Author Archives: Ben

Identifying the Skills of Enterprise Organizations with Starmind on We’re Only Human

“At the beginning of my career, HR was looked at as a necessary evil. Now it’s completely flipped to where HR is the driving force for how companies grow and expand.” Eric Storm, Starmind

We’re Only Human – Episode 92

Skills are the currency of business. Research shows that in the 1980s, 85%+ of organizational value was in tangible assets (property, facilities, equipment, etc.) Today, that has shrunk to just 15% or less, and the rest of value is in intangible assets (ideas, capabilities, intellectual property, etc.)

Skills are a key part of organizational value, but very few companies know the skills inside the business well enough to leverage their value. In this interview with Starmind, Ben digs in with Eric Storm to understand how the firm offers employers a way to identify, understand, and leverage the skills of the workforce. 

To learn more about Starmind, visit http://starmind.ai 

Also, check out episode 24, which Ben references during the show: https://upstarthr.com/the-secret-to-great-team-performance-may-surprise-you-podcast/ 

Handling the Clash of Parenting and Work in a Pandemic [Video]

Last week I had a chance to bring together an amazing panel to talk about how to support parents in a challenging work environment. This conversation featured:

  • Donielle Buie, HR leader in charge of employee wellbeing at the Broad Institute
  • Shana Sweeney, CHRO of SugarCRM
  • Jonathan Corke, marketing leader at Bright Horizons

In the video below, you can hear each of these leaders talking about how they are tackling the challenge of supporting parents, regardless of whether work is remote or not. Some of the resources shared by the panelists include:

Speaking of human problems, I’ll be leading a session later this week on the human skills of work. We keep hearing about AI and automation, but the truth is that there are certain things humans need to do, even with smart algorithms and systems taking over parts of HR. Listen in to hear what kinds of skills will matter as work continues to evolve!

If you are experiencing this or have other friends in HR that are trying to make sense of the challenge of supporting working parents, please check out the video for some great ideas and strategies to make this more manageable for all of us.

Blockchain, Skills, and the Future of Work with the Velocity Network Foundation on We’re Only Human

“We as an industry are driving toward the cliff and the HCM [technology] vendors are competing over who offers better tire pressure.” Dror Gurevich, Velocity Network Foundation

We’re Only Human Podcast Episode 91

How are organizations gathering skill data inside the business? Our research shows that the most common method is also one of the most biased: manager observations. However, Velocity Network Foundation is a nonprofit organization that aims to solve the problem of unverified, unvalidated employee skills through the power of blockchain.

Dror and Ben explore what this means for the future of the business world, what it enables organizations to do from a talent perspective, and how trusted career records can change processes like hiring and training forever. 

Learn more about Velocity Network Foundation: https://www.velocitynetwork.foundation/

Virtual Open Enrollment and Benefits Communication Strategies on We’re Only Human

“We need help communicating the benefits we pour our hearts and souls into and making them successful for our employees.”

Jesse Albro, Flimp Communications

We’re Only Human Episode 90

Heads up: open enrollment will happen this year. While this seems like the strangest year in, well, forever, it also has some predictable elements to it. That said, how do you plan for a virtual approach to open enrollment? How do you measure the impact of your communications/ How do you support your people as they think more carefully about health and wellness than ever before? 

In today’s conversation, Ben talks with Jesse Albro from Flimp about these topics and more. Jump in and learn how your company can plan and implement a more virtual and scalable approach to open enrollment. 

Learn more about Flimp: http://flimp.net/

Childcare, School, and the Workforce: Practical Ideas for a Universal Challenge

A new study shows childcare shortages in the U.S. are costing employers $12.7 billion a year due to lost productivity. As the dad of four kids ages 10 and under, I can understand where the numbers are coming from.

Over the last few months, we’ve seen tremendous growth in the number of conversations about childcare and how it relates to the workplace. COVID-19 shutdowns have put parents in the stressful situation of struggling to balance work while having children at home. Add to that discussions about virtual schooling, and it’s easy to see how this has become a central pain point for employees – and the organizations frantically trying to support them.

In this livestream session to be held on Tuesday, September 1st at 12:00 central (1:00p eastern, 10:00a pacific), panelists will bring a diverse set of perspectives, eye-opening data, and concrete examples to help employers consider how they can support parents in the workforce.

However, I’d also love to hear from YOU during this session. Has anything worked well for you? What has been your experience? How can we learn from each other and from our set of expert panelists and practitioners? After all, a rising tide lifts all ships, and any knowledge shared in this area makes for better outcomes for all of us.

Combining Learning, Technology, and Culture with Christopher Lind on We’re Only Human

“For me it’s always been about focusing on how we can use technology to transform the way we develop, grow, and care for our employees.” Christopher Lind, learning technology leader at GE Healthcare and founder of Learning Sharks

We’re Only Human episode 89

In today’s discussion, host Ben Eubanks digs in with Christopher Lind on how to use technology as a piece of the bigger picture of supporting the workforce from a learning perspective. Discussion topics include knowing the business, what your learning culture looks like, and how to stay current on the technologies that enable better business performance. 

 

Connect with Christopher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherlind/

Learn about the Learning Health Check Assessment: http://learningsharks.com/

Compassion and Connection: Keys to a Better 2020 on We’re Only Human

“This year has really redefined what compassion means to me. The need to have compassion for others, whether it’s wearing a mask for those at high risk when I’m going into a store or what role I can personally play in social injustice, it really is all just coming back to compassion.”

Lesley Lyons, PeopleStrategy

We’re Only Human – Episode 88

In this conversation Ben interviews Lesley Lyons, a marketing executive with PeopleStrategy, to talk about the themes of connection and compassion and how they play a part in helping each of us support each other during challenging times. Lesley also announces the new Antiracism Forum, a free event for business leaders to get expert insights on how to build antiracist cultures. 

https://www.peoplestrategy.com/AntiracismForum

Connect with Lesley: lesley.lyons@peoplestrategy.comÂ