Remember when getting the top job was THE dream?  Corner office, big paycheck, fancy title, and all the LinkedIn glory shots you could handle! Yeah…now for a lot of folks, it feels more like winning a free trip to a haunted house.  In this episode, I had a fun but important chat with Ciara Lakhani to unpack why so many people are quietly saying, “Hard pass” to climbing the ladder.  We’re talking burnout, invisible costs, shifting definitions of success, and why ambition doesn’t have to mean signing up for 80-hour workweeks and emotional whiplash.  Newsflash: You can be wildly ambitious about your craft without ever wanting your boss’s job, and that’s not a failure, it’s a choice! 0:02:47 - One Hard Truth About Work 0:04:57 - Realizing Your Team Isn’t Interested in Climbing to the Top 0:08:06 - How the Idea of Success Has Shifted for This Generation of Workers 0:15:43 - Why Top Jobs Aren’t Appealing to Most People Anymore 0:18:06 - The US’s Perception of Work vs Other Countries 0:22:01 - What Does it Take to be a Great Leader Today? 0:27:51 - Why People Are More Reluctant to Take on Leadership Roles 0:22:01 - What Does it Take to be a Great Leader Today? 0:32:35 - The Invisible Cost of Leadership 0:37:17 - Is Opting Out of Leadership the Same as Lacking Drive? 0:40:21 - How Cutting Middle Management Impacts Leadership 0:41:55 - Getting More People Interested in Leadership 0:44:18 - Advice for Somebody Considering a Top Job, But Quietly Questioning It Choosing the wrong HR platform is rife with regrets: losing a top performer, promoting the wrong person, or failing to engage your team when the business needs it most. Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between investing in people programs and consolidating your tech stack. With Lattice, you can have both. Visit lattice.com to learn more. And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Ciara: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ciaralakhani/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

You ready for a nice reality check? I hope so, because today’s episode is built around three hard truths about your career that no one talks about enough: Working hard isn’t a promotion strategy.  Getting fired might be the thing that finally sets you free.  If no one with decision-making power knows what you do…you’re invisible.  I brought on April Little, executive coach, Time 100 Creator, and someone I’ve been professionally stalking on LinkedIn for years, to unpack all of it. We’re breaking down what it really takes to get ahead, how to show up as a visible leader even if you’re working remotely, and why a career low might actually be your launchpad.  This episode is part truth bomb, part therapy, and a full-on masterclass in owning your career narrative! 0:01:56 -  When April Found Out She Was on the Time 100 Creator List 0:04:40 -  A Generally Hard Truth About Work 0:07:49 -  Why Work Alone Won’t Get You Promoted 0:10:28 -  Tactical Ways to Build Relationships With Decision Makers 0:14:15 -  When You Do Everything Right and Still Can’t Get Promoted 0:17:50 -  Why Getting Fired Can Be a Gift 0:24:31 - The Difference Between a Career Low and an Opportunity to Course Correct 0:27:23 - Being a Visible Leader While Working Remotely 0:31:06 - Challenging the Idea That Working in an Office Makes You More Committed 0:33:51 - Rewarding Excellence in a Way That Doesn’t Depend on Physical Presence 0:47:56 - Where to Find April And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow April: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprillatoyalittle/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Have you ever seen a CEO post online and thought, “Who approved this…and why was it them?” I think we all have at this rate! In this episode, I’m joined by the iconic Sarah Reynolds, marketing exec, pay equity champion, and all-around ethical disruptor, to unpack what happens when CEOs throw ethics out the window. From public tantrums to private chaos, we talk about the ripple effects of bad behavior in the C-suite and what it really means for employee trust, brand integrity, and workplace culture in general! Some of these CEOs are deff getting coal for Christmas. Some should get an audit. Either way, we had way too much fun breaking it all down, so if you’ve got a story of CEO drama, you might have to send it in. Part two is practically writing itself. 0:03:24 - One Hard Truth About Work 0:06:24 - A CEO Scandal Sarah is Thinking About 0:12:28 - The First Move When the CEO Becomes the Problem 0:16:38 - Scandals You Can Recover From Vs Scandals You Can’t Recover From 0:28:13 - Sarah’s Live Reactions to CEO Scandals 0:43:44 - A CEO’s Second Wind After a Scandal 0:57:25 - Final Thoughts and Advice Around CEOs Behaving Badly And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Sarah: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlizreynolds/  Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

So if you didn’t know,I love a good career pivot story!  Today’s guest is basically the poster child for burning it all down and starting over, in the best possible way.  I first found Ash Hynie on TikTok like any good millennial does, instantly became obsessed, and then fully fangirled when we met IRL at a conference!  In this episode, we talk about why your job isn’t your identity (even if capitalism told you otherwise), how terrifying and freeing it is to start over, and why transferrable skills are your secret weapon, even when you feel like you have none.   0:02:42 - A Hard Truth About Work 0:05:00 - Ash’s Wild Career Arc: Chef, Engineer, HR, and Tech CEO 0:08:10 - One Hard Truth About Changing Careers That Nobody Talks About 0:15:50 - When Ash Realized Her Dream Job Wasn’t Actually Her Dream 0:28:42 - Advice for People Transitioning Into Something New 0:33:31 - A Skill That Has Helped Ash in Every Role She’s Had 0:40:11 - Things We Tend to Overlook About Transferrable Skills 0:44:23 - Advice For People Who Don’t Know What They’re Good At 0:47:38 - Are There Skills You Need to Unlearn in Order to Grow? 0:54:01 - What Prepared Ash to Become a Founder and What Caught Her Off Guard 0:57:10 - One Question Everyone Should Ask Themselves Before Chasing the Next Role And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Ash: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ash-hynie/  Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Burnout is basically an epidemic. And HR? We’re patient zero!  In this episode, I sat down with my brilliant friend Eva Bak to talk about what burnout actually looks like in our world—the mental load, the emotional labor, and the whole exhausting mess of trying to help people while drowning ourselves.  We get into the duality of being HR (hello therapist and policy enforcer), the unspoken trauma of offboarding, and why community is the only thing keeping us semi-sane.  If you’ve ever cried in a supply closet or considered moving to the woods…this one's for you. 0:03:01 - What is One Hard Truth About Work? 0:05:17 - Eva’s Interesting Trajectory Into HR 0:08:48 - Defining Burnout 0:17:43 - Important Factors That Contribute to Burnout in HR Today 0:26:21 - How Burnout Shows Up In HR vs. Other Departments 0:29:01 - Warning Signs of Burnout at Work  0:34:33 - Eva’s Personal Experience with Burnout 0:40:11 - Why Are HR Professionals So Prone to Burnout? 0:56:24 - Advice For HR People Currently Experiencing Burnout 1:00:19 - How Eva Hopes HR Culture Will Address and Reduce Burnout SPONSOR COPY GOES HERE TIMESTAMPS (from Madison) And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Eva: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-bak-8b7a9820/  Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Operating without trust in HR is almost IMPOSSIBLE. The even crazier part is that trust can be destroyed instantly if you say or do the wrong thing! I mean, I’ve never met a human being who says they love micromanagement. In this season finale, Minda Harts and I are dragging trust issues into the light!  We’re dissecting her Seven Trust Languages, why “transparent” leadership feels like a bad magic trick, and how to rebuild trust after your org set it on fire.  Remote teams, chaotic offices, leaders who think trust = “just do what I say”—we’ve got the receipts and the solutions.   Multi-state compliance is a nightmare—but SixFifty makes it easy. Get instant answers to employment law questions, generate a compliant multi-state handbook in minutes, and stay ahead of changing laws with automated updates. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SixFifty.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more! Whether you’re scaling fast or filling a critical role, Oyster helps you tap into the global talent pool and navigate international hiring with confidence. Hire full time talent or work flexibly with contractors- hire remotely, manage payroll, and ensure compliance ethically, with real employment experts by your side. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠oysterhr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more! 0:02:10 - One Thing About Work Minda Wishes More Leaders Understood 0:06:11 - Symptoms of a Communication Crisis at Work 0:11:11 - How Do you Repair Trust When It’s Broken? 0:16:03 - Trust Violations and Their Impact 0:19:43 - Exploring the Seven Trust Languages 0:27:58 - The Moment Minda Was Inspired to Develop The Seven Trust Languages 0:36:46 - Manifesting Trust in the Remote World 0:44:16 - Practical Steps to Take to Enhance Trust in Your Org 0:48:38 - The Future of Trust in Workplace Culture And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Minda: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindaharts/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Look, we’ve all been there at this point: Your company claims it's “all about accessibility,” but somehow, employees still struggle to find answers to basic questions.  Leadership preaches an open-door policy, but good luck getting a response anytime soon. And don’t even get me started on the “We’re ADA compliant!” flex like it’s some kind of gold medal when it’s actually the bare minimum! That’s why I brought in the brilliant friend Lia Seth, Director of People at Cylinder Health, disability advocate, and self-proclaimed Accessibility Queen, to break down why access and accessibility aren’t the same thing, how hustle culture is sabotaging your teams, and why your transparent pay philosophy might still be leaving people in the dark. We’re calling out gatekeeping, ghosting, and performative corporate nonsense, because employees deserve better, and HR is done cleaning up avoidable messes! Multi-state compliance is a nightmare—but SixFifty makes it easy. Get instant answers to employment law questions, generate a compliant multi-state handbook in minutes, and stay ahead of changing laws with automated updates. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SixFifty.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more! Whether you’re scaling fast or filling a critical role, Oyster helps you tap into the global talent pool and navigate international hiring with confidence. Hire full time talent or work flexibly with contractors- hire remotely, manage payroll, and ensure compliance ethically, with real employment experts by your side. Visit ⁠⁠⁠oysterhr.com⁠⁠⁠ to learn more! 0:02:24 - One Truth About Work Lia Wishes More Leaders Understood 0:07:40 - What Access and Accessibility Means in the Context of Your Workplace 0:09:16 - The Biggest Misconceptions Between Access and Accessibility 0:13:49 - Why Employees Feel Shut Out 0:20:17 - Why Access to Leadership is a Barrier in Some Companies 0:26:49 - An Example of a Small Change That Can Create Genuine Access for Employees 0:31:06 - How Tech Can Unintentionally Create Accessibility Issues 0:39:04 - Gatekeeping Behaviors in the Workplace and How to Dismantle Them 0:49:34 - How Companies Can Move Past Performative Accessibility   And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Lia: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liaseth/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

I hate to say it, but your “amazing culture” might be a lie. Today, Latesha Byrd and I are ripping off the culture band-aid to expose what’s actually happening in your org! You know the drill: shiny values on the wall that nobody abides by, all-hands full of empty promises, and that lovely gaslighty feeling when leadership says “we’re family” but acts like a toxic ex. We’re explaining why “bring your whole self to work” is a scam if your culture is performative, how to spot and fix the disconnect between what leaders say and what employees live, and the corporate red flags that scream RUN, along with the green flags worth fighting for! Multi-state compliance is a nightmare—but SixFifty makes it easy. Get instant answers to employment law questions, generate a compliant multi-state handbook in minutes, and stay ahead of changing laws with automated updates. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SixFifty.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more! Whether you’re scaling fast or filling a critical role, Oyster helps you tap into the global talent pool and navigate international hiring with confidence. Hire full time talent or work flexibly with contractors- hire remotely, manage payroll, and ensure compliance ethically, with real employment experts by your side. Visit ⁠⁠oysterhr.com⁠⁠ to learn more! 0:01:40 - One Truth About Work Latesha Wishes More Leaders Understood 0:03:51 - How to Define Real Culture and How to Tell When It’s Missing 0:10:39 - When a Company’s Culture Initiative Falls Completely Flat 0:19:03 - Why Performative Actions Ruin Trust at Work, and How to Fix It 0:22:47 - The Role Communication Plays in Shaping Culture Narratives at an Org 0:26:30 - Towing the Line Between Being Inspiring and Being Honest About Challenges 0:31:32 - How to Hold Leaders Accountable 0:37:31 - The “Red Flag or Green Flag?” Game 0:41:10 - If Latesha Could Redesign Culture From Scratch, What Would She Prioritize First? 0:46:16 - What the Next Generation of Employees Will Expect From Real Workplace Culture And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Latesha: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lateshabyrd/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Look, I’ll be honest: most “leadership experts” lowkey make me want to throw my laptop into a pool.  But Dr. Matt Poepsel? This man’s the REAL DEAL! Marine veteran, Ironman triathlete, PhD in psychology, and the actual godfather of talent optimization (no, really, he wrote the book on it)!  So when he says leadership today is broken, you listen. Today, we’re dragging egos, calling out the “hero leader” BS, and answering the question employees are too scared to ask:  Why are so many leaders terrible at their jobs?  From vulnerability without oversharing to why your status reports are already obsolete, this is the leadership reset you didn’t know you needed. Multi-state compliance is a nightmare—but SixFifty makes it easy. Get instant answers to employment law questions, generate a compliant multi-state handbook in minutes, and stay ahead of changing laws with automated updates. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SixFifty.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more! Whether you’re scaling fast or filling a critical role, Oyster helps you tap into the global talent pool and navigate international hiring with confidence. Hire full time talent or work flexibly with contractors- hire remotely, manage payroll, and ensure compliance ethically, with real employment experts by your side. Visit ⁠oysterhr.com⁠ to learn more! 0:02:30 - One Truth About Work Matt Wishes More Leaders Understood 0:03:37 - How to Build Self-awareness as a Leader 0:06:57 - When A Leader’s Ego Gets in the Way of Good Leadership 0:09:36 - Spotting the Difference Between Authentic Leaders and Stiff Leaders 0:12:58 - A Game-changing Moment in Matt’s Leadership Journey 0:19:21 - What Employees ACTUALLY Want From Leaders 0:22:19 - If a Manager Only Has Time to do One Thing, What Should it Be? 0:27:07 - A Small Action Leaders Can Take That Has a Huge Impact 0:32:41 - The Fine Line Between Vulnerability and Oversharing 0:34:39 - Navigating Leadership in an Era of Burnout, Layoffs, and AI 0:40:03 - Something Every CEO Should Understand About Their Company 0:43:41 - Rewriting the Playbook on How Companies Develop Leaders And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Matt:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattpoepsel/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Whether we like it or not, office politics are an unavoidable part of corporate life. But don’t worry—you’re in for a TREAT today because one of my absolute favorite humans, Jessica Winder, is back on the pod, and we’re diving into the BS of corporate life in detail!  You know, the kind where you’re expected to read minds, kiss ass, and perform miracles while leadership acts like promotions are some kind of Da Vinci Code situation.  We’re talking about why “being liked” often beats “being right,” how LinkedIn is just one giant performance of corporate cringe, and why trust is literally cheaper than surveillance (but somehow, companies still don’t get it).  There’s value in learning how to play the corporate game without compromising your integrity, so let’s get into it! Multi-state compliance is a nightmare—but SixFifty makes it easy. Get instant answers to employment law questions, generate a compliant multi-state handbook in minutes, and stay ahead of changing laws with automated updates. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠SixFifty.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more! Whether you’re scaling fast or filling a critical role, Oyster helps you tap into the global talent pool and navigate international hiring with confidence. Hire full time talent or work flexibly with contractors- hire remotely, manage payroll, and ensure compliance ethically, with real employment experts by your side. Visit oysterhr.com to learn more! 0:03:17 - One Truth Jessica Wishes More Leaders Understood 0:04:16 - What Does Kissing Ass Mean in the Workplace? 0:06:02 - When Good Work Isn’t Enough to Get Ahead 0:08:57 - Unwritten Rules of Career Advancement That Nobody Talks About 0:12:06 - Is Playing Office Politics Part of the Job, or is There Another Way to Succeed? 0:15:01 - How Race and Gender Tie Into Unspoken Rules of Advancement 0:24:23 - Hebba’s Round of Spicy Questions 0:35:11 - How Jessica Would Rewrite the Rules of Career Advancement 0:38:44 - Employees Who Feel Stuck Because They Refuse to Kiss Ass And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Jessica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicadwinder/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

This should come as no surprise anymore, but your employees aren’t just asking for certainty these days, they’re BEGGING for it!  And yet, most workplaces still operate like a Magic 8 Ball: "Ask again later," "Outlook not so good," and my personal favorite, "Cannot predict now." Cool, cool.  So why do we keep acting shocked when people quit over unclear expectations, bad leadership, and the soul-crushing weight of "figure it out yourself" culture? Joining me today is Kat Kibben, recruiting expert and professional truth-teller, to drag the leadership myths we’re all tired of and drop some real talk on how to actually make work WORK for people!  We’re breaking down why humans would rather deal with a known disaster than unknown chaos, how bad managers create generational trauma in the workplace, and the one thing leaders always get wrong about certainty. Lots of gems in here, so buckle up! Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between investing in people programs and consolidating your tech stack. With Lattice, you can have both. Visit ⁠⁠⁠lattice.com⁠⁠⁠ to learn more. Multi-state compliance is a nightmare—but SixFifty makes it easy. Get instant answers to employment law questions, generate a compliant multi-state handbook in minutes, and stay ahead of changing laws with automated updates. Visit ⁠⁠⁠SixFifty.com⁠⁠⁠ to learn more! 0:03:51 - One Truth About Work Kat Wishes More Leaders Understood 0:05:05 - Why Do Humans Crave Certainty So Much? 0:08:25 - How Leaders Can Make Employees Feel Safe 0:19:43 - Why Not Every Good Employee Needs to Be a Manager 0:24:38 - What Does Creativing Clarity Actually Look Like? 0:31:58 - How Good or Bad Communication Shapes Teams Over Time 0:38:34 - Bouncing Back From a Toxic Boss/Environment 0:46:13 - One Thing Leaders Often Get Wrong About Providing Certainty 0:49:33 - One Message Leaders Should Repeat to Their Teams During Uncertain Times And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Kat: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrinakibben/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: MONEY. 💸 And who better to talk about money with than compensation guru Matt McFarlane? In this episode, we’re ripping apart everything you think you know about fair pay.  Why do employees feel stiffed? Are pay gaps accidental or systemic? And why the hell is talking about salary still taboo? We’ll also be discussing why fair pay is still a myth at most companies, how to handle founders who treat compensation like a dark art, and what actual pay transparency looks like (hint: it’s not just publishing salaries). Choosing the wrong HR platform is rife with regrets: losing a top performer, promoting the wrong person, or failing to engage your team when the business needs it most. Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between investing in people programs and consolidating your tech stack. With Lattice, you can have both. Visit ⁠⁠lattice.com⁠⁠ to learn more. Multi-state compliance is a nightmare—but SixFifty makes it easy. Get instant answers to employment law questions, generate a compliant multi-state handbook in minutes, and stay ahead of changing laws with automated updates. Visit ⁠⁠SixFifty.com⁠⁠ to learn more! 0:01:57 - One Truth About Work Matt Wishes More People Understood 0:03:20 - What Being Paid Right Actually Means, and Why Companies Get it Wrong 0:06:58 - What “I Don’t Feel Like I’m Being Paid Fairly” Really Means 0:08:50 -  Why is Talking About Pay Such a Taboo Topic at Work? 0:11:49 - Should Employees Know What Their Coworkers Make? 0:14:36 - Are Pay Gaps Intentional, or a Result of a Broken System? 0:19:56 - If Matt Could Change One Thing About Compensation, What Would It Be? 0:22:36 - Dealing With Founders Who Don’t Want to Define Anything Compensation-related 0:27:50 - What Role Should Managers Play in Pay Equity? 0:34:03 - What Does a Truly Fair, Inclusive, and Modern Compensation Philosophy Look Like? 0:39:47 - One Thing Matt Nerds Out About When It Comes to Compensation 0:41:25 - How Matt Would Rewrite the Unwritten Rules About Money at Work 0:47:45 - A Conversation About Money That Matt Wishes He Had Earlier in His Career 0:52:00 - What Workplace Money Utopia Could Look Like in the Future And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Matt: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewmcfarlane/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Let’s get one thing straight: People Leaders are tired of companies pretending they care about equity while quietly rolling back DEI initiatives and gaslighting employees into thinking they’re the problem.  So I brought in someone I admire DEEPLY, Cierra Gross, Founder of Caged Bird HR and Wrk Receipts, to drag corporate America’s favorite lies—and yes, it got spicy! We’re discussing why “accountability” is a corporate buzzword for “we’ll investigate ourselves and find no wrongdoing,” how Gen Z is forcing much-needed change at work, and the invisible barriers that sabotage equity.  Cierra’s app, Wrk Receipts, is also about to be a problem, in the absolute best way possible! Choosing the wrong HR platform is rife with regrets: losing a top performer, promoting the wrong person, or failing to engage your team when the business needs it most. Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between investing in people programs and consolidating your tech stack. With Lattice, you can have both. Visit ⁠lattice.com⁠ to learn more. Multi-state compliance is a nightmare—but SixFifty makes it easy. Get instant answers to employment law questions, generate a compliant multi-state handbook in minutes, and stay ahead of changing laws with automated updates. Visit ⁠SixFifty.com⁠ to learn more! 0:02:22 - One Truth About Work Cierra Wishes More Leaders Understood 0:04:42 - Why Accountability and Equitable Outcomes are Top Priorities Right Now 0:12:31 - What Accountability and Equity ACTUALLY Means in the Workplace 0:15:24 - What Happens if Companies Don’t Care About Adapting? 0:23:10 - The Gap Between What Employees Expect and What Companies Deliver 0:25:12 - Why Don’t Companies Have an Incentive to Live Up to Their Ideas? 0:41:03 - Invisible Systems and Habits That Quietly Sabotage Equity and Fairness 0:49:55 - A Necessary Shift to Make Accountability and Equity Non-negotiable at Work And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Cierra: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cierragross/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssefTwitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Employees aren’t just asking for feedback—they’re begging for it.  So why are we still serving them stale, twice-a-year performance reviews like it’s 1999? This week, I’m sitting down with Jessica DeVlieger to unpack why your team is secretly screaming, “Just tell me if I’m doing a good job!”—and how leaders keep missing the mark. We’re digging into: 🔥 Why employees ALWAYS know who’s underperforming before managers do (and the awkward truth about what happens next) 🔥 The #1 reason managers avoid tough feedback  🔥 How to fix performance convos so they actually help people grow 🔥 Why your fancy new HR tech might be making things worse, and how to use it right At the end of the day, employees just want to know where they stand! Choosing the wrong HR platform is rife with regrets: losing a top performer, promoting the wrong person, or failing to engage your team when the business needs it most. Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between investing in people programs and consolidating your tech stack. With Lattice, you can have both. Visit lattice.com to learn more. Multi-state compliance is a nightmare—but SixFifty makes it easy. Get instant answers to employment law questions, generate a compliant multi-state handbook in minutes, and stay ahead of changing laws with automated updates. Visit SixFifty.com to learn more! 0:01:53 - One Truth About Work Jessica Wishes More People Understood 0:07:32 - How Jessica Became a Performance-focused CEO 0:10:18 - Why “Traditional” Performance Management Doesn’t Work Anymore 0:13:12 - When Employees Want to Know Where They Stand, What Does That Mean? 0:16:52 - One Thing Leaders Often Misunderstand About Performance Conversations  0:21:02 - How to Create a Culture Where It’s Normal to Talk About Performance and  0:27:35 - The Performance Gap Jessica Wants to Fill, and Why It Matters 0:33:13 - Jessica’s Take on a Ratings System Approach to Performance Management 0:34:14 - The Biggest Mistake Companies Make in Implementing Performance Management Software 0:38:34 - How Jessica Would Redesign Performance Management, From Scratch And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Jessica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-devlieger-7623305/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Let’s talk about fairness—or, more accurately, let’s talk about how your company is probably failing at it! You know the drill: the ‘neutral’ policies that somehow always disadvantage the same people, the DEI initiatives that start and end with a Slack emoji, the performance reviews that feel more like a lottery than actual feedback.  This week, Zach Nunn (founder of Living Corporate and certified corporate truth-teller) joins me to rip apart the illusion of fairness at work!  We’re talking remote work double standards, the sneaky policies that keep marginalized employees stuck, and why ‘transparency’ is often just corporate code for ‘we’ll tell you the rules but not how to win.’  If most workplaces were actually fair, we wouldn’t need this episode!  But since that’s not our reality yet… press play and let’s get figure it out together. Choosing the wrong HR platform is rife with regrets: losing a top performer, promoting the wrong person, or failing to engage your team when the business needs it most. Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between investing in people programs and consolidating your tech stack. With Lattice, you can have both. Visit lattice.com to learn more. Multi-state compliance is a nightmare—but SixFifty makes it easy. Get instant answers to employment law questions, generate a compliant multi-state handbook in minutes, and stay ahead of changing laws with automated updates. Visit SixFifty.com to learn more! 0:03:43 - One Truth About Work Zach Wishes More Leaders Understood 0:11:30 - What is Living Corporate and What Inspired Zach to Start It? 0:17:02 - What Most Companies Get Wrong About Fairness at Work 0:25:42 - Defining a Fair Workplace and How It Feels to Employees 0:38:52 - Policies That Seem Neutral, But Actually End up Being Unfair 0:52:54 - One Thing HR Should Stop Doing Immediately to Build Fairer Workplaces 0:53:50 - What Gives Zach Hope? 0:56:32 - Get in Touch With Zach And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Zach: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharynunnphr/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

I’m back in your ears with another banger of an episode, and this one’s the season finale! I couldn’t think of a better way to wrap things up than by geeking out with my incredibly impressive friend Jeet Mukerji, co-founder and CEO of Kinfolk. Whether you’re an AI skeptic or a full-on tech enthusiast, there is a lot of food for thought to digest. Are you ready to unlock the full potential of your workforce? PI empowers organizations to align talent with business strategy, helping you drive results and build a culture where your people truly thrive. Transform how you hire, engage, and lead—visit predictiveindex.com to learn how you can create meaningful change in your organization today! 00:02:25 - A Topic Jeet Has Been Interested in Lately 00:03:57 - What Inspired Jeet to Build Kinfolk? 00:06:00 - The Biggest Challenges HR Teams Face With Employee Requests 00:11:01 - Why AI Complements the Human Piece of HR, Not Replaces 00:16:09 - The Biggest Misconceptions About AI in HR 00:21:10 - Using Data to Show Why AI Will Improve Efficiency in HR 00:28:58 - Can AI Handle the Nuances of Emotion in Text? 00:36:03 - Can AI be Used to Make a More Equitable, Inclusive Workplace? 00:42:00 - A Bold, Groundbreaking Thing Jeet Would Love to See in HR 00:44:49 - The Biggest Hurdle in HR Teams Adopting AI Tools And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Jeet: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeetmukerji/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

I’ve been on a mission this season to learn something new in every episode, and today?  Buckle up, because we’re diving into the world of investing and retirement planning—and I promise, it’s way more interesting than it sounds! It’s also an incredibly important topic that not enough people in our roles are talking about at length. Unfortunately, financial stress is the #1 stressor for most people, and HR leaders are no exception.  But here’s the thing: investing doesn’t have to be a jargon-filled nightmare! So in this episode, Breene Murphy and I are breaking down what HR leaders need to know about investing—no fluff, no confusing terms, just practical insights to help you build a retirement plan that works for your company and your people! Are you ready to unlock the full potential of your workforce? PI empowers organizations to align talent with business strategy, helping you drive results and build a culture where your people truly thrive. Transform how you hire, engage, and lead—visit predictiveindex.com to learn how you can create meaningful change in your organization today! 00:03:16 - A Topic Breene Has Been Interested in Lately 00:05:46 - One Thing Every HR Leader Should Know About Investing 00:09:52 - Why It’s so Important for HR Leaders to Understand Investing 00:13:17 - The Best Ways to Evaluate Your 401k Providers 00:25:46 - Why Newer Generations Contribute Less to Their Retirement Funds 00:42:12 - The Biggest Mistakes HR Leaders Make When it Comes to Offering Benefits 00:51:32 - What Breene Would Change About How Companies Approach Investing 00:53:17 - Tools and Resources to Learn About Investing And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Breene: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/breene-murphy-climate-friendly-401k/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Recruiting is rough right now. Job seekers are frustrated, recruiters are overwhelmed, and everyone’s wondering, “Is it just me, or is this whole system broken?”  In this episode, I sit down with Kiersten Greggs, founder of Trap Recruiter and a 24-year recruiting veteran, to unpack the chaos.  Kiersten pulls back the curtain on what’s really happening in today’s job market, why recruiters are the unsung heroes of HR, and how both candidates and hiring teams can navigate this mess. Are you ready to unlock the full potential of your workforce? PI empowers organizations to align talent with business strategy, helping you drive results and build a culture where your people truly thrive. Transform how you hire, engage, and lead—visit predictiveindex.com to learn how you can create meaningful change in your organization today! 00:02:19 - A Topic Keirsten Has Been Interested in Lately 00:05:03 - What is Happening in Today’s Market? 00:10:01 - How Will the Job Market Look in the Next Year? 00:14:06 - How to Stand Out During a Hiring Process 00:23:04 - Why Does Everybody Think You Need to Beat the ATS? 00:29:14 - Using AI for Resumes or Job Searching 00:36:39 - The Biggest Inefficiencies in the TA Process Right Now 00:44:16 - How Long Should the Overall Interview Process be? 00:51:46 - What is the Most Important Part of the Candidate Experience?  00:57:03 - The One Tip Kiersten Would Give Recriuters And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Keirsten: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traprecruiter/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Work is changing FAST.  Between global pandemics, remote work, and the Great Reshuffle, it’s no wonder we’re all feeling a little unhinged! Nothing like building a deep work connection to help you adjust to it all, eh? That’s why this week’s episode is a fun (slightly wild) ride with Chris Hagood, CEO of AstutEdge and all-around HR powerhouse.  We’re covering everything from the role of work friendships to whether you’d take $10,000 to return to the office (spoiler: Chris has thoughts).  Plus, we’re throwing in some HR raps courtesy of ChatGPT because why not?! Whether you’re here for the laughs, the insights, or just to feel less alone in your corner of chaos, this episode has it all.  Are you ready to unlock the full potential of your workforce? PI empowers organizations to align talent with business strategy, helping you drive results and build a culture where your people truly thrive. Transform how you hire, engage, and lead—visit predictiveindex.com to learn how you can create meaningful change in your organization today! 00:03:00 - A Topic Chris Has Been Interested in Lately 00:08:04 - What the F&*%$ is Going on in the World? 00:11:34 - Does Christ Have a Best Friend in Life That he Met at Work? 00:13:52 - Should HR Play an Active Role in Fostering Friendships at Work? 00:17:19 - Would You Take $10,000 to Return to the Office? 00:23:00 - Professional Myths or Facts 00:33:35 - Yes or No? 00:37:08 - HR Raps From ChatGPT 00:42:12 - 3 Things HR Definitely Shouldn’t Say   And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Chris: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisrhagood/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef Hostile Government Takeover Song  Gallup Best Friend at Work survey

There’s more to people than what you see when they show up for work.  Stories matter because we are in the age of radical authenticity and transparency. Exciting? Yes! Challenging? Also yes. Torrin Ellis, a powerhouse in recruitment, talent development, and operationalizing diversity and inclusion is here to break it all down!  We’ll unpack Torrin’s latest report, Reducing Bias in HR Using AI, and explore building trust, vulnerability, and doing things differently to push humanity further and deeper into your respective organization. Plus, we’ll tackle the scary stuff—like how to do the right thing even when it’s hard and why re-skilling is non-negotiable in the age of AI. Don’t worry, we’ll also squeeze in some hot takes on the Super Bowl performance because, well, priorities. Tune in, take notes, and let’s make work better, one uncomfortable conversation at a time. Are you ready to unlock the full potential of your workforce? PI empowers organizations to align talent with business strategy, helping you drive results and build a culture where your people truly thrive. Transform how you hire, engage, and lead—visit predictiveindex.com to learn how you can create meaningful change in your organization today! 00:05:01 - How Hebba and Torin Met 00:10:26 - Breakdown of the Superbowl Performance 00:18:42 - Understanding Bias and Prejudice  00:30:22 - What Inspired Torin’s Report about Reducing Bias in HR using AI 00:38:56 - The Pros and Cons of Capitalism 00:44:35 - Doing the Right Thing, Even When It’s Scary 00:51:09 - Torin’s ONE Takeaway You Should Have From This Episode 00:53:37 - Get in Touch With Torin And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Torin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/torinellis/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef