Human Resources For Small Business

Your company has fallen on hard times, and you have no choice but to let go of highly skilled, talented employees - who you may have a hard time tracking down or finding qualified replacements for once you're financially able to rehire for those positions. Or is there another way? The Work Share program in Oregon (name varies in other states) offers an alternative that involves an hour reduction for multiple employees, while subsidizing partial unemployment insurance benefits to those employees. Salena De La Cruz, Project Manager at Work Share for the Oregon Employment Department, joins the podcast for a deep dive into the mission of the program, how to go about applying as an employer, what benefits employers and employees alike will receive, and highlights of recent improvements that have streamlined the program.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium HR Learn about Work Sha

Informational interviewing can give you or your employees the opportunity to gain perspective and hear tips and advice when at a career crossroads. So why isn't it talked about more, and why aren't employers actively encouraging their employees to interview or be interviewed themselves more often? Lacey Halpern, Sr. HR Business Partner at Xenium, joins Brandon Laws in a discussion of the do's and don't's of informational interviewing and a walkthrough of how to get started getting the most out of this key professional development strategy.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium HR Follow Lacey on LinkedIn

Gaining direct access to the knowledge and skills of others can be a challenge for those who have the desire to grow professionally. But what if employers could build an effective mentor program that that granted access to internal and cross-company mentors? What would effect would that have on the growth, development, and engagement of employees? Heidi Holmes, Co-Founder of Mentorloop joins the podcast to discuss how many organizations are uncovering the secret to building the most effective mentor programs to drive employee engagement and retention of top talent.   Review us on iTunes Take our survey   Learn More: Connect with Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Learn about Xenium HR Learn about Heidi Holmes and Mentorloop 

Millennials are continuing to pour into the workplace, and by 2020 they are expected to represent nearly half of the workforce. As managers and leaders, how do we best communicate with this generation? What are their common behaviors that we need to adapt to, and what do millennials want and hope to get out of their work? Lee Caraher, author of Millennials and Management: The Essential Guide to Making it Work at Work and founder of Double Forte, joins the podcast to discuss these questions and much more as it relates to managing and working alongside millennials.   Review us on iTunes Take our survey   Learn More: Connect with Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Learn about Xenium HR Learn about Lee Caraher | Buy Millennials and Management and Pre-Order The Boomerang Principle

At Xenium, it’s our job to stay on top of the various workplace and HR trends that come our way. And in this podcast, we’ll talk about the belief that HR should be replaced or absorbed into other business departments. Is it a good idea? Listen in to find out. We’ll be discussing the viability of this approach, the role of HR and the real duties of the department. Whether it skews administrative or strategic, we’ll be talking through the ways your HR department can be refocused to do more for your organization.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Connect with Brandon Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Learn about Xenium HR Follow Angela on LinkedIn

When it comes to hiring fresh talent, there’s a new demographic in town. With boomers retiring and Gen Xers aging, millennials are taking over the workforce and changing the way companies attract and retain new talent. In this episode, we’ll be discussing all the ins and outs of recruiting and hiring millennials—why it’s worth it and what to expect. Listen in as we decode the values and behaviors of today’s job seekers to arm you with the knowledge you need to connect with the next generation of top talent.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Connect with Brandon Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Learn about Xenium HR Follow Paige on LinkedIn

So much of the job seeking process has moved online into social media, job boards, and applicant tracking systems. But is this the most effective way to job search these days? What about the so-called "hidden job market," and how do we find those less publicized or Google-able opportunities? Peter Paskill, Owner and CEO of CareerMakers, joins Brandon Laws in a discussion of how to navigate the job market in a focused, determined way, and come out of it with your dream job. In this podcast, Peter not only shares best practices for job seekers, but he provides insight to the behaviors of job seekers that recruiters will learn from.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Contact Information: Connect with Brandon - Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Learn about Xenium HR Learn about Peter Paskill and CareerMakers | Buy Peter's Book

As we look forward to the rest of 2017, what can we expect to see in the world of business and human resources? What will employees expect from their workplaces, and how can you anticipate their needs as an employer? And the question on everyone's mind: how will the changing political landscape impact business practice and employment law? Anne Donovan, President of Xenium HR, returns to the podcast to share her 2017 HR predictions along with actionable advice for how to stay ahead of the curve this year.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Connect with Brandon Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Learn about Xenium HR Follow Anne on LinkedIn

Innovation and business success almost always involve taking risk. But risk is, quite frankly, risky, and everyone handles it so differently. How do we know when to act on our new idea or to procrastinate and wait it out? On top of that, how do we create new ideas or new ventures and how do we unlock our creativity and sustain our originality? Tyler Meuwissen, of Xenium HR, returns to join Brandon Laws in a discussion of the book Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant and what it means to be an Original.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Connect with Brandon Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Learn about Xenium HR Follow Tyler on Twitter | LinkedIn

When it comes to the salaries of our coworkers and people working similar jobs to ours at other companies, should we know what they make? And what about transparency around the entire compensation package, including benefits and culture offerings--should employers be open about it? Jason Nazar, Co-Founder and CEO of Comparably, joins us to discuss how pay transparency can help both employers and employees, and why it's a rising trend among growing organizations.  In this episode, Jason shares what transparent compensation can do to culture, engagement, how it affects the recruiting & process, and much more!   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Contact Information: Connect with Brandon - Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Learn about Xenium HR Learn about Jason Nazar & Comparably

Everyone learns differently. So, how do you advance professional development while catering to the many ways people learn? Listen in as five Xenium professionals discuss their favorite learning methods, as well as the pros and cons. Whether you prefer the experiential nature of on-the-job learning or workshops, teaching yourself via books and videos, or the structure of industry certifications, this episode offers professional development inspiration that you and your employees can put into practice. Brandon Laws on Self-Learning [00:50] Angela Perkins on Peer Groups [9:35] Lacey Halpern on Certifications [21:50] Suzi Alligood on Workshops & Seminars [29:58] Alishia Young on Experiential Learning [47:17]   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book! Learn about Xenium HR

Giving back to the community fills us with joy—but there is perhaps something even bigger at play—it often brings people together and engages us deeply. Organizations have a huge opportunity to mobilize their workforce, particularly around the holiday season, to volunteer time as a group for many great causes that exist in our local communities today. But how do employers choose an organization that aligns with their values and beliefs? How do we treat volunteer time for employees—is it paid time or is it not? And what kind of impact can community involvement have on individual employees within a company, as well as that company as a whole? Will it impact the culture in a positive way? Rhonda Meadows, Senior HR Business Partner at Xenium HR and Founder of non-profit organizations Project Lemonade and Bridge Meadows, joins the podcast to answer many of these questions and to share her own story of recognizing a need and responding with a solution. Don’t miss this timely discussion on the importance of giving b

When people hear the term "millennial," they often associate the generation ranging from ages 18-34 as "entitled," "trophy generation," "me generation," and many more subjective and typically negative terms. But is this an accurate reflection of the generation that is likely to make up 33% of the workforce in just a few short years? Lacey Halpern, Katherine Thomas, and Brandon Laws (all Millennials) of Xenium HR discuss why people often get Millennials wrong and how they can be a truly great asset in business. Listen in for a fun discussion on one of the most fascinating generations of our time.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Connect with Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Connect with Lacey on LinkedIn | Email Connect with Katherine on LinkedIn | Email   Learn about Xenium HR   Links & Resources Related to this Episode: Generations at Work Six Reasons Millennials are Actually the Best Workers

How do you help someone who has a track record of high performance as an individual contributor become the next great leader? Tana Thomson, Xenium HR's VP of Human Resources, joins the podcast to discuss how she believes aspiring leaders and high potential employees can develop their leadership skills, and how you as an employer can identify and encourage those individuals. In the podcast, Tana shares how managers and leaders can work with these high potentials in a coaching relationship to develop leadership skills.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Connect with Brandon Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Learn about Xenium HR Follow Tana on LinkedIn | Learn about Tana    

Mindfulness has been a buzz word these past several years. But what is it in practice and how can it impact the workplace? Will it truly make a difference in productivity? And how might we get started? Pearl Waldorf, licensed professional counselor, joins the podcast to share her own perspectives on the impact of practicing mindfulness and walks us through how we can be mindful.    Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Contact Information: Connect with Brandon Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Learn about Xenium HR Connect with Pearl Woldorf Website | Email   Links and Resources: http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/on-practice/open-mind-focused-mind https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/finding-true-refuge/201502/the-backward-step Guided Mindful Self-Connection Check: http://pearlwaldorf.com/self-connection-check Workshops: http://pearlwaldorf.com/2016-career-development-group

Resilience, stamina, a determination to continue on against all odds - we've all heard how important this is to achieving our goals, whether personal or professional. But how do we do it? Is the ability to persevere, is grit, innate? Can we grow and develop it in ourselves? How do we establish and structure our goals? Tyler Meuwissen, Xenium’s Compensation & HR Analyst, returns to join Brandon Laws in a discussion of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth and share their personal experiences of grit.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Connect with Brandon Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Learn about Xenium HR Follow Tyler on Twitter | LinkedIn

How do we live our happiest lives, even throughout pain, suffering, and loss? How do we capitalize on the good of life, and achieve and enjoy our happiest lives? Mark Jaffe, a former senior executive at The Walt Disney Company, joins the podcast to discuss his book, Suitcase of Happyness. He shares techniques and pathways to a deeply and broadly happy life, and how to bring those methods and attitudes into your broader community and work life.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Email Brandon at brandon.laws@xeniumhr.com Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium HR Follow Mark Jaffe on Twitter | Buy The Suitecase of Happyness

As technology has shifted a lot of our work to screens, more companies are creating opportunities for employees to work from home. Craig Bryant is a founder of several companies which have nearly transitioned to a fully remote workforce throughout the past five years, with employees spread all across the country. Craig Bryant, Founder of Kin HR and Co-Founder of We Are Mammoth joins the podcast to discuss the realities of remote work: the benefits, the drawbacks, how to implement a remote workforce, and how to navigate all the day to day realities of everything in between.   -- Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium HR Learn about Craig Bryant and Kinhr.com

Email has become one of our chief methods of communication in the workplace, yet one of the biggest thorns in our side in terms of productivity. Several companies are experimenting with limiting email usage, or attempting to do away with email altogether. Is this a progressive choice that represents what’s next in the world of work, or would it do more harm than good? Should we view email as either an all or nothing tool, or are there ways to walk the middle line and make changes to our habits to improve our relationship with it? And how could changing our email habits impact our relationships – both personal and professional? Molly Kelley, Senior Human Resource Business Partner at Xenium, talks all things email and productivity and share resources for any employee or business leader to implement in their own work life and organization. -- Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium H

Lacey Halpern, Sr. HR Business Partner at Xenium and frequent podcast guest, joins us for a special episode to discuss how she landed in the HR industry after graduating college with a psychology degree, the challenges and rewards of being a working mom, memorable and challenging moments from working in HR with a variety of organizations, her experience working with millennials, and where she finds fulfillment in her career.   Give us a review on iTunes and be entered to win a free book! Take our survey and be entered to win a free book!   Follow Brandon on Twitter | LinkedIn Learn about Xenium HR Follow Lacey on LinkedIn