In this episode of We're Only Human, host Ben Eubanks engages in an enlightening conversation with Jason Lawson, an HR veteran with over 30 years of experience. They delve into the importance of building strong relationships with leaders, the critical role of trust in the workplace, and the evolving views on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Jason shares profound insights on making HR policies more humane and treating employees as individuals. He highlights the significance of moving be...

In this episode of 'We're Only Human,' host Ben Eubanks sits down with Jeff Palkowski, an HR leader with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an active volunteer with SHRM. They discuss the unique challenges of public sector HR, the importance of mental health and employee well-being, and how to support managers in addressing these issues. Jeff also shares insights from his role as the incoming state director for Wisconsin SHRM, emphasizing the value of creating connections at HR events. A...

With so many employers thinking about the coming year and how to create a positive workplace, we have to consider leadership and manager selection since that is a crucial part of the big picture. In this illuminating rebroadcast episode of 'We're Only Human,' host Ben Eubanks delves into effective leadership selection with Ji Yun Kang, Senior Advisor for Leader Assessment and Development at Mayo Clinic. The discussion covers Mayo Clinic's specific criteria for assessing leadership qualities, ...

In this episode of 'We're Only Human', host Ben Eubanks welcomes Patrika Hardnett, the Customer Eminence Leader at Kyndryl, to discuss the innovative concept of customer eminence. Patrika shares how companies can use this approach to create deeper connections and build powerful, lasting relationships with their customers. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on the customer's journey, passion, and personal story rather than just the outcomes of a project. Patrika also provides insi...

In this episode of 'We're Only Human,' host Ben Eubanks engages in an illuminating discussion with David Wilkins, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Talent Neuron. They explore the use of data to drive insights into strategic workforce planning and talent acquisition. David delves into Talent Neuron's innovative practices, including their proprietary EVP sentiment analysis framework, which helps companies understand and compete more effectively in the labor market. They touch on various r...

In this engaging episode of 'We Are Only Human,' host Ben Eubanks converses with Larry Kelly, an experienced HR leader and storyteller. Larry shares his journey from leading HR at Intel and Pfizer to founding his own consulting business, Attract Wonder, which focuses on integrating awe and curiosity into organizations through storytelling. The discussion covers the significance of storytelling in leadership, the emotional impact of sharing personal and organizational stories, and the innovati...

In this episode of We’re Only Human, host Ben Eubanks converses with Louise Willoughby, Chief People Officer at Beekeeper, to explore the groundbreaking strategies Beekeeper has employed to enhance employee retention. The discussion underscores the importance of aligning company and employee values, and introduces impactful initiatives such as 'frontline days', mental health support platforms, and flexible learning budgets. Louise highlights programs like paid sabbaticals for personal learnin...

Building Trust in HR: Kathy White on Compensation and Communication In this episode of 'We're Only Human', host Ben Eubanks talks with Kathy White, VP of HR for Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia, about the critical aspects of compensation and communication in the workforce. Kathy shares her experiences from the World at Work conference and her role in developing a transparent compensation strategy at her organization. The conversation covers the importance of making HR work tangible, the nece...

In this episode of We Are Only Human, host Ben Eubanks is joined by Poornima, Chief Product Officer at Rival. Together, they discuss the latest research in Talent Acquisition, focusing on the importance of flexibility and agility within organizations. They delve into the challenges employers face in forecasting hiring needs, the necessity of personalized onboarding processes, and the evolving role of AI in talent acquisition. The conversation highlights the significance of having integrated s...

In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben Eubanks interviews Marcus Thorpe, Global Head of Talent Acquisition (TA) at ThoughtWorks, during the Starcircle Supernova Conference in Cork, Ireland. Marcus shares his experiences and strategies for scaling TA functions across 20 countries, centralizing recruiting processes, and leveraging data to make informed hiring decisions. Key topics include the importance of calibration, data-driven decisions, and building a cohesive global TA strategy. Marcus ...

In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben Eubanks discusses with Jessica Teitjen about her journey from law to executive leadership in HR and IT. Jessica shares her personal experience of burnout and her subsequent deep dive into the neuroscience of human performance. They explore the disconnect between current workplace practices and positive human outcomes, emphasizing the need for practices that balance both business and human results. Jessica outlines practical steps for HR professionals t...

In this episode of 'We Are Only Human,' host Ben Eubanks is joined by Amy Mosher, Chief People Officer at isolved. They discuss the crucial elements of building a company culture where employees are eager to join and reluctant to leave. Amy shares insights from her experience transforming isolved's culture, emphasizing high trust, transparency, and a focus on diversity and inclusion. The conversation also covers practical advice for HR leaders on driving business success through culture and e...

In this engaging episode of 'We Are Only Human', host Ben welcomes Paul Norman, a seasoned TA leader and consultant. Paul shares his extensive experiences in talent acquisition across diverse industries like financial services, technology, and healthcare. The discussion covers TA strategy, aligning recruitment with business goals, user experience in recruiting, and building credibility with hiring managers. Paul also emphasizes the importance of listening, contracting during intake meetings, ...

In this episode of 'We're Only Human,' host Ben Eubanks converses with James Galvin, founder of Starcircle. They discuss key aspects of talent acquisition, including being data-driven, understanding market dynamics, and achieving internal alignment within organizations. James introduces Starcircle’s 12-component Hiring Friction Model, which addresses various elements such as demand alignment, candidate experience, and technology enablement. The discussion emphasizes proactive planning and con...

Rebroadcast note: For the first time in We're Only Human's 8-year history, we're rebroadcasting some of our most popular episodes to share them with new listeners. That means sometimes the speakers will have moved to a new company in the interim, but the lessons they shared are still relevant, topical, and valuable. Enjoy! In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben Eubanks talks with Kristi Jones, a former Talent Acquisition leader at H&R Block, about their innovative approaches to seasonal...

This episode of We're Only Human features a keynote panel discussion with Ben Eubanks, Broc Edwards, and Dana Ullom-Vucelich. The panel focuses on the importance of creating cultures centered around giving, seeking, and receiving feedback regularly. The discussion highlights how performance reviews should be routine and uneventful if feedback has been consistently shared throughout the year. The episode stresses the need for regular communication to avoid the pitfalls of ineffective performan...

In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Alli Ford, VP of HR at Assembly Software, about how they have created an off-the-charts employee NPS (eNPS) score. The discussion emphasizes the necessity for HR leaders to understand and articulate the strategy of their company. Alli underscores that knowing why the company exists, its history, and future direction is essential for success in an HR role. The episode provides several takeaways: First, HR leaders should have a deep unde...

In this episode of "We're Only Human," host Ben Eubanks welcomes Christopher Lind to discuss the impact of AI on jobs, skills development, and the future of work. They delve into topics such as the replacement of employees by AI at Klarna, the need to rethink skills development in the age of AI, and the importance of blending human expertise with AI capabilities. The discussion offers a deep dive into how organizations can better prepare their workforce for the evolving landscape while highli...

In this episode of We're Only Human, host Ben Eubanks talks with Marjorie Williamson, the leader of Global Total Rewards and HR Operations at RTI International. They discuss the importance of connecting people strategy with business strategy, focusing on RTI's ambitious North Star goal to positively impact over 1 billion people by 2030. The conversation covers topics like the development of a holistic people strategy, creating a culture and organizational health dashboard, and using total rew...

In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben Eubanks hosts David Wentworth, talent platform evangelist at Schoox, to discuss the importance of developing frontline workers. They discuss the challenges frontline workers face, such as time constraints and lack of practice opportunities, and emphasize the value of mobile solutions for training and communication. David also shares examples of companies like Hooters of America and Sonesta Hotels that have successfully invested in their frontline emplo...

In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben Eubanks interviews Sarah from Enterprise Mobility's talent acquisition team to discuss strategies for emerging talent and improving candidate experiences. Sarah shares insights about Enterprise Mobility's internship program, onboarding processes, and an expedited hiring model to streamline the recruitment of IT talent. Sarah also emphasizes the importance of early engagement, robust training, and creating strong leadership connections for interns. The ...

In different organizations, sometimes learning is a punishment. If people don't do the right thing or there's a safety issue or a compliance issue, we send people to training. The other end of that spectrum is it's a reward for people. So, your top performers, key talent. So how do we find somewhere in the middle? We're Only Human -- Episode 179 In this episode of We're Only Human, host Ben Eubanks talks with learning executive and neuroscience enthusiast Hannah Conkey. The in...

What's it going to take for them to be able to retire? They're going to need to number one: save. Number two, have earnings on what they've saved. And number three, they're going to have to minimize the deductions coming out of their accounts. We call that the three key drivers. Chris Thixton, Principal, Pension Consultants, Inc. We're Only Human -- Episode 178 In this episode of We're Only Human, host Ben Eubanks and retirement benefits strategist Chris Thixton discuss the im...

Recruiting is preparation for retention. I think it's really top of mind that we should focus on that because a lot of people think that recruiting is just the top of funnel--just getting people in the door. But the experience that people have during the recruitment process... Data has supported that it flows into the retention of that individual throughout their life cycle. We're Only Human -- Episode 177 Today's podcast episode is a replay of the Q4 2024 livestream research re...

"So how do we ensure that our team is focused on the right things so that they're making an impact and seeing that reflected in the business success? As companies increasingly are focused on the bottom line, we just cannot afford to have employees working on things that are not moving the ball forward as it relates to our priorities." Michelle Pulido, Senior Vice President of People and Workplace, Rothy's We're Only Human -- Episode 176 This episode of We're Only Human discusses how Rothy's...