Podcasts about i hate it here

I swear every company says culture matters... right up until someone has to make an actual decision.  The reason decisions don't get made quickly enough is because of the whole "culture is everyone's job" mentality, and I think it's time for a little more nuance! Dani Herrera and I get into why culture isn't your values page or your CEO's favorite buzzword, but instead, the behaviors your policies reward every single day.  We also unpack why HR has way more influence than we give ourselves credit for, why "best practices" is a cringey concept, and why AI is about to amplify every good (and bad) decision we've already made. --- With Shapes, people management looks completely different. Think AI agents handling the routine, a secure HR core, and the ability to build any people tool your org needs, just by describing it in plain english in their built in Shapes Vibe studio. If your systems feel stuck in 2015, go check out Shapes at ⁠https://shapes.co/⁠ --- If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content! --- Follow Hebba YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠⁠⁠ Come join Hebba at Safe Space Summit 2026 in Huntington Beach, CA! To learn more, check out:⁠ https://www.safespacesummit.com/

Featured Guest: Jocelyn Hays (Director of Hogan Applications, Hogan Assessments) --- You know that coworker who was perfectly lovely until they got promoted and suddenly became a completely different person?  Yeahhhh….I think we've all been there. There's a reason for that, though!  I'm joined by Jocelyn Hays to unpack the dark side of leadership, the 11 derailers hiding inside basically all of us, why so many orgs get this wrong, and how the exact traits that help you succeed can become the ones ruining everyone's day when you stop managing them.  00:00:00 — Intro 00:01:27 — What Does the “Dark Side” of Personality Actually Mean? 00:03:51 — The 11 Patterns That Can Derail a Leader 00:06:48 — How Do You React When You're Under Pressure? 00:15:52 — Why Do Derailers Stay Hidden During Hiring? 00:22:05 — When Does a Strength Become a Derailer? 00:25:51 — Why Does Stress Bring Out Our Worst Leadership Behaviors? 00:34:08 — How Can HR Spot Derailers Before They Wreck the Culture? 00:44:14 — How Do You Tell a Leader They're Ruining the Vibes? 00:49:22 — What Are Orgs Getting Wrong About Choosing Leaders? --- Hogan Assessments is the international leader in personality insights. With the world's largest database of personality research and decades' worth of experience in psychometrics, Hogan produces valid, reliable personality assessments that measure everyday strengths, potential shortcomings, and values and motivators. Hogan's solutions empower organizations to hire the right people without bias, boost productivity, reduce turnover, promote diversity and inclusion, identify high-potential talent, develop leaders, and inspire employees to do their best.  To learn more, check them out at ⁠http://hogan.to/ihateithere⁠ --- And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration.⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠ for even more exclusive insider content!  --- Follow Jocelyn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelynhays/   Follow Hebba:  YouTube:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠ LinkedIn:⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠ Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠

I feel like every AI conversation somehow ends up in one of two places: either "AI is taking all our jobs!" or "Just use ChatGPT for everything!"  Honestly... I hate both of those convos.  So instead, I wanted to ask some much more interesting questions! Who's actually making the decisions about how AI gets used at work?  Who decided AI should be ranking candidates, or helping determine headcount?  And more importantly... should it be? I invited Aubrey Blanche to help me unpack all of it!  We talked AI ethics, human-centered design, why productivity might be the worst goal for AI adoption, and somehow ended up on Harry Potter fanfiction and Google Maps conspiracy theories.  It all connects, I promise!! 00:00:00 — Intro 00:04:08 — What's Changed Most About How You Work? 00:06:00 — Why Go Back to School for AI Ethics? 00:17:48 — Why Has Productivity Become AI's Main Goal? 00:23:29 — What Should HR Ask Before Chasing AI Efficiency? 00:25:17 — How Do You Actually Influence Executives? 00:29:01 — Is "Human in the Loop" Enough? 00:34:14 — Should AI Be Ranking Job Candidates? 00:37:54 — What's the AI Ethics Skill HR Is Missing? 00:43:41 — How Can HR Start Thinking Like an Ethicist? 00:47:14 — What's the First AI Change HR Leaders Should Make Tomorrow? --- With Shapes, people management looks completely different. Think AI agents handling the routine, a secure HR core, and the ability to build any people tool your org needs, just by describing it in plain english in their built in Shapes Vibe studio. If your systems feel stuck in 2015, go check out Shapes at https://shapes.co/ --- If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content! --- Follow Aubrey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adblanche/ Read: Ethical By Design: Good Technology Principles for AI Follow Hebba YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠⁠ Come join Hebba at Safe Space Summit 2026 in Huntington Beach, CA! To learn more, check out: https://www.safespacesummit.com/

Featured Guest: Allison Howell, CEO of Hogan Assessments --- This is The Leadership Divide, a special series with Hogan Assessments in partnership with I Hate It Here!  Across four episodes, we're saying the thing out loud: leadership often fails because companies pick and develop leaders based solely on vibes and tenure, then act SHOCKED when everyone's miserable.  Today, I Hate It Here's Hebba Youssef is joined by Allison Howell, CEO of Hogan Assessments, and they are not holding back! Hebba and Allison get into why trust in leadership is in the gutter, why your favorite "visionary" CEO might actually just be loud, why wanting a manager with basic communication skills is somehow considered a big ask, and more. 00:00:00 — Intro 00:04:56 – What's Shifted in Leadership Since 5 Years Ago? 00:07:27 – How the Erosion of Trust in Institutions Shows Up on a Regular Day at Work 00:11:39 – What Employees Are Asking for From a Leader, and Whether It's Reasonable 00:14:26 – Why People End Up in Management Because They Were Good at a Job, Not Because They're Good at Managing 00:18:21 – The "Dark Side": What It Costs to Misread This Leadership Moment 00:21:54 – How AI Is Reshaping Trust, Judgment, and Decision-Making at Work 00:24:08 – The Less Catastrophic (but Still Bad) Version of Getting This Moment Wrong 00:28:33 – What Orgs Consistently Get Wrong About Selecting and Developing Leaders 00:30:20 – What It Would Look Like to Get Leadership Selection Right --- Hogan Assessments is the international leader in personality insights. With the world's largest database of personality research and decades' worth of experience in psychometrics, Hogan produces valid, reliable personality assessments that measure everyday strengths, potential shortcomings, and values and motivators. Hogan's solutions empower organizations to hire the right people without bias, boost productivity, reduce turnover, promote diversity and inclusion, identify high-potential talent, develop leaders, and inspire employees to do their best.  To learn more, check them out at http://hogan.to/ihateithere --- And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Allison: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonhowell2/   Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Apparently, we can't simply leave our trauma at the door and transform into perfectly functioning corporate robots every morning.  Who would've thought?! Stephanie Lemek joins me to unpack what a trauma-informed workplace actually looks like, why HR needs some damn boundaries, and how something as simple as giving people more choice can completely change the way we work. Here's what we got into:  00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:21 - What Would've Surprised Stephanie About How She Works Now, Five Years Ago? 00:08:26 — Trauma-Aware vs. Trauma-Informed 00:13:30 — The 3 Types Of Safety Every Workplace Needs 00:19:36 — Which HR Processes Are Accidentally Re-Traumatizing People? 00:26:50 — "Don't Trust HR" and Unpacking Where That Distrust Actually Comes From 00:33:07 — Hebba's Story: Grief, Anniversaries, And "The Body Do Be Keeping Score" 00:40:18 — Secondary Trauma And Compassion Fatigue In HR 00:46:16 — The One Thing To Do Differently Starting Tomorrow --- If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content! --- Follow Stephanie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanielemek/ Follow Hebba YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠⁠ Come join Hebba at Safe Space Summit 2026 in Huntington Beach, CA! To learn more, check out: https://www.safespacesummit.com/

Guess what? The Cackle Queens are back!  My unofficial co-host and forever hype woman Jess Winder joined me to kick off this season, and we did something new.  We hit record and just let the convo happen with no notes, because who needs prep when you've been doing this job for way too long? We're diving into where HR has been, where it's headed, and why "defund HR" isn't as controversial a take as you'd think if you've worked in old-school HR.  We also get into three totally different futures HR could have, and what to tell yourself when you're so burnt out you can't imagine one more evolution of this job.  It's a little bit unhinged, but what else would you expect?! 00:00:00 - Intro 00: 05:17 - The Biggest Shift in HR Since 2020 00:08:48 - Old HR Morals vs. New HR Morals 00:24:12 - Would You Outsource HR to a $50/Month "HR in a Box" Service? 00:26:49 - Jess's Wildest HR Era: Touring Actual Crime Scenes 00:30:44 - Hebba's 3 Possible Futures for HR: Performance, Full-Cycle, or Architect 00:40:15 - What to Do When Your Company Just Wants "Yes People" 00:42:53 - Advice for HR Folks Who Are Burnt Out and Ready to Quit If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content! --- Follow Jess: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicadwinder/ Follow Hebba YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠⁠ Come join Hebba at Safe Space Summit 2026 in Huntington Beach, CA! To learn more, check out: https://www.safespacesummit.com/

If you'd like to get these episodes early AND ad-free, please go to https://www.patreon.com/unspoiled and become a patron, or just follow us as a free member for updates!Thank you very much to Jacqui for commissioning this episode! This time we're back with our boys, and they have a really adorable, sweet, tender moment that of course has to be shot to hell by fear and shame and I HATE IT HERE. So then we've got Shane with a movie star and it's a whole thing. Thank you all so much for listening, and I will see you soon with a new episode! Wanna talk spoilers? Join the Discord! https://discord.gg/rEF2KfZxfV

Okay, so as we wrap up this podcast season, we're gonna make this final episode a little different…featuring Hebba and her thoughts, and apparently zero filter! This season of I Hate It Here was all about firsts and for the season finale, Hebba makes personal!  Listen as she walks you through three of her own HR firsts, performance reviews, terminations, and picking the right system, followed by what she wishes she'd done, and what she would tell herself if she had a time machine.  And then, because Hebba couldn't let the season end without a little chaos, she rounds this episode out with some HR horror stories that were sent in by members of the IHIH community. Whether you're deep in your HR career or just getting started, this one's a reminder that none of us really know what we're doing the first time, and that's kinda the whole point.

Madison Montgomery is back, and in this episode, we did what Paul Downs and Meg Stalter inspired us to do…turned our 1:1 into a podcast episode. The result is a session of unfiltered chaos covering our first ATS implementation together (which is going exactly as well as you'd imagine when two non-detail-oriented people configure a system while actively recruiting on it), Summer House drama through an HR lens, my newly discovered cowboy era, and why neither of us will ever truly get to enjoy the company retreats we plan.  If you've ever been the person behind the process who never gets to just experience the process, you'll probably relate to this discussion! 00:00 - Intro 04:55 - Implementing an ATS For the First Time 14:48 - What to Expect in Austin in August 21:23 - Hebba's Favorite Recent Story About Her Mom 28:14 - Other Firsts for Madison This Year 42:04 - Supporting Employees When They're Dealing With Grief 44:35 - Who Would Play Hebba and Madison in a Movie? --- The Predictive Index behavioral assessment reveals how people work, think, and thrive—so teams can understand each other better and perform at their best. Because when you truly understand your people, work just works. Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠trypi.com/ihateithere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠⁠ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠⁠⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content! --- Follow Madison LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madison-montgomery14/ Follow Hebba YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠⁠

55% of orgs expect AI tool experience to be their most in-demand skill within two years!  Honestly, most of us are still figuring out what to have for lunch, so the timeline feels…a little aggressive.  In this final episode of the four-part AI Readiness Gap series, presented in partnership with TriNet, DeAnn Alcantar, Learning and Development Manager at TriNet, and Kelly Pacatte, Lead HR Compliance Consultant at TriNet, give us a north star for AI readiness so that we know what to focus on in that timeframe! We're getting into what it takes to close the gap: the technical stuff, the deeply human skills that matter more than ever, and the mindset shift that's going to define which HR leaders are ready for what's coming and which ones are not. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:12 - The Urgency of AI Proficiency 00:05:07 - Is Two Years Enough to Be Efficient With AI as an Org? 00:10:32 - The Human Skills That Are Going to Matter More Than Ever 00:14:44 - The Evolution of How HR Will Function at Orgs 00:22:58 - The One Mindset Shift HR Leaders Need 00:26:31 - What Every HR Leader Feeling Behind on AI Right Now Needs to Know --- Running a small business is hard, and HR should not get in the way. TriNet helps small businesses by outsourcing HR to professionals. This lets business owners get back to the real work: building a company, and leaving a legacy. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about TriNet⁠⁠⁠⁠. --- If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠⁠ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠⁠⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content! --- Follow Our Guests DeAnn Alcantar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannealcantar Kelly Pacatte: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellypacatte   Follow Hebba YouTube:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠ LinkedIn:⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠ Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠

Geography shouldn't be the reason you can't hire your next best person.  And yet, that's the reality for hundreds of orgs at the moment! I sat down with Sagar Khatri, co-founder and CEO of Multiplier, who literally built a company because opening a bank account in Japan took him 12 months.  We got into all of it: why compliance is a zero-or-one problem (and why so many companies are getting it very wrong), what actually happens to your business when your team spans 50 countries and 70+ nationalities, and why the future of talent is all about finally being able to find them wherever they are instead of hoping they come to you. 00:01:45 - Something Sagar Had to Unlearn Early in His Career 00:03:48 - Why Sagar Started a Company 00:10:43 - How the Pain of Global Hiring is Happening on a Massive Scale 00:20:03 - What the International Structure at Multiply Looks Like 00:31:09 - The Biggest Mistake Companies Make When They Hire Globally for the First Time 00:37:33 - The Relationship Between Diverse and Distributed Teams and Business Performance 00:43:07 - AI's Impact on International Talent Acquisition --- The Predictive Index behavioral assessment reveals how people work, think, and thrive—so teams can understand each other better and perform at their best. Because when you truly understand your people, work just works. Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠trypi.com/ihateithere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content! --- Follow Sagar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sagar-khatri-53529359/ Follow Hebba YouTube:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠⁠⁠ Twitter:⁠⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠⁠

There is a lot to say about joining a startup, and I'm saying that as somebody who has been a part of four of them. Nothing prepares you for the first time, because you truly have no idea what you're walking into! Not even the offer letter or the job description paints the full picture, so Christine Song, founder of the 5 to 9 Society and former CPO at Knix, is here to give you her expertise. We're talking about walking into a company with no HR infrastructure, a CEO whose behavior made her want to run back to corporate, working 100 hours a week until her hair (literally) started falling out, and somehow still coming out the other side with more love for startups than ever.  00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:01 - Something Christine Believed About Work That She Had to Unlearn 00:08:26 - What Stepping Into a Startup Role Felt like Vs The Expectation of It 00:21:01 - The Important Role of HR in Startups 00:35:18 - Picking Up on Signs of Burnout 00:40:40 - Startup Culture and Its Demands 00:49:10 - Creating a Life and Identity Outside of Work 00:55:11 - Christine's Advice For Someone New to The Startup World --- The Predictive Index behavioral assessment reveals how people work, think, and thrive—so teams can understand each other better and perform at their best. Because when you truly understand your people, work just works. Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠trypi.com/ihateithere⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content! --- Follow Christine LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/songchristine1/ Follow Hebba YouTube:⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠⁠ Twitter:⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠⁠

37% of HR leaders are already saying that evaluating AI skills in candidates is going to be a real challenge. Hiring has always required us to assess things that are hard to measure, but AI is moving so fast that what you're looking for this week might be completely different next month!  In this episode, I sat down with Kristin Russum, Director of Organizational Development at TriNet, to get into the real question: how do you actually hire for AI competency when the skill set is still being defined in real time?  We talked behavioral interview strategies, the bias risks that not enough people are talking about, why curiosity might be the most important thing you can hire for right now, and what you can actually do immediately to update your process! 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:03 - Why is Evaluating AI Skills and Candidates So Much Harder than Assessing Other Technical Skills? 00:07:25 - What Does Hiring an AI Competent Candidate Look Like Right Now? 00:19:47 - How to Deal With the Built-in Bias of AI Usage in Hiring 00:25:27 - Practical Changes You Can Make to Your Hiring Proess Immediately 00:33:06 - One Thing Every HR Leader Who Feels Behind on AI Should Know --- Running a small business is hard, and HR should not get in the way. TriNet helps small businesses by outsourcing HR to professionals. This lets business owners get back to the real work: building a company, and leaving a legacy. ⁠⁠⁠Learn more about TriNet⁠⁠⁠. --- If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠⁠ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Kristin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinrussum/   Follow Hebba YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Nobody talks about their first termination the way they should, which is with a little bit of trauma, because we never forget the people we have to let go of.  In this latest episode of I Hate It Here, I sat down with Jennifer Laurie, fractional CPO and founder of Equitable HR Guild, to do exactly that!  We went all the way back to her very first termination…the nerves, the Googling "how to fire someone," the manager who was just as lost as she was, and then kept going.  We got into where managers go horribly wrong before they even get to the termination convo, how bias creeps into these decisions in ways that are really easy to miss, and why the debrief after is the part everyone skips but absolutely shouldn't.  Take a deep breath, and prepare yourself for this discussion! --- 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:51 - Something Jennifer Believed Early in Her Career That She Had to Unlearn  00:07:15 - What it Feels Like to Fire Somebody for the First Time 00:13:04 - Something Nobody Teaches You About Terminations 00:19:19 - Where Most Managers go Wrong in the Build-up to a Termination 00:24:17 - Addressing Bias in Termination Decisions 00:30:20 - Reflecting and Learning Done After a Termination 00:36:54 - Can Some Terminations Make Work Better for Everyone? 00:44:24 Advice for First-Time Termination Managers The Predictive Index behavioral assessment reveals how people work, think, and thrive—so teams can understand each other better and perform at their best. Because when you truly understand your people, work just works. Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠trypi.com/ihateithere⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠ for even more exclusive insider content! --- Follow Jennifer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferlauriehr/ Follow Hebba YouTube:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠ LinkedIn:⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠ Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠

Women make up nearly half the workforce, and somehow, their health is still being treated like a line item someone might cut. Make it make sense! I've been wanting to do this episode for a while, and I'm not going to pretend I made it through without getting in my feelings at least once. I sat down with Kembre Roberts and Kevin Fyock from Aon to get into why women's health keeps getting deprioritized, what it's costing orgs as a result, and what it looks like when employers finally get this right.  Just having a fertility benefit and calling it a day isn't gonna cut it anymore! --- 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:30 - Why Employers Should Care About Women's Health 00:12:45 - How Women's Health Directly Influences Financial Security 00:19:55 - The Data You Need to Help Execs Understand Women's Health Data 00:27:44 - Being Proactive About Women's Health and Financial Wellness Before a Crisis Happens 00:35:26 - What Orgs Keep Getting Wrong About Women's Health, and What a Better Decision Looks Like Aon's Human Capital capabilities help organizations make confident workforce decisions by connecting advisory, insights and data across health benefits, talent and retirement. By aligning people strategies to business outcomes, we enable leaders to drive engagement, manage program sustainability, and build a resilient workforce ready for what's next. Learn more at ⁠⁠Aon.com⁠ --- If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠⁠ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out ⁠I Hate It Here on YouTube⁠ for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Kembre on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kembre-roberts-phd-4a227625/ Follow Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfyock/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube:⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠⁠ Twitter:⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠

You know that feeling where you've been sprinting all day and somehow your actual to-do list hasn't moved an inch?  Your inbox is feral and new work just keeps showing up like it was never not invited!  Yeaaaah, that feeling has a name, and it's called not having a system.  I say that with full love and zero judgment because I have absolutely been there!  Today I'm sitting down with Liz Clarke, strategic HR leader and founder of Liz Clarke Coaching and Consulting, who learned the hard way early in her career that working harder is not the answer when the system itself doesn't make sense.  This one is for every HR person who has been busy every single minute of the day and still somehow felt like they got nothing done. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:18 - Something Liz Had to Unlearn About Work 00:05:04 - The Moment Liz Realized She Needed a System to Get Work Done 00:09:44 - What Building a System Looks Like, in Practice 00:14:49 - How to Build a System That Accounts for Unpredictability 00:17:40 - What Does a Flow State Feel Like in HR? 00:21:07 - Is Burnout a Workload Problem, or is it More Than That? 00:27:50 - How Did We End up With Everything Being “Urgent?” 00:33:48 - What Building a System Helps You Understand About Leaders The Predictive Index behavioral assessment reveals how people work, think, and thrive—so teams can understand each other better and perform at their best. Because when you truly understand your people, work just works. Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠trypi.com/ihateithere⁠⁠⁠ --- If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! --- Follow Liz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-walker-msim/   Follow Hebba YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Fun fact: 56% of HR leaders expect AI to change how we develop and train employees. So most of us can see it coming which is cool, but the problem is that seeing the freight train and knowing how to get off the tracks are two very different things!  I sat down with Lauren Gregor, who has built and operated businesses across industries and learned most of what she knows the same way the rest of us did, which is by being the person in the room who had to figure it out.  We got into what a realistic AI development strategy actually looks like (hint: it's not a one-size-fits-all e-learning module and a prayer), how to stop making the same mistakes everyone's making when trying to build an AI learning culture, and what to do if you're feeling behind right now, which currently sounds like a lot of folks! 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:24 - The Shift in Mindset Towards AI 00:10:09 - Teaching Yourself in an Unstructured Learning Environment 00:19:58 - Common Mistakes Companies Make Trying to Build an AI Learning Culture 00:28:05 - Keeping the Human Part of L&D Front and Center 00:32:36 - What Does a Realistic, Well-executed Employee Development Strategy for AI Look Like? 00:38:22 - Lauren's Advice if You're Feeling Behind on AI Right Now --- Running a small business is hard, and HR should not get in the way. TriNet helps small businesses by outsourcing HR to professionals. This lets business owners get back to the real work: building a company, and leaving a legacy. ⁠Learn more about TriNet⁠. --- If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠ for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Lauren LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurengregor/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠ LinkedIn:⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠ Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠

HR has this fun little quirk where almost nothing is black and white, and the concept of "right" and "wrong" is rarely as simple as it sounds in a policy doc!  This season, we've talking about firsts, and the moments that fundamentally change how you see this work.  Today, I sat down with Stacey Norville, VP of People Strategy at Pyn and host of one of my favorite podcasts, Toot or Boot, to talk about the first time she had to step into an HRBP role before that role even existed at her company, then navigate a serious performance situation where doing everything right still didn't guarantee a good outcome.  We get into the emotional toll and gray areas you have to deal with to survive this job, and the part no one puts in the job description, which is that sometimes you carry the weight of your decisions home with you!  00:03:29 - Something Stacey Had to Unlearn About Work 00:05:23 - When Stacey Had to Step into an HRBP Role Before it Even Existed 00:11:21 - Expecting the Unexpected in HR 00:19:09 - The Difficult Nature of Feedback Convos 00:25:39 - The Duality of Regulating Your Emotional Reactions During Procedural Moments 00:34:59 - The Complexity of What's Right and What's Wrong in HR 00:38:36 - How Past Experiences Have Shaped Stacey's Approach to Performance Management 00:49:47 - Getting in Touch With Stacey --- The Predictive Index behavioral assessment reveals how people work, think, and thrive—so teams can understand each other better and perform at their best. Because when you truly understand your people, work just works. Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠trypi.com/ihateithere⁠⁠⁠ --- And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to ⁠⁠Hebba's newsletter⁠⁠! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out ⁠⁠I Hate It Here on YouTube⁠⁠ for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Stacey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceynordwall/ Toot or Boot Podcast: https://www.tootorboot.com/ Follow Hebba YouTube:⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠⁠ Twitter:⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠⁠

This episode kicks off a four-part mini-series called the AI Readiness Gap, produced in partnership with TriNet, where we're cutting through the noise and getting into the actual numbers behind AI readiness in the workplace.  --- 81% of orgs are out here figuring out AI in real time.  Not planning or preparing for it. Figuring. It. Out. In. Real. Time.  Which…same, honestly. But that stat hit me because it confirms what so many of us have been feeling, which is that we're all behind, and no one really wants to say it out loud. No "AI is the future!" hot air without anything tactical to back it up, I promise! HR leaders deserve more than vibes and vague LinkedIn posts to navigate this shift.  My guest is Parijat Sarkar, who has seen the HR tech world from the inside, from scaling people systems at Zenefits to building AI-powered tools for finance teams at Numos, and he has thoughts. Good ones. The kind that will make you feel less like you're screaming into the void and more like you might actually know where to start. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:45 - How Parijat is Experiencing AI at WorkRight Now 00:02:59 - Parijat's Reaction to Orgs Being Unprepared for AI Talent Acquisition 00:05:05 - Why So Many Orgs Are Stuck at the Starting Line For AI Readiness 00:08:01 - What IS it That Makes AI Feel so Overwhelming? 00:13:19 - Actively Sabotaging AI to Avoid Being Replaced 00:19:19 - What Being Prepared to Implement AI Actually Looks Like 00:24:34 - Parijat's Advice For People Feeling Behind on AI Running a small business is hard, and HR should not get in the way. TriNet helps small businesses by outsourcing HR to professionals. This lets business owners get back to the real work: building a company, and leaving a legacy. Learn more about TriNet. If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Parijat: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parijatsarkar/   Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

We talk a lot about career pivots like they're these well-planned, LinkedIn-announcement-ready moments. In reality, they are almost NEVER that! Today I'm chatting with Lauren Schneider, Head of Brand and Communications at Compt. Lauren is a recovering TV reporter, millennial mom, improv performer, and someone who has quit jobs in the messiest, most human ways possible and lived to tell about it.  We're getting into what happens when your whole identity gets wrapped up in a job that isn't working, what it feels like to walk away without a safety net, and how you start to reclaim the parts of yourself that work slowly convince you don't matter.  This one felt like therapy, so it's time! 00:02:04 - How Lauren Got Into Improv 00:05:49 - Something Lauren Believed About Work Early on That She Had to Unlearn 00:13:16 - The Culture Shock of Moving to Salt Lake City 00:26:06 - Lauren's Advice From Mentors About Quitting a Bad Job 00:30:40 - Was Lauren Financially Prepared to Quit Her Job? 00:38:38 - Quitting Jobs Without a Safety Net 00:47:04 - How Lauren's Experiences Changed Her Relationship With Work 00:57:27 - What Lauren Wants Listeners to Take Away From Her Story The Predictive Index behavioral assessment reveals how people work, think, and thrive—so teams can understand each other better and perform at their best. Because when you truly understand your people, work just works. Learn more: ⁠⁠trypi.com/ihateithere⁠⁠ --- And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to ⁠Hebba's newsletter⁠! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out ⁠I Hate It Here on YouTube⁠ for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Lauren LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenthandley/ Follow Hebba YouTube:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠ LinkedIn:⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠ Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠

We have more data than ever, and somehow we're still making people decisions that feel like they were made with a Magic 8-Ball and a prayer.  Make it make sense! Dashboards, engagement scores, predictive analytics…it's all there, and yet the decisions still feel completely disconnected from what the numbers are saying.  In this episode of Better Decisions, I sat down with Doug Melton, Global Chief Commercial Officer for Human Capital at Aon and a human capital analytics expert, to get into why orgs are so insight-rich but decision-poor, and what it looks like to close that gap. --- Aon's Human Capital capabilities help organizations make confident workforce decisions by connecting advisory, insights and data across health benefits, talent and retirement. By aligning people strategies to business outcomes, we enable leaders to drive engagement, manage program sustainability, and build a resilient workforce ready for what's next. Learn more at ⁠Aon.com⁠ --- 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:57 - Why Orgs Struggle to Turn People into Data Decisions 00:06:20 - Why Some People Struggle to Even Understand the Data in Front of Them 00:08:32 - Ways Leaders Can Come to Agreements on Outcomes and How They're Being Measured 00:12:27 - The Difference Between Collecting Data and Making Better Decisions With the Data you Already Have 00:16:19 - What Does Good Judgment Look Like When Analytics Conflict With Intuition? 00:23:05 - One Analytics Decision Companies Keep Getting Wrong--- If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out I Hate It Here on YouTube for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Doug: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-melton-a955a12/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠ LinkedIn:⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠ Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef⁠

If you've been in HR long enough, you know this feeling. You see something wrong, you know it's wrong, and then you look around and realize the system you work inside of wasn't actually built to let you fix it. Today I'm talking to Keisha Toussaint, founder of BCC'd HR and someone who did what most of us only think about doing: she removed the corporate muzzle entirely. We're getting into the moment that changed how she saw this job forever, what happens when you advocate for the right thing and leadership responds with escalation instead of accountability, and why courage isn't optional in HR, even when the org makes it feel that way.  Another day of tough convos, but important convos nonetheless! 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:20 - Something Keisha Believed About Work Early On and Had to Unlearn 00:06:10 - A Difficult Conversation Keisha Had at Work 00:11:17 - How Keisha Thought HR Operated Vs How it Actually Does 00:18:43 - When the Energy in the Room Shifts 00:22:19 - Understanding What HR Roles Actually Require From You 00:28:29 - Moments That Require Courage 00:37:44 - How Orgs Respond to Outspoken Employees, Especially Employees of Color 00:44:57 - Advice For Folks Dealing with Difficult Convos at Work --- The Predictive Index behavioral assessment reveals how people work, think, and thrive—so teams can understand each other better and perform at their best. Because when you truly understand your people, work just works. Learn more: ⁠trypi.com/ihateithere⁠ --- And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration.   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out I Hate It Here on YouTube for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Keisha LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keishatoussaint/ Follow Hebba YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

It's kinda wild how many people of are still dealing with compensation issues today! Most companies have a comp strategy the same way most people have a fitness plan...technically it exists, but nobody is really following it. Haris Ikram, co-founder and CEO of Candor IQ, joins me this week to talk about his founder journey and why compensation is the most misunderstood, most mishandled, and most consequential thing happening inside your org right now. This one's going to sting a little, but it'll bring plenty of clarity too, so it's still worth it! --- 0:00:00 - Intro 0:01:54 - Something Haris Believed About Work Early in His Career That he Unlearned 0:03:18 - The Moment Haris Decided to Start a Company 0:06:39 - What Starting a Company Seemed Like vs What it was Actually Like 0:09:49 - Being a Founder vs Being an Executive 0:13:24 - The Hardest Part of Being a First-time Founder That Nobody Tells You About 0:15:45 - The First Mistake Founders Make With Comp That Cost Them Later On 0:19:32 - What Made Haris Want to Solve the Comp Problem 0:30:24 - Why HR and Finance Can't Seem to Get Along 0:41:37 - How Data Alignment Transparency Benefits Employees 0:45:50 - Haris's Advice for Somebody Who Wants to Start a Company --- The Predictive Index behavioral assessment reveals how people work, think, and thrive—so teams can understand each other better and perform at their best. Because when you truly understand your people, work just works. Learn more: ⁠⁠trypi.com/ihateithere⁠⁠ --- If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love this podcast, be sure to check out more episodesfor even more exclusive insider content!  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠ Follow Haris LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harisikram/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Most AI conversations I sit through are either full of hype that doesn't hold up or sooo doom-and-gloom that I leave feeling like I should update my resume and move to a cabin.  This episode is neither of those things, and that's exactly why I loved it!  I sat down with Marinus van Driel, a partner at Aon who leads their workforce transformation team, to talk about what's actually happening with AI and workforce strategy in 2026, and more importantly, what leaders are getting catastrophically wrong about it.  The short version: most organizations are treating AI like a cost-cutting lever when they should be using it to redesign how work gets done entirely.  The longer version is in this episode, and it's worth every minute! Aon's Human Capital capabilities help organizations make confident workforce decisions by connecting advisory, insights and data across health benefits, talent and retirement. By aligning people strategies to business outcomes, we enable leaders to drive engagement, manage program sustainability, and build a resilient workforce ready for what's next. Learn more at ⁠Aon.com 00:01:45 - Marinus's Background 00:03:12 - The Biggest AI/Trends in 2026 (So Far) 00:08:09 - How We Can Prepare for Major Changes in the Workplace 00:14:12 - What Leaders Need to Know so They Can Understand AI More Effectively 00:19:15 - How HR Can Separate Fear-based Decisions into Strategy 00:25:30 - What Leaders Are Doing Differently to Become Forward-thinking Orgs 00:30:53 - What Companies Keep Getting Wrong About AI, and What a Better Decision Looks Like And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Marinus: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marinus/   Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

If parts of a role can be automated or augmented overnight, what does that mean for job design, career development, and the way organisations build the next generation of talent? In this episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, host David Green is joined by Hebba Youssef, Chief People Officer at Workweek and the Founder and creator of the widely followed newsletter I Hate It Here. Drawing on her experience building and leading HR teams, Hebba shares how she is approaching AI adoption inside her own organisation and what the rise of AI-powered teams means for the future of work. So, tune in to learn: Why the traditional job description model may no longer reflect how work actually gets done How AI-powered teams are beginning to reshape HR operating models What the rise of AI means for managers, entry-level talent and early career development How HR leaders can evaluate and prioritise AI investments Where HR teams can begin automating parts of their function Why governance and organisational design must evolve alongside AI adoption This episode is sponsored by Hibob. HiBob brings HR, Payroll, and Finance together into a single platform that employees actually use. With AI throughout, you move faster, work smarter, and empower your people to power your business. Sapient Insights recognizes HiBob's AI vision, citing the Bob AI Companion for making everyday work faster and easier. Fosway Group also names HiBob a 2025 9-Grid™ Core Leader, recognizing the strongest AI vision among Core Leaders. HiBob. All-in-one HCM for HR, Payroll, and Finance.Learn all about HiBob's modern HR platform here Resources: I Hate it Here Newsletter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have all handed an engagement score to a CEO, watched them nod confidently, say something completely incorrect about what it means, and had to just sit there smiling while dying a little inside.  Just me?  …Definitely not just me.  The number isn't always lying, but the questions we've been asking for the last decade might be! My guest today is Anne Maltese from Quantum Workplace, and she has spent nearly 20 years watching what happens when people data lands in executive rooms, between the good, the bad, and the deeply cringe-worthy.  We're getting into new ways to think about engagement, smarter questions to bring your leadership team, and why the disengaged people on your team might not be who you think they are. Buckle up! --- Quantum Workplace helps leaders build thriving teams that fuel business success. We give leaders at every level a clear path forward—by unlocking critical talent insights across engagement, performance, and development. With clarity and confidence, people leaders can act decisively, scale leadership quality, and strengthen connection and performance.  Trusted by thousands of people-focused companies, Quantum Workplace makes it easier to keep teams aligned, empowered, growing, and valued on the path to business success. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more. --- 00:02:13 - Something New Anne Wants to Learn This Year 00:05:11 - The Biggest Shift Anne Has Seen Around How Orgs Talk About Engagement 00:11:20 - Is Your Engagement Healthy? 00:16:39 - Smarter Questions to Walk Into an Exec Room With Instead of Just Standard Engagement Scores 00:27:01 - What Does it Mean if Someone is a Top Performer, But Disengaged? 00:34:24 - What Good Data Storytelling Looks Like in Practice 00:38:35 - Does Data Show That HR Leaders are Thriving? 00:42:23 - How HR Should Start Rethinking Measuring and Reporting Engagement 00:48:03 - What Gives Anne Hope For the Future --- And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Anne: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-maltese-0b9a876/   Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

L&D gets done dirty constantly and I have been saying this for years!!!  It's the function that gets underfunded, overcomplicated, blamed for culture problems it didn't create, and somehow still expected to fix everything with a workshop and a Kirkpatrick model. Hanan Sahourieh got into all of it: why L&D functions fail before they even get started, how ego and power dynamics quietly destroy learning cultures, what trust actually looks like when you have to rebuild it from scratch, and the mistakes learning professionals make without even realizing it.  Oh, and she wrote a book called Everybody Be Cool which is the most accurate title for an L&D book I have ever heard in my life. --- Quantum Workplace helps leaders build thriving teams that fuel business success. We give leaders at every level a clear path forward—by unlocking critical talent insights across engagement, performance, and development. With clarity and confidence, people leaders can act decisively, scale leadership quality, and strengthen connection and performance.  Trusted by thousands of people-focused companies, Quantum Workplace makes it easier to keep teams aligned, empowered, growing, and valued on the path to business success. Visit ⁠⁠⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠⁠⁠ to learn more. --- 00:01:42 - Something New Hanan Wants to Learn This Year 00:04:30 - The First Thing Hanan Notices When L&D is a Mess at an Org 00:07:35 - The Story Behind Hanan's Book Title, Everybody Be Cool 00:13:12 - Why Cross-functional Leaders Keep Over-engineering Stuff That Isn't Theirs to Run 00:19:44 - Pushing Back on a Senior Leader When They Think They Know Better Than the Learning Team 00:25:52 - A New Idea in L&D Right Now 00:30:29 - How to Build Trust That's Brand New or Even Lost 00:38:16 - Some of the Most Common Mistakes Learnig Professionals Make Without Realizing 00:42:13 - The Single Most Important Thing HR Should Get Right About Learning in Year One And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Hanan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hananharb/   Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Okay so this episode is a little different, because the layers here are a lot.  Morgan T. Stanley is my guest today, and yes, that is her real name, and yes, we have laughed about it many times.  We started as peers, then somehow ended up in a manager-direct report situation, then became peers again, and NOW she has my old job! We discuss everything — how we met, what it was like when the dynamic shifted, what she changed after stepping into the role, and how leadership has genuinely changed her as a person.  This one felt less like an interview and more like two people who've seen each other grow up in this industry, finally putting it all on the table. --- Quantum Workplace helps leaders build thriving teams that fuel business success. We give leaders at every level a clear path forward—by unlocking critical talent insights across engagement, performance, and development. With clarity and confidence, people leaders can act decisively, scale leadership quality, and strengthen connection and performance.  Trusted by thousands of people-focused companies, Quantum Workplace makes it easier to keep teams aligned, empowered, growing, and valued on the path to business success. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more. --- 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:39 - One New Thing Morgan is Learning This Year 00:04:30 - How Hebba and Morgan Met 00:15:59 - How Hebba and Morgan Have Learned From Each Other Over the Years 00:21:44 - When Morgan Stepped Into Hebba's Old Role 00:36:24 - What Changes Did Morgan Make After Stepping Into Hebba's Old Role? 00:41:51 - How Morgan's Relationship With Power and Responsibility Have Evolved 00:48:45 - How Morgan's Role Has Changed Her --- And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out ⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠ for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Morgan: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgantstanley/⁠   Follow Hebba:  YouTube:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠ LinkedIn:⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠ Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Retirement planning is one of those topics that always feels confusing and overwhelming…until someone finally comes along and breaks it down in a way that makes sense.  In this episode, I'm joined by Melissa Elbert from Aon to talk about why so many retirement strategies are lowkey failing employees, the outdated assumptions driving bad benefit decisions, and what HR and finance leaders should be paying attention to right now, before it becomes a bigger problem later. If you've ever felt like retirement was a gray area nobody fully explained to you, this might give you a better understanding! Aon's Human Capital capabilities help organizations make confident workforce decisions by connecting advisory, insights and data across health benefits, talent and retirement. By aligning people strategies to business outcomes, we enable leaders to drive engagement, manage program sustainability, and build a resilient workforce ready for what's next. Learn more at Aon.com 00:01:40 - How Leaders Should Rethink Retirement Decisions 00:03:10 - Outdated Assumptions About Retirement 00:09:16 - How Orgs Can Balance Flexibility and Sustainability 00:13:40 - What Signals Should HR Leaders be Looking to Now to Make Smarter, Long-term Retirement Decisions? 00:20:25 - What Role Should HR be Playing With Finance When Accessing Benefits? 00:24:26 - One Retirement-related Decision Companies Keep Getting Wrong And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Melissa: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-elbert-b709b65/   Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Today, we're talking about a topic that shouldn't be controversial but somehow still is, which is being authentic at work!  As most of you already know, most workplaces either treat authenticity like a performance or punish you the second you actually show up as yourself.  I'm joined by Madison Butler, who literally wrote a book about this, and we're getting into why authenticity feels so dangerous, why corporate America says they want it but freaks out when you deliver, and how to practice authenticity without tanking your career.  If you've ever felt like you're performing a version of yourself at work instead of just existing, you'll probably relate to this discussion! Quantum Workplace helps leaders build thriving teams that fuel business success. We give leaders at every level a clear path forward—by unlocking critical talent insights across engagement, performance, and development. With clarity and confidence, people leaders can act decisively, scale leadership quality, and strengthen connection and performance.  Trusted by thousands of people-focused companies, Quantum Workplace makes it easier to keep teams aligned, empowered, growing, and valued on the path to business success. Visit ⁠⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠⁠ to learn more. (00:00:00) Intro (00:04:53) Something New Madison Wants to Learn This Year (00:09:12) What Prompted Madison to Publish a Book? (00:14:45) What Authenticity at Work Means in 2026 (00:25:00) Why Does Being Authentic at Work Still Feel Dangerous for So Many People? (00:30:25) Madison's Personal “Toolkit” (00:36:55) Is the Average Exec Constantly Trying to Grow, or Complacent in Their Power? (00:45:37) Building Authenticity at Work Without Turning it Into Weird Cultural Theater (00:48:36) How to Practice Authenticity in a Way That is Safe and Strategic If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Madison: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bluehairedunicorn/   Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

I'm doing something a little different today and revisiting Season 6 where I asked every single guest the same question:  “What's one thing HR folks should rethink?”  And honestly, I've been in this whole new and rethinking era lately, writing about it in the newsletter, talking about it nonstop on the pod, and it just felt like the right time to bring these answers back because, let's be real, we all need the reminder!  Work is changing faster than it's ever changed before, which means the cadence of how we think about things has to change too.  Sometimes I genuinely worry that the solutions I built six weeks ago don't even work for today, let alone six months ago!  So consider this your dose of inspiration, hearing from some of my favorite guests on all the things we should be rethinking.  Hopefully it sparks something in you, or at the very least, makes you feel less alone in the chaos.  00:01:28 - Improving Equitable Operations in Your Org 00:04:01 - Just Be Honest About Your Culture to Candidates 00:13:35 - Embracing People's Passions Outside of Work 00:16:42 - When Leaders Are a Common Blocker to HR 00:18:52 - Finally Holding Leaders Accountable 00:21:55 - Why HR Should be Thought of as a Creative Department 00:23:27 - Addressing Employee Turnover and Going Back to the Basics And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow DeMario: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/demario-bell-7a510994/ Follow Joel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joellalgee/ Follow Justin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justingignac/ Follow Morgan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morganbwilliams/ Follow Jessica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicadwinder/ Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkirap/ Follow Halai: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/halai-shukran/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

We're out here constantly hearing that Gen Z is "so different" and Millennials "just don't get it," but nobody ever stops to ask how or why they're different.  It's not because we're lazy or entitled (though I know that's everyone's favorite narrative).  It's because we looked at the leadership systems y'all built, said absolutely not, and decided to burn it all down and start over! Amanda Litman and I got into the leadership myths that are finally dying, why vulnerability isn't a weakness, how social media completely changed what leadership looks like, and why so many of us refuse to let our jobs become our entire personality.  This episode is for anyone who's ever felt gaslit for having boundaries, anyone who's been told they're "too much" for expecting basic humanity in the workplace, and anyone who knows the way things have always been done is not the way things should keep being done. 00:05:41 - One New Thing Amanda Wants to Learn This Year 00:15:07 - Why Are Leadership Myths Continue to Persist? 00:20:51 - Seeing More Representation in Entertainment Media and Exec Boards 00:26:41 - What Earned Authority Looks Like Now vs a Decade Ago 00:29:36 - Where Orgs Consistently Misread Next Gen Employees 00:36:41 - How Younger Generations Manage Power Struggles 00:42:46 - How Loyalty is Perceived Among Different Generations And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Amanda: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandalitman/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Why does work feel so empty right now?  Like…we followed the rules and did the hustle.  We even swallowed parts of ourselves to survive professionally, and yet, here we are grieving something we can't quite name. I often say that the most interesting things about me have nothing to do with my career, and it's nice when those things have time to shine, y'know? I sat down with Ayanna Kelly to dig into the hard stuff: why we're all grieving the workplace we thought we'd have, why monetizing our passions sometimes kills the joy, and what it actually means to decenter work from our identity when we've spent our whole lives tying our worth to our job titles. If you're looking for new definitions of success that don't require you to sacrifice your entire nervous system, this is for you! Quantum Workplace helps leaders build thriving teams that fuel business success. We give leaders at every level a clear path forward—by unlocking critical talent insights across engagement, performance, and development. With clarity and confidence, people leaders can act decisively, scale leadership quality, and strengthen connection and performance.  Trusted by thousands of people-focused companies, Quantum Workplace makes it easier to keep teams aligned, empowered, growing, and valued on the path to business success. Visit ⁠⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠⁠ to learn more. It's vulnerable, but somehow still hopeful 00:01:55 - The First Time Hebba Met Ayanna 00:08:40 - Something New Ayanna Wants to Learn This Year 00:11:15 - Why Does Fulfillment at Work Feel so Hard Right Now? 00:17:06 - What We're Grieving About Work That We Haven't Talked About Out Loud 00:24:51 - Why Are We Expected to Monetize Our Passions? 00:38:40 - Being Your True Self at Work After Years of Emotional Suppression 00:46:55 - Why Meaningful Work Doesn't Have to Be Central to Your Identity 00:52:49 - Ayanna's Advice for Rethinking About Fulfillment And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Ayanna: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayannaskelly/   Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

I've been thinking a lot about how aggressively we were sold the idea of career growth, and how nobody ever explained what happens when you get there and it still doesn't feel good! This episode is a big, honest reset on what careers even mean these days, because the whole traditional career ladder thing hasn't been the same since the early 2020's. Cassandra Babilya and I talk about why stability is basically a myth now, why doing everything “right” doesn't guarantee fulfillment, and why portfolio careers, flexibility, and values are replacing titles and ladders.  If your definition of success is quietly changing and you're wondering how you can define it in a way that fits the times, come listen to our chat! 00:01:53 - Something New Cassandra Wants to Learn This Year 00:04:06 - Why Traditional Career Ladders are Kinda Broken These Days 00:09:42 - What Does a Modern Career Actually Look Like Today? 00:17:22 - What Skills Matter More Than Job Titles? 00:27:52 - Should HR be Giving Different Career Advice to Early Career People Now? 00:35:18 - Redefining Professional Success in the Modern Era 00:38:56 - Why Are We Still Pretending Career Progression is the Same? 00:42:35 - How to Approach the Idea of Reshaping Career Paths And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Cassandra: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandra-babilya/   Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

This week I'm feeling extremely pop-culture-brained because my fav show Industry is back, and if you think it's just a show about finance…I'm here to inform you it's actually a horror story about work.  We're talking: ambition with zero guardrails, power with zero accountability, jobs becoming entire identities way too early, and the whole nine yards. From an HR lens, it's equal parts fascinating and deeply unsettling, but there are plenty of valuable takeaways nonetheless! I brought back my fellow Industry lover and friend, Dave Garcia, to unpack what the show gets right, what it exaggerates, and why it feels uncomfortably familiar.  Quantum Workplace helps leaders build thriving teams that fuel business success. We give leaders at every level a clear path forward—by unlocking critical talent insights across engagement, performance, and development. With clarity and confidence, people leaders can act decisively, scale leadership quality, and strengthen connection and performance.  Trusted by thousands of people-focused companies, Quantum Workplace makes it easier to keep teams aligned, empowered, growing, and valued on the path to business success. Visit ⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠ to learn more. 00:04:17 - How Hebba and Dave Started Watching Industry 00:05:37 - One New Thing Dave Wants to Learn This Year 00:08:17 - What Industry Says About Work, and Why We're Talking About It 00:20:38 - How Grind Culture Reveals Socialized Dysfunction 00:31:06 - Accepting Status in Exchange for Safety 00:38:53 - How Power Affects Corporate Dynamics 00:49:32 - What Industry Gets Right About How Meritocracy Actually Works 00:59:57 - The Critiques of Hustle Culture 01:08:20 - What Industry Reveals About What Most Workplace Conversations Avoid 01:13:01 - Uncomfortable Conversations Industry Might Force You to Have And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Dave: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nycddg/   Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Welcome to a new season of your favorite podcast!!! It's the new year, which means the internet is yelling about new goals, new strategies, and new tools, while HR is still over here duct-taping broken systems and being told (once again) to do more with less.  So this season, I picked a very simple theme: NEW.  New ideas. New rules. New levels of honesty about what's actually working and what needs to be dragged out back and retired.  We're kicking things off with an Ins and Outs episode, which is basically the stuff HR has been whispering about in group chats.  And because this topic deserved real honesty, I brought back my favorite fellow shit-talker, Jessica Winder! Quantum Workplace helps leaders build thriving teams that fuel business success. We give leaders at every level a clear path forward—by unlocking critical talent insights across engagement, performance, and development. With clarity and confidence, people leaders can act decisively, scale leadership quality, and strengthen connection and performance.  Trusted by thousands of people-focused companies, Quantum Workplace makes it easier to keep teams aligned, empowered, growing, and valued on the path to business success. Visit quantumworkplace.com to learn more. 0:05:44 - Something New Jessica Wants to Learn This Year 0:12:23 - Ins and Outs, Inspired by TikTok 0:21:23 - Clarity Around Learning Skills vs Vibes-based Expectations 0:28:48 - Stop Assuming Everybody Wants to be Managers 0:35:27 - AI as a Co-pilot vs a Human Replacement 0:40:25 - Hiring Fewer, Better Defined Roles vs Overhiring  0:40:25 - Stop Pretending Pay is Not a Cultural Issue 0:56:45 - Why HR Needs a POV, Not Neutrality And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Jessica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicadwinder/   Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Okay, we made it! WHEW. Welcome to the final episode of I Hate It Here for 2025, which feels both celebratory and mildly unhinged.  This episode is me doing what I do best: yappin with people I deeply admire and respect, asking them about their wishes for HR in 2026…while also openly admitting that I'm lowkey a little scared of what's coming next.  The market is weird AF, recruiters are exhausted, candidates are frustrated, and the tools are absolutely not keeping up!  But instead of spiraling alone (okay, spiraling less), I wanted to end the year by bringing some of my fav people together, because the only reason I'm still standing in this job is community, collective honesty, and the belief that if we keep talking about what's actually happening, HR might just survive, and maybe even win. Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don't dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of  — without burning out your team. Check them out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here. 0:00:36 - Cassandra Babilya's Wish for 2026 0:13:05 - Stacey Nordwall's Wish for 2026 0:20:26 - Morgan Williams's Wish for 2026 0:25:38 - Cassidy Edward's Wish for 2026 0:32:36 - Tara Turk-Haynes's Wish for 2026 And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Cassandra: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandra-babilya/ Follow Stacey: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceynordwall/ Follow Morgan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morganbwilliams/ Follow Cassidy: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassidy-edwards-yyom/ Follow Tara: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ttaraturkhaynes/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Raise your hand if you've worked in a toxic environment before! That's probably 99.9% of you, so today we're talking about those negative environments that get inside your nervous system and refuse to leave quietly.  The kind that turn you into a hyper-vigilant, over-prepared shell of yourself who flinches at a sporadic calendar invite titled “Quick Sync.” I brought back one of my favorite humans, close friend, returning guest, and resident shit talker Chris Hagood, because he actually understands the emotional underlayer of work, and I don't mean just the LinkedIn version.  We get into how toxic cultures shape your identity, follow you long after you leave, and what it takes to unlearn survival mode when chaos becomes your baseline. Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don't dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of  — without burning out your team. Check them out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here. 0:02:43 -  How Lived Experiences Shape Your Reaction to Toxicity at Work 0:08:30 -  Minimizing Toxicity Because You're Conditioned to “Just Deal With It” 0:14:44 - Why Old Patterns Get Reactivated in Toxic Workplaces 0:17:20 - Why People Doubt Themselves More After a Toxic Job and Not During 0:20:27 - The First Step to Undoing a Toxic Environment 0:40:37 - How Toxicity Distorts Your Sense of Value, Competence, or Belonging 0:45:24 - How Tolerating Toxic Behavior Creates Long-term Damage 0:48:07 - What Habits Stick With You After Surviving a Toxic Workplace? 0:51:58 - Advice to People Currently Working in a Toxic Environment And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Chris: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisrhagood/   Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Listen, I tried so hard not to cry recording this episode. Today George Boone and I are talking about grief, the thing that HR loves to pretend can be solved with a three-day bereavement policy and a sad little “OOO.”  But grief is messy and human and shows up everywhere: in how you work, lead, love, set boundaries, and literally get out of bed.  George and I both carry losses that changed us forever, and instead of shoving that into the corporate void, we're unpacking what it actually means to keep showing up while your heart is busy learning a whole new shape.  It's honest. It's tender. And somehow…it's also hopeful. Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don't dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of  — without burning out your team. Check them out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here. 00:04:27 - Yes, George Boone IS Related to Daniel Boone and Benson Boone 00:08:43 - The Grief That Shaped George the Most as a Person 00:16:45 - How Grief Shows up at Work  00:27:38 - How Grief Shows up in Your Style of Leadership 00:34:03 - The Loneliness That Comes With Grief 00:39:32 - Functioning at Work While You're Experiencing Grief 00:58:02 - How Grief Makes You Softer/Sharper And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow George: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgelboone/   Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Workplace culture rewires us in ways that could take a whole lifetime to understand. It shapes our identity, confidence, authority issues, communication style, and even how we show up outside of work without realizing it!  And Jessie Stettin and I go there: your real life shows up at work too, influencing how you lead, handle conflict, and how you interpret every “quick chat” from your boss.  Who would have thought that things you did as a child still influence your work identity in such sneaky ways??? Culture is this invisible exchange constantly happening in both directions, shaping you while you're shaping it…whether you signed up for it or not. Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don't dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of  — without burning out your team. Check them out ⁠⁠⁠⁠here. 0:05:00 - How Jessie Became an End-of-Life Doula 0:10:09 - Childhood Rules We Assumed Still Applied at Work, But Don't 0:18:50 - Lessons About Authority and Belonging at Work 0:26:41 - Cultures That Have Shaped How Jessie Thinks About Success 0:36:47 - Being Stuck in an Environment Where You Feel Like You Don't Belong 0:42:43 - A Point in Your Career When You Can Influence Your Culture 0:56:02 - How Jessie Would Redesign How People Socialize at Work And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Jessie: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessiestettin/   Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Belonging at work is one of those things everyone claims to care about… right up until someone shows up as their full self and suddenly it's “not professional!”  I hate the idea that someone has to assimilate to belong, so Erica Lydell and I pull the curtain all the way back on masking, identity, neurodiversity, and why belonging is less warm fuzzy feeling and more daily emotional CrossFit.  If you've ever been the only one in the room (or felt like you had to earn your seat) this episode will hit you square in the gut…in a good way! Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don't dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of  — without burning out your team. Check them out ⁠⁠⁠here. 0:02:23 - Erica's Experience Riding a Camel 0:07:02 - Learning That Belonging at Work Isn't Automatic 0:10:02 - Having to Mute Yourself in Professional Settings 0:18:13 - The Concept of Professionalism 0:26:59 - What Does Belonging at Work Feel Like? 0:42:01 - What Leaders Need to Understand About How Identities Impact How People Show up at Work 0:49:29 - Where to Find Erica And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Erica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-lydell-b0933840/  Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Okay, friends…this episode is pure fun (okay, a little usual chaos too) in the best way, because I sat down with my actual direct report, Madison Montgomery, who confessed ON AIR that she has never listened to my podcast.  And honestly? Fair.  We talk generational gaps (including the infamous “generational shits” typo I will never emotionally recover from) and the magical Venn diagram that forms when an HR Millennial and a Gen Z truther try to get work done together.  It's lowkey unhinged, but I hope some of you have this much fun with your own direct reports! Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don't dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of  — without burning out your team. Check them out ⁠⁠here. 0:01:34 -  Hebba Prepares to be Questioned 0:10:09 - Things People Ops Leaders Get Wrong Early in Their Career 0:19:13 - Inheriting Madision as a Direct Report 0:25:39 - How Hebba's Management Style Evolved Over the Years 0:37:07 - Things Hebba Has Learned From Madison 0:47:10 - Rapid Fire Questions And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Madison: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madison-montgomery14/   Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

This episode might be my most unhinged and enlightening one yet.  The first half is a live coaching session where I fully spiral about my impatience and need for constant clarity (yes, I'm aware of the irony).  In the second half, we go deep on how your leadership style isn't just who you are, but it's who work and past experiences have trained you to be.  My guest, leadership coach Mary Pat Jacobs, helps me unpack the mess with empathy, humor, and more therapy-adjacent insights than I was emotionally prepared for.  Buckle up and get ready to take some notes, friends! Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don't dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of  — without burning out your team. Check them out ⁠here. 0:04:12 - The Coaching Agreement   0:07:42 - Determining Success During Coaching 0:18:41 - The Story Hebba Tells Herself About Disappointment 0:27:23 - How Feeling Disappointment Impacts Hebba 0:42:31 - Patterns that Most OFten Shape How Leaders Show up at Work 0:46:21 - How Early Career Experiences Subtly Shape Default Leadership Styles  0:51:22 - Helping Separate Who People Are From What Work Taught Them to Be 0:54:28 - A Belief Most Professionals Need to Unlearn to Grow And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Mary: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marypatjacobs/   Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Look, I know sometimes we like to pretend work exists in its own little bubble, but in reality, the world outside your office door affects…A LOT at work.  This week, I'm joined by my friend and returning guest Dave Garcia to talk about how immigration, inflation, and global chaos are all shaping company culture in real time. We're unpacking what it means to lead when people are scared, burned out, or just tired of pretending things are “fine.”  Because the truth is that employees crave predictability in unpredictable times, and it's on leaders to step up, define the mission, and actually mean what they say! So if your company culture feels a little shaky lately, this one's for you. Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don't dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of  — without burning out your team. Check them out here. 0:02:47 - The Ripple Effect Immigration Has Inside of Workplaces 0:10:08 - How the Displacement of People is Shaping How Employees Think About Belonging 0:22:21 - What Responsibilities do Employers Have to Create Safety for Immigrants? 0:30:58 - How Financial Pressures Like Inflation are Showing up at Work 0:47:47 - How World Events Like War, Protests, and Climate Disasters Show up at Work And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Dave: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nycddg/   Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

It's that time of year again: spooky season! Which means Jessica Winder is back, I've got my pumpkin cold brew, and we're diving headfirst into the terrifying (and somehow hilarious) world of HR horror stories.  From mysterious “sick leaves” to love spells gone wrong, these are the tales that make you question how any of us still have jobs.  Fair warning: if you thought your HR nightmares were bad…buckle up!

Motherhood at work.  Just saying that out loud makes my blood pressure spike a little, not gonna lie! Because being a mom already feels like the challenge of a lifetime, and then you add performance reviews, “flexibility” that's anything but, and coworkers who suddenly forget how calendars work when daycare pickup time hits? It's all mess!  But motherhood also changes how folks lead, empathize, and show up, in ways that deserve way more respect than they get.  This week, I sat down with Erin Grau, co-founder of Charter, to talk about the real cost (and quiet power) of being a mom at work, and what needs to change if we actually want to keep them there. 0:03:32 - One Part of Life Outside of Work That Shapes How You Show up at Work 0:06:16 - The Real Cost of Motherhood in the Workplace 0:09:06 - Has Erin Felt the Penalty of Being a Mom at Work Before? 0:13:51 - How Erin Changed When She Returned to Work After Becoming a Mother 0:21:50 - Why Does the Data Show that Moms Earn Less and Get Promoted Less Than Their Peers? 0:27:15 - How Performance Review and Manager Biases Play Into Motherhood 0:30:16 - One Company Policy That Can Change the Game for Mothers 0:38:28 - How Leaders Can Retain Working Mothers 0:45:17 - How Coworkers Can Foster Better Environments 0:53:27 - A Future of Work Designed With Moms at the Center Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don't dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of  — without burning out your team. Visit teamtailor.com And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Erin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eringrau/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Look, I love a good policy binder as much as the next HR nerd (okay, maybe sometimes even more).  But here's the thing no one wants to say out loud:  Sometimes the “right” answer on paper is actually the wrong move in real life.

Being the only at work isn't just lonely, it's heavy.  It's the unspoken pressure of carrying an entire group on your back while still trying to do your actual job, all while dodging microaggressions and pretending you don't notice the side-eyes in meetings. Been there too many times! In this episode, I sat down with Amina Gass to name the emotional labor that underrepresented folks shoulder every day, and we talk about how allyship, mentorship, and how genuine inclusion can make the difference between burnout and belonging. 0:02:05 - One Hard Truth About Work 0:05:02 - What Being the “Only” Feels Like in the Workplace 0:09:23 - How Emotional Labor Shows up for Women of Color vs Their Peers 0:15:18 - How Microaggressions Compound the Experience of Loneliness Over Time 0:29:30 - Myths About Representation That Should be Debunked 0:31:54 - What Does Support Look Like Beyond Token Gestures? 0:44:44 - If Orgs Were Serious About Change, What Would Look Different Tomorrow? Choosing the wrong HR platform is rife with regrets: losing a top performer, promoting the wrong person, or failing to engage your team when the business needs it most. Fortunately, you don't have to choose between investing in people programs and consolidating your tech stack. With Lattice, you can have both. Visit ⁠⁠⁠lattice.com⁠⁠⁠ to learn more. And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Amina: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aminagass/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

If you're still debating whether HR deserves a seat at the table, let me save you the suspense:  Your seat is already cemented there.  Hell, depending on the day, it might even be a throne! And today, I've got Ana King, CPO at SAPI, joining me to dig into this hard truth.  With experience at Twilio, Trainline, and Google, Ana knows firsthand that no leadership meeting should ever happen without the leaders in the room, and that includes People Leaders. We're not support, we're strategy. And if your exec team hasn't figured that out yet…buckle up. 0:01:25 - One Hard Truth About Work 0:04:56 - Why No Leadership Meeting Should Happen Without Leadership in the Room 0:07:35 - Why Does HR Even Need to Earn a Seat at the Table? 0:11:27 - The Consequences of the “Earn It” Narrative 0:16:03 - A Time When Excluding People Leaders Backfired 0:19:21 - The Direct Link Between a Strong People Leader in the C-Suite and Commercial Success 0:21:50 - Why HR is a Strategic Partner, Not Just a Support Function 0:25:40 - What Separates Modern Leaders Today from Traditional Head of HR Roles 0:30:27 - Balancing Being an Employee Advocate and Being Accountable to the Business 0:36:22 - Why HR Sees Things That Nobody Else Can See in an Org  0:40:51 - How AI Will Reshape Everything We Do 0:47:07 - Ana's Vision of the C-Suite of the Future Choosing the wrong HR platform is rife with regrets: losing a top performer, promoting the wrong person, or failing to engage your team when the business needs it most. Fortunately, you don't have to choose between investing in people programs and consolidating your tech stack. With Lattice, you can have both. Visit ⁠⁠lattice.com⁠⁠ to learn more. And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Ana: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastancu/  Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Hard truth: work wasn't built for all of us to thrive.  Neurodivergent folks seem to deal with a lot of norms when they aren't the problem—the systems are.  I'm joined by Tameka Allen, founder of ModCulture and all-around brilliance-unlocker, to talk about how workplace “norms” actually exclude, alienate, and erase so many people.  From the myth of “professionalism” to the way orgs treat neurodivergence as a personal issue instead of a design flaw, we're pulling no punches.  If you've ever side-eyed a workplace policy and thought, “who is this even for?” this one's for you! 0:01:55 - One Hard Truth About Work 0:02:57 - What Does Being Neurodivergent Mean? 0:05:43 - A Workplace Norm We've Accepted as Normal that Wasn't Built With Neurodivergent People in Mind 0:10:28 - Why Orgs Treat Neurodiversity Like a Personal Issue Instead of a Systems Issue 0:26:19 - How Does Professionalism Become a Code Word For Conformity and Masking? 0:35:02 - Workplace “Norms” to be Aware of That Alienate Employees 0:46:13 - Myths About Neurodivergence at Work That Need to End 0:50:23 - What Would an Ideal Workplace Look Like? Fortunately, you don't have to choose between investing in people programs and consolidating your tech stack. With Lattice, you can have both. Visit ⁠⁠lattice.com⁠⁠ to learn more. And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Tameka: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamekanallen/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef