Expanding Your Network with Forta’s Nicole Roberts

In this episode, Lindsay Patton interviews Michelle French, the HR Director at NASCENT Technology, about her unique approach to human resources. Michelle emphasizes the importance of prioritizing employee well-being and personal growth, which has had a positive impact on the company culture at NASCENT. The episode also discusses the significance of embracing accountability and flexibility in the workplace, as well as the benefits of offering flexible work options and fostering a culture that promotes open communication, trust, and work-life balance. Overall, Michelle French's personal journey and passion for holistic HR practices inspire listeners to provide comprehensive support in the workplace.Michelle French, an accomplished Human Resources Director with a diverse and successful career in HR management. Currently leading the HR department at NASCENT Technology, LLC, she has a track record of driving operational excellence and fostering positive work cultures. With extensive experience in regional HR and operations management roles, Michelle brings invaluable expertise to the table, ensuring the success and growth of the organizations she serves. Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of People Analytics:The laid-back environment at Nascent has resulted in increased employee satisfaction and productivity.Nascent organizes fun and engaging activities to foster a sense of joy and camaraderie among employees.Acknowledge that it's impossible to make everyone happy - focus on managing yourself and understanding that it's not always about you.Prioritize work-life balance by emphasizing the importance of time off and promoting self-care.Offer flexible work options that cater to both desk-bound and remote workers, fostering a sense of inclusivity.How holistic approaches to HR can positively impact employee well-being and performance.Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn for more information and networking opportunities.Resources:NASCENT Technology, LLCStaffGeek Connect with Michelle French:LinkedInConnect with our host, Lindsay Patton:LinkedIn EmailQuotables:12:11 - “I think just from the jump really, you know, to have that great employee experience from that moment we originally reached out to them when we're recruiting all the way through. We're just like very open, honest, transparent, and just, you know, welcoming them with open arms and asking for feedback all the time. Hey, what did you like, what didn't you like, what would you like to see? Always open to what are other people and ideas that they have. So that, that's really how we do it. We just stay on and, and keep chatting and figure out what, what people want and like, and enjoy.”01:33 - “I think what we've learned from the past two years of, you know, dealing with the pandemic that your, your personal life and your work life, they, they do intertwine and there's nothing that anybody can do about that. So I think really making, making everything comfortable for everybody and giving them that space is really what makes a employee happy.”24:00 - “And I think that's something that a lot of people miss when talking about work from home and the pandemic's impact is that there are a lot of desk-less workers that need to be in person. Yeah. And so where, where are their perks.”14:32 - “So, you know, there's this very common trend in the workplace of pretending that what's going on at home is not affecting you at work, but, you know, when you're dealing with grief or chronic illness or, you know, having to manage kids, that's something that many, many people have to do. So that, that creeps in.”21:17 - Michelle: “And that's why one-on-ones are very important here at our company. And we are very, very religious to those, our managers have them every other week for 30 minutes with the employee. And they're actually just a wonderful place for, you know, the coaching to go on that interpersonal communication, Hey, what's going on at home? How are things going? Or what's going on in your life? You know, is there, you know, whatever it is. And just really making that, that relationship, that trust factor.”.. Lindsay: “Yeah. Yeah. And I feel like, you know, the word accountability, it can be a harsh word, it can be an intimidating word because it's not associated with coaching as much as it is associated with getting yelled at, for example.”

8 Aug 202326min

Veronica Larkin, Director of Human Resources at Lux Machina Consulting, discusses the importance of breaking the stigma associated with HR and embracing servant leadership. She emphasizes the need for leaders to focus on developing their people, nurturing their talents, and building strong relationships. Veronica also highlights the significance of providing support and guidance to new hires, including investing in training, resources, mentorship, and bridging the gap between academia and the professional world. Additionally, she emphasizes the importance of building confidence and overcoming fear for career development.Veronica Larkin, is a highly accomplished HR professional with a proven track record in executive management and strategic HR leadership. Currently serving as Director of Human Resources at Lux Machina Consulting, Veronica excels in employee engagement, HR policy development, and performance management. With a wealth of experience across various industries, she brings valuable expertise in driving HR initiatives and fostering a positive work environment. Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of People Analytics:Leaders in HR must embrace servant leadership and be empathetic to foster a positive work environment.Leadership training and coaching are crucial for leaders to effectively manage their teams and prioritize people over revenue.Consistently nurturing your team is essential for preventing stagnation and maintaining productivity.Having a mentor provides a non-biased opinion and helps guide personal and professional development.Honesty and transparency create a trust-based environment and foster employee engagement.Confidence plays a significant role in career development and should be nurtured in employees.Embracing the possibility of rejection and maintaining a positive mindset is key to pursuing career goals.Resources:Lux Machina ConsultingStaffGeek Connect with Veronica Larkin:LinkedInConnect with our host Lindsay Patton:LinkedIn EmailQuotables:15:09 - For me, I think it's important to always have a mentor throughout your career. Whether that's someone within your business or someone externally that you can, you know, bounce your frustration sometimes your ideas, and you know, kind of like a check-in as well. Like, Hey, am I, am I on the right track or am I crazy here? Someone that can give you a non-biased opinion and be real with you.12:58 - One analogy that I like to tell my managers when I'm training them is my car analogy. Like when you wake up in the morning or when you go to shopping or wherever you're expecting that vehicle or that mode of transportation to work. Yeah. And in order for that vehicle to work, you have to maintain it, you have to add fuel, you have to check the engine. And in a business, your people are your engine. So if you're not taking it into routine maintenance, if you're not giving it the fuel that it needs to actually like spark up, it's going to go stagnant, and you're going to stall at some point your team's going to stall.29:04 - I spent some time as an adjunct professor at a, a college, and you know, here's me coming in with my, my career experience to teach them and just the anxiety that these students have because they are not prepared. They're prepared in terms of knowledge about their, their subject area, but that's about it. And so I made sure that the entire class is like, you are going to use this for your career. This is, everything has a purpose. And it was just really eyeopening to see how they responded and, and, and said like, wow, you know, like, all of my classes should have this kind of information in it. 04:52 - And something I've, I've noticed about leadership structure is it's usually, you know, kind of a race to the top when people can be developed by, you know, not promoting them upward, but you know, you can promote them laterally or give them professional development that is, you know, 10 times more effective than having a manager title. There's just so many different ways to develop people and I think that's, you know, where, you know, leaders like you come in and use creativity and look at everyone's unique contributions.02:35 - Lindsay: And I know that leadership training and coaching is really, really one of your big passions. So, can you explain why that's so important to you?.. Veronica: Absolutely. So leaders nowadays, I feel like sometimes get placed into their roles because they are subject-matter experts. Yes. Because they understand the industry really well, but they lack that finesse when it comes to dealing with the people. And when you lack that finesse, you know, you really are doing a disservice to your people because you're not nurturing, you're not pouring into them, and you're only focused on, on, you know, the end goal, which is like, let's bring more revenue into the business.

1 Aug 202334min

Join us for an insightful episode with Anthony Lado, Human Resources Director at Emory Valley Center. Anthony shares valuable perspectives on building a strong HR department, managing schedules in the healthcare industry, and fostering trust and engagement to boost employee morale and productivity. Discover the power of motivation, commitment, and a culture of mutual respect for a high-performing organization in a post-pandemic work environment.Meet Anthony Lado, a seasoned HR leader with extensive experience driving strategic initiatives in various organizations. As Human Resources Director at Emory Valley Center, he continues to excel in creating strong HR departments and fostering engagement to boost employee morale. Anthony's career trajectory highlights his expertise in strategic human resources leadership and his dedication to enhancing organizational efficiency and value for patients. Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of People Analytics:High-functioning HR departments act as partners to the business by aligning their goals with the organization's overall objectives.Although industries may have different revenue drivers, understanding the core revenue generators is essential for making informed decisions.A mismanaged schedule can be a significant factor in healthcare employee burnout.Schedule is often more important than money for employees in the healthcare industry.Trust and motivation, not surveillance, drive productivity.Building a high-performing culture is crucial.The pandemic has forced organizations to rethink traditional work structures and embrace flexible technology-enabled solutions.Resources:Emory Valley CenterStaffGeek Connect with Anthony Lado:LinkedInConnect with the host Lindsay Patton:LinkedIn EmailQuotables:13:25 - “So what we're doing, we have to be on stage. There's no way to remote in. Yeah. Restaurant servers, you know, hospital people is just like that. Well, there are a lot of positions. Remote is not an option. But in that standpoint, having a schedule that is manageable, that you can work four days on and three days off is there's no amount of money, bonuses, incentives that you can throw at a mismanaged schedule.”11:44 - “Whenever I started a new company, I tried to go on a listening tour and I listen to everyone that I can, I try to schedule half an hour meetings with everyone from the c e o to the frontline person and just listen. I mean, I'm always amazed at the amount of money, time, and effort companies spend trying to figure out what their employees want when their employees are literally screaming at them from every, you know, communication chain. Yeah. And, and I think companies tend to overcomplicate things when it comes to that.”18:00 - “I think time is something huge that we recognize we were not respecting enough before the, the pandemic makes sense. And I think the pandemic really showed us how much our time was being exploited, how much our time was being disrespected. And now we're saying, no, this is, this is precious to me.”21:26 - “It's incredible how that shift has happened. You know, I went from having jobs that I could do from home, but employers that expected me to be in the office and now I'm working a hundred percent from home and there's, you know, things that were taken away that I think we are like commuting for example. Yeah. Yeah. That we just, they're part of our lives is part of our life and we just we're like, okay, we accept it and didn't realize the time that we could get back.”22:19 - Lindsay: “People have different personalities. So how do you create, you know, more individualized or more, I guess, custom experiences based on those industries and personalities?”... Anthony: “Sure. That's a great question because it's something you always, so I would say it like this. I have a phrase that I, I don't know where I picked it up. I don't take credit for it, but it's always, it served me well, and it's, you know, you want to treat employees fair but not equal because it's impossible to treat everyone equally because people have different roles, responsibilities.”

28 Juli 202333min

In this episode, Lindsay Patton interviews Carolyn Moore, Chief People Officer at Influx Data, about her journey in HR and the importance of empathy in leadership. They discuss the negative impact of traditional performance management systems and the need to shift towards a feedback-driven approach with open communication and support. They also highlight the evolving nature of HR, with a focus on empathy, strategy, and data fluency. The episode explores how HR professionals are becoming more involved in understanding the business and driving strategic processes, envisioning the future of the HR landscape.Carolyn Moore is a seasoned HR executive and consultant with a passion for building strong leaders and nurturing winning cultures. With extensive experience in global communications and people leadership roles, including her current position as Chief Member at Chief and Chief People Officer at InfluxData, Carolyn brings expertise in driving organizational growth and creating positive workplace environments. She also owns CultureFluence Consulting, where she assists companies in transforming their workplaces through leadership development, culture alignment, and talent acquisition strategies. Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of People Analytics:HR plays a vital role in shaping and preserving company culture.Traditional performance management models instill fear and hinder growth in the workplace.Emphasizing career discussions and supporting employees' long-term goals enhances loyalty.Understanding employees on a personal level promotes engagement and meaningful connections.Empathy is a running theme in HR, influencing how HR professionals are shaking things up and helping the field evolve.There will be a need for more oversight around innovation and creativity, especially regarding the balance between pushing boundaries and potentially putting employees at risk.HR professionals should prioritize building credibility and connections within the company to effectively push strategy and contribute to overall business success.Resources:ChiefInfluxDataStaffGeek The AdvantageConnecting with Carolyn Moore:LinkedInConnecting with Lindsay Patton:LinkedIn EmailQuotables:07:01 - “I think the words are important, but the words have to be meaningful, and you have to be able to ensure that it's sort of ingrained in you as an employee as well as, you know, any of the executives across the company.”10:30 - “And I've been really working very hard leadership development wise, particularly with, with, you know, first level and second level managers to make sure that they take that and kind of sweep that away and think more about being empathetic, understanding what the employee is bringing to the party, and helping them to figure out what to do. Not by telling, but by coaching, by asking good questions. And I think that that's a, you know, that's, that's a skill that needs to be developed, but what I find is once leaders have got the hang of it, if you will, it makes it so much easier on them, honestly.”11:54 - “One boss told me you need to do whatever I say because I'm the owner of the company. Another one said, and that didn't really motivate me to want to do a good job at all.”20:16 - “I think a habit in the workforce is loyalty and expecting that, and, you know, getting ego in when people do choose to leave and grow and, you know, you can't, you can't fault someone for wanting to do something for themselves.”14:25 - Lindsay: “And it just made me realize how much fear there is in the workplace in general. So, yeah. Can we talk about that a little bit? Because it's something that I think is, you know, is too prevalent.”.. Carolyn: “I've been thinking a lot about that, about fear in the workplace. And I, I think that just the structure of the workplace has driven that we've as a society for a long time have driven a model in into the workplace that's very militaristic.”

12 Juli 202334min

In this episode, Kimberly Marolda, Director of HR at Hamilton Thorne Inc., stresses the need for community building in the workplace to ensure a safe and reliable work environment. She speaks on the importance of face-to-face interactions, creating a welcoming space, and knowing colleagues' personalities. By fostering connections with team members, managers can support personal and professional growth.Kimberly Marolda is an accomplished HR professional with experience in diverse industries, including healthcare, retail, logistics, and fine jewelry. She has a proven track record of driving organizational success through strategic HR initiatives, employee engagement, talent management, and operational efficiency. Currently serving as the Director of Human Resources at Hamilton Thorne Inc, Kimberly is dedicated to delivering innovative solutions and fostering collaboration in the assisted reproduction community. Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of People Analytics:Soft skills build connections within the organization.Blurred boundaries in work and life have led to an increase in emotional intelligence and wellness programs.Building a sense of community is essential in achieving work goals.Facetoface interactions are crucial in developing relationships and trust.Allowing moments of silence in meetings fosters thoughtfulness and consideration.Vulnerability and nonjudgmental behavior are key to creating a safe and supportive workplace.Good communication and team building are critical to achieving goals and overcoming obstacles.Resources:Hamilton Thorne Inc.StaffGeek Connecting with Kimberly Marolda:LinkedInConnecting with Lindsay Patton:LinkedIn EmailQuotables:02:07 - One focuses on those softer skills, building the connections with team members and members of the group as a whole, outside of your own team if you manage one. But you have to make connections with everybody within the organization. And having those softer skills and those abilities to make, build relationships and ask questions that encourage people to open up. That was really important to, to have as an HR profession, a skill set.25:14 - So learning about who people are and what they do and allowing moments of silence to happen in meetings allows for thoughtfulness and consideration. And I think it's really important to really understand who everybody is as a human. Both not, you know, inside the workplace, most importantly, and to some degree outside of the workplace. So you can understand a little bit more about who they are.05:09 -  You know, in my career I've come across, you know, people that, you know, want to get to know me, want to understand how to help. And then I've come across people who are like, you need to leave your issues and your emotions at home. Do not bring them here. Do not tell me about it. Do your job. So, you know, do you see a, a transition from more of the hard structure?12:44 - Lindsay: And it's really, really amazing to see what happens when people come together. You know? Absolutely. A common cause whether that's a child's well-being or, you know, in the workplace.. Kimberly: Because it feels more, it feels selfless and less like work if you've, if you're engaging in a way where you want to contribute, and you want to support, and you want to help and provide a foundation that, that people can rely on, I think that that is so self-fulfilling as well.11:07 - Lindsay: And there's also in families, I feel like there's that rule of, like, you don't disrespect adults or elders. You treat or you always treat them with respect. But you know if someone's disrespecting you, you have the right to stand up to that because you're… Kimberly: Not a family. Exactly. So I like to use the term community instead because I feel like that helps set more boundaries, but it also focuses on building an engaging a pool of people that are all gathered together for a common purpose, a common goal, and they have a shared set amount of time. This is the project we're working on, this is the amount of time it's going to take to push through this.

29 Juni 202331min

In this episode, Leeza Klimetz, Director of Human Resources at TAPPI, discusses breaking the stigma in HR by embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. She emphasizes understanding employees' needs, creating a total rewards package that is inclusive and attractive, and supporting DEI from the top down. Clements encourages HR professionals to listen to their staff and advocate for and support them. The pandemic has helped organizations recognize the needs of workers and the importance of empathetic leadership in humanizing the workplace and recognizing employees.Leeza Klimetz is the Director of Human Resources at TAPPI, a global association serving the pulp, paper, packaging, and converting industries. She has spearheaded the development of a comprehensive wellness program, prioritizing the health and well-being of staff members. With a focus on strategic goals, safety protocols, and diversity initiatives, Leeza has made a significant impact in her role, creating a positive and thriving work environment. Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of People Analytics:Solo HR professionals need to learn how to prioritize and lean on third party resources.Diversity and inclusion go beyond race and culture, and companies need to walk the walk.Understanding employees' needs and communicating in a way that works for them is key.Breaking the stigma in HR by advocating for employees' happiness and growth.Creating a total rewards package that is inclusive and tailored to employees' needs and wants.Supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion from the top down by having a diverse leadership team and diverse speakers at conferences.Listening to employees and adapting to their changing needs and wants.Resources:TAPPIStaffGeek Connecting with Leeza Klimetz:LinkedInConnect with Lindsay Patton:LinkedIn EmailQuotables:03:19 - “That's one part of HR that I love, is that it is always changing. I'm a lifelong learner, so I am constantly growing my professional development, personal development and hopefully sharing that with my leadership and my staff as well. But yeah, you have to figure out what fits with your team, and that may change tomorrow. And you just have to keep on top of that and understand how you can keep the company flowing.”06:13 - “And I think that if anyone is starting their DNI education, whether it's personally or in the corporate world, you need to really understand that and dig deep into each category. You know, it's not just about race and culture, it's about gender, sexual orientation, military status, disability age. And really from a corporate standpoint, figuring out how you can make your workplace inclusive for all of those people from the top down.”09:13 - “And I know one thing that you really are passionate about is humanizing the workplace and leading with empathy. Empathy. And you can't do that without getting to know the people that you are working with.”10:42 - “That is so important because, you know, I remember when, when I was a leader, like I would offer, you know, the people that I was working with, opportunities that I may have wanted, but they're not me. So those opportunities, that gave them a little bit of anxiety.”08:40 Lindsay: “But someone who's doing more of that work that you need focus in your eyes on, they're not able to access their phone or email right away. So how do you kind of find a balance for communication?” Leeza: “Yeah. You have to, to really figure out your staff and what, and that's with everything, you know, even outside of communication, but what, what fits with them? Do you, you know, maybe phone communication for this employee is great and email communication, but then there are employees that you need to be face-to-face with and have more of a hands-on role with them.”

20 Juni 202323min

In this episode, Vytelle's Director of Human Resources, Lynn Lobe, discusses her unique journey to HR leadership and the significance of empathy and opportunity in the workplace, the strategies and challenges involved in building an HR department from scratch, and managing global mobility, and the opportunities that combining her passion for animal science and HR provides beyond traditional roles.Lynn Lobe is the Director of Human Resources at Vytelle, a precision livestock company reshaping how cattle producers worldwide optimize their herds. Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of People Analytics:The importance of surrounding oneself with people who know more and not being afraid to tackle new opportunities.Why building an HR department requires prioritization and support from others.Why change management skills are required to overhaul an established HR program.How preventing fires in the workplace involves listening to employees and being flexible in processes.How increasing global mobility requires automation, fair and equitable approaches, and project management skills.Resources:VytelleStaffGeek Connecting with Lynn Lobe:LinkedInConnect with Lindsay Patton:LinkedIn EmailQuotables:04:33 – “So we recently had a guest who is a champion for veterans in the workplace, and she shared information that is so important for other people leaders to understand is that veterans have a very unique skill set.”11:26 – “Something I really love about your journey is the importance of opportunity and giving people opportunity because I know that you were asked to put some foundational bricks into place, and that's a huge opportunity and also can be very overwhelming.”20:27 – “I think it's just also having the exposure to some really good project managers. I'm not a project manager expert. I've been able and fortunate enough to work alongside some, and I think that's where that sense of order comes into play. It's like, okay, how can you strategically map this out so that this entropy that you've got going on can now be put into a scope that has a workflow to it.”22:05 – “So how do the voices collectively come together in a way that then you've got a platform to say, this isn't working, so what can we fix? And then now there's going to be entropy. How do we project manage this? And that's the kind of the issue, right? I mean, there can be a lot of cooks in this kitchen and in this endeavor. How do you do it so it's fair and equitable, and doable? 25:36 – “And I think that the universe puts people in our pathway for a reason. And sometimes we see those, and there's clarity around that, and sometimes not. But ultimately, you get somebody in my role, you get the ability to touch somebody, an impact for the positive in every situation that you can work in.”

15 Juni 202328min

In this episode, Blue Acorn iCi’s Chief People Officer, Erica Rooney, talks about how companies can create a positive workplace culture, why inclusivity is important for business success, and how to build trust with your employees.Erica Rooney is the Chief People Officer at Blue Acorn iCi, a trailblazing digital customer experience company that is revolutionizing the landscape of analytics, digital commerce, customer experience, and experience-driven commerce offerings. Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of People Analytics:Who inclusivity is for in the workplace.The importance of building trust with new employees.How to create a culture of openness and accountability.How Covid-19 affected women in the workforce.The ways Covid-19 impacted the gender pay gap.Why women negotiate their salaries less than men do.Why companies need equal pay policies and women in leadership positions.Resources:Blue Acorn iCiStaffGeek Connect with Erica Rooney:LinkedInConnect with the Host:Lindsay Patton on LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaypatton/Lindsay Patton by Email – lindsay@staffgeek.comQuotables:01:45 – “I am what I like to call a gender equality crusader, and I am very passionate about bringing more women into positions of power but also keeping them there. And I'm very passionate about that because I'm a woman in a position of power. So I'm very familiar with the hardships and the things that we're up against that men are not, you know, we walk through the world very differently than men do. We have to lead differently than men do. We cannot act the same way they do in corporate America. It will not get us to the same places. And we also have not caught, society has not caught up to the fact that women are in these positions of power. So there are so many people out there, especially in my generation and in generations before and slightly after me, that we still have these societal expectations that we are running the household full-time, but now we're also working full-time and that hasn't caught up yet.”03:47 – “And the truth is, we are burning out. We are expected to take care of the homes, do all of the caregiving. We are now entering into that realm where we have aging parents and young kids. This is known as the sales generation. So even if you don't have kids, you are still taking care of your ailing parents, perhaps. So there is care taking somewhere, and all of that falls to the women. It doesn't fall to the men. And so we are having to manage our high power jobs and manage everything else in the home, and the workplace policies and cultures are not caught up with that yet.”25:18 – “When women start new jobs, new careers, we give ourselves this unrealistic expectation of being perfect. Yeah. Case in point, we don't apply for the jobs unless we meet a hundred percent of the criteria. Okay. Men apply for the jobs like at 64% or something wild like that. You know, they're just like, yeah, I'm going to throw my name in the hat. So we go into these positions with this unrealistic expectation that we put on ourselves to be perfect, and then we beat ourselves up over it, and then we don't like to own the mistakes. Right. Whereas men just come charging in with this like, I'm a badass mentality, I'm going to rock it out. We need to harness more of that.”27:47 – “Covid-19 hit, we all thought it was going to be two weeks. It was not two weeks. Yeah. People had to quickly assess their situations and pivot their lives. Do I need to stay home and work with kids? Am I now care-taking for my elderly family that I can't leave in a care facility? Right. People lost jobs. Most of the people that had to exit the workforce were women. So when that happened, it then effectively switched up the pay gap to then increase to 132 years. So if we now continue with the rate that we are going today, it will be 132 years before we are paid the same as a man. That's not my lifetime, that's not my kids' lifetime. That is, to me, bananas.”29:05 – “We're busting through the glass ceiling. So for example, women don't negotiate, okay? Only 26% of women actually negotiate their job offers, if they negotiate at all. And when they negotiate, they ask for less than men. So you're talking about when a man and a woman, if they both have equal education, equal skills, and they both get offered a job for a hundred thousand dollars and the man negotiates just 5,000 more dollars, that's it. Over time, we're talking hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars lost.”

1 Juni 202335min