HR In Action

Aaron Robbins

The HR Leadership Podcast is a one-on-one interview series with HR leaders who are shaping the future of work. Each episode explores real challenges, hot topics, and innovative solutions in HR, covering leadership, culture, talent, employee experience, and the strategies that help organizations thrive. Practical, candid, and built for HR professionals who want ideas they can actually use.

Episodes

  1. 21H AGO

    HR In Action - Christina Cota-Donovan

    In this episode of HR in Action, Aaron Robbins sits down with Christina Cota-Donovan, founder and principal consultant at Cota Coaching and Consulting, to explore what it really looks like to build effective people practices in small and mid-sized organizations. Christina brings decades of hands-on HR experience across organizations of all sizes and now partners with leaders who need strategic HR support—but don’t have it in-house. From navigating post-COVID workforce shifts to designing people strategies that actually support growth, this conversation dives deep into the practical realities HR leaders and business owners face every day. Key topics include: -Building people strategy alongside business growth strategy -Why many organizations struggle with HR infrastructure—and how to fix it -Culture by design vs. culture by default -Turning values into observable, actionable behaviors -Improving recruiting and onboarding to reduce early turnover -Using employee listening (surveys, focus groups, stay interviews) to uncover real issues -Creating growth, purpose, and clarity through skill and career pathways -Helping leaders take ownership of the employee experience Throughout the conversation, Christina shares concrete examples, common patterns she sees across organizations, and practical ways leaders can move from “winging it” to building intentional, scalable people practices. This episode is especially valuable for HR leaders, consultants, and executives working in smaller or growing organizations who want to strengthen culture, leadership capability, and employee experience—without overcomplicating it. Looking for an innovative way to develop your leaders? Check out ProACTr, a leadership conversation simulator that leverages new technology to bring proven role-play learning to life. 👉 https://proactr.com

    51 min
  2. JAN 3

    HR IN ACTION - Frida Chavez

    In the first episode of our new one-on-one HR leader series, Aaron Robbins sits down with Frida Chavez, Senior HR Manager at Angry Chickz, a fast-growing restaurant brand expanding rapidly across California. Frida shares what it’s really like to lead HR in a high-growth, high-turnover, frontline-heavy organization—where new locations are opening at a rapid pace and HR is often a department of one. From navigating evolving immigration concerns and attendance challenges, to standardizing processes at scale, to reshaping how HR is perceived across the organization, this conversation dives into the real-world complexity HR leaders face every day. Key topics include: Managing HR during rapid growth and frequent store openingsNavigating immigration-related fear, compliance, and cultural impactStandardizing HR processes without losing humanityReducing risk through documentation and consistencyShifting the perception of HR from “corporate police” to true support partnerBuilding culture through service, empathy, and leadership modelingSupporting managers with practical, proactive HR guidanceFrida also shares how Angry Chickz reinforces culture by leading from the top—where executives roll up their sleeves, HR acts as a service center, and collaboration is the norm. This episode is an honest, practical look at modern HR leadership in action and a great starting point for HR professionals looking to learn from peers facing similar challenges. 🎧 Whether you’re an HR team of one, leading through growth, or rethinking how HR shows up for employees and managers, this episode offers insights you won’t want to miss. Looking for an innovative way to develop your leaders? Check out ProACTr, a leadership conversation simulator that leverages new technology to bring proven role-play learning to life. 👉 https://proactr.com

    45 min

About

The HR Leadership Podcast is a one-on-one interview series with HR leaders who are shaping the future of work. Each episode explores real challenges, hot topics, and innovative solutions in HR, covering leadership, culture, talent, employee experience, and the strategies that help organizations thrive. Practical, candid, and built for HR professionals who want ideas they can actually use.