearheaded. 00:21:12:02 - 00:21:36:23 Unknown And every time we get together for roundtable, we're like, Well, tell us more. What's new? Absolutely. Well, I want to thank you both for being on 30 Minute Thrive podcast today and sharing your expertise on transforming HR from operational to strategic and to our listeners. If you like the track today, comment your favorite tip you learn from today and make sure to share the episode. 00:21:37:01 - 00:21:58:15 Unknown And don't forget, consider joining MRA if you are not a member already. We have all the resources you need in the show Notes below, including Katie and Rebecca's bio and LinkedIn profile. If you'd like to get in touch with them and expand your network. Otherwise, thank you for tuning in today and thank you both again for the great info and we'll see you next week. 00:21:58:17 - 00:22:19:19 Unknown And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign up to connect for more podcast updates. Check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes Thrive so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the HR conversation.  

Description: Welcome back to "The Engagement Equation: Finding the Right Balance." In this highly anticipated second segment, we delve deeper into employee engagement and explore practical tools managers and employees can utilize to solve the engagement equation. Join us as we sit down with Kristie Haase, an esteemed expert in Employee Engagement, as she returns to share invaluable insights and strategies for fostering engagement in the workplace. Through captivating discussions and real-life examples, Kristie guides managers and employees on a transformative journey toward finding the right balance. Resources: Employee Engagement   MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Kriste Haase  Guest LinkedIn Bio - Kristie Haase  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. 00:00:21:04 - 00:00:57:03 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Hello, everybody, and welcome to this episode. So in an earlier very popular podcast, we talked about employee engagement, the employee engagement equation with our Employee Engagement Survey director Kristi Haase in. At the end of that podcast, I asked Kristie for one piece of advice for employers to find the right balance of engagement. So Kristie recommended that leaders start at the beginning of the process by defining aspects, passions and goals of positions in order to measure employee performance effectively and be a better coach. 00:00:57:05 - 00:01:21:18 Unknown So we kind of want to expand on employee engagement a bit more today and go deeper into this important topic by focusing on what truly matters most to employees. So we're going to look at two key factors that drive engagement for employees in discuss employers and employees actions for engagement. So just to recap a little bit, Kristie, what does employee engagement really mean? 00:01:21:20 - 00:01:48:20 Unknown Well, Sophie, first of all, thanks for having me back. Absolutely. Employee engagement, as we talked about in the first podcast, is the extent to which employees are invested in the organization. And when I say invested, I really mean to what degree do they identify with the organization they're in, see themselves as part of the organization and therefore part of the success. 00:01:48:22 - 00:02:17:23 Unknown So when the organization does well or the department does well, hey, you know that, you know, I contributed to that. And likewise, when it is not going well, they too feel the pain. So they're really a part of the organization for sure. So based on what employee engagement means, why is this important to an organization? It's important for both the employee and the employer, for the organization. 00:02:17:23 - 00:02:48:05 Unknown And highly engaged employees are the innovators, the contributors for change. They solve problems. They move your organization forward. So they have a lot of momentum. And even in roles that may not require a lot of innovation, engaged employees are great at executing the mission. So if you have people that are really plugged in, they're performing well for you. 00:02:48:07 - 00:03:14:22 Unknown For employees, as we talked about last time, it's also important employee engagement is because it if you're working for years on end, if you're engaged, you tend to find your work valuable and you feel valued doing so. So it's a a healthier way to work as opposed to really just dreading going to work. Absolutely. So now we've talked about the what in the why. 00:03:15:00 - 00:03:55:00 Unknown So let's look at the how now. So how do you measure engagement? We talked about this a lot last time. And the the easiest way for an organization overall is to administer a survey. And we talked a little bit about it's important to really create your definition of engagement and design questions that are measuring that particular definition. So, for example, MRA, we talk about the degree to which are invested, but if an organization really considers engagement as being happy, then they're going to need to have a survey that is measuring that. 00:03:55:01 - 00:04:28:18 Unknown The other ways, though, besides a survey to measure engagement is to watch and listen to people. And that is really the role of a leader to observe how their employees are performing. Do they seem interested? Are they passionate? Do they have high expectations? You know, we show our levels of engagement day to day. So the those are the qualitative measures, but they are just as important or even more important than the quantitative. 00:04:28:19 - 00:04:54:05 Unknown Yeah, I like that last point on watching your employees when they don't know they're being watched because then they're acting their most natural selves and it's not a pre I don't know my pre thought about survey that they're answering the questions for they're just acting how they would at work. Yeah best time to observe them. It's very true and I know that might sound a little creepy, but it's really not. 00:04:54:05 - 00:05:17:06 Unknown Maybe I shouldn't have said what? No, it's. It's perfect. I mean, that is one of the most rewarding things for me is when you're watching people working and you're kind of listening, you know, and we're in an open office environment. So not to make this even more creepy, but I listen to it all the time, right? You can hear when people are really working together to solve a problem. 00:05:17:06 - 00:05:42:21 Unknown I just I was just in my own team and I observed them huddled around together, working on a problem for a survey. They were trying to resolve a scenario and they were really passionate about it. Yeah, And to me that is so rewarding to see because you can tell they're all in. Yeah. As opposed to that same problem could exist. 00:05:42:21 - 00:06:07:02 Unknown If they didn't care, they'd just be like, You know, why? Just let's just write this and move on. So it's a great point that you made because you really can observe engagement when people don't know. Yeah. And they're just in their day. Exactly. Yeah, that was a great example. So in our last podcast, you talked about how the employer must help engage the employee by sharing the mission and purpose of their role. 00:06:07:04 - 00:06:46:11 Unknown And so are there other key factors that significantly impact employee engagement besides that? Yes, staying with that leader and employee relationship. A key component is coaching along the way. So the leader, once they have established what the mission is and the importance of the role to give feedback on what the employee is doing well, to give feedback on what they are not doing well, and to say, here's the alternative, you know, as if if this isn't if you're not performing well here, this is what I'd like to see you do differently. 00:06:46:17 - 00:07:17:09 Unknown So that holistic feedback, giving that frequently is important. It doesn't have to be a formal thing, but just conversations here and there are key to making an employee feel visible and valued. Absolutely. So you also shared some research with us while we were prepping for the episode. That was very interesting. So that is that 75% of employees don't want to quit, but they also do not see a path forward with their current employer. 00:07:17:11 - 00:07:44:12 Unknown So any comments on this or anything employers can do to kind of change that somehow? Yes, please. I mean, I have to be honest, that's one of the reasons why I really wanted to come back is when I read that article, I was just I was kind of heartbroken. 75% of employee of employees don't want to leave. And, you know, just to to be accurate here. 00:07:44:13 - 00:08:13:02 Unknown Only 48% of employees see a path for advancement in their company. So when we think about employee engagement and one of the things that is important for people to stay with the company and to stay engaged in the company is the ability to grow in that company, whether it's within the current job that they have to be able to pick up new skills to learn new things for that role. 00:08:13:04 - 00:08:48:05 Unknown Or maybe employees desire to move into different roles in an organization, whether it's across or up. That ability to grow is what really keeps us where we are. And so 48% of respondents to that particular survey said, I don't see it. And so that lets me know right away, You know, people are now looking at their alternatives. Meanwhile, at MRA, are engagement surveys that we administer for our members the desire to develop to have those development opportunities. 00:08:48:05 - 00:09:17:18 Unknown That continues over the past ten years to be one of the top requests. So it's not going away, right? It's just really stark to see that your employees are looking. If they can't see an opportunity to grow, they are already looking around for their alternatives, kind of going off of that. The research also suggests another stat that two thirds of employees believe their performance process is a waste of time. 00:09:17:20 - 00:09:49:07 Unknown So while employers are using this performance process as a measure, the employers no longer really trust that process. So what can employers do to address this concern? Oh, this is also such a painful topic. I've been in H.R. for a long time now, and as as an H.R. manager and an H.R. business partner, that was a top pain point even before I came to me in my current role. 00:09:49:09 - 00:10:15:00 Unknown The performance management process has is always a controversial process. And if there's one thing that I think we could do better in any organization that we're in is to focus less on the form, what the the form that you have to complete needs or the process of getting it submitted and focused more on the content and the conversation. 00:10:15:05 - 00:10:50:01 Unknown And to prepare that discussion. I think that when we talked about 48% don't see a way forward in the company and 75% of those who responded don't want to leave their company. I think one of the missing communication pieces is that as leaders, we are not preparing for the conversation with the employee. We're not thinking about the role that they're in and asking really good questions of what do you need in this role? 00:10:50:03 - 00:11:14:06 Unknown Where do you see the role going next? And I think that if we really thought about what we're asking an employee to do in a position and had a conversation around that, just a conversation, you could document it later. I think a lot of that would would make the the content more real and more useful for both employee and employer. 00:11:14:07 - 00:11:40:23 Unknown Yeah, that's a great point. I feel like a lot of employees sometimes are just caught up and kind of get this work she done and I got to submit my career progress report. But a lot of people don't have just those sit down conversations that that's what really matters the most. Aren't filling out the form correctly. Or like you said, I never thought about this until I started administering engagement surveys. 00:11:40:23 - 00:12:09:18 Unknown But, you know, when I when I was an H.R. manager, I thought everybody dreaded the process in terms of getting the feedback. One of the surprising things for me is over the past ten years, there will be times it doesn't happen in every organizations survey, but there are frequent times when employees will say, Can I please have a performance review? 00:12:09:20 - 00:12:34:08 Unknown And I'm shocked by that. All people really want them. But yes, they do, because they are interested in the company. They signed on. They found the work interesting to some degree. They want to do a good job. And when they're not getting a performance conversation, when they're not talking with their leader, it makes them feel less visible and less important. 00:12:34:08 - 00:13:02:16 Unknown And so it's a very refreshing point of view for me to see that people really do want to have those conversations. So how the conversation worry about the form after kind of on that note, what what is it that employees really want to what what matters most to them? Well, I know we are complicated as human beings, and so I can't say that there is one thing. 00:13:02:16 - 00:13:28:06 Unknown But I would say when it comes to working, provided that the pay and benefits are sufficient, you know, we all would like more sit more, pay more benefits. But if it's enough, if we're if we're making enough and if the culture is good, then I think the next thing for most of us as employees is to feel like that we are making a difference. 00:13:28:08 - 00:13:51:02 Unknown And so if if we as employees are not getting that, because if I think about our first conversation around this, we talked about the employer and the employee side of the equation. If if you're an employee and you feel like you are not getting the feedback that you need or you don't understand your role, I would want you to ask, ask for feedback. 00:13:51:02 - 00:14:15:16 Unknown Don't wait. But for the employer's side, I really would want you to lead that discussion. Ideally, this is sort of like a dance. The leader leads, but in the absence of that, I do want the employee to speak up and get an understanding of what's the purpose of the role, how am I doing and where can I go next. 00:14:15:18 - 00:14:41:11 Unknown So kind of looking at the employer side, then how can they help guide employees through the development process? We talked about this a little bit at the end of the last podcast, but we didn't really flesh it out. I mentioned then that a leader needs to understand how or well, first they need to understand what the positions are that are reporting it to them. 00:14:41:11 - 00:15:07:14 Unknown What's the purpose of those roles? What do they do? So the leader doesn't need to be competent in doing them. It would be great if they have had some experience, but to really be strategic about okay, for the next 12 months for this particular title that I'm leading, this is what I'm going to need. So they they need to then be able to say, Oh, here are the skills that are going to be required. 00:15:07:16 - 00:15:42:18 Unknown How are my and how are my direct reports performing relative to what is needed? What do I need to give them? So to really think about the architecture of the organization that they're managing and then evaluate the talent, what they see from their direct reports, and also asking what do you think you need in the role? Because a lot of times as a leader, you might think that a person is performing really well, but from their perspective, they may find really don't have the skill to do this. 00:15:42:18 - 00:16:08:20 Unknown Or if I had this skill, if I knew how to do this, I could save so much time. It's a good point. And so those types of conversations, you know, how are you feeling in this role? What do you think you need? What would you like to learn? Yeah, What do you think could be improved? You're asking the employee to give their input and then the two of you can set your your performance goals and development goals for the upcoming year. 00:16:08:20 - 00:16:35:14 Unknown And it's a much more collaborative conversation. That's great advice. So wrapping up here, unfortunately, we mentioned this in our last episode, but engagement falls on both the employer in the employee. So what can or should the employee do here as well to increase their engagement pursue? If I could think of one word for the employer side, it's intentional. 00:16:35:16 - 00:17:07:12 Unknown For the employee, it's pursue. Remember that there was some reason that landed you in this particular organization that you're in and in this particular position that you're in, and you are important in that role. So I think a lot of times individuals don't realize the impact they have on an organization. And I would want each employee to pursue getting what they need in order to be successful in their role. 00:17:07:12 - 00:17:34:04 Unknown So pursue great ending. Kristie. Thank you all. Thank you again for being on the podcast today and sharing your expertise again on employee engagement. It's very popular topic, so we're glad you could be here again. But to our listeners, if you liked our chat and topic today, I would encourage you to share this episode. Like Common, give it a review and consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. 00:17:34:06 - 00:17:53:02 Unknown We have all the resources you need in the show notes below and we also have Kirstie's LinkedIn profile and bio. If you'd like to get in touch with her. The Rise. Thanks for tuning into it again and thank you Kristie for being on the podcast. My pleasure. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. 00:17:53:02 - 00:18:08:05 Unknown For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform and as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes Thrive, so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the HR conversation.  

Description: In this episode, we'll explore the June edition of MRA's monthly Talent Report: Employee Engagement and Assessments.  We'll hear from Jim Morgan, Vice President of Workforce Strategies, on best practices regarding employee engagement, uncover C-Suite priorities and top creative HR strategies, learn how to improve employee retention, and more!  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. 00:00:21:04 - 00:00:55:23 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Hello, everybody, and welcome to this episode of 30 Minute Thrive. We're excited to go over this month's talent report with Jim Morgan, vice president of Workforce Strategies. As we kind of go into what you've been seeing talent wise for June. So just as a reminder, if you aren't familiar with the monthly report, Jim Morgan gives an up to the minute review on what's going on in the world of business with an emphasis on talent, which is based on input from CEOs, CFOs and HR leaders from MRA's 3000 plus member companies. 00:00:56:01 - 00:01:21:20 Unknown So thanks for coming on the podcast again, Jim. Glad to be here. Well, this month it looks like you're focusing on employee engagement. So why did you choose this topic for you? You know, we've talked in the past on the Talent Report about, you know, last couple of years were attraction, attraction, attraction and everybody spinning. And now people are starting to take a look at retention and how do we hang on to the people we've got. 00:01:21:20 - 00:01:43:12 Unknown So we're not spending quite as much. And so employee engagement is just a huge part of that. And, you know, one of the things that we do here at MRA- to do employee engagement surveys and do employee engagement strategies, because I mean, right now companies are really trying to get a handle on to what extent are their employees invested in the organization. 00:01:43:14 - 00:02:04:10 Unknown How do we how do we get them engaged? How do we get them aligned with the mission and vision of the organization? How do they know that what they're doing truly contributes to what it is? The organization as a whole is going to do? And really just trying to figure out, you know, how do we make sure they know their contributions are valued? 00:02:04:12 - 00:02:28:23 Unknown And that all sounds very oh, of course, you know, it's value. You know, we want to have you here, but, you know, if you're a couple layers removed from the top of the pyramid here, they can okay, I'm just down here and I'm running the marketing department. What do I have to do with the other things? It's really trying to make sure that everybody understand what you did here today makes a difference in everything that we're we're trying to do to accomplish. 00:02:29:01 - 00:03:04:04 Unknown So I think part of it is just trying to figure that out and then, you know, really trying to look at those employees that are having an organized national impact that are not just in my little corner doing my own little thing, but I can see how if I keep doing this and add this to it, it has even a bigger impact, you know, on the organization and really some of those employees that are going the extra mile, that that usually is a pretty good sign of engagement that, you know, we asked Sophie to do a and she went and did A, B, C and D and engaged employees that you want me to do 00:03:04:04 - 00:03:23:05 Unknown A, I'll do it when you add those other things on. And that's usually a pretty good indicator that you've got somebody that is good, is engaged and you really want to keep an eye on and those are the people you want to retain. And so how do we put something in place then? You know, we talked about emerging leader programs and things, you know, a week ago or were a month ago. 00:03:23:05 - 00:03:44:00 Unknown And it really does take that to say, okay, so if he's an overachiever, let's make sure, you know, Sophie wants to stay with us so everybody thinks you're the greatest person ever because you're my example for everything. So I know I was going to say, gee, it's just an honor. I know you have Kristie Haase joining you, our employee engagement survey director. 00:03:44:00 - 00:04:15:08 Unknown And she was just on the podcast, too. And she's got some great insight. So, yeah, Kristie is really good at what she does. I mean, she really understands and has helped a lot of companies. Absolutely. Well, let's talk about what's happening in the recruiting and retention world right now. So, Jim, what's what's new here? A couple of things that, you know, I've heard over the course of the last month, you know, people are talking a lot about perfect attendance for employees and trying to hang on to them. 00:04:15:10 - 00:04:43:02 Unknown And, you know, some folks may or may not know, but if you reward someone for perfect attendance, that might get into some salary and wage related issues that, you know, you may want to talk to your legal counsel about, but it affects their income. And so companies are now taking a look at you know, maybe what we should be doing is offering paid time off for perfect attendance, because in essence, those people are there every single day in one. 00:04:43:02 - 00:05:01:08 Unknown The PTO might mean more to them and two, it gets them away from some of those wage related issues. So companies now are looking at, you know, if you have perfect attendance for a quarter, you you earn 2 hours or you earn 4 hours. And so if you do that all year long, you can earn an extra day or two of paid time off. 00:05:01:08 - 00:05:26:23 Unknown So try to use that perfect attendance as a motivator by providing paid time off is is a new one for us, an interesting one and kind of the negative side, talking to some people somehow we were talking about what their recruiters are seeing and companies are starting to see folks say, oh, you know, it says on your resume that you grade that you graduated from UW Lacrosse. 00:05:26:23 - 00:05:54:12 Unknown Yeah, yeah, I did these. We called there and they don't have a record of that. Oh, I'll send you a copy of my diploma. And candidates are photoshopping diplomas, putting their name on it and sending it off to people. So I think employers are getting very smart about checking and double checking. I think it's pretty safe to say that if the registrar doesn't think you graduated, that's probably the person that you're going to go to. 00:05:54:12 - 00:06:12:18 Unknown And because you sent me a Photoshopped picture of a diploma, that's probably not going to do it for me. So points for creativity, but I'm not sure you're going to get away with that. I was going to say, if they're going that far to get the job, yeah, I think I would just go back and take the six more credits and actually get the diploma. 00:06:12:18 - 00:06:40:12 Unknown I think if anything else that's going on, yeah, we've talked in the past about, you know, companies that were rewarding people for if you were fired, someone that they hired, you would get a bonus or whatever it might be. And we had an interesting come another one from a company that said, you know, we're now rewarding people for just giving us a qualified candidate, even if we never interview them and we never hire them. 00:06:40:14 - 00:07:08:09 Unknown We're just trying to increase that funnel of people whose names we have should we ever need them. And so they're now rewarding. I think it was with gift cards, someone who I just write, Hey, I know Sophie Boler. She's really good at marketing and social media. Just want to throw it out there. And even if they're now looking for a social media expert or whatever it might be right now, but they look at their resume and they say this would be a qualified person if we were ever looking. 00:07:08:11 - 00:07:39:04 Unknown They'll reward them just for that, just so they've got names in the hopper. So that's sort of going a little bit farther than we than we have before. And then lastly, you know, there's been some surveys that have come out now just on employee engagement. And this is going to be a mixed message talent report. But the Conference Board had said something out that, you know, work life balance, satisfaction is up, workload satisfaction is better than what's been performance review is better. 00:07:39:06 - 00:08:02:06 Unknown So they're getting a lot of feedback from employees, basically saying, you know, things aren't quite so bad. You know, I think, you know, we're doing okay here and it's hard to read yet whether or not we've been through so much in the last three years that I don't know if they'll ever be normal again or they'll love or be like the dust has settled and now we're back to even. 00:08:02:08 - 00:08:24:08 Unknown And it might just be that some employees are starting to settle back in to say, All right, either I moved in, this is where I'm going to be now. And so I'm more content or I didn't go, but people took care of me and so I'm more content. So the engagement statistics from the Conference Board, at least have a little bit better, a little bit more positive in terms of employees outlook. 00:08:24:10 - 00:08:49:10 Unknown I'm going to contradict that in about 5 minutes. So, you know, I feel like an economist, the economy might go up, might go down. One of those two things is probably going to happen. So but there is some positive news out there. So another topic I'd like to dive into is thinking section. You talked a lot about training and change management, so can you expand a little on that? 00:08:49:12 - 00:09:19:09 Unknown Yeah, you know, the change management thing with everything that's been going on, remote work, new resources, new technology, we've started, disrupted everything and companies are always talking about, boy, we really need to prepare people because we're about to move or we really need to prepare people because the shock is about to hit the organization. But the shock that's about to come ends up overriding the needs. 00:09:19:10 - 00:09:43:09 Unknown Okay. We got to we got to give everybody some change management skills so that they're ready to go. And so one of the companies that we talked to said, you know, we have now made it part of our managers and hiring managers job to have conversations about change management with their employees at their one on ones. So they change management training at least took place at the higher levels. 00:09:43:09 - 00:10:06:05 Unknown But their job now is to say, look, we may not have time to send 200 people through change management, but here are the skill set. So we want you to be talking about your employees, about how people adjust to change differently, how people prepare for change, some terminology and nomenclature about what change management might look like. But they've almost taken it to a one on one stage. 00:10:06:05 - 00:10:31:12 Unknown It sounds like this is an important skill set for you. Here are some resources for you, but if we're not going to have time to get everybody through our typical four or eight hour training session, we're at least going to expose everybody to some of the training that is necessary for for change management. So it was just a different way of approaching it and trying to make sure at least everybody had had a little bit of a flavor anyway of what's available up there. 00:10:31:14 - 00:10:56:06 Unknown Yeah, that's a great example. Anything else you're seeing here? Well, the other thing, this will be sort of the I guess this is still part of the good news part. But on the retention side, you'll survey by a dive that was talking about, again, how companies are trying to in essence double down on let's identify what are the roadblocks and problems for people. 00:10:56:06 - 00:11:21:23 Unknown Let's identify, you know what, I just started those stones in their shoes that maybe we can get some of those things out of the way to really better understand what's causing some of the strife in their employees or what. Maybe there's just some little things that we're this close to making them really happy, but we're going to really start trying to get some of those things out of the way that if this is what the stickler is, we can change the coffee in the coffee machine. 00:11:21:23 - 00:11:42:12 Unknown We can do this type of flexibility, we can have healthier snacks, just some of the little things that might be irritants. But now we're trying to really adjust those and get them out of the way for people. All for kind of keeping that positive vibe here in the from the field section. You mentioned that American workers are more content than ever. 00:11:42:12 - 00:12:00:21 Unknown According to a recent survey from 2023. So why is that? You know, I guess I think I'm going to go back to what I just said a couple of minutes ago, is that there was so much turmoil, turmoil and so much change and so many people realizing I can make four bucks more an hour, six bucks more an hour. 00:12:00:23 - 00:12:21:23 Unknown I'm in demand right now. I can get a signing bonus if I go someplace else. All of those things are very attractive and I think people went and did them because there was obvious personal benefit. But that's a little bit of turmoil in your life too, that all of a sudden you uprooted yourself. Maybe you had to move, maybe you've got different hours, you got to meet all new people at the office. 00:12:22:01 - 00:12:50:03 Unknown And as good as it sounded and as great as the money was, you now have to figure out a whole bunch of things. And that all happened a year and a half ago. And so, again, I think we might be back to people are now settling in again like, okay, I've been here. I'm a little bit happier with my pay maybe now because I moved or I went to a working office, whether it was in-person or remote, that better served me. 00:12:50:05 - 00:13:08:22 Unknown And so I made a decision to go somewhere that met my work life balance, that met my needs and demands. And I think you're starting to see that now as people are starting to report out on here's what's going on, here's what we're seeing. And now there are just a little bit happier about some of the things that are happening. 00:13:09:00 - 00:13:36:16 Unknown Yeah, it's all good stuff. Yeah, there's the good stuff. So there's my there's my contradiction of what's happening out there. Right. So how about C-suite level, what our leaders doing now and what should they really be aware of right now? There's a couple of things going on. One of them that was sort of interesting is, you know, in a lot of cases, companies are using their own employees as trainers and which is a wonderful thing. 00:13:36:16 - 00:13:57:04 Unknown It's complimentary, you know, and we may come to you and say, Hey, Sophie, can you put on just basic training on social media for some of our people that are engaged, or can you do a little advanced training for some of our people that are engaged? And while I'm sure that would that's flattering to you to say, oh, people recognize that I can be training and teaching on these things. 00:13:57:06 - 00:14:34:06 Unknown I also have my day job and now I've got to start to prepare for that. And so people are being picked because of their subject matter expertise to go train others on some of the things that are going on. And companies are now rewarding that, saying, look, you know, you're making blank dollars an hour or we're going to give you an incentive if you're an hourly person to say, we'll upgrade when you're doing preparation and training because we know it's above and beyond for you, or we'll provide you a bonus to do this one time, prepare, execute, measure your success. 00:14:34:06 - 00:15:00:22 Unknown And so they're realizing that that's not everybody can trade. And so if you've got a subject matter expert who can train, you know, let's begin to reward them for some of that. You're actually we're seeing things now on the economic uncertainty, you know, continuing to sort of swirl about. I don't think anybody's in panic mode still. It's like it's always three months away and it's been three months away now for a year. 00:15:01:00 - 00:15:29:06 Unknown But it's causing companies to start with some of the, you know, what ifs. If something happens, if all of a sudden sales dropped, if we can't get raw material, if we have to cut back, what's the playbook look like? Like, let's think through this when we have time to think through it so that if we actually do have to execute it, it's sort of like, you know, we all did disaster recovery plans a while back where we thought, boy, we better be prepared for this. 00:15:29:08 - 00:15:48:10 Unknown We've all put cybersecurity plans in place now because we think, boy, we better be ready for this. The same things happening now with just what if we have to cut back or we have to adjust and, you know, reduce our expenses, whatever it might be, They're started putting in the what if playbook so that they're they're prepared for it. 00:15:48:12 - 00:16:21:03 Unknown And the last thing that we're hearing a lot about is sort of this environmental, social and governance issues that are going on because of the European Union's corporate sustainability anti reporting directive. And that's a whole bunch of words or letters around words. But it's on CRT, those radar because the European Union has set these rules around environmental, social and governance issues that have expectations around, you know, what are your emissions, what's your social contract, how are you running your organization? 00:16:21:05 - 00:16:45:22 Unknown And even though it's not an American requirement, if your mother ship is in Europe or you are a supplier to a market to a European company, they're now looking down the supply chain and saying, okay, well, we're being judged on this and we're supposed to be judging our suppliers on this. So we now have some questions for you around your environmental, social and governance issues. 00:16:45:22 - 00:17:10:08 Unknown And can you report back to us on this? And so companies are now you're starting to see it pop up on websites. They're starting to review some of the things that they're doing to make sure that they have data to back up their environmental footprint or whatever they might be doing to reduce emissions. So it's putting a little bit more pressure on companies to be telling your story, to be recording what they're doing. 00:17:10:10 - 00:17:32:22 Unknown So seeing a little bit of more of that and that's becoming, I don't want to say a headache for people, but it is another piece of information that they have to in essence begin to record. And you don't see what's happening now on some of the earlier strategies you mentioned for under succession planning, but any other creative strategies you've been seeing here? 00:17:33:00 - 00:18:01:17 Unknown The succession planning is it's sort of omnipresent now. Everybody's talking about it. Everybody knows what should be going on. I think I talked a month ago about there seems to be a little conflict growing between some of the people who are looking at maybe demographics, a whole bunch of other things, saying, you know, we're going to lose 75% of our executive committee in the next five years or 30% of our staff are over the age of 60. 00:18:01:17 - 00:18:20:12 Unknown We're going to have a lot of intelligence walking out the door, really just trying to get people to think strategically about, are we ready for this? What happens not only if we lose at this level or we lose at this level or three key people out of one department can, in essence, shut that down? Are we ready for that? 00:18:20:12 - 00:18:43:14 Unknown So they're really looking strategically around the entire company to say, you know, if we lose this person or two people out of this department, or we only have one person who knows how to run this piece of machinery, those people are just as important. And succession planning now as who's the next CEO. So who's the next CFO? So it's really become almost a strategy within strategic planning. 00:18:43:14 - 00:19:07:17 Unknown Now on the talent side to say, what are our biggest weak points here where, you know, where can this all break down? But it's going to have just an incredible sort of impact on us to say if this happens, we don't really have a plan B. So I think they're just trying to make sure there's a plan B for just about everything that's out there. 00:19:07:19 - 00:19:26:02 Unknown And I'm looking at the end of your report now, the last section, you've got a chart there that shows the top six reasons why different generations stay in their current job. So can you kind of talk about what's on the chart for a little bit? Yeah, The first one we looked at is why did you decide to stay? 00:19:26:04 - 00:19:46:22 Unknown And, you know, this was done by McKinsey and it's a very large study and it took all of the generations into place just to see if there were differences and things like that. You know, and in terms of overall, the number one reason for staying was total compensation. You know, so we talk about a whole bunch of things, but money still matters. 00:19:47:00 - 00:20:12:00 Unknown And it mattered more to the two older generations, the Gen X and the baby boomers. But it really was right there in second place for the millennials, Gen Z. It was actually at the very bottom. And I think that's mostly because their first job probably increased their salary by four fold and they just wanted for making $12 an hour somewhere, getting their job. 00:20:12:00 - 00:20:35:12 Unknown But for just about everybody else, that's still a big deal. The second big deal is meaningful work, and that is really amongst everybody that I want to know that what I'm doing actually makes a difference. And, you know, I'm having an impact on things. So that was number two. And number three was workforce flexibility. And we hear that absolutely everywhere. 00:20:35:12 - 00:21:00:07 Unknown And we hear it from basically everybody that I'm looking at. You know, I want to be able to work a little bit on my time and, you know, my my situation, the work life balance. I want to be able to do it. And the way I moved here, the money is everything across all five, four generations. Money matters. 00:21:00:07 - 00:21:26:03 Unknown That was was basically number one. The second one, though, with the people who took the new job was career development and advancement potential. So that might be one where on that retention side, wherever they were working, they weren't paying attention to what are these people looking for and what is it that they need? So they're really that one jump up between, you know, why I stayed and why I left. 00:21:26:03 - 00:21:44:11 Unknown So I think it really speaks to that career ladder. The where am I going? How am I going to get there? That part is really a big deal. And somehow these new companies that they went to, they offered them money and that probably got the retention. But then they were very excited to find out the development advancement opportunities. 00:21:44:11 - 00:22:11:11 Unknown So I think that plays a little bit more to the long term of what they were looking for. So money matters, but I think that advancement and that, you know, feeling like I'm wanted and feeling like I'm, you know, sort of loved here in terms of what's going on does make a difference. DO Yeah. As we wrap up here, I've got to ask you, can you give us a sneak peek at next month's July ten report? 00:22:11:15 - 00:22:44:18 Unknown Yeah, I'm pretty excited for the July one. We're going to be talking with the head of our Roundtable's department. We have over a thousand people in our roundtables throughout our now five state area, representing about 600 companies. And this is everything from payroll h.r. Generalist rose marketing, i.t. cfos, ceo hours. And we're going to be talking about basically cumulatively, what are we hearing out there? 00:22:44:19 - 00:23:02:07 Unknown Like what's going on? This is not just a focus group of a thousand business people to say when we look at the first six months of this year and maybe the last 18 months, what are they talking about? What's the commonality? Is the same thing on the mind of a CEO as is on the mind of a benefits manager. 00:23:02:12 - 00:23:21:03 Unknown Are those completely separate? Where are the differences and things like that? So I think we're going to have some pretty interesting insights from business leaders all over the upper Midwest and all different levels talking about, Hey, this is what's keeping us up at night and we'll see how that relates to some of the other things that are going on out there. 00:23:21:05 - 00:23:46:19 Unknown And well, I'm excited for that one. Looking forward to it. Yeah, I think it's going to it's going to be fun. Yeah. Well, thank you again, Jim, for being on 30 minute Thrive and sharing June's report. You always bring great insights and information, so we appreciate it. It's my pleasure. Love doing. But to our listeners, I'd encourage you to share this episode, leave a comment or review and consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. 00:23:47:01 - 00:24:09:00 Unknown We've all the resources you need in the show notes below. We've got Jim's bio and LinkedIn profile along with some talent report resources in the show notes as well. Otherwise, again, thank you for tuning in and thanks. Thanks, Jim, too. And we'll see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. 00:24:09:00 - 00:24:24:03 Unknown For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minute Thrive so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the HR conversation.  

Description: Today we are talking about improving employee relations. Hear from an HR expert Advisor on how to foster better relationships between employees and management, and ultimately create a more positive and productive workplace. We'll look at how to handle common challenges, communication breakdowns, and performance issues. We'll explore effective techniques for building trust, boosting morale, and creating a culture of respect and collaboration. Whether you're an HR professional, a manager, or an employee looking to make improvements in your workplace, tune in for valuable tips and actionable advice for cultivating positive relationships at work. Resources:  Protecting Your Most Important Asset With a Positive Employee Relations Culture  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Amy Whittenberger Guest LinkedIn Profile - Amy Whittenberger  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Sam Siebenaller  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. 00:00:21:04 - 00:00:51:16 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Hello, everybody, and welcome to MRA's 30 minute Thrive podcast. Today we're going to be talking about improving employee relations and hear from an expert advisor on how to foster better relationships between employees in management and ultimately create a more positive and productive workforce. So Amy Wittenberg is one of MRA's HR advisors. So she's on our 24 seven hotline answering any HR questions you may have. 00:00:51:18 - 00:01:10:16 Unknown So, Amy, welcome back. I'm glad you're on the podcast again. Thank you. It's fun. I enjoy it. Good. Well, employer relations is such a big topic and we only have 30 minutes, unfortunately, in the episode. So let's kind of break this down a little bit and just kind of give us an overview of what employee relations is and what can be done about it. 00:01:10:19 - 00:01:40:07 Unknown Sure sounds like fun. When I think of employee relations and being on the hotline is probably my favorite call. Yes. You know, because you really get to work with the show in terms of discussing an issue that may or may not be easy in working through, you know, what is the best way for them to handle it. I give them a lot of respect because most of time they're calling and knowing that the answer is, but they just want to walk through it with someone to make sure that they're thinking about all the things that they need to do. 00:01:40:09 - 00:02:04:00 Unknown It's really where we can help coach and brainstorm ideas and maybe even it's even training the trainer, coaching them how to talk about the supervisor regarding an issue. And this is where we really get to help each other thrive. Yeah. So in terms of what's going on, when I think of employee relation issues, you know, it's running the gamut between investigations. 00:02:04:01 - 00:02:29:11 Unknown It could be employee complaints about how they're working with the fellow colleague or maybe with their supervisor. It could be complaints about bullying, offensive behavior and performance, attendance, things going down, the terminations. Sometimes managers come to us and say, you know, we don't think this employees working out or is a good fit because they're, you know, toxic or rather brawls or gossiping, things like that all really hard. 00:02:29:13 - 00:02:50:08 Unknown And then there's the cell phones. You know, they're everywhere these days. So we get regular calls in terms of, you know, what do I do with employee that this texting about another employee, I'm using the phone too much, maybe using it for social media and talking about employees of the company. So it's it's pretty broad based in terms of the issues we work through. 00:02:50:09 - 00:03:12:16 Unknown Mm hmm. But again, it is my favorite favorite call because they're really good to work with them and answer questions and help them think through the best solution. Oh, yeah, absolutely. I like the more positive side you were talking about. We get into the investigations and conflict resolution, stuff like that in another episode. But let's start out by kind of defining what would good employee relations look like. 00:03:12:18 - 00:03:33:17 Unknown Sure. You know, when I think of a story, when I used to teach occasional stretch and I call it the H.R. triangle, it is a trick question because I used to say, you know, as H.R. the advocate for an employee or a manager, that's a trick question because there it's an and so they're the advocate for the employee and the manager as well as the company. 00:03:33:19 - 00:04:05:12 Unknown And that's when we think about the big picture of employee relations. You know, it's everyone's role to really work on, maintain a proactive environment so H.R. can help support employees do that, and managers do that as well as help drive some of those communications that can be proactive, more proactive. And that's from employee relations. Works best as when it's positive and proactive, which then it gets to avoiding some of the negative situations. 00:04:05:12 - 00:04:34:15 Unknown Yeah. So I like to say an ounce of prevention is certainly worth a pound of cure in terms of working to pilot communication. Yeah, for sure. Any other practical strategies that employers can implement to improve employee relations or how can H.R. really support this in an organization? Yeah, I think of three areas probably where it's best of focus, and the very first thing that comes to mind, you know, is working on onboarding. 00:04:34:17 - 00:04:59:19 Unknown Then certainly like an over communication plan and with an open door policy. And then I think because so much happens between the manager and the employee, I think it's really important for us to provide training for our managers. Yeah, So, so I think of onboarding, I think of that's where employee relationship begins between employer employee. And so I think any time you can spend more time upfront. 00:04:59:21 - 00:05:24:08 Unknown So during the onboarding, you know, having really good, rich conversations in terms of, you know, what is it that you expect from employees, you know, what, what expectations do you have for behaviors? What behaviors do not want to see in the environment? And I think it's important not to assume that these employees know that. I think you need to be really intentional in terms of what you want to see in employees and guide them that way. 00:05:24:10 - 00:05:45:18 Unknown Talk to them about what it means to build trust in an environment, how to work respectfully with each other, how to empathize each other, getting to know them, building relationships with employees, and then tell them what you don't want to see in terms of, you know, what is offensive behavior, what is gossiping, you know, and why doesn't it work? 00:05:45:18 - 00:06:10:07 Unknown Because it, you know, breaks down trust and hurts people. So I think those and the more you have those upfront people understand better, then if you move into, you know, after they're employed for a while, you know, I think whatever h.r. Leadership can do to develop an overall strategy for working through positive communications. Yeah. So what kind of strategies can we put in to be proactive? 00:06:10:09 - 00:06:28:06 Unknown Mm hmm. What can we do to help our managers in terms of having an open door policy in and that isn't about, you know, bring everything you want to my door, right? But teach them what it means, which is if you're going to come to my door, let's talk about where you can be part of the solution. Yeah, Come with ideas. 00:06:28:06 - 00:07:02:17 Unknown And what what you don't like and what it would look like if it was fixed. Absolutely. So just maintaining those conversations. Yeah. And then. And then I'm sorry. And then working with the managers. Yeah. So, so much happens between a manager and the employee. It's really supporting those managers and how to have good communications and what that means for them in terms of, you know, setting outcomes, making sure employees understand those outcomes, allowing questions, building rapport, checking in with them, all those things that you can do to be proactive plus relationships. 00:07:02:18 - 00:07:28:23 Unknown I love that. That was all great advice. I, I like the onboarding, um, examples of giving your new employees those examples because some of them may not even know what. I don't know what they mean. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. So earlier you mentioned that this is about maintaining positive relationships. So what are some strategies that h.r. And managers can use to build relationships? 00:07:29:01 - 00:07:52:06 Unknown So i think some of the things that we can focus and is really those terms i said earlier, which is working and trust. So what does it mean, you know, to trust each other when i'm working together with an employee, it's teaching them how to have those conflict resolution conversations. Yeah. Understanding people's stories. So, you know, get to know the work your workers and where they're coming from. 00:07:52:07 - 00:08:17:02 Unknown Yeah. And then the same thing with managers. But then I think leaders really need to do some broader things, which is make sure employees understand that their contribution is important and that we should seek their feedback and let them know that what they're sharing with us is important for us to understand, you know, kind of like the pulse of what's going on in the environment. 00:08:17:03 - 00:08:38:04 Unknown Yeah, that's that's great advice. Let's switch gears a little bit now and return to the relationships fundamentals. So let's talk a little bit about how we can prevent or lessen these employee relation issues may arise. Mm hmm. So they another story kind of comes to mind only because, again, I think much of what happens is between the manager. 00:08:38:04 - 00:08:56:18 Unknown The employee? Yeah. You know, they're managing them every day. And I think, you know, communications is hard to get right. And, you know, getting work done through employees is hard to do. So I think, again, working through managers. But I think of a many times and I've worked with supervisors and managers that have come to me about an employee. 00:08:56:20 - 00:09:19:15 Unknown And, you know, either it's time to, you know, let them go or work through a performance improvement plan. And you always kind of went a step back in. I would always say, you know, in your point, in your finger at an employee, there's three fingers pointing back at you supervisor and try to get them to realize, you know what what has been the proactive things you've done? 00:09:19:17 - 00:09:47:22 Unknown Have you been proactive in the relationship? Mm hmm. You know, so at asking questions like. And have you set expectations with them and did you give them time to think about what that means in ask questions and how to achieve those? And that's when, you know, the first deer in the headlights comes. Yeah. And then. And then they get to finally asking, you know, did you do everything in your power to make sure that they're succeeding at their job, You know? 00:09:47:22 - 00:10:05:12 Unknown And that's when you get kind of radio silence with them. Mm hmm. Yeah. And I think that's frustrating for the managers because oftentimes will send them back and say, well, let's let's not start over, but let's go back a little bit with the beginning and make sure you did do those things to give employees everything they need to be successful. 00:10:05:14 - 00:10:29:12 Unknown Mm hmm. And I think that's where it starts with is the more proactive you are in all of those things with your employees and the better it's going to be in terms of preventing employee relationships or just talk about how important communication is, too, in this whole process. So. Mm hmm. Can you share any tips for maintaining open lines of communication between employees and management? 00:10:29:13 - 00:10:49:10 Unknown Yeah, I'd be happy to. You know, a couple of things come to mind. So when I work with managers, I would often say, you know, I think you should spend at least once a month talking with the employees, which, again, in opinion on the span of control, that means seen in a little over burdensome for them or unrealistic. 00:10:49:12 - 00:11:09:16 Unknown Yeah, but that doesn't mean it has to be a long conversation. You know, mainly I think it's just brief check ins. How are you doing? You know, asking questions, you know, personally about them. You know, for example, how are your kids? Soccer's going, you know, or, you know, what did you do this past weekend to have some fun or what are your plans for the holidays? 00:11:09:18 - 00:11:33:15 Unknown It's a little bit just getting to know them and show that you care. Exactly. Then it's building some other tips then, which is when you're talking with employee, make sure that you're not making any assumptions about them or their stories or where they're coming from. You know, make sure that you spend enough, enough time to to understand who they are and what might be going at home that could be affecting their job. 00:11:33:17 - 00:11:52:22 Unknown Other things it can do is certainly, you know, listen, to understand. Mm hmm. We hear about proactive listening and how important active listening is. But I truly believe. Oh, yeah, you know, it's important to give someone your full attention when you're talking to them, looking at the rebels and nonverbals to see how comfortable they are with that conversation. 00:11:53:00 - 00:12:12:04 Unknown And I think another thing that's really important is choosing words carefully. I think it tries, you know, managers that I speak with and I say it's really important to role play. You know, think about that conversation, advance, you know, and what words are you going to use? Because if you use the wrong word, it's going to make them play defensive and make them shut down. 00:12:12:06 - 00:12:33:11 Unknown Right. And then you lost all your credibility and then speak to credibility, you know, with employees, if you say you need to do something, you need to do it. Oh, yeah. You need to follow through. You know, And if you said you need to look up something for them, make sure you look it up. If you say, you know, talk to someone else about something, make sure you talk to someone and then follow up and let them know, because that builds credibility. 00:12:33:13 - 00:12:57:06 Unknown And then lastly, I think it's just being vulnerable, authentic and humble and showing them, you know, that I've been in your shoes, I've made mistakes and huge it I mean, and this is how I learned from them, you know, And but being vulnerable with them really builds a lot of trust. Yeah. Those are all great tips and great reminders, too, for just creating that culture of positive employee relations, you know? 00:12:57:08 - 00:13:17:03 Unknown Mm hmm. We're closing out there. So now. But I want to thank you for being on the podcast today and really sharing your expertise on this topic. I know you deal with this every single day, so you're definitely an expert on it. But to our listeners, I would encourage you to like the episode, share it, leave a comment or review in. 00:13:17:03 - 00:13:34:18 Unknown Consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. We've got all the resources in the show notes below, and we've got Aimee's LinkedIn profile and her bio in there too, if you want to get in contact with her. All right. Thank you so much for tuning in today. And thank you again, Amy, for all your great knowledge. Thank you. 00:13:34:18 - 00:13:53:18 Unknown It's been fun. I love it. I will see you next week. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect. For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes Thrive so you don't miss out. 00:13:53:18 - 00:13:58:11 Unknown Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

Description: This week, we shine a spotlight on the up-and-coming innovators who are reshaping industries, communities, and society as a whole. Listeners will gain insight into the challenges and opportunities faced by emerging leaders, and learn what organizations can do to leverage their skills, passions, and values to create a positive impact. With such a competitive job market, along with changing workforce demographics and developing business needs, organizations are looking within and identifying emerging leaders to play a vital role. By investing in developing emerging leaders, organizations can proactively address talent shortages, build a pipeline of capable leaders, and position themselves for success. In this episode, we will share results from a recent MRA Hot Topic Survey on emerging leaders and you will be able to use that data to identify the emerging leaders in your organization. Resources: Hot Topic Survey: Emerging Leaders  Emerging Leader Roundtable  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Courtney Lamers  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Courtney Lamers  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 H.R. powered by MRA, the Management Association looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HRA. 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 Muller, and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:04 - 00:00:42:13 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. In this episode, we're going to be sharing results from a recent MRA Hot Topic survey on emerging leaders. So you will be able to identify your emerging leaders in your organization. Speaking of success today, we're joined with one of Emory's emerging leaders to talk about these survey results and get her perspective on the topic. 00:00:42:15 - 00:01:00:11 Unknown So hi and welcome back to the podcast, Courtney. Thank you. I'm excited to be here. You know, we've talked a lot with companies recently about emerging leaders. So I think the timing with the Hot Topics survey was perfect. And, you know, it's really an exciting topic and it's fun to hear all the cool things that companies are doing with their emerging leaders. 00:01:00:11 - 00:01:31:16 Unknown So excited to share that with you today, for sure. Well, let's first start out by talking about what is an emerging leader. I was joking before, but I do love this question because I think the definition of an emerging leader really depends on your organization and what your goal is with the Emerging leader program. There is not a one size fits all, and I share a couple of examples, and one of those is there is one company that uses their emerging leader program to help develop women in their organization. 00:01:31:17 - 00:02:01:21 Unknown So it's a primarily a male dominated organization. A lot of their leadership is male dominated, and so they're putting together an emerging leader program to help women grow their leadership skills and develop that way. So I do share that as an example, as emerging leaders can be whatever you define it as. But I I'll say for Emory's perspective, we've kind of defined it as an individual who is developing and demonstrating those leadership skills and aspire to grow to that next level of leadership. 00:02:01:22 - 00:02:22:16 Unknown So I think that aspiration is key because not everybody wants to be a leader and that's perfectly fine. So I think, you know, as we talk about it today, I definitely encourage you to think about your organization, your goals, where you're at and where your company is headed and how emerging leaders apply to you. Yeah, I like how you said that it can differ from company to company in the example you shared. 00:02:22:16 - 00:02:53:16 Unknown That was cool. So according to the Hot Topic survey, more than half of organizations, 62%, identify emerging leaders. So how do you really know who they are in an organization? Yeah, I think it goes back to defining what emerging leader means for your organization. I definitely encourage you to sit down with your leadership team or whoever is working on this emerging leader program, but to identify what that criteria is of an emerging leader for your organization. 00:02:53:18 - 00:03:21:16 Unknown Like we said, you know, maybe it's that person that aspires to grow to that next level of leadership. Maybe they have some technical expertise that's important for your company and where you're headed, but really defining that criteria before identifying them. Make sure it's an equitable process. So I think as important as it is to have those conversations with those emerging leaders, you're also going to have to have some of those tougher conversation with those that maybe want to be an emerging leader, but maybe they're not. 00:03:21:16 - 00:03:48:09 Unknown So if you have that criteria defined, it helps kind of arm the managers to be able to have those conversations. So like I said, and not everyone wants to be a leader and that's okay. So I think it's just important to. What does it mean for your organization? Yeah, that's a great point. The survey also talked about the top three reasons to identify emerging leaders, and those were career development for high achievers, succession planning and maintaining the culture. 00:03:48:11 - 00:04:09:03 Unknown So as an emerging leader yourself, Courtney, you've taken on a lot of different projects to learn more. So what kind of inspired you to become a leader and be in this leadership role, and what do you hope to achieve as a leader? It's a great question. The question here. Well, I don't think I ever was like, I want to be a leader or something. 00:04:09:03 - 00:04:35:08 Unknown I don't I don't know. I, I don't think I ever had that lightbulb moment or anything like that. But I think just working for an organization that supports our growth and our desire to learn the business, I was exposed to a lot of different areas of our business and all of the cool things that our members do. So for me it really was just a passion for learning and growing, you know, as an individual, as a worker here and then naturally as a leader. 00:04:35:10 - 00:05:04:21 Unknown And I would say for myself, I, I would say I'm a pretty curious person. So when something comes up, I just tend to ask questions, probably sometimes to a fault. But I think over the years, really just taking on those additional responsibilities and projects have allowed me to learn a lot about myself. But you know, as far as end goal type of thing, I don't I don't know if I didn't have anything to say there, but I think for me it's really all about the learning and the growing and just, you know, being able to help others succeed as well. 00:05:04:23 - 00:05:33:21 Unknown Do you like taking on all these different projects? Yeah, You know, sometimes again, it's a fault. I, I always encourage people to say yes to different projects because I think the more you push yourself out of your comfort zone, the more you're going to learn and grow. But I yeah, I mean, I've been told that you need to stop saying yes certain things, but it has allowed me to kind of, you know, move throughout my career because, you know, I had a marketing background and although I still do some marketing, I think I've kind of taken a different path, which I think a lot of people do. 00:05:33:23 - 00:05:54:07 Unknown So I wouldn't be able to do that if I hadn't taken on those projects, those maybe stretch projects or ones outside of my department. Yeah. For those of you who don't know a little background, Courtney is definitely the type of person to like. You'll go to Courtney for anything. Like any department. Courtney is like your go to person and I guess I have it out. 00:05:54:09 - 00:06:20:17 Unknown So we talked about finding emerging leaders and identifying and identifying them often requires a systematic approach. In the survey kind of highlighted this in the top five criteria included high performers, high potentials, demonstrates motivation and desire to grow on their career, their behavior aligns with organizational values and their team player, which is what you kind of just outlined. 00:06:20:19 - 00:06:50:14 Unknown But can you kind of start from the beginning talking about you now personally and share how you were identified as an emerging leader? And did any of these criteria or criteria apply to you? I hope so, no. But in all seriousness, companies do it a little bit differently. But I was just talking to a senior at our group the other week, and I think a lot of companies, when they do it right, they have that criteria in advance and what's important to them as an organization. 00:06:50:16 - 00:07:10:12 Unknown And then they involve, you know, whether it's your whole leadership team, your executive team, really involving those people and having those conversations. So our each our friends, you're probably very familiar with the nine box. And I know that is something that our senior team used to identify, you know, our higher potentials, our emerging leaders, those type of people. 00:07:10:17 - 00:07:30:08 Unknown And they had a long conversation around where people fit and where they had room to grow. And, you know, people challenged each other. And I think that's what is important to have those conversations. And so when you're doing that, you know, it really just helps you see and get different perspectives from people. And I think that's what our senior team did. 00:07:30:08 - 00:07:54:07 Unknown And then for me, it was our senior, my senior manager that came to me and shared that, you know, congratulations, even selected as an emerging leader. And then we talked a lot about my career path and what skills I wanted to develop and then, you know, where within the organization I could even go and grow from there. So, you know, I think it's definitely a process and having those conversations is important. 00:07:54:07 - 00:08:17:02 Unknown And I think even just being able to be heard and have someone that can bounce ideas off of is really helpful. You know, I think I would say I owned a lot of my own professional development. It was something that I was passionate about. But, you know, like I said, I want to take this training, I want to develop these skills, but also to have a senior leader that's engaged and cares about you is important. 00:08:17:02 - 00:08:38:15 Unknown But also for them to be like, you're actually really good at that, but maybe you should think about this and like, okay, well, I didn't even think about that. So again, those conversations is really important. And you just highlighted training and kind of other opportunity opportunities to grow. So there are a lot of opportunities for growth employers can offer their emerging leaders in. 00:08:38:15 - 00:09:06:18 Unknown From the survey, we learned that there's external trainings or classes, mentoring one on one meetings and cross trainings which are helpful for emerging leaders. So were any of these kind of helpful for you and as you're an emerging leader now? Yeah, I think everything you know, I think about the ways that we learn and the ways that other companies engage their emerging leaders, and there are so many different ways that you can do that. 00:09:06:18 - 00:09:26:16 Unknown And there is one company I talked to and they have a two year emerging leader program and you know, two years seems like a long time to go through something. But when you outline different training classes and technical experience, some shadowing, some mentoring, one on one meetings, honestly, two years, like it's a lot to fit in there if you do a variety of different ways to learn. 00:09:26:16 - 00:09:54:00 Unknown But I would say for me, I love the hands on projects. I think that's where I learned the most. But you know, America has a lot of great training classes, like I took our principles of Leadership excellence class. I love assessments, too. I the Strength Finder desk are both great ones. After I took the Strength Finder one, I actually met with one of our coaches at Emory and we talked through what my strengths were and you know, we were just talking about it again the other day. 00:09:54:00 - 00:10:22:06 Unknown And I think it's eye opening when you talk to somebody else about those results because, you know, sure, you take your strengths and those are your top five strengths, but when you talk through it, it's like, oh, but those are actually some of my weaknesses. You with assessments, training and coaching projects. I volunteer with a nonprofit and I'm on their associate board, so a lot of that really hands on experience has been most helpful for me. 00:10:22:08 - 00:10:45:10 Unknown But again, having those conversations with people because people learn differently and they want different avenues to train and to learn and grow. So just having those conversations is important. I love taking those assessments, so it's fun to find out. Yeah. Oh, that totally fits me. Or I don't know. It's like, Yeah, I know for sure. I love assessments, but more companies are starting emerging leader programs. 00:10:45:10 - 00:11:06:10 Unknown So what are some ways an organization can start their own emerging leader program? Yeah, so usually when I go through this, there's about eight staff. So it's it seems like a lot, but really just starting with why are you even starting an emerging leader program? And you rattled off a couple of reasons from the survey, but a lot of times it's the succession planning. 00:11:06:10 - 00:11:23:22 Unknown You, you know, maybe look out on the floor and, you know, your top three managers that have been there for 30 years and they they've told you they're going to retire in the next couple of years. We see a lot of that and then retention is the other reason we see a lot is, okay, we have these high performers and high potentials. 00:11:24:00 - 00:11:48:17 Unknown How are we going to hang on to them? So I think understanding the why before you build the program is really important and then taking a look at what your companies goals are for the year, where you're going over the next couple of years and how that can be started. But, you know, I think you will talk about this a little bit, but so once you have all of that stuff thought through and then you identify your emerging leaders, you know, then it's so what? 00:11:48:17 - 00:12:11:20 Unknown So what? So congratulations. So if you're an emerging leader, that can't be the end of the conversation. What are the next steps? What is the training look like? You know, what is that plan after that? And we always tell companies, it's okay. You don't have to promise anything. If you go through this emerging leader program, you don't it doesn't mean a promotion, it doesn't mean a pay raise, but there has to be some type of celebration. 00:12:11:20 - 00:12:31:19 Unknown So room you know, there's there's a lot of different pieces of it. But I think if you think it through from beginning to end, you should be okay. But really just starting with that, why is important and what you're in aligning your emerging leader program to your corporate goals. So why do some of these programs fail or not succeed right away then? 00:12:31:21 - 00:12:46:07 Unknown Yeah, you know, I think a lot of companies when we talk to them, know that this is important. They know that they have to do this and they know if they have these people that they want to stick around, that they have to put some extra time and effort and energy into it. And that's a lot, especially upfront. 00:12:46:07 - 00:13:07:12 Unknown And if you do it right, it takes a lot of planning and it's a time investment and it can it can cost money to go to training and that type of thing. So, you know, I think time everyone we hear, especially in our ads to add one more thing to a play, it isn't good. But if you can help develop the program upfront, I think there'll be a lot of long term benefits from it. 00:13:07:12 - 00:13:30:12 Unknown So yeah, but I also I always find this kind of funny too, and I know this is one of the stats in the survey, but a lot of companies don't always tell their emerging leaders that they're selected emerging leaders. And, you know, I think it's all great if your senior team or your executive team goes through and you develop this program and you identify them, but if they don't know about it, how are you going to retain them? 00:13:30:12 - 00:14:00:05 Unknown I think even just from a recognition standpoint, it's really important to communicate that with them and being intentional about it. But the other thing, you know, I just want to caution people, too, a lot of times emerging leader can be associated with more work, which I think is fine, but you don't want to burn somebody out and have the opposite of the retention, you know, your attention goal adding more work to their plate isn't necessarily a good thing since making sure that we're managing that work. 00:14:00:05 - 00:14:27:07 Unknown And if they take on more what maybe is coming off that point for sure and you just mentioned this, but our survey asked of individuals who are identified as emerging leaders know that they are an emerging leader. And it was almost a 5050 split, which is kind of crazy. So why do you think that is? Yeah, I think it's funny, you know, when we're talking with companies and it's totally normal, but people say like, well, the emerging leaders know they're emerging leaders and they're like, Oh, yeah, of course. 00:14:27:12 - 00:14:53:16 Unknown And it's like, well, maybe the manager is. Then I talk to them. I don't know. You know, I haven't followed up. And, you know, there's so much going on and people are so much on their plate. But I think part of it is a little bit of fear. I mean, I think there is tough conversations to be had if there are people that aren't emerging leaders and you're walking down the hallway and, you know, Sophie and my colleagues are in a room because they're selected as emerging leaders and it's like, okay, well, how do I get to be a part of that? 00:14:53:16 - 00:15:21:19 Unknown Or I want that. So I think, you know, it it's really important to kind of know that stuff and make sure that managers are, you know, comfortable having those conversations as well. I also think if you don't have a learning plan, you know, I think it kind of becomes that. So like we talked about, so it's congratulations, you're an emerging leader, but if you don't have anything to provide them, it's just kind of like, okay, well, that's nice. 00:15:21:19 - 00:15:40:10 Unknown Thank you. So, yeah, but like, I just reiterate to, you know, you don't have to promise anything. So if I think that's another thing is when I was talking to that group of senior h.r. Professionals, they had kind of asked like, okay, you identify them, they go through all this training. Then what? I think a lot of times people are like, well, i did everything. 00:15:40:10 - 00:16:06:18 Unknown I should be promoted now. And, you know, if you can build out those steps within a career, I think that's really nice and it's something that they can see right away. But you don't have to promise anything, but you do have to acknowledge it because they did a lot of work and they were selected and you're trying to retain them, but you don't have to promise anything is something I'll keep reiterating because so many won't even go through the program and maybe you find out they were an emerging leader, but maybe leadership isn't for them and that's okay. 00:16:06:23 - 00:16:25:20 Unknown Yeah, that's a good point. So do you think it was to your advantage to know and be identified as an emerging leader early on? Yeah, I think so. I mean, from a recognition standpoint as just it was, to be honest, I was kind of shocked. I was like, I didn't even know that half of the senior team even knew who I was. 00:16:25:20 - 00:16:46:12 Unknown But the visibility and being able to just be recognized for your work, for me personally, the the recognition motivates me. So I think it's helpful. And I think again, retention as part of your goal with it, if they don't know that you recognize them in the work and the potential they have, I mean, how would they know? So I personally believe in, you know, sharing that with them. 00:16:46:12 - 00:17:11:12 Unknown I don't see a lot of harmony, especially, again, if your managers are ready to have those tough conversations with those that may not have been selected. Exactly. So moving on to a little different worksheet or what do you think some of the most pressing issues our leaders are facing today and how do you approach them? Yeah, you know, I think there's a lot i think going on and i think we just had a great h.r. 00:17:11:12 - 00:17:34:03 Unknown Conference a couple of weeks ago and our keynote speaker talked a lot about, you know, mental wellness and you're carrying, well, the individual, you know, outside of work and at work. And I think there's a lot to balance there. And i think that can be hard for leaders to kind of manage. But I think, you know, for me, it's always about just putting the people first and caring about them as an individual. 00:17:34:03 - 00:17:55:12 Unknown And, you know, really that people first mindset. But I think, you know, there's a change management, there's a ton of change going on right now. And when I facilitate an emerging leader roundtable and we talk about change almost every single month, just because there's so much going on and people handle change differently. So, you know, bringing everyone on your team along is always a challenge. 00:17:55:12 - 00:18:16:05 Unknown But I think communication is so important too, and I think those go hand in hand. And, you know, I think communication can be a challenge, too, because, you know, we we have a like a subcommittee working on communication for our employee resource group. And, you know, the group all gets together and we're like, well, we already get so many emails that are our CRM system. 00:18:16:06 - 00:18:37:19 Unknown You know, we already get so many notifications. And so it's like, okay, where is the best place? And then we have, you know, five different states and offices that we're communicating through. So you don't have all of your team in one place and some people are members and hybrid. So the communication is a challenge too for everyone. But, you know, I think just kind of being that people first mindset is what I try to put first. 00:18:37:20 - 00:19:00:05 Unknown Absolutely. And you mentioned that you talk a lot about change very often. So how do you stay up to date on emerging trends and technologies in the industry and how do you use that knowledge to really drive the leadership strategy? Yeah, that's a good question. I think the cool thing about being an employer association and working at Emory is you get to work with so many companies. 00:19:00:05 - 00:19:15:21 Unknown So it's I always really enjoy just hearing what, you know, what they're going through and the cool things that they're doing. So I think, you know, we we talk a lot about, you know, member being member centric. That's one of our values. And I think the nice thing here is everyone's really passionate about that and truly listens to our members. 00:19:15:21 - 00:19:39:17 Unknown So I think that's huge. I facilitate an emerging leader roundtable, so I get together with about 12 other leaders on a monthly basis. You know, we manage the internal leadership program with our members. So again, being able to talk to that next generation of leaders and just hearing what's on their minds. And then, I mean, I, I also volunteer and I serve on a board. 00:19:39:19 - 00:20:02:06 Unknown So, you know, you're just talking with other leaders all across industries and across the Midwest and the EAA are employer associations of America. So our sister associations, they're doing a lot of great work with their members, too. So I think really it's just that networking and asking questions and just really listening probably more than more than talking is how I try to stay up to that for sure. 00:20:02:08 - 00:20:23:00 Unknown Well, to close out the episode, do you have any last pieces of advice that you could give emerging leaders who are really just starting out in their careers or have just been identified as an emerging leader? Yeah, I think, you know, when I look back, you know, where I started and how I got here. And I think a lot of the credit goes to the mentors and the sponsors that I've had. 00:20:23:00 - 00:20:40:15 Unknown And if you haven't heard of a sponsor, it's really that person that says your name in a room full of opportunities and it's you know, you're sitting there and maybe it's a senior level person and they're like, So if you can handle this project or yourself, you should work on this project. And who or who is that person that saying you're in? 00:20:40:15 - 00:21:00:02 Unknown And when there's opportunities that arise. And I'm really grateful for the mentors and the sponsors that I've had that I do like. I honestly really think getting involved in volunteering to do work and projects and just raising your hand, I think, you know, I talked a little bit about earlier about how I tried to own my own my own professional development. 00:21:00:02 - 00:21:17:23 Unknown So, you know, if your manager is not coming up to you and saying you should do this or this, I think it's okay to go back to them and say, I'd like to do this and here's why. And then you can do stuff on your own time too. Like I said, I volunteer on the board, and that's specifically just for my own growth. 00:21:17:23 - 00:21:37:02 Unknown And because I want to be involved in the community. But you can do that on your own time as well. Yeah, that's that's great ending. And I say to the last thing I would say is, but you're yourself to do things that you're not comfortable doing. So I think as a leader and just as a professional, the more you push yourself and try new things, the more you'll learn a lot about yourself too, for sure. 00:21:37:04 - 00:22:03:16 Unknown Well, thank you for being on the podcast again and really sharing your expertise on emerging leaders and your personal experience of being one too. So to our listeners, I would encourage you to like, share this episode. Weaver comment or review and consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. Again, we have all the resources in the show notes below, including Courtney's LinkedIn profile and bio, so you can get in touch with her. 00:22:03:18 - 00:22:25:19 Unknown Otherwise, thank you for tuning in and thanks again, Courtney. We'll see you next week. Thanks for having me. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign up to connect. For more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minutes Thrive so you don't miss out. 00:22:25:19 - 00:22:30:12 Unknown Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the conversation.  

Description: Summer is the time of year when many people want to kick back, relax, and enjoy the warm weather. However, with work and other responsibilities still demanding attention, finding the balance between having fun and being productive can be challenging. In this episode, we explore strategies for achieving that balance and discuss the benefits of taking time off to recharge. Our guest Samantha Siebenaller shares her personal experiences and offers practical tips for managing work and play during the summer months. Whether you're a part-time employee or a full-time professional trying to stay focused, this episode will help you find the right balance between work and play. Join us for a fun and informative discussion about how to work hard and play hard in the summer! Resources: Time Management - MRA Course  Role Modeling Your Culture, Summertime Style  Benefits of Flexible Scheduling Options  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Samantha Siebenaller  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Sam Siebenaller  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. 00:00:21:04 - 00:00:39:17 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Hello, everybody, and welcome to 30 minute Thrive. We're excited you're here, and I'm excited to introduce our guests for today. Thanks for being on the show, Sam. Happy to be here. Well, the topic we're talking about today really applies to any time of the year, but since summer is just right around the corner. 00:00:39:19 - 00:01:01:12 Unknown Think now's a great time to talk about balancing fun and productivity in the summer. So like i said, i'm here with Sam Siebenaller. Sam is our HR Services manager here at mra. So she oversees our HR Business partner teams at MRA, and she comes with a 20 plus year background of employee relations, talent management, policy, development and more. 00:01:01:14 - 00:01:27:03 Unknown So, again, thanks for sharing your expertise today and your personal experience, too. Well, let's kind of start out with the overarching picture. So how do you define work life balance and what does it mean in the context of summer? Yeah, for me, work life balance specifically means figuring out what's most important to me in my life and then how do I make sure work doesn't take away from it while still achieving whatever I need to achieve at work? 00:01:27:03 - 00:01:48:12 Unknown Great summers. Not very different for me than the rest of the year, of course, but in the context of summer, it's really shifting schedules for my family and making sure that we kind of reset everything. You know, going from a school schedule to God knows what I'm going to be doing, right? So I was having a conversation this weekend with some parents actually. 00:01:48:12 - 00:02:09:02 Unknown And one thing that I thought was was funny and I thought was great advice for parents is we overbook our kids all school year. They're doing taekwondo, they're doing swimming, they've got soccer, they've got baseball. What about in summer? We don't overbook. But what if we didn't? And it was that reminder that I can have a life that's not overbooked, and that's going to help all of it go a little easier. 00:02:09:02 - 00:02:38:18 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. Well, we know that communication is also key between employees and managers. So when talking about work life balance, how can people effectively communicate their needs to employers or colleagues when it comes to taking time off during the summer? Yeah, well, I think it comes back to planning. So understanding what your needs are, understanding what the business needs are, and then communicating your needs to your manager with us with suggestions from balance at all. 00:02:38:20 - 00:02:57:21 Unknown So if you think you need to leave early two days a week, how are you going to get your work done? If you need to work it out and get it back it up? You still got to do. You still have to get your job done, you know, in the summer. But, you know, I think as long as you're clear and communicate with your manager regularly, you know, usually you can figure something out and it's good advice. 00:02:57:23 - 00:03:17:03 Unknown Well, let's kind of get into your own personal experience with work life balance. So how do you personally manage your workload and schedule to make time for your leisure activities and stuff like that during the summer? Yeah. So one of the things I do is I always look ahead a couple of months now, so I see when do I need to take off for my child? 00:03:17:03 - 00:03:38:18 Unknown Doesn't have school, when do we have appointments? When are we going to take a vacation? We're going next. We just got back from Puerto Rico a couple of months ago. When can I go again? And another one of. So I really look ahead and then I make sure I communicate with my team, with my peers. So everybody at MRA knew I was going to Puerto Rico well in advance so that I could take off, unplug, unwind, yeah. 00:03:38:18 - 00:04:05:06 Unknown And had backups in place and a plan in place so that I wasn't working while I was off. So again, it's all planning, communication and really thinking about what's important at home and at work and in and out. Yeah, that kind of reminds me of like, even just your calendar, like on Outlook. Well, we use Outlook, but it's so nice to, like, look ahead at coworkers schedules and see like, oh, so-and-so's working remotely two weeks from now. 00:04:05:06 - 00:04:26:10 Unknown Like, I won't plan anything. They're like, That's so important. Yes. So could you share any tips for setting boundaries between work and play when the lines can easily blur during the summer? Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, I mentioned I have a child and one of the things I see parents do a lot is work when they're at their child's events. 00:04:26:10 - 00:04:47:14 Unknown And that's great if that works for them and and what have you. What I try to do is balance my schedules so that when I'm with him, I'm with him. And if that means that, okay, I've got to cut out early because he's got to sporting events, well then maybe I'm going to work a little bit on a Sunday because that brings me peace to have my my week kind of ready for whatever whatever else is going to go on. 00:04:47:16 - 00:05:11:13 Unknown So but having those boundaries can look different for everybody. Some people here I work on Sundays and they think I'm not right. And but for me, that boundary works. I'm okay doing that. And where for other people that's maintaining a very fixed schedule for work and then cutting out at the exact same time every day because they have whatever responsibilities outside of work or whatever fun things planned out at work. 00:05:11:13 - 00:05:34:06 Unknown So everyone kind of needs to decide what their boundaries are and communicate and plan for them. So kind of going off of that, what what other advice do you have for individuals who kind of struggle to have that disconnect from work while on vacation or at your kids for fun or just time off in general? Yeah, I think first step is understanding why they're struggling to disconnect. 00:05:34:06 - 00:05:56:21 Unknown Yeah. Is it that they're overwhelmed at work? Is it that they love their job and so they're choosing not to disconnect because they want to check their email? Yeah. And they want to know what's happening. So understanding their why and then figuring out how you get away from that. So last fall, I last August, I took a vacation with my family and candidly, Sophie, I worked almost every day, a couple hours. 00:05:56:21 - 00:06:15:21 Unknown Here they are. Yes, eight out of ten. But I looked back at it when I was planning ahead for my next trip and said, I want to do that again. Right. I don't want to run a payroll from Puerto Rico. Right. So and I remember is probably don't want me to buy it. So I kind of looked at why so why did I end up working every day? 00:06:15:21 - 00:06:33:17 Unknown And I realized I didn't have a backup plan in place for some of my responsibilities. I realized I hadn't set specific contacts for some people on my team if they needed things from me. So I learned from that and started communicating my plan early and often for the next trip. So again, reflecting on what happened and planning ahead for next time. 00:06:33:18 - 00:07:05:01 Unknown That's good advice. So work life balance also goes hand-in-hand with motivation and productivity. So how do you maintain motivation and productivity at work while also making time for that leisure time and time off during summer or in general? Yeah, for me it's all about knowing what my goals are and what it's going to take to achieve those. So, you know, thinking ahead over the course of the whole year, what do I need to keep moving over the summer to make sure we hit our targets by the end of the year? 00:07:05:03 - 00:07:27:00 Unknown Knowing that my team relies on me also plays into that. And so I need to make sure that I'm available when they need me. We were talking about Fridays, right? Yeah, before. And I know that a lot of my team has free time on Fridays when they don't have free time. The rest of the weeks are so busy working with our members and so on Fridays I keep myself available to be there for them. 00:07:27:02 - 00:07:53:19 Unknown And, and I think that really it helps them feel feel supported. It reminds me why I'm here, what my job is. But still, you know, helps me balance my workload by knowing, okay, I'm to keep Fridays open for my team. I'm not going to overbook myself and be able to support their needs. Yeah, that's a great idea. Well, MRA and I'm sure at other companies too, we do a lot of summer activities or team bonding activities. 00:07:53:21 - 00:08:18:20 Unknown So do you know any other creative ways that individuals or organizations kind of incorporate that team-building activities and bonding during the summer while also still being productive with work? Yeah, so, you know, lots of different ways. One of the ways I just I thought of that that I did here just last week, Friday, is I met with another member of our team out on our patio here at our Waukesha office. 00:08:19:01 - 00:08:40:23 Unknown Yeah. And we, we had a few open items we needed to discuss. We sat on the patio, discussed them, soaked up the sunshine, was a little chilly, but soaked up that sunshine and really felt refreshed when we came back in from it. So again, looking for opportunities to just kind of maybe change your setting if you can. Yeah, Obviously we you know, we also work with a lot of employers where maybe we have a more fixed schedule. 00:08:40:23 - 00:09:07:12 Unknown We can't step away from an assembly line. Right. And so for those employers, the challenge is to find ways to incorporate it into the work schedule, into the day. So a lot of employers and they love this one, they'll do cookouts over lunch for their teams, so provide a meal, encourage camaraderie, maybe set out some fun games, place megs over lunch, whether it is a catered lunch or a or a potluck. 00:09:07:15 - 00:09:26:06 Unknown Yeah you know also taking opportunity is for personal connection during training. So if you're a team that has some scheduled mandatory training has come OSHA, you name it you know could you tack on an extra half an hour for some team building activities as part of that? And can you get it outside when the weather's nice? Because we're in the Midwest and it's not nice all the time. 00:09:26:06 - 00:09:48:22 Unknown Yeah. Yeah. We that reminds me when we had a couple food trucks last summer, it kind of got everybody to go outside, take a little breather from work, enjoy some tacos, come back. We joke on our team, actually. How do you give your employees a taco truck experience? Yeah, if they don't, we're working in an environment where you can give them the actual talk express. 00:09:49:02 - 00:10:08:11 Unknown Good point. You know, if they can't step away, if they're remote workers, how do you bring those experiences to your employees? Yeah, that's actually what I was going to ask. If you have anything else to add. I know we touched on it briefly, but what about for companies or departments who can't have flexible scheduling or. Yeah, need time off in the summer? 00:10:08:11 - 00:10:28:15 Unknown What, what options do they have? Yeah. So I really think it's about looking at the full year and understanding the work that you do, understanding the, the business cycles for your organization and figure out what you can accomplish. So great example as a company we work with up in Minnesota, their employees love their long weekends. They all go up north, right? 00:10:28:17 - 00:10:45:21 Unknown They're fishing, they're hunting, they're having time with their families. As an organization, they're relatively small. So they could do this. They decided we're going to do 4/10 Monday through Thursday and a half day every Friday. So for hours on Fridays, if they have over time, the front loaded into the week. So everybody still gets their long weekends because they know it's valuable to their people. 00:10:45:23 - 00:11:16:07 Unknown And, you know, they've they've made it work for their organization. And I think, you know, identifying that they're able to do that and then following through. Now, not every company can do that in the summer or around, but looking for ideas like that. Crowd sourcing from your own employees. Yeah, you don't want to overpromise and under-deliver, but if you let your employees know, hey, we're looking for ways that we can give you more flexibility, that we can, you know, identify your needs as an individual and hopefully satisfy them, ask them what they think. 00:11:16:09 - 00:11:44:04 Unknown Great to get and and take that take those opinions. Look at your business cycles, look at your needs and try to come up with solution for sure. Are there any specific tools or technologies that you personally use to help manage or organize your time? Yeah, I just live and die by my calendar, basically. Right. We all do. So what I do personally though, because you know, when you're managing a family or you have a lot of personal commitments, doesn't matter if you have kids or not, right? 00:11:44:04 - 00:12:11:16 Unknown Yeah, I make sure that my work calendar reflects my personal calendar, so I know. Hey, you need to leave by 430 to get on to taekwondo, don't forget. And so I make sure I blend those calendars. We are extremely lucky to have a nanny in the summer who is amazing. Shout out to Colt. Right? And so we also put our personal commitments on his calendar and make sure that we all kind of know where we're going when we're go in, when we're going there, so we can plan ahead. 00:12:11:16 - 00:12:35:21 Unknown Yeah. And so really, for me, it is just my calendar. No, I second that. Yes. Yeah. And to do less my go to. Yeah. I think some people might be wondering like why is it so important to prioritize just relaxation during the summer. So are there any benefits in doing so. I mean obvious mental health benefits from kind of unplugging and unwinding. 00:12:35:21 - 00:12:55:12 Unknown Right. And then as I mentioned before, we're in the Midwest. Summers are short. Yeah. And so if you're somebody where sunshine makes a difference to how you feel about life, you want to find ways to get out there. I was speaking with another parent this weekend and she was talking about finding opportunities to get into nature and the mental health benefits just of that. 00:12:55:14 - 00:13:17:02 Unknown And you know, we can do that year round. But I don't love snow, so I personally try to find ways to get more sunshine into my day or agree with that. You know? Well, as we kind of close out the episode here, can you end with any other practical steps that employees or employers can take to achieve that healthy work life balance throughout the year, not just the summer? 00:13:17:02 - 00:13:38:19 Unknown Yeah, I mean, I think it's just continually evaluating what's working for you in your life and at work and what's not, and then thinking about ways to make that better. We each individually own our lives in our careers, so it's on us to do it, and it's on us to give feedback to our employers. If we're not in a good place, if we're not getting what we need without that, it's never going to get better. 00:13:38:19 - 00:14:04:08 Unknown If you don't have that work life right now. Yeah, that was a good ending point. So we all hope that's all the time we have today. So thank you again for being here. I learned a lot. I'm definitely going to implement those strategies and techniques that you mentioned for my summer work life balance. But to our listeners, I would encourage you to like, comment and share this episode if you enjoyed it or learn something to know. 00:14:04:09 - 00:14:24:11 Unknown Also, take a look at the resources that we have in the show Notes below. On becoming an MRA member. We've also got Sam's bio and LinkedIn profile down in the show notes below. Also, if you want to get in touch with her or have any follow up questions, I'm sure she'd be happy to connect. Absolutely. But thanks again, Sam, and thanks to our listeners. 00:14:24:12 - 00:14:46:01 Unknown Thank you. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect for more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minute Thrive so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the HR conversation.  

Description: In this episode, we'll explore the May edition of MRA's monthly Talent Report: Emerging Leaders, Planning for Your Organizational Future!  We'll hear from Jim Morgan, Vice President of Workforce Strategies, on best practices regarding emerging leaders, uncover C-Suite priorities and top creative HR strategies, learn how to improve employee retention, and more!  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. 00:00:21:04 - 00:00:42:16 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Welcome to this episode of 30 Minute Thrive, I'm excited to go over this month's talent report with Jim Morgan, our vice president of Workforce Strategies here at MRA. We're going to kind of go into what he's been seeing talent wise this month of May. So I know this month kind of highlighted emerging leaders as the featured topic, too. 00:00:42:17 - 00:01:12:18 Unknown So I'm excited to kind of talk about that and put that into the conversation, too. Okay. Looking forward to it. But just as a reminder, if you aren't familiar with the monthly talent report, Jim Morgan gives an up to the minute review of what's going on in the world of business in HR., with an emphasis on talent. And that's based on input from CEOs, CFOs and H.R. leaders from MRA's 3000 plus member companies, 1000 roundtable participants and subject matter experts. 00:01:12:21 - 00:01:38:09 Unknown So again, thanks for coming on the podcast. My pleasure, Jim. So we'll kind of kick off the episode talking about what's happening in the recruiting and retention world. So, Jim, what are you seeing here this month? Well, we found a really interesting one. This was in northern Wisconsin, and we're always talking with companies about is there a niche of people that you can attract, that you can really sort of absorb into your workplace and differentiate yourself in the market? 00:01:38:11 - 00:01:58:06 Unknown And in this case, they had a number of Hispanic speaking people. And in that area there is a pretty good population of Hispanic people. And so they had found that, you know, they were trying to accommodate that people that had English as a second language. And as they saw more and more people coming in, they thought, you know, there's more and more that we can do. 00:01:58:06 - 00:02:22:07 Unknown And so, one, they began to offer English as a second language to the people that were primarily Spanish speaking, but they also turned it around the other way and were helping their English speaking people learn Spanish or if they had had Spanish before. You were mentioning before the podcast that, you know, you had an outstanding high school experience and got a great grade and went on to take it in college, but then maybe you don't use it for a few years. 00:02:22:10 - 00:02:46:11 Unknown So they would do the refresher so that people could understand a little bit more Spanish. And so then the communications began to improve. They had some interpreters that they were floating around their three shifts in an effort to help them sort of facilitate conversation. And then they actually worked with their technical college that, you know, learning a language is one thing, but learning it specific to an industry is another. 00:02:46:13 - 00:03:11:12 Unknown And so they had the technical college come in and sit in on some of the conversations, and this was our food manufacturing business. So they learned words like, you know, volume and moisture and P-H and things that may not be in your Spanish 1 to 1 when you're learning dog and cat and things like that, but more specific to the industry so that when the harder words came up, both sides of it began to understand. 00:03:11:15 - 00:03:35:24 Unknown They made sure all of their signs were, you know, bilingual, not only by law, but you know, in addition putting up additional signage as well. Anyway, the long and the short of this was that this began to spread through the Hispanic community. And they were saying, wow, if you come to this company, they really seem to care about making us feel at home, making sure that we can be heard, making sure we can communicate with others. 00:03:35:27 - 00:03:56:27 Unknown And it actually has become sort of a talent supply chain issue for them now, where they're finding out that people are making a conscious choice to come work for them because of all the effort they're putting in to make them feel comfortable. And so, again, as you know, we talk about trying to match the work life balance of people to try to match what your employees want in terms of needs. 00:03:57:00 - 00:04:24:10 Unknown Here was one where it was really a language thing, put a real emphasis on let's make that's remove the language thing from the barriers. And as a result, they've sort of become a magnet now for English as a second language group people. Scott That's an interesting recruiting and retention tactic, and I feel like it's one thing to say that you can do all of that in a company, but it's also another thing to actually implement that and yeah, kind of show that culture around. 00:04:24:10 - 00:04:42:04 Unknown So that's cool. Yeah. And it's obviously so important to these people if they're going home and yeah, you know, telling me, telling their friends, you know, and so it becomes a topic of discussion and all of a sudden they're seeing people come in and you know, they're coming because it's a comfortable place to be. Yeah, exactly. Successful tool, right? 00:04:42:09 - 00:05:06:06 Unknown That's right. So I mentioned earlier that emerging leaders was a topic that was highlighted this month in the talent report in MRA, just actually released their results of our Hot Topic survey on emerging leaders. So can you talk about that survey and the results a little bit? Was there anything that kind of jumped out at you? Yeah, I would say what it did was confirm some things we thought we already knew. 00:05:06:06 - 00:05:26:25 Unknown And it is almost become I've sort of developed this hierarchy now of emerging leaders, which if I go into almost any company and I say to them, Do you have emerging leaders? And they'll say, Oh yeah, we have emerging leaders. And I said, Interesting. You know, have you identified them? We sort of know who they are and where they're at. 00:05:26:26 - 00:05:51:14 Unknown Okay. Do they know that you've identified them as an emerging leader? And usually the answer then becomes, well, no. Yeah. And said, well, you know, why haven't you identified them? Well, we're not clear on the criteria and we don't really have a game plan for them after we've identified them. And you kind of go through this list and you're sort of realizing that everybody knows it's a big deal, everybody knows who they are, and then it gets hard. 00:05:51:14 - 00:06:13:01 Unknown And then that sort of where it begins to drop off. And so when we started, one of the questions that we asked in the survey was, you know, what's the criteria for your emerging leaders? And they're, you know, 90 plus percent said, oh, high potential or, you know, good work ethic. And some of these you know, I'll know it when I see it, but I'm not quite sure how I put a measurement on it. 00:06:13:03 - 00:06:43:24 Unknown And really not so much about getting a little more specific, like because they live the mission and vision of the organization, because they're looking to develop their skill side, because they have a learning plan in place and have worked with their manager to see this is how they're going to upgrade all that they're doing. And what it really began to confirm for us as we're trying to help companies with their own emerging leaders is there's got to be a whole bunch of steps put in place here that says this emerging leader program has to tie to your succession plan. 00:06:43:25 - 00:07:05:25 Unknown It has to be tied to your mission and goals. You've got to have a career plan in place for these folks. There has to be a learning and development plan. They have to be able to apply what you're trying to teach. Because if you tell me I'm an emerging leader and what I get out of that is a whole bunch more work because, you know, I'm trying out and I'm doing things that's great and I'll feel good about that. 00:07:05:25 - 00:07:29:16 Unknown But, you know, is there a recognition component? Is there a compensation component? Is there a promotion component? Is there a learning and development component? And so what we're really starting to see is this is really important for companies. They understand the value of it, and now they're just sort of getting to I'm not sure we can just say the emerging leaders are who I think they are, but it's criteria based. 00:07:29:16 - 00:07:49:18 Unknown It's confirmed by the senior team, by their supervisor. Other people that work with them that, yep, you know, this is someone who goes the extra mile. This is someone who really understands the organization and then we have to put in place, okay, well, what does that mean? And then how do we continue to build them up? So we did learn that, you know, there are companies that have some criteria. 00:07:49:18 - 00:08:09:23 Unknown They've gone through the whole thing and using some of those best practices. Now we're working with other companies to say, all right, you know, have you done this? Have you done this and have you done this Because in Emerging Leaders program that only consists of, well, we know who they are and that's the end of it doesn't really qualify as an emerging leader program. 00:08:09:25 - 00:08:31:14 Unknown And going off of that, as you're talking about emerging leader programs, you mentioned this and talent thinking section. So you talked about how emerging leader programs can help with retention and as a kind of aid as a retention tool. So can you expand on that a little bit more? Yeah, You know, and I think we've gone through this. 00:08:31:14 - 00:08:49:06 Unknown You know, we had a couple of years of everybody frantically trying to attract talent that just churning that, you know, as many as we can. Let's get them as quickly as we can and hopefully bringing in more people than were going somewhere else. And while that's still going on, I think that pendulum has stopped swinging quite so much. 00:08:49:09 - 00:09:06:06 Unknown And the attraction, while still important, has now focused a little bit more on retention, like, okay, we're gonna go through all this work to try to attract these people. How do we then hang on to them and ultimately how do we hang on to the best of our best? And I would argue that that's probably your emerging leaders. 00:09:06:08 - 00:09:34:16 Unknown And so this is a group of people that, you know, that they're high fliers, you know, that they're high motor, their high energy. They're looking to be recognized for that. They're looking to have growth opportunities. They're looking for opportunities to, you know, move up in their career. And so now it has become a retention strategy that says we can't just say we have an emerging leader program and say, hey, self-congratulation, journey, emerging leader. 00:09:34:18 - 00:09:55:10 Unknown That doesn't mean much to Sophie or if we say to Sophie, what we'd like you to do now is we're going to do a skills assessment of you and see where you're strong, in which case we'll just keep building on those and maybe some areas where you haven't had the opportunity for experience. And we'll give you more of that and make you more broad based and give you a little bit more breadth in what you know about the organization. 00:09:55:13 - 00:10:18:21 Unknown Will give you some applicable opportunities. Maybe we'll have you run a project, we'll have you get on a volunteer board somewhere, will expose you to the executive committee and the board of directors. Those types of opportunities that now say, Wow, somebody has recognized what I'm doing. They publicly recognize it to say, Hey, these are our emerging leaders for the year and here's what's about to happen. 00:10:18:23 - 00:10:37:05 Unknown And so I think now they're seeing, oh, I've got a future here. People are taking an interest in me because if they become unengaged, that's when they start looking. What if you're keeping sort of that carried out there that says there's opportunities for you, there's growth for you now that's become part of. All right. You know, we've got these best and brightest. 00:10:37:05 - 00:11:14:17 Unknown How do we make sure we keep them? It seems like there's more of a strategic plan involved with the emerging. Yeah, and that's a really good point, because first of all, if there isn't any plan that bad. Second, if the plan is almost department by department, that's that's good. But it's not a strategic initiative for the organization. Whereas if the organization has said, now, look, we need we're going to need to fill position, you know, the number of people that are saying, yeah, of our 12 leaders in the organization, seven of them are going to retire in the next three years, or we just lost 200 years of experience with our last round of retirements 00:11:14:17 - 00:11:39:13 Unknown in the past 12 months. Those are things that people are having to start to plan for now. And an emerging leader program is really, you know, sort of the way to build that bench and build those succession planning for sure. So is there anything else you want to highlight in that talent thinking section? Well, I think, you know, really your point on the strategy part of it that says this is our succession planning. 00:11:39:13 - 00:12:03:03 Unknown This is not only trying to fill the C-suite positions, but to try to fill all of our critical positions. And that might be, you know, somebody on the factory floor, might be somebody in the accounting department, it might be someone at the front desk. There are jobs that, you know, are going to be important. And when that person goes, you're going to have to try to figure out what are we going to do in all of these and how are we going to fill them. 00:12:03:03 - 00:12:25:20 Unknown So I think it really that strategic part is really become a big part of, yeah, all of the emerging leader work that companies are doing. Mm hmm. And you just talk about succession planning and that's kind of been a buzzword, I feel like nowadays. And just more frequently I feel like I've heard that. But in terms of C-suite level, what are leaders really doing with that and what are they doing now? 00:12:25:23 - 00:12:53:09 Unknown You know, I think people always want to say they've got a succession plan and I think people are really trying to push now to say, you know, the succession plan doesn't come when the person gives three weeks notice. The succession comes long before that. And I think there's two sort of parts of this. One is, you know, not to be crude, but what's the succession plan if the person gets hit by a bus tomorrow and we don't see them again, because that's a next day. 00:12:53:10 - 00:13:14:01 Unknown Yeah. And it happens. And that may not be the long term fix, but who is the person that you know? Okay, let's take you you're running our social media. If you're not there the next day, does anybody know what we're doing in social media? It doesn't have to be their primary job. It can someone walk in the next day and say, wow, here's everything that you had planned. 00:13:14:03 - 00:13:39:25 Unknown They may not be our permanent solution, but there's somebody who can step in the next day. And from the external world, they don't know that we miss a beat so that succession planning part one and then part two is did we plan someone that was going to be the next person up to say, okay, this person can get us through the next two weeks, three weeks, the month, but then we've got to get this other person off speed and they can take it on the long term. 00:13:39:27 - 00:14:01:07 Unknown So I think from the C-suite perspective, they're trying to look at both. And then they're also with the emerging leaders. You know, this is kind of a balance to say right now, if I said to you, congratulations, you're an emerging leader here. I can't really follow that up and say, you know what? And in six months you'll be our director of marketing, because I don't know if that's what's going to happen. 00:14:01:07 - 00:14:19:09 Unknown We've got a director of marketing and he does a wonderful job. So I don't know if he's going to be here or not be here, so I can't say that to him. So from a C-suite perspective, I think there's almost a there's no promises here. I can't guarantee you a raise or a promotion or whatever. What I can tell you is we're going to support you in all of this. 00:14:19:09 - 00:14:38:03 Unknown We'll put resources into you and you are going to be in a much better position that should that job open up or should that opportunity become available, you'll be ready to fill it. And that's, I think, what we're trying to prepare that next generation. And as much as someone might say, okay, if I do this in six months, how much more money do I make? 00:14:38:06 - 00:14:55:17 Unknown I'd love to be able to tell you that. But if you're still doing the exact same job right, then that's not something that I can. Yeah, that's a good point. So trying to make sure that everybody is realistic in their expectations that we're going to make sure you are as ready as you can possibly be. Yeah. And then we just have to sort of see what happens. 00:14:55:18 - 00:15:17:07 Unknown Yeah. I feel like being realistic is a great point to bring out because you don't want to make any promises that are going to come true or give high hopes to someone that I don't know. Those things might not happen to them. Yeah. And we also then, you know, we added that to the CEO, to the C-suite, that there was a new CHRO poll that came out sort of asking what they were thinking. 00:15:17:07 - 00:15:39:06 Unknown And we confirmed this, you know, with some of the CEOs and CFOs, too. But there seems to be for the first quarter anyway, at least some optimism that the world is settling down a little. And I say that because we're going from completely frantic hair on fire to maybe just completely frantic. Yeah, that's still better step down. But it's not like we're all sitting back and, you know, enjoying life. 00:15:39:06 - 00:15:57:27 Unknown But at least the turnover has stopped a little. It seems like the are out the door, back in the door. All of that has slowed down a little. And when we just had the Talent Report, one of the questions we asked is, you know, sort of where are you at right now? And one of the choices is, hey, I at least I have time to breathe. 00:15:57:29 - 00:16:20:07 Unknown And a majority of the people said at least they have time to breathe. So that's a little bit better. And at least can you do some strategic thinking? The first quarter went relatively well for most industries, so nowhere near normal when I think people feeling just a little bit better about what's going on for sure. Mm hmm. Well, earlier we talked about some of the characteristics of emerging leaders. 00:16:20:07 - 00:16:51:27 Unknown But I know you have a chart that it kind of explains the criteria used to also identify emerging leaders. So can you talk about what's on the chart or a few points on the chart? Yeah. You know, and as I said a little bit earlier, when I was talking about the emerging leaders that, you know, high performer, high potential and there's almost an intrinsic like, yeah, I know the people that are getting stuff done and those, you know, were like, you know, in the nineties but those were followed relatively closely by demonstrated motivation and desire. 00:16:51:29 - 00:17:10:23 Unknown The behavior aligns with the organizational values. They're a team player. And so I think you're starting to get, you know, some of them maybe more subjective. They're doing the things that we want them to do. Now, measuring some of those are difficult, but even team player, you know, that's coming from other folks who are saying, you know, I enjoy working with Sophie. 00:17:10:23 - 00:17:36:29 Unknown She's easy to work with. She's flexible. She, you know, listens to other people ideas. And so, you know, they had some of those things in there. And then I'd say, you know, the next round still, you know, in the 70% influence and it inspires other employees, has a real knowledge of the organization, takes the initiative they're those people are I didn't you know you didn't have to go say hey, this isn't getting done. 00:17:36:29 - 00:17:51:05 Unknown You know, they're the ones who say like, I'll do it. Yeah, you know, might be outside their area, but you know that they're going to step up or you're sitting in a meeting and you just say, Boy, we really need some help on blank. It's the person who raises their hands as well. You know, I can do it. 00:17:51:05 - 00:18:16:27 Unknown Yeah. And so, you know, you see those things and other people see it. So you start getting a little bit of. That's what's going on out there. Mm hmm. And then lower down. But I think the pandemic sort of showed this. It's it's the, you know, who's who's willing to be the person that's there who was willing to just kind of roll with it and say, okay, I'm going to be flexible here. 00:18:16:27 - 00:18:42:07 Unknown I understand there's a hardship here. I'm going to take this. This isn't really my job, but I understand there's somebody else here who can't do it. This person dealt with an illness, this sort of thing happens. So they really were good under fire, I think in almost every organization as they went through the pandemic, you just saw certain people who just sort of ducked down and said, I'm just going to hope this thing passes and I'll still be here. 00:18:42:09 - 00:18:58:04 Unknown And the others who stepped up and said, All right, we're not going to able to do things the way that we used to do them. So I'll come in and I'll help with this part. Might just be for a month, might be for a year, might be until, you know, normalcy returns about now. But they were the ones who just always raised their hand. 00:18:58:05 - 00:19:19:12 Unknown Yeah, that's interesting that you can identify, I don't know, a high performer, high potential from a global pandemic. Yeah. Yeah. You know, for all the bad things that happened, it certainly nothing else the pandemic sort of showed us. Yeah. Who can work remotely. Exactly. Who can step up and who is adaptable. Yeah, we did pick up on those. 00:19:19:14 - 00:19:47:08 Unknown Well, as we kind of wrap up here, I've always got to ask if you can give us a sneak peek to what next months our part looks like for June. Yeah, I'm very excited. We're going to talk about employee engagement and employee assessments and, you know, similar to almost what we talked about today, there's a lot of companies that will say, Oh yeah, you know, we want to know more about employee engagement and yeah, we want to know how our people are feeling and they might do it from a gut feel, which isn't all bad, you know. 00:19:47:10 - 00:20:13:13 Unknown But you also really want to find out what people are thinking and why they're thinking that and once you get those results, you really want to put something in place that says, All right, look, they told us this and that. We got to dig deeper into that and maybe do some focus groups and sit down with a group of employees or by department, have some different discussions because, you know, if you don't ask the questions, you don't have any idea what the answers are. 00:20:13:16 - 00:20:31:19 Unknown And the flip side of that being is if you do ask the questions, you better do something about it. And so we're going to have a discussion with Kristie Haase about just, you know, what do some of those assessments look like? What happens when you're done with those assessments? What is some of the follow up, you know, and what do you see from companies that really do it well? 00:20:31:22 - 00:20:53:10 Unknown And what are some some of the best practices out there? So again, with this emphasis on retention and keeping people happy, one of the things that we're really, you know, seeing more and more because of the pandemic, because of the these last two generations, is you really have to start to know the individual and what they want. And sort of a one size fits all doesn't really work anymore. 00:20:53:10 - 00:21:20:11 Unknown Yeah. So we'll have some pretty, I think, interesting discussions around best practices and employee engagement and employee assessment. Yeah, awesome. I'm looking forward to it. Do you have any last pieces of advice you want to leave the listeners and I know you've given a lot, but any and I know your last mike Drop my, my mike drop. Okay Yeah I think my mike drop is, you know, sort of hanging in there and we just had our our conference, we had about 500 people there. 00:21:20:11 - 00:21:41:23 Unknown And, you know, we were surveying them on different things. We did a word cloud on, you know, how are you feeling? Yeah. And, you know, I think people are still stressed. They're still a little overwhelmed. But like I said, they're feeling a little bit better about what's happening. I don't know that the end is in sight, but at least they feel like we're we're moving in the right direction. 00:21:41:26 - 00:21:58:25 Unknown And we had some really good conversations around mental health and, you know, people being overwhelmed and strategies to deal with that. So from an H our point of view, I would encourage, you know, the people that about the center of the storm, you got to take care of yourself because you spend a lot of time taking care of a lot of other people. 00:21:58:26 - 00:22:27:26 Unknown Yeah. You know, don't be afraid to, you know, spend some time on yourself. Yeah. Self keep yourself healthy. Yeah. Good, good. Lasting advice. Well, thank you for being on the podcast stage and sharing this month's talent report to our listeners. We hope you liked our chat today and the topic today, so I'd encourage you to share this episode and leave a comment or review and make sure to share it with your coworkers and on social media and then consider joining MRA if you aren't a member already. 00:22:27:28 - 00:22:54:00 Unknown Like always, we have all the resources you need in the show notes below, and we've got some resources from today in the show notes and Jim's contact information there too, if you want to get in touch with him. Otherwise, we'll see you next week. And thanks for tuning in. And that wraps up our content for this episode. Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect for more podcasts updates, check out other Amari episodes on your favorite podcast platform. 00:22:54:00 - 00:23:03:19 Unknown And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minute Thrive so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the HR conversation.  

Description: There has never been a more crucial time to focus your efforts on elevating the work experience of your employees. MRA's 2023 HR Conference Highlights episode will provide you with tangible ways to help you raise the bar throughout the entire employee life cycle, from recruitment to retention, while building and solidifying employee loyalty along the way. And it's not just about the employees, but it's also time to elevate you—the HR professional! These conference highlights will provide you with a space to grow your skills and address the mental health load that HR teams continue to shoulder. Join us for an experience that will elevate YOU and your employees. Resources: Register for Minnesota HR Conference!  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Paula Davis (Stress & Resilience Institute)  Guest Bio - Josh Miller (Project50)  Guest Bio - Jamie Jackson (Humorous Resources)  Guest Bio - Tricia Shields (Naviant)  Guest Bio - Shawn Gulyas (humanworks8)  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. 00:00:21:04 - 00:00:40:21 Unknown Now it's time to thrive. Hey, everybody. Thanks for tuning in to 30 minute Thrive today. This week we kind of have a special edition episode as Courtney Lamers is going to be our host today, highlighting our 2023 HR conference. So thanks for being the host for today, Courtney. Thanks for trusting me. You always do such a good job. 00:00:40:21 - 00:00:57:22 Unknown So this is a lot of pressure, but I'm really excited to talk with all of our speakers today. I know they have a lot of great information to share. Good morning, MRA friends and welcome to our annual HR conference. So excited to be here today and we're excited to kick off the day with my good friend Jamie. 00:00:58:00 - 00:01:19:02 Unknown So I've had the privilege of getting to know her over the last month or so, and we actually found her through TikTok. So she is hilarious and has so many funny HR stories. So Jamie, I want to give a little bit of background about how you got into TikTok and your HR, Horrendous HR, Horrible HR, everything like that and one so I've actually been in HR 00:01:19:02 - 00:01:43:12 Unknown For the long the 19 years. Oh. Okay. Go home at the end i in back in the early days of 2020, i was working for a nonprofit clinic and i was the sole h.r. Person over for clinics. And i just felt really alone. Things are constantly changing during the pandemic. And, you know, we were looking for guidance, and and so I thought, you know what? 00:01:43:14 - 00:02:08:03 Unknown This is funny, and and I started posting memes that I started he works right on our side of the unit and then I dabbled in tiktoc a little bit and then it's really spiraled from there. I've now created horrendous HR which is funny actually, and then horrendous h.r. Stories. And then i also love to call out terrible job postings, which i like to call that absolutely not. 00:02:08:05 - 00:02:29:06 Unknown And i was on another page called millennial misery kit. I'm an elder millennial and I just love the nostalgia and the so that's that's kind of how I create it. I accidentally built an empire is what I said. She went viral. Everyone forgot to check her out on TikTok. And. Oh, so you have a horrendous H.R. story, the know crazy H.R. story is give us one of your best ones. 00:02:29:06 - 00:02:51:20 Unknown I think I have a lot over the last 18 years, which I'm sure everyone does here. I figure I fable one of why not? I'm really stuck with me because it happened early in my career. I honestly didn't know how to handle it is I had an employee she instead of and making it to the restroom they decided to pull their pants down as they walked to the restroom. 00:02:51:22 - 00:03:11:06 Unknown And number two, all the way to the restroom. And of course it was on video and he to bless them, and they weren't having stomach issues. Just FYI, it was a it was a, you know, the middle finger part of my logo. All the was they were the middle finger to us because that person had just recently gotten written up. 00:03:11:06 - 00:03:30:02 Unknown But that one sticks with me because I think I was like an assistant at the time and who'd been out there that would talk by near me. But now I'd be like, Oh, well, come on, give me some gloves I'll clean it up. And that couldn't be good. Well, I'm sure all of you have plenty of stories as well, but I'm excited for you to hear from Jamie throughout the day today and hear all the stories that you have. 00:03:30:02 - 00:03:54:16 Unknown So what are you most excited about for the rest of the day today? And honestly, this interacting with fellow folks. And oddly enough, I'm so glad y'all let me jump up on stage. spoiler scared on, but I'm really excited to interact and hopefully make you laugh. All right. Well, thanks for being here today. We are excited for her, everyone to hear the humor from you and we're excited to have all of you join us virtually today. 00:03:54:16 - 00:04:13:06 Unknown And so have a great day. Everybody will see you in a little bit. Hi, everyone. Welcome back. And thank you, Paula, for joining us for a few extra minutes. I want to say thank you for your time today and thank you for sharing your story. Obviously, as they HR professionals, we all know how real burnout is right now. 00:04:13:06 - 00:04:30:02 Unknown And I think you give everyone some real practical tools that they can take back. And I know the last slide about the small wins was something that really resonated to me, and it was something that our team was just talking about because there are so many things going on. So it's easy to start looking ahead to the next one. 00:04:30:14 - 00:04:46:06 Unknown I just wanted to talk about how do you even start the conversation about burnout at the workplace? That is such a great question. And, you know, one of the things that I didn't mention my story, but that is certainly true is like we don't wear a sign when we walk around that says, Hey, I'm burned out. 00:04:46:10 - 00:05:07:03 Unknown And in fact, like, one of the things that I did a lot is I tried to hide it. Like I really actively didn't want people to know that I was struggling. And so I think the first step, because a conversation almost always has to be had if you're feeling a sense of significant stress and burnout. So it's finding someone who you feel comfortable saying something to you, whether that's an h.r. 00:05:07:03 - 00:05:24:21 Unknown Professional, whether that is your direct report or a direct manager, I should say, or a leader, even if it's somebody outside the organization. But I'm going to frame this as a conversation. We can have at work. So find that person and you trust who you want to say something to and then think about a goal that you have for the conversation. 00:05:25:01 - 00:05:53:08 Unknown So what is it that you need or want and to be a couple of days off? And do you need something like a sabbatical? Is that even something that your company offers? And do you need to switch switch to a different team perhaps, or think about another area of work within the organization and be very clear to extend that You can because when we're feeling stressed and burned out, we have maybe not have a clear perspective in that regard, but try and figure out what it is that you're looking for or what you want from the conversation. 00:05:53:10 - 00:06:13:04 Unknown And then it's just a matter of along with putting down some notes and being very intentional about how you go about having the conversation and then trying to make sure you crystallize next steps. So now if you're in the leader who is hearing this from someone, it's important to know you don't have to have all the answers. You don't have to fix the problem in that conversation. 00:06:13:06 - 00:06:36:20 Unknown But you do need to have a pretty keen awareness of what some of the resources are in your organization, particularly if there's a mental health issue going on. stay in your lane, you don't have to really actively address those pieces. You do have to know how to path people in the right way, and then it becomes and being very clear about next steps, what are we going to do to follow up? 00:06:36:20 - 00:06:51:21 Unknown What is the next step going to be? I need to maybe have some conversation as a leader and figure out how I can help or what the next step might look like. But then we have to be very clear and come back together again, usually pretty quickly. And to figure out what that's going to or what that's really going to look like. 00:06:51:23 - 00:07:15:21 Unknown But recognizing too, that there are also resources, people who are out there who do coach in this area. And so sometimes that can be outsold resource as well in addition to potentially a mental health expert or taking some sort of, you know, short term or longer term or, you know, rearranging an internal team or one out. And it was so that's the framework that I set with folks. 00:07:15:23 - 00:07:35:12 Unknown But I always want to say it's really hard to suffer in silence with burnout. And so at some point your burnout will get to a point where you likely have to have a conversation with someone. So really paying attention to that and not being afraid to actively start those discussions. And it's one of the things I did wrong as I waited way too long. 00:07:35:12 - 00:07:57:09 Unknown So you seek that assistance in. So that's that's how I would start to have that conversation. I love the structure behind it because I think people can see how they would start that conversation. And so, question for you, so a lot of times meetings start with how's it going and the common response is “good”. So how do you balance the positivity with the reality? 00:07:57:09 - 00:08:18:03 Unknown And especially as a leader, it's not hard to walk around, be like, Oh, I'm very tired, or I'm on stress or I'm I work till midnight last night. I like, How do you balance the positivity with the reality? That's such a great question. And I think it's really incumbent on leaders to model both sides of that equation. So I think it's important for leaders to actually say, you know what, I'm really stressed out right now. 00:08:18:03 - 00:08:32:15 Unknown And here are some things that I'm doing and I left a little bit early last night. I want you all as a team to feel like you can take Saturday off or however you know, it plays out in your organization. But then I think we also have to start modeling to what are some of the good things that are happening. 00:08:32:15 - 00:08:54:09 Unknown And so you can even, you know, be intentional if you want to send this question out ahead of time to folks so that they're prepared. But we're going to start we're going to take 5 minutes and our next meeting and I want to go around the room. We're have people who are patching in until kick us off and then who has a win, a success, a small something positive that has happened to you this week or within the past couple of weeks. 00:08:54:14 - 00:09:12:18 Unknown So that we're also hearing that side of the story as well, because it's really important. It's so easy for us to focus, especially in uncertain times and times of change about everything that's different through. But to really balance that was messages of we're doing some good stuff here. I'm like, there's really a lot of things that are going well. 00:09:12:20 - 00:09:31:15 Unknown It's very motivational for us to hear that side of that side of the equation. And sure, going back to this all, answer it, but you're all about the tablet alone and the both. Thank you so much for sharing all of your insight with us, Carla, your passion, your energy. Just we are practical tools as amazing at this, a perfect way to start our day and tell them. 00:09:31:16 - 00:09:59:16 Unknown Thank you so much, everyone. We'll see you back in a few minutes. And we're back with another interview. Josh, thanks for joining us here. You did a great job on your presentation and it's something I talked a lot with our members about. So one of the questions I get a lot and I'm curious on your take on this is and a lot of companies have gone to either a hybrid or a virtual workplace, but with the next generation coming in, a lot of you on that face are based communication, that in-person mentorship. 00:09:59:20 - 00:10:23:04 Unknown What is your thought on that and how like from a company see a plan, like how did they work with that? The managers and mentors to get them back into the office for that in-person mentorship experience? The certainly, what if I were to be here with you? And that's a great frustration and it's something that we think a lot about how we know the return office and what for certain about workforce transition is a one of the most fruitful elements. 00:10:23:04 - 00:10:48:15 Unknown So it's early and really defining. And in the, you know, the current workforce reality as it was, we think about the fact that for example working from home has on young people is that there are a lot of elements of a great workforce workplace experience that simply cannot be replicated online and turning socialization and having mentors there. They are really having a sense of in-person learning on the job. 00:10:48:15 - 00:11:07:01 Unknown One of their osmosis really being able to pick up my subconscious things about how to really operate in the company's culture, how to get ahead without being said, though, you know, there is an element of flexibility and there is an element of, you know, having trust of the company, having trust. Another, to be able to get your work into the system and that happens remotely. 00:11:07:01 - 00:11:26:05 Unknown And in a hybrid model cell with I think about the ideal right as we would love, you know, hybrid model where we need some sort of in-person interaction where, you know, if you and I are coworkers, we can do this right here, not over Zoom. I know you would. I really wouldn't be anything but you know in doubt conversation over oversell and so it's going to work in progress right. 00:11:26:05 - 00:12:01:01 Unknown And a lot of it too is, you know, cost benefit analysis as to people thought, well, if I'm in traffic and, you know, I want more what that can do to somebody's time. But also we think about we have beautiful downtown Milwaukee, you know, where we're we're fairly speaking and the impact of people that coming into the office, you know, on vibrant cities is also a really important thing to think about, to solve so many complications and so many factors to consider when it comes from my rent to the to, you know, and work from home and calming quiet The people that kind of get for my having zero in-person experience are those in our 00:12:01:01 - 00:12:18:05 Unknown generation because we just don't have the role models that in-person a real you think about you know how we want our careers to go. Absolutely. Well, you gave a lot of great things for employers to think about and a lot of takeaways, But if do you give with employers 1 to 1 thing that they can go do today or tomorrow? 00:12:18:05 - 00:12:37:21 Unknown Like what's that one takeaway you want everyone to know? Do not look at my early career experiences as as a as an afterthought. And they matter. They matter. Today. We have to be proactive in building a bunch of leadership talent. We have to be proactive and making sure that young people are having a good experience and have a good view with outlook of the organization. 00:12:37:23 - 00:13:01:15 Unknown Because word spreads fast nowadays faster than it's ever been, there is going to be a significant divides and winners and losers have organizations that get decimals of the dollar in it in that they do. It's the right thing to do. Well, half the I believe that you know if we at my business project that they are successful in how their organization is designed more effective early career programs that everybody around out our age is going to have a better start to their career. 00:13:01:17 - 00:13:20:22 Unknown And that that just has such positive reverberation as economically and socially it can have psychologically for everybody. So as I say, that for me is the biggest thing is let's just be natural. But yeah, I was just going to say I love the word intentional and experience. So to ending up so a more and well, it is super difficult I should add that. 00:13:21:00 - 00:13:40:20 Unknown So I am born right in between Millenial and Zillennials, socan I go by Zillenial?. Whatever you want. I feel that's the generation stuff. It's secondary to what we're talking about here right? Where did supposed things at all for And it's two people in the workforce experience are pretty common across generation. 00:13:40:20 - 00:14:12:00 Unknown And I still hear high seas. Why everybody to think about what their life was like when they were 21 years old? Yeah. Then that is it has nothing to do with the generation of actually has to do with kind of lifecycle. Yeah. And it's really about thinking about what does somebody at this stage of our career need to get ahead and help it organizations you know provide that for us what I do what regardless of gen-z is a lot of your millennial everyone's everyone's got their got their he does tenure yeah as well thank you for joining us Jasmine thank you for those online we will see you in a little bit but we made 00:14:12:00 - 00:14:47:15 Unknown it to lunch break. Welcome back, everyone. We are here with Patricia Shields from Naviant and her session was all about embracing technology and their digital transformation. So how did Naviant even get started in your digital transformation and technology journey? And yeah, good question and we talked about this as well. Does a lot of organizations or aware of here she did a survey with MRA members pretty adamantly not he did started to embrace their digital transformation journey so we always recommend by digitizing documents that's such an important kind of pivotal part about H.R. and being able to be innovative. 00:14:47:15 - 00:15:17:04 Unknown What the technology is that you use. And so in going from there and then starting to look an opportunity to see utilize all their technology. So what's something cool that Naviant has done to some of their cool digital transformation Yeah pieces or what something cool that you guys have done well I always however for warriors and that is consistent is that they think that's such you've had a it's an informal experience for employees to feel like they're being offered they're having opportunities to interact with that company, which a lot of places is their manager. 00:15:17:04 - 00:15:43:12 Unknown So historically, when I served maybe 15 years ago all over using paper documents here are walking them around that company or email in a model were following up with people had a we were the name of the organization but now the ways in technology we made a SharePoint available or do poorly check in. So using technology and it's this we they have an interactive conversation and give it high information and managers are being kind of real time. 00:15:43:12 - 00:16:02:00 Unknown So that's the way that people that we're having most growth. That's awesome. So were you surprised summarize so backing up here, we did a survey before the event and as you know, why it was holding people back from embracing technology. Were you surprised that only 3% said that they were afraid of change or were you not surprised? I was surprised. 00:16:02:00 - 00:16:25:12 Unknown I was also really proud and have been doing h.r. For 20 years now. And i love that h.r. Professionals. I don't know, maybe today, don and like, were a real team who don't want anything to be different than it's historically been. But 3% is not true. I think that really show that we are in a leader and we do want to find ways to use technology, but we need to overcome some of the other hesitations that we talked about. 00:16:25:12 - 00:16:42:23 Unknown And so like so as h.r. Professionals and leaders, if we have some people on our team that might not be excited about and how can we lead by example and really demonstrate that change is a good thing? Yeah, I think one of the ways that we highlight verify since may around some use cases is really do it in planning. 00:16:42:23 - 00:17:01:15 Unknown And so not just putting technology in just for the sake of holding it in while using planning to really sit down and let all the key users APIs and your faith and science and technology be at the table so they can understand the benefits of the technologies as well, I think. Awesome. Well, thank you so much for being here today, Tricia. 00:17:01:15 - 00:17:21:17 Unknown We appreciate all the examples and insights that you've shared with us today. Thank you. We have one more surprise guests here, and actually we have two of them, Caitlin and Laura from Husch Blackwell. So why don't you two introduce yourself a little short video. So my name is Moira Mallory, and this is Caitlin with me and we are both lawyers at Husch Blackwelll. 00:17:21:17 - 00:17:43:12 Unknown And we practice exclusively in the labor and employment space. And so we are working with HR professionals like you guys all day and we love it. And we are a part of our firm, Schwab Old Milwaukee Office, although we have a really a national practice and we're just thrilled to be a part of this firm today. And that's a few minutes ago. 00:17:43:17 - 00:18:05:11 Unknown And so unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend their session, but they were giving me a little bit of an overview and the ESG component and retention as well as DEI. So give us a little bit more on that. Yeah, this whole ESG, it's kind of been a key trader in the recent years. I'm coming over from the Eagle, actually, but a feed in popularity here in the United States. 00:18:05:11 - 00:18:27:14 Unknown And it stands for environmental, social and governance. So how do your company interacts in those green spheres such as hire and student financial environment persons? How are and now versus and how you treat people in the social realm as well? A Your hungry net regulates itself of the policies internally and externally. All paths and this here of ESG. 00:18:27:16 - 00:18:49:17 Unknown And that's what we're really here to talk about today, how you can be a better balance sheet on opportunities which you then increase into retention. And 30th have actually show a very positive and correlating relationship between high gas scores and attractiveness to talent, as well as retention of talent, which especially for the gen generations we know is kind of challenging right now. 00:18:49:17 - 00:19:11:10 Unknown So we're here to help connect use and tips and tricks on how to retain as individuals. Can you give me a one thing The companies can go back and implement tomorrow or maybe when they're back in the office, I'm doubt. Good idea. Do you want to tell you? I think I did. Right? Sure. Yeah. So he I talked a lot about during the session about DNI efforts and how that is one component of ESG. 00:19:11:10 - 00:19:32:13 Unknown ESG is a really big beast. There's a lot to it. But D&I is one component. And it is a very, very important about it. And we talk specifically about the “I” inclusion quite a bit in the session and how important it is to not just focus on data and statistics, but really focus on making sure that your employees feel valued and appreciated. 00:19:32:15 - 00:19:49:15 Unknown And that can be done in so many different ways. But just by engaging with them and talking to them about their family and their kids and their dogs and, you know, all of the things that, you know, we think of as leaving outside of the workforce. If it is part of who we are that we bring to the workplace. 00:19:49:15 - 00:20:08:08 Unknown And it is really, really important for our employees to be a valued and appreciate it. And just given some time, I know we are all spread so thin and we all have so much on our plate, but it's one of those things that is worth investing in your people because that is such a key component to your business being a success. Perfect. 00:20:08:08 - 00:20:23:14 Unknown Well, thank you all so much for being here today and thank you for sharing this. It was a perfect way to wrap up our interview is and we will more session live. So we will wrap it up here shortly. And thanks, everybody. We've almost made it to the end of the day. Hang with us. We've got Sean here. 00:20:23:18 - 00:20:44:04 Unknown She's going to be closing out our day. And for those of you that were with us last year, you'll remember his awesome performance. So we're super excited to have him and the day to day core grateful for your kind words. And if he were here last time. Stay with that. Is there's a lot of fun moments that we're talking about in the next hour as to what is on your highlight of the day so far. 00:20:44:04 - 00:21:05:06 Unknown Well, I'm talking about moments that matter. And then I've heard already from the other speakers so many moments that matter to our professionals. I've heard about moments of humor. I think what Jamie's been doing that an important h.r. In the culture and also for, you know, out moments around building a cultural and a system that really supports the employee better at in moments of caring. 00:21:05:06 - 00:21:18:09 Unknown And i'll be talking about more about the self first some of my highlight. So to give us a little bit of a sneak peek of what you're going to talk about. I know you just say a little bit, but give me a little more and it'll me I'm not going to talk about any frameworks, give you all these diagrams, Nothing. 00:21:18:09 - 00:21:38:08 Unknown And you can see I want to give this a real tangible things that have meaning. Really show that you care about the employees at your organization and things that you can actually take back and start using today, next week. Plus, you have to get your leaders doing this stuff to because H.R., hear all these this that small group, your leadership team should be part of your h.r. 00:21:38:08 - 00:21:56:11 Unknown Team. So how can you get those people also thinking about these mountains of water? Awesome. Well, thank you, sean, for being here. I'm super excited for his presentation. And like we said, if you haven't seen him, he was so great. We brought him back this year and he is closing out our day. And so hang with us, everyone, and thanks for joining us. woo-hoo! 00:21:56:15 - 00:22:14:10 Unknown And that's a wrap. Thanks for tuning in to this week's podcast and thank you card here for hosting our conference highlights for this week and we're excited to see you next week. Thanks for having me. And thanks to all of our speakers for sharing all their great insights with us. And that wraps up our content for this episode. 00:22:14:11 - 00:22:32:18 Unknown Be sure to reference the show notes where you can sign them to connect for more podcast updates, check out other MRA episodes on your favorite podcast platform. And as always, make sure to follow MRA's 30 minute Thrive so you don't miss out. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next Wednesday to carry on the HR conversation.