The Building Culture Podcast discusses all things HR/people and culture in its simplest form. Join host and PERKS Content Manager, Evelyn Kwong, for conversations with special guests across the industry.
Much like culture, healthy communication involves input from every team member - not only leaders and administrators. In season 6, Building Culture will address how to communicate effectively based on PERKS' whitepaper, The 5 Measures of Company Culture. Listen in as we introduce the Communication measure with Eileen Lee. Resources: PERKS Editorial Team, “The 5 Measures of Company Culture” PERKS Editorial Team, “The Art of Workplace Communication” PERKS Editorial Team, “Active Listening” SHRM, “Managing Organizational Communication” Remarkable People with Guy Kawasaki, “Erica Dhawan: Communication and Innovation Expert and Author” Business.com, “Put a Smiley on It: Should You Use Emojis in Business Communication?”
Building Culture wraps its fifth season on Leadership & Administration, one of PERKS' 5 measures of company culture. Joining us for this episode is Esther Elueme, HR Office Manager at Extended Networks W.A. In addition to our summary, make sure to revisit all Season 5 episodes for the best insight and advice from leading experts from various industries. Resources: John C. Maxwell, The 5 Levels of Leadership TinyPulse, “22 Characteristics of High-potential Employees” Claude Silver, “Creating a culture of champions from a human perspective” Myers-Briggs, “Why is Self-awareness Important for Leadership” Dashe & Thompson, “8 Best Practices for Effective Leadership Communication”
Join PERKS in New Orleans from June 12-15 at the SHRM 2022 Conference & Expo: Cause the Effect. Please register here and let us know if you're going so we can give you a shout-out! What is the connection between your HR and DEI initiatives? How should leaders measure these programs? Jeremy Chou is the Director of DEI at Marqeta and he shares key examples and advice for doing DEI well. Resources: Sam Blum for Morning Brew, “Q&A: Github's Senior Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Demetris Cheatham” Trent University diagram Talent Culture, “ERG Lead Compensation: What to Consider When Getting Started” Entrepreneur, “Here's How to Foster Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in a Remote-Work World” Department of Labor, “Know your Rights: Pay Transparency”
In this enlightening conversation with Eileen Lee and Jen Trumm, life coach at Compelling Future Coaching, Building Culture explores the relationship between leadership, coaching, and HR. What does it mean to show up confidently in our personal and professional lives? Resources: Justin D. Henderson for Medium, “Self-Care is Not the Solution for Burnout” International Coaching Federation McKinsey, “Women in the Workplace 2021” HR Executive, “Working women are struggling: 4 ways HR leaders can help” Leaders.com, “What is a Life Coach? Do You Need One?”
Coaching is a hot topic in HR circles, but is it right for your organization? Join Asia Bribiesca-Hedin, Leadership Coach & CEO of Bridgewell Professional Services, as she shares about different coaching styles, when it is appropriate to find executive coaching, and whether coaching looks different in a remote/hybrid workplace. Resources: Positive Psychology, Workplace Coaching Unboxed Training & Technology, The Importance of Coaching at the Workplace SHRM, Coaching in a Business Environment Torch.io, “10 reasons leaders should mentor others”
Why must leaders do both culture and strategy well? Andrew YJ Kim, CEO of Culture ‘n Strategy and author of Culture for the Left-brained Leader shares about the role leaders play in building a positive workplace and how to ingrain culture into the recruitment process. Resources: Andrew YJ Kim, Culture for the Left-brained Leader Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman, “The Elusive Formula for Great Hiring” OC Tanner, “How does leadership influence organizational culture?” Gallup, “Can Your Organization Sustain Your Culture as You Scale?”
We know what EQ is, but do we know how to lead with it? Marc McCann, Founder & CEO of Step Outside, talks to Building Culture about the differences between empathy and compassion and what that looks like in the workplace. Resources: James Clear, Atomic Habits PERKS Editorial Team, “What is the Human Component of Culture?” Harvard Business Review, “Connect with Empathy, But Lead with Compassion” McKinsey, “Socio-emotional ties a secret ingredient to success” Thrive Global, “Emotional Intelligence vs. IQ” Forbes, “Understanding empathy: how EQ can improve your career impact” For those who listened all the way to the end…
If flexibility and autonomy are integral to the future of work, how can leaders and administrators create a more human workplace where these elements are built into the culture? We talk with Ally Fekaiki, CEO & Founder of Juno, on different leadership styles, adaptability, and advice. Resources: Ally Fekaiki, “Wrapping up the year: Founder's letter” Kim Scott, Radical Candor BetterUp, “Autonomy in the Workplace” Dorian Liriano on Twitter, “One of my favorite depictions” Fast Company, “The case for autonomous leadership in the remote workplace”
How can managers best support their people? What are some practical ways to lead with accountability? Eileen and Evelyn introduce this season's theme on Leadership & Administration, one of the 5 measures of company culture. Resources: Center for Creative Leadership, “Yes, You Can Increase Accountable Leadership” Achievers, “Ultimate Guide to Effective Employee Recognition” SHRM, “What is the difference between mission, vision and values statements?” Fast Company, “Real inclusion: Amplifying every employee's voice” PERKS Editorial Team, “Stay Interviews > Exit Interviews”
From flexibility and different generations in the workforce to pets and shared purpose at work, Eileen and Evelyn revisit what makes a positive People Experience. Thank you once again to the experts who joined us for this season of Building Culture: Kentucky Gallahue and Derby the Goldendoodle, contestants on Amazon Prime's The Pack and owners, Derby California Melanie Wertzberger, CEO, Shaka Neb Jones, Founder, Atlantis Benefit Consulting Ryan Komori, CEO, Savor Lining Julie Figueroa, Head of Marketplace Product, & Eura Edmond, Director of Client Success at PERKS Darren Murph, Head of Remote, GitLab
Darren Murph, Head of Remote at Gitlab, is our special guest on this episode where we evaluate the positives, challenges, and future of remote work. What is the role of remote in promoting positive team culture? How do we achieve success in a remote environment? Join the conversation by tweeting us @getperks_io. Resources: Gitlab, “Parenting as a remote worker” Gitlab Playbook: Allremote.info Inside CHRO, “Intentionality in action: Transforming the management of remote teams“
We often hear that flexibility is key to the future of work, but what does that look like practically speaking? Here to discuss with Building Culture are Julie Figueroa, Head of Marketplace Product, and Eura Edmond, Director of Client Success at PERKS. Resources: Great Place to Work, “Three Predictions for the Workplace Culture of the Future” VentureBeat, “The future of employee perks in the post-pandemic workplace” Benefits Pro, “2022 employee benefits & workplace predictions” Snacknation, “The Definitive Guide to Hybrid Work in 2022” Get started with PERKS
How is mental fitness distinct from mental health? How can resilience build a more positive People Experience? Ryan Komori, Founder & CEO of Savor Lining, shares his perspective on how to encourage engagement and psychological safety on your team. Resources: CDC, “About Mental Health” Fortune, “ ‘Bleisure' is the latest work trend, spurred by the pandemic. Here's what it means, and why it's being hotly debated” Psychology Today, “What is Therapy?” Headspace on Twitter Thrive Global, “The Future of Work Prioritizes Mental Health”
Having a shared purpose at work drives us to find meaning in what we do, innovate, and inspire those around us. In the latest episode of Building Culture, Neb Jones, Founder of Atlantis Benefit Consulting, speaks with us about finding your purpose and what that looks like on an organizational level.
Did you know that Millennials and Gen Z will make up the majority of the workforce in 2025? Join Evelyn, Melanie Wertzberger, CEO of Shaka, and Eileen Lee, VP of People & Culture at PERKS for a conversation about how best to support the needs of different generations at work. Resources: Melanie Wertzberger, Company Culture for the Next Generation Erica Dhawan, ‘Why I Call Myself a “Geriatric Millennial' - and Why Our Micro-Generation Matters” Indeed, “Gen Z vs Millennials in the Workplace: What Are the Differences?” Business Insider, “Millennials say they'll never have enough money to get what they want in life” Morning Consult, “The State of Consumer Banking & Payments” Garrett Clarke, Dictionar.io
Kentucky Gallahue and his goldendoodle Derby, contestants on Amazon Prime's The Pack, share their thoughts with Building Culture on the perks of pet-friendly workplaces. What are the benefits and what is important to consider when allowing animals at work? Join the conversation on Twitter @getperks_io Resources: SHRM, “How to Be a Pet-Friendly Employer” The Hartford, “Should You Allow Dogs in Your Small Business?” American Kennel Club, “Service Dogs, Working Dogs, Therapy Dogs, Emotional Support Dogs: What's the Difference?” ADA, “Frequently Asked Questions about Service Animals and the ADA” Employee Benefit News, “Who let the dogs in? Pet friendly offices are an in-demand benefit in the COVID-era workplace” WeForum, “This is how pets helped our mental health during lockdown”
What is the People Experience? For season 4, Building Culture will be diving into the characteristics of a healthy work culture and how this affects an employee's time at an organization. In the context of the Great Resignation, Eileen and Evelyn discuss why People Experience matters, what folks are looking for at work, and the actions individuals can take to create a positive environment. Resources: Anthony Klotz interview with Bloomberg, “How to Quit Your Job in the Great Post-Pandemic Resignation Boom” Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Quits rate of 2.9% in August 2021 an all-time high” PERKS Editorial Team, “Generations in the Workforce” Owl Labs, “State of Remote Work 2020”
Physical health is an important part of work-life balance, and Les Mills Plus is creating a fitter planet with their lively fitness programs. They've partnered with our PERKS marketplace so you can tailor your fitness program to your needs - there's something for everyone!
There's always something to learn from someone, no matter what stage in life they're at. This is CIRKEL's philosophy, and we welcome Founder Charlotte Japp to talk about how mentorship and networking contribute to building culture for teams.
What's key to succeeding in both work and life? Jane Buescher, CEO and co-founder of Toucan, shares how their app offers peer support by giving everybody somebody to talk to. At Building Culture, we're all about creating connection - both for the holidays and beyond!
What if we could destigmatize the conversation around mental health in the workplace? Savor Lining is dedicated to just that. CEO and founder Ryan Komori speaks with Evelyn on how teams can benefit from these therapist-led sessions.
Financial wellness at work is the future according to Jessica Wills, CEO and founder of PocketNest, who appears in this episode of the Building Culture holiday season! Coming soon to the PERKS marketplace, PocketNest offers community coaching and learning opportunities in this critical aspect of daily life.
“All good, all the time!” Evelyn and co-host, rescue dog Darby, welcome Kentucky Gallahue and Derby the Goldendoodle (of Amazon Prime's The Pack and San Diego fame) to the holiday season of Building Culture. What better way to bring people happiness than with pets and matching tie-dye hoodies?
This holiday season, host and Content Manager at PERKS Evelyn Kwong meets with founders and team members from some of the best partners on the curated PERKS marketplace. Dean Gioldassis, Enterprise Corporate Account Manager at DoorDash for Work, joins Building Culture to share how DashPass helps teams build positive culture and some of their exciting new offers!
What were your takeaways from our season on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging? Eileen and Evelyn highlight some things learned and questions answered in the tenth episode of the season. Resources: Forbes, “No, Every Person of Color Does Not Need to Be a DEI Professional” Myers-Briggs, “The Inclusion Delusion” Building Culture Blog, “We Ship That: Allyship, Mentorship, and Sponsorship”
Accessibility is a vital but often overlooked component of organizations' diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Arjun Devgan, VP & Global Head of Customer Success at Amplitude, joins Building Culture in this episode to discuss his perspectives on the relationship between inclusion and accessibility, employee responsibility, and how accommodations may differ in remote vs. hybrid or office environments. Resources: Arjun Devgan, “My Invisability” Accessibility.com, “Accessibility in the Workplace” Michael Bach, Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right Forbes, Equity & Accessibility in the Workplace US. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “Disability Discrimination” EEOC, “Questions & Answers: The EEOC's Final Rule on Affirmative Action for People with Disabilities in Federal Employment” SHRM, “Developing an Accessible Workplace”
Being genuine, good at listening, and taking action on what you have promised are all aspects of authenticity - and importantly, the driving force behind successful DEI initiatives. This episode explores what authentic vs. performative allyship looks like and how to advocate both for fellow team members and potential hires. Eileen Lee, VP of People & Culture at PERKS, and Adam Rosenfield, Talent Advisor at Buildxact, share their experiences and perspectives. Resources: Catalyst, "Beware Performative Allyship: 3 Signs to Look For" Forbes, "Performative Allyship: What are the Signs and Why Leaders Get Exposed" Building Culture, "We Ship That: Allyship, Mentorship, & Sponsorship"
Many of us can relate to burning out, which can result from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. What is the contrast between burnout and languishing, and on the flipside, flourishing at work? Evelyn and AJ Adams, Founder & CEO of Brio Training & Consulting, address strategies for developing resilience amongst teams through mindfulness and high-quality connections. Resources: American Institute of Stress, “Burnout is Now an Official Medical Condition” NY Times, “There's a Name for the Blah You're Feeling: It's Called Languishing” Workplace Mental Health.org, “Resilience: A Strong Workforce Needs It” Gallup, “Employee Burnout: Causes and Cures” Karen Reivich, Ph.D., The Resilience Factor: 7 Keys to Finding Your Inner Strength and Overcoming Life's Hurdles
What does compensation have to do with DEI? For this episode, Eileen and Evelyn sit down with Heather, a compensation professional, to ask all the hard questions - how to address pay discrepancies, important data to look at, and what equity looks like in compensation. Resources: HR Dive, "Link compensation to DEI goals to hold execs accountable, Mercer says" Mercer, "Using compensation to drive action on diversity, equity and inclusion" Orr Group, "https://orrgroup.com/2021/05/why-pay-equity-transparency-are-integral-components-of-your-dei-strategy/" Payscale, "The State of the Gender Pay Gap in 2021" Worksheet: General Assembly, "What's the difference between diversity, inclusion, and equity?" SHRM, "Compensation Equity Public Policy Issue Statement" (2018) https://www.nationalpartnership.org/our-work/resources/economic-justice/fair-pay/quantifying-americas-gender-wage-gap.pdf
What does it mean to have psychological safety in the workplace? Building Culture discusses with Anu Mandapati, VP and Head of DEI at Talking Talent North America. A culture of trust is essential for teams, especially in a remote or hybrid setting, and enhances the people experience when done well.
Shawn Matossian, Senior Lead of Talent Acquisition at Dine Brands Global and Ph.D. candidate speaks with Building Culture about recruiting with belonging in mind and how to actually measure the success of DEI initiatives in hiring. We also cover what we can do to avoid discrimination during the screening process, and what good representation should look like in an organization.
Belonging is top of mind for organizations everywhere. We invite Mercedes Ballard and Kristin Bonds, co-founders of Heristic, to this episode of Building Culture to share how to define belonging, practice it at work, and distinguish how it's different from inclusion. Resources: Deloitte: “Belonging: From comfort to connection to contribution” HBR: “What Does It Take to Build a Culture of Belonging?” Culture Amp, "6 Ways to Foster Belonging in the Workplace" FutureForum, "A new era of workplace inclusion: moving from retrofit to redesign" Silicon Valley Business Journal, "Just 3% of Black professionals want to return to the office full-time, post-COVID"
What is the role of accountability in DEI initiatives? Tom Willis, CEO and co-founder of Phoenix Partners and host of the Culture Eats Everything podcast, and Evelyn talk about how transparency is critical to having good accountability in the workplace, leading by example, and why listening matters. Learn more about Phoenix Performance Partners at phoenixperform.com. Resources: Accountability is key to enabling diversity and inclusion in organizations (Chief Learning Officer) The real meaning of accountability in the workplace (Range) Inclusion Without Clear Lines of Accountability Is Pointless. Here's Why. (Forbes)
To launch our new podcast season on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), Building Culture invited Cornell Verdeja-Woodson, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Headspace, to the show to establish the fundamentals of unconscious bias - and what to do about it. Also discussed are systemic barriers that prevent success in DEI initiatives, the impact of microaggressions or identity-related aggressions, and DEI readiness. Learn more about Brave Trainings Consulting and Headspace here. Resources: https://builtin.com/diversity-inclusion/unconscious-bias-examples https://hbr.org/2020/07/when-and-how-to-respond-to-microaggressions https://www.ted.com/talks/verna_myers_how_to_overcome_our_biases_walk_boldly_toward_them?language=en
Why is there a difference between the way managers view company culture vs. how employees perceive it? In this episode, Eileen, VP of People & Culture at PERKS, and Evelyn talk about why this disconnect exists, the importance of communication, and possible solutions through implementing a people support system.
Dr. Paul White, PhD is the bestselling author of The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace and president of Appreciation at Work. He and Evelyn discuss what compelled him to write The Vibrant Workplace, as well as how to manage different working and communication styles, what a toxic workplace looks like, and keeping employees engaged in remote and hybrid offices. Please tune in for parts 1 and 2!
Dr. Paul White, PhD is the bestselling author of The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace and president of Appreciation at Work. He and Evelyn discuss what compelled him to write The Vibrant Workplace, as well as how to manage different working and communication styles, what a toxic workplace looks like, and keeping employees engaged in remote and hybrid offices. Please tune in for parts 1 and 2!
Join Evelyn and Eileen as they discuss the shift in remote work in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. What are the biggest challenges to staying remote and what are the solutions? And how is the PERKS team moving forward? Resources: Ebook: A Simple Guide to Building Company Culture (Remote Work Edition) Book: Working from Home: Making the New Normal Work for You by Karen Mangia
In this episode, Eileen and Evelyn discuss with Robin Clayton, a professional with over 25 years of healthcare talent acquisition experience, about the benefits of student internship programs for both organizations and interns. Robin and Eileen address tips for students interviewing for intern positions, as well as how these internships can lead to potential talent in the company's pipeline.
Megan Dilley, Senior Consultant and Communications Director at Distribute, joins Evelyn on this episode to talk about making remote and hybrid work sustainable in the long run. What guidelines should companies create and what is some advice for leaders who want to take their teams hybrid?
Will Xue from Deel joins Evelyn in a conversation regarding the flexibility of global recruitment in today's remote and hybrid work environment. Also covered is how Deel can help companies hiring internationally with maintaining a positive work culture.
In light of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, Eileen and Evelyn have a conversation about the stigma around discussing mental health in the workplace. They also share their personal experiences and perspectives from an employee or manager standpoint. Happy Mental Health Awareness Month!
Elise, Ethan, and Tommy are the powerhouse interns at PERKS, and Evelyn and Eileen grill them on their experience working in a startup. What is important to look for in an internship in terms of environment - and how can startups create that kind of workplace? Tune in to get the intern perspective on company culture!
How can tech change the way HR is done? And what role does the feel of a website play in people's experience of a platform? In episode 4, Evelyn talks with Garrett and Kez from the PERKS tech team about adaptation and communication - for remote work and beyond.
Evelyn and Eileen chat with Brody Earl, Client Success & Platform Manager, about his personal experience with company culture and how that coincides with the PERKS marketplace. We also discuss what culture means to employees who aren't in the HR department and don't necessarily understand HR lingo.
In Episode 2, Evelyn sits down with Dom and Jordan, CEO and COO, to talk about how PERKS came to life. Our executives also discuss the gaps in company culture due to the transition to remote work, as well as how leaders can support company culture by implementing the PERKS marketplace.
In this episode, Evelyn and Eileen consider what organizations can do in response to the unfortunate events that have taken place recently regarding Asian hate crimes. We also discuss how to support individuals and team members in hard times.
Thank you for joining us for the Building Culture Podcast! Your host and Content Manager at PERKS, Evelyn Kwong, interviews Eileen Lee, who is the VP of People & Culture at PERKS. Together, they discuss Eileen's perception of company culture and how it has been implemented at PERKS from day one. Also covered is the importance of company culture in general, especially during this shift toward remote work. 11/1/21 update: Visit us on the Building Culture blog at www.getperks.io/blog. Read our e-book here: A Simple Guide to Building Company Culture
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