Bringing the Human back to Human Resources

Traci Chernoff
  • 4.7 (89)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

People are at the center of every business--or at least they should be. "Bringing the Human back to Human Resources" is a podcast hosted by Traci Chernoff, a Senior Director of HR, who has spent 10 years in critical HR leadership roles. Traci explores the delicate balance between people and business and destigmatizes what it means to be in "Human Resources".

  1. 5d ago

    278. Learning That Sticks: Why Most L&D Programs Stop at Content

    This week, Traci sits down with Chris Taylor, founder of Actionable.co, a company that helps consultants prove the impact of their programs and build deeper, longer-lasting client relationships through behavior change technology, the Impact Certainty Methodology, and a global network of peers. Chris has spent 18 years making the case that the entire L&D industry is stuck measuring the wrong things, and that closing this gap is one of the most powerful levers a business has for driving real, lasting results. FREE RESOURCE: Chris's team put together a free toolkit covering everything the data shows makes learning actually stick, with nearly an hour of training included. Grab it at ⁠toolkit.actionable.co⁠. What We Cover: The knowing-doing gap: why consuming information is step one, and what it actually takes to get people to changeWhy 96% of business stakeholders believe L&D impact should be measured, yet less than 4% of programs do it wellThe three conditions for real behavior change: knowing how, having a strong enough reason, and a path that makes change easier than staying putStarting with strategy, not tactics: how aligning learning to business priorities changes every decision that followsThe content commoditization reality: why AI has made content delivery the least valuable thing a consultant or L&D team can offerSynchronous vs. self-directed learning and why async formats make sustaining behavior change nearly impossibleSocial scaffolding: why the people participants interact with daily outweigh top-down culture in driving changeWhat 100,000 behavior change commitments reveal about human motivation and willingness to growHow frontline leaders can drive real development even inside organizations that aren't walking the walkConnect with Chris Taylor: LinkedIn | Actionable.co Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraci Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed. Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

    32 min

  2. May 19

    277. Leading From Within: Self-Awareness, Collaboration, & Human Connection at Work

    This episode is about authentic leadership, self-awareness, and the quiet ways competition undermines collaboration in the workplace. Traci sits down with Archana Mohan, Chief Operations and Technology Officer in the finance sector and author of The Thru Line: How Understanding Who You Are Empowers How You Lead. Archana holds a BA from Brown, an MA from Columbia, and an MBA from Yale, but her most formative credential might be what she's carried from classrooms and boardrooms alike: the experience of not quite feeling like she belonged, and choosing to build something different because of it. What We Cover: Why authentic leadership starts from the inside, not from a titleThe two types of self-awareness and why most leaders only develop one of themListening as the most undervalued skill in the workplaceHow school conditioned us to chase the right answer instead of ask better questionsWhy group impact is exponential, not just additiveWhat collaboration actually looks like versus what leaders often mistake for itThe key difference between competing with someone and competing against themWhy not having the answer is just as valuable as having oneHow creating space for others to be seen fully changes what a team can achieveConnect with Archana Mohan: Archanamo.net | LinkedIn | The Thru Line: How Understanding Who You Are Empowers How You Lead. Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraci Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed. Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

    28 min

  3. May 12

    276. Profit Sharing: The Business Strategy Most Leaders Overlook

    This week, Traci sits down with Rob Gallaher, Entrepreneur and Founder of ProfitX, to dig into how profit sharing actually works, why most businesses aren't doing it, and what it takes to build a program that genuinely transforms how a team operates. What We Cover: What profit sharing actually is and why no real how-to guide existed before Rob wrote oneWhy his first program was a complete disaster and what he rebuilt from scratchThe difference between profit sharing and employee stock ownership plansWhy monthly payouts change daily employee behavior in ways quarterly or annual bonuses simply cannotHow a profit sharing culture helps teams self-identify and resolve underperformanceThe retention math that makes profit sharing employees effectively earn above market rateWhy Christmas bonuses and annual payouts are financially inefficient for growing businessesHow companies like Procter and Gamble and Southwest Airlines approach shared success modelsThe "gas tank" analogy that explains why payout timing is everythingWhen this strategy becomes critical and why most business owners don't discover it until it's overdueConnect with Rob Gallaher: Profit Sharing, The Power of Shared Success | Website and course: https://profitx.co | Instagram and Facebook: @RobGallaher | LinkedIn Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraci Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed. Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

    35 min

  4. May 5

    275. Fighting Back on Layoffs: An Employee Advocate's Playbook

    This episode closes out the layoff series with a look at what employees are rarely told about severance, separation agreements, and their rights when a job ends. This week, Traci sits down with Dan Goodman, founder of Dan Goodman Employment Advisory (DGEA), a firm that has helped nearly 1,800 employees navigate some of the most high-stakes moments of their careers. What We Cover: Why severance exists and who it actually benefitsThe negotiation most employees don't know they're allowed to haveThe "pip or resign" trap and how employers use it to void unemployment eligibilityWhat to document if you suspect your termination is retaliatory or discriminatoryReview period protections based on age and layoff typeWhy at-will employment doesn't mean employers can terminate anyone for any reasonThe cost of blindsiding employees versus treating them with transparency on the way outHow former employees can become a company's greatest advocates or its most vocal critics Connect with Dan Goodman: dangoodmanea.com | Dan Goodman Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraci Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed. Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

    48 min

  5. Apr 28

    274. What to Do When You're The One Getting Laid Off

    This week's episode is part three of the layoff series, and it's focused entirely on the employee side of the experience: what to actually do when you or someone you know is the one getting laid off. Spoiler alert: Over 40% of Americans have been laid off at least once in their careers. Statistically, this conversation is more relevant than most of us want to admit. This is a greatest hits episode worth another listen because the layoff conversation almost always centers on the company executing it. Traci flips the lens and walks through what employees actually need to know in the aftermath, from the immediate questions that surface in that first conversation to negotiating your severance, protecting your intellectual property, and separating your sense of self from your employer. What We Cover: That initial shock and what it might actually be telling youThe questions you should absolutely ask in that roomSeparation agreements and why everything is negotiableThe age 40 rule that changes your review timelineHealthcare continuation and what to ask for before COBRA ever enters the pictureWhat your former employer can and can't say about why you leftThe intellectual property clause you might have already signedWhy your resume should never be an emergencyUntangling your identity from your job titleFinancial resources and moves worth having on your radarConnect with Traci here:https://linktr.ee/HRTraci Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed. Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

    20 min

  6. Apr 21

    273. What Layoffs Cost the HR Professionals Managing Them

    In part two of the four-part layoff series, Traci addresses what often goes unspoken in layoff conversations: the toll on the HR professionals managing them, and how to take care of yourself while taking care of everyone else. What We Cover: — The grief HR professionals carry that nobody talks about— Numbness as a warning sign, not a badge of honor— How to structure your day when the conversations are relentless— The end-of-day ritual that actually creates separation— Where to find HR peer support when you need people who get it— What survivors are feeling after the dust settles— Rebuilding morale without forcing it Connect with Traci here:https://linktr.ee/HRTraci Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed. Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

    25 min

  7. Apr 14

    272. The Layoff Playbook: Soft Landings, Survivor's Guilt, and Trust

    Traci sat down with Jena Dunay, founder of Recruit the Employer, to talk about conducting layoffs with dignity. We're bringing this one back as the first episode of our four-part layoff series because it's just as relevant now as it was when it first aired. What We Cover: Offboarding as seriously as onboardingWhat's at stake when there's no plan in placeWhat outplacement actually is (hint: not George Clooney in Up in the Air)The communication plan every HR leader needs before they ever need itLegal landmines to think through before a single conversation happensSurvivors' guilt and what leaders can actually do about itWhat owning leadership mistakes publicly really looks likeWhy middle management is the make-or-break layer in post-layoff recoveryConnect with Jena Dunay: RecruittheEmpoyer.com | Recruiter Unlimited | LinkedIn Connect with Traci here:https://linktr.ee/HRTraci Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed. Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

    32 min

  8. Apr 7

    271. What Group Benefits Get Wrong About Fertility Coverage feat. Flora Fertility

    This week, Traci sits down with the co-founders of Flora Fertility to talk about why employer-sponsored fertility coverage is broken and what the first individually owned fertility insurance solution is doing to fix it. Dr. Christy Lane is a global leader in InsureTech, an investor, founder, and award-winning health scientist with expertise in AI, digital health, and wearable devices. She is the co-founder of Flora Fertility and the Stanford Wearable Health Lab, and a venture partner with IA Capital in New York. A mom of three who went through IVF herself, Dr. Lane has built her career in women's health research since the 1990s. Laura McDonald is the co-founder and CEO of Flora Fertility, the first individually owned insurance solution for fertility and women's health. She previously founded, scaled, and sold Canada's largest financial media company focused on women and wealth, and is the author of two bestselling personal finance books. A mother of four, Laura brings deep expertise in insurance, direct-to-consumer AI models, and bringing new financial products to market. What We Cover: Why fertility benefits tied to your employer are a risk most employees don't see comingThe underwriting model that makes Flora unlike any fertility product on the marketWhat most people get completely wrong about IVF and the fertility treatment spectrumEgg freezing vs. Flora and why it might not be the either/or choice you think it isHow employers can offer Flora without open enrollment, utilization risk, or complicated adminThe recent federal guidance that could change how fertility benefits are offered at workConnect with Dr. Christy Lane and Laura McDonald: HeyFlora.com | LinkedIn | IG: @heyflorahealth Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraci Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed. Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

    47 min
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4.7
out of 5
89 Ratings

About

People are at the center of every business--or at least they should be. "Bringing the Human back to Human Resources" is a podcast hosted by Traci Chernoff, a Senior Director of HR, who has spent 10 years in critical HR leadership roles. Traci explores the delicate balance between people and business and destigmatizes what it means to be in "Human Resources".

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