PCTY Talks: HR, People and Culture

Employee First Customized Benefit Offerings with Mary Faulkner

If you're like most business leaders, you're always on the lookout for new and innovative employee benefits that will keep your team happy and engaged. But what if there was a way to customize those benefits specifically to your employees' needs? Listen in as Mary Faulkner and host Shari Simpson discuss personalized benefit offerings at the employee level.

Guest: Mary Faulkner. Principal, IA | Author of Surviving Leadership Blog

Mary is a talent strategist and business leader with 15+ years of experience helping organizations achieve their goals. After working on the operations side of start-ups and small companies, Mary landed in HR by way of learning and development, with extensive experience in leadership, organizational development, strategic planning, coaching, key talent planning, talent acquisition, performance management, business partnering, HRIS, process and policy creation, total rewards, and instructional design.

Mary is a builder and a problem solver. She has worked in various industries, including public utilities, healthcare, energy, and media. In addition to her work within companies, Mary authors a leadership development blog to continue the dialogue around leadership challenges — both being a leader AND being led. Mary is a regular contributor to HRExaminer.com and has also written for SHRM, Recruiting Daily, and other publications.

Mentioned in the episode:

• IA

Using Technology to Drive Benefits Utilization with Ellen McCann

There's no doubt that technology has changed the way we live and work. And as technology has evolved, so too have the ways we use it to improve our lives and work. One area where technology has had a significant impact is in the benefits space.  Listen in as Ellen McCann and host Shari Simpson discuss how to best leverage your technology to increase benefit utilization.

Guest: Ellen McCann, Assistant Vice President, Unum Solutions

Ellen is an acclaimed national speaker on leave management issues, including the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). She is also a certified trainer for the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and continuing education (CE) credit. As Assistant Vice President Unum Solutions, she combines more than 30 years of employment law experience with practical knowledge of the complexities of leave and accommodation management to help develop and create solutions that enable employers to address the challenges of leave and accommodations.  Currently, Ellen is helping to create, define and support Total Leave, Unum’s modern, digital leave management solution, and Unum’s Vaccine Verifier, a digital solution that helps track vaccination status, manage exemption requests and oversee testing. Ellen joined Unum’s Solutions organization in August of 2021 after briefly working for the employment law firm of Littler Mendelson. Before working for Littler, Ellen was Assistant Vice President, Legal Counsel of Unum’s Employment Law Group, where she provided legal support to Unum’s Absence Management Center and advised Human Resources on all employment-related legal issues for more than 23 years. She worked for a law firm in Boston for seven years before joining Unum. Ellen graduated from the College of the Holy Cross and the University of Notre Dame Law School. 

Mentioned in the episode:

• Unum

The Future of Training is Virtual Reality with Gita Barry

The future of training is here, and it's in virtual reality.

VR allows trainees to immerse themselves in realistic environments where they can practice skills and gain experience without putting themselves or others at risk. VR is already being used by the military, police, and medical professionals to provide safe, realistic training scenarios. Listen to Gita Barry and host Shari Simpson talk about the benefits of using VR.

Guest: Gita Barry, EVP and General Manager of Immersive Healthcare, Penumbra

Gita is the executive vice president and general manager of immersive healthcare at Penumbra, Inc. With more than 25 years in the medical device industry, Gita leads a diverse team of developers and specialists to bring virtual reality-based immersive technology to a broad range of healthcare settings with an extensive library of activities and experiences to address various health conditions. Before joining Penumbra, Gita worked at Stryker Corporation in product management, strategy, business development and information technology. Gita received a BS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Miami (FL) and an Executive MBA from Santa Clara University.

Mentioned in the episode:

• Penumbra https://www.penumbrainc.com/
• Real Immersive VR System: https://www.realsystem.com/

 

Evolution of HR Tech with Phil Albinus

The evolution of HR technology has been nothing short of amazing. We've gone from data being stored on paper to it being stored in the cloud. We've gone from using spreadsheets to using data analytics. And we've gone from hiring managers making decisions based on their gut to making decisions based on data and analytics. But what does the future hold for HR technology trends? Listen in as Phil Albinus and host Shari Simpson discuss the future of human resources technology.

Guest: Phil Albinus, HR Tech Editor for HRE

Phil has been covering personal and business technology for 25 years and has served as editor and executive editor for several financial services, trading technology and employee benefits titles. He is a graduate of SUNY New Paltz and lives in the Hudson Valley with his audiologist wife and three adult children. He can be reached at palbinus@lrp.com and on social media below.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-albinus/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/philalbinus

Mentioned in the episode:

• Human Resource Executive: https://hrexecutive.com/

California and SHRM Partner to Promote DEIA Workplace Inclusion

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the SHRM Foundation, and the California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) announced a partnership today to adapt the SHRM Foundation's Employing Abilities at Work Certificate program and resource guide to serve California workplaces and Californians with disabilities.

Join Joe Xavier and host Shari Simpson as they discuss the recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities and how the partnership will connect employers with previously untapped talent pools.

Guest: Joe Xavier, Director, California Department of Rehabilitation

Joe Xavier, Director of the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR), has over 38 years of experience in business and public administration, as well as many years participating in advocacy and community organizations. As an immigrant, a blind consumer, and a beneficiary of DOR’s services, Joe has the experience and understands the challenges and opportunities available to individuals with disabilities and the services required to maximize an individual’s full potential. Joe believes in the talent and potential of individuals with disabilities; investing in the future through creativity, ingenuity, and innovation; ensuring decisions and actions are informed by interested individuals and groups; pursuing excellence through continuous improvement; and preserving the public’s trust through compassionate and responsible provision of services.

Mentioned in the episode:

• SHRM, SHRM Foundation and the California Department of Rehabilitation Announce Partnership to Promote Disability Inclusion

The Psychology of Hiring with Dr. Fred Rafilson

If you've ever been on a job interview, you know that they can be pretty hit or miss. You might have a great conversation with the interviewer and feel confident that you're the perfect candidate for the job. Or, you might have an awkward experience and leave feeling like you didn't make the best impression. So how do employers accurately predict which candidates will be successful in a particular role? Listen in as I/O Psychologist Dr. Fred Rafilson and host Shari Simpson discuss everything from the science of military entrance exams to what can be a good predictor of future performance.

Guest: Dr. Fred Rafilson, Chief I/O Psychologist, Talview

Dr. Fred Rafilson is a skilled industrial/organizational psychologist with over three decades of experience. A recognized expert in all aspects of the assessment industry, Dr. Rafilson has authored and published over 30 employment exams that assess cognitive abilities, skills, personality traits, motivation & attitude, etc. He has developed and implemented assessment processes for hundreds of companies/ organizations and federal, state, and county/municipal agencies. He has also conducted scientific research and program evaluations, providing presentations and training to executive-level private and public-sector groups. As an expert in employment litigation cases, he often works closely with agencies under DOJ consent decrees. Dr. Rafilson is the Chief I/O Psychologist for Talview.

Mentioned in the episode:

• Website: Talview
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-rafilson-32786435/

CHRO’s Perspective on the Future of Work with Jeanne Meister

We live in a time when technology has made it possible for people from all over the world to work together as one team. CHROs have been at the forefront of this change, creating new ways that employees can be engaged and motivated while achieving personal success outside their jobs with flexible schedules or remote working options. Learn more from Jeanne Meister as she shares with host Shari Simpson the results of the Executive Networks research from the CHRO’s perspective on all things future of work.

Guest: Jeanne Meister, Executive Vice President at Executive Networks

Jeanne is the best-selling author of three books, Corporate Universities: Lessons in Building a World- Class Work Force, The 2020 Workplace: How Innovative Companies Attract, Develop and Keep Tomorrow’s Employees Today, and The Future Workplace Experience: 10 Rules for Mastering Disruption in Recruiting and Engaging Employees Jeanne’s books have received the Silver Best Business Book Award for Human Resources professionals and the Bellwether award, by the Community College Futures Assembly. Jeanne is also a regular Contributor to Forbes and Harvard Business Review. Jeanne is leading a multi-client research program for Executive Networks on the Future Role of the CHRO, the Future of Working and Learning and Employee Well-being.

Jeanne is the recipient of the Distinguished Contribution in Workplace Learning Award, given to one HR executive each year by the Association for Talent Development (ATD). This award honors Jeanne’s body of work in preparing executives for the future of work. Jeanne is also the recipient of the Colin Corder Award for Outstanding Achievement in Workplace Learning by The Learning and Performance Institute (LPI). During 2021 and 2022, Jeanne was named 21 HR People To Follow in 2021, 100 Most Influential People in HR, Top 100 HR Tech Influencers for 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, Top 100 HR Influencers in 2022 and Top HR Experts to Watch in 2020 by People Managing People Magazine.

Jeanne is a sought-after expert on the future of work, having appeared in CIO, CNBC Power Lunch, CBS News, CNN, Fast Company, Fox Business, Harvard Business Review, HR Executive, NPR, SHRM Magazine, Market Watch, Time Magazine, The Globe, and Mail, and WPIX, New York.

Jeanne was previously Vice President of Market Development at Accenture (www.accenture.com). Jeanne is a member of the Executive Committee of Excelsior College Board of Trustees. Jeanne is a graduate of the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master degree from Boston University.

Mentioned in the episode:

• The CHRO Of The Future: Strategies For A New World Of Work
• Executive Networks’Global CHRO of the Future research
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeannemeister/

LGBTQIAP+ Workplace Rights and The Religious Freedom Restoration Act with Kelly Bunting

As America becomes increasingly diverse, the issue of religious freedom has come to the forefront. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act was passed in 1993 to protect the rights of religious minorities. However, there has been growing concern that the act could be used to discriminate against LGBTQIAP+ individuals in the workplace. Listen in as Kelly Bunting and host Shari Simpson navigate this difficult topic and provide resources for your organization.

Guest: Kelly Dobbs Bunting, Lawyer at Greenberg Traurig, LLP. and Co-Chair of the law firm's Labor & Employment Practice's Workplace Compliance & Counseling Group

Kelly has considerable experience defending class and collective wage and hour litigation and misclassification claims, having defended employers in Title III ADA access litigation and litigation alleging race, sex, pregnancy, age, disability discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. She is deeply experienced in virtually all aspects of employment litigation, including wage and hour, labor, Title VII, harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination, non-competition and non-solicitation, trade secrets, SOX and Dodd Frank whistleblower claims, CEPA, ADEA, FMLA, NJLAD, and failure to accommodate issues. She has identified and managed employment issues in M&A deals and appeared before the EEOC, NLRB, and DOL in many states, as well as state agencies in DE, NY, NJ and PA. Kelly has represented many clients in mediation and settlement negotiations and created HR and compliance training modules. She is regularly sought after as a workforce trainer for issues related to harassment and discrimination, FCPA compliance, good management techniques, and union avoidance.

Kelly focuses much of her practice on international L&E issues, including employment/secondment contracts, data privacy, and global anti-corruption compliance. She advises clients on national and international handbook policies, procedures, and strategic HR issues and provides day-to-day counsel in hiring, employee relations, employee discipline, and termination. She also conducts and advises on internal investigations.

Mentioned in the episode:

• Lambda Legal
• Human Rights Campaign
• Out and Equal
• National LGBT Chamber of Commerce