Ruch Riffs: An Employer Brand Podcast

In this episode of the Ruch Riffs podcast, host Hayley Ruch Geiger interviews the inspiring Sara Royf. Now, as a LinkedIn coach based in Tel Aviv, Sara continues to empower professionals to elevate their personal brands and make meaningful connections. Her story is a powerful example of how strategic thinking and passion can drive substantial growth and impact.

I met Kevin while creating promotional content for several clients. As an Olympian and US Ski Team winner, he shared insights about how leaders must put communication, results, and teamwork. The more I saw Kevin do work for clients Kwik Trip and Minocqua Winter Park, the more he helped me understand how to be better at what I do.

Want to be a more resilient leader? Ruch Riffs is pleased to announce our podcast featuring Tatyana St. Germaine, Executive Coach and Talent Assessment Expert. Resilience is all about coping with stress, maintaining emotional well-being, and overcoming setbacks – learned skills that successful leaders need. Listen in as Tatyana and I discuss management techniques to help you address challenges, adversity, and uncertainty in the workplace.

Want to be a more resilient leader? Ruch Riffs is pleased to announce our podcast featuring Tatyana St. Germaine, Executive Coach and Talent Assessment Expert. Resilience is all about coping with stress, maintaining emotional well-being, and overcoming setbacks – learned skills that successful leaders need. Listen in as Tatyana and I discuss management techniques to help you address challenges, adversity, and uncertainty in the workplace. 

Want to be a more resilient leader? Ruch Riffs is pleased to announce our podcast featuring Tatyana St. Germaine, Executive Coach and Talent Assessment Expert. Resilience is all about coping with stress, maintaining emotional well-being, and overcoming setbacks – learned skills that successful leaders need. Listen in as Tatyana and I discuss management techniques to help you address challenges, adversity, and uncertainty in the workplace. 

A discussion about ManpowerGroup's latest Global Market Research.

Employee compensation and benefits is one of the hottest topics in many companies today. Even with some high-profile organizations trimming back staffing levels, competition for top talent remains strong. In this month's Ruch Riff's podcast, I talk to George Murphy, a leading corporate benefits expert and Executive Vice President at 4C Digital Health, on why employee benefits matter more than ever and how organizations can differentiate themselves by providing employees with competitive benefits offerings. George is one of the most knowledgeable benefits executives I know, so I'm confident you will find his comments informative. The podcast is short so take a couple of minutes to listen to it and let me know what you think.

Bob DeKoch and Phil Clampitt are authors of a highly acclaimed new book, “Leading with Care in a Tough World.” They draw upon their years of innovative learning and real-work experience to lay out five core leadership traits necessary to build an engaged workforce. The authors discuss their key leadership message for today's changing and challenging workplace.

Partnerships between students, education and enterprises are critical in developing a pipeline for future workers. Dr. John Niser, Director of FDU's International School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, who works with the leisure and hospitality industry on ways to recruit and retain workers believes that young adults are looking for organizations where they can grow. They are seeking companies where managers are no longer bosses, but rather mentors. Companies must come to terms with a fundamental shift in how skills are passed on.

Strong managerial soft skills. Career development opportunities. A top-notch workplace reputation. These are some of the must-haves leisure and hospitality organizations will need to attract and retain talent in the post-pandemic work environment. Jeff Kmiec, president of American Hospitality Talent Acquisition (AHTA) a division of Cornerstone RPO, discusses what it takes to reconnect talent to the industry in today's competitive talent market.

Companies that put culture –– rather than profit –– first are more profitable.  That is the message from this month's Ruch Riff's guest, Gustavo Grodnitzky, Ph.D., best-selling author and speaker.  With the war for talent accelerating, culture is critical to support business goals and the “human capital need.”  In this engaging, 6-minute conversation, hear more from Dr. Gustavo on the role that connections and belonging play in creating a winning workplace culture.

A recent 60 Minutes piece, “The Big Quit,” is reverberating across this country as record numbers of people are quitting their jobs. In this Ruch Riff's podcast, I talk to Jill Smart, president of the National Academy of Human Resources and former CHRO of Accenture. She shares her insight into the long-term implications of the escalating trend where people are quitting their jobs to try new things or staying out of the workforce altogether. Hear more from Jill, who also emphasizes the importance of wellness in the workplace. This is a fast-moving 6-minute podcast filled with leadership insight.

This CEO tells his new hires that cultivating their temperament is just as important as honing their technical skills. Austin Ramirez, President and CEO of Husco International, a privately-owned company specializing in hydraulic and electro-mechanical control systems, is the featured guest in this Ruch Riffs episode.  Ramirez openly shares his views on work-from-home versus work-from-office, including what it takes to build a cohesive workplace culture.  This high-energy podcast is six minutes long and packed full of leadership insights.

Lisa Buckingham,  EVP, Global Head of AIG Enterprise Design & Life and Retirement Separation Initiatives for AIG, and and Susan Quakenbush, Chief Human Resources Officer for Vonage, are innovative human resources leaders forging new ground with their passion for connecting with others, authenticity and compassion. In this fast-paced Ruch Riffs episode, Lisa and Susan delve into many of the leadership qualities that set great leaders apart. 

Darren Hawkins, CEO of Yellow, formerly YRC Worldwide, one of this country’s top freight trucking firms, went on the road to connect with more than 300 company leaders and share his strategic vision for 2021. In this Ruch Riff’s podcast, listen to Darren tell the story of how this helped re-energize and reignite the organization. Pat Nazmetz, former XEROX CHRO and Yellow board member, also weighs in on the impact of this initiative. Hear more from Darren and Pat in this fast-moving, 5-minute podcast.

As organizations went through an immense amount of change in 2020, there were leaders who stood out because they found innovative ways to connect with their workforce. I talked to many of those leaders and am sharing highlights in this first Ruch Riffs podcast of 2021. Seven leaders reveal seven ways they differentiated their organizations through reinvention, humanness, empathy and purpose -- all in seven minutes. I believe their message of connectedness will be even more important this year as leaders adapt to new norms. I found these leaders inspirational and hope you do too.

Our country’s top CHROs get that people really matter, are building cultures that care for the human being and are finding creative ways to communicate with people, wherever they work. In this Ruch Riffs podcast, Mike Myatt, author, leadership coach and Chairman of N2Growth, talks about the organization’s new list of top 25 CHROs and what makes them exemplary. He dives into how leaders such as Lisa Buckingham, EVP and Chief People, Place and Brand for Lincoln Financial Group, are making a difference.

If remote work is leaving your organization's workforce feeling disconnected, music can help bring them together. In this quick, 8-minute Ruch Riffs podcast, hear from Deborah DeVerna, Chief People Officer for Octave Group, on how music in the workplace engages and connects. Survey data shows that 90 percent of workers perform better with music, so her company has gotten creative by hosting virtual concerts and encouraging employees to share playlists they enjoy. Working with local musicians is one way companies can incorporate music into the workplace culture. Music, she says, has a huge impact on engagement.

Employees are hungry to be heard during this COVID-19 crisis and Lincoln Financial Group is taking bold steps to gather feedback and act on it. In this episode, Kate Feather, Lincoln Financial Group's VP of Culture & Engagement, speaks candidly about the company’s approach to listening, responding and circling back with the company’s 11,000 employees on actions taken. Hear more about leadership's commitment to staying in sync with employees now and as the company plans for a return to the office.

Peter Zeihan, renowned geopolitical analyst, author and speaker, says big changes are coming for U.S. businesses as a result of the coronavirus epidemic and collapse of the supply chain in China. In this episode, recorded March 11th, Zeihan gives his take on changes in the global economic system, the long-term impact on service and manufacturing industries and how the coronavirus might affect the upcoming presidential election.

Pat Nazemetz, former CHRO of Xerox and current Board Member and career coach, discusses the concept of the 'The Good Workplace' – "the work needs to be good and the workplace needs to be good." Pat shares advice on how to foster a 'good workplace,' including the need to provide employees with meaningful work and opportunities to grow.

In this Ruch Riffs episode, Frank Krejci, President and CEO of STRATTEC Security Corp., an award-winning, global automotive supplier, reveals ways he works to build employee engagement through innovation and creativity. Each month, Frank selects seven employees from all levels of the business and shares a family style lunch with them. These gatherings give employees an opportunity to hear from the CEO and ask questions in a comfortable and intimate setting.

Hydrite Chemical Co., a Wisconsin based chemical manufacturer and supplier, attributes the company’s growth and longevity to its people. In this Ruch Riffs episode, John Honkamp, Chairman, shares his insights into Hydrite’s success formula, including its commitment to employee development and promoting from within.

The Milwaukee Bucks hired, onboarded and trained 75 full-time and more than 1,000 part-time employees in a couple of months last fall to open its new stadium, Fiserv Forum. In this episode, Kelly Kauffman, Chief Human Capital Officer for the Bucks, talks about the internal and external collaboration necessary to accomplish this feat.

In this interview, Kwik Trip insider John McHugh, director of corporate communications, shares the company’s success formula for industry-leading customer service. With 25,000 employees and more than 700 stores, Kwik Trip uses the power of storytelling to give co-workers a clear sense of purpose.

In this episode, Hy Pomerance, Chief Talent Officer for Cleary Gottlieb, shares how the firm’s partners and associates OWN attorney development, creating a culture of accountability in this highly successful, global law firm. Developing home-grown talent is at the heart of the firm’s talent management strategy.

Hear from a highly recognized HR leader on what it takes to recruit and retain the right talent. Lisa Buckingham, Chief People, Place and Brand Officer at Lincoln Financial Group, discusses her forward-thinking HR approach and how to keep the 'human' aspect in Human Resources.

Leaders who invest in relationships foster an engaged workplace culture.In this episode hear from David Cooks, leadership author and speaker, about the role leaders play in building a strong employer brand.

In this episode, Susan Quakenbush, chief human resources officer for Vonage, a global business communications software company, talks about the role of the company’s employer brand.Recruiting and retaining the right talent in all business areas was critical as Vonage transformed from a legacy to a technology focused company. It was a strong employer brand that led to this successfully transformation.

Recruitment ambassador videos have proven results, increasing the number of job applicants by 36%.In this interview, Greg Cooke, a videographer with extensive 60 Minutes and CBS News experience, gives his 5 tips for producing short, authentic videos that get results .

Top-notch leaders are the foundation of companies with great workplace cultures. And, companies that are known for their winning culture attract and retain the best talent. Susan Marshall is the author of "How to Grow a Backbone: 10 Strategies for Gaining Power and Influence at Work." In this interview, she discusses the three elements of backbone and how these leadership traits contribute to and define the workplace culture.