Human Resources For Small Business

SHOW NOTES Chown Hardware was founded almost 150 years ago, and despite countless ups and downs, the company is still thriving. So, what’s the big secret? In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, Brandon Laws interviews President and CEO Kyle Chown of Chown Hardware. Chown gives listeners an insider’s glimpse into casting vision, conquering team or leadership complacency, and laying the groundwork for a stable, successful future.   TAKEAWAYS Work-life balance is a significant challenge for those leading family-owned and operated businesses. Chown Hardware, as with any successful business, has a responsibility to care for not only the employees themselves but also the families of those employees. During his transitional period into the role of President/CEO, Kyle Chown grappled with interpersonal conflicts about his identity as a leader. To lead effectively, leaders must be intentional about being their authentic selves. Involving team members in goal setting toward a common vision helps them

In this episode, Brandon Laws sits down with Réland Logan and Katy Byrtus of Cinder, a staffing agency headquartered in Hillsboro, OR. The group discusses the growing emphasis on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives in today’s business world. Instead of just checking the EDI box, learn some best practices for creating an authentic and equitable culture at your business.   TAKEAWAYS By beginning with a goal of equality across all people, companies will inevitably become more diverse and more inclusive. Allowing employees to air out their grievances allows Cinder to get a deeper understanding of what it is that they need.  Leaders must create a common language and understanding because we all come to work with different lived experiences and perceptions. One common challenge in cultivating effective EDI initiatives can be leaders who aren’t willing to accept that there are issues that need to be resolved.   A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 

In this episode, Brandon Laws sits down with Emmy Thomas, VP of Brand and Marketing for Logical Position, a premier PPC management company and digital marketing agency. Emmy talks about her career with LP and how the company has tackled challenges brought on by the pandemic and an ever-increasing remote workforce. Listen in and learn how to engage employees, ramp up clear communication, and lead effectively, whether your team is in-office, hybrid, or remote.   TAKEAWAYS The pandemic caused companies to have to fill unexpected ‘holes’ left by the switch from in-office to remote work.  The remote work environment has leveled the playing field of the employee experience since all employees receive the same communication at once. The remote onboarding experience must be dynamic and engaging — not just talking to employees through a screen all day.  The LP leadership team has open ears for feedback from all levels of the company. Through frequent employee surveying, LP leadership can get a pulse on how employees

Is your team struggling to communicate effectively in the remote or hybrid workplace? According to our recent guest, Renée Marino, we can’t lean too heavily on new school tools, or we’ll find ourselves facing constant workplace miscommunication and conflict. Instead, a balance between what’s new and that “old school” face-to-face interaction is critical if we want to make it in this post-pandemic workplace. Listen in as Renee shares insight from her new book, Becoming a Master Communicator, and find out how to step up your communication game at work.   TAKEAWAYS Too much dependence on impersonal tech tools is a recipe for conflict and miscommunication. To become master communicators, we need to balance old school and new school communication methods. Master communicators know when it’s appropriate to reach out through email versus hopping on a quick Zoom call.  We cannot forget that we are human beings, and human beings are meant to connect.  One of the most crucial components of being a master communicator

Our most recent guest, Jackie Insinger, believes in the power of the positive. In this episode of Transform Your Workplace, she and host Brandon Laws talk about the science behind Positive Psychology, especially when it comes to the workplace. Looking to transform your team? Listen in and get an inside glimpse into Jackie’s new book, Spark Brilliance, all about how leaders can effectively implement Positive Psychology at work.   TAKEAWAYS In business, we can’t stay in the neutral, but instead must push forward and maximize the potential in the positive. Positive Psychology is about “building what’s strong, not just fixing what's wrong.” The Platinum Rule is to treat others how they wish to be treated, a mindset that positive leaders must adopt.  Growth and innovation happen when leaders lay a foundation of safety that encourages people to take risks. Positive leaders have the power to “spark brilliance” in the people around them by deciding how they want to show up in the workplace.   A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO O

SHOW NOTES It’s time to give your people what they need — a career with purpose and meaning that transcends their job titles. In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, Brandon Laws sits down with Julie Winkle Giulioni, career development expert and author of Promotions Are So Yesterday: Redefine Career Development. Help Employees Thrive. Listen in to learn about some common misconceptions when it comes to career growth and how to incorporate employee development into everything you do. TAKEAWAYS The dysfunction surrounding career development is due to a lack of an expansive definition for the concept itself. Employees who don't perceive growth opportunities are 7.9 times more eager to leave, even if they like their job. Employees need a career growth roadmap that takes them from experience to experience. Employers need to seize the opportunity to create a custom growth experience that will speak to the unique needs of each employee. Conversation and relationships are the keys to finding out wh

Craving connection at work? According to our most recent guest, Charmaine Hammond, personal connection is critical to mental health and the overall health of a business. Listen in to learn some best practices for increasing opportunities for meaningful connection among in-office, remote, and hybrid workers alike.   TAKEAWAYS Workplace conflict increases as employees navigate frequent change and uncertainty. With the rise of remote work, teams are missing impromptu or informal connection in the workplace. Informal connection is critical to workplace culture and team elements like building trust and maintaining relationships. When employees can see only names and black squares in a Zoom meeting, assumptions and miscommunications abound. Even though we’re connected virtually through different platforms and tools, many say that the quality of that connection is not as meaningful. Meeting norms, courtesies, or rules of engagement help employees know how to “show up” to business meetings. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR

When it comes to the well-being of employees, how much responsibility should an employer take on? According to guest Ravi Swaminathan, a growing number of companies are doing more than just giving lip service regarding employee wellness. In fact, they’re taking action by offering some unconventional benefits. One such benefit is TaskHuman, an app that gives users virtual one-on-one access to experts in virtually every category of wellbeing. Listen in to learn about this exciting new offering and how it may help you attract and retain top talent.    TAKEAWAYS Wellbeing is simply the state of who you are and how you feel. Your wellbeing can change depending on what you’re going through physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Companies engender employee loyalty by choosing more areas of your personal life to support.  Supporting employees with new and unconventional benefits helps companies attract and retain the best talent. TaskHuman allows employees to access live, unlimited one-on-one coaching f

Having trouble scaling your business when it comes to HR? According to our most recent guest, you’re not alone. In this week’s episode, host Brandon Laws sits down with HR aficionado Matt Tanner. The two discuss common HR blunders that business leaders make when trying to keep up with company growing pains. Ultimately, Matt explains that whether you outsource or hire, passing the “HR Hat” to an expert is vital to the growth of your business. TAKEAWAYS In smaller organizations, it’s not uncommon for someone to wear the “HR Hat” who isn’t trained or lacks the experience to do the job effectively. Many small businesses are terrified that they are “missing something” when running HR, putting them at risk for being sued. Employees are often wearing many hats, but oftentimes, the HR Hat is one of the last that small teams pass off. Once a business has an official employee, an HR expert is necessary. When untrained or inexperienced employees are wearing the HR Hat, they tend to lean toward staying out of trouble in

Avoiding the “uncomfortable” has become so common that we have a famous term for it: it’s “the elephant in the room.” But according to guest Sarah Noll Wilson, author of Don't Feed the Elephants, it’s possible to free yourself and your team from that overwhelming awkwardness. In today’s episode of Transform Your Workplace, our guest provides tips on how to address your elephants and create a transparent culture in your workplace.  TAKEAWAYS “The elephant in the room” creeps into the workplace when we avoid talking about or acknowledging something uncomfortable. Avoiding honest discussion is a harmful barrier to business success. A leader’s response in moments of disagreement or feedback sets the tone for how safe others will feel speaking up. Freeing the elephant from the room is a process that happens one conversation at a time, not all at once. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST

If you’re a business owner, you know that scalability is crucial to a company’s success. Listen in as Brandon Laws interviews Chris Ronzio, author of The Business Playbook, and learn what you can do to ensure that your company grows in healthy ways. Gain a fresh perspective on how to document and delegate when it comes to your company’s profile, people, policies, and processes.  TAKEAWAYS Owners shouldn’t be stepping in to do every job in the business; instead, they should create and implement solid systems. Leaders and employees must be aligned because consistency equals growth. A complete business playbook is made up of the company’s profile, people, policies, and processes. A business playbook isn’t a top-down assignment to be passed off to employees but rather a living set of documents that leaders and employees alike can own. Scalability is about giving employees clear expectations and letting them take ownership of improving their area of the business. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST

What’s the key to productivity and engagement in the workplace? According to recent guest Dr. Noelle Nelson, it’s all about making your employees happy. Listen in to get the latest research from her book, Make More Money by Making Your Employees Happy, and get an inside glimpse into how some companies survived and thrived during the pandemic by focusing on employee engagement. Avoid common pitfalls and implement best practices so that you too can ensure your employees feel appreciated and heard. TAKEAWAYS Companies that thrive no matter what are companies who truly appreciate their employees Successful companies create a culture where employee feedback is encouraged, rewarded, implemented, and acknowledged. In today’s business world, individual preference matters, so leaders should pay more attention to what their employees want. The most powerful thing you can do to engage an employee is to catch them in the act of doing it right. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST

We’re long overdue for a candid discussion about mental health and mental illness in the workplace. In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, Brandon Laws sits down with Melissa Doman, an Organizational Psychology expert, to talk about the necessity of breaking the stigma and cultivating a culture of transparency when it comes to mental wellbeing. And, as the Great Resignation continues to take its toll on businesses of all industries and sizes, it’s a conversation we can’t afford to ignore. TAKEAWAYS Many employees don’t feel comfortable broaching the topic of mental health in the workplace. Mental health is more than workplace wellness; it is about accessibility, diversity, equity, inclusion, leadership development, and learning and development across an organization. People are nervous to speak up about mental health issues because they may be misunderstood and compromise their jobs or career paths. We must normalize experiencing and talking about uncomfortable negative emotions. The COVID-

Listen in to the latest episode of Transform Your Workplace, where the conversation is all about effective talent acquisition. Brandon Laws talks with top recruiter and talent acquisition expert, Tatiyana Cure, about her book, Hire to Win: Managers Practical Guide for Attracting and Interviewing Top Talent. Learn about best practices for writing job descriptions, interviewing candidates, and selecting the right hire, all while cutting out the tedious and time-consuming methods that we’ve all grown accustomed to. TAKEAWAYS The biggest cost of a bad hire is your own mental health and productivity. A vague job description attracts a high number of candidates, so hiring managers end up investing too much time scratching the surface instead of determining if it’s the right fit. When interviewing, ask the same questions to all candidates so that you can adequately compare them to one another to find the best for the job. Set aside substantial time to look at resumes instead of glancing at the candidates and making

Returning guest Victoria Dew sits down with Brandon Laws to discuss Dewpoint Communications’ latest report, The New Rules of Employee Experience and Communications in 2022. Get an up-to-date glimpse into what organizations of all sizes and across all industries had to say about the past year and its impact on their people and communication as a whole. TAKEAWAYS We’ve learned that change is a constant and that the need to adapt is not going to go away anytime soon. This new era of innovation means that we get to recreate, reimagine, and reinvent so many aspects of the employee experience, communication, and connection. The silver bullet for the employee experience is embracing chaos and complexity instead of implementing a one-size-fits-all approach. Employees are tired of offering their ideas and opinions only to realize that leaders won’t take action. Being proactive versus reactive when it comes to employee retention is the most strategic, smartest way to run a business.

SHOW NOTES Let’s face it. Remote work can be difficult, especially when it comes to leading teams and facilitating successful collaboration. In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, Brandon Laws sits down with Anneke Victorica, HR expert and founder and director of BloomHR. Listen in as the two discuss approaches, resources, and best practices for navigating HR challenges in the ever-changing remote workplace. TAKEAWAYS The key to remote HR is finding great external support and service providers. When it comes to culture, the hiring process plays a critical role because it determines whether new employees will contribute to a positive culture. If new to HR, it’s important to be self-aware and true to your strengths, interests, and struggles.  Relationships will always matter, so those trying to navigate remote HR must be intentional about making and deepening these connections. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST

Considering taking a remote position? Or just in need of some tips to boost your remote performance? In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, Brandon Laws sits down with Jill Duffy to talk about Jill’s book, The Everything Guide to Remote Work. Listen in to learn how to maximize the benefits and navigate the challenges of a remote position. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Research says that the more autonomy workers have, the more likely they are to be productive and loyal to their organizations. One prominent challenge in remote work is difficulty in creating boundaries that support work-life balance. Many remote companies offer an unlimited paid-time-off policy, which means that you earn or accrue PTO as time goes on, and you can take time off with manager approval. When working remotely, it’s easy to miss body language and signals, so over-communication is key. A specific job description is critical to the success of the remote employee. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST

Brandon Laws is joined by a colleague, Lacey Partipilo of Xenium HR for a bonus episode to share an oral history of the pandemic from their perspectives.  They share their experience at work and at home, and what they believe the future holds for the workplace.  Connect with Lacey Partipilo. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST

Is the popular saying “fake it ‘til you make it” really a recipe for success? According to our latest guest, Sabrina Horn, faking it ‘til you make it is actually “the worst business advice ever.” In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, Sabrina suggests that authenticity is the answer for those wishing to seize business success. Listen in and gain insight into leading with authenticity in today’s unpredictable business world. TAKEAWAYS The idea of “faking until we make it” has mutated through social media and pop culture, eventually becoming a way to justify dishonesty. To stay grounded, it’s important to have mentors who will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.  Sometimes people “fake it” because they're completely overwhelmed. Owning up to your mistakes means you'll recover faster and maintain your integrity. We should never stop learning or we’ll stagnate and lose our edge in the workplace. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST

How should businesses deal with communication breakdown among leaders and teams? And where do they begin when it comes to clarifying needs and addressing conflict? According to recent guest Tim Franz, the Workplace Covenant is a time-test method for merging the obligations and expectations inherent in any workplace relationship. Listen in to hear how it works and get some valuable insight about fostering meaningful partnership at work.  TAKEAWAYS To truly listen to others, one must listen to understand and make sense of the feelings that the speaker is experiencing. The Workplace Covenant is a method that makes both the leader’s and the team’s implicit needs and desires explicit so that all can work together. Like any other process, the Workplace Covenant must be posted, reviewed in team meetings, and discussed frequently. The underpinning of the meaningful partnership is empathy, respect, trust, and alignment. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST