Future of HR Podcast

Why is it important for HR leaders to have an area of expertise?  How can leading with expertise increase your impact and accelerate your career? My guest on this episode is with Cary Friedman, Global Head of Human Resources at Jefferies During our conversation Cary and I discuss:   • How developing his expertise in executive coaching accelerated his career    • What he learned from being part of the team that established the Pine Street Leadership Group at Goldman Sachs    • His key learnings as he transitioned into a CHRO role at Jefferies    • His advice for early career HR professionals on how to be a success and stand out from the crowd    • Why he believes organizations must invest in developing their people’s skills for the future To listen or learn more about the Future of HR Podcast, check out the comments and be sure to subscribe 👇

For many, 2024 will be remembered as the year the "Return-to-Office" Tug-of-War really kicked off! Throughout 2024, many companies made bold moves: eliminating remote work, implementing in-office mandates, or revising their hybrid work policies. While companies mandating return-to-office policies grabbed the headlines, I was curious to explore what the data revealed about workplace trends in 2024. • Are more companies mandating five days a week in the office? • How many companies are eliminating remote roles? • What about "hybrid" schedules - are they still popular? Thanks to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal (link to article below), we have data to illuminate these key trends. What are your thoughts on the data? What are your predictions for this tug-of-war in 2025?

What were the best moments of the Future of HR Podcast in 2024? As you can imagine, selecting the best of moments of 52 episodes was almost next to impossible… We had so many amazing guests that in the end, I had to make some tough judgement calls.  How did I decide who made the "Best of 2024" episode?  Here is the criteria I used: • Total episode downloads • Future of HR listener feedback - these are the episodes that got you talking!  And while I tried to be objective, I also wanted to be sure that this episode represented the amazing mix of talent and thought leadership we have had on the podcast in 2024! I am so grateful to all 50+ guests who shared their insights with us in 2024! And thank you to all the Future of HR listeners out there as we have had over 100K downloads in 2024...  Well, what are you waiting for?  Don't miss one of the best episodes of the year... To listen or learn more about the Future of HR Podcast, check out the comments and be sure to subscribe 👇

Great HR leaders don't just create HR strategies. They turn business strategies into talent realities. And the best HR leaders know how to keep their strategies simple, business-focused, and executable. As we head into 2025, let's deliver value by focusing on what really matters. How do you keep your HR strategies simple and business-focused?

Just 8 months ago, I had a crazy idea... What if I could create a leadership development program for next-gen HR leaders that would: • Build business & financial acumen • Improve critical and strategic thinking skills • Enhance influence and executive communication abilities • Develop skills to translate business strategies into HR initiatives While it's not always wise to bring crazy ideas to life...this time it paid off! I am excited to announce that the 3rd cohort of my Next-Gen HR Accelerator program, starting on January 21st, is sold out! As I look back over the past 8 months, I am grateful for all the support I have received and for all the organizations who have trusted me to help develop their next-gen HR leaders. And of course, I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of over 75 next-gen HR leaders' development journeys! Hard to believe, but this is just the beginning....bring on 2025!

How can you shift from a cost mindset to a return on investment mindset? In this week's episode of Future of HR Podcast... My guest, Jackson Lynch, CHRO at Sunnova and founder of the “Talent Sherpa” newsletter goes deep on how you can build your business acumen and an ROI mindset! Learn more in this episode's "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗽𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁" which features: • 3 Big Insights • 2 Questions to Ask Yourself • 1 Action You Can Take Right Now Don't forget to subscribe to Future of HR Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform and share this post with your network. 👇

"It's too expensive to invest in our people and culture." How many times have you heard this as an HR leader? Here's a powerful response: $1,000 invested in Best Places to Work companies in 2008 would have grown to $6,529 by 2019. The same investment in the S&P 500? Just $3,580. Investing in your people and culture does pay dividends...but not overnight!  As HR leaders, we need to shift our narrative. Instead of positioning HR initiatives as "the right thing to do, right now" We need to position HR initiatives as "the right investment, now and for the future" The real question isn't "Can we afford to invest in our people?" It's "Can we afford n͟o͟t͟ to invest?" What are your thoughts on this?   How have you positioned HR initiatives as investments? Link in comments to the Glassdoor report 👇

Why do HR leaders need to be talent mavens, employee advocates, and company defenders? Find out this week on the Future of HR Podcast... With my guest, Jackson Lynch, CHRO at Sunnova Energy and founder of the "Talent Sherpa” newsletter During our conversation Jackson and I discuss: • Why you need to meet the business where it is and not where you wish it would be.    • Why CHROs and CEOs need to be aligned on 'what good looks like' for an effective partnership.    • The three essential 'hats' HR leaders must wear: Talent Maven, Employee Advocate, and Company Defender.    • The role of business acumen in enabling HR leaders to predict outcomes and shape future work strategies.    • Why HR leaders need to shift from a cost to a return on investment mindset. To listen or learn more about the Future of HR Podcast, check out the comments and be sure to subscribe 👇

Here are my 5 BIG predictions from the 2025 HR Prediction Throw Down... Two weeks ago, Michael Watkins, Steve Hunt, Kelly Monahan, Ph.D., and I battled it out in our "Hype vs. Value" matrix format. During the Throw Down, we made 20 bold predictions about the Future of Work and HR in 2025... Why? Because making predictions about the future is FUN... And it was an opportunity to learn from each other, to challenge each other's thinking, and to have a little FUN... Just because HR is serious work doesn't mean we have to take ourselves so seriously all the time.  So, this is your opportunity to have a little fun as well.  What are your predictions for HR in 2025? PS - If you missed the "HR Prediction Throw Down" and want to check it out, the link is in the comments!  

Being a new leader with a new team is challenging... Here are six questions I use to accelerate onboarding, build relationships, and avoid political landmines... What other questions do you ask your team when starting a new role?