Insights from Cox Enterprises, Emerson Electric, Delta Airlines, and More [Podcast]
When I started writing nearly 11 years ago, I never imagined it would become the tool to reach the large audiences that it is today. Some of that writing happens here on the blog, but much of it now comes in the form of reports, research, and case studies. However, the podcast has become an increasingly fun and interesting way to gather information and share it with the world.
More specifically, if you wanted to sit down and have a chat with the head of HR technology for Emerson Electric or have a heart-to-heart with one of the key talent leaders at Delta Airlines, it would be hard to pull that off. However, those are just two of the many interviews we’ve done in recent months (linked below) that you can benefit from. That access to the insights and ideas from these forward-thinking organizations is incredibly powerful.
Becoming a Podcast Listener and Reaping the Rewards
I made a new year’s resolution a few years ago to listen to more podcasts when I had downtime or in the car, and I have learned so much and have been thoroughly inspired from that otherwise “wasted” time.
It’s a great tool, especially for those that are “too busy” for professional development. For instance, I recently met an HR director who drives an hour each way to work and home daily. She can’t go to “lunch and learn” meetings or other development sessions because she doesn’t have time. She normally listens to talk radio but felt like it wasn’t really preparing her mentally for the day and was stressing her out during an already stress-filled commute. I told her to take a week and listen to We’re Only Human in the mornings and whatever she wanted in the afternoons. She reported back a week later: not only did she learn several new concepts that she was already planning to incorporate into her HR strategy, but she had reached out personally to connect with a guest with a similar background to her.
I’d encourage you to check out the podcast and try to listen during your commute in the mornings on your way to work to give yourself new ideas and inspiration for your role. Even if you listen to something else in the afternoons, you can feel better knowing you’re educating yourself while you’re in the car, on the train, etc. every day. Also, if you are a certified HR professional and want recertification credits for that listening time, our team has pulled together some free sets of podcasts just for that purpose.
With that in mind, here is a starting point if you don’t listen to the show yet. If you do, this might be a good opportunity to revisit a few episodes that were most impactful over the last year.
Top 5+ We’re Only Human Podcast Episodes in 2019
- 54: Forecasting the Future Jobs of HR and Recruiting: In this rare solo episode (most episodes are interviews, but in a rare case I will take the microphone and lead a discussion on a trend that I think is interesting for today’s business leaders) I look at the changing roles of HR and recruiting and what the future of these positions looks like through the lens of automation and the human skills of work.
- 53: How to Partner with Your Talent Analytics Team: During a conference I had a chance to interview a pair of sharp HR and analytics pros from Cox Enterprises. We dig into how to build a partnership between HR and the reporting/analytics team to get better results.
- 65: Delivering HR Technology for 75,000 Global Employees at Emerson Electric: I had the opportunity to talk with the head of HR technology for a global enterprise, and this case study offers insights into how to pick technology that meets the needs of the business and build the right selection team.
- 56: How Delta Airlines Designs its Candidate Experience: Another valuable case study, this episode explores some of the interesting ways Delta Airlines adds value for every candidate that applies for a job. The airline does this not only because it’s important to create a positive candidate experience, but also because for consumer-focused firms, those candidates are also likely to be customers as well.
- 52: The Top 3 HR Tech Implementation Mistakes: If you’re going to buy HR technology for a firm with 100 employees or one with 100,000, then you need to get a few key things right. In this conversation with an experienced implementation consultant, we explore the “big 3” as well as how to solve for them in the implementation process.
- Bonus: 62: How to Respond to Negative Glassdoor Reviews: Just one listen behind #5, I’m throwing in a fun interview I did with a recruiting leader about how he responds to negative Glassdoor reviews if/when they are created. This is a good piece of practical advice and a great interview to start with if you’ve never listened to the show.
- Bonus: 55: The New HR Leader’s First Year on the Job: Tied with #6 above for listens and a great first episode to try for new listeners. I had the opportunity to interview the head of HR for the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, a healthcare research organization, about how to hit the ground running in a new role as an HR executive. The insights on establishing credibility, planning ahead, and more were incredible.
If you have an idea, a question, or a piece of advice you’d like to see covered on the We’re Only Human podcast, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Also, if you learn something new or are inspired by a particular episode, please let me know! The team and I love hearing those comments from listeners. The best thing you can do to help is to recommend the show to others, rate us wherever you listen to podcasts, and subscribe so you don’t miss a single show.
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Originally published on upstartHR.com.
Ben Eubanks is the Chief Research Officer at Lighthouse Research & Advisory. He is an author, speaker, and researcher with a passion for telling stories and making complex topics easy to understand.
His latest book Talent Scarcity answers the question every business leader has asked in recent years: “Where are all the people, and how do we get them back to work?” It shares practical and strategic recruiting and retention ideas and case studies for every employer.
His first book, Artificial Intelligence for HR, is the world’s most-cited resource on AI applications for hiring, development, and employee experience.
Ben has more than 10 years of experience both as an HR/recruiting executive as well as a researcher on workplace topics. His work is practical, relevant, and valued by practitioners from F100 firms to SMB organizations across the globe.
He has spoken to tens of thousands of HR professionals across the globe and enjoys sharing about technology, talent practices, and more. His speaking credits include the SHRM Annual Conference, Seminarium International, PeopleMatters Dubai and India, and over 100 other notable events.