HR BESTIES

Welcome back, Besties. We missed you!

Today's agenda: 

• The PJ dilemma
• Guess the silhouette
• It's not an HR Besties episode without a SHRM update...
• The latest on us

Your To-Do List: Grab merch, submit Questions & Comments, and make sure that you're the first to know about our In-Person Meetings (events!) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hrbesties.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Follow your Besties across the socials and check out our resumes here...

Welcome back to HRB! We hope your new year is off to a great start, Besties! We can't wait to catch up on all the hot gossip...

Ho, ho, ho! Welcome to our final episode of 2025, Besties. Unfortunately, due to our busy December schedules, we weren't able to lock down a time to record all together. That said, we were able to separately record some updates on SHRM and a few last remarks before we go into hibernation mode over the holidays.

• Who's re-watching Hot Frosty this year?
• SHRM lawsuit verdict
• Throwback to some of our holiday party do's and don'ts
• ...

Welcome back, Besties! With the year coming to an end, we thought we'd highlight some of our most insane, unhinged and *facepalm* moments as HR professionals.

Today's agenda: 

• Toe sucking
• Flying dentures
• Nightmare startup
• Love square
• When HR saves the marriage
• Bovine piss
• The hidden Plan B
• The vaccine checker
• Ear licking

Your To-Do List: Grab merch, submit Questions & Comments, and make sure that you're the first to kno...

Today's agenda: 

• Brostel warehouse
• Cringe corporate speak: moonlighting
• Hot topic: all things over employment
• Why is job stacking so popular?
• Staying financially afloat in a post-covid world
• The internet and the gig economy boom
• The pros and cons of fractional work
• When can job stacking and side hustles become a conflict of interest?
• Questions/Comments 

Your To-Do List: Grab merch, submit Questions & Comments, and make s...

Today's agenda: 

• Remember the good ole days?
• Cringe corporate speak: come to Jesus
• Hot topic: all things layoffs: what we're hearing in the news, current trends, best practices and advice to employers and job seekers
• The latest on layoffs and unemployment in the United States
• How does AI play a role?
• Do organizations have an obligation to hire and retain talent?
• Learning how to navigate difficult times from past recessions
• Lay...

Thanks for joining our mid-week Happy Hour, Besties! Whew, do we ever need it.

In this Happy Hour:

• Spilling the latest on SHRM's lawsuit, the importance of holding each other accountable and a juicy reveal at the end...
• Quick recap and how did we get here?
• Troubling, troubling, troubling
• What lessons can HR professionals take from all of this?

Your To-Do List: Grab merch, submit Questions & Comments, and make sure that...

Today's agenda: 

• Swish swish
• Cringe corporate speak: fireside chat
• Hot topic: answering questies sent by our fellow Besties
• Receiving feedback: is it all worth listening to?
• Keeping your social media activity on the DL
• How to deal with the negative feedback
• So your work bestie got promoted... what now?
• What are some mistakes that we've made and how did we recover?
• Questions/Comments 

Your To-Do List: Grab merch, submit Q...

Today's agenda: 

• Word cloud
• Cringe corporate speak: don't throw the baby out with the bathwater
• Hot topic: all things fear-based work culture and actions you can take
• What are some signs that an organization has a culture of fear?
• Lack of psychological safety and fear of speaking up
• It doesn't have to be outright hostile to be toxic
• Reaping the benefits of employees who enjoy their work environment
• Questions/Comments 

Y...

Today's agenda: 

• Spilling more SHRM tea
• Cringe corporate speak: push the envelope
• Hot topic: all things work besties and celebrating National Work Besties Day!
• Why we love our workplace partners in crime
• How to find and support your work bestie
• Showing appreciation for our office besties can go a long way
• Emotional Support People
• FYI, October 18 is our HR Besties Podcast anniversary!
• Questions/Comments 

Your To-Do List: ...

Thanks for joining us for a mid-week Happy Hour, Besties! Whew, did we ever need it...

In this Happy Hour:

• Dishing the latest on SHRM
• But don't forget your (almost) free canvas tote bag!
• If not SHRM, then who?
• Sharing a heart-wrenching story from a listener Bestie
• The F word (flexibility)

Your To-Do List: Grab merch, submit Questions & Comments, and make sure that you're the first to know about our In-Person Meetings (...

Today's agenda: 

• Hey big boy
• Cringe corporate speak: I know just enough to be dangerous
• Hot topic: all about AI anxiety: what does AI in the workforce mean for your job, your company and your future
• What is driving the anxiety around AI in the workplace?
• How to manage AI stress at work
• Normalizing conversations and open discussions about AI within an organization is important to help manage AI fear and hesitancy
• Treating AI as...

Today's agenda: 

• Inappropriate meeting invite
• Cringe corporate speak: get granular
• Hot topic: all things remote work: what does it mean these days and did we fumble it?
• The RTO trend
• The early days of working from home and why some organizations may have trouble trusting their remote workers
• The importance of face time and social interaction is pushing Gen Z towards hybrid work
• How can leaders support remote workers?
• The keywo...

Today's agenda: 

• Square affair
• Cringe corporate speak: mother's milk
• Hot topic: all about opting out of leadership
• Why are employees choosing to avoid leadership roles in an organization?
• The work-life balance concerns
• Training and sharing knowledge with others doesn't have to mean managing a team
• Navigating middle management
• What are some positives that we've experienced in leadership roles?
• Finding and following your calling
...

Today's agenda: 

• Really, Ohio?
• Cringe corporate speak: drill down
• Hot topic: all things ghost job epidemic: applying, interviewing and never hearing back
• Have we experienced this or seen it happening IRL?
• The graveyard of forgotten job postings
• Gathering intel on competitors and making an organization seem bigger
• Blue sky recommendations
• Higher volume of applications means visibility on every candidate is unlikely
• Do your own ...

Today's agenda: 

• An unmuted crash out
• Cringe corporate speak: too many cooks in the kitchen
• Hot topic: all things workplace crash outs
• Reflecting on our past crash out moments (and what does "crash out" even mean?)
• Venting it out
• Addressing the cause and taking action when it's needed
• Response vs. reaction
• What do you do when you see a team member crashing out?
• In the end, we're all human
• Questions/Comments 

Your To-Do ...

Today's agenda: 

• #Justice4Jerry
• Cringe corporate speak: hit the ground running
• Hot topic: how to be promoted at work: tips, tricks and career advice from HR
• The best advice we have ever received
• What does success look like to you? How will this change throughout your career?
• Thinking about what the new position entails, new hours and work-life balance
• Making yourself indispensable and how to stand out is key
• Questions/Comments...

Welcome to our first Happy Hour of Season six, Besties! Whew, this is one hell of a week.

In this Happy Hour:

• Updates on Jamie's layoff story
• Taylor Swift and Life of a Showgirl
• Cringe Corporate speak on the New Heights podcast
• The four quadrants of workplace communication
• Checking in with our old friend Thomas J. Henry
• Leigh's dream

Your To-Do List: Grab merch, submit Questions & Comments, and make sure that you're th...

Today's agenda: 

• Whipped vodka
• Cringe corporate speak: Chinese wall
• Hot topic: all things Gen Z in the workplace
• WTF is the Gen Z stare?
• Gen Z employees aren't the problem
• Embracing the opportunity to teach team members the skills they need to be a part of an organization
• Managers can learn how to have productive conversations about workplace behavior
• Phones and multitasking
• Manager training and development is key
• Gen Z wants ...