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HR News brought to you by the Northeast Indiana Human Resource Association (NIHRA).
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NIHRA welcomes the following new members: Brian Dumford, Dutch Made; Sam Snyder, Cheviron Group; Alana Stadelmayer, O'Daniel Auto; Logan Bianski, Khorporate Holdings; Kelly Miller, Actalent Services; Samantha Dienelt, Fill Rite; Juliet Sokolowski, Partner 1st CU; Rachel Quick, JAM Center.
Board Member Spotlight featuring: Allen Howard, Membership Director and Gracie Dusseau, Retention Director discuss the many benefits of joining NIHRA, from networking opportunities and cutting-edge resources to a sense of belonging.
Carly Buchanan, President-Elect discusses the importance of self-care and work-life balance.
Member Spotlight: Anne Whitney, Board Member-At-Large, interviews Amy Looy, Fort Wayne Metals.
Gerald Bush, GBKB Consulting, joins us to discuss his upcoming NIHRA luncheon October 4th.
Ed San Inocencio, President and Julie Hess, Director, Programs & Hospitality join us to discuss the upcoming DisruptHR, October 26th.
Britni Eisenmann, STOKEFIRE discusses the dilemma of pay raises not boosting employee retention.
We'd like to welcome the following new members to Nira Brian Dumford, dutch Maid, sam Snyder, chevron Group, alana Stuttelmeyer, o'daniel Otto Logan Bianski, corporal Holdings, kelly Miller Act Talent Services, samantha Deenolt, phil Wright, juliet Solkowalski, partner First Credit Union, and Rachel Quick, jam Center. Today we'll be featuring Alan Howard, our membership director, and Gracie Dussot, our retention director, to introduce themselves. Alan and Gracie, welcome to the program.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 1:So we'll start off with Alan. Tell us about yourself and what Nira means to you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm an employee benefits consultant at Gibson. We work with HR teams to implement their employee benefits programs. As far as what Nira means to me me and my specific role I'm really kind of the liaison between HR plan participants and back to our consulting team, the carriers, to make sure that we're driving strategies that really kind of help them own their plans, I guess. But what Nira means to me mostly is it's been a catalyst for personal and professional growth. It's provided me with so many invaluable networking opportunities, allowing me to connect with like-minded individuals and industry experts. Through Nira, I have access to really cutting edge resources workshops, conferences which have enhanced my knowledge and skills in the HR field as well, as it's given me a strong sense of belonging and support, fostering both my confidence and passion for advancing the HR practices. It's really a great, vibrant platform for continuous learning and development and I'm just so grateful for the positive impact it's had on my career journey.
Speaker 1:Thank you for that, alan Gracie. How about you Tell us about yourself and what Nira means to you as well?
Speaker 4:Yeah. So right now I'm working as an operations manager at Embassy Wealth Advisors through a mayor prize financial, and I am basically doing a mix between people management and process management, which are two of my favorite things about HR, because you are investing in people. And the Stanley Randall has a great quote the closest to perfection a person ever comes is when he fills out a job application form. I love that quote because it applies both to my job right now and to Nira as a whole and what I enjoy about HR, because people are constantly looking to be their best, be excellent, and they join the job field. And then those of us who are already in HR, we get the chance to show them what they're good at and increase their strengths and talents and just help them feel both welcome and challenged to do their best. So I get to do that from a retention standpoint.
Speaker 4:Coming in, you see me as a friendly face at the registration table at the monthly lunches and that provides me a little touch base of relationships and just getting to meet the people in Northeast Indiana that care about people. That's our end goal for HR. That's now my end goal for operations and figuring out how to efficiently and effectively help people see their value so that they're no longer looking at themselves for perfection reasons but they're looking at themselves as a bigger part of a whole. That is my goal in retention and in Nira, and I just love that. We have people that care in Northeast Indiana about strategic planning. We care about constant change and we want to be on the cutting edge, but we also want to fellowship with the quirky other people that enjoy HR, which is a big part of Nira.
Speaker 3:I think she's talking about me, Mike.
Speaker 1:Yes, absolutely Very good. Yes, yes, thank you, gracie. So, allyn and or Gracie, you guys kind of both already touched on this or part of it, but why should our listeners either become members of Nira if they already are, help recruit others to join the cause or, most importantly, stick with us and be part of our organization?
Speaker 4:That's a great question.
Speaker 4:I think when they're joining, if they meet Allyn alone, they'll want to join because he embodies all of HR's joy and balance.
Speaker 4:I don't know how the people on the board and anyone that I've ever met in Nira gets everything done that they have on their plate and still has a balance in life, but it's really cool. I think that art is what makes me see the value of Nira. You get to grow in your career by being a part of this organization and it encourages you to participate in programming and encourages you to just want to be around people that want to do their best. Then you're constantly hearing and seeing other people that you would never interact with in your daily life because HR people were all representing different companies. So it's very fun. Again, you get people like Julie Hess and Allyn Howard and Ed and Morgan Lewis that you never get to see them in the rest of your life. But you get to see them at Nira and I've learned a lot from members of our board and members of our Nira platform that I would never hear about otherwise. You provide a lot of value.
Speaker 3:You're absolutely on. It's just such a supportive community. I think I've been a part of Nira for I don't know call it eight years now on the board for just eight months, but it's been just so much fun to be a part of and I think just seeing everybody's personalities come out when we get to get into a neutral space and see this is how Gracie interacts outside of work. This is how we're seeing friendships being created. But even beyond that, I mean, I think it's just there's such a commitment to professional excellence and I think it's just such a gateway to a thriving HR. Whether you want to make an elastic impact on your organization, advance your career, there's so many different, unparalleled opportunities.
Speaker 1:Well, we really appreciate both of your efforts. I know that you've both worked really hard with the organization. Are we up to over 400 members? Alan?
Speaker 3:We are. We're actually approaching close to about 430,. I believe.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's fantastic. Yeah, and again, not only becoming members, but retaining them. Both you and Gracie have done a fantastic job, as well as your committees, to drive attendance and participation towards the chapter, and we just really want to thank you for your efforts and all that you do for Naira and our SHIRM chapter in the state of Indiana.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I appreciate that. I appreciate that Really you know the conscious effort from everybody. I think you know we wouldn't be what we are without the contributions that everybody makes so, but thank you for that.
Speaker 4:Awesome. Thanks, Mike.
Speaker 1:So welcome to Mike. Today I have Carly Buchanan President-Elect, and Carly has recently posted something intriguing on LinkedIn about work-life balance and I think it has had 2,500-plus views. So, Carly, welcome to the program.
Speaker 6:Hey, thank you so much for having me, mike. You know I love joining these podcasts.
Speaker 1:So, Carly, can you just for our listeners' sake, go ahead and read your post.
Speaker 6:Absolutely so. It started with an image that says when we should take a break and then when we actually take a break. That was the image on there, but let me share you what I wrote. Vulnerable post alert.
Speaker 6:This year was the year it finally clicked for me after 16 years' professional work experience. In February I planned out my whole year's vacation and work-life balance plan. I looked deep into my calendar and determined when I needed or wanted breaks this year and I immediately blocked those days out and requested them as vacation. Extra credit. As things popped up this year on my schedule or calendar, I have not canceled any of my pre-planned vacation. All of the story be intentional plan your breaks, your vacations, your mental health boundaries. Stick to your plan. Do not let yourself burn out when you could have set proper boundaries and preparation that you could have established earlier in the year. And I said pro-tip find a great company and leaders who stand behind you and your balance and your boundaries. My leaders and my company actually celebrate my vacations with me and my time off and they high-five me as I leave for my days off and I said how cool is that? You should find that.
Speaker 1:I so much agree with that and we have to be intentional about our work-life balance or we will burn ourselves out. I think. If anything over the past three years, in particular with COVID, it's definitely challenged not just team and resource professionals but everyone in the workplace.
Speaker 6:Well, and often I tell people that my job is dealing with people all day, so they're either pouring situations or issues or emotions, organizational things that pop up in the day. So the whole day you're just giving yourself your mental capacity to your employees, your managers, your owners, your executives, so you can burn out, I think, more in human resources in such a role where you're giving to others all day. So I think it's very important for anyone that's a member of Nira or SHRM or HR professionals to really start to think about. So how are you setting boundaries? And it started with me being vulnerable and sharing my story and how I did that this year.
Speaker 1:So in closing, carly we talked about this having 2,500, basically, views Were there any particular feedback or posts from others that you'd like to share that you thought were encouraging or motivational?
Speaker 6:Absolutely. I'll shout out one of our members of Nira, amy Lynn Graff. She says this takes such discipline and forethought and it just makes a huge difference when you plan things out, and she high-fived me for protecting my well-being. Some of my former colleagues did a little ha-ha comment. I knew you'd figure it out someday, carly and it's just a lot of different great advice. We all need to do this Be intentional. Thank you for sharing so. I think, at the end of the day, it just is a post that hits home when HR professionals are putting in the hours, pouring their heart and soul into their employees, their organizations. But what are we doing for ourself? And be intentional, set those boundaries and stick to it.
Speaker 1:It's a great reminder. Thank you so much.
Speaker 7:Hello everyone. This is Anne. I'm the at-large board member with Nira, and today on our member spotlight I have Amy Loy, formerly Amy Hietrich, who's our HR manager at Fort Wayne Metals. Welcome, amy.
Speaker 5:Hello, thanks, anne, appreciate it.
Speaker 7:So, Amy, I believe if I'm not wrong here, I think we both actually kind of have a or started as Nira members the same time. So how long have you been a Nira member, Sasha?
Speaker 5:it's been a while. I think I started back in 2015,. Started tagging along back when I was just an intern, so about 2015.
Speaker 7:Okay, so several years? Yeah On that, amy, are you a SHIRM member?
Speaker 5:Yes, I am. I'm a SHIRM member and I think I've been a SHIRM member since around the same time, and I do have my SHIRM CP certification. I got that in 2017.
Speaker 7:Okay, okay, so have you been a member for several years, yeah.
Speaker 5:Been a member the whole time. I really enjoy being a SHIRM member. Being an IR member, shirm definitely helps me out in tough situations when I need some quick answers, being able to log onto their website and pull up articles or get some guidance. So yeah, I've been a member for a long time and, honestly, I don't know if I could do my job without being a SHIRM member.
Speaker 7:Yeah, absolutely, it's definitely a very helpful resource, for sure, yep. So, amy, tell me, or tell our listeners, if you could share why you chose the human resources profession or kind of what was your journey in that.
Speaker 5:Yeah, yeah. So I actually started out when I was in college. I started out pursuing a marketing degree. That's just where when I was a senior in high school, that's where I thought I was going to end up. So I started out kind of going down that path. I ended up having a failed internship one summer during college and it was just not for me. It was at the time was a little bit boring, I'm not going to lie. But I was always interested at that company I was at. I was interested in what the human resources group was doing. I thought it was fun that they got to pick when people wore their favorite sports jerseys for the World Cup. So that just kind of got me intrigued. I thought that was fun.
Speaker 5:But since then, obviously, my reason for this profession has evolved over time. I really appreciate just the fact that it's something different every single day. You walk in. You have no clue what's going to come up and I really appreciate that different variety. And, yeah, I like that there is some structure and I like that you can be working with people on a daily basis. But I also like that it's challenging and there's a lot of situational judgment that has to happen. So it ended up being a really good fit for me and after that first internship I ended up getting an internship at Fort Wayne Metals in the training area, got to learn a lot of those aspects and landed in HR after that and just really really have appreciated and liked it as a career.
Speaker 7:OK, it sounds like your journey has certainly kind of opened those doors, you know, in stepping stones or just in a different area, so that seems really like that's been a great path for you. You kind of answered. I was going to ask you what do you enjoy most about it? It sounds like you enjoy, like you mentioned, a variety of different things and challenges. Is there anything you'd like to add that you do enjoy the most about HR?
Speaker 5:Yeah, I would say those are the main things. I really have enjoyed working closely with my team. We go through so many tough situations on a daily basis and it's fun to just be able to look back and laugh about some of them and just be there for each other, and so I think some of the relationships that I've built while working in human resources has been definitely one of the positives of that profession. But I just like interacting with employees. I like making their day, helping them through tough situations and also getting a chance to partner with managers through tough situations. So, yeah, those are some of the things I really enjoy about it.
Speaker 7:OK, thanks for sharing those. So what aspects do you feel Amy have changed the most over these past few years, especially in HR or human resources?
Speaker 5:Yeah, definitely have seen a lot of changes over the last few years, especially, I think COVID really rocked our world, rocked a lot of people's worlds but definitely experiencing some of the effects of the changes in the labor market. I remember when I was first starting out here at Fort Wayne Metals we had a line of people waiting to get in. We had a queue ready to go of people whenever we had an opening. And now it's not that we definitely have a big amount of openings, so we've had to really change the way we interact with the labor market. And then I've also seen a change in people's mental health and I think that that affects the labor market in a lot of ways and HR in a lot of ways.
Speaker 5:You have to figure out what people are going through and how can we adjust policies to help them but still make it fair to everyone. That's been a huge, huge obstacle and something that we've had to work through quite a bit of. Like our policies giving flexibility to people in tough times Are they still meeting the needs of operations? We've really had to reexamine a lot of our policies. So I think that's been a huge change over the last few years just the crazy demands and just trying to keep up with it all.
Speaker 7:I agree, and thanks for actually bringing that topic up. I think that's what you stated is just really critical right now with the well-being of our employees and, like you said, adjusting policies or reviewing them. So that's excellent, amy, thanks for sharing that. What do you consider to be the most beneficial experience about being a NIRA member?
Speaker 5:I am always a real big fan of the different speakers. I really appreciate being able to take time out of the crazy hectic schedule to be able to just go to the lunch and listen to a new speaker, someone who can kind of give a different perspective on something that we're going through or help motivate you just a little bit. I guess I always kind of come out of those meetings with a lot of new ideas and just kind of a change on a different perspective, which is really nice. So whether that's those monthly luncheons or the conference, I really just enjoy listening to speakers. It always seems like there's someone who's speaking on exactly what I'm going through, so I always really appreciate that.
Speaker 7:Oh, great, great. So that's good to hear. What about a favorite? You mentioned you enjoy most of them, but do you have a favorite or one that's a memorable speaker at one of our luncheons?
Speaker 5:I was thinking this through and I one that we talked about on our team quite a bit after the fact was the Jeff Hortis, when he spoke at the last NIRA conference about crap and that really I don't know if people were there they remember what it was, but he talked about sharing crap with your employees and that stood for carrying respect, appreciation and praise, and I feel like that was a really good reminder of something that we need to continually share with our managers that like, hey, listen, you know, are you giving, are you showing care, are you showing respect to them, are you showing appreciation, are you praising them? So we, you know, not only did we had a good laugh and talk about that one for a while, but it was a really good reminder to be able to, I guess, share some of those things with managers and kind of bring your focus back to that.
Speaker 7:Yes, I agree, I was able to myself attend that one and I think that's a memorable acronym and I think it did stick out as well, absolutely Well. I have a few questions that are a little more lighter fun just to kind of learn a little more about you. Amy, a song that you would want played every time you walked into a room for the rest of your life. What song would you choose, and why?
Speaker 5:It's funny. I've actually answered this question before. My husband and I have a joke where it's not a joke. Actually, whenever we, whenever you're traveling and you just land on an airport, you're walking on the airplane and you're like ready to go for your new vacation, You're so excited to get out and explore. We have a song like a pump up song that you play getting off the airport, and I know that's kind of nerdy of us, but we have our own song where we're like yes, we're going to, we're on vacation, Life is good. So I would choose the same song for this If I was walking into a room every time. I'm not sure how appropriate it is, but bust a move. Gotta be one of my favorite songs. It just just the right beat for me, so I would go with that song, Okay that's great, that is really great.
Speaker 7:Oh, I'm just kind of thinking now. It's like you get a tune when you know, when you have that, what you share, and then I've like got that tune going through my mind. Well, what about superpowers? If you could choose any superpower, what would you choose and why?
Speaker 5:Oh, that's a good one. I think again, I really love traveling and I love going new places. So I think I would choose to do some sort of teleportation where I could just snap my fingers and be in a new country or be in a new spot. You know, maybe just snap my fingers and go to New York City for the evening and then snap my fingers and be home for work the next day. So I would choose that.
Speaker 7:That would be amazing, wouldn't it? Yeah, yes, I agree with that one. What are some things, amy, that you do, of course, when you are not working, and maybe outside? You've shared some travel interests, but what are some other things you might do in your free time, or some hobbies?
Speaker 5:Yeah, so again, I really like traveling. My husband and I try to go to as many national parks as we can and while we're there we do a lot of hiking. So I would say outdoorsy stuff kayaking, hiking are, all you know, really fun hobbies. But I also like playing certain sports, like the rec leagues and just with friends. So I play volleyball, sometimes tennis and more importantly now we play pickleball. So that's been a lot of fun and I like to do yoga as well. So just thanks to Get Me Moving, things that can kind of help me connect with friends and have a good time. So, yeah, Excellent.
Speaker 7:Excellent. So as far as the national parks, do you have them like your bucket list? Are you near getting halfway or are you still working?
Speaker 5:So I'm not halfway. I think I'm at around 25 or so. Okay, but I've really been hitting it hard because I think around 20 of those have been in the last three years. So I definitely have a bucket list of things, of ones I still want to get to. So, yeah, we're cleaning it out. We're actually going to one this weekend. We're going to go to the Smoky Mountains and hike a little bit. But yeah, anytime I can get another one checked off the list is a good time.
Speaker 7:Yeah, that's neat. Well, amy, as we wrap up, what are any encouraging words you might have for someone that's listening in Maybe a member, but maybe they're considering to join Naira?
Speaker 5:Yeah, I would just say it's a really great thing to look into Something to try out and see if it suits your needs and see if you enjoy it. I always think it's just a really nice time to be with like-minded people who are all dealing with some of the same struggles that you have. You know, chances are, if you're going through it, someone else in that room has also gone through something like that. So I would just encourage anyone who is in the HR space to check that out. It can really help just like kind of refresh your mind and get some new ideas to help through some of the things that you might be going through. So that's my advice. I would definitely check it out.
Speaker 7:Awesome. Thanks for sharing that for our listeners today. And again, amy, I do want to thank you for participating in the member spotlight. It was great chatting with you today, so I do thank you.
Speaker 5:Yeah, absolutely. Thank you so much and thanks for that, thanks for your time as well.
Speaker 1:Today we'd like to welcome Gerald Bush, our October luncheon keynote. Gerald is the owner of GBKB Consulting Consulting with Purpose. He's an influential and highly successful human resource consultant with over 15 years of experience delivering consultative HR approaches with personal integrity, leading critical evaluations, developing leaders, creating strategies, communicating effectively across all levels of the organization and managing innovative HR initiatives. He understands what it takes to develop leaders, reduce employee turnover, increase employee engagement, develop consultative business solutions and recommend programs that align with the mission and vision of a corporation. Welcome to the program, gerald.
Speaker 2:Hey, Mike, thanks for the invite. I'm excited to talk to you today.
Speaker 1:So, Gerald, you'll be talking about employee engagement versus manager excellence. Who holds the key at our October luncheon for Nira? Can you give our listeners a taste of what to expect?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think, as I explore this conversation, to really think about what's really going on with the employee engagement and really who's responsible. I think what we look at is what studies show us is that our frontline managers make up about 60% of our total manager population. And not only do they make up 6% of our manager population, but they're responsible for directly supervising or managing 80% of our staffs. So think about that number 60% of our managers are frontline. They're managing 80% of our staff, but when we look at the dollars that are invested back in education and training for that group, mike, I think there's less than 0.05% of the company's overall dollars invested back in the training. So, from that perspective, we're expecting our frontline managers to do all of this work around engagement, but we're not giving them the tools that they need. So think about it from that perspective. If we're expecting our frontline managers to communicate, to make decisions, to be relationships, to be solution focused, to be emotionally intelligent, what are we doing as an organization to invest back in them? Because right now we're expecting a lot of them but we're not doing the things that we need to do.
Speaker 2:So the conversation and what I want to explore when I come to Naira is really what do we do different and who's really responsible for employee engagement? Is it the frontline managers? Is it the organization? And let's flip that on his head. If the frontline managers are responsible for employee engagement, then what do we do different to equip them with the skills necessary to do their job? According to a recent study in Gallup, it showed that 85% of our employees are not engaged. So if 85% of our employees are not engaged, 80% of our employees are supervised by frontline managers. 6% of the entire population of managers are frontline managers. As an organization, we have to look at things differently, because if we continue to do the same thing, we're doing and expecting a different result. There's a word out there for that mic, and I'm not sure that we really want to explore that word, but it's insane for us to think that our managers are going to be able to do all they need to do when we're not investing back into them.
Speaker 1:Good point, Gerald. Yeah, we really look forward to having you in October. I understand that you are the president-elect of Indie Shurm as well. Can you tell us about the chapter and what you have in store?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean so. I am president-elect going into 2025, and Indie Shurm has a great legacy of presidents. Our current president now is Alana, and she's doing a phenomenal job of leading the chapter, and I think right now, our focus is really on how do we grow our chapter, how do we reinvest in the community to make sure that we're really the organization where HR professionals come. We're a really organization where HR professionals seek knowledge. So we're really focused on how do we better partner in our community you know, whether it's with chambers, whether it's with other HR organizations or HR associations, because what we learn over time is that we can't be everything to everybody. However, if we're partners with other organizations who serve our HR communities, then we're making the community better, right, Whether it's we are the primary source or we are pouring into other HR communities that are trying to grow their network, that are feeding our network.
Speaker 2:So I think, as we look at the Indie chapter, we are supermagers, so we are the largest chapter in the state of Indiana. We really have to focus on how do we build relationships outside of our community and outside of the things that we've been doing. So we're really focused on that. We have a great board of directors, great membership and program directors. So I think we're working well together. Mike and we're excited about the rest of 2023 and really excited about what's going on in 2024. And really one of the things that we're focused on now is we have an inclusion conference coming up here in October, so that's really the focus for the local Indie chapter.
Speaker 1:Thanks, Gerald. On a personal note, do you have any hobbies?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I try to have hobbies, mike, but I think all of my hobbies are really centered around family. I have three kids. I have a daughter who lives in Florida, I have a son who plays college baseball and I have a high school senior at Hamilton, southeastern and for the footwaying group, carol knocked us out in the semi-states last year so we were not happy about that. So we played Carol first round this year, the first game, and it was not a competition. So I know that's going to stir it apart for the footwaying group.
Speaker 2:But I'm excited about football and I love the sport and with two kids that are actively involved in college sports and high school sport, most of my hobbies are really centered around them. And my wife and I travel a lot with baseball. My oldest son is in Tuskegee, alabama, playing baseball. So between Tuskegee and the spring and football in the fall, we are two low warriors and we support our kids and everything they do. And we're excited about my younger son. He is again a senior but he'll play college football as well and we're excited about his next step. So as we continue to go and grow, we know that our lives are really centered around the kids and their sports.
Speaker 1:That's great, gerald. Excellent opportunity to support your kids in checking out their sports activities. Yeah, certainly the Fort Wayne group and Carol may have a little sour grapes, but I understand your comments for sure. So, gerald, tell us about GBKB Consulting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so, Mike, I spent about 20 years in corporate America, had an opportunity to work for a lot of great companies. You know I spent some time in the Air Force, worked for companies like CVS Farmers. Yeah, worked at the Ohio State University. I worked at GARTS Sports and Foot Locker and Foot Action.
Speaker 2:So I had an opportunity to work for a lot of diverse companies and over the last few years, I left corporate America in 2018, really centered around what I really wanted to do and I wanted freedom and flexibility. So I launched GBKB Consulting in 2018 and really, GBKB Consulting is Gerald Bush, Karen Bush Consulting, so my wife also do consulting work, and that business really centered around how do we help organizations create the space to be successful and building sustainability for the employees. So, whether it's through coaching, whether it's through training, whether it's through me coming in serving as their HR partner for a while, my business really focused on the employees. So think about it from this perspective. From the clients I'm currently working with, I started working with the client just as an individual coach for that person.
Speaker 2:I spent about 18 months coaching her. After we spent time coaching, the conversation was how do I take this work into my team and grow my team? So that went from individual coaching to group coaching for her team and now I'm doing work with the entire organization. So my focus is really on how do we take pieces of a part to impact the entire organization and we know that we can't do everything at one time. But my company really focused on how do we create strategy, whether it's individually or organizationally, to create success. And what I've learned over the last five years is that when we're able to invest back in no-transcript, it impacts the company in so many ways. You know, whether we're talking about the employee engagement, whether we're talking about manager excellence, the conversations, that when we invest back in our people, it shows in employee engagement, it shows in our bottom line, it shows an employee turnover, it shows all the things that we measure. So my focus is really centered around how do I have organizations create sustainability and success for the employees.
Speaker 1:Fantastic, Gerald. How would our listeners get in touch with you if they were interested in doing business together?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I am on social media. On LinkedIn, I'm at GBKB Consulting and Gerald Bush. On Twitter, I'm at Gerald Bush 14. On Instagram, I'm at Gerald Bush or GBKB Consulting. So you can find me at GBKB Consulting really on all platforms, or you can just simply email me at Gerald G-R-A-L-D at GBKB Consulting dot com.
Speaker 2:And you know, here's the thing for me, mike, is I do this work because I love it and also do it because I want to see the lives around me change, not just for them individually but for their communities. And my focus is really on if we're doing the work individually, then there's no way that it does not impact the organization, right? Because I look at the work we do as holistic. I look at how do I take a person and make them a better human right? How do I take an organization and make them a better community entity or provide in their community? Because when we're able to serve our families better, when we're able to serve our employees better, when we're able to serve our community better, then we all win. So really, the conversation is how do we get connected and lead and invest in our people? Because when we do that, the employee win, the more importantly, the organization wins.
Speaker 1:Excellent, Gerald. Thank you so much for your time today.
Speaker 2:No, thank you, Mike. I am excited and looking forward to coming to Fort Wayne and talking about this conversation, because I think it's a really important conversation. Right now, we have managers who are stressed. We have employees who are not engaged. We have employees that are quite quitting. We have managers throughout the organization who's wondering I can't hire people, I can't hire people, so I've got to give someone else more work. So we're given more responsibility and we don't do something to impact this trend. That's going on. We're going to continue. As we leave 2023 or go into 2024, we're going to be digging out of a hole deeper. So I'm excited to have this conversation and hopefully some of the takeaways that we'll provide will help the people in the room step back and look at employee engagement and invest in the managers differently, because that's the key to our success in 2023, but also going forward.
Speaker 1:So for our listeners, please remember to register for Gerald's upcoming discussion on Wednesday, October 4th, from 11 to 1 at Sirudis. Again, thanks for your time today, Gerald. Thanks, Mike. On the first day of school, what did the teachers say? Her three favorite words were June, July and August.
Speaker 8:So I'd like to fill some people in on the nature of what my role is with Disrupt HR. So you know me as one of your co-hosts here on Mic'd. Now I'm heading this event with Julie and Nancy Stegmeier. We're bringing this event to Fort Wayne. It's a Disrupt HR branded event, with Naira as one of the partners in this event.
Speaker 1:Welcome to another episode of Mic'd. I'm Mic and, together with Ed, we're diving into the exciting world of HR innovation, with a focus on Disrupt HR. If you've ever wondered how traditional HR practices are being shaken up and reimagined, this episode is for you. So buckle up and get ready to explore the realm of disruptive HR practices that are changing the game.
Speaker 8:Yeah, mike, joining us today we have Julie Hess. She is a true Disruptor of HR. She's an enthusiast of all things HR and also the vice president of HR at Master Spaws. So welcome Julie.
Speaker 9:Thank you. I'm a Disruptor of everything, just FYI. I disrupt everything in my past.
Speaker 8:We need disruption, and disruption is coming to Fort Wayne in the form of this beautiful event, and it's really a pleasure to be able to partner up with Disrupt HR and putting this here locally in Fort Wayne. I think it's a much needed topic and it's going to be a very engaging, enthusiastic time.
Speaker 1:So so to kick things off, Julie, what is Disrupt HR for our listeners?
Speaker 9:Disrupt HR is a global movement that's transforming how we think about human resources. It's all about challenging the status quo, breaking down conventional norms and fostering a culture of innovation within HR. Disrupt HR events, which take the form of a fast-paced, dynamic talks. They bring together thought leaders and business enthusiasts to share groundbreaking ideas that are reshaping the HR landscape.
Speaker 1:Well, that sounds interesting and exciting, which whoever calls anything HR-related exciting. It's my understanding that this was something you really wanted to make happen. The NIRA organization. Ed, can you comment on why you wanted Disrupt HR?
Speaker 8:Absolutely so. My journey began when I realized that traditional HR practices were often falling short in addressing these evolving needs in modern workplaces, and what Disrupt HR is doing is providing a platform for HR professionals like myself to share innovative, groundbreaking ideas and challenge the old ways of doing things and the old ways of thinking, and the energy and passion at Disrupt HR events were infectious and, frankly, I was drawn to the opportunity to contribute to the transformation of HR here locally in Northeast Indiana.
Speaker 1:Well, that's inspiring. So, julie, can you give us a glimpse into what a Disrupt HR event is like?
Speaker 9:Absolutely A Disrupt. Hr events are unlike any of your traditional HR conferences that you've ever attended. They're fast-paced and engaging. The speakers just have a few minutes to present their ideas. They're given five minutes total to present their ideas. The talks are designed to be concise, impactful and thought-provoking. Attendees can expect a diverse range of topics, from reimagining performance reviews to leveraging technology for better candidate experiences. It's actually a melting pot of creativity and innovation.
Speaker 1:It sounds like an amazing atmosphere for sparking new ideas. Can you share some memorable talks or themes from past Disrupt HR events? That would give listeners an idea of what to expect.
Speaker 8:Absolutely so. One talk that stood out to me was about culture hacking the idea of intentionally shaping company culture through unconventional methods and another memorable theme was the future of work, so embracing automation Now this talks about. This talk delved into how HR can leverage automation to streamline processes while creating a space that's more meaningful for human interactions so essentially using data to drive decisions and more meaningful interactions.
Speaker 1:So, julie, for HR professionals who might be hesitant to embrace disruption, what advice would you offer to help them? What advice would you offer to help take them that first step towards integrating innovative practices into their HR strategies?
Speaker 9:Go bigger, go home. Sorry, no, that's just the way I, that's the way I roll, but that's a great question, because not everybody does it that way. My advice would actually be to start small. Identify one aspect of your HR processes that could benefit from some innovation, whether it's recruitment, onboarding, performance management, leadership, development, experience with new approaches, measure results and be open to learning from your failures. Remember that disruption isn't about abandoning everything you know. It's about evolving and adapting to the changing needs of the organization.
Speaker 1:Thank you for that, Julie. As we wrap up, Ed, what do you see as the future of Disrupt HR and its impact on the HR landscape right here in Fort Wayne?
Speaker 8:Well, mike, I think the future is truly incredibly promising. Disrupt HR is gaining a ton of momentum worldwide, and I believe that it will truly continue to push the boundaries and challenge traditional HR norms. That is what we need, and the key for me is that we need to be focused on pushing those boundaries right here in Northeast Indiana, and it starts with this event, it starts with all of us, and what I hope to see is even more collaboration between HR professionals, business leaders, tech innovators really to reshape how we manage our most valuable resource our people.
Speaker 1:So, julie, where and when is this event taking place?
Speaker 9:I am happy to say that Disrupt HR Fort Wayne is going to be taking place on October 26th, from 6 to 8. We're going to be at Bergstaff Place on East Washington. This is HR professionals, adult beverages and great conversation.
Speaker 1:Ed. How can those interested in attending find out more and register?
Speaker 8:Well, thanks for asking, mike, so they can visit disrupthrfwcom. So that's disrupthrfwcom. We'd also love to have you follow us on LinkedIn for the latest updates on speakers and topics and then really disrupt, disrupting innovation. Since Nira is a partnering sponsor, they've agreed for us to have our meeting information on their website, so you can also visit niraorg as well.
Speaker 1:And if anyone is interested in applying to be a speaker, we would love to hear from you. You can apply to speak at the same site. So that wraps up in talking about disrupt HR and taking a deeper dive into its currents here in Fort Wayne and its game changing impact on HR practices right here in Northeast Indiana. So thank you Julie, thank you Ed.
Speaker 9:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you. Today we're going to talk about what to do when increasing pay doesn't help your employee retention. We have with us Brittany Isamnon, founding principal of Stoke Fire, bringing structural integrity to leaders and their organizations, building capacity for their mission advancement. She serves on the employee retention advisory board for HRcom, sharing best practices, insights, expertise and advice on the research initiative the state of employee retention in 2023, helping senior executives fully understand the importance of employee retention and guide industry change. She's also an organizational effectiveness panelist for the work culture debates featured on the third Monday of each month. She debates three expert consultants on topics that keep executives up at night and serves on the Nira member retention committee. Brittany, welcome to the program Great to be here.
Speaker 10:Thanks for hosting me.
Speaker 1:So tell us what you think about our topic today. What increasing pay? And it doesn't seem to make a big difference on our employee retention. What can you share with our listeners?
Speaker 10:Yeah, it used to be a lever that worked pretty well that we could bump up pay and we would see a bump in our retention rates. But if you increase pay and your turnover remains higher than you want it to be, there are fundamental reasons why you're not getting that retention bump that you used to. If you find yourself in this situation, the best question you can ask is how connected do our employees feel to our company's mission, even if you're paying more than any other gig in town? If the cost to their health and well-being in personal relationships they feel is too high and if your employee can't connect what they're contributing to the mission that they care about, then the money starts looking an awful lot like a curse. So I said there were some fundamental reasons. One reason is that raises aren't compelling enough. Is that money is just money, it's not personal. That used to not matter, it absolutely matters.
Speaker 10:Now I will give. I'll give an example, so micro example, if we narrow our focus down to say employee appreciation gifts. Let's say, last year you decided to give your employees a $25 gas card as a way of saying thank you for helping you pull your organization through a really tough quarter. Every employee gets one. It's a big expense to your company, but it's worth it to you to say thank you Now. The research says that within a few weeks people forget who they get gift cards from. If those gift cards that you gave them came with handwritten notes from the employee supervisor and the notes had specific details about the thing that the supervisor noticed that the employee did that helped pull the organization forward during that tough time, that's the part of the gift that will be remembered and kept, even treasured, by some employees long after they use up that gift card that in the moment that they use it they don't even remember who they got it from anyway. So that's one micro example.
Speaker 1:Okay. So Brittany, what about the company again that has increased pay, added benefits, even started offering flexible work, but still can't get their turnover to a good place? What can they do?
Speaker 10:Yeah, sometimes your employees do need more money so that their families can stay housed and medical bills paid, and sometimes your employees need more money because they're underpaid against the market. Giving them that money, adding benefits, offering flexible work, isn't necessarily a bad short-term move. It can delay them thinking about moving somewhere else, but there's nothing about money that more securely connects them to your company specifically because any company can give them money, benefits, even flexible work arrangements. If you're serious about long-term retention and you want a solution that lasts years and decades instead of a few months, measure and analyze that connectedness of your employees to your mission. Again, they are bad moves. You know the more benefits flexible work, but if they aren't effective for you, there are actually concrete moves that you can make to not only find out why they aren't effective and identify what will be effective for you, and it absolutely comes down to the connectedness and the alignment of the employees to your mission.
Speaker 10:One of the I see it as a risk in the whole HR field is that so many HR professionals, especially when they are alone in the organization they're the entire HR function or they're in small teams is that they tend to get really their time gets really pulled down with a lot of minutia, and what happens then is when you need to switch into strategic mode or really solve a big problem.
Speaker 10:We tend to pull from the pop culture around us and what's working really well for the organizations that we know of or are connected to. So, for example, if you hear a conference speaker, then they must know what they're talking about, because they were paid $10,000 to speak on the stage, right? So you better listen up and they probably have the right solution. But the huge risk in adopting a tactic or an initiative that someone said worked for them is that it's not going to work with you if it's not aligned with who your organization is. It does not matter how ingenious the idea is, it doesn't matter how well it worked for this other company that maybe even does the same thing that you do. Every move that you make has to be aligned with who you are and where you want to go.
Speaker 1:So, brittany, what do you say to like the small company or nonprofit that can afford to be the best paying place in town or doesn't have the leverage to provide the best benefits? How can they can compete and retain their employees.
Speaker 10:Yeah, so a lot of these size of companies will really lean into mission. You're making a difference in the world and that's a good thing to lead with. But if you want the employee to absolutely stay with your company, you're going to need more than just we are doing an important thing you need to connect what they're doing with their teammates, the people that are around them, and show how every action that they do pulls the entire organization forward. That creates internal motivation that money just can't, assuming that they're able to make a living on what you're paying them. That connection, that seeing what they care about is aligned with the organization and not just that they exist in an organization that's doing something that they care about, but that their specific work absolutely helps the organization get to mission achievement and do that thing out in the community that they really want to see in the world.
Speaker 10:In Stoke Fair we call this undenting the world. Steve Jobs at one point said he had this vision of leaving his dent on the world and that we all want to leave a dent on the world. But at Stoke Fire we see our work as undenting the world and I think a lot of HR managers feel similarly if they can help their employees see how they make the world a better place, not just leaving their mark for the mark's sake, but helping solve these really sticky, tough, deep problems that we've had on the planet. That's when people want to stick with you. They want to see it to the end. They want to help you work through big problems that are maybe outside of their job description.
Speaker 1:Brittany, you mentioned your organization, Stoke Fire. How can your organization come alongside or help support an organization that's looking to really address employee retention or make some significant changes to keep their workforce?
Speaker 10:Yeah, Stoke Fire. Strength is really when an organization either has a massive problem they've been dealing with for years or decades that hasn't been able to be solved, or has a massive goal that everyone is saying is impossible. Employee retention often plays into that. We find ourselves being pulled into companies where they might have had five or six consultants come through in the last decade trying to get at either retention or a parallel challenge. So if you're feeling really stuck, everything feels foggy or tangled. That's where we excel.
Speaker 10:We have an assessment that's pulled from a model that was created internal to Stoke Fire and what we do is we get underneath. So many retention consultants make their living putting band-aids on companies and not letting companies know that's what's happening, because they feel like they'd be out of business if they actually solve the deeper problem for the company. So instead of coming in and solving your retention, we find out what is every single controllable level that you can pull that not only solves your retention long term but the other challenges that you keep seeing popping up beside it. And what this does is it pulls to the surface all of the good options for a path forward that you have and you can prioritize what you'll fix in what order, to what depth, based on where you want the organization to be in three or seven years.
Speaker 1:Brittany, before I ask you for any parting thoughts, tell us about your program on the work culture debates that you offer every third Monday.
Speaker 10:Yes, yes, so this is a monthly event. It is with four other organizational effectiveness experts that are across the US and Puerto Rico. Each month, we identify a topic that applies to a lot of organizations and is something that can get really sticky or tangled. So we've talked about layoffs and culture before, during after mergers and acquisitions. This month, we had a debate around AI and how to leverage it without both freaking out your entire workforce and also without losing control in the way that you use it. There's a lot of legality that hasn't been ironed out, of course, with AI. So those challenges, some of them that are at the very edge of the future of the work that we're doing, some of the challenges that have been around for a long time, but how we tackle them is different now than it was even just five years ago.
Speaker 10:It's on LinkedIn. The work culture debates has its own page. You can follow us in the live. We'll pop up for you. But, yes, every third Monday of the month at noon Eastern time, we go live. You can either send in questions anonymously ahead of time or you can pop in and quiz us right there. That's our favorite when people put questions to us and have us debate the answer live.
Speaker 1:Sounds like a real engaging program, Brittany.
Speaker 10:Yeah, I learn a lot every month and sometimes I feel guilty. I feel like a learner more than the expert. But yeah, it is really interesting to see how everybody's different work plays into it and their experiences and stories that they can pull in.
Speaker 1:So do you have any parting thoughts to share with our listeners?
Speaker 10:Retention is really sticky. It's different for everyone. I would really encourage people to resist looking for things that have worked for you and if you're a learner people are really you know innovative sounding ideas or expensive programs. Turn inward first. Push aside your beliefs about what you think your employees believe or want to expect, and go find out objectively. That's square one. That will allow you to identify exactly where your administration's or leadership's beliefs, wants and expectations do, and that data will be absolutely unique to your organization. And then you can build a program that pulls all of your workforce into alignment with who you are and where you're headed, and they will feel that down to a singular person. So not only will your program work in the short term for your retention, but it will work for years into the future because it's built on the foundation that is your core. It wasn't just a good idea that you pulled in and applied.
Speaker 1:Thank you, Brittany. And if our listeners wanted to reach out to Stokefire or yourself to engage, how would they do that?
Speaker 10:You can read all about us at stokefirecom. Follow one word or find me on LinkedIn. I'm happy to talk with you, and you can also find us on LinkedIn at stokefirecom.
Speaker 1:Thanks for your time today, Brittany.
Speaker 10:Thanks, mike, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1:I'd like to thank all of our guests that we had today. That's all the time we have. See you next time on Mike's.
Speaker 3:Thank you.