Human Resources For Small Business

Take a deep dive into the current market with guest Chris Cubbage, Founder of Retirement Advocates. In this episode of Transform Your Workplace, Chris provides listeners with an in-depth market analysis with discussion topics ranging from investing and housing issues to productivity and financial literacy — and everything in between. If you’re wondering what’s around the corner and how to prepare for your financial future, you don’t want to miss this episode.   A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 

Quiet quitting may be a new term, but it’s not a new concept. According to our most recent guest, the pandemic has exacerbated an age-old problem: low employee engagement and productivity. Listen in as Brandon Laws sits down with Joe Galvin, Chief Research Officer of Vistage, and the two discuss how to set high expectations and boost productivity despite the challenges of the hybrid/remote workplace.   TAKEAWAYS Quiet quitting is the concept of employees meeting only the accepted standards and not trying to do more. Leaders must be intentional about engaging their teams, communicating clearly, and keeping standards high if they want to see higher productivity in a post-Covid workplace. The people who aren't working at home are the same people who weren’t working in the office; they just spend more energy creating the illusion of activity. Commuting is a waste of time, productivity, and emotional energy, and eliminating the commute frees people to get more done. Leaders need to recognize that it’s not about a

What can businesses do to empower and develop the marginalized? This episode features a timely discussion on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with intercultural practitioner Rahimeh Ramezany. From her own experience as an employee to her observations of marginalized groups in the workplace, Rahimeh exposes the power plays at work within today’s business world.   TAKEAWAYS Employers must align their values with those of their employees and customers. Companies show what they care about through what they say, what they do, and where they allocate their money. DEI practitioners should go out of their way to learn about different cultures and identity groups so that they can be more inclusive and sensitive to needs. If business leaders haven't even been attempting to check in with their people, it’s time to take accountability for that and make a change.   A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 

Ready to take your team to the next level? In this episode of Transform Your Workplace, Brandon Laws sits down with leadership and teamwork expert Natalie Dawson to discuss her book, Teamwork: How to Build a High-Performance Team. Listen in to learn all about best practices for engaging and developing people. TAKEAWAYS Leaders must figure out the balance between striving toward the goals of the business and guiding employees toward their own career aspirations.  To create a pipeline of talent, be intentional about promoting the amazing things that your employees are doing on a daily basis. When onboarding, get people the information they need as efficiently and quickly as possible while also over-delivering with regards to self-development. Ask team members about their personal, professional, and financial goals so that you know how to coach them. invest in team members who demonstrate that they're willing to take criticism and feedback, develop skill sets, read books, and take courses so that they're ready

At Xenium, it’s always been about the people. We can’t support you and your people without taking care of our own. Which is why we’re so proud to announce the Portland Business Journal has awarded us with second place in their Oregon’s Healthiest Employer program. In this bonus episode, Brandon Laws sits down with the President of Xenium, Anne Donovan, to discuss some of Xenium's wellness program initiatives. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 

A waymaker is an active leader who opens doors, removes barriers, and ushers people through to greater levels of contribution. In this episode, Brandon Laws sits down with Tara Jaye Frank, author of The Waymakers, to discuss the inspiration behind her new book, a roadmap for fostering workplace equity. Listen in and learn how to recognize and seize opportunities to interrupt systems and processes that hinder equity in the workplace.   TAKEAWAYS Inequity is rooted in power dynamics which exist in almost every system in which we work. When we determine who to hire, who to promote, or who to invite into a certain room where information is being disseminated, we are witnessing power dynamics at work.  Power is usually concentrated within a select group of people, and whether that power is or is not shared dictates the degree to which other people can succeed. Equitable outcomes are tied to equitable opportunities, and not everyone gets access to those opportunities. If we don't train ourselves to interrupt some

In this episode of Transform Your Workplace, Brandon Laws sits down with guest Leo Macleod — thought leader, consultant, and author of From the Ground Up. Listen in as the two discuss stories from Leo’s new book about those who have gone from contributor to leader despite the challenges of climbing the corporate ladder.   TAKEAWAYS At the start of the typical career, we are taught to own a task completely and to work independently, The challenge arises when we move into a position of managing other people because we tend to hold on to the project, which is not a good recipe for empowering others. Start by designing your ‘mountain’ —both personally and professionally — and that will inform what skills you need to develop to move forward in your career. Aligning yourself on a team with your mentor puts you in a position of learning the skills and getting the experience to progress in the workplace. Be mindful of how you're spending not so much your time but your energy.    A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 

Burnout has always been an issue, but with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, chronic stress has stepped into the forefront of the conversation about mental and physical wellness. In this episode, guest Jennifer Moss, author of The Burnout Epidemic, talks about the importance of recognizing and destigmatizing the chronic stress — worsened by the pandemic — so that we can find peace and productivity in the workplace.   TAKEAWAYS The World Health Organization has identified “burnout” as “institutional stress left unmanaged.” Employees who are experiencing burnout often feel stigmatized, so they don't speak up. During the pandemic, employees were still supposed to hit pre-COVID goals while also working toward stretch goals — this combination was a massive, unidentified chronic stressor. A Microsoft Trends report found that much of the global workforce was resigning due to workload and lack of empathy from their employers. Leaders must look at budget allocations and bifurcate between wellness and burnout prevent

In this episode of Transform Your Workplace, Tiago Forte, author of A Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential, talks about his innovative, time-tested method for the organization of ideas. What he calls “building a second brain” is a process of organizing, storing, and reflecting on ideas — all to make an “external impact” in your personal life or career. Sit down with host Brandon Laws as he talks with Tiago about his new book and about how his “second brain” has revolutionized his education and career.    TAKEAWAYS The “second brain” is a system that allows you to preserve and store all of your most important information. Users reflect on, process, analyze, and understand this information to create an external impact. A common pitfall is becoming an information collector without any particular purpose in mind.  We improve communication by having better inputs: research, examples, metaphors, data points, stories — the supporting evidence that

Host Brandon Laws is joined by Xenium employee and HR expert Nicole Blevins! The two discuss Malcolm Gladwell's recent polarizing comments regarding remote work.  Sign up for Xenium’s annual What People Want from Work survey   A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 

According to guest Donna Cutting, culture consultant and Founder/CEO of Red-Carpet Learning Worldwide, when businesses focus too heavily on the customer experience, they can lose sight of the “heart” of the organization: their employees. In this episode, Donna shares insights and best practices from her new book, Employees First, to help leaders inspire and engage their people with positive culture.   TAKEAWAYS The pandemic revealed a need to transition from a “fix approach” to a deeper focus on appropriate relationships in the workplace. As companies focus largely on customers, they can easily forget to focus on the employee experience, resulting in lower engagement and higher attrition. When it comes to companies with great culture and great customer service, it often starts with a leader focused on purpose over profit. The more people feel involved in a vision bigger than themselves, the more likely they are to buy in and make it their own. Fair compensation goes hand-in-hand with a positive culture that

In this episode of Transform Your Workplace, Brandon Laws sits down with Wendy Ellin, decluttering and organization expert, to learn how disorganization is a massive contributor to both personal and workplace stress. Wendy talks about her 3P Academy and best practices for helping employees find grea ter productivity, performance, and peace of mind.   TAKEAWAYS Employees are suffering in silence when it comes to disorganization, and most businesses don’t realize that the problem exists. 3P Academy contains targeted strategies for virtually any organizational issue, all aimed at increasing productivity, performance, and peace of mind. Many don’t attempt to get organized because they feel that if they can’t reach perfection that their efforts are futile. Perfection is impossible; instead, the learner should aim for 80%, an attainable organization goal. To get started and stick with it, you must want it and have a specific end goal in mind.   Sign up for Xenium’s annual What People Want from Work survey   A QUI

Host Brandon Laws is joined by Xenium employee and frequent favorite pod guest Lacey Partipilo! The two discuss various topics, from AI in the workplace to innovations in HR to favorite social media personalities.  Sign up for Xenium’s annual What People Want from Work survey A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 

It’s time to address a growing issue in the workplace: recently-graduated employees who are struggling under the burden of student loan debt. Is repayment solely the responsibility of the borrower? The government? The employer? According to guest Naveed Iqbal, co-founder and CEO of Dolr, education benefits everyone, so we all should share the burden of paying for it.  TAKEAWAYS The burden of student loan repayment hinders young people from starting families earlier, buying homes, and saving for emergencies or retirement. Employers could be part of the solution by providing innovative benefits for those with educational debt. Despite Gen Z’s tendency toward fiscal responsibility, they are given little information or knowledge about how to optimize their finances. The student loan crisis is centered around borrowers not having an understanding of what it means to make payments versus defer payments.  Dolr believes that education benefits everyone, so everyone should play some role in paying for it. Sign up fo

Everybody wants to be happy, but are there tangible steps to seizing happiness right now? According to guest Amy Newmark, co-author, editor-in-chief, and publisher of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series, we can take action by applying the keys to happiness from her recent Chicken Soup for the Soul publication. Listen in as she shares some eye-opening stories from the book and gives advice on how we, too, can find happiness. Sign up for Xenium’s annual What People Want from Work survey A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 

We've all seen job listings that ask for 5, 10, or even 15 years of experience to qualify for the role. But how relevant are those requirements really? On this bonus episode, guest and Xenium employee Nicole Blevins joins us to discuss required years of experience and how they misrepresent potential employees' depth of knowledge and can shut out talented candidates.   A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 

What is invisible work? What are non-promotable tasks? And, most importantly, are you unknowingly assigning or taking on this type of work? Find out more about this common issue in this episode of Transform Your Workplace. Guest Kelli Thompson, author of the recent Huffington Post article, “Women Do the Most ‘Invisible Work’ at the Office,” talks about her own experiences taking on invisible work and how women can be empowered to say “no” to tasks that don’t advance them toward leadership positions.   TAKEAWAYS On average, women get 44% more requests than men to do non-promotable tasks at work.  Non-promotable tasks are tasks that don't contribute to performance results or reviews.  When tasks do not add personal value, align with their career goals and mission, or come with financial compensation, women must be empowered to say “no.” Instead of burdening employees with non-promotable tasks, leaders should consider outsourcing. When it comes to invisible work, female leaders should shift their identity from

It’s time to revolutionize leadership development. In this episode of Transform Your Workplace, Brandon Laws and guest Mick Spiers, founder of The Leadership Project, discuss Mick’s new book, You’re a Leader, Now What?. Get a glimpse into best practices for how to transition from contributor to leader and build effective leadership habits through applied learning.     TAKEAWAYS More emphasis needs to be placed on leader preparation instead of placing contributors into leadership roles without adequate development. When it comes to leadership, it doesn't matter what you know but rather how much you care about your people. A true leader should be motivated by helping people unlock their best version of themselves. Through smart and clever questioning and coaching, new leaders can quickly accelerate through the learning curve. The Leadership Project embraces concepts of collaborative or social learning to get people talking, reflecting, and building habits for successful leadership.   A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR

In this episode of Transform Your Workplace, Brandon Laws discusses the pressing yet largely unaddressed issue of invisible disability. Guest Jill Griffin, career strategist and executive coach, defines the term and provides best practices for how to advocate for it when working toward comprehensive inclusivity in the workplace. Think that invisible disability isn’t an issue in your workplace? Listen in to learn how an estimated 20% of the US population is dealing with this struggle, in many cases without speaking up.   TAKEAWAYS It’s common for people to assume that if you look a certain way, you're able-bodied, and this assumption is a hindrance to creating a truly inclusive workplace environment.  Those with invisible disabilities may need additional accommodations to perform their duties effectively. By not disclosing an invisible disability, the employee doesn't create a capacity for the leadership to help them. When employees are working side by side with people with visible and non-apparent disabiliti

Many businesses are returning to face-to-face operations. As the dust of the pandemic settles, the workplace conflict that we set aside while dealing with the unexpected is, in some cases, bigger than ever. So what is a leader to do? In this episode, you’ll hear from Chris Sheesley and Clare Fowler of In-Accord, a conflict management company based in Portland, Oregon. They discuss pitfalls and best practices for resolving conflict so that businesses can move forward united by purpose.   TAKEAWAYS Post-pandemic business leaders are meeting conflict issues head-on, which has resulted in a significant increase in morale. The pandemic taught us to humanize each other and prioritize relationships in the workplace. Diversity should reflect not only an appreciation for different demographic backgrounds and different cultures but also for neurodiversity and different approaches. Today, people are more empowered to share concerns and to raise issues, and that creates more confrontation that must be resolved.  If we c