I Hate It Here Hebba Youssef

Did you know that 63% of workers who receive low-quality feedback are likely to quit within the next year? 
Performance feedback isn’t just an HR problem, it’s a business problem. And in this week’s pod, Hebba’s sitting down with Kieran Snyder, CEO and Co-founder of Textio, to dive deep into the world of performance management and fairness in the workplace. 
Is being labeled an overachiever really just coded language for exceeding management’s low expectations? And what role can accountability and quality feedback play in creating a fairer system?  
Kieran sheds light on the vicious cycle between performance feedback and confirmation bias and explains why true accountability at all levels is essential. She unpacks how women and people of color often face different feedback standards than other groups, and reveals why management must face the same performance standards as everyone else in order for a system to truly be equitable.  
And stay tuned to discover how Textio is working to bridge the gap between HR leaders' intent for fairness and the tools available to them.
 
00:00:00 - Improving Communication at Work 
00:02:52 - The Truth About Training and Performance Management
00:04:53 - Improving Fairness in Performance Management
00:09:07 - Common Challenges in Traditional Performance Reviews
00:17:10 - The Impact of Confirmation Bias in the Workplace
00:24:45 - Improving Employee Feedback with Software
00:27:00 - Improving Quality Feedback from Managers
00:30:35 - Closing the Gap on Pay Equity
00:32:56 - Addressing Systemic Racism in the Workplace 
00:35:24 - Closing the Gender Feedback Gap
00:39:58 - The Importance of Feedback Culture
 
And if you love HR Therapy, sign up to I Hate it Here, the newsletter for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration.
https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/
 
For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page.  
 
Learn More About Textio: 
Website: https://textio.com/
 
Follow Kieran:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kieran-snyder-60572987/
 
Follow Hebba: 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef
 
15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. 
 
Find out more about 15Five here.
 

Spotted in the Podcast studio this week: Hebba Youssef and Rodney Evans chatting about the role of gossip in the workplace and how sometimes, it can actually be a good thing (IKR?). 
Brave New Work podcast host and Partner at The Ready, Rodney Evans was heard talking up a storm about the unseen emotional labor of HR professionals in the workplace and breaking free from the codependent caretaker role they often take on. 
I also heard a juicy rumor that HR might go the way of the dinosaurs. Out with a bang, amiright?
My sources heard Rodney say, “It’s an evolve-or-die situation for HR. If HR doesn’t take the evolution game seriously, it’s just going to become a non-function. It will ultimately be disbanded if it doesn’t change into the thing that HR people know it should be.”
Later, Rodney and Hebba were overheard discussing the pitfalls of performance management, the power of influencing and politicking, and the importance of having a clear vision and obtaining the necessary permissions to drive change. 
But don’t take it from me. Tune in to hear all the hot tea they spilled in the podcast for yourselves. Trust me, it’s a game-changer.
 
XOXO
-Gossip Girl
 
00:00:09 - The Cycle of Rescuing and Regret
00:01:12 - Exploring Workplace Cultures with Rodney Evans
00:01:46 - The Evolution of HR: Adapt or Perish
00:03:54 - The Unseen Emotional Labor of HR
00:07:43 - Breaking Free from Codependent HR Behavior
00:12:27 - The Role of Gossip in Establishing Rules
00:20:39 - The Impact of Influencing in the Workplace
00:28:17 - Transforming HR: Permission, Not Perfection
00:32:10 - Navigating the Challenges of HR Initiatives
00:39:32 - Creating Psychological Safety in Meetings
00:44:09 - The Evolution and Challenges of HR
00:45:59 - Connect with Rodney for HR Insights
 
And if you love HR Therapy, sign up to I Hate it Here, the newsletter for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration.
https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/
 
For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. 
 
Follow Rodney: 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodneyeevans/
Website: https://www.theready.com   
 
Follow Hebba: 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef
 
15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. 
 
Find out more about 15Five here.
 

It’s not that HR doesn’t want to pay you equitably… It’s that sometimes we just can’t. The odds are… rarely ever in our favor. So what can we do to eliminate the constant source friction that pay inequity causes?   
Hebba dives into the complex world of compensation management with guest Enrique Esclusa, co-founder and co-CEO of Assemble. They unravel the reasons why understanding equity as an employee is so important, the role of market data in decision-making, and the challenges HR departments face in managing pay equity and transparency.
Enrique shares insights on how misalignment between leadership, HR, recruiting, and finance can lead to compensation problems, and emphasizes the need for fair and consistent practices. 
Plus, can we finally just be done with the shortcomings of spreadsheet compensation management? Enrique certainly thinks so—he explains the benefits of using a platform like Assemble to streamline the process and ensure pay transparency and equity.
 
00:00:00 - Assemble: Revolutionizing Compensation Management Platform
00:01:02 - HR Hot Take
00:02:50 - Avoiding Common Mistakes in Compensation Management
00:05:57 - Aligning Leadership and HR
00:10:56 - The Downside of Traditional Compensation Management
00:16:48 - Boosting Employee Morale with Transparent Compensation
00:25:08 - Understanding Equity: 3 Key Factors
00:31:46 - The Importance of Data in HR Compensation
00:40:50 - Addressing Pay Equity in DEI Programs
00:47:52 - The Root Cause of Compensation Problems
00:53:57 - HR's Potential to Fix Compensation Problems
 
And if you love HR Therapy, sign up to I Hate it Here, the newsletter for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration.
https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/
 
For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. 
 
Learn More About Assemble: 
Website: https://www.assemble.inc/demo
 
Follow Enrique:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/enrique-j-esclusa/
 
Follow Hebba: 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef
 
15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. 
 
Find out more about 15Five here.
 

Who needs Halloween night, when we barely survive our own horror story each and every day? 
Join Hebba as she shares hair-raising HR horror stories that will send shivers up your spine and make you double-check each and every email and document you send in this Halloween special.
From ghostbusting in the workplace to employees submitting unusual receipts, she’s got audience stories that will leave you even more scarred for life than *that one* scene from “Signs.” …Yeah, you know the one we’re talking about. 
But it's not all fright and fear—Hebba also discusses some real-life workplace issues, such as morale, growth, and talent retention. Discover the challenges of creating a dog-friendly office and the unexpected consequences of implementing new benefits.
And if you have your own HR horror story to share, don't be afraid to submit your own spine-chilling tales through Hebba’s anonymous form.
So grab your favorite Halloween treat, lock your computer, strap down you last shred of sanity, and prepare for a descent into the upside-down world of HR!
 
00:00:00 - HR Horror Stories Shared on Podcast
00:02:44 - Employee Discovers Termination Email on Manager's Computer
00:04:05 - The Hilarious Expense Receipt Fail
00:06:38 - AI Notetaker Bots Transforming Meeting Efficiency
00:09:17 - Avoid HR Mistakes: Double Check
00:11:29 - Solving Morale, Growth, and Talent Retention Issues
00:13:18 - Halloween-Inspired HR Horror Stories
00:14:40 - Manager's Inappropriate Relationships Cause Scandal
 
 
And if you love HR Therapy, sign up to I Hate it Here, the newsletter for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration.
https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/
 
For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. 
 
Follow Hebba: 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef
 
15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. 
 
Find out more about 15Five here.
 

Burnout and failure are inevitable in HR. So how can we grow and learn from our own mistakes?
Tracie Sponenberg, Chief People Officer of the Granite Group, joins Hebba to discuss her storied career in HR and to share her love/hate relationship with the industry as a whole. She reveals why open communication and having conversations with your employees, whether it’s good, bad, or anything in between is vital to anyone working in HR. 
Then, she and Hebba delve into various topics, including the challenges of maintaining a small company culture while scaling, the changing landscape of HR roles, and the shift towards leading with humanity rather than compliance.
And stay tuned because later, Tracie opens up about her own experiences with burnout and offers advice on setting boundaries and protecting yourself from burnout in the HR field.

00:01:36 - HR Hot Take
00:03:43 - From Personnel to HR: Finding My Passion
00:07:40 - Key Inflection Points in Tracy’s HR Career
00:11:53 - The Changing Landscape of HR
00:18:08 - The Emotional Burden of HR
00:22:59 - The Evolution of HR and Internal Communication
00:26:35 - Maintaining Company Culture as You Scale
00:28:52 - Preventing and Healing from Burnout
00:37:19 - The Future of HR and People: More Advisory and External Roles
00:43:29 - The Importance of Communication with CEOs

And if you love HR Therapy, sign up to I Hate it Here, the newsletter for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration.
https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/

For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. 

Follow Tracie:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traciesponenberg/

Follow Hebba: 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. 

Find out more about 15Five here.

And if you'd like to keep learning, Hootsuite’s new 2023 Social Media Career Report is loaded with insights about social marketers’ pay, promotions, job satisfaction, challenges, gender pay equity, mental health, and more—to help you attract, hire, and retain the best social marketers.
Uncover the state (and state of mind) of the social media marketer in the full report!

Determining if employee-workplace fit should be a two-way street. So why does the recruitment process feel like a one-way street for so many job-seekers? 
Jessica Winder, Senior VP of People at Refine Labs, shares her insights on how workplaces should rethink compatibility, and the steps employees can take to ensure a potential workplace is right for them.  
From considering factors like transparency in the interview process to creating lists and asking the right questions, Jessica provides valuable advice for job seekers like the importance of work-life balance, career growth, and compensation in the decision-making process. 

00:01:43 - The Truth Behind Corporate Math
00:02:55 - How to Determine Company Compatibility
00:03:45 - The Importance of Flexibility and Innovation in the Workplace
00:06:30 - Interview Tips: The Power of Lists
00:07:47 - Red Flags to Watch for in Job Interviews
00:11:47 - Navigating Temporary Jobs During Unemployment
00:16:15 - The Rise of Remote Work
00:18:18 - The Importance of Leadership in Job Interviews
00:22:13 - Ensuring Candidates Understand Company Culture
00:25:43 - The Problem with the Phrase "Culture Fit"
00:28:57 - Ranking the Importance of Workplace Factors
00:32:09 - Research Before Accepting a Job
 
And if you love HR Therapy, sign up to I Hate it Here, the newsletter for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration.
https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/
 
For even more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. 
 
Follow Jessica:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicadwinder/
Buy Her Book “The Hidden Gem Within”
 
Follow Hebba: 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef
 
15Five is the performance management platform that drives business results and gives HR teams a complete solution to deliver high employee performance, engagement, and retention while improving manager effectiveness. 
 
Find out more about 15Five here.
 
And if you'd like to keep learning, Hootsuite’s new 2023 Social Media Career Report is loaded with insights about social marketers’ pay, promotions, job satisfaction, challenges, gender pay equity, mental health, and more—to help you attract, hire, and retain the best social marketers.
Uncover the state (and state of mind) of the social media marketer in the full report!