September 13, 2023 • 64 mins
NIHRA welcomes the following new members: Brian Dumford, Dutch Made; Sam Snyder, Cheviron Group; Alana Stadelmayer, O'Daniel Auto; Logan Bianski, Khorporate Holdings; Kelly Miller, Actalent Services; Samantha Dienelt, Fill Rite; Juliet Sokolowski, Partner 1st CU; Rachel Quick, JAM Center.
Board Member Spotlight featuring: Allen Howard, Membership Director and Gracie Dusseau, Retention Director discuss the many benefits of joining NIHRA, from networking opportunities and cutting-edge resources to a sense of belonging.
Carly Buchanan, President-Elect discusses the importance of self-care and work-life balance.
Member Spotlight: Anne Whitney, Board Member-At-Large, interviews Amy Looy, Fort Wayne Metals.
Gerald Bush, GBKB Consulting, joins us to discuss his upcoming NIHRA luncheon October 4th.
Ed San Inocencio, President and Julie Hess, Director, Programs & Hospitality join us to discuss the upcoming DisruptHR, October 26th.
Britni Eisenmann, STOKEFIRE discusses the dilemma of pay raises not boosting employee retention.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
We'd like to welcome the following new members to
Nira Brian Dumford, dutch Maid,sam Snyder, chevron Group, alana
Stuttelmeyer, o'daniel OttoLogan Bianski, corporal Holdings
, kelly Miller Act TalentServices, samantha Deenolt, phil
(00:29):
Wright, juliet Solkowalski,partner First Credit Union, and
Rachel Quick, jam Center.
Today we'll be featuring AlanHoward, our membership director,
and Gracie Dussot, ourretention director, to introduce
themselves.
(00:49):
Alan and Gracie, welcome to theprogram.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
So we'll start off with Alan.
Tell us about yourself and whatNira means to you.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Yeah, I'm an employee benefits consultant at Gibson.
We work with HR teams toimplement their employee
benefits programs.
As far as what Nira means to meme and my specific role I'm
really kind of the liaisonbetween HR plan participants and
back to our consulting team,the carriers, to make sure that
we're driving strategies thatreally kind of help them own
(01:29):
their plans, I guess.
But what Nira means to memostly is it's been a catalyst
for personal and professionalgrowth.
It's provided me with so manyinvaluable networking
opportunities, allowing me toconnect with like-minded
individuals and industry experts.
Through Nira, I have access toreally cutting edge resources
workshops, conferences whichhave enhanced my knowledge and
(01:50):
skills in the HR field as well,as it's given me a strong sense
of belonging and support,fostering both my confidence and
passion for advancing the HRpractices.
It's really a great, vibrantplatform for continuous learning
and development and I'm just sograteful for the positive
impact it's had on my careerjourney.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Thank you for that, alan Gracie.
How about you Tell us aboutyourself and what Nira means to
you as well?
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Yeah.
So right now I'm working as anoperations manager at Embassy
Wealth Advisors through a mayorprize financial, and I am
basically doing a mix betweenpeople management and process
management, which are two of myfavorite things about HR,
because you are investing inpeople.
(02:36):
And the Stanley Randall has agreat quote the closest to
perfection a person ever comesis when he fills out a job
application form.
I love that quote because itapplies both to my job right now
and to Nira as a whole and whatI enjoy about HR, because
(02:58):
people are constantly looking tobe their best, be excellent,
and they join the job field.
And then those of us who arealready in HR, we get the chance
to show them what they're goodat and increase their strengths
and talents and just help themfeel both welcome and challenged
to do their best.
So I get to do that from aretention standpoint.
(03:22):
Coming in, you see me as afriendly face at the
registration table at themonthly lunches and that
provides me a little touch baseof relationships and just
getting to meet the people inNortheast Indiana that care
about people.
That's our end goal for HR.
That's now my end goal foroperations and figuring out how
(03:45):
to efficiently and effectivelyhelp people see their value so
that they're no longer lookingat themselves for perfection
reasons but they're looking atthemselves as a bigger part of a
whole.
That is my goal in retentionand in Nira, and I just love
that.
We have people that care inNortheast Indiana about
(04:09):
strategic planning.
We care about constant changeand we want to be on the cutting
edge, but we also want tofellowship with the quirky other
people that enjoy HR, which isa big part of Nira.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
I think she's talking about me, Mike.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Yes, absolutely Very good.
Yes, yes, thank you, gracie.
So, allyn and or Gracie, youguys kind of both already
touched on this or part of it,but why should our listeners
either become members of Nira ifthey already are, help recruit
others to join the cause or,most importantly, stick with us
(04:50):
and be part of our organization?
Speaker 4 (04:55):
That's a great question.
I think when they're joining, ifthey meet Allyn alone, they'll
want to join because he embodiesall of HR's joy and balance.
I don't know how the people onthe board and anyone that I've
ever met in Nira gets everythingdone that they have on their
(05:15):
plate and still has a balance inlife, but it's really cool.
I think that art is what makesme see the value of Nira.
You get to grow in your careerby being a part of this
organization and it encouragesyou to participate in
programming and encourages youto just want to be around people
(05:38):
that want to do their best.
Then you're constantly hearingand seeing other people that you
would never interact with inyour daily life because HR
people were all representingdifferent companies.
So it's very fun.
Again, you get people likeJulie Hess and Allyn Howard and
Ed and Morgan Lewis that younever get to see them in the
(06:03):
rest of your life.
But you get to see them at Niraand I've learned a lot from
members of our board and membersof our Nira platform that I
would never hear about otherwise.
You provide a lot of value.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
You're absolutely on.
It's just such a supportivecommunity.
I think I've been a part ofNira for I don't know call it
eight years now on the board forjust eight months, but it's
been just so much fun to be apart of and I think just seeing
everybody's personalities comeout when we get to get into a
neutral space and see this ishow Gracie interacts outside of
(06:41):
work.
This is how we're seeingfriendships being created.
But even beyond that, I mean, Ithink it's just there's such a
commitment to professionalexcellence and I think it's just
such a gateway to a thriving HR.
Whether you want to make anelastic impact on your
organization, advance yourcareer, there's so many
different, unparalleledopportunities.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Well, we really appreciate both of your efforts.
I know that you've both workedreally hard with the
organization.
Are we up to over 400 members?
Alan?
Speaker 3 (07:13):
We are.
We're actually approachingclose to about 430,.
I believe.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Oh, that's fantastic.
Yeah, and again, not onlybecoming members, but retaining
them.
Both you and Gracie have done afantastic job, as well as your
committees, to drive attendanceand participation towards the
chapter, and we just really wantto thank you for your efforts
(07:39):
and all that you do for Nairaand our SHIRM chapter in the
state of Indiana.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Yeah, I appreciate that.
I appreciate that Really youknow the conscious effort from
everybody.
I think you know we wouldn't bewhat we are without the
contributions that everybodymakes so, but thank you for that
.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
Awesome.
Thanks, Mike.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
So welcome to Mike.
Today I have Carly BuchananPresident-Elect, and Carly has
recently posted somethingintriguing on LinkedIn about
work-life balance and I think ithas had 2,500-plus views.
So, Carly, welcome to theprogram.
Speaker 6 (08:22):
Hey, thank you so much for having me, mike.
You know I love joining thesepodcasts.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
So, Carly, can you just for our listeners' sake, go
ahead and read your post.
Speaker 6 (08:33):
Absolutely so.
It started with an image thatsays when we should take a break
and then when we actually takea break.
That was the image on there,but let me share you what I
wrote.
Vulnerable post alert.
This year was the year itfinally clicked for me after 16
years' professional workexperience.
In February I planned out mywhole year's vacation and
(08:53):
work-life balance plan.
I looked deep into my calendarand determined when I needed or
wanted breaks this year and Iimmediately blocked those days
out and requested them asvacation.
Extra credit.
As things popped up this yearon my schedule or calendar, I
have not canceled any of mypre-planned vacation.
All of the story be intentionalplan your breaks, your
(09:17):
vacations, your mental healthboundaries.
Stick to your plan.
Do not let yourself burn outwhen you could have set proper
boundaries and preparation thatyou could have established
earlier in the year.
And I said pro-tip find a greatcompany and leaders who stand
behind you and your balance andyour boundaries.
My leaders and my companyactually celebrate my vacations
(09:39):
with me and my time off and theyhigh-five me as I leave for my
days off and I said how cool isthat?
You should find that.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
I so much agree with that and we have to be
intentional about our work-lifebalance or we will burn
ourselves out.
I think.
If anything over the past threeyears, in particular with COVID
, it's definitely challenged notjust team and resource
professionals but everyone inthe workplace.
Speaker 6 (10:07):
Well, and often I tell people that my job is
dealing with people all day, sothey're either pouring
situations or issues or emotions, organizational things that pop
up in the day.
So the whole day you're justgiving yourself your mental
capacity to your employees, yourmanagers, your owners, your
(10:28):
executives, so you can burn out,I think, more in human
resources in such a role whereyou're giving to others all day.
So I think it's very importantfor anyone that's a member of
Nira or SHRM or HR professionalsto really start to think about.
So how are you settingboundaries?
And it started with me beingvulnerable and sharing my story
(10:52):
and how I did that this year.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
So in closing, carly we talked about this having
2,500, basically, views Werethere any particular feedback or
posts from others that you'dlike to share that you thought
were encouraging or motivational?
Speaker 6 (11:15):
Absolutely.
I'll shout out one of ourmembers of Nira, amy Lynn Graff.
She says this takes suchdiscipline and forethought and
it just makes a huge differencewhen you plan things out, and
she high-fived me for protectingmy well-being.
Some of my former colleaguesdid a little ha-ha comment.
I knew you'd figure it outsomeday, carly and it's just a
(11:38):
lot of different great advice.
We all need to do this Beintentional.
Thank you for sharing so.
I think, at the end of the day,it just is a post that hits
home when HR professionals areputting in the hours, pouring
their heart and soul into theiremployees, their organizations.
But what are we doing forourself?
And be intentional, set thoseboundaries and stick to it.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
It's a great reminder .
Thank you so much.
Speaker 7 (12:05):
Hello everyone.
This is Anne.
I'm the at-large board memberwith Nira, and today on our
member spotlight I have Amy Loy,formerly Amy Hietrich, who's
our HR manager at Fort WayneMetals.
Welcome, amy.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
Hello, thanks, anne, appreciate it.
Speaker 7 (12:27):
So, Amy, I believe if I'm not wrong here, I think we
both actually kind of have a orstarted as Nira members the same
time.
So how long have you been aNira member, Sasha?
Speaker 5 (12:42):
it's been a while.
I think I started back in 2015,.
Started tagging along back whenI was just an intern, so about
2015.
Speaker 7 (12:54):
Okay, so several years?
Yeah On that, amy, are you aSHIRM member?
Speaker 5 (13:03):
Yes, I am.
I'm a SHIRM member and I thinkI've been a SHIRM member since
around the same time, and I dohave my SHIRM CP certification.
I got that in 2017.
Speaker 7 (13:20):
Okay, okay, so have you been a member for several
years, yeah.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
Been a member the whole time.
I really enjoy being a SHIRMmember.
Being an IR member, shirmdefinitely helps me out in tough
situations when I need somequick answers, being able to log
onto their website and pull uparticles or get some guidance.
(13:54):
So yeah, I've been a member fora long time and, honestly, I
don't know if I could do my jobwithout being a SHIRM member.
Speaker 7 (14:01):
Yeah, absolutely, it's definitely a very helpful
resource, for sure, yep.
So, amy, tell me, or tell ourlisteners, if you could share
why you chose the humanresources profession or kind of
what was your journey in that.
Speaker 5 (14:21):
Yeah, yeah.
So I actually started out whenI was in college.
I started out pursuing amarketing degree.
That's just where when I was asenior in high school, that's
where I thought I was going toend up.
So I started out kind of goingdown that path.
I ended up having a failedinternship one summer during
(14:44):
college and it was just not forme.
It was at the time was a littlebit boring, I'm not going to
lie.
But I was always interested atthat company I was at.
I was interested in what thehuman resources group was doing.
I thought it was fun that theygot to pick when people wore
their favorite sports jerseysfor the World Cup.
(15:07):
So that just kind of got meintrigued.
I thought that was fun.
But since then, obviously, myreason for this profession has
evolved over time.
I really appreciate just thefact that it's something
different every single day.
(15:27):
You walk in.
You have no clue what's goingto come up and I really
appreciate that differentvariety.
And, yeah, I like that there issome structure and I like that
you can be working with peopleon a daily basis.
But I also like that it'schallenging and there's a lot of
situational judgment that hasto happen.
(15:49):
So it ended up being a reallygood fit for me and after that
first internship I ended upgetting an internship at Fort
Wayne Metals in the trainingarea, got to learn a lot of
those aspects and landed in HRafter that and just really
really have appreciated andliked it as a career.
Speaker 7 (16:12):
OK, it sounds like your journey has certainly kind
of opened those doors, you know,in stepping stones or just in a
different area, so that seemsreally like that's been a great
path for you.
You kind of answered.
I was going to ask you what doyou enjoy most about it?
(16:34):
It sounds like you enjoy, likeyou mentioned, a variety of
different things and challenges.
Is there anything you'd like toadd that you do enjoy the most
about HR?
Speaker 5 (16:49):
Yeah, I would say those are the main things.
I really have enjoyed workingclosely with my team.
We go through so many toughsituations on a daily basis and
it's fun to just be able to lookback and laugh about some of
them and just be there for eachother, and so I think some of
(17:09):
the relationships that I'vebuilt while working in human
resources has been definitelyone of the positives of that
profession.
But I just like interactingwith employees.
I like making their day,helping them through tough
situations and also getting achance to partner with managers
(17:31):
through tough situations.
So, yeah, those are some of thethings I really enjoy about it.
Speaker 7 (17:38):
OK, thanks for sharing those.
So what aspects do you feel Amyhave changed the most over
these past few years, especiallyin HR or human resources?
Speaker 5 (17:53):
Yeah, definitely have seen a lot of changes over the
last few years, especially, Ithink COVID really rocked our
world, rocked a lot of people'sworlds but definitely
experiencing some of the effectsof the changes in the labor
market.
I remember when I was firststarting out here at Fort Wayne
(18:16):
Metals we had a line of peoplewaiting to get in.
We had a queue ready to go ofpeople whenever we had an
opening.
And now it's not that wedefinitely have a big amount of
openings, so we've had to reallychange the way we interact with
(18:37):
the labor market.
And then I've also seen achange in people's mental health
and I think that that affectsthe labor market in a lot of
ways and HR in a lot of ways.
You have to figure out whatpeople are going through and how
can we adjust policies to helpthem but still make it fair to
(18:59):
everyone.
That's been a huge, hugeobstacle and something that
we've had to work through quitea bit of.
Like our policies givingflexibility to people in tough
times Are they still meeting theneeds of operations?
We've really had to reexamine alot of our policies.
So I think that's been a hugechange over the last few years
(19:23):
just the crazy demands and justtrying to keep up with it all.
Speaker 7 (19:29):
I agree, and thanks for actually bringing that topic
up.
I think that's what you statedis just really critical right
now with the well-being of ouremployees and, like you said,
adjusting policies or reviewingthem.
So that's excellent, amy,thanks for sharing that.
What do you consider to be themost beneficial experience about
(19:56):
being a NIRA member?
Speaker 5 (20:00):
I am always a real big fan of the different
speakers.
I really appreciate being ableto take time out of the crazy
hectic schedule to be able tojust go to the lunch and listen
to a new speaker, someone whocan kind of give a different
perspective on something thatwe're going through or help
(20:24):
motivate you just a little bit.
I guess I always kind of comeout of those meetings with a lot
of new ideas and just kind of achange on a different
perspective, which is reallynice.
So whether that's those monthlyluncheons or the conference, I
really just enjoy listening tospeakers.
(20:44):
It always seems like there'ssomeone who's speaking on
exactly what I'm going through,so I always really appreciate
that.
Speaker 7 (20:53):
Oh, great, great.
So that's good to hear.
What about a favorite?
You mentioned you enjoy most ofthem, but do you have a
favorite or one that's amemorable speaker at one of our
luncheons?
Speaker 5 (21:06):
I was thinking this through and I one that we talked
about on our team quite a bitafter the fact was the Jeff
Hortis, when he spoke at thelast NIRA conference about crap
and that really I don't know ifpeople were there they remember
(21:27):
what it was, but he talked aboutsharing crap with your
employees and that stood forcarrying respect, appreciation
and praise, and I feel like thatwas a really good reminder of
something that we need tocontinually share with our
managers that like, hey, listen,you know, are you giving, are
(21:48):
you showing care, are youshowing respect to them, are you
showing appreciation, are youpraising them?
So we, you know, not only didwe had a good laugh and talk
about that one for a while, butit was a really good reminder to
be able to, I guess, share someof those things with managers
and kind of bring your focusback to that.
Speaker 7 (22:10):
Yes, I agree, I was able to myself attend that one
and I think that's a memorableacronym and I think it did stick
out as well, absolutely Well.
I have a few questions that area little more lighter fun just
to kind of learn a little moreabout you.
(22:32):
Amy, a song that you would wantplayed every time you walked
into a room for the rest of yourlife.
What song would you choose, andwhy?
Speaker 5 (22:47):
It's funny.
I've actually answered thisquestion before.
My husband and I have a jokewhere it's not a joke.
Actually, whenever we, wheneveryou're traveling and you just
land on an airport, you'rewalking on the airplane and
you're like ready to go for yournew vacation, You're so excited
(23:07):
to get out and explore.
We have a song like a pump upsong that you play getting off
the airport, and I know that'skind of nerdy of us, but we have
our own song where we're likeyes, we're going to, we're on
vacation, Life is good.
So I would choose the same songfor this If I was walking into
a room every time.
I'm not sure how appropriate itis, but bust a move.
(23:30):
Gotta be one of my favoritesongs.
It just just the right beat forme, so I would go with that
song, Okay that's great, that isreally great.
Speaker 7 (23:42):
Oh, I'm just kind of thinking now.
It's like you get a tune whenyou know, when you have that,
what you share, and then I'velike got that tune going through
my mind.
Well, what about superpowers?
If you could choose anysuperpower, what would you
choose and why?
Speaker 5 (24:02):
Oh, that's a good one .
I think again, I really lovetraveling and I love going new
places.
So I think I would choose to dosome sort of teleportation
where I could just snap myfingers and be in a new country
or be in a new spot.
(24:23):
You know, maybe just snap myfingers and go to New York City
for the evening and then snap myfingers and be home for work
the next day.
So I would choose that.
Speaker 7 (24:34):
That would be amazing , wouldn't it?
Yeah, yes, I agree with thatone.
What are some things, amy, thatyou do, of course, when you are
not working, and maybe outside?
You've shared some travelinterests, but what are some
other things you might do inyour free time, or some hobbies?
Speaker 5 (24:57):
Yeah, so again, I really like traveling.
My husband and I try to go toas many national parks as we can
and while we're there we do alot of hiking.
So I would say outdoorsy stuffkayaking, hiking are, all you
know, really fun hobbies.
But I also like playing certainsports, like the rec leagues
(25:21):
and just with friends.
So I play volleyball, sometimestennis and more importantly now
we play pickleball.
So that's been a lot of fun andI like to do yoga as well.
So just thanks to Get Me Moving, things that can kind of help
me connect with friends and havea good time.
(25:41):
So, yeah, Excellent.
Speaker 7 (25:44):
Excellent.
So as far as the national parks, do you have them like your
bucket list?
Are you near getting halfway orare you still working?
Speaker 5 (25:56):
So I'm not halfway.
I think I'm at around 25 or so.
Okay, but I've really beenhitting it hard because I think
around 20 of those have been inthe last three years.
So I definitely have a bucketlist of things, of ones I still
want to get to.
(26:16):
So, yeah, we're cleaning it out.
We're actually going to onethis weekend.
We're going to go to the SmokyMountains and hike a little bit.
But yeah, anytime I can getanother one checked off the list
is a good time.
Speaker 7 (26:29):
Yeah, that's neat.
Well, amy, as we wrap up, whatare any encouraging words you
might have for someone that'slistening in Maybe a member, but
maybe they're considering tojoin Naira?
Speaker 5 (26:47):
Yeah, I would just say it's a really great thing to
look into Something to try outand see if it suits your needs
and see if you enjoy it.
I always think it's just areally nice time to be with
like-minded people who are alldealing with some of the same
struggles that you have.
You know, chances are, ifyou're going through it, someone
(27:09):
else in that room has also gonethrough something like that.
So I would just encourageanyone who is in the HR space to
check that out.
It can really help just likekind of refresh your mind and
get some new ideas to helpthrough some of the things that
you might be going through.
So that's my advice.
I would definitely check it out.
Speaker 7 (27:32):
Awesome.
Thanks for sharing that for ourlisteners today.
And again, amy, I do want tothank you for participating in
the member spotlight.
It was great chatting with youtoday, so I do thank you.
Speaker 5 (27:46):
Yeah, absolutely.
Thank you so much and thanksfor that, thanks for your time
as well.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
Today we'd like to welcome Gerald Bush, our October
luncheon keynote.
Gerald is the owner of GBKBConsulting Consulting with
Purpose.
He's an influential and highlysuccessful human resource
consultant with over 15 years ofexperience delivering
consultative HR approaches withpersonal integrity, leading
(28:14):
critical evaluations, developingleaders, creating strategies,
communicating effectively acrossall levels of the organization
and managing innovative HRinitiatives.
He understands what it takes todevelop leaders, reduce
employee turnover, increaseemployee engagement, develop
consultative business solutionsand recommend programs that
(28:36):
align with the mission andvision of a corporation.
Welcome to the program, gerald.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Hey, Mike, thanks for the invite.
I'm excited to talk to youtoday.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
So, Gerald, you'll be talking about employee
engagement versus managerexcellence.
Who holds the key at ourOctober luncheon for Nira?
Can you give our listeners ataste of what to expect?
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Yeah, I think, as I explore this conversation, to
really think about what's reallygoing on with the employee
engagement and really who'sresponsible.
I think what we look at is whatstudies show us is that our
frontline managers make up about60% of our total manager
population.
And not only do they make up 6%of our manager population, but
(29:24):
they're responsible for directlysupervising or managing 80% of
our staffs.
So think about that number 60%of our managers are frontline.
They're managing 80% of ourstaff, but when we look at the
dollars that are invested backin education and training for
that group, mike, I thinkthere's less than 0.05% of the
(29:48):
company's overall dollarsinvested back in the training.
So, from that perspective,we're expecting our frontline
managers to do all of this workaround engagement, but we're not
giving them the tools that theyneed.
So think about it from thatperspective.
If we're expecting ourfrontline managers to
communicate, to make decisions,to be relationships, to be
(30:10):
solution focused, to beemotionally intelligent, what
are we doing as an organizationto invest back in them?
Because right now we'reexpecting a lot of them but
we're not doing the things thatwe need to do.
So the conversation and what Iwant to explore when I come to
Naira is really what do we dodifferent and who's really
(30:32):
responsible for employeeengagement?
Is it the frontline managers?
Is it the organization?
And let's flip that on his head.
If the frontline managers areresponsible for employee
engagement, then what do we dodifferent to equip them with the
skills necessary to do theirjob?
According to a recent study inGallup, it showed that 85% of
(30:56):
our employees are not engaged.
So if 85% of our employees arenot engaged, 80% of our
employees are supervised byfrontline managers.
6% of the entire population ofmanagers are frontline managers.
As an organization, we have tolook at things differently,
because if we continue to do thesame thing, we're doing and
(31:20):
expecting a different result.
There's a word out there forthat mic, and I'm not sure that
we really want to explore thatword, but it's insane for us to
think that our managers aregoing to be able to do all they
need to do when we're notinvesting back into them.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
Good point, Gerald.
Yeah, we really look forward tohaving you in October.
I understand that you are thepresident-elect of Indie Shurm
as well.
Can you tell us about thechapter and what you have in
store?
Speaker 2 (31:50):
Yeah, I mean so.
I am president-elect going into2025, and Indie Shurm has a
great legacy of presidents.
Our current president now isAlana, and she's doing a
phenomenal job of leading thechapter, and I think right now,
our focus is really on how do wegrow our chapter, how do we
reinvest in the community tomake sure that we're really the
(32:11):
organization where HRprofessionals come.
We're a really organizationwhere HR professionals seek
knowledge.
So we're really focused on howdo we better partner in our
community you know, whether it'swith chambers, whether it's
with other HR organizations orHR associations, because what we
learn over time is that wecan't be everything to everybody
(32:35):
.
However, if we're partners withother organizations who serve
our HR communities, then we'remaking the community better,
right, Whether it's we are theprimary source or we are pouring
into other HR communities thatare trying to grow their network
, that are feeding our network.
So I think, as we look at theIndie chapter, we are
(32:56):
supermagers, so we are thelargest chapter in the state of
Indiana.
We really have to focus on howdo we build relationships
outside of our community andoutside of the things that we've
been doing.
So we're really focused on that.
We have a great board ofdirectors, great membership and
program directors.
So I think we're working welltogether.
Mike and we're excited aboutthe rest of 2023 and really
(33:19):
excited about what's going on in2024.
And really one of the thingsthat we're focused on now is we
have an inclusion conferencecoming up here in October, so
that's really the focus for thelocal Indie chapter.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
Thanks, Gerald.
On a personal note, do you haveany hobbies?
Speaker 2 (33:39):
Yeah, I try to have hobbies, mike, but I think all
of my hobbies are reallycentered around family.
I have three kids.
I have a daughter who lives inFlorida, I have a son who plays
college baseball and I have ahigh school senior at Hamilton,
southeastern and for thefootwaying group, carol knocked
us out in the semi-states lastyear so we were not happy about
(34:01):
that.
So we played Carol first roundthis year, the first game, and
it was not a competition.
So I know that's going to stirit apart for the footwaying
group.
But I'm excited about footballand I love the sport and with
two kids that are activelyinvolved in college sports and
high school sport, most of myhobbies are really centered
(34:22):
around them.
And my wife and I travel a lotwith baseball.
My oldest son is in Tuskegee,alabama, playing baseball.
So between Tuskegee and thespring and football in the fall,
we are two low warriors and wesupport our kids and everything
they do.
And we're excited about myyounger son.
He is again a senior but he'llplay college football as well
(34:43):
and we're excited about his nextstep.
So as we continue to go andgrow, we know that our lives are
really centered around the kidsand their sports.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
That's great, gerald.
Excellent opportunity tosupport your kids in checking
out their sports activities.
Yeah, certainly the Fort Waynegroup and Carol may have a
little sour grapes, but Iunderstand your comments for
sure.
So, gerald, tell us about GBKBConsulting.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
Yeah, so, Mike, I spent about 20 years in
corporate America, had anopportunity to work for a lot of
great companies.
You know I spent some time inthe Air Force, worked for
companies like CVS Farmers.
Yeah, worked at the Ohio StateUniversity.
I worked at GARTS Sports andFoot Locker and Foot Action.
So I had an opportunity to workfor a lot of diverse companies
(35:40):
and over the last few years, Ileft corporate America in 2018,
really centered around what Ireally wanted to do and I wanted
freedom and flexibility.
So I launched GBKB Consultingin 2018 and really, GBKB
Consulting is Gerald Bush, KarenBush Consulting, so my wife
also do consulting work, andthat business really centered
(36:03):
around how do we helporganizations create the space
to be successful and buildingsustainability for the employees
.
So, whether it's throughcoaching, whether it's through
training, whether it's throughme coming in serving as their HR
partner for a while, mybusiness really focused on the
employees.
So think about it from thisperspective.
(36:24):
From the clients I'm currentlyworking with, I started working
with the client just as anindividual coach for that person
.
I spent about 18 months coachingher.
After we spent time coaching,the conversation was how do I
take this work into my team andgrow my team?
So that went from individualcoaching to group coaching for
(36:44):
her team and now I'm doing workwith the entire organization.
So my focus is really on how dowe take pieces of a part to
impact the entire organizationand we know that we can't do
everything at one time.
But my company really focusedon how do we create strategy,
whether it's individually ororganizationally, to create
(37:05):
success.
And what I've learned over thelast five years is that when
we're able to invest back inno-transcript, it impacts the
company in so many ways.
You know, whether we're talkingabout the employee engagement,
whether we're talking aboutmanager excellence, the
conversations, that when weinvest back in our people, it
shows in employee engagement, itshows in our bottom line, it
(37:29):
shows an employee turnover, itshows all the things that we
measure.
So my focus is really centeredaround how do I have
organizations createsustainability and success for
the employees.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
Fantastic, Gerald.
How would our listeners get intouch with you if they were
interested in doing businesstogether?
Speaker 2 (37:48):
Yeah, so I am on social media.
On LinkedIn, I'm at GBKBConsulting and Gerald Bush.
On Twitter, I'm at Gerald Bush14.
On Instagram, I'm at GeraldBush or GBKB Consulting.
So you can find me at GBKBConsulting really on all
platforms, or you can justsimply email me at Gerald
(38:11):
G-R-A-L-D at GBKB Consulting dotcom.
And you know, here's the thingfor me, mike, is I do this work
because I love it and also do itbecause I want to see the lives
around me change, not just forthem individually but for their
communities.
And my focus is really on ifwe're doing the work
(38:34):
individually, then there's noway that it does not impact the
organization, right?
Because I look at the work wedo as holistic.
I look at how do I take aperson and make them a better
human right?
How do I take an organizationand make them a better community
entity or provide in theircommunity?
Because when we're able toserve our families better, when
(38:58):
we're able to serve ouremployees better, when we're
able to serve our communitybetter, then we all win.
So really, the conversation ishow do we get connected and lead
and invest in our people?
Because when we do that, theemployee win, the more
importantly, the organizationwins.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
Excellent, Gerald.
Thank you so much for your timetoday.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
No, thank you, Mike.
I am excited and lookingforward to coming to Fort Wayne
and talking about thisconversation, because I think
it's a really importantconversation.
Right now, we have managers whoare stressed.
We have employees who are notengaged.
We have employees that arequite quitting.
We have managers throughout theorganization who's wondering I
(39:46):
can't hire people, I can't hirepeople, so I've got to give
someone else more work.
So we're given moreresponsibility and we don't do
something to impact this trend.
That's going on.
We're going to continue.
As we leave 2023 or go into2024, we're going to be digging
out of a hole deeper.
So I'm excited to have thisconversation and hopefully some
(40:10):
of the takeaways that we'llprovide will help the people in
the room step back and look atemployee engagement and invest
in the managers differently,because that's the key to our
success in 2023, but also goingforward.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
So for our listeners, please remember to register for
Gerald's upcoming discussion onWednesday, October 4th, from 11
to 1 at Sirudis.
Again, thanks for your timetoday, Gerald.
Thanks, Mike.
On the first day of school,what did the teachers say?
Her three favorite words wereJune, July and August.
Speaker 8 (40:56):
So I'd like to fill some people in on the nature of
what my role is with Disrupt HR.
So you know me as one of yourco-hosts here on Mic'd.
Now I'm heading this event withJulie and Nancy Stegmeier.
We're bringing this event toFort Wayne.
It's a Disrupt HR branded event, with Naira as one of the
(41:19):
partners in this event.
Speaker 1 (41:22):
Welcome to another episode of Mic'd.
I'm Mic and, together with Ed,we're diving into the exciting
world of HR innovation, with afocus on Disrupt HR.
If you've ever wondered howtraditional HR practices are
being shaken up and reimagined,this episode is for you.
So buckle up and get ready toexplore the realm of disruptive
(41:43):
HR practices that are changingthe game.
Speaker 8 (41:47):
Yeah, mike, joining us today we have Julie Hess.
She is a true Disruptor of HR.
She's an enthusiast of allthings HR and also the vice
president of HR at Master Spaws.
So welcome Julie.
Speaker 9 (42:02):
Thank you.
I'm a Disruptor of everything,just FYI.
I disrupt everything in my past.
Speaker 8 (42:08):
We need disruption, and disruption is coming to Fort
Wayne in the form of thisbeautiful event, and it's really
a pleasure to be able topartner up with Disrupt HR and
putting this here locally inFort Wayne.
I think it's a much neededtopic and it's going to be a
very engaging, enthusiastic time.
Speaker 1 (42:31):
So so to kick things off, Julie, what is Disrupt HR
for our listeners?
Speaker 9 (42:39):
Disrupt HR is a global movement that's
transforming how we think abouthuman resources.
It's all about challenging thestatus quo, breaking down
conventional norms and fosteringa culture of innovation within
HR.
Disrupt HR events, which takethe form of a fast-paced,
dynamic talks.
They bring together thoughtleaders and business enthusiasts
(42:59):
to share groundbreaking ideasthat are reshaping the HR
landscape.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
Well, that sounds interesting and exciting, which
whoever calls anythingHR-related exciting.
It's my understanding that thiswas something you really wanted
to make happen.
The NIRA organization.
Ed, can you comment on why youwanted Disrupt HR?
Speaker 8 (43:25):
Absolutely so.
My journey began when Irealized that traditional HR
practices were often fallingshort in addressing these
evolving needs in modernworkplaces, and what Disrupt HR
is doing is providing a platformfor HR professionals like
myself to share innovative,groundbreaking ideas and
(43:47):
challenge the old ways of doingthings and the old ways of
thinking, and the energy andpassion at Disrupt HR events
were infectious and, frankly, Iwas drawn to the opportunity to
contribute to the transformationof HR here locally in Northeast
Indiana.
Speaker 1 (44:04):
Well, that's inspiring.
So, julie, can you give us aglimpse into what a Disrupt HR
event is like?
Speaker 9 (44:12):
Absolutely A Disrupt.
Hr events are unlike any ofyour traditional HR conferences
that you've ever attended.
They're fast-paced and engaging.
The speakers just have a fewminutes to present their ideas.
They're given five minutestotal to present their ideas.
The talks are designed to beconcise, impactful and
thought-provoking.
Attendees can expect a diverserange of topics, from
(44:34):
reimagining performance reviewsto leveraging technology for
better candidate experiences.
It's actually a melting pot ofcreativity and innovation.
Speaker 1 (44:46):
It sounds like an amazing atmosphere for sparking
new ideas.
Can you share some memorabletalks or themes from past
Disrupt HR events?
That would give listeners anidea of what to expect.
Speaker 8 (44:59):
Absolutely so.
One talk that stood out to mewas about culture hacking the
idea of intentionally shapingcompany culture through
unconventional methods andanother memorable theme was the
future of work, so embracingautomation Now this talks about.
This talk delved into how HRcan leverage automation to
(45:21):
streamline processes whilecreating a space that's more
meaningful for humaninteractions so essentially
using data to drive decisionsand more meaningful interactions
.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
So, julie, for HR professionals who might be
hesitant to embrace disruption,what advice would you offer to
help them?
What advice would you offer tohelp take them that first step
towards integrating innovativepractices into their HR
strategies?
Speaker 9 (45:51):
Go bigger, go home.
Sorry, no, that's just the wayI, that's the way I roll, but
that's a great question, becausenot everybody does it that way.
My advice would actually be tostart small.
Identify one aspect of your HRprocesses that could benefit
from some innovation, whetherit's recruitment, onboarding,
performance management,leadership, development,
experience with new approaches,measure results and be open to
(46:13):
learning from your failures.
Remember that disruption isn'tabout abandoning everything you
know.
It's about evolving andadapting to the changing needs
of the organization.
Speaker 1 (46:23):
Thank you for that, Julie.
As we wrap up, Ed, what do yousee as the future of Disrupt HR
and its impact on the HRlandscape right here in Fort
Wayne?
Speaker 8 (46:34):
Well, mike, I think the future is truly incredibly
promising.
Disrupt HR is gaining a ton ofmomentum worldwide, and I
believe that it will trulycontinue to push the boundaries
and challenge traditional HRnorms.
That is what we need, and thekey for me is that we need to be
focused on pushing thoseboundaries right here in
(46:54):
Northeast Indiana, and it startswith this event, it starts with
all of us, and what I hope tosee is even more collaboration
between HR professionals,business leaders, tech
innovators really to reshape howwe manage our most valuable
resource our people.
Speaker 1 (47:12):
So, julie, where and when is this event taking place?
Speaker 9 (47:16):
I am happy to say that Disrupt HR Fort Wayne is
going to be taking place onOctober 26th, from 6 to 8.
We're going to be at BergstaffPlace on East Washington.
This is HR professionals, adultbeverages and great
conversation.
Speaker 1 (47:32):
Ed.
How can those interested inattending find out more and
register?
Speaker 8 (47:37):
Well, thanks for asking, mike, so they can visit
disrupthrfwcom.
So that's disrupthrfwcom.
We'd also love to have youfollow us on LinkedIn for the
latest updates on speakers andtopics and then really disrupt,
disrupting innovation.
Since Nira is a partneringsponsor, they've agreed for us
(47:59):
to have our meeting informationon their website, so you can
also visit niraorg as well.
Speaker 1 (48:07):
And if anyone is interested in applying to be a
speaker, we would love to hearfrom you.
You can apply to speak at thesame site.
So that wraps up in talkingabout disrupt HR and taking a
deeper dive into its currentshere in Fort Wayne and its game
changing impact on HR practicesright here in Northeast Indiana.
(48:29):
So thank you Julie, thank youEd.
Speaker 9 (48:31):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (48:32):
Thank you.
Today we're going to talk aboutwhat to do when increasing pay
doesn't help your employeeretention.
We have with us BrittanyIsamnon, founding principal of
Stoke Fire, bringing structuralintegrity to leaders and their
organizations, building capacityfor their mission advancement.
(48:52):
She serves on the employeeretention advisory board for
HRcom, sharing best practices,insights, expertise and advice
on the research initiative thestate of employee retention in
2023, helping senior executivesfully understand the importance
of employee retention and guideindustry change.
(49:15):
She's also an organizationaleffectiveness panelist for the
work culture debates featured onthe third Monday of each month.
She debates three expertconsultants on topics that keep
executives up at night andserves on the Nira member
retention committee.
Brittany, welcome to theprogram Great to be here.
Speaker 10 (49:39):
Thanks for hosting me.
Speaker 1 (49:42):
So tell us what you think about our topic today.
What increasing pay?
And it doesn't seem to make abig difference on our employee
retention.
What can you share with ourlisteners?
Speaker 10 (49:56):
Yeah, it used to be a lever that worked pretty well
that we could bump up pay and wewould see a bump in our
retention rates.
But if you increase pay andyour turnover remains higher
than you want it to be, thereare fundamental reasons why
you're not getting thatretention bump that you used to.
(50:17):
If you find yourself in thissituation, the best question you
can ask is how connected do ouremployees feel to our company's
mission, even if you're payingmore than any other gig in town?
If the cost to their health andwell-being in personal
relationships they feel is toohigh and if your employee can't
(50:42):
connect what they'recontributing to the mission that
they care about, then the moneystarts looking an awful lot
like a curse.
So I said there were somefundamental reasons.
One reason is that raisesaren't compelling enough.
Is that money is just money,it's not personal.
That used to not matter, itabsolutely matters.
(51:06):
Now I will give.
I'll give an example, so microexample, if we narrow our focus
down to say employeeappreciation gifts.
Let's say, last year youdecided to give your employees a
$25 gas card as a way of sayingthank you for helping you pull
your organization through areally tough quarter.
(51:28):
Every employee gets one.
It's a big expense to yourcompany, but it's worth it to
you to say thank you Now.
The research says that within afew weeks people forget who
they get gift cards from.
If those gift cards that yougave them came with handwritten
(51:49):
notes from the employeesupervisor and the notes had
specific details about the thingthat the supervisor noticed
that the employee did thathelped pull the organization
forward during that tough time,that's the part of the gift that
will be remembered and kept,even treasured, by some
employees long after they use upthat gift card that in the
(52:12):
moment that they use it theydon't even remember who they got
it from anyway.
So that's one micro example.
Speaker 1 (52:20):
Okay.
So Brittany, what about thecompany again that has increased
pay, added benefits, evenstarted offering flexible work,
but still can't get theirturnover to a good place?
What can they do?
Speaker 10 (52:36):
Yeah, sometimes your employees do need more money so
that their families can stayhoused and medical bills paid,
and sometimes your employeesneed more money because they're
underpaid against the market.
Giving them that money, addingbenefits, offering flexible work
, isn't necessarily a badshort-term move.
(52:56):
It can delay them thinkingabout moving somewhere else, but
there's nothing about moneythat more securely connects them
to your company specificallybecause any company can give
them money, benefits, evenflexible work arrangements.
(53:17):
If you're serious aboutlong-term retention and you want
a solution that lasts years anddecades instead of a few months
, measure and analyze thatconnectedness of your employees
to your mission.
Again, they are bad moves.
You know the more benefitsflexible work, but if they
aren't effective for you, thereare actually concrete moves that
(53:40):
you can make to not only findout why they aren't effective
and identify what will beeffective for you, and it
absolutely comes down to theconnectedness and the alignment
of the employees to your mission.
One of the I see it as a risk inthe whole HR field is that so
many HR professionals,especially when they are alone
(54:04):
in the organization they're theentire HR function or they're in
small teams is that they tendto get really their time gets
really pulled down with a lot ofminutia, and what happens then
is when you need to switch intostrategic mode or really solve a
big problem.
(54:26):
We tend to pull from the popculture around us and what's
working really well for theorganizations that we know of or
are connected to.
So, for example, if you hear aconference speaker, then they
must know what they're talkingabout, because they were paid
$10,000 to speak on the stage,right?
So you better listen up andthey probably have the right
solution.
(54:46):
But the huge risk in adopting atactic or an initiative that
someone said worked for them isthat it's not going to work with
you if it's not aligned withwho your organization is.
It does not matter howingenious the idea is, it
doesn't matter how well itworked for this other company
(55:09):
that maybe even does the samething that you do.
Every move that you make has tobe aligned with who you are and
where you want to go.
Speaker 1 (55:20):
So, brittany, what do you say to like the small
company or nonprofit that canafford to be the best paying
place in town or doesn't havethe leverage to provide the best
benefits?
How can they can compete andretain their employees.
Speaker 10 (55:38):
Yeah, so a lot of these size of companies will
really lean into mission.
You're making a difference inthe world and that's a good
thing to lead with.
But if you want the employee toabsolutely stay with your
company, you're going to needmore than just we are doing an
(55:59):
important thing you need toconnect what they're doing with
their teammates, the people thatare around them, and show how
every action that they do pullsthe entire organization forward.
That creates internalmotivation that money just can't
, assuming that they're able tomake a living on what you're
(56:20):
paying them.
That connection, that seeingwhat they care about is aligned
with the organization and notjust that they exist in an
organization that's doingsomething that they care about,
but that their specific workabsolutely helps the
organization get to missionachievement and do that thing
(56:41):
out in the community that theyreally want to see in the world.
In Stoke Fair we call thisundenting the world.
Steve Jobs at one point said hehad this vision of leaving his
dent on the world and that weall want to leave a dent on the
world.
But at Stoke Fire we see ourwork as undenting the world and
(57:04):
I think a lot of HR managersfeel similarly if they can help
their employees see how theymake the world a better place,
not just leaving their mark forthe mark's sake, but helping
solve these really sticky, tough, deep problems that we've had
on the planet.
That's when people want tostick with you.
(57:25):
They want to see it to the end.
They want to help you workthrough big problems that are
maybe outside of their jobdescription.
Speaker 1 (57:36):
Brittany, you mentioned your organization,
Stoke Fire.
How can your organization comealongside or help support an
organization that's looking toreally address employee
retention or make somesignificant changes to keep
(57:56):
their workforce?
Speaker 10 (57:59):
Yeah, Stoke Fire.
Strength is really when anorganization either has a
massive problem they've beendealing with for years or
decades that hasn't been able tobe solved, or has a massive
goal that everyone is saying isimpossible.
Employee retention often playsinto that.
We find ourselves being pulledinto companies where they might
(58:20):
have had five or six consultantscome through in the last decade
trying to get at eitherretention or a parallel
challenge.
So if you're feeling reallystuck, everything feels foggy or
tangled.
That's where we excel.
We have an assessment that'spulled from a model that was
(58:42):
created internal to Stoke Fireand what we do is we get
underneath.
So many retention consultantsmake their living putting
band-aids on companies and notletting companies know that's
what's happening, because theyfeel like they'd be out of
business if they actually solvethe deeper problem for the
company.
So instead of coming in andsolving your retention, we find
(59:06):
out what is every singlecontrollable level that you can
pull that not only solves yourretention long term but the
other challenges that you keepseeing popping up beside it.
And what this does is it pullsto the surface all of the good
options for a path forward thatyou have and you can prioritize
(59:29):
what you'll fix in what order,to what depth, based on where
you want the organization to bein three or seven years.
Speaker 1 (59:40):
Brittany, before I ask you for any parting thoughts
, tell us about your program onthe work culture debates that
you offer every third Monday.
Speaker 10 (59:53):
Yes, yes, so this is a monthly event.
It is with four otherorganizational effectiveness
experts that are across the USand Puerto Rico.
Each month, we identify a topicthat applies to a lot of
organizations and is somethingthat can get really sticky or
tangled.
So we've talked about layoffsand culture before, during after
(01:00:18):
mergers and acquisitions.
This month, we had a debatearound AI and how to leverage it
without both freaking out yourentire workforce and also
without losing control in theway that you use it.
There's a lot of legality thathasn't been ironed out, of
course, with AI.
So those challenges, some ofthem that are at the very edge
(01:00:40):
of the future of the work thatwe're doing, some of the
challenges that have been aroundfor a long time, but how we
tackle them is different nowthan it was even just five years
ago.
It's on LinkedIn.
The work culture debates hasits own page.
You can follow us in the live.
We'll pop up for you.
But, yes, every third Monday ofthe month at noon Eastern time,
(01:01:02):
we go live.
You can either send inquestions anonymously ahead of
time or you can pop in and quizus right there.
That's our favorite when peopleput questions to us and have us
debate the answer live.
Speaker 1 (01:01:16):
Sounds like a real engaging program, Brittany.
Speaker 10 (01:01:20):
Yeah, I learn a lot every month and sometimes I feel
guilty.
I feel like a learner more thanthe expert.
But yeah, it is reallyinteresting to see how
everybody's different work playsinto it and their experiences
and stories that they can pullin.
Speaker 1 (01:01:35):
So do you have any parting thoughts to share with
our listeners?
Speaker 10 (01:01:42):
Retention is really sticky.
It's different for everyone.
I would really encourage peopleto resist looking for things
that have worked for you and ifyou're a learner people are
really you know innovativesounding ideas or expensive
programs.
Turn inward first.
(01:02:02):
Push aside your beliefs aboutwhat you think your employees
believe or want to expect, andgo find out objectively.
That's square one.
That will allow you to identifyexactly where your
administration's or leadership'sbeliefs, wants and expectations
do, and that data will beabsolutely unique to your
(01:02:22):
organization.
And then you can build aprogram that pulls all of your
workforce into alignment withwho you are and where you're
headed, and they will feel thatdown to a singular person.
So not only will your programwork in the short term for your
retention, but it will work foryears into the future because
it's built on the foundationthat is your core.
(01:02:44):
It wasn't just a good idea thatyou pulled in and applied.
Speaker 1 (01:02:51):
Thank you, Brittany.
And if our listeners wanted toreach out to Stokefire or
yourself to engage, how wouldthey do that?
Speaker 10 (01:03:04):
You can read all about us at stokefirecom.
Follow one word or find me onLinkedIn.
I'm happy to talk with you, andyou can also find us on
LinkedIn at stokefirecom.
Speaker 1 (01:03:17):
Thanks for your time today, Brittany.
Speaker 10 (01:03:19):
Thanks, mike, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (01:03:23):
I'd like to thank all of our guests that we had today
.
That's all the time we have.
See you next time on Mike's.
Speaker 3 (01:04:12):
Thank you.
We'd like to welcome the following new members to
Nira Brian Dumford, dutch Maid,sam Snyder, chevron Group, alana
Stuttelmeyer, o'daniel OttoLogan Bianski, corporal Holdings
, kelly Miller Act TalentServices, samantha Deenolt, phil
(00:29):
Wright, juliet Solkowalski,partner First Credit Union, and
Rachel Quick, jam Center.
Today we'll be featuring AlanHoward, our membership director,
and Gracie Dussot, ourretention director, to introduce
themselves.
(00:49):
Alan and Gracie, welcome to theprogram.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
So we'll start off with Alan.
Tell us about yourself and whatNira means to you.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Yeah, I'm an employee benefits consultant at Gibson.
We work with HR teams toimplement their employee
benefits programs.
As far as what Nira means to meme and my specific role I'm
really kind of the liaisonbetween HR plan participants and
back to our consulting team,the carriers, to make sure that
we're driving strategies thatreally kind of help them own
(01:29):
their plans, I guess.
But what Nira means to memostly is it's been a catalyst
for personal and professionalgrowth.
It's provided me with so manyinvaluable networking
opportunities, allowing me toconnect with like-minded
individuals and industry experts.
Through Nira, I have access toreally cutting edge resources
workshops, conferences whichhave enhanced my knowledge and
(01:50):
skills in the HR field as well,as it's given me a strong sense
of belonging and support,fostering both my confidence and
passion for advancing the HRpractices.
It's really a great, vibrantplatform for continuous learning
and development and I'm just sograteful for the positive
impact it's had on my careerjourney.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Thank you for that, alan Gracie.
How about you Tell us aboutyourself and what Nira means to
you as well?
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Yeah.
So right now I'm working as anoperations manager at Embassy
Wealth Advisors through a mayorprize financial, and I am
basically doing a mix betweenpeople management and process
management, which are two of myfavorite things about HR,
because you are investing inpeople.
(02:36):
And the Stanley Randall has agreat quote the closest to
perfection a person ever comesis when he fills out a job
application form.
I love that quote because itapplies both to my job right now
and to Nira as a whole and whatI enjoy about HR, because
(02:58):
people are constantly looking tobe their best, be excellent,
and they join the job field.
And then those of us who arealready in HR, we get the chance
to show them what they're goodat and increase their strengths
and talents and just help themfeel both welcome and challenged
to do their best.
So I get to do that from aretention standpoint.
(03:22):
Coming in, you see me as afriendly face at the
registration table at themonthly lunches and that
provides me a little touch baseof relationships and just
getting to meet the people inNortheast Indiana that care
about people.
That's our end goal for HR.
That's now my end goal foroperations and figuring out how
(03:45):
to efficiently and effectivelyhelp people see their value so
that they're no longer lookingat themselves for perfection
reasons but they're looking atthemselves as a bigger part of a
whole.
That is my goal in retentionand in Nira, and I just love
that.
We have people that care inNortheast Indiana about
(04:09):
strategic planning.
We care about constant changeand we want to be on the cutting
edge, but we also want tofellowship with the quirky other
people that enjoy HR, which isa big part of Nira.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
I think she's talking about me, Mike.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Yes, absolutely Very good.
Yes, yes, thank you, gracie.
So, allyn and or Gracie, youguys kind of both already
touched on this or part of it,but why should our listeners
either become members of Nira ifthey already are, help recruit
others to join the cause or,most importantly, stick with us
(04:50):
and be part of our organization?
Speaker 4 (04:55):
That's a great question.
I think when they're joining, ifthey meet Allyn alone, they'll
want to join because he embodiesall of HR's joy and balance.
I don't know how the people onthe board and anyone that I've
ever met in Nira gets everythingdone that they have on their
(05:15):
plate and still has a balance inlife, but it's really cool.
I think that art is what makesme see the value of Nira.
You get to grow in your careerby being a part of this
organization and it encouragesyou to participate in
programming and encourages youto just want to be around people
(05:38):
that want to do their best.
Then you're constantly hearingand seeing other people that you
would never interact with inyour daily life because HR
people were all representingdifferent companies.
So it's very fun.
Again, you get people likeJulie Hess and Allyn Howard and
Ed and Morgan Lewis that younever get to see them in the
(06:03):
rest of your life.
But you get to see them at Niraand I've learned a lot from
members of our board and membersof our Nira platform that I
would never hear about otherwise.
You provide a lot of value.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
You're absolutely on.
It's just such a supportivecommunity.
I think I've been a part ofNira for I don't know call it
eight years now on the board forjust eight months, but it's
been just so much fun to be apart of and I think just seeing
everybody's personalities comeout when we get to get into a
neutral space and see this ishow Gracie interacts outside of
(06:41):
work.
This is how we're seeingfriendships being created.
But even beyond that, I mean, Ithink it's just there's such a
commitment to professionalexcellence and I think it's just
such a gateway to a thriving HR.
Whether you want to make anelastic impact on your
organization, advance yourcareer, there's so many
different, unparalleledopportunities.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Well, we really appreciate both of your efforts.
I know that you've both workedreally hard with the
organization.
Are we up to over 400 members?
Alan?
Speaker 3 (07:13):
We are.
We're actually approachingclose to about 430,.
I believe.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Oh, that's fantastic.
Yeah, and again, not onlybecoming members, but retaining
them.
Both you and Gracie have done afantastic job, as well as your
committees, to drive attendanceand participation towards the
chapter, and we just really wantto thank you for your efforts
(07:39):
and all that you do for Nairaand our SHIRM chapter in the
state of Indiana.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Yeah, I appreciate that.
I appreciate that Really youknow the conscious effort from
everybody.
I think you know we wouldn't bewhat we are without the
contributions that everybodymakes so, but thank you for that
.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
Awesome.
Thanks, Mike.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
So welcome to Mike.
Today I have Carly BuchananPresident-Elect, and Carly has
recently posted somethingintriguing on LinkedIn about
work-life balance and I think ithas had 2,500-plus views.
So, Carly, welcome to theprogram.
Speaker 6 (08:22):
Hey, thank you so much for having me, mike.
You know I love joining thesepodcasts.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
So, Carly, can you just for our listeners' sake, go
ahead and read your post.
Speaker 6 (08:33):
Absolutely so.
It started with an image thatsays when we should take a break
and then when we actually takea break.
That was the image on there,but let me share you what I
wrote.
Vulnerable post alert.
This year was the year itfinally clicked for me after 16
years' professional workexperience.
In February I planned out mywhole year's vacation and
(08:53):
work-life balance plan.
I looked deep into my calendarand determined when I needed or
wanted breaks this year and Iimmediately blocked those days
out and requested them asvacation.
Extra credit.
As things popped up this yearon my schedule or calendar, I
have not canceled any of mypre-planned vacation.
All of the story be intentionalplan your breaks, your
(09:17):
vacations, your mental healthboundaries.
Stick to your plan.
Do not let yourself burn outwhen you could have set proper
boundaries and preparation thatyou could have established
earlier in the year.
And I said pro-tip find a greatcompany and leaders who stand
behind you and your balance andyour boundaries.
My leaders and my companyactually celebrate my vacations
(09:39):
with me and my time off and theyhigh-five me as I leave for my
days off and I said how cool isthat?
You should find that.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
I so much agree with that and we have to be
intentional about our work-lifebalance or we will burn
ourselves out.
I think.
If anything over the past threeyears, in particular with COVID
, it's definitely challenged notjust team and resource
professionals but everyone inthe workplace.
Speaker 6 (10:07):
Well, and often I tell people that my job is
dealing with people all day, sothey're either pouring
situations or issues or emotions, organizational things that pop
up in the day.
So the whole day you're justgiving yourself your mental
capacity to your employees, yourmanagers, your owners, your
(10:28):
executives, so you can burn out,I think, more in human
resources in such a role whereyou're giving to others all day.
So I think it's very importantfor anyone that's a member of
Nira or SHRM or HR professionalsto really start to think about.
So how are you settingboundaries?
And it started with me beingvulnerable and sharing my story
(10:52):
and how I did that this year.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
So in closing, carly we talked about this having
2,500, basically, views Werethere any particular feedback or
posts from others that you'dlike to share that you thought
were encouraging or motivational?
Speaker 6 (11:15):
Absolutely.
I'll shout out one of ourmembers of Nira, amy Lynn Graff.
She says this takes suchdiscipline and forethought and
it just makes a huge differencewhen you plan things out, and
she high-fived me for protectingmy well-being.
Some of my former colleaguesdid a little ha-ha comment.
I knew you'd figure it outsomeday, carly and it's just a
(11:38):
lot of different great advice.
We all need to do this Beintentional.
Thank you for sharing so.
I think, at the end of the day,it just is a post that hits
home when HR professionals areputting in the hours, pouring
their heart and soul into theiremployees, their organizations.
But what are we doing forourself?
And be intentional, set thoseboundaries and stick to it.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
It's a great reminder .
Thank you so much.
Speaker 7 (12:05):
Hello everyone.
This is Anne.
I'm the at-large board memberwith Nira, and today on our
member spotlight I have Amy Loy,formerly Amy Hietrich, who's
our HR manager at Fort WayneMetals.
Welcome, amy.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
Hello, thanks, anne, appreciate it.
Speaker 7 (12:27):
So, Amy, I believe if I'm not wrong here, I think we
both actually kind of have a orstarted as Nira members the same
time.
So how long have you been aNira member, Sasha?
Speaker 5 (12:42):
it's been a while.
I think I started back in 2015,.
Started tagging along back whenI was just an intern, so about
2015.
Speaker 7 (12:54):
Okay, so several years?
Yeah On that, amy, are you aSHIRM member?
Speaker 5 (13:03):
Yes, I am.
I'm a SHIRM member and I thinkI've been a SHIRM member since
around the same time, and I dohave my SHIRM CP certification.
I got that in 2017.
Speaker 7 (13:20):
Okay, okay, so have you been a member for several
years, yeah.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
Been a member the whole time.
I really enjoy being a SHIRMmember.
Being an IR member, shirmdefinitely helps me out in tough
situations when I need somequick answers, being able to log
onto their website and pull uparticles or get some guidance.
(13:54):
So yeah, I've been a member fora long time and, honestly, I
don't know if I could do my jobwithout being a SHIRM member.
Speaker 7 (14:01):
Yeah, absolutely, it's definitely a very helpful
resource, for sure, yep.
So, amy, tell me, or tell ourlisteners, if you could share
why you chose the humanresources profession or kind of
what was your journey in that.
Speaker 5 (14:21):
Yeah, yeah.
So I actually started out whenI was in college.
I started out pursuing amarketing degree.
That's just where when I was asenior in high school, that's
where I thought I was going toend up.
So I started out kind of goingdown that path.
I ended up having a failedinternship one summer during
(14:44):
college and it was just not forme.
It was at the time was a littlebit boring, I'm not going to
lie.
But I was always interested atthat company I was at.
I was interested in what thehuman resources group was doing.
I thought it was fun that theygot to pick when people wore
their favorite sports jerseysfor the World Cup.
(15:07):
So that just kind of got meintrigued.
I thought that was fun.
But since then, obviously, myreason for this profession has
evolved over time.
I really appreciate just thefact that it's something
different every single day.
(15:27):
You walk in.
You have no clue what's goingto come up and I really
appreciate that differentvariety.
And, yeah, I like that there issome structure and I like that
you can be working with peopleon a daily basis.
But I also like that it'schallenging and there's a lot of
situational judgment that hasto happen.
(15:49):
So it ended up being a reallygood fit for me and after that
first internship I ended upgetting an internship at Fort
Wayne Metals in the trainingarea, got to learn a lot of
those aspects and landed in HRafter that and just really
really have appreciated andliked it as a career.
Speaker 7 (16:12):
OK, it sounds like your journey has certainly kind
of opened those doors, you know,in stepping stones or just in a
different area, so that seemsreally like that's been a great
path for you.
You kind of answered.
I was going to ask you what doyou enjoy most about it?
(16:34):
It sounds like you enjoy, likeyou mentioned, a variety of
different things and challenges.
Is there anything you'd like toadd that you do enjoy the most
about HR?
Speaker 5 (16:49):
Yeah, I would say those are the main things.
I really have enjoyed workingclosely with my team.
We go through so many toughsituations on a daily basis and
it's fun to just be able to lookback and laugh about some of
them and just be there for eachother, and so I think some of
(17:09):
the relationships that I'vebuilt while working in human
resources has been definitelyone of the positives of that
profession.
But I just like interactingwith employees.
I like making their day,helping them through tough
situations and also getting achance to partner with managers
(17:31):
through tough situations.
So, yeah, those are some of thethings I really enjoy about it.
Speaker 7 (17:38):
OK, thanks for sharing those.
So what aspects do you feel Amyhave changed the most over
these past few years, especiallyin HR or human resources?
Speaker 5 (17:53):
Yeah, definitely have seen a lot of changes over the
last few years, especially, Ithink COVID really rocked our
world, rocked a lot of people'sworlds but definitely
experiencing some of the effectsof the changes in the labor
market.
I remember when I was firststarting out here at Fort Wayne
(18:16):
Metals we had a line of peoplewaiting to get in.
We had a queue ready to go ofpeople whenever we had an
opening.
And now it's not that wedefinitely have a big amount of
openings, so we've had to reallychange the way we interact with
(18:37):
the labor market.
And then I've also seen achange in people's mental health
and I think that that affectsthe labor market in a lot of
ways and HR in a lot of ways.
You have to figure out whatpeople are going through and how
can we adjust policies to helpthem but still make it fair to
(18:59):
everyone.
That's been a huge, hugeobstacle and something that
we've had to work through quitea bit of.
Like our policies givingflexibility to people in tough
times Are they still meeting theneeds of operations?
We've really had to reexamine alot of our policies.
So I think that's been a hugechange over the last few years
(19:23):
just the crazy demands and justtrying to keep up with it all.
Speaker 7 (19:29):
I agree, and thanks for actually bringing that topic
up.
I think that's what you statedis just really critical right
now with the well-being of ouremployees and, like you said,
adjusting policies or reviewingthem.
So that's excellent, amy,thanks for sharing that.
What do you consider to be themost beneficial experience about
(19:56):
being a NIRA member?
Speaker 5 (20:00):
I am always a real big fan of the different
speakers.
I really appreciate being ableto take time out of the crazy
hectic schedule to be able tojust go to the lunch and listen
to a new speaker, someone whocan kind of give a different
perspective on something thatwe're going through or help
(20:24):
motivate you just a little bit.
I guess I always kind of comeout of those meetings with a lot
of new ideas and just kind of achange on a different
perspective, which is reallynice.
So whether that's those monthlyluncheons or the conference, I
really just enjoy listening tospeakers.
(20:44):
It always seems like there'ssomeone who's speaking on
exactly what I'm going through,so I always really appreciate
that.
Speaker 7 (20:53):
Oh, great, great.
So that's good to hear.
What about a favorite?
You mentioned you enjoy most ofthem, but do you have a
favorite or one that's amemorable speaker at one of our
luncheons?
Speaker 5 (21:06):
I was thinking this through and I one that we talked
about on our team quite a bitafter the fact was the Jeff
Hortis, when he spoke at thelast NIRA conference about crap
and that really I don't know ifpeople were there they remember
(21:27):
what it was, but he talked aboutsharing crap with your
employees and that stood forcarrying respect, appreciation
and praise, and I feel like thatwas a really good reminder of
something that we need tocontinually share with our
managers that like, hey, listen,you know, are you giving, are
(21:48):
you showing care, are youshowing respect to them, are you
showing appreciation, are youpraising them?
So we, you know, not only didwe had a good laugh and talk
about that one for a while, butit was a really good reminder to
be able to, I guess, share someof those things with managers
and kind of bring your focusback to that.
Speaker 7 (22:10):
Yes, I agree, I was able to myself attend that one
and I think that's a memorableacronym and I think it did stick
out as well, absolutely Well.
I have a few questions that area little more lighter fun just
to kind of learn a little moreabout you.
(22:32):
Amy, a song that you would wantplayed every time you walked
into a room for the rest of yourlife.
What song would you choose, andwhy?
Speaker 5 (22:47):
It's funny.
I've actually answered thisquestion before.
My husband and I have a jokewhere it's not a joke.
Actually, whenever we, wheneveryou're traveling and you just
land on an airport, you'rewalking on the airplane and
you're like ready to go for yournew vacation, You're so excited
(23:07):
to get out and explore.
We have a song like a pump upsong that you play getting off
the airport, and I know that'skind of nerdy of us, but we have
our own song where we're likeyes, we're going to, we're on
vacation, Life is good.
So I would choose the same songfor this If I was walking into
a room every time.
I'm not sure how appropriate itis, but bust a move.
(23:30):
Gotta be one of my favoritesongs.
It just just the right beat forme, so I would go with that
song, Okay that's great, that isreally great.
Speaker 7 (23:42):
Oh, I'm just kind of thinking now.
It's like you get a tune whenyou know, when you have that,
what you share, and then I'velike got that tune going through
my mind.
Well, what about superpowers?
If you could choose anysuperpower, what would you
choose and why?
Speaker 5 (24:02):
Oh, that's a good one .
I think again, I really lovetraveling and I love going new
places.
So I think I would choose to dosome sort of teleportation
where I could just snap myfingers and be in a new country
or be in a new spot.
(24:23):
You know, maybe just snap myfingers and go to New York City
for the evening and then snap myfingers and be home for work
the next day.
So I would choose that.
Speaker 7 (24:34):
That would be amazing , wouldn't it?
Yeah, yes, I agree with thatone.
What are some things, amy, thatyou do, of course, when you are
not working, and maybe outside?
You've shared some travelinterests, but what are some
other things you might do inyour free time, or some hobbies?
Speaker 5 (24:57):
Yeah, so again, I really like traveling.
My husband and I try to go toas many national parks as we can
and while we're there we do alot of hiking.
So I would say outdoorsy stuffkayaking, hiking are, all you
know, really fun hobbies.
But I also like playing certainsports, like the rec leagues
(25:21):
and just with friends.
So I play volleyball, sometimestennis and more importantly now
we play pickleball.
So that's been a lot of fun andI like to do yoga as well.
So just thanks to Get Me Moving, things that can kind of help
me connect with friends and havea good time.
(25:41):
So, yeah, Excellent.
Speaker 7 (25:44):
Excellent.
So as far as the national parks, do you have them like your
bucket list?
Are you near getting halfway orare you still working?
Speaker 5 (25:56):
So I'm not halfway.
I think I'm at around 25 or so.
Okay, but I've really beenhitting it hard because I think
around 20 of those have been inthe last three years.
So I definitely have a bucketlist of things, of ones I still
want to get to.
(26:16):
So, yeah, we're cleaning it out.
We're actually going to onethis weekend.
We're going to go to the SmokyMountains and hike a little bit.
But yeah, anytime I can getanother one checked off the list
is a good time.
Speaker 7 (26:29):
Yeah, that's neat.
Well, amy, as we wrap up, whatare any encouraging words you
might have for someone that'slistening in Maybe a member, but
maybe they're considering tojoin Naira?
Speaker 5 (26:47):
Yeah, I would just say it's a really great thing to
look into Something to try outand see if it suits your needs
and see if you enjoy it.
I always think it's just areally nice time to be with
like-minded people who are alldealing with some of the same
struggles that you have.
You know, chances are, ifyou're going through it, someone
(27:09):
else in that room has also gonethrough something like that.
So I would just encourageanyone who is in the HR space to
check that out.
It can really help just likekind of refresh your mind and
get some new ideas to helpthrough some of the things that
you might be going through.
So that's my advice.
I would definitely check it out.
Speaker 7 (27:32):
Awesome.
Thanks for sharing that for ourlisteners today.
And again, amy, I do want tothank you for participating in
the member spotlight.
It was great chatting with youtoday, so I do thank you.
Speaker 5 (27:46):
Yeah, absolutely.
Thank you so much and thanksfor that, thanks for your time
as well.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
Today we'd like to welcome Gerald Bush, our October
luncheon keynote.
Gerald is the owner of GBKBConsulting Consulting with
Purpose.
He's an influential and highlysuccessful human resource
consultant with over 15 years ofexperience delivering
consultative HR approaches withpersonal integrity, leading
(28:14):
critical evaluations, developingleaders, creating strategies,
communicating effectively acrossall levels of the organization
and managing innovative HRinitiatives.
He understands what it takes todevelop leaders, reduce
employee turnover, increaseemployee engagement, develop
consultative business solutionsand recommend programs that
(28:36):
align with the mission andvision of a corporation.
Welcome to the program, gerald.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Hey, Mike, thanks for the invite.
I'm excited to talk to youtoday.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
So, Gerald, you'll be talking about employee
engagement versus managerexcellence.
Who holds the key at ourOctober luncheon for Nira?
Can you give our listeners ataste of what to expect?
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Yeah, I think, as I explore this conversation, to
really think about what's reallygoing on with the employee
engagement and really who'sresponsible.
I think what we look at is whatstudies show us is that our
frontline managers make up about60% of our total manager
population.
And not only do they make up 6%of our manager population, but
(29:24):
they're responsible for directlysupervising or managing 80% of
our staffs.
So think about that number 60%of our managers are frontline.
They're managing 80% of ourstaff, but when we look at the
dollars that are invested backin education and training for
that group, mike, I thinkthere's less than 0.05% of the
(29:48):
company's overall dollarsinvested back in the training.
So, from that perspective,we're expecting our frontline
managers to do all of this workaround engagement, but we're not
giving them the tools that theyneed.
So think about it from thatperspective.
If we're expecting ourfrontline managers to
communicate, to make decisions,to be relationships, to be
(30:10):
solution focused, to beemotionally intelligent, what
are we doing as an organizationto invest back in them?
Because right now we'reexpecting a lot of them but
we're not doing the things thatwe need to do.
So the conversation and what Iwant to explore when I come to
Naira is really what do we dodifferent and who's really
(30:32):
responsible for employeeengagement?
Is it the frontline managers?
Is it the organization?
And let's flip that on his head.
If the frontline managers areresponsible for employee
engagement, then what do we dodifferent to equip them with the
skills necessary to do theirjob?
According to a recent study inGallup, it showed that 85% of
(30:56):
our employees are not engaged.
So if 85% of our employees arenot engaged, 80% of our
employees are supervised byfrontline managers.
6% of the entire population ofmanagers are frontline managers.
As an organization, we have tolook at things differently,
because if we continue to do thesame thing, we're doing and
(31:20):
expecting a different result.
There's a word out there forthat mic, and I'm not sure that
we really want to explore thatword, but it's insane for us to
think that our managers aregoing to be able to do all they
need to do when we're notinvesting back into them.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
Good point, Gerald.
Yeah, we really look forward tohaving you in October.
I understand that you are thepresident-elect of Indie Shurm
as well.
Can you tell us about thechapter and what you have in
store?
Speaker 2 (31:50):
Yeah, I mean so.
I am president-elect going into2025, and Indie Shurm has a
great legacy of presidents.
Our current president now isAlana, and she's doing a
phenomenal job of leading thechapter, and I think right now,
our focus is really on how do wegrow our chapter, how do we
reinvest in the community tomake sure that we're really the
(32:11):
organization where HRprofessionals come.
We're a really organizationwhere HR professionals seek
knowledge.
So we're really focused on howdo we better partner in our
community you know, whether it'swith chambers, whether it's
with other HR organizations orHR associations, because what we
learn over time is that wecan't be everything to everybody
(32:35):
.
However, if we're partners withother organizations who serve
our HR communities, then we'remaking the community better,
right, Whether it's we are theprimary source or we are pouring
into other HR communities thatare trying to grow their network
, that are feeding our network.
So I think, as we look at theIndie chapter, we are
(32:56):
supermagers, so we are thelargest chapter in the state of
Indiana.
We really have to focus on howdo we build relationships
outside of our community andoutside of the things that we've
been doing.
So we're really focused on that.
We have a great board ofdirectors, great membership and
program directors.
So I think we're working welltogether.
Mike and we're excited aboutthe rest of 2023 and really
(33:19):
excited about what's going on in2024.
And really one of the thingsthat we're focused on now is we
have an inclusion conferencecoming up here in October, so
that's really the focus for thelocal Indie chapter.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
Thanks, Gerald.
On a personal note, do you haveany hobbies?
Speaker 2 (33:39):
Yeah, I try to have hobbies, mike, but I think all
of my hobbies are reallycentered around family.
I have three kids.
I have a daughter who lives inFlorida, I have a son who plays
college baseball and I have ahigh school senior at Hamilton,
southeastern and for thefootwaying group, carol knocked
us out in the semi-states lastyear so we were not happy about
(34:01):
that.
So we played Carol first roundthis year, the first game, and
it was not a competition.
So I know that's going to stirit apart for the footwaying
group.
But I'm excited about footballand I love the sport and with
two kids that are activelyinvolved in college sports and
high school sport, most of myhobbies are really centered
(34:22):
around them.
And my wife and I travel a lotwith baseball.
My oldest son is in Tuskegee,alabama, playing baseball.
So between Tuskegee and thespring and football in the fall,
we are two low warriors and wesupport our kids and everything
they do.
And we're excited about myyounger son.
He is again a senior but he'llplay college football as well
(34:43):
and we're excited about his nextstep.
So as we continue to go andgrow, we know that our lives are
really centered around the kidsand their sports.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
That's great, gerald.
Excellent opportunity tosupport your kids in checking
out their sports activities.
Yeah, certainly the Fort Waynegroup and Carol may have a
little sour grapes, but Iunderstand your comments for
sure.
So, gerald, tell us about GBKBConsulting.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
Yeah, so, Mike, I spent about 20 years in
corporate America, had anopportunity to work for a lot of
great companies.
You know I spent some time inthe Air Force, worked for
companies like CVS Farmers.
Yeah, worked at the Ohio StateUniversity.
I worked at GARTS Sports andFoot Locker and Foot Action.
So I had an opportunity to workfor a lot of diverse companies
(35:40):
and over the last few years, Ileft corporate America in 2018,
really centered around what Ireally wanted to do and I wanted
freedom and flexibility.
So I launched GBKB Consultingin 2018 and really, GBKB
Consulting is Gerald Bush, KarenBush Consulting, so my wife
also do consulting work, andthat business really centered
(36:03):
around how do we helporganizations create the space
to be successful and buildingsustainability for the employees
.
So, whether it's throughcoaching, whether it's through
training, whether it's throughme coming in serving as their HR
partner for a while, mybusiness really focused on the
employees.
So think about it from thisperspective.
(36:24):
From the clients I'm currentlyworking with, I started working
with the client just as anindividual coach for that person
.
I spent about 18 months coachingher.
After we spent time coaching,the conversation was how do I
take this work into my team andgrow my team?
So that went from individualcoaching to group coaching for
(36:44):
her team and now I'm doing workwith the entire organization.
So my focus is really on how dowe take pieces of a part to
impact the entire organizationand we know that we can't do
everything at one time.
But my company really focusedon how do we create strategy,
whether it's individually ororganizationally, to create
(37:05):
success.
And what I've learned over thelast five years is that when
we're able to invest back inno-transcript, it impacts the
company in so many ways.
You know, whether we're talkingabout the employee engagement,
whether we're talking aboutmanager excellence, the
conversations, that when weinvest back in our people, it
shows in employee engagement, itshows in our bottom line, it
(37:29):
shows an employee turnover, itshows all the things that we
measure.
So my focus is really centeredaround how do I have
organizations createsustainability and success for
the employees.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
Fantastic, Gerald.
How would our listeners get intouch with you if they were
interested in doing businesstogether?
Speaker 2 (37:48):
Yeah, so I am on social media.
On LinkedIn, I'm at GBKBConsulting and Gerald Bush.
On Twitter, I'm at Gerald Bush14.
On Instagram, I'm at GeraldBush or GBKB Consulting.
So you can find me at GBKBConsulting really on all
platforms, or you can justsimply email me at Gerald
(38:11):
G-R-A-L-D at GBKB Consulting dotcom.
And you know, here's the thingfor me, mike, is I do this work
because I love it and also do itbecause I want to see the lives
around me change, not just forthem individually but for their
communities.
And my focus is really on ifwe're doing the work
(38:34):
individually, then there's noway that it does not impact the
organization, right?
Because I look at the work wedo as holistic.
I look at how do I take aperson and make them a better
human right?
How do I take an organizationand make them a better community
entity or provide in theircommunity?
Because when we're able toserve our families better, when
(38:58):
we're able to serve ouremployees better, when we're
able to serve our communitybetter, then we all win.
So really, the conversation ishow do we get connected and lead
and invest in our people?
Because when we do that, theemployee win, the more
importantly, the organizationwins.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
Excellent, Gerald.
Thank you so much for your timetoday.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
No, thank you, Mike.
I am excited and lookingforward to coming to Fort Wayne
and talking about thisconversation, because I think
it's a really importantconversation.
Right now, we have managers whoare stressed.
We have employees who are notengaged.
We have employees that arequite quitting.
We have managers throughout theorganization who's wondering I
(39:46):
can't hire people, I can't hirepeople, so I've got to give
someone else more work.
So we're given moreresponsibility and we don't do
something to impact this trend.
That's going on.
We're going to continue.
As we leave 2023 or go into2024, we're going to be digging
out of a hole deeper.
So I'm excited to have thisconversation and hopefully some
(40:10):
of the takeaways that we'llprovide will help the people in
the room step back and look atemployee engagement and invest
in the managers differently,because that's the key to our
success in 2023, but also goingforward.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
So for our listeners, please remember to register for
Gerald's upcoming discussion onWednesday, October 4th, from 11
to 1 at Sirudis.
Again, thanks for your timetoday, Gerald.
Thanks, Mike.
On the first day of school,what did the teachers say?
Her three favorite words wereJune, July and August.
Speaker 8 (40:56):
So I'd like to fill some people in on the nature of
what my role is with Disrupt HR.
So you know me as one of yourco-hosts here on Mic'd.
Now I'm heading this event withJulie and Nancy Stegmeier.
We're bringing this event toFort Wayne.
It's a Disrupt HR branded event, with Naira as one of the
(41:19):
partners in this event.
Speaker 1 (41:22):
Welcome to another episode of Mic'd.
I'm Mic and, together with Ed,we're diving into the exciting
world of HR innovation, with afocus on Disrupt HR.
If you've ever wondered howtraditional HR practices are
being shaken up and reimagined,this episode is for you.
So buckle up and get ready toexplore the realm of disruptive
(41:43):
HR practices that are changingthe game.
Speaker 8 (41:47):
Yeah, mike, joining us today we have Julie Hess.
She is a true Disruptor of HR.
She's an enthusiast of allthings HR and also the vice
president of HR at Master Spaws.
So welcome Julie.
Speaker 9 (42:02):
Thank you.
I'm a Disruptor of everything,just FYI.
I disrupt everything in my past.
Speaker 8 (42:08):
We need disruption, and disruption is coming to Fort
Wayne in the form of thisbeautiful event, and it's really
a pleasure to be able topartner up with Disrupt HR and
putting this here locally inFort Wayne.
I think it's a much neededtopic and it's going to be a
very engaging, enthusiastic time.
Speaker 1 (42:31):
So so to kick things off, Julie, what is Disrupt HR
for our listeners?
Speaker 9 (42:39):
Disrupt HR is a global movement that's
transforming how we think abouthuman resources.
It's all about challenging thestatus quo, breaking down
conventional norms and fosteringa culture of innovation within
HR.
Disrupt HR events, which takethe form of a fast-paced,
dynamic talks.
They bring together thoughtleaders and business enthusiasts
(42:59):
to share groundbreaking ideasthat are reshaping the HR
landscape.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
Well, that sounds interesting and exciting, which
whoever calls anythingHR-related exciting.
It's my understanding that thiswas something you really wanted
to make happen.
The NIRA organization.
Ed, can you comment on why youwanted Disrupt HR?
Speaker 8 (43:25):
Absolutely so.
My journey began when Irealized that traditional HR
practices were often fallingshort in addressing these
evolving needs in modernworkplaces, and what Disrupt HR
is doing is providing a platformfor HR professionals like
myself to share innovative,groundbreaking ideas and
(43:47):
challenge the old ways of doingthings and the old ways of
thinking, and the energy andpassion at Disrupt HR events
were infectious and, frankly, Iwas drawn to the opportunity to
contribute to the transformationof HR here locally in Northeast
Indiana.
Speaker 1 (44:04):
Well, that's inspiring.
So, julie, can you give us aglimpse into what a Disrupt HR
event is like?
Speaker 9 (44:12):
Absolutely A Disrupt.
Hr events are unlike any ofyour traditional HR conferences
that you've ever attended.
They're fast-paced and engaging.
The speakers just have a fewminutes to present their ideas.
They're given five minutestotal to present their ideas.
The talks are designed to beconcise, impactful and
thought-provoking.
Attendees can expect a diverserange of topics, from
(44:34):
reimagining performance reviewsto leveraging technology for
better candidate experiences.
It's actually a melting pot ofcreativity and innovation.
Speaker 1 (44:46):
It sounds like an amazing atmosphere for sparking
new ideas.
Can you share some memorabletalks or themes from past
Disrupt HR events?
That would give listeners anidea of what to expect.
Speaker 8 (44:59):
Absolutely so.
One talk that stood out to mewas about culture hacking the
idea of intentionally shapingcompany culture through
unconventional methods andanother memorable theme was the
future of work, so embracingautomation Now this talks about.
This talk delved into how HRcan leverage automation to
(45:21):
streamline processes whilecreating a space that's more
meaningful for humaninteractions so essentially
using data to drive decisionsand more meaningful interactions
.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
So, julie, for HR professionals who might be
hesitant to embrace disruption,what advice would you offer to
help them?
What advice would you offer tohelp take them that first step
towards integrating innovativepractices into their HR
strategies?
Speaker 9 (45:51):
Go bigger, go home.
Sorry, no, that's just the wayI, that's the way I roll, but
that's a great question, becausenot everybody does it that way.
My advice would actually be tostart small.
Identify one aspect of your HRprocesses that could benefit
from some innovation, whetherit's recruitment, onboarding,
performance management,leadership, development,
experience with new approaches,measure results and be open to
(46:13):
learning from your failures.
Remember that disruption isn'tabout abandoning everything you
know.
It's about evolving andadapting to the changing needs
of the organization.
Speaker 1 (46:23):
Thank you for that, Julie.
As we wrap up, Ed, what do yousee as the future of Disrupt HR
and its impact on the HRlandscape right here in Fort
Wayne?
Speaker 8 (46:34):
Well, mike, I think the future is truly incredibly
promising.
Disrupt HR is gaining a ton ofmomentum worldwide, and I
believe that it will trulycontinue to push the boundaries
and challenge traditional HRnorms.
That is what we need, and thekey for me is that we need to be
focused on pushing thoseboundaries right here in
(46:54):
Northeast Indiana, and it startswith this event, it starts with
all of us, and what I hope tosee is even more collaboration
between HR professionals,business leaders, tech
innovators really to reshape howwe manage our most valuable
resource our people.
Speaker 1 (47:12):
So, julie, where and when is this event taking place?
Speaker 9 (47:16):
I am happy to say that Disrupt HR Fort Wayne is
going to be taking place onOctober 26th, from 6 to 8.
We're going to be at BergstaffPlace on East Washington.
This is HR professionals, adultbeverages and great
conversation.
Speaker 1 (47:32):
Ed.
How can those interested inattending find out more and
register?
Speaker 8 (47:37):
Well, thanks for asking, mike, so they can visit
disrupthrfwcom.
So that's disrupthrfwcom.
We'd also love to have youfollow us on LinkedIn for the
latest updates on speakers andtopics and then really disrupt,
disrupting innovation.
Since Nira is a partneringsponsor, they've agreed for us
(47:59):
to have our meeting informationon their website, so you can
also visit niraorg as well.
Speaker 1 (48:07):
And if anyone is interested in applying to be a
speaker, we would love to hearfrom you.
You can apply to speak at thesame site.
So that wraps up in talkingabout disrupt HR and taking a
deeper dive into its currentshere in Fort Wayne and its game
changing impact on HR practicesright here in Northeast Indiana.
(48:29):
So thank you Julie, thank youEd.
Speaker 9 (48:31):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (48:32):
Thank you.
Today we're going to talk aboutwhat to do when increasing pay
doesn't help your employeeretention.
We have with us BrittanyIsamnon, founding principal of
Stoke Fire, bringing structuralintegrity to leaders and their
organizations, building capacityfor their mission advancement.
(48:52):
She serves on the employeeretention advisory board for
HRcom, sharing best practices,insights, expertise and advice
on the research initiative thestate of employee retention in
2023, helping senior executivesfully understand the importance
of employee retention and guideindustry change.
(49:15):
She's also an organizationaleffectiveness panelist for the
work culture debates featured onthe third Monday of each month.
She debates three expertconsultants on topics that keep
executives up at night andserves on the Nira member
retention committee.
Brittany, welcome to theprogram Great to be here.
Speaker 10 (49:39):
Thanks for hosting me.
Speaker 1 (49:42):
So tell us what you think about our topic today.
What increasing pay?
And it doesn't seem to make abig difference on our employee
retention.
What can you share with ourlisteners?
Speaker 10 (49:56):
Yeah, it used to be a lever that worked pretty well
that we could bump up pay and wewould see a bump in our
retention rates.
But if you increase pay andyour turnover remains higher
than you want it to be, thereare fundamental reasons why
you're not getting thatretention bump that you used to.
(50:17):
If you find yourself in thissituation, the best question you
can ask is how connected do ouremployees feel to our company's
mission, even if you're payingmore than any other gig in town?
If the cost to their health andwell-being in personal
relationships they feel is toohigh and if your employee can't
(50:42):
connect what they'recontributing to the mission that
they care about, then the moneystarts looking an awful lot
like a curse.
So I said there were somefundamental reasons.
One reason is that raisesaren't compelling enough.
Is that money is just money,it's not personal.
That used to not matter, itabsolutely matters.
(51:06):
Now I will give.
I'll give an example, so microexample, if we narrow our focus
down to say employeeappreciation gifts.
Let's say, last year youdecided to give your employees a
$25 gas card as a way of sayingthank you for helping you pull
your organization through areally tough quarter.
(51:28):
Every employee gets one.
It's a big expense to yourcompany, but it's worth it to
you to say thank you Now.
The research says that within afew weeks people forget who
they get gift cards from.
If those gift cards that yougave them came with handwritten
(51:49):
notes from the employeesupervisor and the notes had
specific details about the thingthat the supervisor noticed
that the employee did thathelped pull the organization
forward during that tough time,that's the part of the gift that
will be remembered and kept,even treasured, by some
employees long after they use upthat gift card that in the
(52:12):
moment that they use it theydon't even remember who they got
it from anyway.
So that's one micro example.
Speaker 1 (52:20):
Okay.
So Brittany, what about thecompany again that has increased
pay, added benefits, evenstarted offering flexible work,
but still can't get theirturnover to a good place?
What can they do?
Speaker 10 (52:36):
Yeah, sometimes your employees do need more money so
that their families can stayhoused and medical bills paid,
and sometimes your employeesneed more money because they're
underpaid against the market.
Giving them that money, addingbenefits, offering flexible work
, isn't necessarily a badshort-term move.
(52:56):
It can delay them thinkingabout moving somewhere else, but
there's nothing about moneythat more securely connects them
to your company specificallybecause any company can give
them money, benefits, evenflexible work arrangements.
(53:17):
If you're serious aboutlong-term retention and you want
a solution that lasts years anddecades instead of a few months
, measure and analyze thatconnectedness of your employees
to your mission.
Again, they are bad moves.
You know the more benefitsflexible work, but if they
aren't effective for you, thereare actually concrete moves that
(53:40):
you can make to not only findout why they aren't effective
and identify what will beeffective for you, and it
absolutely comes down to theconnectedness and the alignment
of the employees to your mission.
One of the I see it as a risk inthe whole HR field is that so
many HR professionals,especially when they are alone
(54:04):
in the organization they're theentire HR function or they're in
small teams is that they tendto get really their time gets
really pulled down with a lot ofminutia, and what happens then
is when you need to switch intostrategic mode or really solve a
big problem.
(54:26):
We tend to pull from the popculture around us and what's
working really well for theorganizations that we know of or
are connected to.
So, for example, if you hear aconference speaker, then they
must know what they're talkingabout, because they were paid
$10,000 to speak on the stage,right?
So you better listen up andthey probably have the right
solution.
(54:46):
But the huge risk in adopting atactic or an initiative that
someone said worked for them isthat it's not going to work with
you if it's not aligned withwho your organization is.
It does not matter howingenious the idea is, it
doesn't matter how well itworked for this other company
(55:09):
that maybe even does the samething that you do.
Every move that you make has tobe aligned with who you are and
where you want to go.
Speaker 1 (55:20):
So, brittany, what do you say to like the small
company or nonprofit that canafford to be the best paying
place in town or doesn't havethe leverage to provide the best
benefits?
How can they can compete andretain their employees.
Speaker 10 (55:38):
Yeah, so a lot of these size of companies will
really lean into mission.
You're making a difference inthe world and that's a good
thing to lead with.
But if you want the employee toabsolutely stay with your
company, you're going to needmore than just we are doing an
(55:59):
important thing you need toconnect what they're doing with
their teammates, the people thatare around them, and show how
every action that they do pullsthe entire organization forward.
That creates internalmotivation that money just can't
, assuming that they're able tomake a living on what you're
(56:20):
paying them.
That connection, that seeingwhat they care about is aligned
with the organization and notjust that they exist in an
organization that's doingsomething that they care about,
but that their specific workabsolutely helps the
organization get to missionachievement and do that thing
(56:41):
out in the community that theyreally want to see in the world.
In Stoke Fair we call thisundenting the world.
Steve Jobs at one point said hehad this vision of leaving his
dent on the world and that weall want to leave a dent on the
world.
But at Stoke Fire we see ourwork as undenting the world and
(57:04):
I think a lot of HR managersfeel similarly if they can help
their employees see how theymake the world a better place,
not just leaving their mark forthe mark's sake, but helping
solve these really sticky, tough, deep problems that we've had
on the planet.
That's when people want tostick with you.
(57:25):
They want to see it to the end.
They want to help you workthrough big problems that are
maybe outside of their jobdescription.
Speaker 1 (57:36):
Brittany, you mentioned your organization,
Stoke Fire.
How can your organization comealongside or help support an
organization that's looking toreally address employee
retention or make somesignificant changes to keep
(57:56):
their workforce?
Speaker 10 (57:59):
Yeah, Stoke Fire.
Strength is really when anorganization either has a
massive problem they've beendealing with for years or
decades that hasn't been able tobe solved, or has a massive
goal that everyone is saying isimpossible.
Employee retention often playsinto that.
We find ourselves being pulledinto companies where they might
(58:20):
have had five or six consultantscome through in the last decade
trying to get at eitherretention or a parallel
challenge.
So if you're feeling reallystuck, everything feels foggy or
tangled.
That's where we excel.
We have an assessment that'spulled from a model that was
(58:42):
created internal to Stoke Fireand what we do is we get
underneath.
So many retention consultantsmake their living putting
band-aids on companies and notletting companies know that's
what's happening, because theyfeel like they'd be out of
business if they actually solvethe deeper problem for the
company.
So instead of coming in andsolving your retention, we find
(59:06):
out what is every singlecontrollable level that you can
pull that not only solves yourretention long term but the
other challenges that you keepseeing popping up beside it.
And what this does is it pullsto the surface all of the good
options for a path forward thatyou have and you can prioritize
(59:29):
what you'll fix in what order,to what depth, based on where
you want the organization to bein three or seven years.
Speaker 1 (59:40):
Brittany, before I ask you for any parting thoughts
, tell us about your program onthe work culture debates that
you offer every third Monday.
Speaker 10 (59:53):
Yes, yes, so this is a monthly event.
It is with four otherorganizational effectiveness
experts that are across the USand Puerto Rico.
Each month, we identify a topicthat applies to a lot of
organizations and is somethingthat can get really sticky or
tangled.
So we've talked about layoffsand culture before, during after
(01:00:18):
mergers and acquisitions.
This month, we had a debatearound AI and how to leverage it
without both freaking out yourentire workforce and also
without losing control in theway that you use it.
There's a lot of legality thathasn't been ironed out, of
course, with AI.
So those challenges, some ofthem that are at the very edge
(01:00:40):
of the future of the work thatwe're doing, some of the
challenges that have been aroundfor a long time, but how we
tackle them is different nowthan it was even just five years
ago.
It's on LinkedIn.
The work culture debates hasits own page.
You can follow us in the live.
We'll pop up for you.
But, yes, every third Monday ofthe month at noon Eastern time,
(01:01:02):
we go live.
You can either send inquestions anonymously ahead of
time or you can pop in and quizus right there.
That's our favorite when peopleput questions to us and have us
debate the answer live.
Speaker 1 (01:01:16):
Sounds like a real engaging program, Brittany.
Speaker 10 (01:01:20):
Yeah, I learn a lot every month and sometimes I feel
guilty.
I feel like a learner more thanthe expert.
But yeah, it is reallyinteresting to see how
everybody's different work playsinto it and their experiences
and stories that they can pullin.
Speaker 1 (01:01:35):
So do you have any parting thoughts to share with
our listeners?
Speaker 10 (01:01:42):
Retention is really sticky.
It's different for everyone.
I would really encourage peopleto resist looking for things
that have worked for you and ifyou're a learner people are
really you know innovativesounding ideas or expensive
programs.
Turn inward first.
(01:02:02):
Push aside your beliefs aboutwhat you think your employees
believe or want to expect, andgo find out objectively.
That's square one.
That will allow you to identifyexactly where your
administration's or leadership'sbeliefs, wants and expectations
do, and that data will beabsolutely unique to your
(01:02:22):
organization.
And then you can build aprogram that pulls all of your
workforce into alignment withwho you are and where you're
headed, and they will feel thatdown to a singular person.
So not only will your programwork in the short term for your
retention, but it will work foryears into the future because
it's built on the foundationthat is your core.
(01:02:44):
It wasn't just a good idea thatyou pulled in and applied.
Speaker 1 (01:02:51):
Thank you, Brittany.
And if our listeners wanted toreach out to Stokefire or
yourself to engage, how wouldthey do that?
Speaker 10 (01:03:04):
You can read all about us at stokefirecom.
Follow one word or find me onLinkedIn.
I'm happy to talk with you, andyou can also find us on
LinkedIn at stokefirecom.
Speaker 1 (01:03:17):
Thanks for your time today, Brittany.
Speaker 10 (01:03:19):
Thanks, mike, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (01:03:23):
I'd like to thank all of our guests that we had today
.
That's all the time we have.
See you next time on Mike's.
Speaker 3 (01:04:12):
Thank you.
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