REL Talk

In today's episode of RelTalk, Michelle and Maria talk to special guest Valerie Bowden, who is originally from Indiana and has experience working in HR. She shares her insights on sourcing talent internationally and why outsourcing is a smart move for filling critical positions. She also discusses her experience living in Ethiopia and working to help make it an outsourcing hub. Valerie also talks about the benefits of remote work and how it can open up the talent pool to include international workers. She then joins our hosts in a discussion regarding the importance of getting out of your comfort zone and gaining new perspectives in order to better integrate diversity and inclusion policies in the workplace. The Finer Details of this Episode: Valerie's experience living in Ethiopia Helping to establish Ethiopia as an outsourcing hub The benefits of remote work Hiring internationally The importance of getting out of your comfort zone  Gaining new perspectives for diversity and inclusion in the workplace Quotes: "When you outsource internationally, you do have the opportunity to tap into a much larger talent pool and find people who have a different skill set or a different perspective." "Living in Ethiopia and being involved in the outsourcing industry there taught me a lot about the value of different perspectives and different ways of thinking." "Remote work can open up the talent pool to include people from all over the world, which is really exciting." "Getting out of your comfort zone and gaining new perspectives can help organizations better integrate diversity and inclusion policies." "Diversity and inclusion are important for so many reasons, but one of the key benefits is that it can lead to better decision-making and more creative solutions." Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

Recruiting 201 with AJ Vollmoeller In this week's episode of the RelTalk series, Maria and Michelle once again welcome AJ Vollmoeller. AJ is a tenured recruiter and current staffing agency owner. He's also a resume writing and career services advisor and the author of ‘How To NOT Get Hired.' If you're looking for an insider perspective on recruiting, AJ is your go-to guy. First, AJ starts by shedding some light on what a job recruiter's role actually is. As he nicely puts it, recruiters are on your side - they want the best possible outcome for both you and the company. So, don't pretend to be someone you're not during your first interview. Be yourself and show your personality. Next, AJ shares some valuable tips for acing any first job interview with a company. According to him, you shouldn't lie to get in for one specific role because the recruiter may have something else that's even a better fit for your actual skillset. Finally, Maria, Michelle, and AJ address the current market environment and the real reason why companies are losing employees at a rapid pace. The Finer Details of This Episode: Recruiters are on your side The importance of showing your personality Tips for the first job interview Being honest Higher-level positions Discussing the new environment in tech Quotes: “You never know waking up what you're going to get, what market shift is going to happen, what the new headline or the new trend or the new TikTok trend is going to be.” “Recruiters, whether they're internal at the company you're applying directly to, or on the staffing agency side, they're on your side.” “Don't lie. Don't fabricate. Be honest and truthful, especially to the recruiter.” “It's not polishing a lie at all. It is stating what you're comfortable telling.” “Sometimes people just don't connect. As long as you connect with that recruiter, you feel they're doing good; you get the warm and fuzzies about them, work with that recruiter and see where it goes from there.” “When you have a transition like that overnight, there's going to be 5% of your staff, 10% of your staff that is not well versed or just can't grasp working from home.” “If you're losing workers because you're still what I would consider to be an old-school type of culture, that's on you. The writing has been on the wall.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn AJ Vollmoeller on LinkedIn

Recruiting 201 with AJ Vollmoeller In this week's episode of the RelTalk series, Maria and Michelle once again welcome AJ Vollmoeller. AJ is a tenured recruiter and current staffing agency owner. He's also a resume writing and career services advisor and the author of ‘How To NOT Get Hired.' If you're looking for an insider perspective on recruiting, AJ is your go-to guy. First, AJ starts by shedding some light on what a job recruiter's role actually is. As he nicely puts it, recruiters are on your side - they want the best possible outcome for both you and the company. So, don't pretend to be someone you're not during your first interview. Be yourself and show your personality. Next, AJ shares some valuable tips for acing any first job interview with a company. According to him, you shouldn't lie to get in for one specific role because the recruiter may have something else that's even a better fit for your actual skillset. Finally, Maria, Michelle, and AJ address the current market environment and the real reason why companies are losing employees at a rapid pace. The Finer Details of This Episode: Recruiters are on your side The importance of showing your personality Tips for the first job interview Being honest Higher-level positions Discussing the new environment in tech Quotes: “You never know waking up what you're going to get, what market shift is going to happen, what the new headline or the new trend or the new TikTok trend is going to be.” “Recruiters, whether they're internal at the company you're applying directly to, or on the staffing agency side, they're on your side.” “Don't lie. Don't fabricate. Be honest and truthful, especially to the recruiter.” “It's not polishing a lie at all. It is stating what you're comfortable telling.” “Sometimes people just don't connect. As long as you connect with that recruiter, you feel they're doing good; you get the warm and fuzzies about them, work with that recruiter and see where it goes from there.” “When you have a transition like that overnight, there's going to be 5% of your staff, 10% of your staff that is not well versed or just can't grasp working from home.” “If you're losing workers because you're still what I would consider to be an old-school type of culture, that's on you. The writing has been on the wall.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn AJ Vollmoeller on LinkedIn

Join Maria and Michelle for today's short REL Talk episode, where they discuss how things have quickly shifted from an employee's market to an employer's market. Much of this is due to predictions of an impending recession, but the fourth quarter also plays into it a bit. Where applicants could, during and immediately following COVID, make more demands of potential employers and even had their pick of multiple options, this is no longer the case. Now applicants need to stand out. Today's episode is the first in a series, where our hosts plan to spend 20-30 minutes on each step of the recruiting process. So don't miss today's episode of this new series! In each episode, Michelle and Maria will offer three to four tips to help applicants find success. The Finer Details of This Episode: Where demand is low, you must stand out Look attractive on paper Does your professional social media align? Get past the screener Should you hire a professional? Quotes: “Organizations are being overly cautious and we're starting to see some layoffs.” “This is a great time for everybody to get their resume in order.” “You're probably not going to get headhunted unless you are in a really critical position that's hard to fill, or in senior leadership or executive positions, which are almost always hunted.” “You have to look attractive on paper.” “What are those key words you're using to describe your experience and skill, and do they link back to the keywords that are part of the job description?” “You also want to make sure that your professional social media… are aligned and have the same message that you are presenting through the applicant tracking system.” “We highly recommend, if you've been searching aggressively for more than three months, that you seriously consider reaching out to a professional. Whether it is us at REL Talent, one of our partners, or people that we collaborate with, reach out to someone to get help either with your resume, the screening process, or the hiring process.” “Find a way to talk to a recruiter to get feedback.” “Even when…you're not looking, this is a good time to sit with recruiters and get some insights.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

In this week's episode, Maria and Michelle continue their RelTalk series about the workplace buzzwords, such as quiet firing, quiet quitting, Great Resignation, etc. We've been hearing about these buzzwords everywhere lately, but what is really happening? What is changing the world of work? And how can companies discover the root of the problem and stack the odds in their favor? Tune into this episode to get some helpful insight from Maria and Michelle. They open up the episode by addressing the impact of current world affairs on the working world. From the global pandemic to the unprecedented rise in social unrest, there are many reasons why workers around the globe are deciding to put their foot down and finally walk away from toxic jobs. But unfortunately, some employers haven't been able to deal with these challenges adequately, and they've only managed to dig the hole deeper through unfair stay bonuses and ultimatums. To help out, Maria and Michelle share some proven tips for leaders who want to turn the situation around. So, if you're looking for some advice on how to become a desirable employer that attracts employees instead of chasing them away, make sure you tune into this episode today. The Finer Details of This Episode: The impact of current world events on the work environment The mixed feelings after quitting a job Why stay bonuses and employer traps are not a good idea Digging the hole deeper as an employer The purpose of unionization Discussing the roles of the HR department and the leaders Quotes: “People are living through some pretty extreme conditions. And because of that, it's forced people to have to be able to sit in their lives, and in some cases sit in their house by themselves and the lives that they've created.” “It's exciting and scary. So it's exciting because opportunities are popping up around the world. It is scary because there are lots of really talented people looking for jobs right now.” “You're digging the hole deeper; they're already disengaged. They're already frustrated at the belief that they can't change their environment. They are already stressed out because they don't see development opportunities in their near future.” “If HR has brought these items as areas of opportunities and attention to you, as they've been coming up, or in surveys and assessments, and you select not to do anything because of the financial constraints or risks to your organization, you have created this problem for yourself. And now it's going to cost you more money.” “People are willing to work in a way that works for their life; they are no longer willing to work in one way. ” “Here's the problem - most companies don't want to say they have a problem.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

Join Maria and Michelle today as they dive deep into another buzzword that has taken the business world by storm - quiet firing. If you haven't been living under a rock lately, you've probably heard about the two popular workplace buzzwords: quiet quitting and quiet firing. But what do these two newly coined terms refer to? Today, we're going to hear what Maria and Michelle have to say about quiet firing and what managers can do about it before it's too late. In this episode of the RELTalk, they start off by explaining these two concepts and where they came from. Next, Michelle explains why quiet firing is actually a sign of weak leadership and passive aggression. Instead of neglecting employees, managers need to find the confidence to have open and honest conversations with them. Michelle goes on to share a few useful tips for leaders who are struggling with disengaged employees. She recommends honest conversation as the number one strategy for tackling quiet firing. Let's normalize open communication and get rid of toxic workplace cultures once and for all. The Finer Details of This Episode: Quiet quitting vs. quiet firing Weak leadership Why HR often gets a bad reputation Common misconceptions about HR Advice for leaders The importance of open communication Quotes: “The idea of quite quitting is when someone gives the bare minimum, like, ‘I could do this much without getting in trouble, and that's how much I'm going to do when I come to work every day.'” “The idea behind quiet firing is when you, as the leader, want someone gone, but you are not willing or able to actually terminate them. So instead, you create work situations that are so bad in their mind that they quit themselves.” “Cutting someone's hours versus having a conversation, again, makes you a coward; suck it up and do your job.” “That's the reason that HR gets a bad rap from employees is because in larger HR corporate environments, what they see is HR constantly supporting a manager in the company and not there to support the employee. It always feels like they are skewed to believe the boss versus what they're hearing from the employee.” “We make recommendations on the fact that we see the big picture, and we have that knowledge. We don't tell people what to do.” “If people would just have a conversation with someone about their performance, we wouldn't all be jumping to termination or quiet firing.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

Join Michelle and Maria with their special guest, John, for today's episode on “quiet quitting”. This phenomenon has been in the news quite a bit lately and it's been gaining traction. While it is often framed as an employee problem, Michelle and John believe it can also be caused by the employer and the organization. Since quiet quitting can really affect your business, REL Talk wants to address it, help you understand it, and provide suggestions and tips for how to proactively prevent quiet quitting from happening on your watch. They also recommend an invaluable book for more details about quiet quitting, that also includes more tips, tricks, and solutions than what can fit into a 30-minute podcast. The Finer Details of This Episode: The definition of quiet quitting Who are the quiet quitters and what is their motivation? Baby boomers (and their work ethic) are no longer the majority in the workforce What is the job of the leader/supervisor? What causes the shift? How DE&I plays into quiet quitting Are all quiet quitters the same type of individual? Quotes: “Quiet quitting is the concept of doing the bare minimum that you need to do, in order to not get fired.” “Baby boomers were like, all in. They were going to give 150%.” “That's not the case anymore. I think younger people have realized that. And especially through the pandemic and even inflation right now, when companies are boasting about record profits and saying they don't have money for raises… like, you can't do both.” “Is it the fault of the company for not engaging the employee? Or should the employee be getting in trouble for doing exactly what their job description says they're supposed to do?” “Your job as a leader is to make sure your team is engaged and motivated in the right role.” “I promise: people don't go from trying to make you and your department look like a rock star to giving the bare minimum overnight, without having some element of frustration… you need to find out what is happening.” “Here's how you be proactive. Go look at those job descriptions and the expectations of the roles. Because I promise you, you're asking for more than you're paying them.” “They're okay with you paying them what their job is worth. They're not okay with being asked to do more than you're willing to pay.” “So the reality is, as a leader…, you're going to have to assess everyone individually, just like you would with any employee and address it based on where that person is.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

Join Maria and Michelle today as they share some effective tips for building an effective onboarding process. Now you may be wondering where to start and what is the first thing you should do. Always ask yourself: what am I trying to achieve in this process? Then, consider the six Cs of a successful onboarding process which Michelle addresses in this episode:  culture, connection, clarification, compliance, competence, and confidence. Next, they proceed to share the seven steps to building a better onboarding process. As Michelle nicely puts it, these steps are the building blocks of onboarding success. As you put your onboarding together, Michelle suggests you make sure you weave your culture into it instead of just stating your values in an opening document or statement. What's also vital to understand is that you should always be open to making necessary adjustments as you go because the world is changing at a rapid pace - as the world changes, it's inevitable that your employees will change with it. Michelle and Maria conclude the episode by encouraging you to reassess and revamp your onboarding process when needed. Establish your building blocks individually, and then weave them all together to set your new hires up for success.  The Finer Details of This Episode: The importance of setting a clear onboarding goal The six Cs of a successful onboarding process The seven building blocks of onboarding success Making the pre-boarding process more engaging Weaving your culture into the onboarding process Adjusting your company to a new environment Quotes: “There are always commonalities in the world… one of those being that onboarding is seen as a checklist of activities that you are required to do by some internal or external deciding party.” “Think about that as it relates to your compliance. Are you checking a box, or are you actually teaching your people to be better?” “Two podcasts ago, we gave you tips on how to do some research to assess whether or not your onboarding was effective. That particular podcast… will now help you to write your business case for why you need to address onboarding.” “You do need to shake things up just a little bit by including something that, instead of being a handbook with 20,000 words, is a really quick video with lots of employees, talking about how they see the organization.” “Orientation is about nothing other than who we are and how we behave. That means it's your purpose, it's your vision, it's your mission, it's your values, it's your organizational structure.” “I think of it more as a thread that ties all of this together versus being a call out.” “Onboarding is going to look different for every role.” “A vision is irrelevant if the people that work for you do not live that vision.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

Join Maria and Michelle for today's episode as they discuss some things to consider when onboarding, teaching, and training through your organization. Has what needs to be learned changed or is it the way adults learn that is different these days? You know our hosts have their trademark strong opinions on a topic such as this and are ready to share them with you here today. They'll go over a handful of principles, define what they are, why they're important, and even offer some tips on how to prioritize things so that your organization and workforce avoid stagnation - more excellent information and advice from the wise professionals at REL Talent. The Finer Details of This Episode: Hybrid workforce Build in DE&I from the very beginning Prioritize inclusion Consider long onboarding timeframes Make training curriculums self-paced Quotes: “The minute you can take learning and apply it the way they like it, they are more likely to participate.” “Companies are either going to have to step it up or they're going to lose it… If you haven't figured out that remote or hybrid work is effective, you need to figure it out or you will start to lose potential talent.” “What you need to consider with hybrid or remote work…: how are you fully integrating them to understand the culture of your company?” “When you look at orientation and onboarding for new employees, you've got to come up with some creative ways to address those. One of the most common ones that we're seeing right now is actual welcome kits.” “DE&I should be a part of your mission and vision.” “Current studies show that a 90-day onboarding program significantly lowers turnover rates.” “We're not talking about 90 days of training; we're talking about 40 hours of training…spread throughout 90 days, with recurring check-ins where we can make sure they're getting what they need.” “When we say ‘self-paced', …we're saying that between the learner and the manager, in those recurring one-on-ones, that they can start making intelligent decisions about how quickly they go through stuff. Maybe there's a quiz or test-out option.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

Keith joins Michelle and Maria in welcoming Heather Hansen to the show today to discuss authentic adaptability. Heather helps top global professionals show up, speak up and inspire action and change the world and is the author of the book Unmuted: How to Show Up, Speak Up, and Inspire Action. Today, Heather shares nuggets on how to foster effective communication between leaders and their teams. Heather starts by sharing the purpose of her book, explaining that the book was written to understand and promote good communication, which is built on more listening, rather than speaking. She also reveals that there are dangerous effects of language bias as it is often a result of deeper discrimination and explains the meaning of authentic adaptability and how we can remain true to our values even if we seem different every day. Heather concludes by sharing insightful tips to help leaders and teams develop good communication and action. The Finer Details of This Episode: Heather discusses her book, Unmuted The importance of listening rather than speaking What are the effects of language bias and linguistic discrimination? Exploring authentic adaptability How can leaders practice authentic adaptability? Making the change and growing Understanding your values Heather's tips on developing teams and leaders Quotes: “My primary goal with the book was to inspire those who have not been speaking up in the world to begin sharing their brilliance. We've been listening to the same demographic for a long time, and as I look around the world today, I think this can't be it.” “We're facing so many extreme crises all over the world in all different areas, from the environment to political conflict. I just refuse to believe this is the height of human potential - there has got to be more.” “Unmuted is trying to give a toolkit or a skill set to leaders and everyone in the organization, to know when to press mute and listen, when to speak up, how to do so in a way that's respectful of our differences, how to become more self-aware in our leadership practices and how we are appearing before others.” “The key is learning to listen so that people want to speak up. And that means as leaders, we have to give space for that. We have to build relationships, we have to create psychological safety in the organization so people feel comfortable coming to us with new ideas.” “It's about connection, not perfection.” “Linguistic discrimination is the last acceptable form of discrimination in our society, people don't recognize it or realize it exists. And they don't realize how deep it runs, how it is connected to discrimination according to socio-economic status.” “Authentic adaptability is the ability to show up and adapt to the surroundings, adapt and be flexible to others, other ideas, different ways of doing things, as long as we are remaining true to our values.” “We have had it drummed into our heads that if you're showing up different, you're not being yourself, but I am.” “Sometimes what you are told to believe and raised to believe and your entire culture and society believes is not something you necessarily have to embrace. And it's not something that necessarily has to define you or those around you.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn HeatherHansen.com Heather's Linkedin Global Speech Academy

In today's episode, joining Michelle and Maria is Keith, who brings up a topic that impacts a broad spectrum of people: influential versus authority power. Together, they look at how we spend a lot of time discussing how leadership is not a position and how anybody can be a leader. But when it comes down to day-to-day operations, sometimes people are fearful about stepping outside the parameters of what's always been done. They go on to review that one important thing for people moving up their ladder in their career is to remember that the most potent power they're going to have is the power of influence. If somebody is given power based on a title, they don't have to exert much influence on the people reporting to them. Positional or authority power is only going to maintain the status quo. It's not going to help anything grow. So even for those in positions of authority, our panel today clearly advises that the more you develop and flex those skills of influential power, the more impact you will have on your career. The Finer Details of This Episode: The difference between authority and influential power The value of influential power, even in positions of authority What to do when your authority is not respected Why you need to focus on influential power over authoritarian/positional power The negative impact of authoritarian power Influential leadership books and resources Quotes: "The stronger your ability to influence others is, the less you will have to rely on the power of authority." "If somebody is challenging your power as an authority figure, there's a problem with your influential power because that means people are not willingly following." "The only time that you're going to be followed for your authoritarian or positional power is when you're being followed out of fear, when people are fearing losing their position, when they're fearful of being reprimanded." "Influential power leaves the choice up to the employee whether or not they're going to follow you, whereas authoritarian power is you are not giving them any choice; you're giving them an ultimatum." "If the only tool in your bag is a hammer, you will treat everything like a nail." "My style is more of an influential style, where I want people to follow me because they believe in the message. They believe in the value of our organization." "The best leaders can positively influence the thoughts, feelings, and actions of others that promote growth. If you were to look up a psychological definition of love, it is thoughts, feelings, and actions that promote growth." "The influential leader genuinely cares about the people following them." Show Links & Resources: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action How to Win Friends and Influence People How to Lead When You're Not in Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack  AuthorityLeaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't

Changing a company's culture is as hard as turning a ship in the ocean. It's not like in the Fast & Furious movies where they slam the brakes, shift gear, and do a 180 without thinking about it. With a ship, you turn the rudder a little at a time, and the bigger the ship, the slower you go because you don't want to tilt and bring down the ship. People are the same way, so to move culture takes slow progression. In today's episode, Michelle and Maria talk about what it takes to create a more inclusive company culture and introduce a valuable resource, The Leader's Guide to Unconscious Bias along the way. They discuss how to revamp the systemic issues all over corporate America and positively impact diversity, equity, and inclusion. Michelle gives some tips on infusing DE&I into a culture, including assessing and revamping your recruitment process, employee resource groups, institutional boarding programs, and mentorship. Finally, the hosts recommend resources to guide you to inclusive company culture. The Finer Details of This Episode: What it takes to be a more inclusive corporate culture Why we need to encourage diversity Steps to infuse DE&I into a culture Reshaping your hiring process to build DE&I How to effectively use employee resource groups The value of mentors during onboarding DE&I resources Quotes: "We're going to keep revisiting this topic until we start to see the progression that we need to be a more inclusive society." "To be a more inclusive society, it's going to take a village." "What makes you you is part of how you grew up. What makes you better than you is how you start incorporating other positive things into your life." "This is a great time to look at your recruiting process and identify what is working and what is not, but also use this as a chance to step up your game from a DE&I perspective." "Most people who do not fit into the norm of your culture do not bring their authentic selves to work. Instead, they show how you have communicated that it's acceptable to show up. And so by having that mentor, that connector, who is a voice within the organization, you help to give authenticity to their voice." "This is one of her first books. It works well as the toolkit for anyone hoping to address institutional or individual unconscious bias. And the very first step of the process, Pamela writes, is discounting the idea that bias means one is inherently ill-intended or morally flawed. And discounting that concept opens people up to own their bias, so people don't become defensive." "It's incredibly uncomfortable, but we can't allow lack of comfort to stop us from progressing." Show Links & Resources: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn The Leader's Guide to Unconscious Bias

Michelle's voice still isn't back fully, so Dan joins Maria for today's episode. Together, they discuss the pros and cons of outsourcing recruiting to a third-party firm, the current trend being seen in companies, and what Dan calls 'the great rescinding' that is taking place globally. Dan and Maria delve into the need for creating wellness initiatives in order to assess the well-being of employees despite the rise of remote jobs, and also explore the impacts of outsourcing recruiting efforts to a firm and why internal recruiting should be considered first. 'The great rescinding' and how it is shifting the market to an employer's market is explained as well in this insightful and informative episode. The Finer Details of This Episode: The importance of assessing the well-being of your employees How COVID resulted in elevated stress in the workforce Implementing wellness initiatives in a virtual world When is the right time to outsource? Filling up competitive tech roles Internal vs external recruiting The great rescinding Quotes: “There's a lot of key decisions that come into changing organizations.” “Are we providing enough work-life balance, or at least reiterating what we expect from a work-life balance?” “A lot of folks are ready to leave because they don't feel fulfilled at work, and they don't feel like the work they're doing matters.” “The talent team internally can tell a better story, and can facilitate a better candidate experience. It can also have that close relationship with the hiring managers.” “Hiring managers and HR folks need to put a little bit more emphasis on emotional intelligence these days, especially in the selection process.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn Emotional Intelligence Power vs Force

Michelle and Maria are back again this week to discuss some of the reasons behind businesses outsourcing HR, as well as the accompanying problems that can arise as a result. They also take the opportunity today to explain the importance of building relationships with employees by inspiring a shared vision. Our hosts discuss the different categories of HR and how they differ in the roles they play. They explain the reason why employers have to inspire a shared vision amongst their staff and how they can go about it, and conclude with recommendations on how to set futuristic goals that include involving your team in your plans. Rest assured, today's episode is yet another one filled with invaluable insight and advice for all listeners from the REL Talk, REL Talented team. The Finer Details of This Episode: The importance of communicating to your workforce The disadvantages of working from home What are the different categories of HR? Why getting rid of your HR team during a crisis is dangerous The pros and cons of outsourcing HR How to inspire a shared vision Quotes: “Do your research, and understand how working from home impacted your business. And if you decide that you're going to go with a flexible work environment, or you're going to make them come back completely, or you're going to let them go home, whatever decision you make, tie it to information that is relevant to those people.” “Your inability or unwillingness to communicate your reason treats people like children.” “It is my hope that you guys did not eliminate your HR team during a social crisis and a global pandemic, that would have been as dumb as getting rid of your safety team.” “It's helpful for you to have sometimes a third party conducting your investigations because then there's no biased situations or issues transpiring.” “Inspire a shared vision.” “What we've got to make sure is that not only do the people that work for us, see themselves in that finished place, that they need to see themselves getting us to that place, they need to be a part of the journey, as well as an integral part of the final destination.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

Studies have shown that employee learning and development usually takes a significant drop in spending during a recession. With the increasing likelihood of recession today, this episode could not have been more timely as Michelle and Maria make a case for L&D. To kick off, Michelle asserts that however much you love your job, you still have bills to pay; therefore, you need to get adequately compensated for your time and effort. Our hosts get into the crux of the episode, reflecting upon why L&D is usually the first place to get cut during times of recession. Discussing the implications of this, Michelle and Maria segue into looking at outsourcing L&D as a cheaper alternative and highlight its pros and cons. Finally, they talk about people leadership and why leaders must be trained before a promotion. The Finer Details of This Episode: The need to be adequately compensated The pros and cons of outsourcing L&D Why learning and developing need to be prioritized in times of recession Shifting from instructional design to eLearning The role of a consultant for organizational strategy Why training is essential before a promotion Inspiring a shared vision and encouraging the heart The balance between people leadership and people management Communication as a solution to interpersonal problems Quotes: "Most of us would not work for other people if we did not require money to live our lives successfully. So is money the only reason people come to work? Absolutely not. Surveys show it over and over again. Is it the motivator to get people to apply? Yes, it is." "We come to work because we have bills. So pay us." "In every situation, there are reasons that make something easy to do as well as reasons that make it hard. You have to consider all of those in relation to what's happening in your business to see if the pros outweigh the cons." "Even if it's just the three years that this pandemic has screwed the world, what's the potential impact of three years with little to no training from orientation to development?" "If you're behind on staying up to speed and being challenged in technology, even one year, you're like five years behind in technology. You're not going to stay innovative with an innovative company." "Cutting your L&D organization and making it into zero investment is worse than not doing anything at all, including outsourcing." "What are the strengths and weaknesses of getting rid of your L&D department and outsourcing it to someone else?… I'm going to go with a big con of outsourcing: it is a super-short-term solution because those people are not engrained in your business the same way an internal L&D department would be." "When you look at a lot of the initiatives in outsourcing your L&D, you get a lot of different expertise. Sometimes when you're honing in on one person, you either get instructional design, OD, or somebody focused on training. But when you outsource it, you get the best of all worlds from anybody because they have different skill sets that they can apply to you and use in different formats." "You cannot afford three years of untrained people. There's no way to recover if they learn the wrong way." "By having a consultant come in and look at the bigger picture for where those gaps are, they can quickly identify the headcount you need to bring in." "In our world, the ability to manage or use the analytical side of your brain is as important as the ability to inspire and motivate people, which is equally as important as your ability to move people's progress and skill set to the direction that you need it to be to be effective within your group." "We at REL Talent believe that you must be able to inspire, develop, and lead your team into the future by having a well-thought-out strategy." "If I could be paid to be a full-time student where I'm constantly learning stuff, I would be all in every day of the week." Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

In today's episode, Michelle and Maria shine the light on mental health issues in the workplace. Throughout their discussion, they provide tips on how employers can provide necessary resources to help their staff maintain physical and emotional wellbeing. Delving into the subject at hand - the mental health issues observed in employees – our hosts address the current burnout rate being seen globally. Due to the pandemic, more employees are seen to take on more roles, causing this burnout and stress. In this extremely timely and crucial episode, Maria and Michelle offer advice to leaders to focus on how their employees are functioning, and to provide resources that can benefit them and their organizations as a whole. The Finer Details of This Episode: Mental health issues prevailing in the workforce The need to provide resources to keep employees healthy Addressing the current burnout rate Resources that can help employees with mental health issues Advice to employers, employees, and HR leaders Quotes: “Mental health continues to increase as a priority concern for employees.” “We keep talking about those things like you need to be resilient, you need to bounce back quickly. But what we're ignoring is the fact that it's not always that easy. Sometimes, where people are, it's hard to be there. And it's also hard to bounce back from it without the right support and the right resources.” “If you want to maximize your employees, it means that you have to look out for their well-being physically and mentally, at least to the point that you're giving them resources.” “It's not your job to keep someone else healthy. But as an employer, it is your job to find solutions that can help your employees stay healthy if they choose to do so.” “We live in a culture where we don't acknowledge the stress and the burnout that comes from mental stress.” “It's funny when it comes to respecting people's time, we do things passive-aggressively to create the stigma that you have to work harder.” “There's this lack of loyalty to organizations because they have lacked loyalty to their employees.” “It's time to shift that paradigm, to stop just focusing on what is new, or what's happening or when the new benefits are rolling out. Maybe it's time to engage your leaders in conversations about how their people are doing.” “You also need to process how, as an organization, or how you as a leader, or how you as an employee are functioning during time off and how you want to re-pivot them.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

Today's episode of REL Talk features Michelle and Maria as they continue their series about the companies that are doing things really well. They are joined by a special guest, John, a “long time listener, second-time caller” (he's been on the podcast before!), to talk about employee engagement surveys. John expressed an interest in returning to the podcast to debate Michelle and Maria on this subject. Maria and Michelle have mentioned several times over the course of the podcast's history that they believe employee engagement surveys--specifically the process surrounding them--are crap. John, however, disagrees. So get ready for today's great debate, and listen in as Michelle, Maria, and John opine and discuss employee engagement surveys--the good, the bad, and the ugly. The Finer Details of This Episode: How often should you survey? Common problems with engagement surveys Building trust Using a combination of data gathering techniques Targeted questions How to get the C-Suite on board How to do engagement surveys well Quotes: “So somebody told me once before that while they recognize a lot of things I say are opinions, I say them so emphatically that if someone is not informed on the topic, they just assume it to be fact.” “I have seen companies do other things to collect feedback and be successful, just not a climate survey.” “You can over-survey a population or over-collect data.” “Just the average company, collecting feedback at least annually is appropriate… If they're in a place of crisis already, obviously, we would start with more frequent and more thorough data collection. If they had a very stable culture, we'd fall into something cyclical.” “Yeah, that's appropriate. But I would argue a smaller collection… that's part of a regular cadence… That way you can track change over time… if you're only making your survey collection once a year, you're not actually going to know if it worked until 12 months later.” “So that's problem number one: organizations are not good at doing this. I also believe, number two, that most organizations, HR does not have enough authority to usurp executive decisions. And when it comes to engagement surveys, they should be driven by someone who understands… Then problem number three is human nature or employees' reluctance to be completely honest in a survey for whatever reason.” “Give people the option to add comments or not add comments... Surveys aren't going to catch everything… you're not going to get perfect data from this especially because it's an opinion-based survey. But if you're not going to ask, you're not going to at least give them the opportunity.” “I just think you should do both. Create an environment with a trained facilitator who can draw this information out in a small group setting, and do an employee engagement survey, and check those results against each other… If there's a difference there, that's something to explore.” “Before you even do an employee engagement survey, you need a champion. Is your CEO, is the C-Suite on board with this? And if they're not, …don't do it. If your CEO, if your C-Suite executives are not on board with taking this information, analyzing it, and making meaningful change, …you're just going to end up upsetting your employees.” “I think the great companies that truly are wonderful, and maybe they're not the most profitable companies, but the great ones: the C-Suite gets it, that employee engagement is a benefit for all.” “Engaged employees are more productive, more productive employees have better ROI. You want to increase your bottom line? Have engaged employees.” “It's about a culture of trust, a culture of common vision and goals.” “But Google builds an atmosphere around what their employees or desired employees want… It was the culture around allowing people to be innovative, make mistakes, try things that other companies weren't willing to invest in. That culture is what brings people to Google.” “It's ultimately human failure and not a tool failure.” “At the end of the day, if you're not taking action on anything, it's not really going to help support anything.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

Join Michelle and Maria as they talk today about the companies that are out there and doing things really well. Today's episode focuses specifically on DE&I, a topic that was inspired by two articles Michelle recently read, which highlight eight companies who are addressing this area effectively. Michelle focuses much of today's episode on the Rock Family of Companies and their CEO's response to George Floyd's murder, and how they implemented a six-point plan to address their response to and implementation of DE&I. Don't miss today's episode, as Maria and Michelle acknowledge that it's vital to evaluate policies and practices often, as things are changing and evolving rapidly. The Finer Details of This Episode: Hire a Chief Diversity Officer, a consultant, or an HR leader who knows and understands this space REL Talk tips for implementing a DE&I strategy based on the programs of companies doing this well Companies to learn from Open up your applicant pool Things to keep in mind Quotes: “So they hired a Chief Diversity Officer and started making momentum here, which is a critical role in your organization.” “If you're not in a place where you can hire someone, you're not in a place where you can get a consultant, at the very minimum, you can start looking at what other companies do well. Then you can start to implement that within the teams you have.” “But one of the downfalls was how they brought people into the organization to begin with. Their recruiting strategy… they were primarily word of mouth, which meant people were likely to hire ‘like' individuals, to hire people they could get along with because that's human nature.” “Essentially, when you're talking about setting up a DE&I strategy, that's what you need to look at. You need to have it fully well-rounded; you need to have everybody educated on what that means within your organization, and how you're going to apply it.” “They've done some incredibly good things, including taking a look at their benefits, because benefits can either include or exclude people in the process.” “A company that has not only looked at diversity, equity, and inclusion, but also started to integrate remote or digital aspects that allow them to recruit from anywhere in the world, which changes your applicant pool pretty dramatically.” “If you want to understand the impact of doing an employee resource group well… so an employee resource group isn't just about letting people of the same religion hang out together, right? It's about having that group of people use the knowledge of their religion to help the entire organization see what they bring to the table.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

In today's episode, Michelle and Maria begin a new series discussing the positive things going on around the world. Join them today as they start this series with a recap and update on REL Talk, REL Talent, what's going on with them, and what they have to offer. Their new series will focus on their continued assessment of the things going on around the world from an HR perspective. Make sure to also tune in for the next few episodes where they will talk about current trends, who are doing those things well, and how to prioritize and incorporate those things into your role or organization. The Finer Details of This Episode: Michelle takes back a previously held opinion Planned debates and discussions with REL Talk listeners REL Talent updates REL Talent's role as consultants Changes and evolutions demanded by fully remote and hybrid working situations REL Talent tips for making necessary changes REL Talent certifications, tools, and products to help your team and business succeed Quotes: “My greatest personal growth has happened when someone was willing to take an opposite opinion of mine on a hard topic... that's when some of my greatest professional growth happens as well.” “We've had incredible opportunities to help organizations launch procedures and processes, help organizations launch software that makes learning easier, we've been able to jump into leadership development…” “Leadership development is critical, and how you set up your business and set it up for success is also critical. If you take a look right now, Amazon and Starbucks are unionizing. That's a result of people not feeling heard, or not getting the benefits or items that are important and critical to them as employees within an organization.” “It just means that you, as the owner, take a stand and say ‘Here's who we are and this is the way we behave'.” “You have to be invested in them in some way, you have to know what's going on with them, you have to care what matters to them. And when you become invested in another person that's really when the teamwork clicks, and people start to step up for each other.” “Some of those are really great products that people at any company can obtain from us whether or not you just want it sent to you, reporting wise, or you actually want us to come in and facilitate any sort of conversation.” “We just wanted to spend some time and create a relatable moment again, where you guys know what we're working on, what we're doing, and what's keeping us busy and motivated.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

Join Michelle and Maria for today's Impact episode, part of their series on those aspects currently impacting human resource departments. Today's installment features a short chat about how to utilize and identify the right data and metrics to be successful and impact business for the better. This topic comes from a recent survey showing that 59% of HR professionals interviewed not only don't use data properly, but they also do not know how to do so. While data analytics and showing ROI is not something that has been traditionally done within the scope of HR, it is vital and requires time. Today, Michelle and Maria demonstrate the benefits that come from evaluating and using metrics properly to make decisions. The Finer Details of This Episode: How to identify metrics or ROI that HR professionals can bring to the table What providing measurable impact can mean for you or your department While “butts in seats” and “smile sheets” are important, most organizations want more Dig past the surface level metrics Two choices to help improve ROI Benefits of digging into the data The areas you should really look into REL Talk tips to keep in mind Quotes: “People don't want to know what my gut thinks. They want to know how it's going to matter.” “Even if you do it conservatively and don't aim for the stars, imagine for a second if you, as a leader, were able to say, ‘Here's what it takes, here's how I'm gonna fix it, here's what “good” is gonna look like when it's done,' you would open up the doors for virtually anything that you needed. If you were a leader or a department that could show a track record of predicting your impact in a measurable way, people would listen to you.” “Ultimately, it's not ‘butts in seats' that most organizations care about. They care about whether or not you actually reduced defects by a certain percentage, if that's what you're proposing.” “So maybe I negotiate a better deal on benefits and I'm able to show that I spent less money on benefits this year than I did last year. That's one example… Notice I said because I negotiated a better deal, not because some benefits got cut. So cost savings can always be something that you can show as an actual contribution to the business.” “More often than not, your contribution will be an aspect of another department's success, which means that you're going to have to partner with that other department in order to come up with numbers that feel successful.” “You have to be very thoughtful and methodical about how you're going to be saving the organization money. And it's not just about what's impacting your department, but how what you do in HR impacts other departments.” “What are the benefits of actually digging into data and looking at the metrics? First of all, it helps you plan for the future, and you can get beyond what I call crisis management… It helps ensure that not just you, your HR team, is making informed decisions, but it gives the other executives within the organization the information they need to make informed decisions.” “This entire topic is not the sexiest or most attractive, but it is the most important. How you're outlining your data, your metrics, your return on investment back to the business is most critical.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

Join Michelle and Maria as they continue discussing some of the biggest challenges facing HR departments--and employers in general. Their goal is to discuss and help businesses raise the bar on the things that matter. As with the previous episode in their Impact series--Employee Experience--our hosts address the issues head-on and are careful to offer suggestions and solutions. Join Michelle and Maria today as they discuss benefits that matter. They emphasize building a benefits package that goes beyond the essentials of healthcare or time off. Listen in as they summarize some of the stand-out benefits they've seen offered, what their non-negotiables are, and make suggestions for how to step up your comprehensive benefits package so that your company can stand out and attract the top talent. The Finer Details of This Episode: What benefits are essential/expected What “extras” should be offered How to determine the “extras” that would set you apart How often should benefits be evaluated Who should you look to when determining your “extras” Determine your entire rewards package Quotes: “I prefer the term ‘paid time off' because it's none of their business what you do with your time off.” “Part of it is going to result from… collecting really great employee feedback from employees within your organization on: What do they want? What do they expect?” “You could have some that are performance based and some that are just in that ‘extras' column.” “Do you offer anything related to… public transit? Do you offer opportunities to give back within the community? …There are a significant number of organizations who will offer your employees discounted prices… Do you have additional investment opportunities?” “Do a survey to identify the perception of benefits as well as what employees are looking for, so that you could actually implement some things that are most critical to employees.” “I think it's ever evolving; will those still be what's important to the organization next year? Every year there's a change in dynamic of what's going to be the most critical. It also evolves with your population.” “There are two groups that you really need to look at when it comes to those extra things. First are your employees. But you can start to build an awareness of what ‘good' might look like by also looking at other companies and organizations.” “I'm going to give you a handful of examples of things that I'm willing to bet you hadn't thought about. Get ready. Shared leave… fertility and adoption… CPR or crisis training… paying for higher education… Volunteer paid time off… Dress code policy…. Lunch and learns…” “I've seen things in organizations that are built around helping you understand how to get out of debt, helping you understand how to invest… [these] help make their lives successful. And when someone's happier in their lives, and it's a result of their job, they're going to be happier in their jobs.” “Do you have wellness programs? Do you have referral programs? Do you offer relationships with other vendors like car washes or childcare or salons in the area? …We worked with an organization once who offered very discounted health trackers and in addition to a discounted rate on the health tracker, if you got 10,000 steps every day for the month, they put $25 in your health care spending account.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

This week, Maria and Michelle continue talking about the biggest challenges HR departments face, and their topic today is the employee experience. In this episode, they advocate for employers to address the overarching needs of their people--in everything from training and coaching to providing feedback and development opportunities, workplace setup, expectations, and culture. They maintain that employee experience should be evaluated often with a diverse group of employees from every department, and that employers should also figure out a way to collect honest, accurate feedback from their employees, even if that means using an external group to conduct some research and interviews. Tune in to find out our hosts' best suggestions and practices for defining, evaluating, and communicating the employee experience and why they feel this process should be a frequent endeavor. The Finer Details of This Episode: What is the employee experience? How to define the employee experience How to elicit honest feedback How to best communicate policies and solutions Why communicating details well needs to trickle down to everyone involved When is it wise to bring in an external group? How often should you evaluate the employee experience? Quotes: “But the truth is, we don't always pause and think about every aspect of the [employee] experience with your organization, from the moment you send them onboarding documentation, until potentially the moment you offboard them or they terminate their employment with the organization.” “It's literally the entire internal life cycle… I think it's really critical for us to think and talk through how to clearly define and communicate what that entire experience looks like.” “It's how you treat them on their way out that shows their value and worth.” “The problem is, we tend to build our strategies for the resistor group.” “Build your communication strategy around the fact that all of these groups of people are going to need a different level of interaction.” “Your frontline leaders are usually the group of leaders in your organization that have the highest headcount reporting to them, and means their message impacts the greatest number of people within your organization.” “We make sure executives, senior leaders, are well-informed. But when we come to that last lever, those frontline leaders or even that first level of multi-unit leaders, they don't get the same level of detail. And yet, they're impacting, on average, 30 employees for every leader.” “So it really does start with defining every aspect of what makes up the employee experience… and then you've got to find a truly honest way to collect feedback because the experience is going to be different for every person.” “So bringing in an external group can often open that up so that you get better feedback.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

As a follow-up to their last episode (Where is Everyone?), Maria and Michelle spend today's episode discussing things they are seeing across the board during the hiring and interview process as a result of the pandemic. They've “found everyone”, but hiring managers and recruiters are still having a hard time filling open positions, which translates to employees having a hard time as well. Today's discussion moves from the length of time it's now taking for people to find a job to the fact that the entire specialty of recruiting is getting a bad rap. So much of what they're seeing is a lack of follow-up, and in some cases, recruiters and employers are “ghosting” their applicants. But that's not all; they maintain that the screening process many employers use is too trivial and does not work in the “world of work” right now. Tune in and find out what Michelle and Maria are seeing, and more importantly, find out their suggestions for how to make things better. The Finer Details of This Episode: What multitude of things are they seeing in the “world of work” right now? Candidates are out there… why aren't you finding them? Why should the recruitment process be re-evaluated and even revamped? Weeding out the bad choices or finding the right people? How creativity and innovation in hiring techniques are key to filling open positions Quotes: “I've seen people cycle through dozens of interviews, they are ghosted or ignored completely from the beginning. In some cases, it starts from the beginning, completely ignored, no follow up. In other cases, it is ghosting, where you get to start the process, but you never get any further. And in more cases than I care to admit to, there's no follow up or no contact based on why you did not receive the offer.” “From a hiring perspective, it makes zero sense.” “Do I know you'll stay? Because that's the big question. When it comes to “overqualified”, is there a fear that you're going to have to replace that person when they find a better gig?” “The entire recruitment process needs to be re-evaluated because the candidates are there, they're just being weeded out before conversations can happen… the talent is there, but they are just overlooking them in the recruitment process.” “If you cannot hire and fill your positions within a reasonable amount of time with someone who is capable of doing the job, then clearly something about your process is broken.” “Instead of having a recruiting team who believes their job is to weed out bad choices, why not approach it from the perspective that ‘your job is to find the right people'.” “It's also very easy to start implementing changes in your organization.” “Start with your teams, have them do some introspection, have them assess what's working and what isn't working, and then start to brainstorm some solutions.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

Maria and Michelle spend today's episode talking about what HR professionals and employers are continuing to see as a result of the pandemic, where employers are having difficulty finding workers. Michelle cites an article from Harvard Business Review as the inspiration behind today's episode, and recalls when she came to a similar realization as what the article discusses--that many employers do not know how to make their employees feel valued. In light of so much change, Michelle and Maria share some ideas and help dig in a little to give tangible examples so that you can leave today's episode with solutions and suggestions for keeping your employees. They end today's episode with a reminder that they are open to book and have a strategy session with you, to help employers and HR teams plan for current and future states of the business. The Finer Details of This Episode: How did the pandemic combine with other factors to bring about employees leaving jobs en masse? How has the pandemic, social unrest, and even the war in Ukraine caused so many people to reimagine their career? What is the result of this reimagination? How can making changes to the work environment help employees want to remain? 4 changes you can make to change the work environment today. Quotes: “And so, if we really want to talk about where the people are, it's important that not only do we talk to the missing people, because guys, they're not missing - they're just not at your business anymore.” “At the beginning of the pandemic… you had employees who wanted their employers to come up with safe solutions. And you had employers who had no idea what those safe solutions were, because no one did. And yet those employees were still counting on those employers to make good decisions on their behalf.” “People decided that if they weren't going to be valuable enough, they would find different solutions.” “It's not just something transpiring in the U.S., right? We've seen this across different countries… people are willing to put up with a lot less now than they have in the past.” “It did create a system where people were thinking what their capabilities were before, and wanting to be solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, or just identify something a little bit less stressful.” “It's still important that you have people show up… so you've got to do something to keep your people.” “There's got to be some adjustment in expectations… I think you need to create an environment, allow people to bring their whole self to work.” “Make sure your employees know that you value their contributions… but everyone likes to be recognized differently… everyone wants different types of recognition. Everybody wants different types of encouragement and motivation to move forward.” “Provide on the job opportunities for people to grow within your organization.” “I am a big fan of new talent. I believe that they are more likely to come in and question the status quo, probably push you outside your comfort zone a little bit more, if you find the right external talent. However, if people are still showing up at your work every day, maybe it's time to start doing an analysis of the talent you have already. And who there will stretch themselves… Provide more opportunities for people to grow and stretch internally.” “Look at independent workers. The reality is we may never see this shift back… Consider whether a position can be effective with a contract worker versus a full-time staff. It'll open up a wealth of other candidates for you.” “It is time for you, as a business owner, to flex and adjust with the world, to start to think creatively, to start to look at not just what your customer, but what your employees, need from you, for you to be successful.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

Maria and Michelle continue their series on executive leadership with today's episode. Focusing their conversation on the importance of successful top-down leadership, our hosts believe it is even more important than great HR leadership because executive leaders define culture, performance, and influence how HR is leveraged. After introducing today's topic, Maria and Michelle go on to discuss the steps you can follow to first, determine the strengths of senior leadership and then to get them to where you want and need them to be. Clearly, it's time for leaders to do their job of implementing top-down initiatives, and our REL Talent professionals are here to explain exactly the why and the how for listeners today. The Finer Details of This Episode: Assessing your level of power or influence and understanding your executive leadership team so you can gather their support. How does HR prove its value in organizations that don't already value you? How to present ideas as a business problem to be solved so that executive leaders will buy-in. Why include an action plan that requires top-down initiatives and implementation? Quotes: “HR should not have to fight for a seat at the table; it should be a given.” “Get to know your executives deeper than just how involved they are. If you really want to gather their support, you've got to understand what makes them tick, how they think, what's important to them. How long can you get their attention span for? You've got to know what topics are going to garner their attention quickly and which ones are going to shut them down.” “The more you understand what they see as successful, the easier it will be for you to frame any of your initiatives in a way to get them involved.” “It's almost like HR has no positional power, because we are here to recommend and advise, but we can't necessarily make the impact or change… we do have a lot of power based on influence, right?” “Coming from a place of good intent, you are trying to influence people to support you in a way that does the right thing for a larger group of people. So with great power, great responsibility.” “Stepping away from the idea of ‘Let's just do this because it's right for people' to framing it as a business problem with supporting data.” “Go into this with an implementation plan that includes communication and have the foresight to go in with a recommendation… that has them rolling out this program, or these initiatives top-down.” “I love it. I feel like that was like a mic drop. Like we should just leave it there. Suck it up, do your damn job of top-down leadership. HR is not going to do the dirty work.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

The last couple of episodes of REL Talk have featured Maria and Michelle discussing toxicity in the workplace. Today's episode, however, pivots and begins a three-week series on leadership, an important topic at any time, and especially so given the current state of the world. In the premier episode of the series, Maria and Michelle talk about executive/senior leadership and how it's crucial that leaders are consistently and wholly involved. They need to be instrumental in casting vision, hiring and developing people who can also communicate their vision, and in creating communication that flows just as well top to bottom, as it does bottom to top. Inspired to tackle this crucial topic after seeing several articles on leadership recently on LinkedIn, as well as from a quote from Simon Sinek, our REL Talent professionals do so in their usual insightful and informative way here today. The Finer Details of This Episode: Senior leaders have to be involved and bought in. Refusing to engage or handing difficulties over to HR undermines authority. Senior leaders need to communicate their vision and their messages well. Good HR departments work in support of leadership. Senior leaders should be the “people-people” in the organization. Quotes: “Ultimately, people will listen to the person they report to.” “Leadership is not a rank to be achieved. Leadership is a responsibility. And it's a responsibility to see those around us rise. There's no CEO on the planet who's responsible for the results. You're responsible for the people who are responsible for the people who are responsible for the people who are responsible for the results. That's a difficult and different skill set.” “Communication was very strategically planned. It was coordinated. And it was very well thought out, from top-down leadership to where individuals at the bottom had no doubt and no questions that things were aligned and why things were done”. “You forget to think that your employees are people, and everything impacts them.” “A good HR department should be planning. They come in as the expert around, yes, legalities around people, practices, and labor practices, but they also come in from a perspective of how people are motivated and how to best communicate.” “How do we do that in a way that will be responsive, where people will come to leadership to ask questions instead of gossiping and talking crap around the water cooler?” “You're relying on HR to be the people-people, where we're suggesting that you be the people-people. And if you step up to be the people-people, it's not always about the tough decisions. You get to be there for the good ones, too. You get to be there when the rewards are given out to praise that employee, when promotions are given out, when people get extra training and development to grow within the organization. That gets to be the message from your mouth, not from HR… we're saying you as the leader: take the message to your people.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

Michelle and Maria continue their conversation from the last episode and spend more time addressing toxic workplace environments. While the last episode was more about toxic masculinity, today's episode focuses on toxic femininity. Maria mentions an article that defines toxic femininity, and then Michelle makes sure to outline what they mean when they use the phrase “toxic femininity”. To be clear once again, in exploring this term, REL Talk is not maligning all feminine traits; rather, toxic femininity is when specific, stereotypical feminine traits are used to demean or sabotage others. Today, our hosts explain this concept further, how it differs from toxic masculinity and feminism, and how is shows up and should be dealt with in the workplace. The Finer Details of This Episode: Toxic femininity is a real thing in corporate America Toxic femininity differs from toxic masculinity Most major organizations lack diversity at the decision-making level Toxic feminine behaviors are called out Toxic femininity differs from feminism Quotes: “But I could come up with a half a dozen examples of where other women stood in my way of progress, whether that was passive aggressively or straight out chopping me off at the knees in order to be successful themselves.” “I get bullied and harassed by the other females in my organization more than I do anyone else.” “Poor behavior is poor behavior. It does not matter who it comes from. You are still empowered to tell people that their behavior is unacceptable.” “Whereas toxic masculinity absolutely has a detrimental impact on other men, it also has an equal impact--a negative impact--on women. In this case, women who display these traits tend to stick to intimidating other women”. “If there's only one seat for females, it means that every other female in that building has automatically become a competition… when there's only one seat, the claws tend to come out, particularly for those women who have a slightly different moral compass.” “If a man is assertive, he's often referred to as an assertive man. If a woman demonstrates those same behaviors, we have historically been referred to as emotional or aggressive, and told we need to calm down.” “The point of feminism is equality… it's a movement to ensure that women are afforded the same opportunities as men in the workplace. And when you think about how we describe toxic femininity, it's the exact opposite of that.” “Equal treatment does not equal sameness. I recognize there are certain things that I may not be qualified to do. But equal treatment means that we all get the same opportunities based on the skills, the experience, and the positions that are open.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

Today's episode features Maria and Michelle continuing their discussion on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) in the workplace and resolving to make it a common theme throughout the year, or however long it takes. They refer to and use a recent Fast Company article to help frame their discussion about toxic masculinity -- and toxic culture, in general -- in the workplace. Before getting too deep into their discussion, Michelle is careful to outline what they mean when they use the phrase “toxic masculinity”. They are not attacking all traits that are typically considered masculine; they are addressing a set of attitudes and behaviors that are stereotypically associated with men, but are detrimental not only to men, but also to society as a whole. After exploring the many costs and issues surrounding such a work culture, our hosts finish up with their sound advice for all listeners. The Finer Details of This Episode: Characteristics of a culture of toxic masculinity or a toxic workplace culture. Cases where people aren't ready to acknowledge the impact of their words. Some of the training around words and their impact The many costs associated with toxic workplaces The further potential costs of not addressing and rooting out toxicity in the workplace REL Talk advice Quotes: “The concept is to address attitudes and behaviors that keep you, as a male, from expressing yourself as a whole person.” “We wanted to start by addressing that this is not about attack. It's about attitudes that are detrimental.” “There were times when brute strength was the difference between surviving and not surviving, but the evolution we've gone through has changed that. And we have not necessarily changed along with it.” “What if the guy that said that really didn't mean or think anything about it? What if he literally just thought, ‘Hey, can you get lunch for us?' What if he wasn't trying to hold you back?” “Those discussions often need to be had in the moment. You can't train on every single phrase in the workplace… you could do code of conduct training and sensitivity training, and DE&I, all that stuff, right? But until someone says something…” “When we are living in a job market where the employee dictates their demands, it is not the right time to be a bad place to work. It's never a good time, but now is absolutely not the right time.” “Studies show that less than 13% of individuals that face harassment make any kind of formal complaint… So they're not going to HR about it, they're not going to their leaders about it. They're probably talking about it over break with the one or two friends that they can trust. And I'm not suggesting that you break your friend's confidence, but you can't just be an ally. That's why things do not change, we never actually take action to do anything about it. You can absolutely start to collect evidence or proof that a toxic culture exists.” “We're going to intertwine these different types of articles, books, discussions, in regard to DE&I and how it's really impacting your organization. We can continue to elaborate on some of the discussions we just had here today, so stay tuned for more within our series throughout this year.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

After going MIA for a little while (thanks to COVID), Michelle and Maria are back today and they have brought Keith along to once again discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) in companies. This time around, they look at how some organizations celebrate these important issues once a year, say during Black History Month, rather than embracing them all year long and having them become part of their business' culture. They begin by reiterating the importance of DE&I, and revealing how potential employees can actually determine the values of the organizations they apply to during the interview process. They also offer up some solid advice on how companies can do better in terms of diversity and aligning their values. Far from being celebrated only one day or one month each year, diversity, equity and inclusion need to become part of the very fabric of every company so that they are brought to life and celebrated each and every day. Listen in today to learn how to make this a reality in your organization. The Finer Details of This Episode: Celebrating Black History Month What organizations are doing wrong about celebrating these important issues Employees leave when they no longer believe in the values of the organization How do potential candidates tell if companies are aligning with their values? Advice to companies on embracing DE&I Quotes: “When you have a company that has a culture that's built on specific values, that honors and appreciates the employees in the organization, then it's not something that you only talk about once a year.” “We should be celebrating diversity every single day.” “Past behavior is absolutely a reflection of future behavior. What someone did in the past is probably aligned with what they will do in the future.” “A sensible place to start for me would be, I would want to talk, I would want to get some insight from our employees that are long term employees. I want to know what makes them stay.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

In today's episode, Michelle and Maria discuss one thing the new year is known for - new jobs. They discuss how to position ourselves for new positions and also advise business owners how to navigate filling new positions to avoid employee burnout. Michelle starts the conversation by describing her love for newness, and then discussing the changes she experienced while working at FedEx. Michelle and Maria also look at the different experiences that arise when working in different companies or different industries. They conclude by advising business owners to redefine positions amidst this great reshuffle, and also encourage job seekers and employees to self-reflect and find what makes them happy. As you will hear, today's episode is yet another one filled with knowledge, experience and, especially, sage advice from your REL Talent experts. The Finer Details of This Episode: New year, new jobs. The job changes Michelle experienced while working at FedEx for 17 years Different companies bring different experiences The importance of redefining positions in your company as a business owner Starting with workforce planning Defining what works for you in the midst of the great reshuffle Self-reflect and avoid job hopping Quotes: “I don't know if tenure is as important as it once used to be.” “Companies change.” “It's time to start redefining positions. If you are not willing to fill empty positions, or if it is taking significantly too long to backfill those positions, then you need to think about true redefinition of roles and responsibilities so that your existing employees don't get completely stressed out and leave you.” “It's time to reassess what or how people do jobs in your current environment.” “If you can just increase doing the things that you are good at by 10%, you'll increase your happiness in your job two-fold.” “I believe that a career should be about growth, and growth does not necessarily mean climbing.” “Employers need independent, self-motivated folks. They need people who will think creatively. But they also need to know that you're willing to jump in the box when your creativity is overwhelming.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

Maria and Michelle discuss inflation and how they are seeing that people's salaries are not aligned with it - people are living paycheck to paycheck, the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer. Today, our hosts weigh in on what employees should be getting paid in these unique times and beyond, and also explore how businesses are determining starting pay and pay range for their employees. Maria and Michelle start the conversation by advising business owners to carry out performance appraisals and by also discussing that pay increases need to be partially based on the cost of living. They talk about situational leadership and how it is essential for business, and also mention that the easiest way to set bigger policies for your organization is to look at what fits for the most part. Michelle addresses several reasons businesses have been announcing pay increases for all employees and why people are not being paid what they deserve. Maria discusses the economic disaster that would happen if everybody suddenly bumped up their starting rates and other matters to consider as businesses grow. She also explains how to compensate for the money that goes into the labor bucket which is what is causing the great resignation and the great reshuffle. They finish up by advising companies, HR, and  leaders to use the SWOT analysis when dealing with inflation. As you will hear today, with inflation remaining a fact of life these days, companies need to address its impact upon their employees effectively if they want to move forward successfully together. The Finer Details of This Episode: The importance of performance appraisals to business owners Why pay increases need to be partially based on the cost of living The essence of situational leadership is essential for businesses The easiest way to set bigger policies for your organization  Why businesses are announcing pay increases for all employees Why the rich get richer and the poor will continue getting poor The relationship between career promotion and the increase in expenses The economic impact of everyone bumping up starting rates Comparing federal minimum wage and inflation over the years Things to consider as businesses grow How to compensate for the money that goes into the labor bucket The importance of the SWOT analysis Bringing Finance and HR professionals on board Quotes:   “The intent of your action as a leader is irrelevant. How the follower receives your message is how they're going to behave.” “If you want your workforce to give you the same effort and energy that they did when they were first on the job, or their first year or their first six months, then you, as an employer, have got to find ways to continue to make their job as exciting as it was when they first got it.” “If you want people to do the job you want them to do, then you've got to find a style that meets their needs.” “If the people that currently work for you get a pay bump, there are things that you need to consider from the skill set. That might mean their pay bump should be bigger than someone you are hiring off the street, who doesn't have experience.”  “Why would I work for $12 an hour when I can take a fast-food order on a very similar system for a different company, and make $5 more?” “If you're paying out more in your biggest expense, then you either have to reduce supplies, equipment, machines, etc. or you have to increase the cost of the goods sold.”   “Even if someone loves their job, they also love eating and having a roof over their head, and knowing that their children have shoes and clothes. Ultimately, regardless of how much I may love you as an employer; may admire you as a leader, if you are unable to allow me a lifestyle that is comfortable enough that I'm not struggling every day financially, I'm probably going to leave you.”  “Focus solely on your people and pay because the two go hand in hand. Their opinions about pay impact what your pay ranges are, and your pay range may very well impact their opinion about your business.”  “Start asking yourself what is right for your business. It may be right that you increase the cost of your services or your goods. But that also means that you better bring in customer feedback to make sure that whatever your goods or services, your customers feel there's enough value in it for that increase.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting Email REL Talent REL Talent on LinkedIn

Michelle and Maria welcome us to 2022 in this episode with a recap of the year that was 2021. Together, they take a look at the highs and lows of the past year, goals they were able to accomplish, and also what to look out for in the new year.   They kick off the discussion with Michelle talking about her word for 2021 - connect - and how she was able to do just that by spending more time with friends and family, and also making more business connections. Maria shares her commitment to working out more as her resolution for the year 2021 was centered on self-care. They then go on to discuss the speakers that were hosted on the show over the year, and review the great advances that have been made in ensuring diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Finally, they round things up by sharing some of the excitement you can expect from REL Talk in 2022, so stay tuned! The Finer Details of This Episode:   Michelle's word for 2021 – connect - and how that played out for her The listers and everyone else Putting more effort into personal life and making more business connections Maria discusses her transformation challenge where she focused on working out more last year and centering mostly on self-care Examining the year 2021, with the great resignation and the great reshuffle Great speakers that appeared on REL Talk in 2021 Advances in diversity, equity, and inclusion Michelle's word of 2022 and why she chose it Encouraging emotions in the workplace What to expect from REL Talk in 2022 Quotes:   “The new year brings on new excitement.”   “If we stop this conversation, we're gonna quickly rubber band back to the bullshit we had before.”   “What 2020 taught the world was that you have to find the good, even around the bad, because there's going to be bad and it's still showing up.”   “We didn't really get in our headspace. We got into things like TikTok in order to distract us from our headspace.”   “I believe that my soul will know what word is best for me.”   “We've always been taught that the idea of emotions - particularly love - at work is a bad thing. And now we're at a place where we're starting to say we are whole people with emotions, whether we're at work or at home.” Show Links:   REL Talent: HR Consulting   Email REL Talent   REL Talent on LinkedIn

AJ, a headhunter and founder of Future Force, is back on the show in today's episode to discuss the great resignation with Maria. Drawing upon his vast amount of experience and insight, AJ reveals how the great resignation has affected recruiting for staffing agencies, managers, and businesses as a whole.   He starts the conversation by explaining what the great resignation is and how candidates have been ghosting interviews and not showing up. AJ also talks about Future Force and also what they are experiencing as even small businesses are finding it difficult to fill open positions. He then discusses factors that help with customer retention apart from benefits and compensation. Finishing up, AJ addresses the key question of whether or not this great resignation phenomenon will continue in 2022, by sharing his opinion that there will be a turnaround and it will become an employer's market as opposed to what we see now. The Finer Details of This Episode: The great resignation from AJ's viewpoint Why are people ‘ghosting'? AJ discusses Future Force and the trend of open jobs not getting filled Factors important for customer retention The impact of lack of leadership Why you shouldn't hire hastily Will the great resignation persist in 2022? Quotes:   “We're getting ghosted nonstop. People are setting up interviews and never showing.”   “Is the Tinder culture of ghosting transferring to the professional culture?”   “A lot of these leaders, nowadays, are completely overworked.”   “Leaders are starting to lead organizations rather than lead people.”   “Just because you have an open position that needs to be filled, do not sacrifice what values you're looking for in the person or in the candidate to fill that”.   “Don't just grab somebody because you're in a pinch.”   “One bad apple can poison an entire team”   “Companies are understanding what needs to be done for retention and attraction.” Show Links:   REL Talent: HR Consulting   Email REL Talent   REL Talent on LinkedIn   AJ's Instagram   Future Force Website   AJ@futureforcetalent.com

In this week's instalment of the REL Talk ‘The Great Resignation' series, Dan joins Maria today to share his views on this phenomenon which we have been experiencing over the past few years. Together, our experts delve into what Dan calls the ‘great reshuffle' where many people are leaving their fields of expertise to learn new skills and move into other fields.   Dan starts off by explaining the great reshuffle and recounting some stories he has experienced in this area. He also addresses why open positions are not getting filled amidst the great resignation and why some employees tend to come back after resigning. Dan finishes off with offering valuable advice to employees who are experiencing a heavier workload and suffering burnouts by reviewing the need to take time to self-manage and care for themselves. The great resignation and great reshuffle deserve great analysis, insights, and advice, and that is precisely what you get in today's great new episode. The Finer Details of This Episode:   The great resignation from Dan's standpoint The great reshuffle the world is experiencing Why open positions are not getting fille Boomerang employees and why they come back What you can do if your workload is being doubled Dan's self-care and wellness journey Advice to managers and companies experiencing the great resignation Quotes:   “The great resignation is now shifted to a great reshuffle because people are pivoting to other skills and other areas that they want to learn.”   “Now, it's the game of just mentoring and fostering the talent that you do have.”   “Burnout is a real thing.”   “You have to put more time into self-managing yourself and actually put time for self-care.”   “We, as humans, work better in a resonant space. We operate better, make better decisions, thrive better in a resonant space.”   “We've got to stop listening to our saboteurs and listen to our, you know, leader within, start working at it from a place of resonance and start valuing who we are and how we want to show up.” Show Links:   REL Talent: HR Consulting   Email REL Talent   REL Talent on LinkedIn

Maria and Michelle finish up their series on toxicity in the workplace this week by talking about how to move on from a toxic environment. A lot of advice says there are only two options in this situation: deal with it or leave. Our hosts, however, know that there are more options, and in today's episode, they discuss what those options are and how to know which approach is right for you.   They kick things off by discussing the four possible approaches to a toxic work culture: Avoid, Survive, Thrive, or Get the Eff Out. Michelle points out that while getting out may be the best option in some scenarios, in others it's possible to work around toxicity, whether by avoiding it in the first place, managing the situation to survive without damaging your mental health, or even working with the toxic element to end up thriving. She and Maria talk about the levels of toxicity and how staying in a highly toxic environment can have a long-lasting impact on your well-being, potentially requiring weeks or even months of recovery time. They also discuss the importance of asking for help, whether through career coaching or self-help books, advising those dealing with toxic work environments to look at advice for those suffering domestic abuse as the situations can be strikingly similar. Finally, they wrap up the series by reiterating two main pieces of advice: ask for help, and be part of the solution, not part of the problem. The Finer Details of This Episode: Determining the best option for you Asking more questions in interviews Thriving in a lower-toxicity workplace The negative consequences of continuing to work in an extremely toxic environment The four possible strategies: Avoid, Survive, Thrive, or Get the Eff Out Self-help books related to domestic emotional and physical abuse Asking for help from a career coach who has some understanding of toxic work environments and how to escape them Being part of the solution, not part of the problem Quotes:   “If you are in a truly toxic environment, our goal can't be ‘how do we make you the queen of the castle or the king of the castle'? It has to be ‘how do we keep this from having long-term implications on your well-being?'”   “If you are trying to manipulate someone who has zero empathy or compassion, and you're trying to beat them, if you will, the only way you're going to do that is to do it from a place of zero compassion or empathy.”   “I'm gonna be honest with you, your happy face is not going to help anything that's happening inside your head. The stories inside your head are not going to change because you bring your happy face to work.”   “Am I really that person who's like, ‘My boss was mean to me'? Yes, you need to be that person. You need to get out. And you need to seek someone to talk to. And you need to go through some truth chats so that you realize the shit you're hearing was not actually true.”   “Feedback from a work environment is just too glib because corporate America, in particular, was built on the concept of ‘emotions don't belong at work.'”   “Ask for help. There are lots of career coaches in the world - we're not the only ones. I would tell you to look for someone who is focused on helping you through a difficult situation and not just trying to help you find your dream job.”   “The mental abuse that results from a toxic work environment is all of our problem. It is every single person's problem.”   “If you see it and don't say something, I need you to go home and put a little check in the mirror saying that you made it acceptable for someone to behave that way. If you walk away, if you spread your own lies because you're trying to protect yourself, all of those things that you are doing to avoid being the target of a toxic person, it makes you part of the problem. And so that means we're all part of the solution.” Show Links:   REL Talent: HR Consulting   Email REL Talent   REL Talent on LinkedIn   First 90 Days

This week's episode continues the discussion of toxicity in the workplace with a look at how toxic elements can negatively affect an entire company. Not everybody realizes the impact that toxicity can have on an organization, and while businesses are doing better at dealing with problematic elements, it's still too easy to label it an emotional problem and push it to one side. Today, Maria and Michelle show why ignoring the impact of toxicity could have a disastrous effect company-wide, and how to avoid falling into that trap.   Michelle starts things off with a look at how toxic leaders can manipulate those around them to disguise the damage they do in the workplace and how difficult it can be to deal with them as a result. She advises that a high turnover can be a sign of a toxic manager and is one of the areas to keep an eye on when toxicity is suspected. Next, she and Maria discuss the perception of manipulation as a leadership tactic and how to push back against the idea that this approach is a necessary part of doing business. Michelle points out that while immoral business practices can be effective, their cost on a moral and practical level is too high, potentially resulting in sick and demotivated employees and big problems for the company. Finally, they wrap up with some advice to work with HR to identify and deal with the toxic element in your company. The Finer Details of This Episode:   How big an impact can a toxic environment have on an organization? Toxic leaders use emotional manipulation to gain power and protect themselves against criticism High turnover can be a sign of toxic leadership Toxic business practices can be effective, but they come at a moral and practical cost Toxic environments are bad for employees, who may become unwell and demotivated in such environments, and therefore bad for companies HR departments are important in the fight against toxicity, as they have the inside track on where problematic elements can be found Quotes:   “It's easy to take anything that is ‘people-y' or ‘feeling-y' and just push it aside and say that it doesn't matter, or it's not important.”   “So what I found in some of my research is the senior leaders, or the owners of the company have literally promoted someone because it appears that they're doing a great job and they get results. They show numbers or justification, and they just don't realize how toxic that leader is because the leader doesn't demonstrate toxicity around them.”   “I'm not a fan of leaders who come in and clean out immediately. I think that leaders who come in and clean out immediately aren't leaders, they're actually jerks who don't know how to lead people. Because if they did, they'd come in, and they'd learn who was there and how to influence the people that were there.”   “If you are going to go out in public around other people, you have basically signed yourself a non-written social contract to behave in a way that is acceptable in a civilized society. And if you can't do it, go live on an island by yourself.”   “It used to be that you walked to the cafeteria to get a coffee and took a ten-minute stroll. And now you're taking five ten-minute strolls a day. You used to take an hour-ish for lunch, and now lunch is three hours and includes a cocktail or two, just putting it out there, guys. And this is that person who's not willing to not show up because they don't want to lose the job or they don't want to risk being called out for something, but it's worse than them staying home.”   “I promise you, they know exactly who the assholes are because they've been looking at your numbers dwindle in those departments, they've seen increased interpersonal problems, they probably interacted with the manager as well. So my advice to you would be to seek counsel from your HR team. Just be prepared for what they might tell you.” Show Links:   REL Talent: HR Consulting   Email REL Talent   REL Talent on LinkedIn

Maria and Michelle continue their examination of toxic work environments this week by looking at just what constitutes toxicity. It's simply a fact of life that every workplace will experience some situations where employees won't agree with their leaders or each other, but at what point does that situation reach the level of toxicity? In today's episode, our experts not only offer a common definition of toxic work environments, but also delineate the steps you can follow to help you determine whether or not yours meets the criteria.   They begin by clearly defining the word ‘toxic' as it applies to workplaces, and then walk through some enlightening steps that you can take, including self-reflection and trying to understand your boss' situation, in order to determine the level of toxicity where you are employed. They go on to stress the importance of communication, review a resource that helps tremendously in this regard, offer some questions to ask yourself, and finish up with some valuable tips for all listeners. The use of the term ‘toxic workplace' can easily be overused these days and, as a result, lose its true meaning along the way. Tune in today to learn from the REL Talent professionals precisely what it entails and how to analyze your own situation to see if it has truly reached this level. The Finer Details of This Episode: Having a common definition of ‘toxic' Engaging in self-reflection Trying to understand where your boss is coming from The importance of communicating Michael Watkins' ‘Five Conversations' Some questions to ask yourself Michelle's tips for listeners Quotes:   “There are some bigger problems that stem from the overuse of a phrase like ‘toxic'.”   “Your boss turning down your vacation doesn't necessarily make a situation toxic.”   “Micromanaging a high performer is always going to result in bad things for you and for the high performer.”   “Today, when I look back at that, I really think that I contributed to the frustration in that relationship as much as my boss did.”   “I would say step one is to start with some internalization and some reflection.”   “If I paused, I might have changed my behavior then.”   “A lot of those conversations…in the beginning, would be so much easier because you're setting the expectations up front.”   “To what extent do they negatively impact your ability to do your job effectively?”   “If you ignore the conversation completely, you give the two of you no chance to align so that you become more effective.”   “I think that's critical for individuals to stop and assess, because I think the emotions get in the way of trying to sort through what's transpiring.”   “The closer you get to them having a negative impact on your emotional well being, it's time to seriously consider walking away. You want to do that smartly. We can help you do that in a smart way. But if you want to maintain your emotional stability, it might be time to get away.” Show Links:   REL Talent: HR Consulting   Email REL Talent   REL Talent on LinkedIn   First 90 Days

"The Great Resignation" persists and, on the show today, Maria and Michelle address the issue of toxicity in the work environment as a driving force behind it. If people find being unemployed more appealing than working in an organization, then there is something wrong. Our hosts today dissect what toxicity in the work environment looks like and how to deal with that toxic leader.   They begin by addressing what essential workers tend to face in recent times - customer frustration – and then Michelle goes on to describe past experiences she has faced in toxic workplaces and different levels of toxicity ranging from mildly annoying to mentally destructive. Our hosts also shed light on how gaslighting shows up in work environments and how to deal with the different levels of toxicity. This impactful episode concludes with a practical solution to self-blaming and handling shame that comes from being on the receiving end of workplace toxicity. These are undeniably challenging times, and, as is their mission, today our REL Talk experts shine the spotlight on another prominent issue, offering effective and practical advice to help listeners deal with it along the way. The Finer Details of This Episode: Addressing customer frustration faced by essential workers Michelle's past experiences in toxic work environments Gaslighting in work environments Dealing with the different levels of toxicity Handling the shame Quotes:   “We've got to take a hard look at ourselves.”   “If you are lucky enough to be someone's employer, then you have a moral obligation to make sure people do look forward to coming to work in the morning.”   “When people are dropping like flies, when people are leaving you left and right, you need to ask yourself some questions.”   “It would be unrealistic for anyone to believe that they're not going to work for a toxic leader at some point during their career.”   “So these people literally said, ‘I would rather be broke and live on ramen noodles than come to work for you.'”   “Emotions layer on top of each other.”   “Sometimes you can speak out, and you can conduct a number of different initiatives as a customer, but what the business decides to do with that information is completely up to them.”   “There are levels of toxicity.”   “The damage is, you walk away, and you still hear the words.” Show Links:   REL Talent: HR Consulting   Email REL Talent   REL Talent on LinkedIn

Joe is back this week to run through his toolbox of tips and tricks for working from home with Maria and Michelle. So many initiatives are taking place in companies these days, and this is definitely one that is front and center. Today our experts weigh in on how to best handle this evolving work arrangement, and to also explore just where it may be heading in the future.   Joe starts things off by sharing how he got into Learning and Development and working from home. The rest of the episode is made up of his advice for those working from home including how to incorporate the ‘watercooler chat', the future of work and hybrid work, virtual fatigue, and his advice for leaders. With the vast amount of experience that members of our panel have in this area, you can be assured that everything shared here today will prove immediately valuable and effective for all those navigating any and all versions of working from home. The Finer Details of This Episode: Joe's road to Learning and Development and working from home His tips for working from home Incorporating the ‘watercooler chat' in a virtual environment The future of work Hybrid work Virtual fatigue Advice for leaders Quotes:     “What's interesting that comes up is that people who have been working from home the last 18 months, some may think they're successful - their people leaders don't. And then some may actually truly be successful at it.”   “If you don't take the tools out of the toolbox, you can't fix or build anything.”   “Setting clear expectations, having fun with it, and kind of having something in the toolbox of tricks to pull from is really, really important.”                                                                                               “It's totally okay to not always be sitting in front of a webcam, right? That's a part of a work-life balance.”    “I still believe in paper and pen, and that having a strong list at your desk is so mission critical, especially when working from home… if it ain't on the list, it doesn't exist.”   “I think the hybrid thing is pretty cool. I would love to be around people again, but I also love the idea of being home in shorts and flip flops in my nice dress shirt, and doing what I do best from my home environment where I can manage my work life balance.”   “As an organization, you need to start with that center group, and you need to say, ‘What's right for my customers?'”   “It's not about what your employee wants. It's about what's going to make your customers willing to spend the money. And hopefully, that fits within a model that your employees can appreciate.”   “You may have to get started by giving your leaders some over the top tools like weekly updates, or a shared Trello calendar, something where you can see that progress every single day, until the leaders get comfortable not having line of sight.”    “So leaders, please consider changing your swing on the golf club to something different than what you're doing today. Because we all know that what worked 18 months ago does not work now, including have a conference call or meeting for every single thing.”   “It is a gift that many of us can work from home. Don't waste it by sitting in front of a computer 12 to 15 hours a day. Be sure to spend time with your husband, your wife, your loved ones, your kids, the dog, the cat, and your hobbies, and the people that you love who love you.” Show Links:   REL Talent: HR Consulting   Email REL Talent   REL Talent on LinkedIn

The tough talk on random topics continues this week as Maria and Michelle return to the topic of growth within organizations and just how important it is. As they have noted before, good people leave organizations if they do not receive that development that challenges them and instills that innovative spirit so critical to the success of any company. Organizations that ignore this crucial component do so at their peril, and today our REL Talk hosts explain precisely why that is, and how you can avoid that fate.   The need to address each level within departments when elevating them, as well as the different sets of skills involved, kick off today's discussion. Our hosts then look at the value of investing in leadership team development, challenging your organization and team members, and the relationship between strategic thinking and change. The episode finishes up by outlining the danger of ending up in a vicious cycle of mistakes and the key takeaways for listeners. The critical nature of growth and development within an organization cannot be overstated, and, as you listen in today, you will understand the reasons for this and what steps you can take to make it a reality in your workplace.   The Finer Details of This Episode:   ·   Addressing each level when elevating departments ·   The different sets of skills ·   Investing in leadership team development ·   Challenging your organization and team members ·   Strategic thinking and change ·   Vicious cycles of mistakes ·   Key takeaways   Quotes:     “It's insane how organizations can get passed by because their employees don't have the right development or growth to challenge them and create and instill that innovative spirit within them to stay ahead for the future.”   “As people, we want to be challenged and pushed to the next level.”   “Depending on where you are in that kind of continuum, if you will, it changes the type of growth or development that you need.”   “Thinking strategically, building purposeful relationships, that could be something that needs to be delivered from a corporate level. But to supplement that, each department should have a budget of development that they can use how it is necessary within their team.”   “If Apple didn't have Steve Jobs challenging each and every person to be innovative, where would Apple be today?”    “Growth means constantly challenging your organization, constantly challenging your team members.”    “Thinking about, like, how you get your employees the tools and resources they need to be cross collaborative, which creates that growth, which creates that development, which creates communications and opportunities for them to have resources to present differently to elevate themselves, is going to be a critical component moving forward.”   “A lot of times that change in that innovation that you're trying to get people comfortable with has nothing to do with you being innovative. It's that you didn't think things through strategically in the beginning, and now you're paying the price of trying to backpedal and change things.”   “I find your ability to challenge a leader as the best example of whether or not your company is innovative.”   “One of the things that we try to do here at REL Talent is keep things real for you.”   “As an employee, you've got to learn to own your own development.”   Show Links:   REL Talent: HR Consulting   Email REL Talent   REL Talent on LinkedIn

Michelle and Maria continue their Tough Talk series of random discussions here today by once again addressing the critical topic of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Joining them today is Joe Gast, a professional who trains on DEI initiatives, and who absolutely lives, eats, and breathes this topic each and every day, and whose insights are, as you will hear, incredibly valuable in this area.   They begin by looking at ‘The Great Resignation' which the workforce is currently experiencing, and then they go on to explore labels and identity, the impact of biases, the importance of being open and accepting, and the evolving nature of gender and sexual orientation nomenclature. How companies use the information they gather on applications, gender based restroom issues, the necessity for starting to have conversations in this space, and how DEI is defined and applied are all discussed as well. This informative and instructive episode comes to a powerful close with Joe offering his highly regarded advice for listeners navigating this all important component within organizations – practical wisdom that all should take to heart. The Finer Details of This Episode: ‘The Great Resignation' Labels and identity The impact of biases Being open and accepting Evolving nomenclature Companies asking about people's sexual orientation and how they use that information Gender based restroom issues Starting to have conversations Defining DEI and applying it Joe's advice for listeners Quotes:     “Surround yourself by people who are different than you, and build a relationship with them to a point where you can have tough questions, or you can ask tough questions, and not just immediately shut down during that conversation.”   “There is a difference between a label and someone's identity.”   “No one wants to be invisible, no one wants to be unnoticed, no one wants to be ignored, and most people are looking for representation.”   “Nobody wins until we all win, until everyone makes it across the finish line.”   “I think that DEI is important because it starts to redefine what normal is.”   “The best way for us to learn about DEI is just watch children.”   “If we could start to look at employees, managers, applicants, candidates, trainees, that person sitting in my office, that person I'm interviewing on Zoom, in that lens that we don't care what they are, what those labels and identity things are, but I care who you are, and I hear what you're bringing to the table, I think we'd be a lot further ahead.”   “I think that for us to be successful in an HR training organization at this point, and even in regards to organizational development evenly, we just have to be open to the conversation, be willing to listen. People want to be listened to.”   “I had to realize that that was just my defense mechanism to stay in a place that is comfortable for me that I'm used to.”   “I want people to know I'm a safe space.”   “It's okay to say, ‘You know what? I don't have all the answers, but you know what? Let's seek the answers together.'”   “If someone is a child molester, they're gonna molest a child no matter what. They don't need to run to a restroom dressed as the opposite sex to do it.”   “If...one of your listeners listens to this conversation, and brings that to the workplace, or brings that to a manager or to a team member or an employee that they've not known how to address or talk to before, well, then we've already been part of the solution, not part of the problem.”   “It is your responsibility as an employer to keep all your employees safe, and that means you're going to have to start having conversations with people. They're going to be super uncomfortable, and you're not going to know how to have them, and I would advise you to seek out someone who is comfortable leading those conversations in uncomfortable places.”     “We need to start to see people and recognize people for not what they are, but who they are. That will be the game changer.” Show Links:   REL Talent: HR Consulting   Email REL Talent   REL Talent on LinkedIn   Jesus CEO

Hot on the heels of their fascinating book series, Michelle and Maria are back today to start their new series where they address the many timely questions that come their way, and today they begin by looking at budgeting and its impact upon HR and L&D within a company. All too often, these departments are the first ones considered when budgets need to be downsized, and in this week's episode, our experts want to have the tough conversation with you all about just why organizations need these people so badly, particularly in the current employment climate.   They start off by looking at these types of cuts and the impact they have, and then Michelle shares her experience with L&D downsizing. She and Maria then go on to explore the different training modalities and how they can be used the most effectively, how investing in HR can actually save money for the company, the importance of P&L Report training, and costs - controllable and otherwise. Our hosts finish up by looking at just how critical effective leadership training is within an organization. The first in this powerful new series, today's episode presents yet another glowing example of the sheer amount of knowledge, insight, and advice that the REL Talent team has to offer all who listen to and work with them. The Finer Details of This Episode: L&D budget cuts and their impact Michelle's experience with L&D downsizing The different training modalities and their most effective use How investing in HR can save the company money P & L Report training Controllable and less controllable costs Leadership training Quotes:     “If you can try to understand both sides of why something happens, it makes it easier to present a solution that's good for both sides.”   “There's that center group of people that is keeping your customer happy. And guess who supports that center group of people and makes sure they're happy? Almost always, it's your HR team.”   “I think as a result of the reality of our climate, you can't afford to lose your employee relations people.”                                                                                                 “I've seen significant injuries that have impacted people's ability to do their job to live their life, and have changed the way their family has to care for them as a result of not getting a required element of their training to do their job effectively. So yeah, it could be easy, it could be a fine, but it could also be a loss of life.”   “I am a big fan of compliance being digital…there's absolutely a time and place for each type of training modality whether it is instructor led or virtual or even self paced.”    “Some of the highest reasons for turnover and organizations right now are lack of growth and development.”   “We're actually going to be able to show you that, as a result of spending here, here's where you're going to save time and money in all of these other avenues.”    “You need somebody that can come in and automatically link the idea of that P&L to concepts they already understand.”   “It's a huge component for leaders to be totally educated and trained and developed to make the right decisions.”   “Focus on what's a critical component, dig deeper into your budgets to invest more into your people in a different way, in which you are able to do no matter what size of your businesses what size your budget is, and really continue developing your leaders to understand how they can take a look at things in a new light.” Show Links:   REL Talent: HR Consulting   Email REL Talent   REL Talent on LinkedIn

Next up on REL Talk's book series is Leigh Branham's The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave: How to Recognize the Subtle Signs and Act Before It's Too Late. There are always so many opinions out there as to why individuals leave companies, but this book, and our hosts' incisive analysis of it, cut to the chase and not only identify the reasons, but offer practical solutions for them as well. Sharing what she finds most interesting about the book throughout, Michelle also joins Maria in looking at how and why managers and employees often have different perspectives on the reasons for leaving. Together, they go on to examine such concepts regarding leaving as ‘push and pull' and ‘intangible and tangible' reasons, becoming an employer of choice, and the actual top 7 reasons as outlined in the book. The episode concludes with Michelle offering her biggest takeaways from this valuable resource. Equally beneficial to employers and employees alike, The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave earns positive reviews from our REL Talent professionals here today – do yourself a favor and listen in to find out why. The Finer Details of This Episode:   ·   The most interesting aspects of the book for Michelle ·   Manager and employee perspectives on why people leave a company ·   ‘Push and pull' reasons for leaving, and Michelle's experiences with them ·   Tangible and intangible reasons for leaving ·   Becoming an employer of choice ·   The top seven reasons ·   Michelle's biggest takeaways from the book Quotes:     “One of the stats that stood out to me a lot in the book was specifically around the managers' perception versus the employees' answers.”   “Most of the reasons are push reasons, and that truly means that, as an organization, you have some control over the reason people are leaving - you just have to get to that root cause.”   “What I liked about this book in particular is that they offer 54 really easily implementable - most of them zero cost - things that you can do to address the seven most common reasons that people leave.”    “Having development opportunities or learning opportunities is absolutely within a company's control.”   “It's always the first department you get cut is learning and development, but it's your one and most influential department in keeping your employees satisfied.”   “Back to your point about staying modern and updated - if you haven't done those things...I can assure you, you're not going to pull the newest people or the youngest people into your organization.”   “There is an entire chapter in the end about what it takes to be an employer of choice, and how you can start to move the needle, learn where you are today, but move the needle to where you want to be as employer of choice.”   “I think it really goes to core key points that the interviewer gives to the interviewee on the expectations of the role.”   “It really boils down to you finding that right person, that person has the initiative that you want, that has the values that you think are appropriate for your company, and deciding what is the right fit for them.”   “You have to be honest about what your folks are going through.”   “When you go into leading your team from the perspective of ‘they're gonna do as little as possible', guess what, eventually you're going to get employees who do as little as possible.”   “If you look at any survey, you will often find that trust is one of the most important things that employees need from their employer, and often it will be cited as the reason people leave.”   “Most employees are never going to tell you that hard staff, but I promise you, your HR team knows.” Show Links:   REL Talent: HR Consulting   Email REL Talent   REL Talent on LinkedIn   The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave

This week, Maria and Keith team up to do a little something different in the book series, and that is to explore the StrengthsFinders 2.0 program which they both find extremely valuable. It's a fantastic book, a fantastic assessment, and a valuable resource that people should incorporate into their day-to-day, and our hosts take the opportunity to delve into it all with listeners here today.   Keith starts off by describing StrengthsFinder and its importance, and then our hosts share their experiences with it. They go on to look at reasons to take the assessment at different points in your life, expanding the information it provides, the story of the Disney Brothers, and leveraging the strengths identified as your organization grows. They finish up by sharing an activity REL Talent runs as part of the program, Keith's recommendations regarding strengths alignment, and his top takeaways from this treasured resource. StrengthsFinders has so very much to offer for organizations and those working within them – listen in today and to future episodes as well to reap its full benefits for yourself. The Finer Details of This Episode:   ·   StrengthsFinders and Keith's experience with it ·   The importance of StrengthsFinders ·   Maria's experience with it ·   Taking the assessment at different points in your life ·   Expanding the information the assessment provides ·   The story of the Disney Brothers ·   Leveraging identified strengths as your organization grows ·   REL Talent's jigsaw puzzle activity ·   Keith's recommendations regarding strengths alignment ·   His top takeaways from StrengthsFinders Quotes:     “I do absolutely love StrengthsFinders, and I love the assessment that comes along with it.”   “It really gives you a pretty in-depth look at where your talents are and how you're able to contribute.”   “The idea behind StrengthsFinders is that you're uncovering where your strengths and talents are so that you can leverage those strengths to make more of a contribution, build your career further, all those sorts of good things.” “StrengthsFinders is not about ignoring your weaknesses. It's about addressing them in a different way.”   “Development is ‘Let's capitalize on where we're strong, so we can take it even further.'”   “It's probably a good idea to retake this because this is not about your personality.”   “So it gives you an opportunity to expand and see that there are other strengths that are there that you may not have thought were there, mainly because you may not have the opportunity to flex those strengths as often as your top five.”   “I use this a lot with our sales teams.”   “In order to maximize your impact to maximize your results, you've got to reach out to other people who have strengths that you don't have.”   “The most effective salespeople are the ones that are trusted by the clients to help them grow their business, and not in an artificial way.”   “Sometimes individuals really don't know what the right role is for them.”   “Don't get hung up on your top five.”   “Start with your top five, don't discount the rest of them, look for how this impacts your personal life, and then watch for blind spots. Make sure that you're not hyper focused on any one area of strength.” Show Links:   REL Talent: HR Consulting   Email REL Talent   REL Talent on LinkedIn   StrengthsFinder 2.0

Today marks the third installment in Maria and Michelle's book series, and they have chosen Dr. Jean Greaves and Dr. Travis Bradberry's Emotional Intelligence 2.0 to review and discuss here today. Finding it full of valuable information for everyone, especially leaders, our hosts offer a close examination of how it can play a role in improving not only life at work, but also life outside of work as well. They begin by looking at the value of retaking EQ tests at different points in your life, their own test results from this book and TalentSmart, justifying emotions impacting performance, and the role EQ plays in effective leadership. They go on to share some of their own experiences with leaders lacking EQ, their recommendations for listeners, the importance of acknowledging others' emotions, and the impact of internalizing emotions, particularly as demonstrated during COVID. They finish up by delving into emotional awareness in virtual environments, and share their major takeaways from this valuable resource. Giving it two thumbs up, Michelle and Maria found a great deal of valuable information and insights in Emotional Intelligence 2.0, and feel that you will undoubtedly do so as well. The Finer Details of This Episode: Retaking EQ tests at different points in your life TalentSmart Michelle and Maria's Emotional Intelligence 2.0 EQ test results and areas for improvement Justifying emotions impacting performance EQ and leadership Michelle's experience with a leader lacking emotional intelligence Their recommendations to assist listeners with their EQ Acknowledging others' emotions The impact of internalizing emotions, especially during COVID Emotional awareness in virtual environments Takeaways from the book Quotes: “At the end of the day, if you can get better at something with practice, it means it can be made.” “Anyone can become angry, that's easy, but to be angry with the right person, to the right degree at the right time, for the right purpose, in the right way, that's not as easy.” “How do you learn to channel or harness emotions in a way that is productive and helpful to the situation?” “It gave me three very specific things that I can work on to improve.” “HR is a stressful field to be a part of.” “I only exhaust energy where energy is really necessary or where it's needed. I don't really exhaust my energy if I don't have to, because it's already exhausted at work.” “It's just really about how you are aware and how you're managing your awareness.” “The best leaders are the ones that show up as humans, that not only recognize their own emotions, and when they are stressed or need a break…they manage that piece of it well, but they also recognize that in their teams.” “The most common thing I've seen is people who are very aware of how people feel about something but don't care.” “What I found, by looking at the plan that you can put together through the book, is that there's some really good practices on where to start and what to do.” “If you really need to dig deeper, maybe it is time for you to get a resource, whether that is a coach or a mentor, or a friend or a confidant, someone who will not just give you lip service.” “I like the test and the website…if you can get the book, grab the book.” “As a result of what you're internalizing with your frustrations, you then see…the great resignation that's happening right now.” “I think we've also seen an increase in both addictions and soft addictions.” “Acknowledgement of the emotion is all we're talking about. We're not talking about somebody coming in and throwing chairs around the room. That's the action or the result, we're simply talking about acknowledging the emotions.” “What is it like 70, or 80%, of how we interpret a message comes from the cues that we get visually?” “Most people on Zoom have figured out how to cover that face up enough that you're really not going to gain a lot of information visually in that situation.” “Look into your EQ, even if you want to start with asking trusted people how they think you do when it comes to being aware and managing your own emotions, and being aware and helping support other people's emotions.” Show Links: REL Talent: HR Consulting   Email REL Talent   REL Talent on LinkedIn   Emotional Intelligence 2.0

Maria and Michelle continue their book series this week by taking a deep dive into The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. Recommended to our hosts at a conference a couple years ago, this is a book that they both have positive reviews for, and which they analyze here today to demonstrate how it can prove beneficial to you as well.   They begin by looking at some of their favorite parts of the book, including its analysis of the equality piece within organizations, and their own observations of leadership failure and systemic issues in this area. They go on to explore the concepts of consistency, equality, and sameness, as well as flat organizations and equality within them, and their own roles as agents of change and consultants. Maria and Michelle finish up with one of the other aspects of the book which really speaks to them – the concept of multitasking – and their hearty recommendations of the book for listeners to read and challenge themselves. Far from the mixed reviews that last week's selection received, The One Thing is, according to our experts, a worthwhile resource for all, and today you'll learn precisely why. The Finer Details of This Episode: The parts of the book that stood out for Maria and Michelle The equality piece and Michelle and Maria's perspectives on it Leadership failure Systemic issues Consistency, equality, and sameness Equality in flat organizations REL Talent as agents of change The role of a consultant Multitasking Quotes:     “In the world of achievement, everything doesn't matter equally. Equality is a lie.”   “We use words like a quality to create generalizations, because we're trying to simplify the conversation. But what we do when we generalize stuff like that, is we strip away what does matter.”   “One of the things I do like about it, in this section, is that he doesn't wimp out and go with a simplified answer. It's like he really digs in and explains things in a way that you can actually use it and apply it to your life.”   “But if your people leader isn't giving you the opportunity, and you don't have those opportunities because they're always going to their one person or one resource, and they're always pivoting there, then you don't have the opportunity to become an equal.”   “I'm definitely a ‘pay for performance' person.”   “Organizationally, there are systemic issues that keep certain groups from improving the quality of their lives based on how the system is created.”   “The system is broken in many corporate establishments.”   “I think it's just critical…that everybody identifies where the gaps are in their organization, and takes a look at how they can continue making adjustments.”   “We're challengers of the status quo as it relates to HR.”   “I could not agree with him more that multitasking is ridiculous.”   “The way he lays out these chapters, and the way he explains it is pretty helpful for anyone reading it.”   “I think it's a great book. It's a great read for anybody from a business perspective.”   “I have nothing but good reviews for this book, for sure.”   “I'd recommend it so that you could challenge yourself and try to read it and interpret it in a way that's a little bit different.” Show Links:   REL Talent: HR Consulting   Email REL Talent   REL Talent on LinkedIn The One Thing Homepage

Throughout the summer months, Maria and Michelle have been investing in themselves and reading some different books that would prove beneficial for listeners as well. This has inspired their current ‘Book Series' in which they share both the information gleaned from, and their reviews of, these books, and, as always, they look forward to your feedback as well. This week's book is one that Michelle has started reading, Executive Presence for Women.   She begins by sharing her first impressions of the book, her issues with the visual component of it and some other executive presence resources, and the most problematic part of the book for her. Together, our hosts go on to review the evolving role of women in the workforce, the concept of ‘playing the game and changing it from the inside', applying gender roles within business, and then Michelle finishes up with a book she wholeheartedly recommends for listeners. Filled with the candor for which this podcast has become famous, this first episode of this educational new series gives you the straight goods about new resources, and sincerely invites you to respond with your own opinions, observations, and recommendations. The Finer Details of This Episode: Executive Presence for Women Michelle's issues with the visual component of some executive presence resources The problematic part of the book for Michelle The evolution of the role of women in the workforce Playing the game and changing it from the inside Applying gender roles in business Paul Aldo's Understanding Executive Presence Quotes:     “I knew going into this, the visual piece was going to piss me off.”   “When you force someone to look, talk, and act like the status quo, it means that you are not inclusive.”    “When an executive says, ‘I don't see you in this seat', basically, what it means is, ‘I don't think you're going to make the same decisions I would'. No shit, I'm not you!”   “We're starting to evolve to a place that says I can make a tough damn decision and not be you.”   “I'm part of the team, and I will be a team player, but I will not be given a gender assignment because you think it's what I'm here for.”   “While I am quick to make judgments I'm also really big on opening up for any learning that I can get from anyone.”   “He talks more about the confidence that you display in the choice of clothing that you have made. He talks more about the confidence that you display when you state your opinion, not the words you use.”   “The idea that I have to spend $2,000 on a power suit to make a smart choice pisses me off.”   “Understanding Executive Presence, Paul Alto - that's where you should start.”   “At the end of the day, difference of thought is what's keeping us together and having great and fantastic communication.” Show Links:   REL Talent: HR Consulting   Email REL Talent   REL Talent on LinkedIn   Understanding Executive Presence

Today marks the final installment of the ‘Challenges in the Workforce' series, and Michelle and Maria tackle the critical topic of motivating the future workforce. A fitting sequel to the previous episode about employee experience, today's show digs even deeper into the challenge companies face in attracting and retaining talent, particularly in this current employee market. What may have motivated employees pre-pandemic may very well not have the same impact now, and in this episode, our hosts shine the spotlight on exactly why this is and what you can do about it.   They begin by looking at the notion of successfully leading remotely, and then delve into zoom meetings, phone calls, and multitasking during them. They go on to explore the need for aligning different topics for different meetings, ways in which leaders motivate and demotivate employees, and finish up by sharing their expert advice in this crucial area. As the finale to the highly important series, today's episode caps off the information and wisdom necessary to help your organization confront and overcome the challenges in today's workforce related to motivation and beyond. The Finer Details of This Episode: Successfully leading remotely Zoom meetings, phone calls, and multitasking during them Different topics for different meetings Motivating and demotivating employees Advice around motivating employees Quotes:     “You've got individual people with individual desires, and then you've got leaders who have no f'ing clue how to manage a workforce that is sitting in 12 different places.”    “People who are introverts are exhausted by being on camera, and on each and every day.”   “It just seems like it's more work to be on a video call than anything else these days, and it's like back to back to back.”   “I can no longer assess the mood of the room the way I did before.”   “We find from the world of coaching that we have better dialogues without the visual.”   “Never ever, ever do for the learner what the learner can do for themselves.”   “So I will tell you - get over the fact that they're multitasking, or have better meetings where they get to participate.”   “What is your topic piece should decide how the message gets delivered.”   “Zoom should just be another potential method for how you communicate. It shouldn't be the only method.”   “Now you have to think about the virtual environments, including zoom fatigue, things that you're going to consider on what's going to motivate or demotivate your workforce in the future, and how you're going to attract the top talent and retain them through that process.”    “I think you guys need to reassess all of the fancy shiny pieces you had in your corporate America environment, and what's going to be shiny for your individuals.”   “One of the things that I found stood out to a ton of employees were organizations that put together a serious care package, like a home office care package.”   “Rethink starts with having a conversation with some of your employees.”   Show Links:   REL Talent: HR Consulting   Email REL Talent   REL Talent on LinkedIn

In today's installment of the ‘Challenges in the Workforce' series, Maria and Michelle delve into the increasingly important topic of employee experience. As we all know, the pandemic has changed so many aspects of life as we once knew it, and, in the workforce, it has certainly magnified just how critical the employee experience is for organizations to address. If your company wants to be able to effectively attract and retain talent in today's market, this is definitely an episode you can't afford to miss.   Our hosts start things off by sharing some exciting news about certification in which Keith is currently engaged followed by a review of the numerous certification offerings available through REL Talent. From there, they move on to naming the 3 reasons people leave organizations, the importance of developing employees, and the concepts of total rewards as well as total wellness and growth. They finish up by describing what career path and growth look like for the new generation of workforce, and emphasizing the need to take steps to make your organization attractive to both current and future employees. It is undeniable that the pandemic has had an enormous impact, generating and increasing challenges within the workforce. Listen in today as Maria and Michelle offer their sage advice to help you effectively navigate these evolving challenges as they pertain to the all important employee experience component of your company. The Finer Details of This Episode: Keith's Firewalk Experience Certification REL Talent's Certification offerings The 3 reasons people leave organizations Developing employees Total rewards Total wellness and growth What career path and growth look like for the new workforce generation Google's promotion cycle Making your organization attractive to employees Quotes:     “If you're wanting to conduct a team building opportunity amongst your group and get individuals together, this is a fantastic opportunity during the pandemic.”   “Take a look and reach out to us if you're interested in conducting a team building event, and if that includes the Firewalk, that we are now certified in.”   “We have obviously a vast majority of things that we're certified in or we can assist in. So leverage us and reach out to us. If you're interested, we will come to you and we'll bring the fire.”   “They don't realize that attrition happens as a result because people aren't getting challenged.”   “The things that people used to see as perks, those are now all the standards.”   “People want to feel whole, not just financially set anymore. They want it all.”   “If you can't come through with that total wellness and that growth point place, you're going to lose those people before you even get in through the door.”    “If you would stop thinking that what worked yesterday works today, you could come up with something that rewards team effort, just helps people with cost of living, and rewards individual contribution.”   “Once they're good at something, they don't want to spend five years doing the same thing over and over. They want to do something new.”   “What you need to do is ask yourself, have you defined what your workforce looks like? What it should look like? Have you had HR come in, and HR includes someone from compensation, as well as someone probably from recruiting, and someone in your employee relations area, to work with the managers to create job profiles, and create job descriptions?”   “I think it's super critical for everyone - when you're talking about employee experience, career path development, challenging individuals, you take a look, you conduct that gap analysis, and then you put in initiatives in place to help, like, a career pathing and whatnot.”     Show Links:   REL Talent: HR Consulting

In this week's installment in their series looking at current challenging topics within the workplace, Maria and Michelle revisit the ever crucial subject of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). The absolutely critical nature of this topic is evident through the fact that it arises in so many episodes of the REL Talk podcast, and, with the employee's job market out there these days, its importance has become even more magnified. Organizations that do not effectively address it do so at their own peril, and today our hosts offer their perspective and advice to help ensure that doesn't happen.   They begin by reviewing some of Nikki Lerner's insights from a previous episode, as well as some of Emmanuel Acho's work, before examining the challenges that companies are currently experiencing in the DEI space. They then explore the nature and need for uncomfortable conversations, the importance of educating ourselves, the ‘ladder of inference', and white privilege. How to get help for your organization, including providing employees with the tools for success and ensuring top down leadership in commitment, are also discussed, and the episode closes with our hosts outlining some of the ways that professionals from REL Talent can help your organization. As noted in this episode, “DEI is the future of business if you want to be successful” – listen in today to learn how to continue moving forward toward achieving that success. The Finer Details of This Episode:   Some of Nikki Lerner's insights from a previous episode Emmanuel Acho's work Challenges that companies are having in the DEI space Uncomfortable conversations and being able to lead them Educating ourselves The ladder of inference White privilege Getting help around D, E, and I for your organization Providing employees with the tools for success Top down leadership How REL Talent can help Quotes:     “We're not even all speaking the same language. We're not on the same page right now. And we don't see everything from the same perspective.”   “White history is mandatory for all races.”   “We had a belief that we could elevate ourselves faster if we removed ourselves, or separated ourselves, from people of color.”   “You do have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.”   “I want us to get to a point where humans are treated like humans because of what makes them special, and we don't have to have Diversity, Equity Inclusion Officers, because it's done automatically.”   “Until you start to peel back all of those layers, and all of those biases, and all of those stories that you've been told your whole life, you're not going to change the way you approach people.”   “Organizations are challenged with putting things in places, but I also feel like it could be that they're putting in their own biases and stereotypes.”   “You need to spend a day in a life or have your white kids go to an underprivileged school to figure out what the hell that means.”   “You've got to start bringing someone in who is prepared to have uncomfortable conversations, who's prepared to challenge folks when they say the wrong thing.”   “When you give an order, it doesn't matter if your intent is good. It matters how your employee received it.”   “A lot of organizations decided to hire a Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, because I think they found that that was a critical component.”   “I think understanding and identifying what your biases are, so you can look past those, are also the most critical component…if I had to give some feedback for individuals listening, that's what you need to do. First.” Show Links:   REL Talent: HR Consulting   Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Laying the Foundation with Culture Coach, Nikki Lerner      Emmanuel Acho's ‘Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Man'

Maria and Michelle are back this week with yet another phenomenal series, this time regarding issues that every leader and organization are or will be dealing with due to the effects of the pandemic. Life has changed considerably over the past year and a half, and the workforce is changing right along with it. How organizations plan for and address these changes will be critical as the world moves forward. Today, our hosts bring their extensive experience and knowledge to bear in order to help listeners navigate these uncharted waters in this first instalment of this vital and fascinating series.   They begin by reviewing the impact the pandemic has had on so many aspects of life and the necessity of consulting forecasts when planning for the future and safety of your workplace. They delve into the importance of employee value propositions, particularly in light of current recruitment issues, and of equipping staff with the right tools for success in all areas of their employment. They finish up by sharing some of the expertise that they have developed for training staff to manage and de-escalate the type of difficult workplace situations which seem to be rapidly increasing in frequency these days. Today's episode provides a fiery and enthusiastic start to this timely and crucial series, one that you will undoubtedly refer to time and again as we all progress through these unprecedented times together. The Finer Details of This Episode: The impact of the pandemic on various aspects of life Consulting forecasts to plan for the future of your workplace Safe workplaces Employee value propositions and current recruitment issues Equipping staff with the right tools for success REL Talent's expertise in situation management and de-escalation strategies Quotes:     “I think a lot of what's transpired in the pandemic has been really crucial for every company to identify its people strategy, and really how they're focusing on one another, and really helping integrate some new social norms.”   “I hate that I'm part of a world where 400 deaths a day is seen as better than the worst projection, which was significantly more than that.”   “You've got to look at what the future is forecasting to make a better long term decision.”   “As an organization, you need to assess the risk pool for your employees and how you can be very cautious and safe during that time.”   “We both feel that work should be good for an employee and an owner, it should be good for both people… keeping your workforce safe is good for them, and it's good for your business.”   “If your recruiters are saying that they can't find anybody because they're making more money on unemployment - full shit, okay?”   “When you finally furloughed them, and they had to figure shit out while they were sitting at home, they figured out their life was worth more than that crap, and they decided not to come to work for you.”   “You need to identify what's important to your employees and candidates and identify what's going to bring them in.”   “It's now an employee's choice market.”   “What I've seen happening is we bring a lot of really brilliant people into a room, people who are really smart, who read all the right articles around the pandemic of what's happening, people who are well informed. And they make those decisions without…finding out what potential candidates or their current workforce is saying, and you're making the wrong decisions, guys.” Show Links:   REL Talent: HR Consulting