In a small or medium business (or NFP) you need to do a little bit of many things - learning and development is no exception. So, as part of my series on HR for SMBs, we are talking about L&D in that environment. Our expert guest for this episode was the exceptional James Aird, an L&D specialist with a Master's of Education from Harvard. James has a unique perspective, having honed his skills in conflict areas like Iraq and the Congo. He is down-to-earth with a lot of practical tips to help SMBs figure out their L&D. In this episode, James shares: 🎯 Why SMBs should invest in L&D. 💡 Common challenges faced by SMBs in implementing L&D programs and how to address them. Some is money, but some is attention and expertise. 📚 Surprisingly affordable options for SMBs to access comprehensive learning and development resources. 🏢 The role of leaders in driving L&D and aligning it with business objectives. 🔑 The ideal time for an organization to invest in a Learning Management System (LMS). If you're leading a small or medium business or NFP or you're in HR there, check out this episode - and the whole series! Resources: The Assoc'n for Talent Development https://www.td.org eLearning Industry https://www.elearningindustry.com James' website: https://edupivot.io/ Reach out to Andrea for consulting andrea@thehrhub.ca

I was tired of hearing about 'fast-paced change' ten years ago. And now the pace is even faster. The World Economic Forum's 'Future of Jobs Report', estimates that by 2025, 85 million jobs may be displaced by a shift in the division of labor between humans and machines, while 97 million new roles may emerge. That's since 2020! That's next year! My guest, Michelle Ellis, brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. With her background in from Disney, a PhD in training and performance improvement, and her current role at Intellum, a learning management software company, she shares approaches to building learning culture. We talked about: 📚 The definition of a learning culture and its importance in modern organizations. Note the pace of change. 📈 The benefits of fostering a learning culture, including increased innovation, retention and employee satisfaction. Many things promise this, but I think learning can deliver. 🎯 The role of a learning culture in upskilling and reskilling employees. 💼 The difference between talent management and talent planning. This was so interesting - see the video! 🧠 The importance of competency-based learning and the distinction between skills and competencies. 🔧 The role of technology in building a learning culture. This episode offers valuable insights for HR professionals looking to cultivate a learning culture within their organizations. It's a case for those who aren't building a learning organization to reconsider. Hiring is expensive! It's time to equip your team with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in a rapidly changing work environment. Find Michelle on LinkedIn at / michelle-ellis-phd-cxac-cert-3357833 See Intellum here: https://www.intellum.com/ I am an HR consultant to small and medium businesses and not-for-profits. Reach out to me here: andrea@thehrhub.ca

Battling uphill with recruitment for small and medium businesses or not-for-profits? Worried about competing with the big names and their resources? It's time to level up your HR game! In this episode of The HR Hub, I dove into full cycle recruitment: all the steps in the recruitment process. I offered insights and strategies to help you attract great people even against larger and more well-known employers. This is another episode I (Andrea Adams) did myself. I'm an HR consultant to small and medium businesses and distilled some of the questions I get into a quick overview. I broke down the full-cycle recruitment process and highlighted why you need to care about each step if you want to make great hires. In this episode, you'll discover: 📚The difference between a job ad and a job description, and why it matters. 🎯How to source candidates effectively whether you target individuals or get individuals to target you. 🚀 Strategies to speed up the screening and selection process and avoid bias. 💰 Getting the most out of your budget. ⏰ The importance of timing in recruitment and how to plan for it effectively. 👥 How to assess a candidate's fit for your organization without compromising diversity. Find me at https://www.thehrhub.ca/ andrea@thehrhub.ca https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Thinking about running a 360 program to provide feedback to employees? For some reason, one of the few things I remember from university was a project I did on 360's. Even then, it seemed so much more valid and potentially insightful that a regular review. To explore this, I reached out to Jo Ayoubi, co-founder of Track 360 Feedback. Jo is a consultant and they have a 360 software platform so she was an excellent guest for this discussion! Jo covered it all: 🤔 360s are a great way to get insight on HOW someone does their job not just what they accomplish. 📝 A 360 feedback program is NOT a performance review. It could be a piece though. 👥 Preparation is critical - particularly preparing all the people who will participate. 📊 Not all her clients do a good job of follow-up but you probably should. 📅 It will take 2-3 months from beginning to end. This episode has so much valuable insights to help you understand how a well-implemented 360 feedback program can help employee and organization performance! Find Jo Ayoubi and her company at https://tracksurveys.com/ She would also chat with you on LinkedIn:   / joayoubi   Find me for consulting in Western Canada https://www.thehrhub.ca/

Worried about a leadership shortage? Or are you a new leader and... OMG it sucks?? This week I talked about building leaders with Corina Walsh, a seasoned leadership coach and host of the "People and Culture Success Show". Corina has considerable knowledge and practical advice to help HR identify, nurture, and accelerate leadership within an organization. She shed light on the common mistakes new leaders make and how HR can help. We talked about: 🛠️ Promoting people who are technically strong. Could be a bad idea. 🎯 The key attributes of emerging leaders - they should be people-people. 🔍 The important role of HR in succession planning and leadership development. 🔧 How to help new leaders transition smoothly and effectively. 📚 The importance of ongoing leadership training and development. If your leadership pipeline is barely a trickle or new leaders are failing. Check this out. Find Corina at shiftpd.com. She has a lot of free resources too! Find Andrea for small and medium sized business consulting in Western Canada.

Are you worried about your labour supply? Well... there are places you might find it, if you're open-minded. In this episode of The HR Hub, we dive into the world of older workers, their potential, and the myths surrounding them. I spoke with Laura Tamblyn Watts, CEO of CanAge, Canada's national seniors advocacy organization. She is a researcher, teacher, speaker... and well qualified to participate. We covered the gamut and I asked tough questions like: don't they cost more? Laura shared her insights on this and the good and bad news about the labour market and how we can prepare for looming labour shortages. We discussed: 🧓 How older workers can be a solution to Canada's significant labour shortage 💼 The importance of good retention strategies and avoiding ageist practices 👩‍💻 Why the myth that older workers can't use technology is just that - a myth 🎓 Everyone wants learning and development - including older workers 💡 How companies can actively attract, retain, and support older workers At the very least, include age in your DEI statement. She is super knowledgeable! Check it out! Find Laura at / laura-tamblyn-watts-a8ab61 CanAge https://www.canage.ca/ Living, Learning and Earning Longer: https://www.aarpinternational.org/ini... Find Andrea for HR Consulting andrea@thehrhub.ca

Are you grappling with the complexity of pay transparency? We all want compensation to be fair and equitable, but transparency opens up even more questions about compensation as comparisons are made. And there were a lot of questions to start with! If you might be affected by pay transparency laws, watch this discussion with Sally Loftis. Sally is the Managing Director of Loftis Partners. She specializes in pay equity, transparency, DEI and OD. This episode will help any HR professional seeking to understand the often murky water of pay transparency and equity. In this episode, you will learn: 🔍 The reasons why some employers are hesitant to share pay data and the repercussions of such reluctance. 💡 Some employees don't want pay transparency either - it's crucial to communicate internally before implementing changes. 👥 There's a balance between complete pay transparency and protecting employee privacy. ⚖️ Pay transparency doesn't replace pay equity, but they work together. 🚀 There are ways to 'do' pay transparency in a way that builds trust across the organization. Follow Sally on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallyloftisloftis/ Her site https://www.loftispartners.com/ Find the Pay Equity Collective at https://pay-equity-collective.mn.co/share/GTCEIh6yArceY6cY?utm_source=manual This is a link to her guide on conducting a pay equity assessment Find Andrea for SME consulting in Western Canada at thehrhub.ca

If I was going to listen to one episode of my own show this year, this would be the one. There is something I love about all of them, but this was next level. It may be appropriate considering the guest: Dr. Peter Cappelli. He is a professor of Management and Director of the Center for Human Resources at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of numerous Harvard Business Review articles and, recently, the author of a book on the topic of our discussion: Our Least Important Asset: Why the Relentless Focus on Finance and Accounting is Bad for Business and Employees. He explains so many things you think are dumb about the way we handle our workforces. Like: ❌ Employees are not assets. They're a fixed cost and one that must be minimized to drive shareholder value. ❌ Creating the appearance of shareholder value is NOT the same as creating a strong and efficient business. ❌ This leads to so many practices you think are shortsighted. Decreasing training budgets, layoffs, wonky recruitment, capped salaries... and it's invisible. Or, at the very least, opaque. ❌ All because of GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) and how they are applied to HR decisions. ❌ Even investors wish this would change. There was so much to take in and so many useful insights for HR more broadly. It's longer than my typical episode, but I HIGHLY recommend it! It will be well worth your time. A link to Dr. Cappelli's book https://www.amazon.com/Our-Least-Important-Asset-Relentless/dp/0197629806 Find Andrea on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/ or at andrea@thehrhub.ca

Cat owners need not apply! I promise it's unfortunately real and relevant. We even spent a couple minutes talking about how analytics might enable discrimination on factors that seem to have no bearing on performance like whether you love cats vs dogs. This kind of data is part of the trend towards creepy analytics. I spoke with Dr. Salvatore Falletta who just wrote a book entitled 'Creepy Analytics'. He helped me draw the line between AI and analytics which are related but not exactly the same thing. Whether analytics or AI, HR needs to be monitoring this or legislation will eventually do it for us. Some unfortunately real questions we discussed: 👂Should your employer be able to listen in on conversations? 🚽Should your boss know if your are in the bathroom? 💸If you dump company stock, should your boss know? 🤔Should your employer be able to scrape sentiment from your emails? 🙀Is your love of cats (vs dogs) relevant and, even if it is, should a prospective employer make decisions on this? We need transparent data collection and analytics and white box AI. These were just a few of the insights in this somewhat dystopian but also funny episode. Sal’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/salvatore-falletta/ Sal’s Book: Creepy Analytics: Avoid Crossing the Line and Establish Ethical HR Analytics for Smarter Workforce Decisions Find Andrea https://www.thehrhub.ca/

Where do you stand on the performance appraisal debate? Some say it's just too hard to do well and, when not done well, it does more harm than good. Others say it's essential and we just have to get better at it. What do you think? I'm genuinely interested!! Many companies still do them though so I was curious and reached out to Sue Ingram of Converse Well to talk about it. She is certainly a wonderful person to talk to! I'd recommend her anytime for a conversation. She also knows a lot about HR including performance appraisals. Some of the tidbits from our conversation: 🔍 You have to train for HONEST conversations between managers and employees. 💰 Some organizations don't expressly link compensation to the performance appraisal, but since both the appraisal and compensation require judgment... Sue says they're linked regardless. 🎯 You have to measure the right things . 💡 Training. Training. Training. Find Sue on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sueingram1 Her email: Sue@conversewell.com Her book: https://www.amazon.ca/Fire-Well-Staff-They-Thank/dp/1781331464 Find me (Andrea) for consulting support andrea@thehrhub.ca

So do you have problem or underperforming employee? Can't quite pin it down? These are hard for anyone to deal with for so many reasons - complex laws, reasons, emotions running high... But I try to help you sort it out in this episode including clarifying when you really should get expert help. This is the third in my series for small and medium business owners and NFP execs. I'm an HR consultant and helping you navigate these murky and frustrating waters! In this episode, I review: 🔍 The importance of approaching any problem with an open mind - don't demonize or ignore your employee, but also don't wait for the issue to resolve itself. 📚 Three categories for employee problems: misconduct, health-related issues, and poor performance. Understanding these categories can help you know which tools to use in handling the situation. 🗣️ The value of conversations and coaching in managing poor performance. 📝 An HR cliché: take notes! Let me know if you found this helpful or if there is some other question at: https://www.thehrhub.ca/ andrea@thehrhub.ca I would also love to connect via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Are you frustrated with your presentation skills? For some it's total fear. For others like me, I'll do it, but there are many other things I would rather do. In this episode of The HR Hub, I explored how to use storytelling in presentations. My guest, Jilliane Yawney, is a speaking coach who turns scientists and engineers (and HR) into confident speakers and storytellers. Jilliane is not just a speaking coach. She's also the founder of the Calgary Story Slam, one of the biggest in Canada. Using her expertise, she helps professionals weave useful stories into their presentations, ensuring the key messages are understood and remembered. Here's a sneak peek into our conversation: 🔬 How storytelling humanizes data and makes it more relatable. So you need both! 🎭 The power of storytelling in conveying emotions and influencing decisions, while avoiding blatant manipulation. 📊 Balancing storytelling and data: Can you overuse stories? Yes, but... 🎯 The importance of understanding the purpose of your story. Clear purpose is important in many aspects of HR. 📚 The essential elements of a good story: Conflict and structure. Think Harry Potter. This episode is a treasure trove of insights for anyone looking to enhance their presentation skills and make a bigger impact at work. Whether you're an HR professional or just someone who wants to communicate more effectively, this episode is a must-listen! Find Jilliane at https://www.jillianeyawney.com/ Find Andrea at andrea@thehrhub.ca

Navigating HR compliance can feel daunting for HR professionals nevermind for business owners or NFP execs! Today's episode is here to provide an overview of the rules and laws that may affect how you hire, manage, and pay employees. This is the second in the series for SMBs aiming to help small and medium business owners and NFPs navigate people issues and avoid some of the major pitfalls. In this episode, I discuss: 📚 The concept of compliance and why being ethical isn't enough. Skirting the edges of what's legal and ethical can lead to costly court cases and damaged relationships. 🚧 The importance of compliance and its impact on small and medium-sized businesses including the risks. 📑 The top five areas of HR compliance that I frequently encounters as an HR consultant. From provincial employment standards to privacy laws, I provide an overview of each. 🔍 Other areas of compliance such as labour relations, payroll, benefits, and taxation rules, equity legislation, accessibility rules, and pensions and benefits rules. 🛠️ Finally, I discuss how to avoid compliance problems. Find me at andrea@thehrhub.ca The links I referred to: Compliance Works: https://complianceworks.ca/ WCB Episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPrgga7uuYk&t=2s Labour Relations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl_xlEa5zi4&t=19s

Do you think about things you learned years ago but didn't really learn? This is one those for me - that is, the 'transfer of learning'. Michelle Ellis was my partner in this exploration. She's an expert in L&D - currently a director for Intellum, which is an learning management software company. She was also a L&D leader at Disney! Before that, she was a school teacher and has her PhD. She knows some things. In this episode, you'll gain valuable insights on: 🎓 The concept of learning transfer and its importance for our investment in training. 📈 How to be intentional about your own learning journey so that you bring what you learn back to work.. 💡 The role of leaders in ensuring learning transfer into the workplace, and how they can help their employees get the most out of training sessions. 📊 The importance and challenge of measuring learning transfer. Michelle shared some strategies around quantitative and qualitative data. 🖥️ How learning management software can facilitate learning transfer, with features like social chat and gamification. Find Michelle on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-ellis-phd-cxac-cert-3357833/ See Intellum here: https://www.intellum.com/ I am an HR consultant to small and medium businesses and not-for-profits. Reach out to me here: andrea@thehrhub.ca

Hey podcast listeners. I am adding something to my interview series... a series for small and medium sized businesses and not for profits (SMBs). And I'm doing them myself! In this episode I am talking to anyone involved in HR for an SMB, but especially leaders who may not have in-house HR. I delve into how to starting your HR function. When you start HR is a passing thought. As you grow, you'll discover the importance of HR in managing your team more efficiently, and I'll shed light on how to strike the right balance between in-house HR and third-party partnerships. Here's a sneak peek of what to expect: 🔍 When to add HR: There's a sweet spot for when to bring in HR support. Wait too long and you might find yourself in hot water. I'll share some insights on when to make that crucial decision. 🚀 How HR supports growth: HR isn't just about compliance and risk management. Discover how HR can help you hire the right people, develop their skills, and even design your organization to support smooth and effective growth. 🎯 Mission, Vision, and Values: These aren't just fancy words on a plaque. They're the foundation of your company culture and can guide your employees in their decision-making. Learn how HR can facilitate these crucial discussions. You can find me to ask a question or provide feedback at andrea@thehrhub.ca. You can also reach out to me on LinkedIn! I'm always happy to hear from you https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

Are you tired of HR decisions being made on a whim or based on the latest trends? Me too - and many of the HR Hub guests as well! Welcome to a moment where we ignore all fads and focus on the evidence! Where we debunk the myths and dig into the possibility of science behind effective HR! This week we're talking about evidence-based HR with Dr. Salvatore Falletta, who is the author of the upcoming book "Creepy Analytics." He works at Drexel University now, but used to work as a CHRO and consultant. He makes a strong case for using evidence in HR. In this episode, you'll learn about: 🔍 The four primary sources of evidence in HR and why you need to consider all of them. Only one of them is, specifically, data. 🧠 The dangers of relying solely on individual intuition or popular trends when making HR decisions. 📚 How evidence will help you make better decisions. 💡 A practical example of how evidence-based HR can inform decisions on performance appraisals. 🎯The importance of a data driven culture - but an evidence-based culture would be even better. Centre for Evidence Based Management cebma.org Evidence-Based Managment by Eric Barends and Denise Rousseau Corporate Research Forum crforum.co.uk Conference Board conference-board.org Sal’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/salvatore-falletta/ Sal’s Book will be published this Friday - Feb 24! Creepy Analytics: Avoid Crossing the Line and Establish Ethical HR Analytics for Smarter Workforce Decisions Reach me (Andrea) for consulting andrea@thehrhub.ca

I don't know about you, but AGE is one aspect of DEI that I hardly ever hear anything about. And, yet the impact of ageist policies on older workers is profound. Are you thinking something like "but it's time for those boomers to get out the way so I have a chance!"? Well, I asked Laura Tamblyn Watts, the CEO of CanAge about that. CanAge is Canada's Seniors Advocacy organization and, she says while a few older workers have a ton of privilege, many are shockingly disadvantaged. With 25 years of experience, Laura brings a wealth of knowledge about ageism and its impact in the workplace and to aging people. We discussed: 👵 The shocking statistics on ageism and why it's the most prevalent form of discrimination globally. 🔍 How ageism manifests in the workplace - from overt policies to hidden biases. 📈 The benefits of multi-generational workforces - from increased productivity to reduced churn. 🛠 Practical steps to make your workplace more age-inclusive starting with your DEI policy. And ⚖️The risks of doing nothing. This episode was eye-opening and will broaden your understanding of ageism and equip you with practical tools to foster a more inclusive work environment. Links are in the comments! Find Laura at https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-tamblyn-watts-a8ab61/ CanAge https://www.canage.ca/ Living, Learning and Earning Longer: https://www.aarpinternational.org/initiatives/future-of-work/living-learning-and-earning-longer/living-learning-and-earning-longer Find Andrea for consulting in Western Canada andrea@thehrhub.ca

We say 'training and development' all the time. Or learning and development. But we rarely stop to understand the difference between them and the impact those differences have on strategy. I never did anyhow except at a surface level. I spoke with James Aird about this. James is an L&D consultant with a Master of Education from Harvard. Interestingly, he learned the trade in conflict areas like Iraq and the DR Congo. James took us on a journey through the distinct aspects of training/learning vs development in an organization, and how they cater to different organizational needs. For example: 🎓 Learning, and training are, more or less, the same thing and directly meet organization requirements. 🌫️ Development if fuzzier - with a ton of strategic implications related to skills gaps, recruitment and retention. 🆉 Gen Z has a lot of hopes and expectations for great development. A strength IMO. 💻 An Learning Management System (LMS) will help you deliver and track it. James recommends one for any organization with 20-30 employees or more. This episode is has a lot of information for HR professionals who want to improve their understanding of L&D and how L&D can impact so many modern organizational problems. It's not just about upskilling - it's about creating a culture of learning.

The push-pull of remote versus in-office continues. You CAN make remote work well, but there's skills and clarity to develop. A thoughtful policy is a good place to start so you get the advantages of remote without losing all the spark of in-person. If you are trying to articulate an effective remote work policy... here you go! I sat down with Kaleem Clarkson, the Chief Operations Officer for BlendMe, a company that assists hybrid and remote teams with their people operations and their policy! Kaleem highlighted the importance of connection - really that's the purpose of being in-person so for focused work... in-person is not the place to be. See the video In this episode, you'll also learn about: 🌐 Starting with the organization's philosophy on remote work. As with so many things in HR, understand WHY you're doing it. 🎯 Creating role flexibility categories to help manage expectations. 📆 Clarifying the true purpose of in-office meetings. 🎥 The etiquette for virtual meetings. 🩲I don't think you should wear your underwear even if they are not visible. Kaleem??? Clearly this is still evolving. 😆

Have you been involved in 360 feedback? It sounds both informative and exposing. But better than a performance appraisal from a leader who may not be totally objective. I sat down with Jo Ayubi, the CEO of Track 360 Feedback. Jo's expertise in feedback consultancy and their software platform made her the perfect guide for 360 feedback. It's a powerful tool. Here's a sneak peek into our conversation: 🔎 These days we are concerned about HOW people get the job done, not just what they get done. Otherwise toxic behaviour will proliferate. 👥 Aim for at least 6-10 people providing feedback. ❌You can't let the ratee pick their raters. At least not entirely. ✅ It's a great development tool. ⁉️ For some reason, 360 feedback is about the only topic I remember from university. Jo knows her stuff - for the first time I tried a firing line (peppering my guest with quick questions) and she did great! Check it out at the links in the comment section!