This week we welcome Laurie Ruettimann to the podcast. As the face of the popular “Punk Rock HR” podcast, Laurie will need no introduction for many of our listeners. Laurie began her career working in HR operations and recruiting for such organizations as Monsanto, Alberto-Culver (now Unilever), and Pfizer, before leaving corporate America altogether to speak truth to power through her websites (The Cynical Girl and Punk Rock HR), podcast, public speaking engagements, and books. Launching on January 12th and available now for pre-order, Laurie’s latest book, Betting on You: How to Put Yourself First And (Finally) Take Control of Your Career, is an essential guide for employees hoping to work more effectively and approach their jobs in a smarter (and healthier) manner in the new year. 

Topics include: the importance of personal accountability in fostering positive workplaces, the practical meaning of empathy, why HR initiatives often fail to live up to their promises, the pitfalls of asking for employee feedback without a process in place to implement change, how to retain control of your time as a job candidate and employee, the need for “un-sanitized” feedback on employers, how the independent workforce is shifting the employer-employee power dynamic, universal basic income as a tool for employee (and entrepreneur) empowerment, HR as the intersection of work, power, politics and money, surveillance capitalism, and the future of remote work.