Ep168: What Makes Work Better - Part 1

HR Stories Podcast - A Lesson in Every Story!

HR Stories Podcast - A Lesson in Every Story!
Ep168: What Makes Work Better - Part 1
Jul 28, 2026 Episode 168
John Thalheimer, MS Org Leadership and Chuck Simikian, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

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Workplaces are changing. Benefits are shrinking, employees are being sent back to in-office work, and AI is fundamentally changing the hiring process for applicants and recruiters alike. In today's episode, Chuck and John dive into what information you actually need to take away from these latest Gallup State of the Global Workplace: 2026 Report and how you can apply these learnings to your workplaces. 

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The viewpoints expressed by the characters in the stories are not necessarily that of The Team at HR Stories. The stories are shared to present various, real-world scenarios and share how they were handled by policy and, at times, law. Chuck and John are not lawyers and always recommend working with an employment lawyer to address concerns. 

Episode Artwork Ep168: What Makes Work Better - Part 1 29:24 Episode Artwork Ep167: You Can Be Kind And... Part 2 34:46 Episode Artwork Ep166: You Can Be Kind And... 29:13 Episode Artwork Ep165: Should you fire your HR department? 21:13 Episode Artwork Ep164: Disparate Impact Changes You Can't Miss 22:16 Episode Artwork Ep163: Fire Them Out of Kindness 22:51 Episode Artwork Ep162: Why Raising Minimum Wage Creates Upward Salary Pressure 16:14 Episode Artwork Ep161: Clarity. Capabilities. Capacity. Change Your Workplaces Today. 16:35 Episode Artwork Ep160: You Can Pump... If We're Staffed 18:11 Episode Artwork Ep159: Friction-Causing Jolts Making Your Employees Quit 23:42 Episode Artwork Ep158: Succession - It doesn't need to be TV-worthy drama 21:44 Episode Artwork Ep157: The Changing Landscape of Internships 23:31 Episode Artwork Ep156: Discrimination By Customer Request 15:28 Episode Artwork Ep155: Let Your Employees Gossip (Kind Of) 19:31 Episode Artwork Ep154: The End of Women's Retreats? Not Exactly. 18:21 Episode Artwork Ep153: Can you do everything right and still get sued? 17:24 Episode Artwork Ep152: AI in HR - While the Courts Decide, What You Need to Think About 22:24 Episode Artwork Ep150: HR in the News - Shifts in the job market and what it really means 21:48 Episode Artwork Ep149: Q&A - Managing Emotional Responses 38:17 Episode Artwork Ep148: Planning for Employment Law Changes in 2026 - Pt 2 28:27 Episode Artwork Ep147: Planning for Employment Law Changes in 2026 - Pt 1 31:01 Episode Artwork Ep146: The Best of 2025 25:41 Episode Artwork Ep145: Hot Topics - Rolling Layoffs and reduced trust. Are you ready for 2026? 33:28 Episode Artwork Ep144: Moldy Misery - The Importance of Tracking Your Efforts 30:34 Episode Artwork Ep143: Q&A - Do I have to let ICE in? 25:42