It’s not just in your head—we’ve all felt underappreciated at work at one point or another. So how can managers and HR cultivate an environment where people, not just their accomplishments, are appreciated? Megan Paige, CMO of Snappy, stops by the pod to chat with Hebba about the art of appreciation and implementing employee appreciation strategies that go beyond simply recognizing workplace accomplishments. Hear why she believes there is no ROI for gratitude and why, sometimes, recognition camp...
Feb 26, 2024•50 min
Treat others the way you want to be treated. It’s a lesson as old as time—so why are we still fighting so hard to make it a priority in the workplace? Hebba and the CPO of Greenhouse, Donald Knight, discuss the importance of authenticity, transparency, and continual evolution in the workplace. How can HR practitioners prioritize employee well-being in a meaningful way that connects to crucial business outcomes? Discover the crucial role of HR in caring for employees, and why empathy, vulnerabili...
Feb 19, 2024•49 min
“The Proposal.” “Two Weeks Notice.” “The Office.” “500 Days of Summer.” What do these things have in common? They all taught us to believe in the power of the good old-fashioned office romance. So what happens when the workplace rom-com turns into an IRL horror movie? Just ask HR expert Kim Rohrer, as she and Hebba unleash some absolutely WILD horror stories submitted by viewers about the office love story gone horribly, horribly wrong. Because sometimes, Jim and Pam don’t get together and every...
Feb 14, 2024•39 min
Should DEI live within HR? And what’s the importance of prioritizing diversity in the workplace? Hebba chats with Tara Turk-Haynes, founder of Equity Activations, about transforming businesses through the power of diversity, equity, and inclusion. They chat about what can be performative during Black History Month, ruminating on why companies are so quick to utilize it for marketing purposes, but so slow to understand the true purpose behind the month itself. Are some companies simply better off...
Feb 12, 2024•53 min
Nearly 50% of employees say that their productivity is impacted by ineffective communication. So does that mean the average person is bad at communicating at work? Maybe… Dinah Alobeid, Senior Director of Content and Communications at Greenhouse, joins Hebba this week to discuss the importance of being direct, authentic, and straightforward in your communication with employees. Hebba and Dinah delve into the challenges of communicating during times of change, the role executives play in effectiv...
Feb 05, 2024•42 min
80% of workers report they’re disengaged when it comes to work. So what’s the driving force behind employees’ increasing discontentment, disengagement, and rejection of the status quo? Hebba chats with the Fractional Chief People Officer who’s led more than 100 worldwide companies to scale, Anessa Fike about the importance of transparency, feedback, and revolutionizing work to create a better experience for employees. Anessa shares her thoughts on the disengagement crisis in the workforce and ex...
Jan 29, 2024•43 min
98% of HR professionals are burnt out, stressed out, and just plain fed up with the functions of the job. If you’ve ever considered changing positions, just know you’re not in the minority. How can building a safe space help us to stay motivated and fulfilled in HR? How do we remind ourselves of the reasons we got into HR to begin with? And is Gen Z the key to vanquishing toxic hustle culture for good? Laura Garcia Courrau, the Global HR Director for Our World Energy, joins Hebba to discuss how ...
Jan 22, 2024•47 min
New year, new perspective? As we get ready to face the new year, we may need some inspiration to tackle the never ending dumpster-fire that can be HR and People Ops. In this special episode, we've gathered insights from some of the top HR experts around. Join Hebba in the all-star studded episode where she asks her guests one important question: “What’s your one wish for HR in 2024?” From prioritizing employee well-being to reevaluating the job candidate experience and reassessing the value of D...
Jan 03, 2024•27 min
Did you know that 63% of workers who receive low-quality feedback are likely to quit within the next year? Performance feedback isn’t just an HR problem, it’s a business problem. And in this week’s pod, Hebba’s sitting down with Kieran Snyder, CEO and Co-founder of Textio, to dive deep into the world of performance management and fairness in the workplace. Is being labeled an overachiever really just coded language for exceeding management’s low expectations? And what role can accountability and...
Nov 22, 2023•48 min
Spotted in the Podcast studio this week: Hebba Youssef and Rodney Evans chatting about the role of gossip in the workplace and how sometimes, it can actually be a good thing (IKR?). Brave New Work podcast host and Partner at The Ready, Rodney Evans was heard talking up a storm about the unseen emotional labor of HR professionals in the workplace and breaking free from the codependent caretaker role they often take on. I also heard a juicy rumor that HR might go the way of the dinosaurs. Out with...
Nov 15, 2023•49 min
It’s not that HR doesn’t want to pay you equitably… It’s that sometimes we just can’t. The odds are… rarely ever in our favor. So what can we do to eliminate the constant source friction that pay inequity causes? Hebba dives into the complex world of compensation management with guest Enrique Esclusa, co-founder and co-CEO of Assemble. They unravel the reasons why understanding equity as an employee is so important, the role of market data in decision-making, and the challenges HR departments fa...
Nov 08, 2023•58 min
Who needs Halloween night, when we barely survive our own horror story each and every day? Join Hebba as she shares hair-raising HR horror stories that will send shivers up your spine and make you double-check each and every email and document you send in this Halloween special. From ghostbusting in the workplace to employees submitting unusual receipts, she’s got audience stories that will leave you even more scarred for life than *that one* scene from “Signs.” …Yeah, you know the one we’re tal...
Nov 01, 2023•19 min
Burnout and failure are inevitable in HR. So how can we grow and learn from our own mistakes? Tracie Sponenberg, Chief People Officer of the Granite Group, joins Hebba to discuss her storied career in HR and to share her love/hate relationship with the industry as a whole. She reveals why open communication and having conversations with your employees, whether it’s good, bad, or anything in between is vital to anyone working in HR. Then, she and Hebba delve into various topics, including the cha...
Oct 25, 2023•49 min
Determining if employee-workplace fit should be a two-way street. So why does the recruitment process feel like a one-way street for so many job-seekers? Jessica Winder, Senior VP of People at Refine Labs, shares her insights on how workplaces should rethink compatibility, and the steps employees can take to ensure a potential workplace is right for them. From considering factors like transparency in the interview process to creating lists and asking the right questions, Jessica provides valuabl...
Oct 18, 2023•43 min
Startup founders aren’t always building their companies with equity in mind… On this week’s pod, Hebba sits down with Desiree Morton, a DEI practitioner and tech founder, to discuss the importance of building companies with equity in mind from the beginning. From managing expectations to prioritizing equity initiatives, Desiree shares valuable insights and advice for creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace. Bonus: Hebba and Desiree chat about why manipulation isn’t always a bad thing w...
Oct 11, 2023•56 min
Is it possible to eliminate bias in the workplace? Not really, no. However, we can, at the very least, strive to minimize our unconscious biases. In this episode, Hebba sits down with Dani Herrera, an expert in talent and recruiting with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, to discuss the various challenges recruiters face and how they often lack the necessary tools and resources to excel in their roles. Dani also shares her insights on mitigating the lesser-known biases in hiring while ...
Oct 04, 2023•50 min
What separates the good from the great HR leaders? Adam Weber, host of HR Superstars and Chief Evangelist at 15five, has talked to thousands of HR leaders and in this episode he shares his observations about what characteristics make an HR leader exceptional. From the importance of understanding the business to activating your managers, Adam shares what he’s learned and how you can deploy it tomorrow. 00:02:53 - What Separates Good HR Leaders from Great Ones? 00:04:45 - Improving Employee Depart...
Sep 27, 2023•44 min
People trust their next-door neighbor more than they trust their HR department—and that’s a massive problem. So how can HR work to create an environment built upon trust and transparency? Minda Harts, author of "The Memo," joins Hebba to discuss the importance of trust in the workplace and how HR professionals can rebuild it after layoffs. Minda and Hebba explore the challenges of transparency and confidentiality and the role of HR in shaping the future of work. How do you bridge the gap between...
Sep 20, 2023•46 min
In this week’s pod, Hebba sits down with Jessica Zwaan, COO of Whereby and the author of "Built for People,” to chat about AI’s potential impact on the structure of compensation and equity in the workspace and the evolving landscape of HR. Jessica unleashes a few of her hottest HR takes, predicting a shift towards employees demanding more equity stakes in something she affectionately calls "tech space communism." Then, she and Hebba speculate on the future of compensation structures before bondi...
Sep 13, 2023•47 min
Wait— we thought that parents just don’t understand. But as it turns out, workplaces don’t understand parents at all. So how can HR help to better support the working parent? Hebba engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Kim Rohrer, Principal Partner at Oyster, a global employment platform reshaping cross-border hiring. With 15 years in HR under her belt, Kim sheds light on the critical role HR plays in nurturing a compassionate workplace as they explore the challenges faced by working mo...
Sep 06, 2023•51 min
Alright— that’s it. We’re finally settling the debate of who wore it best: remote, hybrid, or in-person. Or uh… at the very least, we’re coming to some massively inconclusive conclusions about which work style reigns supreme. In this special series with New Stand, a startup company setting out to improve everyday employee experience— and bring a little bit of daily joy back into employees’ lives— CEO Dave Garcia chats with Hebba about how to cope with in-office mandates, the difficulties of conv...
Jun 28, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Work sucks, I know. And since we can’t all make it to Blink 182’s show… How exactly do we cope with the uncertainty of an insanely competitive, wildly unstable job economy? In this special series with New Stand, a startup company setting out to improve everyday employee experience—and bring a little bit of daily joy back into employees’ lives—CEO Dave Garcia chats with Hebba about the #problematic aspects of workplace culture. In this ep, they’re breaking down why the effects of a rapidly changi...
Jun 21, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Let’s face it— not everyone wants to be at work. So how do you build a better sense of community without feeling like you’re pulling out teeth? In this live virtual event featuring a panel of HR experts, Hebba and crew discuss the ways in which you can create a better workplace community. How can you foster more virtual interactions? How do you rebuild trust after massive layoffs? And how should you respond to a workforce that doesn’t want to attend work-sponsored events? Plus, stay tuned at the...
Jun 15, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Over 50% of all employees are stressed out at work. Could it have anything to do with the fact that in the same survey, 69% of managers said they felt uncomfortable actually managing them? In this live virtual event, Hebba chats with the co-founder of the employee-centric HR suite, Skillcycle, about the role that power dynamics play in the managing workplace relationships. How do you show empathy to employees who feel powerless in the workplace, and what can you do when the people without power ...
May 10, 2023•56 min•Season 1Ep. 7
The job market and talent world feels way too confusing right now, so what’s going on? In this series finale, Hebba is joined by Rie Grant, a Recruiting Manager, Anessa Fike, CEO and Founder of Fike + Co, and Cassandra Smith, Technical Talent Acquisition at NPR, for this last virtual event. They discuss five questions that get right to the heart of talent acquisition, including how to help candidates stand out in a crowded marketplace, red flags to look for during interviews, and what recruiters...
Mar 22, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 6
How can you give (and receive) feedback in a way that puts wellbeing firmly at the center? Hebba is joined by Nesa K. Johnson, Global Chief People Officer at GCI Group. They get into how trauma can affect how you receive feedback, the best approach to take when blame becomes an issue, and how to think of feedback as a strategic input. Plus Hebba and Nesa answer questions from the audience at this virtual event. Thanks to our sponsors New Stand - partnering with companies to deliver better work e...
Mar 08, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 5
How do you manage the wellbeing of employees when everyone seems stressed? A pandemic, economic downturns, and the general challenges of life have left so many people feeling burnt out. How can employers handle the stress of their employees? Hebba is joined by a panel of People and HR experts - Amande Halle, Founder of People Tech Guru, Jomana Elwenni, Head of People at Community.com and Charkie Quarcoo, Program Manager at the Predictive Index. They get straight into discussing what work factors...
Feb 15, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 4
What are companies getting wrong about parental leave? Well, quite a few things actually! Allison Whalen the Co-founder and CEO at Parentaly joins as a guest this episode to discuss parental leave and how to support expecting parents! Her company Parentaly helps turn parental leave into a competitive advantage through coaching, planning and support services to expecting and new parents. Hebba and Allison discuss what companies get wrong about leave, how to think about leave as a competitive adva...
Feb 08, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 3
When your team is fully remote, can you really create a sense of community? Hebba’s guest on today’s episode is Jessica Winder, SVP of People at Refine Labs, and CEO and Founder of Hidden Gems, the career coaching service helping underrepresented job seekers through every stage of their career development. Jessica and Hebba get straight into why Jessica felt moved to help others move upwards in their careers, the importance of putting in and sticking to boundaries in the workplace, and a Q&A...
Feb 01, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 2
The poles have never been further apart when it comes to employer vs employee expectations. Can HR help fix the problem? Welcome to the first episode of the I Hate It Here podcast. Kicking off the season, Hebba Youssef, Head of People at Workweek, gets into conversation at a live event, with David Garcia, President of New Stand, and passionate campaigner for wellbeing at work. Hebba and David dive into creating psychologically safe spaces, monitoring your own (and others’) emotional states, and ...
Jan 18, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 1
