Heroes of HR

WRKdefined
WRKdefined
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Heroes of HR is a podcast for HR, payroll, and talent leaders navigating the real challenges of today’s workforce. Each episode features candid conversations with leaders from growing, people-intensive organizations who are managing hiring, retention, compliance, payroll and change in real time. We talk about what’s top of mind, what’s working, what’s not and how they’re leading through workforce complexity without losing sight of the people behind it. If you’re building teams, supporting managers and solving operational challenges every day, you’ll hear something familiar and useful in every episode. Brought to you by isolved. Learn more about isolved Visit the isolved website to learn more Learn more about isolved People Heroes Community here

  1. 3d ago

    Promoting Great Workers Into Management Is Failing. Lisa Perez Says Here’s Why | SHRM ‘26

    Your best individual contributor can become your worst manager when nobody teaches them how to lead people. The biggest management mistake may happen before someone even gets the job. Organizations promote high performers into leadership, then expect people skills to magically appear. The result is weak management, frustrated teams, and missed potential. Leadership training, people skills, internal mobility, and manager development have to be connected. In this episode… Lisa Perez breaks down why managers need training before they step into the role, how AI is changing the definition of a team, and why remote work has permanently changed the way managers need to communicate and lead. Key Takeaways : Being a great worker doesn’t automatically make you a great manager. High performance as an individual contributor and the ability to lead people require different skills. Train future managers before the promotion. Succession planning should include people-skills training before high performers make the jump into management. “Battlefield promotions” create avoidable problems. Promoting someone because they crushed their individual targets doesn’t mean they’re prepared to manage a team. Remote work changed what effective management looks like. Lisa argues that working from home proved organizations can still operate effectively outside the traditional office. Zoom itself became a management skill. Camera placement, engagement, platform features, and virtual communication now require their own kind of training. Teams are changing too. Lisa sees the modern team as potentially including coworkers, AI agents, and technology working together to scale what people can accomplish. This episode was recorded live at SHRM Annual 2026 The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved.  isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more. Learn more about isolved:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.isolvedhcm.com/⁠ Guest : Lisa Perez Founder, NMTW / HBL Resources, Lisa focuses on the gap between promoting people into management and actually equipping them to lead. Her “Complete Manager Makeover” curriculum is built around closing that gap. LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaiperezsphr/ The Heroes of HR Podcast is hosted by Amy Miller, Product Evangelist at isolved ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycmiller/⁠ Ryan Leary, Co-founder at WRKdefined LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/⁠ William Tincup, Co-founder at WRKdefined LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/⁠ Connect with WRKdefined :  Site:⁠ http://www.wrkdefined.com⁠ TikTok:⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined⁠ LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined⁠ Facebook:⁠ https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/⁠ Twitter (X):⁠ https://twitter.com/WRKdefined⁠ Substack:⁠ https://wrkdefined.substack.com/⁠

  2. 4d ago

    Going Global Is Easy. Staying Compliant Isn’t. Lisa Explains the Gap | SHRM ‘26

    Hiring internationally sounds simple until the laws, compliance, payroll, and local requirements start piling up. Safeguard Global helps companies expand internationally, stay compliant, hire globally, and manage HR without having to build everything from scratch in every new market. With operations across 187 countries and a network of more than 400 local in-market experts, the goal is to make global expansion less risky and more manageable. In this episode… Lisa Farrar talks about what companies actually face when entering new countries, why local expertise matters, and how organizations can scale from their first international hire to a much larger global workforce without losing efficiency or compliance. Key Takeaways : Global expansion comes with risk. Hiring in a new country means dealing with unfamiliar laws, compliance requirements, and local processes. Safeguard Global operates in 187 countries. The company says it also has a network of 400+ local in-market experts. Local expertise can remove major friction. Companies don't necessarily need to establish their own entity before hiring internationally. Outsource what isn't your core business. Lisa and the host discuss the value of leaving complex international HR and compliance work to specialists. Global HR support can scale with the company. The model can support organizations from an initial international hire through larger teams, including contractor management, licensing, and eventual entity management. The best conference conversations aren't always sales pitches. Lisa says meaningful customer conversations reveal problems in their own words, something you can't get from a condensed version of the customer story. This episode was recorded live at SHRM Annual 2026 The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved.  isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more. Learn more about isolved:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.isolvedhcm.com/⁠ Guest : Lisa Farrar CMO at Safeguard Global, discusses how companies can expand internationally while maintaining efficiency, compliance, and a high level of local support. LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lfarrar/ The Heroes of HR Podcast is hosted by Amy Miller, Product Evangelist at isolved ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycmiller/⁠ Ryan Leary, Co-founder at WRKdefined LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/⁠ William Tincup, Co-founder at WRKdefined LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/⁠ Connect with WRKdefined :  Site:⁠ http://www.wrkdefined.com⁠ TikTok:⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined⁠ LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined⁠ Facebook:⁠ https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/⁠ Twitter (X):⁠ https://twitter.com/WRKdefined⁠ Substack:⁠ https://wrkdefined.substack.com/⁠

  3. 6d ago

    Neurodiversity Could Be Your Productivity Advantage. Lee Explains Why | SHRM '26

    Companies keep asking how to manage neurodivergent employees. The better question may be whether they know how to communicate with them. Lee Judson’s work is about neurodiversity, communication, onboarding, management, and workplace productivity. Her research points to a striking business case: companies with neurodiverse teams can see 30% more productivity and higher ROI. In this episode… Lee explains why different brains need different communication styles, why managers often misread neurodivergent employees, and how clearer goals and better onboarding can change the relationship between employees and managers. Key Takeaways : Neurodiversity is already part of the workplace. Lee says about 20% of the workplace is known to be neurodivergent, while older generations often went undiagnosed. Different brains need different communication. Slack, Teams, text, meetings and one-on-ones may work differently for different people. Headphones don’t always mean someone is ignoring you. Noise-cancelling headphones can help a neurodivergent employee block out extraneous noise and focus. Neurodiverse teams can deliver more. Lee cites research showing teams combining neurotypical and neurodivergent employees have 30% more productivity and higher ROI. The management problem may be communication, not motivation. Lee argues that some managers label newer workers as difficult when the real issue is that managers aren't communicating expectations clearly enough. Clear goals matter. If managers can't clearly explain what they want, employees can't know what they're expected to deliver. This episode was recorded live at SHRM Annual 2026 The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved. isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more. Learn more about isolved: ⁠https://www.isolvedhcm.com/⁠ Guest : Lee Judson LifeMap Coach at Association for Autism and Neurodiversity, Lee helps employees, managers and colleagues better understand how to communicate and work together across neurodivergent and neurotypical teams. Her book, Bridging the Gap: A Field Guide for Neurodiversity for Managers, Employees, and Colleagues, focuses on making that gap easier to navigate. LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisajudson/ The Heroes of HR Podcast is hosted by Amy Miller, Product Evangelist at isolved ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycmiller/⁠ Ryan Leary, Co-founder at WRKdefined LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/⁠ William Tincup, Co-founder at WRKdefined LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/⁠ Connect with WRKdefined :  Site:⁠ http://www.wrkdefined.com⁠ TikTok:⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined⁠ LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined⁠ Facebook:⁠ https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/⁠ Twitter (X):⁠ https://twitter.com/WRKdefined⁠ Substack:⁠ https://wrkdefined.substack.com/⁠

  4. 6d ago

    HR Is Running on Empty. John Says It’s Time to Refuel | SHRM '26

    You can’t keep pouring into everyone else when your own tank is empty. John Bernatovicz gets blunt about burnout, self-care, emotional safety, and what it really means to transform how people feel at work. For HR professionals, “How are you doing?” should mean more than “I’m good, bro.” This conversation gets into authenticity, productive safety, listening without trying to fix everything, and creating workplaces where people can actually be themselves. In this episode… John explains why burnout feels like running a car on empty, why bringing your whole self to work can create better collaboration, and why leaders need to create enough safety for employees to tell the truth about how they're doing. He also shares what changed when he started prioritizing his own health, relationships, and energy. Key Takeaways : HR professionals give too much. John describes seeing HR leaders constantly give at work, then go home and repeat the cycle until they reach the point of saying, “I cannot do this anymore.” “How are you doing?” can be a dangerous question. If you aren't genuinely prepared to hear the answer, the question becomes performative instead of meaningful. Authenticity takes safety. John argues that people need environments where they can be honest about having a bad day without feeling like they're becoming a burden. Bring your whole self to work, within reason. John believes people do better work and collaborate better when they don't have to constantly maintain a facade at work. Listening doesn't mean fixing. When someone shares something heavy, John's response is simple: “Thank you for telling me.” Sometimes being present is more valuable than offering a solution. Burnout is an empty tank. John compares burnout to driving a car so far on empty that even getting out of bed, showering, or going to work feels exhausting. His solution starts with taking care of yourself first. This episode was recorded live at SHRM Annual 2026 The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved.  isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more. Learn more about isolved:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.isolvedhcm.com/⁠ Guest : John Bernatovicz Founder at Willory, John is focused on transforming how people feel at work through the power of HR, with a particular emphasis on authenticity, wellbeing, and creating healthier workplace cultures.  LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbernatovicz/ The Heroes of HR Podcast is hosted by Amy Miller, Product Evangelist at isolved https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycmiller/ Ryan Leary, Co-founder at WRKdefined LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/ William Tincup, Co-founder at WRKdefined LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/ Connect with WRKdefined :  Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/ Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/

  5. 6d ago

    Your Employees’ Money Problems Follow Them to Work. Kyle Has a Fix | SHRM '26

    Financial stress doesn’t clock out when employees walk into the office. It follows them in, drains their focus, and can keep them from bringing their whole self to work. Kashable is tackling that problem by combining low-cost credit, financial coaching, budgeting, and financial wellness into an employee benefit. The bigger idea is simple: give people both a safety net for emergencies and the education to build stronger financial habits over time. In this episode… Kyle Nisson explains why financial wellness has to go beyond giving employees access to money. We talk about shame-free financial coaching, emergency expenses, employee adoption, and why financial stability at home can have a direct impact on how people show up at work. Key Takeaways : Financial stress doesn’t stay at home. Employees dealing with financial or family pressure can arrive at work distracted and not fully present. Credit is only half the solution. Cashable pairs access to low-cost credit with one-on-one coaching around budgets, financial assessments, and 401(k)s. Financial coaching needs to be shame-free. Employees can talk openly with a coach without feeling like their financial situation is a personal failure. A six-figure salary doesn’t guarantee financial security. Someone can earn good money and still lack the means or knowledge to handle an unexpected expense. An emergency safety net changes the equation. Kyle describes employees being able to know they could access up to $5,000 for unexpected expenses such as a car repair, AC failure, or hurricane-related gap. Financial wellness is becoming part of whole-person support. Kyle sees opportunities to connect financial wellness with mental health so employees can show up feeling more like themselves. This episode was recorded live at SHRM Annual 2026 The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved. isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more. Learn more about isolved:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.isolvedhcm.com/⁠⁠ Guest : Kyle Nisson Senior Director of Business Development at Kashable, discusses how financial wellness benefits can combine immediate financial support with long-term coaching and education for employees. LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-nisson/ The Heroes of HR Podcast is hosted by Amy Miller, Product Evangelist at isolved https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycmiller/ Ryan Leary, Co-founder at WRKdefined LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/ William Tincup, Co-founder at WRKdefined LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/ Connect with WRKdefined :  Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/ Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/

  6. Sep 2

    AI Isn’t Just a Tool Anymore. Joey Thinks It’s Becoming Your Coworker | SHRM ‘26

    HR has moved past asking, “What is AI?” Now the question is, “What problem can it actually solve?” Joey Price sees the conversation shifting from AI hype to real use cases, smarter questions, and technology that can produce meaningful work. AI coworkers, AI agents, digital employees, HR tech, workforce transformation. The bigger shift is how we think about the technology itself. When AI can hold a conversation, complete a task, make intelligent decisions, and respond to follow-up questions, does “tool” still describe what it is? In this episode… Joey Price talks about why companies need to make bold bets on AI, what HR professionals are actually asking about the technology, and why AI agents may soon be treated more like coworkers or digital employees. The conversation also covers AI interfaces, voice interaction, intelligent task execution, and why we may be much closer to this future than we think. Key Takeaways : HR is asking better AI questions. The conversation has moved beyond “What is AI?” HR professionals are now comparing products and asking what results AI can actually deliver. Bold bets matter. Joey points to Blockbuster, Kodak, and Toys R Us as examples of what can happen when companies fail to respond to disruption. His view is simple: eventually, you have to pick a direction and move. AI agents may earn the title of coworker. Joey isn't opposed to calling mature AI systems employees if they can perform meaningful work at a level comparable to humans. Your AI team could build itself around your needs. Joey describes a model where AI recognizes the types of questions you keep asking, identifies capability gaps, and suggests adding another specialized coworker to the team. The test is intelligent dialogue and execution. If you can ask AI to complete a task, get an intelligent result, and then discuss or refine that result, Joey sees that as getting closer to employee-level responsibility. Voice could change the interface completely. Joey already uses voice to brain-dump ideas into Claude and connect them with other tools. His point is that AI is moving beyond giving people more content to read and toward actually helping them get work done. This episode was recorded live at SHRM Annual 2026 The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved. isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more. Learn more about isolved: ⁠https://www.isolvedhcm.com/⁠ Guest : Joey Price President and CEO of Jumpstart HR,  brings a practical HR perspective to the AI conversation, focusing less on the hype and more on how AI can solve real problems, execute meaningful work, and potentially become part of the workforce itself. LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeyvprice/ The Heroes of HR Podcast is hosted by Amy Miller, Product Evangelist at isolved https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycmiller/ Ryan Leary, Co-founder at WRKdefined LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/ William Tincup, Co-founder at WRKdefined LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/ Connect with WRKdefined :  Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/ Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/

  7. Aug 31

    Your Employees Are Burning Out. Jocelyn says HR Needs to Start Listening | SHRM '26

    Companies keep asking employees to do more with less, then wonder why engagement drops. Jocelyn King says burnout isn't just about workload. It's what happens when people become overwhelmed, disengage, and eventually decide they're done. Burnout, employee engagement, listening strategies, remote work, employee experience, workplace culture. The challenge is understanding what employees are actually experiencing without crossing personal boundaries, then using that insight to build a better workplace. In this episode… Jocelyn King explains why listening strategies matter, how remote work can create isolation and burnout, and why HR needs to personalize the employee experience. She also talks about using technology to gather employee sentiment, supporting frontline workers, and making the business case for HR investment. Key Takeaways : Burnout looks like disengagement. When people become overwhelmed by workload and workplace pressures, they start pulling away. Doing more with less has a breaking point. Employees can end up doing the work of two, three, or four people without additional compensation or recognition. Remote work can create isolation. Screen fatigue and less face-to-face interaction can make engagement harder, especially for people who thrive around others. Asking “How are you?” isn't enough. Employees often automatically say they're fine. Real listening strategies need to go deeper. Technology can make listening scalable. Two-way communication can generate hundreds of thousands of data points, giving companies insight into employee sentiment across stores, regions, districts, and the wider organization. HR needs to understand the business. Building the case for employee experience investment means connecting people issues to productivity, turnover, resources, and overall business goals. This episode was recorded live at SHRM Annual 2026 The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved. isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more. Learn more about isolved: ⁠https://www.isolvedhcm.com/⁠ Guest : Jocelyn King CEO of VirgilHR, focused on culture, engagement, and helping organizations create a more personalized employee experience. LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelynanneking/ The Heroes of HR Podcast is hosted by Amy Miller, Product Evangelist at isolved https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycmiller/ Ryan Leary, Co-founder at WRKdefined LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/ William Tincup, Co-founder at WRKdefined LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/ Connect with WRKdefined :  Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/ Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/

  8. Aug 28

    HR Is an Impossible Job. Jennifer Says That's Exactly Why It Matters | SHRM ‘26

    HR doesn't have a finish line. Employees change, work changes, technology changes, and expectations keep moving. Jennifer McClure argues that HR isn't supposed to "solve" the workplace once and walk away. The job is to keep adapting, keep learning, and help people thrive. Agility, AI, people strategy, employee experience, leadership, workforce transformation. Jennifer sees HR as one of the most important functions in the organization because it can influence every employee, but also one of the hardest because everyone has a different definition of what success looks like. In this episode… Jennifer McClure talks about why HR needs to stop thinking in fixed plans, how AI is accelerating the pace of change, why 95% of HR leaders in one survey said the work is simply too much, and why 62% had considered leaving the profession. She also shares a simple challenge for the next generation of HR leaders: solve for thrive. Key Takeaways : HR has no finish line. People, technology, and work keep changing. Jennifer says HR needs agility rather than rigid long-term plans because something can change every day. The job is taking a toll. 95% of HR leaders surveyed said working in HR is too much, while 62% had considered leaving the profession altogether. HR doesn't control its own definition of success. CFOs, CEOs, operations leaders, and employees can all have different expectations of HR. That makes the function uniquely difficult to measure. Skills have expiration dates. Jennifer and William discuss how quickly skills are becoming outdated, making reskilling and upskilling a fundamental part of the future workforce strategy. HR should solve for thrive. Jennifer's advice to people entering HR is to figure out what helps each person thrive at work, knowing the answer can change again six months later. Don't let the noise become the job. Jennifer argues that HR practitioners should focus on creating better experiences and helping people live better lives, rather than getting trapped in policies, negativity, or the idea that the goal is to make everyone happy. This episode was recorded live at SHRM Annual 2026 The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved.  isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more. Learn more about isolved: ⁠https://www.isolvedhcm.com/⁠ Guest : Jennifer McClure Founder & CEO of Unbridled Talent, with a career in HR stretching back to 1986, focused on helping leaders navigate transformation, the future of work, and the increasingly complex role of people strategy LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure/ The Heroes of HR Podcast is hosted by Amy Miller, Product Evangelist at isolved https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycmiller/ Ryan Leary, Co-founder at WRKdefined LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/ William Tincup, Co-founder at WRKdefined LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/ Connect with WRKdefined :  Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/ Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/

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3.7
out of 5
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About

Heroes of HR is a podcast for HR, payroll, and talent leaders navigating the real challenges of today’s workforce. Each episode features candid conversations with leaders from growing, people-intensive organizations who are managing hiring, retention, compliance, payroll and change in real time. We talk about what’s top of mind, what’s working, what’s not and how they’re leading through workforce complexity without losing sight of the people behind it. If you’re building teams, supporting managers and solving operational challenges every day, you’ll hear something familiar and useful in every episode. Brought to you by isolved. Learn more about isolved Visit the isolved website to learn more Learn more about isolved People Heroes Community here

Information

  • Channel
    WRKdefined
  • Creator
    WRKdefined Podcast Network
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    101
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved by WRKdefined
  • Show Website
    Heroes of HR

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