Dear White HR Ladies, We Need To Talk: How a Homogenous Profession Has shaped our workplaces, and what we need to do about it

Katie Augsburger Culture, Current Affairs, Diversity, Employee Relations, Organizational Development 4 Comments

I woke up Tuesday to yet another trending news story about a white woman calling the police on an innocent black man. This time, Amy Cooper, a white professional New York resident was violating the dog leash rules for a popular birding spot in Central Park, when an avid bird watcher, approached. Christian Cooper (no relation) asked Amy to leash …

3 Reasons Not to Botch Breaking Up

Kathy Rapp Audacious Ideas, Candidate Pool, Change, Change Management, Communication, Corporate America, COVID-19, Culture, Current Affairs, Driving Productivity, Employee Communications, Employee Engagement, Employee Relations, Employment Branding and Culture, Engagement and Satisfaction, Good HR, HR, Job Market, Kathy Rapp, Layoffs, Leadership, Managing People, Offboarding, Retention, Talent Strategy 0 Comments

We’ve watched in disbelief as unemployment spikes to record highs – with over 20.5 million jobs lost in April. In addition, there are many more with reduced hours or cut pay not represented in unemployment figures. Suffice it to say, a lot of breakup conversations are being had. By now we’ve all read about some very public horror stories, and …

Protect Your Assets – Your People

Kathy Rapp Analyst, Change, Change Management, Communication, Corporate America, COVID-19, Culture, Current Affairs, Good HR, HR, in the news, Influence, Job Market, Kathy Rapp, Layoffs, Leadership, Recruiting, Retention, Risks, Talent Strategy 2 Comments

How many of you are in your guest rooms/living rooms/patios “behind closed doors” working on a RIF spreadsheet? It’s a horrible exercise I’ve done too many times, and especially tough right now. With an unimaginable amount of uncertainty across most businesses, cost-savings levers are being pulled. As part of looking for cost-savings, how much quantitative analysis is taking place? It’s …

HR’s Greatest Opportunity to Support Gender Diversity

Kathy Rapp Audacious Ideas, Career Advice, Career Paths, Change, Change Management, Corporate America, Current Affairs, Diversity, Employee Development, Engagement and Satisfaction, Good HR, HR, Kathy Rapp, Leadership, Learning and Development, Organizational Development, Retention, Succession Planning, Talent Management, Talent Strategy, The HR Profession, Women, Women in the Workplace

As a mom of a young daughter, I’m paying more attention to the gender diversity push than ever before. I personally never felt passed over for roles or promotions due to my gender – nor afforded them because of my gender either. That said, until the last half of my career, I worked in corporate HR where a lot of …

See Something, Say Something? (The Astros)

Mark Fogel Current Affairs, Mark Fogel, Personal Conduct Policy, Sports

I know it’s still Football season, but Baseball has stolen the backpage headlines with an epic cheating scandal. Today, I will spin a cautionary tale of seeing something and saying something for all my HR peeps… Getting an edge or cutting corners can start out innocently but can eventually lead to crossing the line. And then there is the BRO …

Hello 3-Day Weekends!

Kathy Rapp Audacious Ideas, Benefits, Change, Change Management, Compensation/Cash Money, Corporate America, Culture, Current Affairs, Diversity, Driving Productivity, Employee Engagement, employee experience, Engagement and Satisfaction, Good HR, HR, Onboarding, Performance

If you’ve been in the workforce for 20+ years, you probably grew up thinking working longer hours meant you were more productive, or helped you advance your career. I spent many years arriving at and leaving an office in darkness. Microsoft has put a bit of data behind the fact longer hours do not equate to higher productivity (or happiness). …

Punish an Employee For a CEO’s Bad Behavior? Yes.

Dawn Burke Corporate Social Responsibility, Current Affairs, Dawn Burke, Leadership

Or no? I waited for Uber for so long.  Despite being the largest city in Alabama, it took a while to get to Birmingham. However, as a frequent traveler, I’d gotten used to the convenience of Uber in a big, big way.  So, when Uber finally arrived in Birmingham early 2016 I did a triple-lindy. Then 2017 happened. Despite what …

Hold the Mayo–How to Help the Sandwich Generation Work

Kathy Rapp Audacious Ideas, Benefits, Change, Change Management, Communication, Corporate Social Responsibility, Culture, Current Affairs, Driving Productivity, Employee Engagement, Engagement and Satisfaction, Generations, Good HR, HR

I have a young daughter who, like most, is a non-stop source of energy and fatigue for me and my husband. Between school, camps, athletics, UIL, Girl Scouts, CAD class, and the guitar gathering dust in the corner, there is a significant shortage of downtime. Add to the mix aging parents, geographic distance, two demanding jobs, and a 90lb rescue …

Your Organization’s Commitment To LGBT Pride Month Beyond Just The Rainbow

William Wiggins Culture, Current Affairs, Diversity, Employee Communications, Holidays, HR, Innovation, Leadership, Policies, The HR Profession, Training and Development

Growing up, my parents shared many stories of the struggle, perseverance, and the marginalization of black people. My father frequently closed with, “There’s no shame in being black, it just ain’t easy at times.” He wasn’t kidding! I grew up in a society located smack dab in the middle of the land of the free, and home of the brave …

Do Activist Employees At Google Represent The Masses?

Kris Dunn Corporate Social Responsibility, Culture, Current Affairs, Employee Relations, HR, in the news, Influence, Leadership, Managing People, Policies, politics, Pop Culture, Risks, The HR Profession

If you’re an HR leader, one important thing to get your head around is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its connection to the mission of your company and the market choices your company makes. Welcome to the new world. You can’t simply chase a profitable line of business that exists on the fringes without considering CSR. At no place is …